Psychic Says Farron Barksdale Murdered

We here at Shoalanda are evenly divided on the subject of psychic power. Yet even those who do not believe in the ability of those who claim to see beyond the natural realm realize that those who have inside information often use such self-proclaimed psychics to pass on information that cannot safely be transmitted in other ways. Therefore, today we're presenting an edited communication that we received from an Athens area psychic:

I am a psychic. This was one of the hardest cases I have ever worked. Emotionally that is. To hear that someone is going to be murdered and not be able to stop it is very overwhelming. I don't know who you are and this is nothing more than I gave Buck and Jake (attorneys in the case). Also, my promise to Farron "I"ll be there."

Why the state did kill him: The ********** family used insurance money to have Farron killed. I also knew ********** was involved when I shook his hand. I was lost in Capshaw, found a tree cutting business and was asking for directions. They asked me where I lived, and I told them I was staying with the Barksdales. One of the employees told me he was friends with the ********** family and they paid to have Farron killed. Yes, I was lost and found this person.

The call about Farron came at 1:28 am. When the phone was answered no one was there. The caller came up unavailable. I told my companion, I hope that wasn't a spirit call. I explained to him sometimes spirits will ring my phone. The phone started ringing again at 5:30pm on Sunday. Farron was on every news channel, family was calling, and so were the doctors from Baptist Memorial South. We packed and left.

When we got there someone in clergy took us to find Farron. When I saw him I prayed for him and I began to ask him what happened. Although he was in a coma I could hear him in my head. He told me about the guards, he told me they over medicated him, he told me how they beat him. ALABAMA NEEDS TO REVISE THEIR CODES AND STATUTES!!!

He gave me descriptions of the guards, and what they used on him, things they were saying to him while they were cutting off his air supply. The only thing I couldn't figure out was why they kept having to suction blood. My former brother in law is **********, a real medicine man on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Without knowing anything about Farron, he told us where the blood had been coming from and why.

This knowledge was not known before autopsy. Farron gave me the initials of ***. I left the hospital the first day down there and went to CVS drugs and Kinko's. I was right, even before the doctors told the family, I knew other details about this case and the faces of the men who killed him. I think why I didn't know where the blood was coming from is because Farron was already unconscious. And **** is a known medicine man, more gifted than I am.

This was a plotted murder of a mental patient which every state system to protect him and others failed them all. Even though I was not family or legal council the doctors let me in at times disregarding the state guards. Farron had the best legal representation possible--Jake and Buck. Jake promised to do something, and I'm sure he will.

I just wanted someone to know this because of your article. I am a former legislative assistant, I actually cared about constituents. Farron needed help.


The above tale is presented in the "for what it's worth department." We have intentionally not identified the author, but we greatly appreciate her sending it to us. No matter the source of the above account, no matter what mental illness caused Farron Barksdale to do, if any of the above statements are true, remember this could be your relative next. Mental illness is just that--an illness. Until we address those who are no longer able to function in our society, we will continue to have the loss of innocent life, continue to have murders and hatred. Let's lobby our legislators for improved mental health care in the State of Alabama.


Shoalanda

Those We Lost in 2009 - Part II

Family and friends:

Doyce Truitt

Doyce Truitt lived into his tenth decade. In his lifetime he saw major wars and a depression. All who knew him loved and admired him and his spirit. Even though his body was diminished, his spirit lives on in his family, cousins, and friends.

*****

Lucille Crunk Calvert

Mrs. Calvert was a graduate of Central High School and Larimore Business College. An avid reader, she also enjoyed writing, movies, crossword puzzles and socializing with friends. A romantic at heart, she was known for her quick wit and love of life and learning. For several years, she acted as classroom "grandparent" in the Foster Grandparent Program at Weeden School, Brandon School, and Hibbett School, where students cherished her patience and warmth.


All of us at Shoalanda

Those We Lost in 2009 - Part I

We lost two wonderful individuals from Lexington:

W. O. Killen

W.O. Killen was a great and wonderful husband, father, grandfather (papaw), father-in-law, uncle, brother, son, and friend. His love for his family and his church (Mary's Chapel Church of the Nazarene, Lexington, Alabama) was obvious in everything he did in life. As a business owner/operator (Valley Crane Service in Decatur, Alabama, and then in Muscle Shoals, Alabama), he worked many hours a week to provide for his family.

One of the greatest joys in his life was being the mayor of Lexington, Alabama, a job enjoyed from 1984 until 1996. The accomplishments he achieved while in office were plenty. Some of these accomplishments went unnoticed until he was out of office. The town of Lexington was lucky to have a man like W.O. Killen as their leader for 12 years.

We miss you Daddy!

