Wednesday, March 17, 2004

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17 MAR 04: GET OUTTA HERE!



Several events in the news Tuesday got me thinking about withdrawing from places. The biggest one had nothing to do with U.S. forces departing Iraq -- but was about an Athletic Director departing Auburn.



David Housel announced he'll step down as Auburn University Athletic Director next January. But even this might not satisfy the Auburn trustees - who want him to take the blame for starting that recent fire in downtown Tuskegee.



David Housel says by setting a January 2005 departure date, he'll give Auburn plenty of time to find a replacement. So when does the bus leave for Louisville?



David Housel is an Auburn graduate, who's been on the Plains ever since he was a student. He says he should NOT be remembered for one mistake over a 34-year career. That seems fair -- so blame him for bungling Terry Bowden's departure,
as well as the Louisville trip.



I didn't realize until Tuesday that before becoming Athletic Director, David Housel spent eight years as a journalism professor at Auburn University. The question now becomes: when did Housel change his mind about "sunshine laws" and
full disclosure?



To be fair, David Housel has some good points from his ten years as Auburn Athletic Director. For instance, A.U. has won five national championships. Hmmmm.... when was the last time a swimming coach became a big-time Athletic Director?



As David Housel was making news in Auburn, the METRA bus service in Columbus was showing off its new historic exhibit - a 1950's-era bus called the "Freedom Express." With a name like that, you'd think TV news crews would have had the freedom to show the inside of it....



I'm told METRA Director Lisa Goodwin allowed the Ledger-Enquirer to take pictures inside the "Freedom Express" bus, but barred TV news crews from doing so. Considering a statue of Rosa Parks is aboard this civil rights museum piece, this is
amazing - a modern day case of being moved to the back of the bus.



Lisa Goodwin told one reporter if TV crews showed the inside of the "Freedom Express" bus, there would be no reason for visitors to come. This obviously explains why no one shows up at Georgia home football games anymore (ahem)....



And then there's the Columbus police officer who was put on leave Tuesday, after being arrested on five counts of "theft by taking." Don't you love that sort of legal language? When someone is arrested for "theft by giving," that WILL be news.



Veteran officer Larry Lightning is accused of stealing various items from a Spectrum store on Fort Benning Road since last December. As the store's commercial says, "You want it fast, fresh and friendly" - but it never says free.



Police records suggest Larry Lightning had help from three Spectrum employees in stealing gasoline, beer and bottled water. After mulling this combination over, I think the bottled water costs the most per gallon.



(C'mon now - stealing bottled water?!?! Couldn't some little child let this nice officer borrow a garden hose for a couple of minutes?)



Larry Lightning is on leave from the Columbus P.D., pending the misdemeanor theft counts. The timing of this couldn't be worse - as Officer Lightning could have been the talk of "Thunder in the Valley" this weekend.



I really hesitate to bring this up -- but since someone else probably will: there's a clear and obvious reason why Officer Larry Lightning's mug shot has appeared on TV, while former deputy David Glisson's picture has not. Glisson hasn't been arrested yet.



COMING THURSDAY: Soldiers return to Fort Benning.... and why some don't want to go on tour again....



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© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.