Murder, He Said...

We often read of January seeing the most, or at least more, deaths since many individuals strive to hang on until after the holidays. How about murders? Since this is the third January in recent memory in which there has been a cluster of local murders, we were curious. Apparently, statistics say August is the most deadly month in most cities. Heat? Kids out of school? We have no idea, but we would definitely be interested in local stats.

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There were at least two murders this weekend/Monday; perhaps there was a third. Let’s hope that’s the end of it for this year or we’ll morph into Midsomer County.

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Looks like one or our favorite bad boys was back in the jailhouse this past week:

Holland Elkins

How hard is it to show up to municipal court? If you don’t have money, they’ll let you work it out at the recycling plant. So why blow something like that off, especially when you’re still on probation for bank robbery? Someone please put the home lobotomy kits on sale…

Doing the Time?/Tell Us What's Cooking

Yesterday we linked an article about John James Common’s arrest in Franklin County. Common, known as J.J., was supposedly in state prison for attempting to burn down the Colbert County Jail a few years ago…only for some reason he wasn’t. Of all our bad boys, J.J. has the longest rap sheet and easily earned his place in our sociopaths' hall of fame.

Our Bad Boys

But of course those who know and love J.J. protest that he means well and is simply misunderstood. Right. Shooting the Russellville football player mid game, raping the 12 year old mentally deficient girl, and setting fire to the Colbert County Jail were just minor blips in an otherwise spotless life.

A reader sent us links to two FB pages connected to Common. There’s his own under the unassuming name of “Humble Nobility” where he claims God is “for him” and one belonging to one of his many girlfriends who’s using the hash tag “freebae.”

We’re pretty sure J.J. has been freed too many times to start with.

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Now a FB inspired question from another reader; it seems someone is making posts in Holland Elkins’ account. Our reader wanted to know if Elkins is now out or if he has access to the Internet while in the Lauderdale Detention Center.

First, according to detention center sources, Elkins is very much still incarcerated and will be until his July probation revocation hearing. Does he have some sort of smart phone in the jail? We doubt it.

We looked at the posts made allegedly by Elkins and all of them are liking or otherwise singing the praises of new photos of his “beautiful” baby mama or their offspring. Yes, it’s sad, but maybe that explains why the young woman feels she has to have him in her life.

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We’re sure at least some of our readers remember high school. Shoalanda herself can vaguely remember the latter half of the 19th Century when she faithfully attended that one room schoolhouse. Many things have changed, but even back in the day there were social clubs.

Murder on the Lake

It was standard knowledge that these clubs were not condoned, but merely tolerated by the school administration. Has that changed a great deal in the past few years?

We’ll inject here that most of the complaints we receive concern Muscle Shoals High School, followed by Sheffield, Florence, and Deshler bringing up the rear with the fewest. Now we’ve been presented with a serious complaint about a so-called social club at Deshler.

We have a lot of information on file concerning this club and know that even if the administration doesn’t claim the club, it’s still mentioned in the school’s annual. Insert a big “Oh, oh” here.

Before we present any blogs on Deshler clubs, we want to give students and parents time to contact us. Tell us what you think—as always, you will be anonymous.

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We’ve been sent some excellent material on the pros and cons of “No Buy” gun restrictions and will be presenting these articles in the next few days. Feel free to send your opinions and join in.

It's Not Nice to Try to Fool Mother Shoalanda

It seems to be a local phenomenon that no one in the Shoals is ever actually arrested even though their names appear in legal documents. Or perhaps they’ve actually been arrested for a much lesser charge than is reported in the media. At least that is what many family members and friends would have us believe. Some even accuse the media of intentionally lying for whatever perverse reason.

Such was the case earlier this week when our blog linked an article on the latest arrest of Holland Noah Elkins. Here’s the original article:

Elkins Returned to Jail

As soon as we linked the article, the mother of Elkins’ girlfriend/baby mama posted this on our Facebook page. From Ms. M.:

Actually it's on a traffic ticket in case you want the real truth!!! Lol, get it right before you post it.

