IT Manager Must Be Hittin' the Hootch

 

We're not sure whether to laugh or be very afraid for this man. Albert J. Dressler is the current IT manager for the City of Florence. Or he was; at best he's on paid leave after his second Domestic Violence arrest in 12 months.

The problem here is Dressler does have access to the data of every Florence Utilities customer. You think Ukranian hackers aren't seriously thinking of contacting him after he posted this new profile.

It's Friday, and many out there are currently enjoying refreshments of a certain kind. This may be the root of Dressler's problems at home. No matter the cause, no wife or child deserves to be anyone's punching bag.

And the City of Florence doesn't need to have to pay any more 300K ransoms. Can't Handy Dandy Andy handle this, or is he too busy concocting ways to take over the animal shelter?

Where Is Taylor Dudley?

 

Today, the Missing People in America Network added Taylor Dudley to its list of those who have seemingly dropped into oblivion. MPIA states that Taylor's case has been turned over to the Colbert County Sheriff's office, but so far that office has made no statement.

Who is Taylor?

* She lists Huntsville as her hometown, but resides in Russellville.

* She's a 2024 graduate of Colbert Heights High School

* She's 18

* She likes to visit Savannah, Tennessee

* She was last seen on February 22nd

The details are sparse at this time, but if you have any information on Taylor's whereabouts, call 256-383-0741.

Correction!

 

In a February 2nd blog, and again yesterday, we referred to Eugene Sak as a former partner of Jackie Hendrix, current appointed representative for Florence District Two. While the two were once business associates via Rose Rentals, Mr. Hendrix has informed us, in a very roundabout way, that he and Sak were never partners.

First, we wish to apologize for the error. At no time do we find that the two businessmen were actual partners.

Second, we do wish to point out that, no matter the exact titles (Eugene is listed in archives as a vice president, while Jackie is listed as a manager), the two men still have a previous relationship that should have been revealed, and that Hendrix should have recused himself on the two Sak votes.

Third, we earlier mentioned hearing of our error in a roundabout way. Hendrix chose to send us a message via a friend he encountered. Why? We receive messages through our Shoalanda Speaks and Shoalanda Hutton Facebook accounts. We also have our email address clearly listed on a sidebar to this blog.

We sincerely wish Hendrix had contacted us after our February 2nd blog. We would have immediately corrected the designation and not repeated it. We promise we don't bite, hiss, or spit...at least over the Internet.

Will Florence Really Get a Hard Rock Reverb?

 

The first, and so far only, U.S. Hard Rock Reverb Hotel opened in Atlanta in 2020. It was several months behind schedule, but it did manage to open.

The second Reverb was to be in Cotati, California. Developer Ken Molinaro widely proclaimed his new hotel would be a game changer for the town of less than 7,500, but somewhere along the line, things changed. When the hotel opened, it was no longer part of the Hard Rock family, if it ever was. Locals have called the business mediocre. Locals have also fumed that the City of Cotati sold land it owned for the hotel at a fraction of its worth, expecting croissants and getting only cornbread.

The year 2021 also saw a third Reverb announced. It was to be in Tampa, Florida. While nothing has yet been accomplished on this project, Reverb announced late last year that it was developing a second Florida location in Pensacola with groundbreaking in 2026. Reverb has also announced a new development in Scottsdale, Arizona, with a start date similar to its Pensacola project. 

Then there's the lovely city of Kalamazoo that deserves better than being jerked around for unscrupulous financial gain. Remember that Reverb planned there since 2021? In August of last year, developers announced that it wasn't going to happen. The good news is there are still plans for a traditional Hard Rock Hotel if the 65 million in financing doesn't fall through. Keep your fingers crossed for our friends in the 'Zoo.

That brings us to Florence. The project, or at least the possibility of the project, was introduced in February of 2024. The owner of the proposed property is Eugene Sak, onetime business partner of Florence council member Jackie Hendrix. The appointed Hendrix refused to recuse himself on the January vote to give tax abatements to Sak, should the hotel become a reality.

How is this project coming along? We can find nothing official online; however, Facebook posters say the old Motel 6 building will be demolished next May. That's three months away. We're looking forward to see if this timetable is accurate.

The bottom line is that, despite various announcements, there's still only one Hard Rock Reverb operating in the United States. Cotati and Kalamazoo were promised one, but have received much less than expected. Tampa, Pensacola, and Scottsdale are allegedly still planned. Where will Florence be on this list one year from now?

