Roger Garner & Lauderdale County Roads

 

Pictured is Lauderdale County Commission District 1 representative Roger Garner. The photo is taken from his last campaign site. We assume he wants voters to know that he owns a pair of overalls and some kind of farm machinery. We were (and still are) unaware of what this has to do with being a person fit to serve as commissioner. Garner also uses the word "conservative" in his bio and ads. No, he doesn't come right out and say that his opponent is a liberal, but obviously he wants the voters to infer that.

A reader is disturbed by recent events in "Garner Land." Here is his take on current shenanigans:

Word is out as to why our county commission decided to pave a county road that Roger Garner's in-laws own 95% of the farm property along the roadside. Some say a hunting lodge is being built, but others say it will be more like a militia camp.

Either way it is not good news for their neighbor Joe Wheeler State Park. More specifically the campground area at Joe Wheeler State Park. Would you want to sleep in a tent at a state park located next to a hunting lodge or militia training camp?

But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, we need individuals to run against Roger Garner in this year's election.

Was there favoritism involved in this decision? Let's just say the optics don't look good considering how many in the county have been waiting years for ANY road improvement.

The ballot box can be a mighty weapon, but few seem to use it. Familiar name? Vote for him/her. No need to even look twice at the candidate's credentials. Republican? Vote for him/her. Who cares if they hate blacks and Jews.

We would be happy for Mr. Garner to address this reader's concerns...and to update us on the county's progress with improved animal control.

Tim Melson Wants Ag Center Free from Local Restrictions

 

White elephants. Hobby Horses. If we didn't have the lower species, how would we ever describe some of our politicians' boondoggles?

Our state senator Dr Tim Melson has been a busy little bee introducing bills into this legislative session. One concerns the Ag Center in extreme eastern Florence...as it now is.

We've read SB 27 several times; it jumps all over the place. Two things stand out to us:

1. Former board members would become directors emeritus and, while receiving no salary, would be compensated for their efforts at certain times...or something. Bro. Tim really needs to explain that one.

2. Ag Centers are exempt from rules, regulations, and laws governing the area where they are located. So, let's see...the Ag Board wanted the center in the City of Florence in order to get sewage lines extended, but doesn't want to live under its regulations. It seems to be the equivalent of a corporate "sovereign citizen." Does that mean it's free from remitting city sales tax? If so, does anyone trust Andy to step in and offer opposition?

As always, there are more questions than answers concerning the Ag Center. If anyone out there wants to oppose any of this, we suggest contacting Bennett Pugh who isn't afraid to stand against local con artists.

Senate Bill 27

Tim Melson Wants to Give Danny Pettus a Raise

 

Everyone likes to get a pay raise - right? Usually, such raises don't require legislation. In case you missed it, our state senator Tim Melson has introduced a bill to raise the pay of our county commission chair Danny Pettus.

SB 133 - Relating to Lauderdale County; to amend Section 45-39-70, Code of Alabama 1975, to increase the salary of the Chair of the Lauderdale County Commission; to provide retroactive application; and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style.

We believe that Commission Chair Pettus means well. We also believe that his priorities are not always in the correct order. Instead of speaking to outside groups about imaginary bogeymen, Danny should be concentrating on real needs of an underachieving county.

How are those roads in Waterloo coming along? Even more importantly, how is the improved plan for animal control progressing? There are more problems, but these two stand out.

Perhaps Sen. Tim could help out with the animal situation by introducing some much needed legislation concerning their basic needs? Pardon our French, but ALFA be damned.

The Raffle We Wouldn't Support

 

As we write this, there are six grieving families in Nashville and another in Huntsville. It's like the Vietnam War as we were growing up. It never stops.

Around 18 months ago, a local police officer was shot by a mentally ill individual. At that time, one of our then regular bloggers asked us to advertise a raffle in support of the slain officer's family. The prize? A gun.

We refused and have not heard from our friend since. Would we change our decision if we had to do it over? No.