An interesting remark since all this blog did was post a link; yet what was untrue? Being given to debate, we couldn’t resist pointing out that county traffic tickets are adjudicated in District Court, not Circuit Court, and suggest Elkins’ most recent arrest was in connection with his December 2015 felony domestic violence arrest. Enter the baby mama Ms. K. who posted:

I am the only person who was there other than Holland and nobody seen or heard anything because there was nothing to see or be heard. Holland has never put a finger on me in any harmful way in our relationship of almost 3 years now. He's a wonderful Daddy and man.

And

yes the circuit court warrant is traffic tickets but you should know the district court warrant since you already know so much. (We’re not even sure what this statement means.)

We’re not going to repost all of Ms. K’s remarks, but to put it concisely, she accused the Florence police of setting Elkins up. Interesting if true, but we sincerely doubt it.

So what do the court records say? Here it is by the numbers.

1. Holland Noah Elkins was previously convicted in 2012 of two felonies: a violent home invasion and bank robbery. He was given a 20 year sentence with 36 months to serve, followed by 5 years probation.

2. On December 7, 2015, Elkins failed to report for a regular meeting and drug test with his probation officer. He did not call, and the officer was unable to contact him.

3. On December 23, 2015, Elkins visited Ms. K., and an argument ensued. According to police reports, Elkins began to strangle his victim by pushing her against the wall of a stairwell with one hand while throttling her with his other. He continued to choke the young woman until they reached the bottom of the stairs where he then threw her to the ground and continued to choke her.

4. Police were called to the scene on Mars Hill Road and found the victim disheveled and bruised. When they asked her if she needed medical attention, she replied in the affirmative and was taken to the emergency department of ECM Hospital. Her medical records will be part of the case against Elkins.

5. On March 3rd, Circuit Court Judge Gil Self issued a warrant for Elkins’ arrest due to his first probation violation.

6. Elkins’ felony domestic violence case was referred to the grand jury on May 9th and a second warrant for his arrest was issued on May 11th.

7. Elkins was picked up by authorities on May 12th and remains in the Lauderdale County Detention Center without bond.

8. We may infer that Elkins’ victim will not testify against him since the felony domestic violence charge is at least his third violent charge. If he should be convicted as a habitual offender, Elkins could expect a life sentence, possibly even life without parole. Obviously it’s not in his victim’s financial interest to see him sent back to prison.

So there we have the official court record on Holland Noah Elkins’ current legal problems. Is there a traffic ticket as well? Our source didn’t find one, but stated there could possibly be some charge in Florence Municipal Court that wouldn’t show up on state records.

Will Judge Self revoke Elkins’ probation and send him back to that luxurious resort system down south before his trial on First Degree Domestic Violence? We’re not making any predictions on that, but anticipate Elkins’ attorney will ask for drug treatment instead.

Two Weeks and Counting...

In two weeks and one day we'll go to the polls to finish what we started last June. One of the most important elections for the Shoals area is the District 1 Alabama House seat. Twice we have asked Florence attorney Greg Burdine for a vision statement, but have so far not heard from the Democratic candidate.

Besides an outdated constitution, Alabama has also suffered for many years from electing unqualified individuals to state offices. Many seem to have an inherent dislike for attorneys, but these oft time pariahs do have the ability to discern needed and passable legislation from the chaff. Too often new laws spring from Rep. Bubba Tidefort's cousin's next door neighbor's misguided animosity toward the Knit & Pearl Brigade of Bilgewater, Alabama, because K&P President Dorcas Poovie once stole his parking place.

Nevertheless, attorneys are not the only ones qualified to serve in our legislature. Many who have not just worked in the business world, but who have founded successful companies, are also qualified. Such a man is Quinton Hanson.

