Keller Moves?/Critique this Arrest

 

According to relatively new TimesDaily city editor Kevin Taylor, Helen Keller Hospital is now located in Tuscumbia. What would John Elkington say?

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We've been getting quite a few comments on Cypress Lakes would-be golf pro Scott Clayton. It seems he also goes by the name Scott Atwater. We just report 'em, we don't 'splain 'em.

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Luis and Angela have lived in the United States for over a decade. After a visit to their South American home, both returned feeling ill. Quick tests soon showed that Luis and Angela were both infected with a new COVID strain that can kill within 48 hours. They needed immediate medical attention.

Yet the Latinx couple was now feeling much better; they refused all treatment. Authorities soon visited their home and remanded them to a secure unit in a state-run hospital, virtually forcing treatment on them.

How do you feel about this? Now substitute the word tuberculosis for COVID. This has been a national policy for decades. You might want to think about that the next time you champion complete "personal freedom."

ShoalsFest 2021 to Require Proof of Vaccination, etc.

 

ShoalsFest 2021 is scheduled for October 2nd/3rd at McFarland Park. Admission including taxes, etc. is well over $100.00. This is the lineup:

Lucinda Williams, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Candi Staton, Amanda Shires, Centro-Matic, Slobberbone, Cedric Burnside, Farmer Jason, and Drive by Truckers

Now festival founder Jason Isbell has announced there will be restrictions in place at his outdoor shows as well as indoor venues. This produces more questions than answers. Will the festival go on as scheduled? Can those refusing the terms of attendance expect refunds should they demand them?

Our take? Vaccinated or not, the term super-spreader comes to mind. 

Stay home; stay healthy!

The Pond Scum Rises to the Top of Cypress Lakes (Golf Club)

 

Cypress Lakes Golf Club - Located on the fringe of Muscle Shoals, the club was originally built by industrialist Neil Whitesell who later donated the white elephant to the city in 2012. If the endeavor has ever been profitable, we're not aware of it. In a 2014 attempt to balance the budget, the city terminated the golf pro who came with the club.

Matt McCollum -

Perhaps you know our friend Matt? If you don't, we'll give you a little background. The Decatur native was working as the golf pro at a private country club in Morgan County when it was forced to close for financial reasons. The head of a young family, Matt took a job at Cypress Lakes around four years ago as a part-time employee in the golf shop.

Matt supplemented his income by giving private golf lessons in his free time and became a respected member of the local golfing community. In fact, Matt was so good at what he did, he not only became an important part of the Cypress Lakes family, he was touted by several "in authority" to be the next golf pro should the position ever be reinstated.

Rusty Wheeles - Rusty is the head of Muscle Shoals Parks & Recreation, and has always, at least on the surface, supported Matt in his quest for a full-time golf pro position. Or has he?

In a TimesDaily article from early June of this year, Wheeles stated he was "not aware" of anyone currently employed by the city having a Class A PGA certification. There are three possibilities:

1. The author of the TD article misquoted Wheeles.

2. Wheeles had a lapse of thought and misspoke.

3. Wheeles issued a deliberate falsehood concerning Matt McCollum.

The Job Applicants/Finalists - Matt McCollum and Scott Clayton (pictured above) of Birmingham.

Scott Clayton - Clayton has worked at four separate country clubs in the past decade. He also purchased a home in Birmingham last year. Everyone should ask why he now wants to leave his latest job. Any forward thinking person should ask just how long Clayton will stay in Muscle Shoals if he takes this position.

We understand that Clayton toured Muscle Shoals on Thursday after being offered the job. At that time he presented his list of demands for extra perks. Can we all say cheeky?

There are conflicting reports of Clayton actually accepting the position. If indeed he has, we'll have more on his background later.

The Civil Service Board - Five individuals make up the Muscle Shoals board. The two male members voted for Matt, while the three female members (Bethany Malone, Paula Michael, and Jean Madden) voted for Clayton. It's been suggested to us that these women were not voting against Matt, but to oppose current administrators of the golf course. Whatever their reason, they didn't help their city with a choice based on vitriol.

