One Hell of a Structure

 

It got a reprieve from the wrecking ball on Tuesday. Then on Friday it survived someone trying to burn it down. Don’t tell me that new parking deck with a price tag of over $13 million taxpayer dollars could survive what the “original” parking deck has been through. Through mud, blood and beer and plots to demolish and now FIRE the original parking deck is still standing! A little worn, battered and beaten but still waiting to serve.

I was driving up Pine St after going to look at the building at 426 Veteran’s Dr . The special meeting of the Florence city council was called to approve an appraisal of this building for the “annex” building to be used as part of the “new” city hall building project. This is the former Social Security building but it has been used for several things over the years. For reference, it is at the corner of Cherry St and Veterans Dr and St Vincent De Paul Thrift store is across Cherry St from the back of the building. Bill Griffin made a statement at the last special called meeting that if the building appraised for anywhere past the $2 to $6 million mark, he would vote no on its use. Michele Eubanks and Kaytrina Simmons seemed noncommittal. And this was supposedly Jimmy Oliver and Jackie Hendrix’s “deal” and of course Blake Edwards went along. We will see how things shake out after the appraisal. Hopefully, this can be done at a regular council meeting.

As I said, I was going home on Pine St when I saw smoke coming from the “original” parking deck. People were lined up on the Pine St side so I parked in Courtview Towers parking lot and walked over. Flames were coming from a storage area that was under the first floor entrance. It is fenced in but the gate was standing open and probably someone had entered and started a fire.

The firemen arrived quickly and put the few flames out. Nobody was injured. I have been transparent in my efforts to save some part of the “original” parking deck. I believe the old girl has life left in her yet. There has still not been an independent engineering study done on the deck. LBYD engineering was proven to have an interest in seeing the deck demolished when they sent the letter to Andy Betterton saying it was unsafe. Not only had they not actually inspected the deck in 6 years, they had a contract with Lambert Ezell and Durham architects to be the site engineers for the “lay down” area after the parking deck was demolished! All of this just seems to be ignored by Andy Betterton and the entire city council.

Friday Fire on Pine Street

The good old parking deck, nearly 46 year old, has survived abuse, neglect, plots to demolish and now fire. It may see the wrecking ball yet but all of Florence needs to remember...They don’t build 'em like they used to! You can’t keep a good deck down!

Aderholt Just Ascended the Grandstand & Lost a Lot of Respect

 

You say you don't want your tax dollars to pay for induced abortions? Neither do we. In case you're not aware, it's currently against federal law for such funds to be used in induced abortions. It's called the Hyde Amendment; here's a recap from Wikipedia:

In U.S. politics, the Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, except to save the life of the woman, or if the pregnancy arises from incest or rape.^[1][2] Before the Hyde Amendment took effect in 1980, an estimated 300,000 abortions were performed annually using federal funds.^[3]

Currently, federal funds are sent to Planned Parenthood to conduct tests for sexually transmitted infections and offer birth control and sex education. While Planned Parenthood does offer abortion services, these procedures do not use taxpayer dollars.

Now Rep. Robert Aderholt has introduced a bill to pull all funds from Planned Parenthood. Per Alabama Political Reporter:

Aderholt wrote in his announcement of the bill, entitled the Protect Funding for Women’s Health Care Act, “Defending the unborn has been a top priority of mine since I was first elected to Congress, and I will continue to fight for life each and every day.” 

“I am proud to introduce this bill in the U.S. House and to continue standing for life by ensuring that federal tax dollars are never used to fund organizations such as Planned Parenthood and others like it,” Aderholt continued.

While this is his prerogative, Aderholt also states:

Women deserve real health care options that protect both mother and child.

Even disregarding the issue of birth control (more such education could reduce induced abortions by as much as 90%), we're at a loss as to how less STI testing protects an unborn child.

First, there are at least seven STIs that diminish or destroy fertility in both males and females. Some can go undetected for years.

What happens to an infant born to a mother with an STI?

Babies born to mothers with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can have serious health problems, including eye infections, pneumonia, and brain damage. Some STIs can even cause stillbirth. 

How can babies get STIs from their mothers? 