One of our regular readers asked why bans on assault rifles bring cries of a "gun grab?" He's absolutely correct. Regulation on these weapons is not the same as taking your hunting rifles, senoritas, or other small guns. Yet, while some work to restrict these weapons, others are working to do away with current regulations on machine guns. Think about that.

Personal opinion? Would we repeal or amend the Second Amendment if we could? Considering what our society is today, yes.

No, morals can't be legislated, but moral behavior can.

Speaking only for...

Shoalanda

Who's the Positive Here? Thank You, Florence Utilities!

 

Thanks to J. Redmon, we have photos of Friday, March 24th. Above is the sunrise on this not-so ordinary day. The best thing we can say is that no one locally died or was seriously injured.

Those of us who were without power for an extended period...and that seems to have been half of Florence...need to thank Florence Utilities for working around the clock to restore electricity to the city. Sincere thanks, guys!

We know one person who was out there working, or at least we know his wife. You also may know his wife - during the last mayoral election, a college professor from New York called her a troll for supporting Mayor Steve Holt.

This "troll" works countless hours raising three physically and mentally healthy children, fostering animals, overseeing various animal welfare projects, and just being a decent human being. We have to believe her husband is a better man because of who she is and what she does.

And the one who called her a troll? She and her hubs seem to participate in only things that work against the City of Florence and its people. At least once a week, we get emails asking if they're gone from the Shoals yet.

Which couple do you think is more likely to produce a mass murderer or a serial killer?

We'll close with a photo of how Friday ended:

A Word from a Pro-Gun Advocate

 

We have many friends from all walks of life. They don't always agree with each other or with Shoalanda. One of our long time bloggers, J. Redmon, is an avid gun collector. We respect his right to an opinion on the subject, as we respect the readers'. One faithful friend has written a short statement on what many consider a gun-grab. We are happy to publish it:

Enter

PhineThat (gun used in Nashville shooting) was NO AR-15. And I own 5 of all types. Plus 21 years in the military and 3 tours in Iraq. Looks like a Kel-Tec or something.

Let me be VERY clear and blunt. This goes to every gun-grabber out there. We gun owners who bend over backwards to lawfully and enjoy firearms for hobby, put food on the table, as a duty tool will NOT sit idly by and allow our 2nd Amendment rights be trampled and blamed for crime, misuse, etc. If a move to seize is made, over 300 million firearms are owned by tens of millions of law abiding gun owners. We will not be silent. Many of us WILL resist: openly or passively. And that is a promise.

We are tired of being persecuted, vilified, made fun of, etc. for the ills of society….which is due to other reasons beyond the scope of this discussion. Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany’s loss in WW1. We won’t fall victim to that.

Our friend mentions the "ills of society." There are certainly many, and we'll look at one of them next.

Is Toxic Masculinity a Real Thing?

 

Our planned series on garbage dumps of Sheffield has been pushed to the back burner. After all, we're pretty sure the garbage isn't going anywhere any time soon.

Our country is failing. It's failing its adult citizens...and it's certainly failing its children. Parents? Many are total failures. Some churches had rather produce a Widespread Panic concert than a worship service. Some even go out of their way to protect child predators (you know who you are).

Semantics? Our culture seems to be doing a bang up job of introducing new words and phrases to the general public. How about "toxic masculinity?" Does it exist?

School shooters? Any mass shooters? They are almost always white and almost always male.

Pictured is a person named Hale who has just murdered six individuals in Nashville. Three children are dead. Three adults are dead. We're referring to the shooter as simply Hale. Born male and living female - at least that's what's being currently reported.

We have no idea what Hale may have done to change his sex to female. Did it involve more than name and clothing? What we are 100% sure of is that, unless Hale had some major surgery or drug treatment, he/she/it was still producing large amounts of testosterone at the age of 28.

News outlets are referring to Hale as female, but have stated they don't know what kind of transition was involved. A good guess is that Hale had some serious hormone issues somewhere that contributed to this tragedy.

White. Male. Toxic. Why?

Why can't we as a society do better? That being said, we do know some who are white, male, and actually even heroes in our sick world. We don't say enough about them.