Since the beginning of the campaign, Mr. Hanson has grown in his understanding of what his constituency needs and has, perhaps more importantly, shown an eagerness to address the issues that confront this area and its citizens.

We believe a vote for Quinton Hanson is a vote for progress for this area. God knows we need it.

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Several readers have inquired concerning the status of Holland Elkins. Hollard is currently being held without bail at the Lauderdale Detention Center. If he should be released from Lauderdale for any reason, he will have to return to Colbert County where he still faces charges stemming from a home invasion two years ago.

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Sex offenders on Hard Times: You've seen the paper on the counter at the mini-mart; you may have even picked it up, you've possibly even purchased an issue or two. Now Hard Times is publishing not only the newest mug shots, but spotlighting one or two local sex offenders in each issue. A reader asks if this is legal?

None of us here is an attorney, but we imagine it would be open to debate. The official Alabama sex offender site is run by the Department of Corrections. Here's a snip from their website:


Is the publication of this information harassment? That would be the debatable question. Our guess is the answer is no. Just how the DOC feels about such info being used for monetary gain might be a different story. How do we personally feel? Refer to one of our previous blogs.

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Trick or Treat?





Shoalanda

George Weakley Rhodes Tried To Kill Before

George Weakley Rhodes, sometimes known as "Old School," is no stranger to violence against women. In 2002, he and Marsha Simpson worked together for the City of Florence Recycling Program. Friends said the two had dated, but quarrelled.

Rhodes waited outside Simpson's home in East Florence for her to return. No one can be sure of his plans, but we can be sure that when Rhodes saw his former girlfriend walking home in the company of another man, he drew his gun and shot several times. No one was injured, but Florence Police charged Rhodes with attempted murder. After a deliberation of only an hour, a jury found George Rhodes not guilty of the charges.

We can understand how they came to their verdict. After all, who doesn't take a gun to visit his old girlfriend? Who doesn't fire the gun in her direction because he's so elated to see her with a rival? Obviously, this verdict falls under the category of "What Were They Thinking?"

Rhodes had previously led a less than perfect life. Among his many previous charges were a 1971 armed robbery of a grocery store on West Mobile Street and a 1999 armed home invasion style robbery of an East Florence residence. We will assume Rhodes' record of violence was not allowed into testimony at his 2002 trial.

Neither did Rhodes remain a stranger to law enforcement after his acquittal. In January 2006, he was arrested in Florence for forgery. In March 2007, Rhodes was arrested in a drug bust targeting dealers who waited for children at a school bus stop on the corner of Cedar and West Mobile Streets. At this time, Rhodes was charged only with possession.

Drugs seemed to play a large role in "Old School's" life, but so did violence--probably each fueling the other. This week the 61 year-old Rhodes agreed to a plea bargain in the death of Deborah Elaine Paulk. The south-central Florence woman was murdered either during or after an ongoing New Year's party in January of 2005. Paulk may not have had the best taste in recreational activities or friends, but murder is murder.

George Weakley Rhodes will serve only five years in prison; however, we understand the family felt there was no choice if they wanted a 100% guarantee Rhodes would serve any time at all. Perhaps George, now in his seventh decade and with a body damaged by years of drug abuse, will not find prison so easy. Ms. Paulk deserved more.

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We've taken quite a few blasts concerning our commentary on Holland Noah Elkins, a young man whose life seems to resemble George Rhode's early years. The difference is Elkins has an education and an honest family on his side. Was the public shocked at Rhode's life of crime? Probably not. Yet, the public is shocked at Holland Elkins' continued forays into life's seamier side.

Make no mistake, we will support whatever justice Lauderdale and Colbert Counties mete out to Holland. No matter the dispositions of these cases, Holland still needs help, and we hope he gets it.

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According to sources at Florence City Hall, the State Fire Marshal has denied Sweetwater Mansion a permit for inside tours unless the edifice is brought up to code by Friday. We will have more on this later. It's quite a story...


