Why Is McDonald's of Lauderdale County Leaving Florence?

It hasn't been that long ago that McDonald's of Lauderdale County instituted new hours at its six stores. Now Micky D's on the north side of the river closes at midnight four nights a week. Employees were told lack of business was the driving force behind the new hours.

Now we're told that the Lauderdale version of the fast food giant wants to move its company offices from Florence to St. Florian. If there's even a franchise in St. Florian, we're not aware of it. Apparently, St. Florian will have to institute new zoning laws in order to allow the move. Great! Is the rent too d*mn high in Florence?

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John Elkington in a Preppie Vandy Jacket

The TD is still calling Inspiration Landing in Sheffield "proposed." John Elkington who's developing the project has promised at least one phase will be completed by the spring of 2018. Whether that means by the third week in March or the third week in June, he doesn't seem to have begun construction on any module to the project. 

A recent TD article also mentioned the term "prospective investors." Can we all say DreamVision? In reality, our prediction is some small development with promises of something bigger and Elkington high-tailing it back to Memphis.

Free Range 15 Year-Olds

We're sure at least a few readers will offer comments that this is not the time for this particular blog. We think it's the best time.

Parents, your fifteen year old child is not an adult. He or she doesn't have the mental capacity to take care of themselves in our everyday world. Everything is funny to them. Cleavage is cute, said the young teen girl.

If Katy Perry does it, it has to be okay, right?

Yes, we know many children live in one-parent homes and are on their own much of the time. We know that not everything a child does is the parent's fault. Yet when most of the pictures of your daughter show what passes at her age for extreme cleavage, you need to take more interest in explaining the facts of life to her. If she wants to be a glamour model at 25, fine. She doesn't have the experience to make that call at 15.

And if she's posing in a provocative manner on Facebook, you can be certain the predators are out there just waiting to make a date with her, to whisk her off to God only knows where before you know she's even gone. Threaten them with a convent or making them listen to Pat Boone for an entire weekend; that should keep them in line. Just remember that you can't complain all that much over their fate if you never took any interest in their day to day activities before they became a runaway.

Be sure to check out our most recent Quad-Cities Cuisine:

Mr. Hui's Chinese Buffet

Life Without for J.J.?

Our favorite sociopaths number around 10. Unless we've miscalculated, all but one are either incarcerated or awaiting trial on some new charge. When we write about one in particular, his family/friends/girlfriend always accuse us of some sort of vendetta or even fascination with that particular criminal. We understand that kind of thinking has its own term in aberrant psychology, but we won't go into that today.

Current Status of Case

No, today we're discussing John James Common, aka J.J., who is currently incarcerated in the Franklin County Jail in lieu of 350K bond. We doubt that he's getting out before his court date. Charges? Attempted Murder, Shooting into an Occupied Building (home with three people inside), and three counts of drug trafficking, not to mention a few counts of simple drug possession.

That brings us to the habitual offender law in Alabama. We're not sure how many previous convictions J.J. has. We do know he has both state and federal convictions that include trafficking, assault, and arson. If convicted on the current charges, trafficking being the key if not the attempted murder, with J.J.'s three previous felonies, he will be looking at a mandatory life sentence. If three of those previous felony convictions were for violent crimes (and we're not sure about that one in J.J.'s case), he would be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

J.J.'s current girlfriend has written us to tell us what a changed man he is. It seems the community college student was on his way to Bible study when he was arrested this past month. Will this carry any weight in a case with video footage of both the shooting and the arrest (depicting the drug haul found in J.J.'s vehicle)? Remember, he hasn't been out of the legal system in 15 years.

Community college? We're pretty sure there's no financial aid for those with drug convictions within the past five years. Even with the caring family that we're told J.J. has, living is expensive. A little drug dealing can go a long way toward those extra expenses.

No, we don't see a way for J.J. to beat this one. We're stocking up on popcorn...

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For those who say the legal system is skewed toward prosecuting blacks, think of J.J. running free for so long after so many convictions, yet Wes Akin, with no convictions for violent crimes, sits in the Limestone Correctional Facility doing 25 years.

Selective Punishment in Lauderdale County Schools?