(BTW, Florence has never appeared on any official Reverb list as these other locations have.)

Andy's Van?

 

ATTACK OF THE SHELTER ANIMALS

Florence mayor Andy Betterton is donating a City van to a volunteer group. It's the older of two the shelter currently uses, and we've been told not in the best condition. Everyone be sure to tell Andy how much you appreciate it.

*****

The rescue group from Wisconsin has visited this weekend, leaving with around 20 animals. What does its van look like? Here's a snap:

You'll notice the van is leaving our shelter. It's a nice building, isn't it? It was accomplished, at least 90%, by Mayor Steve Holt, who has a wonderful legacy.

When Andy leaves next Fall...and he will...what will his legacy be? 

*****

 

Florence needs a strong, yet approachable, mayor. Currently, six candidates are in the running. We do hear that Andy may decide to revert to a city council seat. He won't win that either.

It's still early, but we'll be looking at various candidates across the Shoals in the next few days. We plan to give honest feedback on these office-seekers; it should be interesting.

SHOWING ANDY THE DOOR

Will the State Take Over the Sheffield Police Department?

 

If you've missed it, the entire Hanceville Police Department has been terminated. Well, actually one member had already died from an overdose. Malfeasance isn't overlooked as it once was.

That brings us to Sheffield, with at least seven lawsuits against the department. Johnny Melotone has sent us an interesting take on the situation:

Sheffield seems to be the dumping ground for the miscreants, debaucherous, and the otherwise outcasts of Law Enforcement. Time was when those of that ilk would do the small town LE shuffle before ending up selling used cars, often two or three counties away. Keep on speaking and don’t ever let ‘em see you sweat! I’ll stay tuned for the Sheffield Saga of Shame reports. Five to seven more lawsuits until Tuscumbia & Muscle Shoals start divvying up real estate. Talk about a loose/loose!

If passed, I can see this in Sheffield’s future:

Bill allowing Alabama officials to appoint local police chiefs set for House committee

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We welcome Johnny to our group. Hope to see you here often, JM!

Shoals Chamber of Commerce Really "Screwed the Pooch"

 

We've had several Florence citizens contact us concerning the above advertisement for a Chamber of Commerce event. Does it say Ron Tyler is the mayor of Florence?

Whether intended or not, the message that Tyler is mayor is what most casual observers of Florence would assume. It appears that someone who designed the above artwork simply used part of a Tyler campaign ad, omitting the disclaimer legally required in campaign material.

As of now we have six candidates for the mayoral position. It's still a little early, but we certainly believe this will change. We believe Tyler will be in the upper tier; he's certainly spending a great deal of money. 

However, Tyler should be concerned about this poorly designed ad also. It does violate the Alabama Disclaimer law. The Alabama Secretary of State is watching...

Florence: Do You Blame a Department or a Board?

 

Our report yesterday of another arrest for the City of Florence IT manager Albert Dressler brought some requests to look into some other City managers and department heads. Most notably there has been a kerfuffle about what groups may use meeting rooms in the Florence-Lauderdale Library. If there's a real problem with the director Abby Carpenter's policies, she's not under any department, but a City board.

We recently published a blog encouraging citizens to apply for these various 16 boards/commissions: 

Florence Boards

The descriptions published by the City are not up to date. At least the Tree Commission has more members than officially authorized. We'll be looking at that body and the money it rakes in annually in the future.

That brings us to actual City of Florence departments. There are 21 separate departments, but often the names tell us little - as just who is over the City IT office.

These are the 21 departments:

* Animal Services

* Arts & Museums

* Building

* Business Development (Really?)

* Cemetery

* City Clerk/Treasurer

* Electricity

* Emergency Management

* Engineering

* Fire & Rescue

* Gas & Water

* Human Resources

* Risk Management

* Mayor/Council

* Municipal Court

* Parks & Recreation

* Planning

* Police

* Utilities Customer Service

* Solid Waste

* Urban Forestry

Several takeaways could be drawn from this information, and we're soliciting public comment, but we noticed something odd in the online lists. It may be minor, but it demonstrates what happens when our mayor doles out financial favors.

