A recent column by the TimesDaily's Mike Goens gave us an insight into the long-time journalist's view on immigration, legal or otherwise. In defense of his position, Goens mentioned a former co-worker who moved to the area from Canada. While the writer didn't mention the Canadian's name, he was referring to Trevor Stokes who toiled for our local rag for four years. Where is Trevor now?
It would appear that Trevor now labors in the vast wasteland that is known as the New York metro area. In other words, he made good. Trevor, a college-educated, English speaking, non-welfare recipient was held up as what is good with immigration. Indeed he is. Yet we must ask how Trevor Stokes represents the masses from south of our border? The answer is he doesn't. Mike Goens was comparing apples to oranges, work ethic to welfare ethic, college education to no education.
Alas, Trevor has left the building, albeit for greener pastures. It's a familiar scenario with the intelligentsia of this area, but don't worry, there are illegal immigrants willing to populate the Shoals. They pay their taxes when they buy their beer and smokes...and this seems enough for Mike Goens. Is it enough for anyone else?
Former Good Samaritan Hospice co-owner Randy Gist has pleaded guilty to fraud in Federal Court. According to sources there my be at least one sexual harassment civil suit still outstanding against Gist.
Along with Good Samaritan, A & E Hospice and Blue Water Hospice have also closed their doors. Florence's Hospice Complete has a new owner, and reportedly a new name will be forthcoming. Keller recently formed a holding company for its affiliated hospice. Most hospices in this area are honestly managed, but with the abundance of competition and tighter government controls, we expect to see at least one other such enterprise go under within the next year.
Related posts:
Hospice Wars: Good Samaritan
Hospice Wars III: Another One Bites the Dust
Hospice Hijinks
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Apparently signs aren't enough, but who is responsible for the five lives lost since the Cypress Creek weir was built in 1980? An article in today's TimesDaily states that boaters actually seek out such environs when they are at their most dangerous. There's little chance the missing kayaker will be found alive, but we can still hope.
It was only three week ago that we commented on the dangers:
The Drowning Machine
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It was good to see the TD's Trevor Stokes off the Russellville beat in today's edition. Is he no longer in exile?
Shoalanda
Jerry Wayne Morris' assault trial has ended in a hung jury. According to a source with Lauderdale County, the evidence against the Anderson resident was iffy at best. We don't advocate striking police officers under any circumstances, but neither do we condone police brutality against innocent citizens. It would seem Hank Sherrod is definitely the go-to attorney in cases involving police infringement of civil rights.
Sources further tell us the Anderson Police Department has made great strides under its new chief. Kudos to Chief Karla McGee for improving the department's image. McGee replaced former DynCorp employee Mark Bowers last May.
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If the English language isn't dead, it's mortally wounded and in need of a miracle to save it. A reader board on a local pharmacy recently proclaimed: Get Your Alabama & Auburn Stuff Here! The word "stuff" seems to be running a close second to "like" as the most overused/ill-used word in not only daily conversation, but more formal speech as well.
Of course, we no longer converse, but conversate. We won't mention the name of the Tweeter, but a local UNA student recently wrote: It was fun commentating with ***** at the Florence Christmas parade. We'll be sure to notate that in case we need someone to orientate a new announcer next year. At least we can take solace in the fact that decadent speech isn't just a Southern phenomenon--we've heard the Kardashians speak.
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A reader tells us the name of our new hospital will be Northwest Regional Medical Center. The appellation is already scrolling across screen savers on ECM monitors...and only ten years before the hospital is completed.
Other sources report that the first of the year will see several long-time Registered Nurses leave ECM's employ, as well as a paring down of some excess baggage at Shoals Hospital. We can understand the need to clean house at Shoals; it's long been reported that nepotism and good ol' boy politics played a large role in their staffing. Encouraging senior RNs with years of expertise to take early retirement in the name of cost effectiveness is a different matter.
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After an absence of almost three months, we see Trevor Stokes returned to the TimesDaily on December 8th. Now it they would just bring back the Sunday local history segments...
Shoalanda
The word "new" in this topic may be misleading, perhaps we should have said the "now obvious" direction of the TimesDaily. Shelton Publishing, parent company of the Decatur Daily, purchased the Shoals' largest newspaper last year; earlier this year Shelton bought the weekly Courier Journal. Is this monopoly of news outlets illegal? No, but it is still a form of monopoly.
