Could You Do This?

It's two o'clock in the morning. You just fell asleep. The phone rings, and the caller tells you there has been a fatal accident. You dress hurriedly and make your way to the scene driving along fog-filled remote county roads. You arrive to find what no one wants to see. We're not going to describe what the dead driver looks like. It's too horrible for us to contemplate.

This is not some one-time thing. It's a regular occurrence--that is if you're a coroner. Could you do this job? Could you be on call 24/7 for little pay? No? Neither could we. Yet some do, and without them there would be confusion for families and even loop holes in murder cases that allow the guilty to walk.

It's been some time since we've had a local hero, so today we want to recognize Colbert County Coroner Carlton Utley. Mr. Utley is not only extremely competent, he's genuinely caring. We endorsed him for this position in the last election, and we will continue to support him. We can't imagine anyone who could do a better job at such a thankless but much needed task than Carlton. We salute you and we humbly thank you!

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Do you read Pearls Before Swine? If you do, you know that Rat has given up Facebook. He now has an extra 18 hours a day. Most of us don't spend that much time online each day, but we suspect most who read our blog do spend some time each day surfing the net. Consequently, you know a little about a lot that goes on in the Shoals and surrounding towns. What if you didn't?

If you didn't, would you know your son/brother/husband/best friend was on the Shoals Most Wanted List? That distinct possibility has caused one faithful reader to contact us about a local young man. This man has made some mistakes, but nothing that can't be rectified at least partially.The sad thing is these mistakes could have been taken care of earlier without a felony conviction if he had just attempted to do the right thing. The longer he waits, the worse it will be for him. His family friend doesn't feel he can contact the family directly and has asked us to do so via our blog.

If you know this young man, please try to contact his family. We look forward to hearing that this man has done the right thing and has gotten back on track to a successful life.



Shoalanda

Drunk?

The man suffered from chronic migraines. When a migraine came on, and they could come on suddenly, he would be forced to lie down, his brain in a fog of pain.

One night this man (who lived far from the Shoals) stopped to have drinks with friends. As he got into his car to leave, he felt a migraine coming on. He thought he could make it home before the most intense pain hit, but he was mistaken. Realizing he couldn’t drive in that condition, he pulled over into a nearby parking lot and lay down.

After approximately half an hour passed, the man felt better and decided to return to the road. He pulled out onto what he thought was the main highway and then into the left lane. After accelerating to 60 mph, the man hit another vehicle head on, killing the driver.

The luckless man hadn’t been on the state highway as he thought, but on an access road. His defense attorney blamed the man’s migraine for the crash. The prosecution contended that, while the man’s blood alcohol content fell slightly below the limit at the time of the accident, the driver would have known his migraine had not subsided enough to let him drive safely if he hadn’t been impaired by the alcohol.

Unusual case? Yes. How did it turn out? The driver, although not legally drunk, was convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison for several years. Was it a fair decision? While we feel for the driver in question, we have to say yes.

Is this case important? It does show that not all “drunk drivers” are evil demons just waiting to kill large families composed mainly of innocent children.

We (and other local blogs) receive regular critical comments from a man we’ll simply call Mr. N. This man sent us a comment that we cannot publish because of some of his references, but Mr. N’s main thought seems to be that Derek Clayton should sue us since we called him “drunk.”

While the word “drunk” may not be nice, it’s a perfectly adequate and much used word, synonymous with “intoxicated with alcohol.” Many cities have laws that use the word. The term “Drunk and Disorderly” is still widely used, although some prefer “Public Intoxication,” which allows law enforcement to arrest those who may not be a danger to others, but could hurt themselves.

Until Derek Ray Clayton was arrested, we had no idea that he had been intoxicated while driving. We wish him no bad luck. We would not have mentioned this case in all probability had it no bearing on the Paradise Drive situation on which we’ve blogged for several months.

The prosecution in the criminal case, as well as the defense in the civil suit brought by Cole Sellner’s mother, will contend that Clayton was driving too fast for road conditions, causing the accident. The Lauderdale District Attorney’s office will further contend that Clayton would not have been driving too fast if he had not been intoxicated (drunk). Considering defense attorney Tony Hughes’ odd comment that Derek Ray Clayton is not guilty of criminal actions even though he was drunk, we have no idea what he will contend at trial. His m.o. from the Greg Ray case seems to be wear the other side down with numerous peripheral witnesses and countless questions.