Many of our readers expressed their disgust when Andy Betterton paid to have the City's website redone. It was touted as superior to the old, but few agree. The new website's listings for the above departments include a phone number at minimum, but some show the logo for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Twitter, you say? Did we mean X? Twitter in fact became X in July 2023. Andy's new and improved website came online in October 2024. We have to ask how Andy found this wonderful web designer and why would there be such a blatant mistake? And why does no one maintain this improved asset to the City? 

After all, it's certainly much easier to maintain a website than a parking deck. Isn't it?

*****

Inspector Colombo has just one more thing - After reading Betterton's announcement from last October concerning the new website, we see that Andy doesn't understand the difference between continually and continuously.

We suggest a remedial English course for the mayor. He should have plenty of time next Fall.

New Arrest for Florence IT Manager

 

The City of Florence doesn't have the best of luck with its IT managers. Current manager Albert J. Dressler replaced Steve Price who managed to have his credentials stolen in 2020, costing taxpayers around $291,000.00. Price left the City not long after that incident. 

In January 2024, Albert Dressler, the current IT manager, was arrested in Florence on charges of DUI and Domestic Violence - two counts. At that time, Mayor Andy Betterton refused to comment on Dressler's employ with the City.

Now, Dressler has been arrested again, this time by Lauderdale County authorities on a misdemeanor warrant. There's been no official word from either Betterton or other city officials on Dressler's current employment status.

We're thinking the City of Florence needs to contact Elon Musk for his recommendation of an honest teenage computer whiz in need of a steady job.

HANDY DANDY ANDY AND MAMA JUNE

 

It was rumored to be a wild meeting of the Florence City council for 02/18. It lived up to the hype. The agenda items were tame, but the action came into play at the end of the meeting with the “remarks from the public.”

I knew it would be an explosive meeting when the crowd that had assembled at the city auditorium sort of divided into groups. There was an extra policeman on duty. And a written copy of the rules of order for speakers at the meeting was handed out at the door.

On the south side of the seating area was the mayor with his wife and what looked like city workers. You did not need to guess why the group in the middle had assembled. They each were wearing a peel off sticker which had printed on it: FRIEND OF THE MAYOR. And then the group on the north side was more of a hodge podge but not an empty seat was available. These were the people who were in support of shelter director and opposed to the actions of mayor Andy Betterton. All had problems with Betterton and his handling of the situation at the shelter and a multitude of situations pertaining to the city. A couple of people were even wearing small homemade sign that read: FRIEND OF THE NEW MAYOR.

I am going to assume everyone reading this is aware of the situation at the shelter and the mayor placing the director Cheryl Jones on administrative leave supposedly because she allowed a van to take animals to a rescue organization in Wisconsin. That is one “story” that is floating anyway. I will admit, I saw her interview on the Huntsville television stations and it seemed she was blaming the dust up on social media and a volunteer. She praised the mayor. Some are saying she gave these interviews to save her job but somehow that just rubs me the wrong way. And as I said, it seems like there is a lot of speculation.

I am not a regular volunteer at the Florence Lauderdale Animal Shelter, so I really do not know exactly what is going on. I volunteered more often at the shelter when it was at the location on Dr. Hicks Blvd but that was years ago. There does seem to always be drama around volunteers and the operation of shelters and there seems to be at the current and at the former locations. I really try to not get involved with the hierarchy of volunteers. I just want to walk some dogs.

The tone was set in the meeting by the very first speaker being Andy Betterton himself. He talked of his respect for the first amendment and people have the right to criticize but he said that he had been unfairly targeted on social media and took offense at his family being mentioned. At this, all I could think of was the saying: “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” Andy was in for an earful.

David Carson lambasted the mayor for his hypocrisy. He pointed out that the mayor had disabled comments on the live stream of the council meeting on the City of Florence Facebook page. He also said that for the money the mayor and council had appropriated to UNA, thousands of animals lives could be saved.

Another speaker stated he did not know Andy Betterton or his wife personally, but they made themselves public figures when they decided to be the “First family” of Florence and if they could not “take the heat, they should get out of the kitchen."

There were several speakers giving their opinion on the actions of the mayor regarding the director of the shelter. The overriding message was they just wanted to be able to transport animals to a rescue so none would be killed.

Things were about to end, and then Mrs. Sandra Betterton got up and went to the podium. She may be a retired elementary school teacher, but she was admonished twice from the dais by council president Kaytrina Simmons for using offensive language. This was in violation of the policy for decorum and use of foul language from the public. This is posted in the code of Florence, Alabama.