Visit the TimesDaily website and you're offered the chance to click on the sister websites of the Decatur Daily or Moulton Advertiser. Visit one of these two sites and you will not be similarly offered the chance to visit the TimesDaily with just a click of the mouse. While Shelton Publishing expects Shoals residents to find its other two publications of interest, it apparently doesn't think Morgan or Lawrence County readers will find the TimesDaily of either interest or great import.
Apparently it's all right to criticize the Coffee Health Group for choosing RegionalCare to take over local hospitals, but not all right to question the situation at Alabama National rail care plant, a situation that affects all state employees. We're still searching for logic in that one and so far have found none.
Shoals readers are turning to such websites as the ShoalsInsider and The Connection for much news or investigative reporting. For any editorial comment that might criticize local industry (read: advertisers), readers will have to look to various local blogs. We hope one of these news outlets will hire Trevor Stokes--he wasn't afraid to tell the truth...
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Many Shoals residents remember Dr. Edward Mullen fondly from his 28 years with Trinity Episcopal Church in Florence. Here's a chance to own a rare copy of his sermons: Link
Shoalanda
We haven't seen TimesDaily cub reporter Trevor Stokes around in some time. A quick check of the TD archives shows that he hasn't had a byline in a little over two months. Stokes' last article, dated September 19th, came just three short weeks after he reported the current problems at the Barton rail car plant. Of course, we will not be so brazen as to suggest there may be a correlation there; we'll let our readers decide for themselves. After all, the TotallyDecatur wouldn't want to keep its Shoals readers in the dark concerning the state of the economy in our fair corner of the state, now would it?
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We regularly receive e-mails from those who claim to be psychic and have even published one or two. Some we receive are cryptic in nature, whether intentionally so or not. We have this week received information from a psychic concerning a local ghost, a ghost that's apparently not resting easy since the demise of his mortal shell a few years ago. Ordinarily we wouldn't publish this particular communication, but since it concerns our favorite haunt Sweetwater, we're eager to hear from any readers who can elucidate us on the subject.
You make fun of Sweetwater, but there's at least one ghost there, I know for certain. He called himself a vampire, the Dead Angel. His girlfriend was a dead countess, also a vampire. The Dead Angel carried a knife and threatened others, but some still loved him. One of those killed him. The Dead Angel doesn't think his murder has been avenged as yet. His killer is now free to roam the grounds at Sweetwater, firing his guns at random and pretending to be someone from the past. If you really want to see a ghost try calling up the Dead Angel.
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We've also heard from two readers who purport to have inside info on the payroll situation at the Colbert County 911 office; however, their report of corruption was vague and not nearly as entertaining as that concerning the Dead Angel.
Currently, Crystal Huddleston and a friend have opened Two Peas in a Pod, a monogramming business in Cherokee, and, if there is a real case against the former office manager, it has not yet gone to the grand jury. We understand The Connection will be having more reports on this and related problems in the very near future.
Shoalanda
The age of a cabin owned by Russellville Mayor Troy Oliver is in dispute--for some unknown reason. While this is hardly an issue that concerns the entire Shoals area, it should be noted since it reflects on the intelligence, or lack thereof, of some local leaders.
Oliver cliams the DeVaney House was built in 1770. Were there white settlers in Franklin County at that time? It's certainly possible that fur traders and similar settlers may have lived here with the indigenous population that early, but it's Oliver's "proof" that is ludicrous.
Oliver claims, and TimesDaily journalist Trevor Stokes does not question, that property deeds date the house to 1770. Very interesting...except for the fact this area was Indian territory until after the War of 1812; before that time the U.S. government officially discouraged settlement. To claim that there were property deeds for North Alabama as early as the late 18th century shows a dramatic lack of education on Oliver's part--not to mention a college educated journalist who fails to note this small fact.
We realize that due to Franklin County's isolated geographical location and resulting lack of high-tech industry, or any industry for that matter, it's not the hub of critical thinking; however, unless Franklin County voters become more discerning, Russellville and the surrounding area will never progress beyond a 1770 mentality.
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Did someone say education? How about the Florence Business College circa 1920? For many years a business college stood on South Court Street, it's ownership and name changing frequently, but this architectural gem does not resemble what ended its life as Alverson-Draughn Business School. We're unsure if this Arts and Crafts building is still extant, but you can buy an image on eBay: Link
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D.K. reports that the defense team in the Brandi Willingham murder trial requested to have the proceedings moved from the area. The motion was temporarily denied until after an attempt at jury selection today.