• During pregnancy: Some STIs, like syphilis, cross the placenta and infect the fetus.
• During birth: Other STIs, like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and genital herpes, are passed from the mother to the baby during delivery.
• After birth: HIV can infect a newborn during birth and through breast milk.

Does Robert Aderholt really want more of that? Or is he that ignorant? Or is he pandering to certain voters? Will he aspire to the Senate if Tommy moves on? If so, today he lost our vote or support.

Still Another Lawsuit against Sheffield

 

There is still another lawsuit against the Sheffield Police Department. The suit is at least the sixth against the department, and quite possibly the seventh or eighth, in roughly the past three years.

A couple, Anthony and Jennifer Story, filed the suit one month ago, alleging that their civil rights were denied during a traffic stop by former officer Kaegan Cook. The officer is stated to have demanded a bumper sticker be removed immediately or driver Anthony would be taken to jail.

The suit also names former chief Ricky Terry. Hank Sherrod is the attorney of record for the Storys.

Perhaps now the salient question is: Is there anyone out there who isn't suing the City of Sheffield and its police department?

Florence Now Has No Predominately Black District

 

For the first time since the inception of a council form of government, the City of Florence has no predominately African-American district. How will this affect the August 2025 election?

Kaytrina Simmons has indicated she will run for re-election. Who will run against her? So far no one has announced their candidacy in District 1, but it's still seven months until Florence heads to the polls. 

It will definitely be interesting...if not contentious.

Pictured: Green Meadows Shopping Center on West College Street.

*****

In case you haven't heard, the old Florence parking deck, like General Franco of decades ago, still lives. It's either ready to do battle for the next century or falling to the ground all by itself, depending on whom one believes. 

Meanwhile, at the new deck, we understand it's not overflowing with vehicles. Will it ever pay for itself? Surely you know the answer to that.

Don't Drink & Shoplift at Walmart

 

Different retail concerns have very dissimilar policies concerning shoplifting. Shoplift at Walmart, especially if you're visibly impaired, you will face consequences.

Several locals have criticized the Florence Police Department for the recent treatment of a shoplifter who resisted arrest. Why was this perp "assaulted?" He stole and then resisted arrest. Here'e the statement from Chief Michael Holt:

We are aware that there is a video circulating that shows a small glimpse of an entire incident. The video and commentary posted paints a dangerously inaccurate picture of what occurred during this incident. The individual in question was armed with a knife on his hip and was actively resisting arrest. The officer attempted to place the male in handcuffs but he resisted.

The officer took the subject to the ground. While on the ground, the individual refused to remove his uncuffed hand from underneath him, near the knife, creating a significant threat to the officer’s safety, as well as the safety of others. Due to the threat, the officer delivered two strikes to the subject’s head, which freed his hand. The strikes created a laceration to the subject’s eyebrow, creating heavy bleeding.

The male was transported to the hospital via ambulance and was later released to the Lauderdale County Detention Center. The male was charged with Public Intoxication, Resisting Arrest, and Retail Theft 3rd Degree.

One note: Some witnesses have stated the officer struck the shoplifter three times, not two. We're sure they'll be delighted when called to testify at any lawsuit the arrestee files.

A New Addition at Spring Park

 

Tuscumbia residents say a total of 18 solar panels have appeared at Spring Park. How much energy will they produce? What exactly will they power? Those familiar with the park tell us that the waterfall/water show are controlled by two electric pumps situated under the water and have their own dedicated energy source. 

It will be interesting to see how much the City of Tuscumbia has invested in the panels. Perhaps a certain Lauderdale sculptor has refunded some of the 30K paid toward the Singing River artwork?

*****

Speaking of the sculptures, it seems the Not Elvis statue in Sheffield may have a new name:

Where You Can Go to Get Warm

 

The high temperatures in the Shoals are not expected to rise about freezing until Wednesday afternoon. If you know of someone who needs shelter, please make them aware of the following locations:

Lauderdale County -

Southern Legacy Assembly will be open as a daytime warming center at 116 S. Royal Ave. It will be open for temps below freezing. Food and supplies will be available.

The Help Center at 621 S. Court Street in Florence will be open during daytime hours.