That sort of sums up the meeting. It was sad in many ways and embarrassing for the city in many other. As for the conduct of Mayor Andy Betterton and his wife - the “First Lady” Sandra? I long for the days of the dignity of Bobby and Sarah Irons and the grace of Steve and Susie Holt.

We're So Proud of All of You!

Today's Florence City Council Meeting was not for the faint of heart, but many advocates took to the podium and let several individuals, mainly Andy Betterton, have it. We will probably leave much out, but the highlights were:

* DC mentioned the mayor needed to take a polygraph and that not only would he lose the August election, no one would want to be seen with him in future. (We don't always agree with DC, but he was magnificent here.)

* MW indicated he didn't know the mayor and didn't want to know him - Andy had no heart (and he wasn't the only one to say this).

* CK spoke for everyone and made the audience cry.

* DR told Andy he not only had no heart, he had no soul.

* PC let the council and everyone viewing know that the mayor's stepdaughter Alison Overall Koesters was a liar and that Andy was guilty of discussing private personnel matters with outsiders. (Quite true - dear Alison tried on Facebook to present herself as a city employee.)

Then there was Andy's second wife Sandra Overall who had to be censured by the council president for her filthy language. Thank you, Kaytrina Simmons! Sandra also called out a Sheffield animal activist who had misnamed a dog Andy was alleged to have been less than nice to. Sure, let's abuse the dog as long as we get its name right.

Citizens of Florence, August is coming. Let's do the right thing for our city, our animals, and ourselves.

Rated PG-13 for language and verbal sparring: 

https://www.facebook.com/CityofFlorenceAlabama/videos/523796086917705/

Signing the Petition Helps Prevent "Immorality"

 

 

We honestly believe some of our readers must work at the Ministry of Truth. One long-time critic recently called a petition to stop euthanasia at the Florence shelter "immoral." Our blog was also immoral for linking it on Facebook, not to mention cowardly for taking on the mayor. 

This same reader went on to criticize the woman who composed the petition for misspelling a word in her hurry to post the document. Needless to say, he's now banned, not so much for his attack on us, but for his remarks about a tireless animal advocate.

If you've come in late, Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services has been transporting animals to rescues in large northern cities for around 15 years. The mayor's stepdaughter, who called the transports "illegal," also tried to blame Mayor Steve Holt for initiating this policy. Mayor Holt accomplished many wonderful things while in office, but that particular policy was already in place when he took office.

And how about Handy Dandy Andy? Hasn't he been in office for well over four years? Why is he just now objecting to these rescue transports? Does he want one last twist of the knife before he leaves office in the Fall? 

We hope the petition, while it can't influence impeachment in a city the size of Florence, will let Andy know he needs to retire to his nap corner for the next six months. We also hope everyone will make an effort to attend the city council meeting on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. and present your thoughts about the real immorality - killing hundreds of innocent dogs.

Hold Andy Betterton Accountable

Another Nail in Inspiration Landing's Coffin

 

From Bennett Pugh: Re the order from the Alabama Supreme Court denying the application for rehearing filed by John Elkington and the LLC. The Alabama Supreme Court previously affirmed with no opinion the judgments against both defendants. They are out of appeals. Game over. They have thirty days to satisfy the judgments or we begin execution.

What says Sheffield mayor Steve Stanley? Nothing since the suits were filed 23 months ago. The horse may talk before the mayor.

Will Sheffield ever recover any of its investment? What do you think?

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Residents of Frankfort Road in Tuscumbia say no sirens signaled the approaching storm (was it a tornado?) on Saturday night. Damage reports are still coming in.

Sparky's Drive-In was heavily damaged. We hope the famous Valdosta eatery will re-open soon. Here's a review from an older blog by Trader Connections from 2010:

Sparky's

Bank Independent Needs to Step Up

 

 

Bank Independent is building a huge corporate office on old TVA land in Colbert County (Features of the new operations center - Spacious offices, Communal work spaces, Training rooms, Fitness center, and Parking for staff). Bank Independent is building a new stadium for the University of North Alabama (or at least greatly contributing). Meanwhile in North Florence...uh, nothing. Customers don't rate even a kiosk to make withdrawals.

Quad-Cities Cuisine recently mentioned how the narrowing of Pine Street will affect dining in the Shoals; how about banking? Who in North Florence will venture to the kiosk on Pine at UNA? 