Will Clayton be found “Not Guilty” of criminal charges? Considering his blood alcohol content, we doubt it. No matter the verdict, Cole Sellner is dead, and his friend Clayton has paid countless dollars to defend himself. It’s an old public service message, but still something we should remember no matter what any defense attorney may say:

Don’t Drink and Drive.

Shoalanda

The Truth About Paradise Drive?

Paradise Drive in Waterloo never gets any good press. The street is steep, treacherous, and graveled. Lauderdale County says the much maligned roadway is safe. Most residents say it's not. Now with two suits pending, one civil, one criminal, a judge may make the final decision.

On May 30, 2012, Cole Sellner was a passenger in a vehicle operated by Derek Ray Clayton, 28. Clayton lost control of the vehicle, and Sellner was killed. Sellner's mother is suing Lauderdale County and its Commission:

Sellner Family Sues

Now the Lauderdale County District Attorney's office has brought charges of criminally negligent homicide against Clayton, whose blood alcohol content was over the limit. Clayton's arrest photo for this charge is at right; at left in another alcohol related charge in Huntsville from 2011.

Clayton's attorney Tony Hughes has said there was nothing criminally negligent even though his client Clayton was drunk at the time. Alas, the reporter who wrote the article didn't ask Hughes just how he figured that after three years of law school and all.

Which suit will be held first? If Clayton is convicted will that adversely affect the Sellner family's civil suit? Will Paradise Drive ever be safe? We hope the answer to the latter question is "yes."



Shoalanda

Two Quick Quizes...

You're having dinner with an old friend at his luxurious chateau. At some point, he pulls a gun on you and fires. The gun jams, what do you do?

A. Run for the border.

B. Knock the gun from his hand and throw it in the shrubbery as you hastily leave.

C. Pen a blog about proper dining etiquette.

D. Stab your host multiple times, slit his throat, take the gun and shoot him in the back of the head, then steal a car to escape law enforcement.

E. Option "D" plus stab his girlfriend for good measure.

Let's just say if you picked "E" as Shannon Brewer did, you may have good reason to fear a Capital Murder indictment.

*****

Zombies are attacking the White House, Capitol Building, and Pentagon. What's your best bet to receive immediate news updates?

A. Fox News reporters who blame the Democrats.

B. ABC where news execs are desperately trying to channel the ghost of Peter Jennings.

C. Your great-aunt Ethel who dated a congressman while working in D.C. during WWII.

D. Tweets from visiting tourists caught in the crossfire since they thought the whole thing was part of a normal congressional debate.

In today's world, the savvy person chooses "D." Fox, ABC, and all other news outlets have their own desk jockey monitoring the wonderful world of Twitter. Your second best bet would be a local blog where the writers will add astute insight on the back story without fear of losing their jobs. Not the 1918 New York Times, is it?

We regularly read comments from a vocal few who claim such local publications as the Quad-Cities Daily and Pen N Sword aren't "real" news outlets. This week, the QCD scooped the TimesDaily on both arrests in the Dorian Hamilton murder case, while PNS is the only publication to mention the alleged attempted rape on the UNA campus. No, it's not 1918 anymore. Hats off to both Internet news sources.

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Want to get regular updates from the QCD & PNS? Like them on Facebook:

Quad-Cities Daily

Pen N Sword

Shoalanda

Why You Can't Be a Success in the Shoals

Having trouble making your mark in the world, even though you're really trying? This may be your problem:

1. He didn't make any money legally. He's in with the mob. Translation: He grew up dirt poor in East Florence, so how can he be a success while we're not.

2. I wouldn't do business with her. Something funny about all that new money. Translation: Her parents weren't rich, so how the heck did she get to be?

3. You need to watch him. No one knows where he came from. Translation: He's not a Podunk native, so he really shouldn't even be here, much less making any money.

4. Something fishy about all that success. She got a ticket for jaywalking thirty years ago. Translation: It doesn't matter if you're there firstest with the mostest, you can't be a success because of your distant past.

Not quite sure about some of this? Let's talk to an expert.

SS: We have Sylvia VanHaughty with us today. She's chair of the board for Acme Widgets, one of the Shoals smallest and least successful employers. Sylvia, tell us about Joe Sosmann.