Sandra Killen-Burroughs

*****

Mike Nix

I met Mike Nix three times--each time when he came by to see me at work. Each time he asked me to church with him at the Lexington Church of Christ, and each time I refused due to other commitments. I didn't know who he was the first time I met him, but I realized later that I knew his wonderful mother--who had obviously sent him. The last time he visited, he said that if I ever needed anything, I could count on him; and I'm sure that I could have. I regret that I did not have the chance to know him better.

Mike was voted Music Educator of the Year for Alabama in 2009, an honor he received shortly before he lost his battle to cancer. Lauderdale County schools were much the better for having Mike Nix as Director of Music Education for 32 years. My sincerest sympathies to his family.

Nurse Nan

Who Knows the Population of Florence?

Today's TimesDaily featured Mayor Bobby Irons' answer to critics of his new Media Czar. In his statement, prominently featured in the Opinion Section, Irons mentioned the not-so-burgeoning population of Florence as approaching 38,000. Is it?

Also released today were several predictions by Federal Census mavens:

Alabama's population will be undercounted in the 2010 census, says Annette Jones Watters, manager of the Alabama State Data Center at The University of Alabama. "So what, you ask?" Watters says. "It means millions of lost dollars in federal domestic assistance for our state over the coming decade." And if past experience means anything, some of the most unresponsive will be people who don't own their own homes, college students, people of minority races, high school dropouts, people living in poverty, and people whose first language is not English, Watters predicts. And those are often the people who need the federal assistance most.

According to University of North Alabama officials, their foreign student enrollment is now at approximately 10%, or 780. Most of these students obviously do not consider the United States their home and will be wary of including themselves in census data. Adding the other groups mentioned by U.S. Census officials, there would seem to be a great possibility of a substantial under count, not just in Florence, but in all Shoals cities.

In 2000, the town of Russellville admitted its census numbers fell far short. The population of Florence at that time was 36,364--a mere .9% growth from the 1990 census. Has the city of Florence fared that much better under the Irons' administration?


FYI to the TimesDaily Editorial Board: The "naughties" have not yet officially ended; the next decade will not commence until January 1, 2011. Then again, as regular critic John Crowder would second, the TD does aspire for the lowest common denominator in its reading audience.

Shoalanda

Jeff Redcross--A Friend to UNA

On Monday, Florence Police Chief Rick Singleton officially discharged Sgt. Jeff Redcross for policy violations. Redcross has retained Florence attorney Tim Case to represent him in an appeal; Case is also currently representing Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan, a former Deputy Chief to Singleton.

Whatever the outcome of Redcross' current problems, he has always been a staunch supporter of University of North Alabama football. A 1990 graduate of Sparkman High, Redcross played four seasons as a defensive end for Coach Bobby Wallace and was voted the Most Valuable Defensive Player of 1993. He is currently a sidelines/color commentator for Lions' football. Redcross is also a former member of the Marine Reserves, having served in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, and completed his degree in Criminal Justice at UNA in 2001.

Thanks, Jeff, for your continued support of UNA.

*****

This week we will be paying tribute to family and friends that we and our readers lost in 2009. If you have anyone you would like remembered, please forward the information as soon as possible.


Shoalanda

A New Year's Prayer

A reader sent us this New Year's Prayer. We've been unable to ascertain the author of the poem and for this we apologize. Our only suggestion to improve the prayer is to add a petition for our local and national elected officials that they lead us well in 2010.

*****

A New Year Prayer

Holy Father,

God of our yesterdays, our today, and our tomorrows.

We praise You for Your unequaled greatness.

Thank You for the year behind us and for the year ahead.

Help us in Your new year, Father, to fret less and laugh more.

To teach our children to laugh by laughing with them.

To teach others to love by loving them.

Knowing, when Love came to the stable in Bethlehem, He came for us.

So that Love could be with us, and we could know You.

That we could share Love with others.

Help us, Father, to hear Your love song in every sunrise,

in the chriping of sparrows in our backyards,

in the stories of our old folks, and the fantasies of our children.

Help us to stop and listen to Your love songs,

so that we may know You better and better.

We rejoice in the world You loved into being.

Thank You for another new year and for new chances every day.

We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others.

Forgive us for falling short this past year.

We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the unknown new year knowing You will go with us.

We accept Your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what's ahead, depending on You to help us do exactly what You want..

I say it again, we rejoice!

In Jesus name,

Amen.

*****


Happy New Year!
Shoalanda

Free Cab Service?

Several readers asked us if local cab companies still provide free rides on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to those who state they're too inebriated to drive. We haven't found any reports that local taxi services will be doing this for the New Year's weekend, but we hope those who choose to drink, don't choose to drive as well.

*****

The ShoalsInsider's new poll let's readers decide the fate of accused Shoals rapist/teacher Amanda Watkins. Prison or no? Interestingly, a 38 year-old Idaho teacher has been convicted of having sex with her 13 year-old male student. The punishment: Twenty Years.


Thanks: To all our readers for making it a wonderful 2009!


Shoalanda