Some of us are lucky enough to enjoy a second bank account that utilizes an Allpoint terminal, but even that is more difficult since the Wood Avenue Walgreens shuttered its doors. What about those who have only their Bank Independent account on which to depend? Chopped liver?

Bank Independent, are you listening?

*****

Speaking of the local university, we see the UNA meme page is encouraging the use of FU as an abbreviation for the school. That could be a copyright infringement. After all, everyone knows FU has always been the motto of Florence Utilities.

Why We Don't Have a Heflin-Flippo Bridge

 

It was January 2003, and outgoing Democratic governor Don Siegelman was issuing more proclamations than Joe Biden's pardons. There was an order to name a bridge for "Bear" Bryant, and another to name a similar structure for Richard Shelby, plus a third edifice to be named for Clyde Mabry. In all, the lame duck governor named four new bridges on January 16th and faxed the signed proclamations to his DOT chief engineer.

Yet, the proclamations didn't go into effect until signed copies were received by the DOT, and that didn't happen with the fourth. The paperwork to name the new Lauderdale-Colbert bridge after Colbert's Howell Heflin and Lauderdale's Ronnie Flippo was inadvertently left in a glove box and not mailed until days after Bob Riley took office as the new Republican governor.

Thus, Riley ordered his new DOT director to name the Northwest Alabama bridge "Singing River." Now over 20 years later, many still refer to the bridge by its working title of "Patton Island."

Among those many seems to be Kevin Taylor, city editor of the TimesDaily, who used the name in a recent news story. It's been surprising how much comment our blog has received after we mentioned Taylor's snafu on Facebook. 

It's amazing to know how many still take the Inner Loop to McFarland Bottom or the Outer Loop to Point Park. Just remember that it's Martin Park behind the Royal Avenue Recreation Center...

Love is in the air, so enjoy:

Are Sheffield's Actions Legal?

 

Sheffield mayor Steve Stanley, who recently broached the subject of a raise for himself and the city council, is now asking for an increase of monthly garbage collection fees. Such a raise may be needed; however, several residents have been quick to point out something in current fees which may be illegal.

Each month, Sheffield Utilities adds an extra $1.75 onto its bills as a recycling fee. Why are residents balking? There's currently no household recycling in place.

When one resident complained, she was told the added fee was to finance the blue wheelie bins that are ubiquitous in most towns. How much do these bins cost? Lowe's sells a Toter brand bin for $70.00, meaning it would take 40 months for each customer to "pay" for this luxury.

We have to ask why Sheffield can't afford to purchase bins for each utility customer? Could it have anything to do with Inspiration Landing? What happens when a customer finally earns a bin, then moves to Muscle Shoals? Can the resident take his bin with him? Or does the new tenant receive the benefit without paying?

Today is Galentine's Day. So if you're a gal, we wish you love, fun, and laughter. That goes double for all our friends in the Florence Animal Army!

News on Florence JoAnn's & Walgreens Closings

 

It was announced earlier today that JoAnn's Fabrics in Florence is one of 530 stores the craft giant will be closing. No official date at this time.

It was also announced yesterday that Walgreens is ramping up the 1,200 closings it has promised to complete by the end of 2026. Only a few new stores were officially named, none in Alabama.

If you're keeping count in the Pharmacy Wars:

Rite-Aid - 2,000 current locations

Walgreens - 8,000 current locations

CVS - 9,000 current locations

Meanwhile in Florence, Handy Dandy and Big Sexy are still raking dog poop off their lawn...

We don't condone vandalism, so five lashes with a wet noodle, guys!

Andy Betterton/Anti-Euthanasia Protest Tuesday

 

Sorry, Fred! Sorry, Sissy! Andy thinks you're a drain on the City's finances. It's cheaper to euthanize you than to transport you to a rescue organization in another state. Bummer!

Try to hide in the back of your kennel until next Fall when we have a new mayor. If you don't make it, try to come back to haunt him. We'll always remember you.

-()-

What: "Silent" Protest Against Betterton/Euthenasia

Where: City Hall - Side Entrance on Pine Street

When: Tuesday, February 18th, 5:00 p.m.

Anyone who wishes to speak at the council meeting will have five minutes. Use strong, but civil language.

Remember, the council members themselves have nothing to do with this; it's all on the head of Andy Betterton, so choose your words to reflect that. Some will be asking for the mayor's resignation. Feel free to applaud, but please wait until each speaker is done.

