Time to Help Chris Martin's Quest for Parole

 

Do you remember Chris Martin of Sheffield? He was convicted of manslaughter in the death of an unwanted guest who took a woman hostage with a knife. 

Did Chris make mistakes? Yes. He invited the wrong person to his party out of friendship or a similar commendable motive. He served way too much liquor at his party. He then believed the legal system in Alabama would exonerate him in the death of his dangerous friend.

The legal system? The system lost much of the evidence in the case. The judge was accused of being a friend of the victim's mother. Still Chris refused to plead in exchange for a ten year sentence since he believed himself not guilty of any malicious act.

When he was convicted, the judge gave Chris twenty years. That means no correctional incentive time - his sentence is day for day unless paroled. Now Chris is having his first parole hearing next month.

If you would like to support Chris, please write the board at:

Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles

Re: James Christopher Martin - 298356

100 Capitol Commerce Boulevard

Montgomery, AL 36117

Russellville Electric Board: Can Officers Define "Embezzlement?"

 

Small Business Trends lists 25 definitions of embezzlement; this is one of them:

Using a Company Credit Card For Personal Use

The employee pays for personal expenses using a company credit card. The good news is, often these thefts are sporadic and the amounts are small.

However, what if the same employee also manages the accounting system and realizes no one but her pays attention?  Using a company credit card for personal use can turn into massive embezzlement examples when combined with falsified accounting records.

Yet this crime is often nebulous. How do you define legitimate business expenses? We'll present our take on a recent Russellville Electric Board charge.

Executive Slip R. Slope with the Acme Widget Company schedules a business conference in Monte Carlo (or is that Gulf Shores?). Well, did you expect him to schedule one held in Frog Pond? Obviously, he and his female companion (hopefully his wife) can't be expected to dine at McDonald's or lodge at the Snug as a Bedbug Inn. Such expenses are often relative and quasi-ethical.

But wait...Mr. Slope and his fair companion will have some down time. Will they be spending it at the local library or the local beach? It's their choice; if they want to go to the beach, but don't have any proper attire, is it the stockholders' (or taxpayers') place to fund these glad rags?

The entry highlighted in yellow is a payment of almost one thousand dollars to LL Boutique in California, a company specializing in beachwear:

You taxpayers in the City of Russellville purchasing anything like that to wear at Sloss Lake? So how do you feel if your electric board is using city funds to purchase these "handerchiefs" for business trips? Please explain how this is justified. Also ask the board how that proposed rise in rates is justified? We'll wait for their answers...

Alabama Ethics Complaints

Florence: Check Your Wastewater Bills

 

When you get your monthly utility bill, what do you check first? If you're like most of us, you look at the amount billed for electricity and/or natural gas. You may then glance at your water usage, but you probably stop there. Next month, take a good look at your wastewater bill. Did you know you paid that much?

Now the City of Florence is planning an upgrade to the system. At the end of March, the ADEM asked the state's approximately 1,100 water systems to submit requests for upgrade funding. Federal funding is to assist with these projects, but we have to ask just how far it will go if all one thousand plus systems request an upgrade.

Florence apparently had its plans ready and will be offering more information on this in days to come. We suggest those who are already concerned about their monthly bill to contact their district representative to learn how this will impact their future payments.

Wastewater: Not a Pleasant Topic, Is It?

April 3rd & 4th 1974 Tornadoes

 

For over 30 years, the tornado outbreak of April 3rd and 4th 1974 held the record as the most prolific in history. Those two days still hold the title of being the most violent. 

While much historical documentation focuses on Xenia, Ohio, the town hardest hit, a few relate the stories of Limestone and Marion Counties in Alabama which both suffered tremendous loss. 

Here on the 48th anniversary of the event is a dramatic take on Limestone County during the ordeal:

The Brady Ann Irons Gift Card Scam Trudges On

 

Eight years since she was part of the infamous Heroin 22 and two years after a local gift card scam was first reported, Brady Ann Irons is once again in the news. With her boyfriend reportedly in jail in Tennessee, Irons decided to enter the Muscle Shoals Walmart on March 31st. Whatever her agenda, all did not go as expected.

Muscle Shoals police called by Walmart managers arrived to find Irons still in the store...asleep or passed out. She was then taken into custody and checked for warrants.

When a Morgan County warrant was discovered, Muscle Shoals immediately transferred our local bad girl to the Morgan County jail where she was booked on a felony shoplifting charge. She's pictured above in her Thursday booking photo and remains in the jail in lieu of a $5,000.00 bond.

In case you think it would be hard for things to go any worse for Irons, think again. She is reportedly pregnant. Brady has one child who was placed in state care years ago. Perhaps keeping her locked up is the best way to protect this unborn child?

The latest arrest may lead to a much longer incarceration than Brady has had to endure in the past. If you are one of many who have contacted us over the years about her unpaid restitution, now is the time to contact authorities to be sure you're on the list for repayment.

Rogersville Called One of Dozen Alabama Speed Traps

 

What is a speed trap? According to proposed new legislation, such morally questionable towns earn over 10% of their income from traffic fines and related fees. Research shows there are only 12 or fewer towns in the state to fall into this category. One such town is Rogersville in extreme eastern Lauderdale County.

Now Senate Bill 282 could cause Rogersville and other small towns to change long standing policy on citations. Time is growing short in this legislative session, so it's possible this bill will not pass until as late as next year. With the current fallout from the Brookside revelations, this seems more a definite when than if.

While we've heard Rogersville dubbed a speed trap for years, this is the first instance we can recall of it being officially called out by lawmakers. Now we can add it to the problem list of alleged teacher sex clubs, alleged use of confiscated vapes, and documented drag racing previously enumerated for this city.

Dr. Larry Stutts Gets Woke?

So Arianna wants to be Joe? It's really no one else's business, but when Joe then wants to become pregnant? You can't blame society for thinking that just a little bit odd. In the history of mankind (or is that humankind?) no XY person has ever become pregnant or given birth.

Or look at it this way: When we say it's time for birds to fly south, do we automatically add except for WKRP turkeys, etc.? No, that's pretty well understood and so is the fact that some genetic females who live as men still produce children. It's not like college genetics where you have to conclude every answer with "unless a mutation takes place."

So why is Rep. Larry Stutts now giving in to the new wokeism of "pregnant people?" In case you missed his latest pontification on medical marijuana: “I’m still not in favor of the marijuana bill, but it is in place. I think it can be improved and one of the ways it can be improved is to limit pregnant people, limit their availability to it.”

After all, it's not like Stutts has built his fan base from the far left among us. We're relatively certain Stutts wouldn't even have a fan base if it weren't for the "R" after his name.

Once again, thanks to Dr. Tim Melson for espousing medical marijuana. We're pretty sure cancer patients and those with other debilitating diseases thank God for his work in this area.