Look for D.K. to bring us reports of interest from this trial that don't make it to the TimesDaily.
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Other upcoming blogs will feature a most interesting Cherokee tale from C.R. and, deep breath, blackmail by those who don't have a clue...
ShoalandaGet connected in September!
We're sure most of our readers also read the Sunday TimesDaily article on Guatemalan Pedro Machic. Unfortunately, the article touched on a few hot buttons and failed to address what journalist Trevor Stokes should have considered glaring issues.
Machic states he doesn't know why the ICE agents came to his home; apparently Stokes doesn't either. If he asked, he failed to mention it in his report. Why didn't the immigration agents also arrest Machic's wife and son, both also here illegally? A lot of three day old fish there...
Why do many Hispanics who dub themselves pastors support illegal immigration? Surely they can't justify their stance in either State/Federal law or the teachings of Jesus, who commanded us to "render unto Caesar."
Why does Russellville Mayor Troy Oliver state the city school system couldn't survive without the immigrant students? Certainly fewer students mean fewer tax dollars, but with fewer students come fewer expenses. To publicly state he supports illegal immigrants, Oliver leaves himself open to a covey of opposition in the next election.
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A reader informs us of a new business in downtown Russellville. For many years, Miller Hardware operated a large storefront at 109 West Lawrence Street. Now a Hispanic grocery store sits in its place.
The building's front windows are newly covered with many small signs advertising exotic foods and fountain drinks. The largest sign? We Accept EBT Cards.
We sympathize with anyone who cannot support his or her family; however, we do not support providing illegal immigrants with funds from our tax dollars. If any reader feels otherwise, please send us a guest commentary and we will gladly publish it.
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Longing for a simpler time? How about Sheffield 1955? The date does explain why everyone is looking at the food vendors and not Elvis...
Trading card available on eBay: LinkShoalanda
Coming soon...get connected!
Bill Batson is the Chairman of the Lauderdale County Republican Party; Trevor Stokes is a reporter for the Florence TimesDaily. Either one, or both, of these gentlemen is very confused.
Yesterday, we published John Odem's announcement of his candidacy for Lauderdale District Judge--an office currently held by appointed Republican Carole Coil Medley (pictured). Also publishing Odem's announcement was the TimeDaily. In an article written by Stokes, the TD announced the names of three current District Judges, all of whom are actually serving as Lauderdale Circuit Judges.
Perhaps the most startling aspect of Stokes' article was the quote by Bill Batson that no Republican has yet announced his or her intention of running for District Judge. In fact, Ms. Medley announced on August 13, 2009, that she would be seeking four more years of the district judgeship, a fact recorded in the TD by Stokes' fellow journalist Bernie Delinski.
And Lauderdale County often wonders why it's ignored in Montgomery?
What's up with this: Sources familiar with the now infamous Cherokee Council scuffle (dubbed Thrilla in the Kee by one local wag) are stating the Lansdell's son, known as Char-Char, will definitely be involved when all charges are finalized.
Shoalanda
I've received several requests to do columns on local attractions, including those indigenous to the area. Certainly our beautiful Shoal Creek is one of them. Rippling northward to Lawrenceburg, the body of water seems too large to be designated a simple creek. Most of us cross Shoal Creek with enough regularity that it deserves both our awe and respect.Recently, TimesDaily journalist Trevor Stokes, an admitted immigrant from the north, did an article on a home located on Shoal Creek, referring to our beloved body of water as "Shoals." Yet we can't foist all blame on those blasted carpetbaggers, as recently as the fall election, our now Lauderdale County Commissioner Rhea Tays Fulmer, who claims to be a native, referred to this body of water in the same haphazard manner (We don't need no education, apparently to be elected in Northwest Alabama).If there should be some non-natives reading this article, rest assured the wide expanse of water separating Florence from Killen is indeed named Shoal Creek. Now, if we could just get people to pronounce Gunwaleford Road properly...What's up with this: Rumors are flying about the involvement of a Barnett Plumbing Truck in a weekend high speed chase that spanned two counties. For those who don't know, the owner of this company is the father of Keith Barnett, another victim in our local unsolved murder files.
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