Finally, right is on the side of our "Animal Army," as Betterton likes to call us. We will win!

Steve Stanley Wants a Raise

 

According to a TimesDaily article, Steve Stanley is gearing up to increase his salary. Here's what our Sheffield Shelly has to say:

Are Sheffield and Florence in a race to see who can have the most horrific city government? Sheffield residents can’t afford raises for these clowns because we’re paying for the land they freely gave to John Elkington! How arrogant and out of touch can one group of people be?

Will there soon be an ethics complaint against Florence City Clerk Bob Leyde? Why in the name of James Bond would the number of voters in the last Florence election be top secret?

This smacks of Handy Dandy Andy's attempt to cause as much chaos and revenge in his last six months of office as possible. We see a few people tossing out the word "impeach." Sounds good to us!

Our advice for any protesters remains the same: Do not take children to such an event. When the City of Russellville scheduled extra officers to cover a recent immigration protest due to the possibility of violence, why would any sane, loving parent bring their little ones?

You're not coming across as responsible - just entitled.

"They Came to the Pound"

 

The blog title is shamelessly ripped off from Agatha Christie's They Came to Baghdad, available on eBay.

Yes, they used to call animal shelters "pounds." We see that Mayor Andy Betterton's less than highly educated stepdaughter still does. It's short for "impound" and doesn't bode well for those forced to reside there.

Here's an interesting tale from around 60 years ago: The little girl's father helped her into his Chevrolet truck (no one in the Shoals had ever heard the words Toyota or Nissan at that time). It was late afternoon on a weekday, and they were going to the pound, a magical place where one could find a new family member.

The truck traveled to a side of Florence the girl had never seen before and finally stopped at a nondescript building. Once inside, the two were met by a man dressed in a khaki uniform, complete with a matching hat. Yes, the man said, there was one dog available for adoption. He wasn't a puppy, but about one year-old.

The girl soon saw a dog who looked nothing like the spaniel of her dreams, but a dog the pound manager called a feist who was stuffed into a crate much too small for him. The father asked about other dogs, but there was none. There was only one adoptable dog in the pound in a city that numbered at least 30,000 individuals.The father and daughter returned home without the new family member they had hoped for.

Don't weep too much for the little girl; she soon acquired a beautiful fox terrier and lived reasonably happily ever after. The salient point of the story is that there was only one dog in the City of Florence facility available for adoption. One dog!

What had happened to the others who had been surrendered or found wandering the streets of Florence? It's not a pleasant thought. Do we want to return to that? 

Obviously, the flip side is a shelter teeming with animals whose needs are not going to be met in full. This is where rescues and transports to larger cities in the North with a shorter breeding season are a Godsend.

Let's not let a vengeful politician wreak havoc with our shelter. Yes, we're the Animal Army and we will conquer in the end.

Live In Florence District Three? You Need to Run!

 

Current District Three council member Bill Griffin hopes to become the next mayor of Florence. Who will succeed him as the council rep? If you live in District Three, why not you?

As of now, one good candidate is close to announcing, but this is something every caring person needs to consider. For the right candidate in this district, the filing fee will be paid.

We'll have more on this later...

Moving on to Russellville, many residents are unhappy with current political powers that be in that Franklin County town. As with Florence, we hear several may be running. Political announcements are always published here without charge.

Earlier today, we published a new blog in Shoals Crime - Don't miss it!

The Murder of the Mayor's Son's Baby Mama

Derelict Vehicles, Potholes, & IFDC

 

The following derelict or abandoned vehicles are all part of a growing trend in Sheffield. Sheffield has had ordinances against such on the books for years. It is anyone's guess as to why the mayor refuses to allow them to be enforced. The only things that outnumber derelict vehicles in Sheffield are the potholes.

*****

Several years ago I had the opportunity to tour the IFDC facility on the TVA reservation. The 'impression' that I came away with was not what I expected. Every 'lab' that I saw was in disarray. I've seen better equipped facilities in high schools and junior colleges. Storage facilities were empty. The greenhouses were basically 'dead'.

The IFDC's 'goal' is to 'develop viable agricultural solutions for struggling nations in an attempt to increase their food production'. Noble. Now their USAID funding is under DOGE scrutiny.

If their goal is to help struggling nations feed their people, why do its representatives have 'diplomatic immunity'?