Shoalanda



Connecting October 7th. This time we mean it!

Mercy?/Deshler High 1990 Football Team!

Holland Noah Elkins and Mercy

A Guest Commentary By

J. J. Ray

With great interest, I read the comment from the individual who had judged and sentenced Mr. Elkins. Does he wish to be the executioner also? Mercy is a strange concept for many because justice and mercy are at odds with each other. On one hand, society demands justice for the offended and yet the accused begs for mercy.

William Shakespeare wrote: The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. Matthew 5:7 teaches, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

A. W. Pink asks and answers. What is mercifulness? It is a gracious disposition toward my fellow creatures and fellow Christians. It is that kindness and benevolence that feels the miseries of others. It is a spirit that regards with compassion the sufferings of the afflicted. It is the grace that causes one to deal leniently with an offender and to scorn the taking of re­venge.

There is an enormous difference between revenge and justice Those who seek to revenge themselves often regret the effort. Can we temper justice with mercy? The answer is simple. For those that choose to continue a way of life that affects society in a negative and harmful manner, justice appears to be the only answer. In order to receive mercy one must show mercy. Robbing banks and inflicting pain and suffering on society on a consistent basis is not showing mercy.

Yet, it is not up to us as individuals to decide innocence or guilt, justice or mercy; it is reserved for the court system. We are a nation of laws and must depend on those elected to mete out justice sometimes tempered with mercy. This question of mercy versus justice has been argued since the time of Plato and Aristotle but there does not seem to be a solution.

All we can do as a society is to depend on our laws. True, there will be mistakes but our system of justice is far better than anywhere else in the world. If Sharia law were used, he could have his hands cut off, be hanged or stoned to death. That would be justice but where is the mercy?

Would justice be served if Mr. Elkins were once more turned loose on society? Is he a sociopath that cannot be cured? We do not have these answers. After all he was granted mercy once, is twice too much. Only our creator knows for sure.

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Did you attend Deshler High School? Did you graduate in 1991? Were you a member of the 1990 State Championship football team? If you answered yes to all these questions, you are indeed a prize-winner.

According to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society (and who even knew we had one of those?), Deshler fielded its first team in 1923. The 1990 4-A State Champions were the first team in school history to go 15-0. How about that?

Deshler's homecoming will be October 15th, at which time the entire 1990 team will be honored. Honorees are asked to meet at the Chappell Stadium Field House at 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact The Geddon Report. Geddon has asked that I remind everyone that streaking is optional.

We'll be having a followup report on the homecoming activities before the big day. At that time, we will also be publishing Geddon's Tiger Beat photo. You don't want to miss it.

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Can't wait for The Connection to finally publish its premiere issue? According to the publishers, the launch was a definite go for September 30; however, we all know how life's surprises can set us back, even the good ones. The debut of the Shoals Internet magazine is now set for October 7th. We're told it will be a work in progress for the first few weeks, then prepare to be amazed and amused.

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For the 1990 Deshler Football team:




Shoalanda



Connecting October 7th. This time we mean it!

Skippy Musket, Susan Leigh Smithson, & the Missing Jewels

Skippy Musket--doesn't that moniker conjure up images? The name has been used in romance novels and in appellation dropping conversations, but perhaps many in the Shoals have never heard of the Atlanta jewelry store. Yet, for years Skippy Musket, Inc., was a fixture in the Buckhead area where it sold antique and vintage jewels--very expensive jewels.

In 1997, Susan Leigh Smithson's store Miz Scarletts occupied the same Phipps Plaza shopping center as Skippy Musket. We're unsure how well Ms. Smithson knew the owners of Skippy Musket, but in December of that year she requested a loan of over one million dollars in jewelry to adorn her models in a private fashion show to be held at her Rivers Road home in northeast Atlanta.