SV: It seems Sosmann moved to our small town without anyone's permission. Anyway, he then weaseled his way into a job at Acme.

SS: Exactly how did the get the job?

SV: He filled out an application and just because he was more than qualified, some idiot supervisor hired him. Can you imagine?

SS: Not really. So what happened next?

SV: Thurlow Smithers knew about that speeding ticket Sosmann got in the 1990s, so he told me and I promptly had Sossman fired.

SS: So now Mr. Sosmann will have to rely on public assistance unless he can find another job?

SV: I certainly hope not. I don't believe in food stamps to start with and I certainly don't want my tax money supporting Joe Sosmann.

SS: So how is Mr. Sosmann supposed to live?

SV: He should have thought about that before he got that speeding ticket, now shouldn't he?

SS: Sylvia, do you know what secondary deviance is?

SV: I try to stay away from anything deviant, but if you're asking about our prison system, I'm opposed to paying any money to them either. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to leave or I'll be late. I never miss a service at the Uptown Old School and Money Church. 



Shoalanda

So...You've Got Contacts?

It's a very old joke, but some of our younger readers may not have heard it. It seems a police officer stopped a driver, looked at his license, and told the motorist he was supposed to be wearing glasses. The driver replied, "I've got contacts." The officer promptly shot back, "I don't care who you know, you still gotta wear your glasses."

Does it really matter whom we know? Let's look at two tales from Lauderdale County. A husband and wife started a small business in the eastern end of the county. The husband had a regular job, but both worked hard to make the business a success. Most of their advertising was done by word of mouth, and over the years they developed quite a following for their unique business.

Yes, their business was unique in the Shoals--it was the only one of its kind within a 50 mile radius of the small town. The town was also home to a very rich man. He wasn't a native, but in some ways he had put the small town on the map. The rich man had a son who frequented the local business, but he wasn't happy with it. It didn't cater specifically to him--mainly because it just wouldn't have been profitable. This high school student asked his father for money to start his own business.

Now the young man obviously could have taken part of this money and used it for advertising, but he didn't really have to. Why? The mayor of the small town made a point to publicize this "new and unique" business, even though there had been one in his town for years. In fact, a relative of the owner worked for the city. Of course that meant she wasn't a millionaire and contributed little to the town's tax base. That does make quite a difference, doesn't it? The older business eventually closed, as did the newer endeavor when the young owner left for college. Now the town doesn't have any revenue from either business. Brings a tear to your eye for them, doesn't it?

The second tale is different in many respects, so we'll use real names. The Louis Rosenbaum family did much for their adopted hometown of Florence. The family gave land for a library and over the years contributed much more than most people know to our wonderful trove of books on Wood Avenue.

The basement of the old library housed the processing center for books taken into circulation. Each book was encased in a Mylar cover before being shelved. Obviously many citizens would have liked this done for some of their special books, but even if they paid, the staff just didn't have time. Each employee was told always to refuse politely any such requests.Then one day Mr. Stanley Rosenbaum entered the library with a new book written by his son. The director made a mad dash to phone downstairs--the Rosenbaum book would be an exception. Should it have been? We think so.

So there you have it--two very different cases of who you are and who you know. That brings us to the point of today's blog. If you haven't read this, please do so now:

Underhanded Politics?

Sad if true. Not just sad, but more? Are there grounds for a lawsuit? Even if there are, such suits are expensive. Again we say sad that this happens in Florence, Alabama, in 2013.



Shoalanda

Contact Us?/Richard Edward Agee Jr.

You want to contact us? It's not hard; our e-mail is listed in the left sidebar, as well as an icon to reach our Facebook page where you can post or send a private message. If you can read and write, you can contact us. Thanks for your cooperation.

*****

On the Navistar front, it seems the Barton plant terminated its chief metallurgist this past week. We've had questions concerning National Steel Car repaying pension funds. As yet we have no answers...

*****

Pen-N-Sword has an interesting report on an alleged Franklin County rape; so far no word in the TimesDaily:

Richard Edward Agee Jr.

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From L. R. Barrett:

Tomorrow 10:00 a.m.

• Book Signing Event at Muscle Shoals Library~ PREMIERE OF OUR FIRST CHILDREN'S BOOK - FINDING THE BEAUTY WITHIN (Reading Level 4th Grade) Authors L R Barrett-Durham & E G Glover

Shoalanda