The TimesDaily: Journalism Ain't What It Used To Be

If you're old enough, you can remember when the TimesDaily was a locally owned newspaper. Extended coverage was usually given to murder trials; an article covering a day's proceedings could take up half the front page and testimony was published verbatim. Things change and so has our local rag's coverage of almost everything, including murder trials.

D.K. has often commented that the casual reader is not informed of much that goes on in the court room. Whether this is for purposes of controlling article length or other reasons, we don't know. We do know that for many years, Dennis Sherer covered murder trials in the Shoals. His tenure as the legal correspondent ended last July, and Hannah Mask is now in charge of memorializing murder for the masses. So, how's she doing?

From D.K.:

After the sentencing in the Tammy Woods case, the new Times Daily reporter Hannah Mask wrote this at the end of her story:

"Tony Woods spoke quietly with Donnie Cottingham, away from the crowd, after the sentencing. "I told him we didn't have any hard feelings toward his family, and he felt the same," Cottingham said "I told him I'd pray for him, and he said he'd prey for me."

We were at the sentencing and with the family until they carried Tony Woods out of the court room, we never saw any such between Donnie Cottingham and Tony Woods, and the Tammie Woods family has said that never happened !

A misprint or mistake is one thing, as Hannah saying Jeff Woods was Tony Wood's dad, he is really Tony's brother. But adding words that were not spoken or heard is so wrong !

I for one would like to trust what is put in print, but when things as this  to is put into our TD,  it's hard to trust what the truth maybe when we not are there.

As I said Hannah is new, her first trial, she replaced Dennis Sherer. Many of the victim's family had noticed how she slanted her stories in what they thought to favor the defendant, his picture on front page each day, until the day of the conviction and then on back page in small print. Not one picture of the victim that whole time. I only wish Hannah the best and hope she learns what and how to report in these type stories when emotions are on edge. 

"Justice For All--Even The Victims"

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While on the subject of the Tony Woods' trial, we'll add we're surprised Woods wasn't indicted for Capital Murder. He fired into a retreating vehicle and struck his estranged wife. If Junior Clemmons is guilty of Capital Murder (he has so far only been indicted), then why wasn't Tony Woods?

Yes, justice in the Shoals, or perhaps anywhere, would seem to be a crap shoot. Grand juries, supportive or non-supportive families, district attorneys, trial juries, and judges all play their role in the final outcome. Yet it's our belief that if the citizens don't demand justice, they will rarely see it meted out. More tomorrow...

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Shoalanda

Married for What?/Tim Kent

Would you marry for money? Some would. If you can live with the deal, that's your business. As for others, love comes first. As for still others, we have to wonder.

Been keeping up with the Anthony Woods murder trial? The victim had been married at least three times, and one of her ex-husbands testified today that Tammie Woods had tried to run him down with her car before they married. That's right...before they married and while he was still married to someone else. The defense is using him for a witness...just not one known for his common sense...or morals.

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Cold Water Books will host author, Tim Kent on Thursday, August 23. Tim will sign copies of his books from 5-9pm and give a presentation on the Winston Family, Deshler and Civil War History of Colbert County at 6pm. This will take place during the Deshler Tiger Walk, Tuscumbia Market Event.



Shoalanda

Tony Randall Woods: Yes, It's Capital Murder

Tony Randall Woods and his wife Tammie argued on the night of July 13th; as she drove away, he shot into her vehicle. Tammie Woods managed to drive one mile from the home the two had once shared before she collapsed and later died. Tony Woods has now been charged and arraigned with Capital Murder--if convicted he will either forfeit his life or spend the remainder of it in an Alabama maximum security prison.

Woods claims that although he did shoot intentionally, fatally wounding his wife was not his intention. Sorry, Mr. Woods, you have now met the law in Alabama: fire into an occupied vehicle, killing any occupant, and you are guilty of Capital Murder, no matter your intentions.

Mr. Woods may arrange a plea deal, or he may be tried and found not guilty for whatever rationale the jurors find that suits their collective conscience. That would still not make Tony Randall Woods any less guilty of Capital Murder by the letter of the law. If you don't like the law, legislate to change it. Alabama certainly maintains a laundry list of Capital Murder offenses. That in itself does not make Woods any less guilty.

Tony Randall Woods is a murderer, an abuser, and a coward. Let's all pray for justice for Tammie Woods.

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How do you embezzle 40K and your family not know it? We've received that question concerning the Colbert 911 office manager recently terminated for the alleged payroll theft of over 41K. While such a sum considered as a whole may seem large, one needs to remember that this was taken over a period of time and done via legal payroll.

We may assume that only 30K or so actually reached the office manager, and this could have well been over a time frame of five years or more. Would anyone notice their friend or neighbor had an extra 6K a year in income? Probably not. Would her husband or other family notice? The office manager has stated her husband had a very good job; even so, driving each day from a remote community, raising two young sons, paying utilities in super cold or super hot weather, plus helping parents whom she admitted had financial problems would soon add up. No, we don't think it odd at all that her husband, family, and friends suspected nothing.

Do we think this office manager should be prosecuted, or simply allowed to repay any missing money? Our personal choice would be the latter, but unfortunately many insurance companies demand criminal prosecution of such money crimes. How many people fall into such traps, not thinking of the consequences? More than most of us realize.

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The Alabama Department of Education has notified us that the teaching license revocation hearing of Brian Keith McGuire will be held December 14-15, 2010, in a location yet to be named. A reader recently sent us a thought provoking question:

Do you think it's funny McGuire was found not guilty of rape last year, but wound up in prison anyway? (McGuire is reportedly now working as a prison guard.) Yes, the irony was not lost on us. At the end of the day, McGuire does go home to a wide screen television, Internet, a comfortable bed, decent food, or whatever amenities he may have; yet he spends the majority of most waking days with those who are not the most scintillating of companions. O. Henry could not have written it better.


Shoalanda