Please, go out of your way to help a lost child today. We don't need anymore mass murderers.

What's Wrong at the Lauderdale County Detention Center?

 

We don't know where the drugs come from. At least we can now rule out Vicky and her Tastykakes. We do know it's easy to blame the last inmate in for any drug deaths.

It is sad when Micky D's has better employees than the Lauderdale County Detention Center. We're sure cavity checks aren't fun for either party involved - or at least we hope not. Don't want a cavity check, don't get arrested.

We don't know where Harley Coyer got the drugs that killed him. Assuming the contraband did come from Russell Reatherford, why was he in the LCDC at that time? With his arrest record, the judicial system should have staged some kind of intervention long ago.

On the bright side, perhaps Tubi will decide to make a sequel to Prisoner of Love. We're sure Casey White could be counted on to reprise his role as the totally misunderstood felon whose only crime was looking for love.

After all, we don't want Brian Kohberger to steal any thunder from our Casey, now do we?

We Should Have a Poll for Favorite Felon - Casey or Brian

Hate Mail/Banned?

 

We're aware that a large number of individuals are banned from reading our blogs on Facebook; they can still access them via Blogspot. Around 90% are banned for language, with the others being banned for libelous statements concerning various individuals. One man was banned here for threatening his girlfriend and still another for stating he hated Jews.

If you think we've been unfair or if you wish to try again, email us at Shoalanda.Speaks@gmail.com and request reinstatement. We consider all eligible for unbanning except the latter two we mentioned. In other words, no wife-beaters or antisemites welcome.

*****

While most of the critical comments/emails that we receive are innocuous at best, we sometimes get hateful words or even threats. The really sad thing is that friends of ours are often similarly bombarded with this hate mail even though they either never blogged here or haven’t done so in years.

Sometimes, we receive hate mail for others. Apparently the rumor that a certain male restaurateur is Shoalanda is alive and well. Last month we got a private message that our eatery was quite below par.

When the mail is particularly obscene or threatening, we have to wonder what kind of person engages in this. After considering any common denominators, we realized that the men (and they are almost always males) who send us such hate have all been arrested for domestic violence.

To put it crudely, these men are wife-beaters. Each and every one, from the lowest social stratum to the highest, from callous cops to mediocre musicians, these are men who have beaten their wives/female partners.

We learned a long time ago that such men can conceal their true nature from others, at least for a while. We once had a friend whose husband never missed a chance to help someone in need. Yet, at least once a month, he beat his small, defenseless wife so badly that she couldn’t leave the house.

Jeckyl and Hyde? Definitely. Yet no matter how good of an actor these men are, the truth usually (if not always) comes out.

Ladies, if he has a domestic violence arrest in his past, run…do not tarry…in the opposite direction. You deserve much better.

William Ben Darby Deserves NOTHING!

 

This is William Ben Darby. Known as Ben, he was a Huntsville police officer who killed a suicidal man sitting in his own living room. Was the man out of control? No. Was he threatening the two officers already on the scene? No.

In fact, the officer who first arrived had seniority over Darby. She was a black female. Our opinion? Darby thought that was two strikes against her. He openly testified that she needed saving. Really? Her career seemed to be going quite well before Darby ever joined the force. Does he have a god complex?

Darby killed Parker. only seconds after entering his home. When he stepped from his victim's home, he immediately went to his police vehicle to retrieve his shades. He said he wanted to look good when the press arrived.

Ben Darby will never look good anywhere again, especially in a police uniform. He's been given a chance at a new trial...only a chance. Huntsville Fraternal Order of Police has already stated Darby will be welcomed back with open arms.

Meanwhile, Jeffery Parker's family is still pressing a lawsuit against Darby and the HPD. Their loved one is still dead...the loved one who had a closed casket service because Ben Darby blew his head off...then strolled to his squad car for his aviators.

Does the word sociopath come to mind?

Murder? Russell Lyn Reatherford Has Really Screwed up his Life

 

Pictured is Russell Lyn Reatherford. The ravages of drugs have not yet made an impact on his body. Get him the right tailor and a Billy Russo haircut and he'd pass...but that isn't going to happen for Russell. He's been arrested for Felony Murder.