The December 14th fashion show featured a live band along with the jewel bedecked models, including Smithson, who mingled with the guests. By December 19th, all the jewels had been returned to Skippy Musket with the exception of the four items worn by Smithson, who informed the upscale jeweler that the high-end pieces were missing.

Gone were:

One diamond necklace valued at 175K
One diamond/platinum ring valued at 57K
One diamond/gold ring valued at 165K
One pair of diamond earrings valued at 27.5K

A December 20th police raid of Smithson's home uncovered the missing jewels secreted in a closet. Susan Leigh Smithson was promptly arrested for theft by conversion in connection with the 424.5K of missing Skippy Musket inventory.

The jewel theft occurred over 12 years ago; is it relevant to the Susan Smithson of today? If there had been no other brushes with the law, we would say no. We hope that each of us is a wiser and better person than we were 12 years ago--that's the way life is supposed to work.

However, in 2000, Smithson was again involved in a civil lawsuit over the disposition of sample dresses used in her store. A quick Google of Miz Scarletts turns up more recent suits over bad checks in payment for inventory. In other words, there seems to be a lifelong pattern here.

That brings us to today and her ongoing renovation of Sweetwater Mansion, a property that she for many years attempted to sell for much more than it was worth. We hope Ms. Smithson remembers that her home is still private property and subject to income tax on all funds the property produces from tours. Ideally, Sweetwater should become a public trust, but we're not holding our breaths.

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A Lauderdale based attorney tells us that the July 2009 robbery charges against Holland Noah Elkins have apparently been settled--either dropped or plead down to a youthful offender charge. Since other sources indicate his December 2008 home invasion charge has not yet come to trial, his arrest last week in Florence may be treated as a first offense.

We've received many e-mails concerning Holland, most hoping he will receive leniency and the help he obviously needs. Tomorrow we'll feature J. J. Ray's take on the most recent events.

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Coffee High School is technically gone and F. T. Appleby Junior High School is literally no more, but you can buy a piece of their history on eBay: Link




Shoalanda



Connecting on Friday!

Sweetwater & G.H.O.S.T. Non-Profit?

Let's utter a collective sigh for Sweetwater Mansion; we're sure if she could speak she would elect to bemoan her fate with stronger words than we choose to publish here. After a forty year period of neglect, the Weeden Home is beginning to show signs of new life, but at what cost?

The above advertisement invites us to tour the home this year, but according to sources in Bob Leyde's office, the Florence City Clerk has refused to issue a business license for these interior tours. Sweetwater has yet to be certified as a tax-exempt non-profit entity due to a lack of bookkeeping--that and the fact Sweetwater remains a private home owned by Susan Leigh Smithson of Atlanta.

We may assume that the organization Ghost Hunters of Southern Territories (G.H.O.S.T.) does possess a business license for the paranormal investigations it proposes to lead within the mansion. G.H.O.S.T. is the brainchild of Robert Simone who calls himself "investigator, supervisor, founder" of the organization. His Facebook page also references a non-profit group called Alabama Ghost, but a click on that link brings us back to the homepage for G.H.O.S.T.

Simone charges a $35.00 minimum for a one-person tour of the haunted domiciles he represents. His organization may be non-profit due to lack of customers, but we doubt it's for lack of trying.

What will happen if those currently in charge of Sweetwater Mansion attempt to open next Friday without a business license? If the psychic from last year returns, perhaps she can tell us. Otherwise, we're sure the ensuing brouhaha will be covered by local television stations.

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Humor is where you find it (or how to make Tomlinson-Sims cringe). From the above ad:

All money raised goes to renivation of Sweetwater Mansion.

We will except professional paranormal investigations at Sweetwater also.

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Tomorrow: Susan Leigh Smithson and Skippy Musket

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The quality of mercy, from our e-mail bag:

Your an idiot wrapped in a moron! This THUG, Holland Noah Elkins needs to be sent to prison for a long long time. He IS a violent criminal who has committed armed robbery on several occasions including armed bank robbery. How can you even dare to ask for mercy for someone like this?... Now you plead for mercy and forgiveness for someone who has went on a crime spree with at least three armed robberies in less than two years.....that we know about! Innocent people could have been killed by Elkins just so he could obtain drug money. I only hope I end up on the jury for his trial.....My verdict....hang that bastard, TWICE!