Colbert County -

The Michael Community Center on 1001 E. 17th Street will be open starting at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19. Food and supplies are not guaranteed and no pets or smoking are allowed.

The Cherokee Community Shelter 1211 2nd Street in Colbert County will open as a warming center.

Sheffield Recreation Center on 2901 E 19th Avenue

Leighton Community Shelter – 8856 Main Street, Leighton

Littleville Community Shelter – 1448 Jackson Highway, Littleville

Remember: Avoid wet areas (keep clothes dry) and do not consume alcohol.

Prayers for all who have to work in this cold.

Muscle Shoals High Scored What?

 

The State of Alabama issued its annual school report cards in November. How did our local institutions of secondary learning fare? Looking at area high schools, we find:

Florence - 83

Sheffield - 70

Deshler - 84

Muscle Shoals - 79

Congratulations to Deshler High School for having the best score among Quad-Cities high schools. 

Good luck to Sheffield in improving next year.

And Florence, we know you want to beat Deshler next year; buckle down.

Finally, Muscle Shoals High School is third. Perhaps it can create another award for itself: Progressive School of Excellence.

Special: Attorney Tim Case Suspended...Again

 

Florence attorney Tim Case was originally suspended from the practice of law in Alabama in 2005. He appealed the decision at that time, but the bar's decision was eventually upheld:

Now a second suspension has been enacted. Rumors are just that - unverified accounts of what may have been the impetus for the suspension. If more information is forthcoming, we will publish it.

Special: Florence Gunman Identified

 

Lauderdale Sheriff Joe Hamilton has identified the Florence Police Department shooter as Jackson Paul Jones of Florence. Jones was 33 and, according to his online bio, attended Central High School. Jones is survived by his wife, whom he married in 2017, and two young sons. 

Authorities have stated the officer who shot Jones has been placed on administrative leave, as is department policy, but no charges are anticipated. More information is expected to be released at a later date.

UNA Train Wreck Part I - Kitts

 

Kenneth Kitts, the president of the University of North Alabama and the man who attempted to steal Braly Stadium and the old Coffee High School property from the City of Florence, is not anyone for an honest person to emulate. Yet the university trustees fawn over the mop-top educator. 

The trustees have often commented the prexy is such an asset that he requires various bonuses. Does the average person know how much Kitts makes in a year?

Let's look at 2024...

How many of our readers, no matter their degrees, make even close to $600K annually? Don't forget the Kitts family mansion, mortgage and property tax free. What is wrong with this picture?

*****

Interestingly, the more money the City gives UNA, the more guarded and distant that institution becomes from the community. 

Tomorrow: Hidden crime.

Career Felon Arrested in Courtney Staggs Death Case

 

The body of missing Courtney Vivian Staggs remained unidentified for three years:

Courtney Vivian Staggs Death

Then in June of last year, forensics matched a body found in a Leighton field to the Florence woman. How did it get there?

Colbert County authorities this week have arrested Orlando Javier Whiteside, 57, in connection with the abuse of Staggs' corpse. Whiteside has a record of Domestic Violence, Theft, Drug Possession, and Drug Distribution dating back years.

It's also believed that Whiteside used Staggs' EBT card after her death. More charges could be forthcoming after an indictment. The career felon is also awaiting trial on various drug charges in Colbert County and remains in the jail at this time.

Sheffield Faces New Lawsuit

 

Yes, the City of Sheffield is being sued...again. If you're keeping count, this makes six lawsuits, or is it seven? The latest suit has been filed by VP of Muscle Shoals.

VP alleges that she was forced to remain in a cell with a backed up toilet, human waste on the floor, bed bugs, no mattress, and was then denied medical care for a wound which became infected. VP further alleges that she was later harassed by at least three Sheffield police officers who bullied her and threatened her life while she was working near the police station.

The injured woman's attorney is Bennett Pugh who is also handling suits against Inspiration Landing. VP is asking a total of $600,000.00. Perhaps the City needs to set up a GoFundMe page?