We recently published a blog from the mother of a Lauderdale County student. It seems that her child was given 30-days punishment for a serious infraction; however, the student handbook states the punishment shall be 10 days.

Many readers felt it was simply a question of a parent refusing to recognize the severity of her child's crime. We say no matter the action of the child, the salient point of the mother's complaint was the total disregard for the prescribed punishment. If a principal can say he/she will mete out 30 days in some form of detention for an infraction that requires 10 days in alternative school, why can't he/she say to a more popular student that the punishment is only one day? Could this happen?

It certainly happened a few years ago at UNA when athletic director Mark Linder refused to kick his star quarterback off the team for a misdemeanor arrest, but had only the month before dismissed some second string players for the same offense. Anyone see anything wrong with this?

We've also heard that Wilson School in northern Lauderdale County has been guilty of treating male students differently from female students. By all means, let's punish the girls more strictly than the boys. No! Let's try to play by the rules for a change, shall we?

Snow in March? It happens. Here's s photo we saw posted online by W. H. Jangaard:

Pardon us for being prejudiced, but Florence is one of the most beautiful cities we've seen in the States. Have we seen a bushel and a peck? Perhaps not, but you can't deny the beauty in this photo. 

However, a reader has brought up the ugly side of Florence, and we're going to soon address it. Stay tuned...

Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind (Florence School Board)?

What do you do if ABC is no better than XYZ? You pick one and stick with it. That doesn't sound too hard, does it? Apparently it's too hard for some individuals to fathom, whether at the federal, state, or local level. No, we're not talking about federal prosecutors here, we're thinking of school sites.

Florence's elected school board held public hearings on the location of a new middle school. Perhaps ABC wasn't any better than XYZ, but after listening to the public, conferring with architects, and consulting bank accounts, the Florence School Board had to choose. They chose the old Coffee High property for the new middle school. They then invested money, citizen's money, in architectural plans. Then they invested more money in tearing down three large structures. They invested even more money in hauling away debris, then having the property prepared for construction.

We have to ask why UNA representatives weren't present at these public hearings? Yes, it was obviously before concrete plans were drawn up, but if the stadium's future was so important to UNA, why not attend meetings about property adjacent to the stadium? Not showing all that public concern, were they then?

We know that at least two UNA grads labor here, including Shoalanda herself. If the university can backtrack on decisions with such temerity, we're worried about our diplomas.

On another UNA front, we're told Dr. Kenneth Dale Kitts, erstwhile South Carolinian, has fired several at the university who don't kowtow to him. We would sincerely like to hear from any who have more information on these events.

It's been a long, long time since we've named a local hero. We're naming one now, one who gave tirelessly, and still does, to the university. That's Dr. Robert Potts. Or should we say Dr. Dr. Robert Potts—he's entitled. Not too many hold a masters in the law, or so we've often been told.

Thank you, Dr. Potts! We appreciate you and all you and your family have done for the Shoals over the years. We often think how different UNA's future would have been if only you had stayed on as president until your retirement...

Colbert County Alcohol License or Lack Thereof

Colbert County Alcohol License or lack thereof

By: The Midnight Rider

To catch everyone up for this article, I am posting this article that was recently published in the Times Daily Newspaper.

TUSCUMBIA — For the second time in as many meetings, the Colbert County Commission has denied a business owner's request for a license to sell package beer.

Randy Agee, owner of the Rayo Mart on Second Street, about 2 miles east of the Constellium plant, said he plans to appeal the commission's decision in court. He said the store was started by his mother and father and has been in business for 34 years.

They've never sold alcohol, but business has declined since the International Paper Co. closed its plant in Courtland. Agee said they were also impacted by the closure of the Hillshire Farms plant in Florence. Each plant employed about 1,100 workers.

Agee told county commissioners he planned to use the additional revenue to build a 3,000 square foot building behind the current location. He said the building they're in is 35 years old.

"We've tried to be a good neighbor to everyone," Agee said.

Some of his neighbors, members of nearby churches and the chief of the Nitrate City Volunteer Fire Department, spoke out against Agee's desire to sell beer. A petition from four nearby churches that oppose alcohol sales was presented to the commission.