What an interesting comment from someone who represents himself as an acquaintance of Holland Elkins. We find nowhere in yesterday's blog did we suggest Holland not receive the appropriate punishment; we did state that the young man needs help. Perhaps it is too late for that now...and that is something we should regret rather than rejoice in.

Shoalanda



Connecting on Friday!

Holland Noah Elkins Needs Help

Early in the morning of December 3, 2008, Holland Noah Elkins and two other Florence youths broke into a Colbert County home. During the failed robbery attempt, Elkins and one of his confederates were shot multiple times with a nine millimetre handgun. Sources at Huntsville Hospital predicted that Elkins' companion would never walk again, but Holland was luckier--he soon recovered and was dismissed from ECM hospital.

Our blog was less than two months old when the home invasion occurred, and the Elkinses had been family friends for years. We briefly touched on the incident and asked for prayers for the family. When Holland was arrested in July 2009 after a second burglary, we were more than shocked. How could someone who had almost lost his life during the commission of a crime return to a life of theft?

When Holland's grandfather Stanley died in January of this year, we heard many reports that the young man had at last turned his life around. Holland Noah Elkins was going to live up to the promise he had shown early in life. Now Holland, who turned 21 on September 16th, has again been arrested for armed robbery.

Holland, along with two others, attempted to rob Bank Independent Wednesday as late night tellers left the Darby Drive location. All three have been charged with first degree robbery and sources say the charges could be upgraded from state to federal. If this should prove the case, the trio will be rearrested and held in Huntsville.

We know that Holland has a grandmother and an aunt and uncle who love him. We know many in Florence and the entire Shoals area are willing to do whatever it takes to help Holland. We're just not sure what that is at this point. This is the third strike for a young man who has only just reached his majority. Unless he was given youthful offender status in the home invasion, and we would find that highly unlikely, he could now face a sentence of life in prison as a habitual offender. Considering that at least two of these crimes could be classified as violent, he may be left without even the chance of parole. For what?

Holland's Facebook page lists his favorite things as "money, clothes, and girls." Certainly, we may assume drugs are also on this list, but how does an upper middle class youth fall so far so quickly? Our thoughts turn back to John Forrest Parker; at least if Holland Elkins looses his freedom, no one has lost his or her life because of him. Let's continue to pray that God will give Holland what he needs.


Quote of the day from Sam Pendleton: Open public discussion on all issues involving the public and its resources must be like bleach, may not smell good…but makes you clean.

Shoalanda



Connecting in ten, nine, eight...

Rain for 2009 Spirit of Freedom Celebration?

Planning on attending this year's Spirit of Freedom celebration at McFarland Park? Then consider packing some rain gear along with the sunscreen. Weather prognosticators are predicting a 35% chance of precipitation on Independence Day.

The festivities begin this year at 10:00 a.m and end at 10:00 p.m. Lets hope the TimesDaily photographers can find some more flattering images of the festival than those they captured last year.

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Our column on Florence's battle with Nelson Engand Auto Salvage attracted the attention of Clay Eals, author of the definitive biography of legendary Steve Goodman. For all you Stevie fans out there, here's Mr. Eals web sight: Steve Goodman Biography. If the bio is half as impressive as Mr. Eals' sight, it will be a fantastic read.

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Today's TimeDaily reports that Holland Noah Elkins, one of two young men shot in a failed Colbert County home invasion last December, has again been arrested on burglary charges. Many of us here are lifelong friends of this young man's family. He obviously has a problem for which he is not getting the needed help. I hope that everyone who knows this family will contact the Lauderdale and Colbert County probation officers and ask how we can assist him.