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (IN FLORENCE CITY HALL)

 

The special called meeting to discuss the plans for a new city hall building, 01/14, started a little differently. The seating arrangement did anyway. The chairs were not centered in the room in a circle. They were arranged around 3 tables pushed together in a square.  Well, sort of. The bottom line is: circle or square, this meeting ended in almost the same way it started. There were no firm plans for either the old parking deck or city hall building.  Maybe next time Kaytrina Simmons can have the group meet and sit in a triangle shape. 

They all did agree to stay under the $50 million dollars that had been borrowed to build a new city hall building. 

There was a new element in the mix: an annex building. On this, yours truly is truly confused. It was never fully explained, at least to me, whether they were talking about buying a lot and building a new annex building on it or they had a constructed building in mind. I think they were talking about buying a lot. It would cost anywhere from $2 million to $6 million.

With this, the discussion between Bill Griffin and Jimmy Oliver got a little heated. For Griffin, the $6 million figure was a proposal killer. Oliver acted like this upset  him. This exchange was enlightening and put Bill Griffin way up the register on my respect meter. 

Jackie Hendrix had done his due diligence regarding the city hall building and had an engineer inspect the building and assess that it would cost more to remodel than to demolish and build a new structure. He had gotten this done for free according to him. I give him props for that, but somehow though, he is tied up with the “annex” proposal. Another thread to unravel.  

The other point that is really unclear is what they plan to do with the property after they demolish the original parking deck. It seems nobody got an independent engineer to inspect it and the wrecking ball is in its future for sure it appears. But the other new point is now they are planning on tearing down one parking deck and building another? 

And even more confusing than this was the different figures that were being discussed. I did not receive a high enough grade in accounting to keep up with that and something tells me all but maybe one on the council didn’t either.

I truly do not know how to describe this meeting. Whether he gets kudos or not, the one who should be wearing the cape in this whole affair is David Carson. He hits every meeting, be it city council or one of the different committee meetings, and records every one of them for the citizens to see. He does not receive a dime for his work, does this on his spare time, and has stated he started doing it and continues to do it because he wants the citizens of  Florence to have transparency in their government. Just watching this meeting was enough for me. Sitting through it, he should have received some kind of reward. I am adding it to this blog posting below. If your eyes glaze over during the meeting, make sure to skip to the last 10 minutes or so. You will get a good look at the shape the City of Florence government is in.

Editor's Note: To us, the words between Mr. Oliver and Mr. Griffin couldn't compare in drama to Jivin' Jackie Hendrix being an arrogant ass to Council President Simmons. He needs to realize he's not speaking to the Big Dombrowski, but to his superior.

Are the Zurinsky Florence Districts Better?

 

River Zurinsky is a one-time candidate for the Florence City Council, as well as a current member of the Beautification Board. Mr. Zurinsky has created a version of the six Florence districts that many feel are a superior answer to this decennial problem. He has presented his vision for redistricting to the council, but will they actually consider his well thought-out plan? We should find out at the January 21st session.

The basics:

The Re-Mapping of Florence Districts NACOLG Style

 

It's time for new district maps in Florence. The basic idea is to create six districts with an "equal" number of citizens. We realize it's not as easy as it sounds and that no new maps will be without controversy.

Where will the new maps originate? The City has presented to the public the work of NACOLG. The North Alabama Council of Local Governments is a voluntary Association of 37 governmental units in the five-county region of Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Marion, and Winston Counties along with the municipalities therein.

Does everyone agree with the new maps/districts? It seems not. If adopted, there will no longer be a district with a majority of citizens of color. Could the Florence City Council then find itself without a black representative? It's certainly possible. 

Here's a Cliff Notes version of what NACOLG proposes:

District 1 would gain the area between Norwood Boulevard and Old Cloverdale Road that is currently in District 5.

District 1 would also gain the area between North Pine Street to the south, Ridge Avenue to the west, Seymore Avenue to the north, and North Wood Avenue to the east that is currently in District 2.

District 3 would gain the Indian Springs subdivision that is currently a part of District 6.

District 5 would gain the Maple Ridge subdivision that is currently a part of District 6.

Tomorrow: A Better Version?

