Will Dismukes' Family Asks for No Leniency - Part I

 

How to lose your wife, children, father, sisters, job, church family, reputation, and finally your freedom:

William Dismukes III, known as Will, was raised in Prattville near Montgomery and attended the private Autauga Academy where he excelled in baseball. One of four children, Will was the only boy and, we may infer, probably spoiled by his family.

Raised in the Baptist Church, Will attended the Church of Christ sponsored Faulkner University after high school. He continued his baseball career at Faulkner where he later related he gained an interest in politics.

It was looking like the future held a lucrative career in professional baseball for Will until he was suddenly felled by a stroke at the age of 22. While Will managed to bounce back, his novice career didn't. He was now in need of a job more than ever. While still in college, Will had applied for and received several credit cards...and used them while anticipating a large income after his graduation.

Will's mother Venita saved the day by taking out a mortgage on the family home. Will seemed to buckle down and secured employment with ALFA, as well as bringing in a second income by working in flooring sales. His personal life was also looking up; he soon married his first wife Amber Adkins and became the father of a son and daughter.

Will was also a youth minister at a rural Baptist church near Montgomery, and Amber worked at the highly controversial ALFA. There was definitely a lot of money coming in, but seemingly a lot was going out as well.

In 2018, Will was elected to the Alabama State Legislature at the very young age of 28. This was just a stepping stone, and Will had his eyes on Washington, DC. After only two years in the State House, Will ran for the U.S. Congress in 2020.

Many political careers have been compared to a house of cards, and Will's was a perfect example as it began to fall around him...

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2025 Municipal Elections - Florence

 

A reader has asked about the next municipal elections. In 2021, our state legislature changed the date from 2024 to 2025. We'll see voters go to the polls in August that year.

We'll be looking at those who may run, with Florence the first to be profiled.

Andy Betterton is the incumbent. The twice-married Democrat won his office by six votes. During his tenure, he's refused to help Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services (the former mayor's pet project), been accused of napping and violently cursing while at work, and possibly being in council president Dick Jordan's pocket. 

Jimmy Oliver is a current council member who has made very prudent and thoughtful decisions while in office and is generally considered a popular and common sense candidate.

Kaytrina Simmons is also on the council. Like Mr. Oliver, she's conservative and has a great many fans. Ms. Simmons is considered by many to be the best thing to happen to her district in years.

Steve Holt is the former mayor of the city who still has many supporters. He's not mentioned running again, but many would welcome him in the race.

Wild Cards usually come out of the woodwork in mayoral races, so we may have several not mentioned here who will stand for election.

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This is Evie. She's a nine month-old American Staffordshire mix who definitely deserves a better home than the shelter. Heck, she'd even make a great mayor compared to many. You can see and adopt her at the FLAS in the industrial park:

Has Muscle Shoals Astro Turf Hiked to Tuscumbia?

 

How much is nine year-old Astro Turf worth? When first purchased, the artificial grass cost around 500K. Even using yard sale rule of thumb, the turf would bring 50K as is.

The turf is no longer at the high school, and several readers have speculated it's now behind a Tuscumbia business owned by someone with friends in the Muscle Shoals athletic hierarchy. 

If the turf is that pictured above, how was the sale conducted? There's been no mention so far of any sale in official school/athletic department minutes. 

One reader suggested that it would come in handy at the Colbert Animal Shelter. We really liked that idea. Alas, it appears it's already too late for the animals. Apparently Bowser and Fluffy don't attend the same football banquets as certain coaches...

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Fancy a Junebug? She's five years old and an Australian Shepherd mix. Doesn't she look lonely? She's waiting for you at the Florence Shelter in the industrial park:

Things That Grow Stale: Bread, Wives, City Seals

 

Yesterday we mentioned some controversy over the Florence city seal which pictures a lily more along the lines of the fleur de lis than the giglio. First we want to thank Councilman Jimmy Oliver for clearing up that the current seal will be replaced not immediately, but only as new artwork is needed due to wear and tear. 

Then we have Andy Betterton's statement to Bernie Delinski of the TimesDaily: the old seal had grown stale. Dick Jordan has mentioned that the current seal was established 19 years ago in 2004. That's certainly a long time for many aspects of day to day living.

While fine wine may be better with age, some things fail the test of time: bread and wives are the two which immediately come to mind, at least for some. We find it extremely interesting that Betterton needed to add that comment. Interesting and, for many, possibly disturbing...

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This is Louis. He's a one year-old Jack Russell mix. We're a little prejudiced about this breed, but we predict Louis will make one of the best companions that anyone could ever ask for. You can make him part of your family at the Florence shelter in the industrial park on Roberson Road:

Why Has It Taken 14 Years to Correct Florence's Seal?

 

It was in 2009 that Pete Williford and Allen Tomlinson brought up the issue of the city's seal and its lack of stamen. Here was our take:

Giglio, Fleur de Lis, or Just a Lily?

We heard at that time that then mayor Bobby Irons didn't want to make any changes/corrections, and the matter was dropped. In the intervening 14 years, how many new signs have been erected in the city, and at what expense?

Yes, we really like the seal created by the Tatum Agency. Mayor Betterton was quick to point out that any costs had already been paid in early 2022 when the F! logo was also designed.

It may be better late than never to correct it, but will someone please tell the citizens of Florence just how much this will be costing taxpayers?

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This is Biggie. We're not sure if his middle name is Smalls, but he would like to have your last name as his own. He's a Great Dane mix and only 18 months old. Stop by the shelter on Roberson Road to make him yours furever:

Florence Gets More Unwanted BM

 

Anyone driven by Pope's Tavern in Florence lately? If you have, you may have noticed that the historical marker has been removed. If you call to ask, you'll be told that director Brian Murphy (pictured above holding a sign ridiculing someone whom many of us consider the Son of God) is "redoing" the exterior of the property. Perhaps the museum is getting synthetic turf? Obviously, we'll find out soon enough.

Now let's move on to the next Florence City Council meeting. The last regular meeting was scheduled for July 4th and had to be postponed. The powers that be have scheduled the next meeting for Monday, July 10th. In other words, very few who wish to have input on any of our city's current idiotic schemes will be aware of it until it's all over. 

We hear that at that time Brian Murphy will be appointed the new director of Florence Arts & Museums. Very few at city hall are happy, but it is strictly Andy's choice. 

Why are so many unhappy with BM? It's not the quality of his work, but the fact that he openly ridicules this state, city, and citizens. There's the Dwight Eisenhower way to bring about change and the Attila the Hun way. BM has chosen the wrong one...and so has Andy.

Time for More Demonstrations?

Betterton Wants New City Seal

 

Breaking news:

When the City of Florence attempted to brand the town with an advertising logo, many misunderstood its purpose. A logo isn't a seal, and Florence still doesn't have a logo (whew!). Anyone out there lying awake at night worrying over it?

Pictured above is the city seal, which many in Florence government assured the public wouldn't be changed. Now Mayor Andy Betterton is seeking to upgrade/change the seal.

We've been unable to ascertain if Tatum Design (the culprit in the logo boondoggle) is the designer, but we believe it is. Here's the new seal which Betterton has been using. 

How do we feel? We like the newer version better, but... 

Citizens are not being given a chance to have any input. Plus, and this is a big plus, how much money is going to be spent in implementing this new seal?

It's scheduled to hit the fan on Monday, due to last Tuesday's meeting being cancelled for July 4th. No warning, no vote!

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Here's a dog looking for a new home. No, he thankfully isn't at the shelter to scare the other animals. We'll have more info tomorrow.