Nitrate City Volunteer Fire Department Chief Eddie Osborn said he appreciates the store being there, but he's concerned about traffic around the store when firefighters are responding to calls. He said there has been an increase in calls in their service area.

Commissioners voted 3-2 on party lines to deny the license request. Democrats Jimmy Gardiner and Charles Hovater voted for the license, while Republicans David Black, Darol Bendall and Tommy Barnes voted against it. The store is in Barnes' district.

"I can see both sides of this issue," Gardiner said.

He noted there have been several liquor license requests during his time on the commission, and until the previous meeting, none had been opposed.

"I appreciate Mr. Agee and I can certainly understand his predicament," Gardiner said. "Alcohol is legal in Colbert County, so it is a perplexing issue for me personally."

Barnes said he understands the safety issues and the proximity to day care centers and churches.

"It is a tough consideration," he said.

One of the residents in opposition mentioned the proximity to Nitrate City Church of the Nazarene, which is a few hundred feet behind the store.

County attorney Edgar Black said a local act that prohibited the location of establishments that feature nude or topless dancing 1 mile from a church or day care does not apply to convenience stores that sell alcohol.

A new Dollar General store in Leighton sells alcohol and is located next door to a church. That license, however, was approved by Leighton and not the county commission.

"People have asked us, 'What are you waiting on,'" Agee said.

Hovater said he understands the challenges the business owner faces. 

"I hope the people of Nitrate City don't put a stumbling block in front of him and see him close down," Hovater said. "I feel for both sides."

During its previous meeting, the commission voted unanimously to deny a liquor license to the owner of the Spring Valley Market after several ministers and residents voiced their opposition.

Owner Rhonda Salazar said she was also considering appealing the decision to circuit court.

Okay, let’s look at this. It is 2017 not 1917. Alcohol is a mainstay. Restaurants have it. You can buy it at the Dollar General Store now. People are going to drink if they want to. Colbert County is throwing tax money away by now issuing these licenses. This is money that the County seriously needs.

How about a comparison? The Lottery is not legal in the State of Alabama. People have shot it down several times when it comes up for a vote. However these same people drive to Tennessee each week to buy Lottery Tickets. This is being Hypocritical. Not only are these people being two faced but they are taking money out of the County as well as the State of Alabama. Lottery Taxes in Tennessee are utilized for Schools as well as road maintenance. Driving up Highway 43 from Killen, you can tell where Alabama roads stop and Tennessee roads start without looking at the signs. Again, a lot of this money is Alabama money.

Now back to the Alcohol Licenses that are being refused by the Colbert County Commission. Let me give you a news flash, people are going to go somewhere else to buy alcohol if they want it. Will these people leave the County to purchase this alcohol? It’s very possible.

The comment is made in the article that the store is close to a Church. I don’t believe you can find a store that sells Alcohol in Colbert County that is not close to a Church of some type. Again, this is the 21st Century not Prohibition Times. People in Churches drink as well play the Lottery. They might go outside this area to do it, but it is done.

Come on Colbert County Commission, get with the program. You are about to have to fund a new jail. Use some of the Alcohol Taxes to pay for it.

I am and always will be, the Midnight Rider.

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We will offer one comment; the business owner in question was perfectly content to abstain from selling alcohol while raking in money from other sources, presumably patting himself on the back for his moral fiber. Yet when the going got tough, he quickly decided to change his policy. Moral behavior should be governed by our ideals and principals, not the vagaries of our pocketbook.

Should Judge Gil Self Have Recused?

Hmmm, What School Is He So Proud of Here?

Lauderdale County Circuit Judge Gil Self recently ruled in favor of the University of North Alabama in its suit against the Florence School Board (and by extension the City of Florence). Should he have recused himself from the case? No? After all, it's not like...

* UNA (then Florence State) supported him as a child

* The field house is named for his father

* His father was the center of the athletic program for decades

No, why should Self have recused? This whole mess stinks worse than the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Board.

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To the retired teacher (who still works for UNA) who suggested Powell School would make a perfect middle school, we say shame on you also! If Coffee High School built in 1952 was not deemed by architects to be salvageable, why would Powell built c. 1958 be more suited to current needs? If it's all about saving money, let the kiddies remain in the modular classrooms...that's trailers to most of us common folks.