Happy New Year, Muscle Shoals, from Lockhard & Walters

 

Times Daily readers have been forewarned. Mayor Lockhard’s boss Brittny Walters City Clerk has set forth their latest agenda. SPEND AND TAX MORE. Brittny Walters is the spokesperson for the out of control people running the city. For those who don’t read the Times Daily, this is the recap.

In 1992 the city council form of government began.
The city council met TWO TIMES A MONTH.   The compensation was $700.00 PER MONTH.

In 2025 the city council meets TWO TIMES A MONTH.  The compensation is $700.00 PER MONTH.

Mayor Lockhard makes $90,168 PLUS YEARLY COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT and benefits.

Councilmembers requested further research to compare compensation with SIMILAR CITIES.

Mr. Lockhard’s boss and spokesperson, Brittny Walters went on to state that Jalen Johnson, Human Resources Director, is expected to research salaries from the cities of Florence, Athens, Tuscaloosa and Cullman.

Now, the following comes from someone who isn’t quite as smart as this Brittny Walters, Mike Lockhard and the clowns on the city council that are paid $700.00 for TWO MEETINGS A MONTH.

1. The last MSC budget had a surplus of ONLY $1700.00.
2. The anticipated surplus was after massive cuts to the police department and library among other things.- what other city services will be cut/reduced  - OR - how much will our taxes and fees be increased ?
3. Recently, the EARMARKED FLOOD CONTROL fund was robbed and reduced in half for the City Council to have $2.7 million dollars to bale out their financial woes in other areas.
4. 2 NEW VEHICLES have been bought in the last 12 months for the CITY CLERK office - that is another $90,000.00+. (The post office and bank is next door, although her doctor, restaurants and ballgames are out of town)
5.Ms. Walters said that work will be completed by HR Director Jalen Johnson, who is expected to research salaries from the cities of FLORENCE, ATHENS, TUSCALOOSA and CULLMAN.

I don’t know how many of you people have been to those 4 cities, but I have and the 2024 populations of what Ms. Walters considers “similar cities” are as follows:
‘
FLORENCE ...........................43,057
ATHENS ................................32,636
TUSCALOOSA ................... 113,711
CULLMAN ........................... 20,407
and
MUSCLE SHOALS ...............17,491

Clearly, Ms. Walters doesn’t understand the definition of “similar”.  Granted, she and Mayor Lockhard are not natives of Muscle Shoals and clearly don't have the backgrounds or expertise to perform the duties adequately. Even though the mayor and council give her full reign to run the city, they just hide from the citizens and press, but do show up for meetings occasionally. We have not only a TAX & SPEND but also a “Just here for the paycheck” council.

If you try to find the City Check Registers on the city website - you won’t. You may find a one page budget that Ms. Walters has prepared. That is probably all Mr. Lockhard and the council can understand, but there should be comprehensive details including chart of account numbers for those who do understand budgeting.

There is so much more to this sad story of tax & spend politicians. Digest this for a little while and we will talk again soon.

Should a Second Degree Rapist Serve as Youth Minister?

 

The undisputed facts:

1. A 19 year-old legal adult male takes a 14 year-old female into a city owned restroom at a public facility. The girl performs a sex act on the man and then has sex with him. The male videos the encounter.

2. Parents are informed that the man in question has the video of their young daughter and is sending it to other early-teen girls. They report the crimes, and the man is arrested on several charges including Second Degree Sodomy and Second Degree Rape.

3. A grand jury in this rural county fails to indict the young man even with the video evidence. There are only two possible reasons for this failure, and neither one is pretty.

4. Three years after the incident, the man's father attempts to have most of the records in the case erased by impersonating an unbiased "official."

5. Three more years pass, and the admitted second degree rapist, now 25, has finished college, is continuing his education, and is working as a youth minister at a church near his current school.

How should the public feel about this young man's employment? Admittedly, the victim in the case consented to two illegal sex acts. Yet this man, now so religious and so community-oriented, chose to video the crimes and then send the videos to other young girls for whatever his perverted reasons.

We urge all churches to take a look at those who labor with them under the umbrella of "youth minister."

A Stock Photo of Three 14 Year-Olds. They Deserve More Than Rape in a Public Restroom.