Note: While we were contacted by and spoke to several sources, we have not spoken to Matt McCollum about the surprise decision. There is currently a petition circulating to redo the civil service board vote on the position. Obviously, there will be more to come.

Jason Takes a COVID Stand

 

If you've yet to hear, Jason Isbell has initiated new vaccination protocols for his upcoming concerts, at least those to be held indoors. How this will affect ShoalsFest, we're not sure yet. 

Our take is, as it always has been, Jason's politics or personal feelings have nothing to do with his talent. Yet in this, not his stance, but his rationale on medical heretic Marc Broussard should offend most of us. 

We'll confess to not knowing who Broussard was. His take on COVID is sketchy at best and provided plenty of ammunition for anyone with half a brain, yet Jason managed to slip in another line of thought when he asked:

“All your shows free Marc, or do you sell tickets?"

Apparently, Broussard hasn't much of a following at this point in his career. Was it necessary for Jason to point this out? After all, Broussard's take on sensible precautions was total tosh, so why get personal about the Cajun entertainer's abysmal career?

If we live long enough, everyone disappoints us in some way. We simply expected a little more class from the man from Green Hill, Alabama.

COVID at Brooks High School

 

COVID is everywhere. One reason is obviously a lack of precautions, and many Brooks parents feel nowhere is this demonstrated better than at the Killen high school. 

When the virus was discovered in the football team and the band, team practice was ostensibly cancelled for a week. Yet, groups of 20 did gather for a mini-practice during this seven day period. Does anyone think simply narrowing practices to this still large number will stop transmission?

Recently there was a youth jamboree. One young man who participated immediately thereafter was diagnosed with the virus, but some parents say they weren't informed by the school. 

Other parents are worried about early team practice that forces players to leave the campus to shower at home and return to school for regular classes. What is the school's liability in this if an accident happens while the player is away from the campus?

Our suggestion is to contact the school board since apparently the powers that be at Brooks are aware of these problems. We'll be looking at some academic/athletic issues in a few days. If anyone has a concern, please send it to us.

State Drops Case Against Aric Butler

 

In case any readers are not aware of this, we don't get to pick and choose which laws we observe and which we don't. We've noticed over the years that the more rural the area, the less likely its citizens are to respect the laws that govern them.

Such was the case of chiropractor Aric Butler of Rogersville last year when he kept his gym open in defiance of state law requiring a temporary shutdown. Was it for monetary reasons? If it was, he didn't seem to have any problem paying Florence hotshot attorney James Irby to defend him in district court.

In fact, he had Irby demand a jury trial, rather than rely on a bench verdict. That action saved Butler's legal posterior; Lauderdale County announced this week that it had no desire to clutter up an inundated court docket with an actual trial for Butler and dropped all charges against him.

So who won? We're giving Butler one point for avoiding a guilty verdict and taking away two for saying he's above the law. It's not a nice look for anyone, especially someone who lays hands on others in the name of healing.

The Most Important Blog We've Ever Written

 

You're not taking the COVID vaccine because...

It's not FDA approved yet. The most informed sources say the Pfizer version will be approved before Labor Day. Call around - the Pfizer jab is easy to find.

I could die from it. Over 500 individuals in the United States die each year after taking penicillin. It still saves thousands of lives. (Many reading this will remember TimesDaily editor Louis Eckl who died after taking penicillin following a dental appointment.)

Won't my arm turn red and swell? It's safe to assume those using this excuse never lived through a 6'2" health department nurse wearing size 17 bowling shoes come to your school each year to administer typhoid injections.

I've read entirely too many stories online about the dangers of this vaccine. Yes, and 99% of those stories originated in the Ukraine at the behest of the Russian government which wants as many Americans to die as possible.

The odds of surviving COVID are really good. Yes, and you have an 83% chance of surviving Russian Roulette. Wanna play this weekend?

All of us have to deal with the hand we've been dealt here. We might wish for more assurances, but nothing in life is a guaranteed slam dunk. If you pass up those two boats and a helicopter that God himself sent you, who are you to complain when the very old and the very young die...and a lot of people in between?