Russell's not so brilliant crime career goes back at least nine years. In February 2014, our hapless bad boy was arrested in Lauderdale County on several charges including bail jumping. He was only 18.

In all, Russell has had at least 31 separate arrests - that's not charges, that's arrests. That averages out to well over three each calendar year. This does not bode well for Russell's chances in his current legal predicament.

On the afternoon of February 13th, Reatherford was taken into custody in Lauderdale on three warrants, one of them a felony. He apparently had some serious drugs hidden somewhere, somehow, on his person that the jailers missed when he was booked.

He was placed in a cell block with Harley James Coyer. On Valentine's Day, Coyer died of a fentanyl overdose. At least we know that Russell was a sharing kind of guy. Now Russell has been indicted for Felony Murder.

He should be able to plead to Manslaughter and get 15 years since there was no gun involved. That may, or may not, mean a prison stay of five years even without parole.

Or it may mean much longer. Our legislature in its finite wisdom is again playing with Correctional Incentive Time. That brings up the question: How much of each legislative session is devoted to changing/correcting/amending something past legislatures have set in motion?

Have You Heard about the Cherokee Gym?

From a Colbert County reader: 

The gym suffered a water leak in the summer of 2021. The board refused to do anything about it. They wanted to “wait to see what happened.” While waiting, the leak turned into the floor buckling to be almost 4 feet in height. The school was told to put caution tape around it and carry on with daily activities. When a fit was pitched about not having anywhere to have graduation for the class of 2022 the board came in and pulled the floor up and put down plywood with red duck tape to cover the nails. The class of 2022 had to graduate on that! 

The gym has been unusable for sports teams for 2 years. The basketball teams have had to play at the old middle school gym that has been closed since 2007 and is run down and a rat home! Parents and community members have sent 100s of emails, called over and over, went to board meetings, etc. and they have gotten nowhere.

The board has spent $1000s on engineers to come out and look at the structure of not only the gym but the rest of the school. When looking at the rest of the school they found a crack in the wall in the auditorium. The board shut the auditorium down “for further testing.” This caused all formal events awards ceremonies, coronation, the beauty pageant, etc to be moved to the gym on the plywood floor that is duck taped together. 

This has gotten completely out of hand and something has to be done! Recently they sent out another engineer to dig holes around the school to see if water would fill up in them. Out of 6 holes only 3 were found with water and they are in a low area where water would be found. 

The engineer giving the report stated there was no reason found to not fix the gym. But still we have no plans in action to fix it.

*****

 Do Not Be Wise In Words, Be Wise In Deeds...

Presenting: Trash Dumps of Sheffield

 

When an ice or wind storm comes through, we expect delays in rubbish/limb collection. Otherwise, we expect it weekly. What would you say if rubbish in your neighborhood lay molding on the ground for weeks or even months? You might say you lived in Sheffield.

Sheffield, where all extra money goes to John Elkington's project.Someone asked us recently if we had anything personal against Elkington? No, we don't. We had never heard of him until Inspiration Landing. We do have a problem with someone who uses the less fortunate, be it a person or a town. This is what we believe Elkington has done.

As most of you know, our blogger J. Redmon lives in the City on the Bluff...or is it the Center of the Shoals. Whatever it's called, most of it is filthy. Even Elkington once demanded a city-wide cleanup. 

Now, a few words from J.:

The Third World Country That Is Sheffield

Last night over supper my 84 year old dad was commenting on 'how trashy' Sheffield has gotten. He grew up in this area. He says he has 'never seen' things so bad. Debris from the wind storm 2 weeks ago is going untouched. Litter and garbage are piling up on every curb. As he left he said, 'Pride goeth before the fall'.

Does the city that claims to be 'The Heart of The Shoals' have no pride?

This mess (pictured at top) has been sitting here for over a month. This is JUST ONE such spot of many around Sheffield. Disgusting...and I don't mean the trash. I mean City Hall, the Mayor, and the City Council.