21 APR 06: WONDERLAND
One of my co-workers marvels at how Columbus has four times the population of Russell County, yet Russell County sometimes dominates the headlines. Thursday was one of those days - almost as if the "Sin City" mentality of 50 years ago is passed on to new generations.
Thursday's Russell County stories occurred in three acts. Act I actually began Wednesday night, as some Phenix City Central High School students spread rumors a violent attack was looming. Did these teenagers really expect trouble? Or did they still have state-ordered exams to take?
One rumor claimed there was a "big racial fight" at Phenix City Central last week, so metal detectors would be used at the doors Thursday. But apparently that was false - and the only current racial fight seems to involve the county commission.
It turns out metal detectors are at the doors of Phenix City Central EVERY day. Nothing unusual was noted Thursday, such as someone bringing a gun to school -- or even someone with an old-style steel lunch box.
Phenix City Superintendent Larry DiChiara said rumors of trouble seem to surface every April 20, since that's the anniversary of the Columbine High School bloodbath in Colorado. Yet for some reason, no one spread rumors last weekend of someone coming out of a grave alive....
(There actually may have been a plot to kill people at a school Thursday -- but in little Riverton, Kansas. ABC News reported five people were arrested there, after one student reportedly mentioned the plans online. Once again, someone gets in trouble for blabbing too much at Myspace.com.)
Act II of Thursday's unusual events in Russell County also involved a school. Some parents were stunned to find Principal Larry Screws back on the job at Russell County Middle School, one day after his arrest. They seem to believe in this case, there should be no Screws loose.
Since Larry Screws and three Russell County Middle School teachers posted a $1,000 bond, they were able to return to class Thursday. Apparently the school board is NOT calling an emergency meeting, to talk about suspending them - proving again how the Alabama culture is a bit slower and relaxed.
A few parents say their children won't go back to Russell County Middle School until the principal is off the job. This raises an interesting question - why doesn't Glenwood School have a south campus near Seale? The students there actually might need it more....
Even if Principal Larry Screws and the three middle school teachers are found guilty of not reporting a claim of sex abuse, their maximum sentence would be only six months in jail and a fine. Yet I suppose that's only fair -- since New York Times reporters get about the same sentence for actually reporting something.
Act III of Thursday's Russell County drama (or is that comedy?) came from a courtroom. A judge ruled county commissioner Ronnie Reed must vacate his seat -- and he can't do it the way Peggy Martin is, by trying to run for State Senate.
A district judge ruled Ronnie Reed was elected illegally two years ago, because a Columbus felony from the 1970's was on his criminal record. Reed's attorneys noted the felony was expunged a few months ago -- but the judge decided that's like arguing you slowed down after the trooper pulled over your speeding car.
Defense attorney Jim McKoon told reporters the effort to unseat Russell County Commissioner Ronnie Reed was "all about politics." Well, of course it was - about gaining a political office by deceit and a lack of ethics....
You may recall Ronnie Reed's attorney wanted this case put before a jury, not a district judge. The reason for that should be obvious - Reed was more likely to find someone who doesn't care about facts and law. If that approach could work for David Glisson....
Commissioner Ronnie Reed plans to appeal the judge's ruling, so he'll stay in office for now. If the Alabama Supreme Court rules against him, he might run for commissioner again - and this time he'll be legal, with the felony conviction off his record. So when will Don Siegelman file a "friend of the court" brief?
It's tempting to add an epilogue to our three-act visit to Wonderland. As of Thursday night, the two big Phenix City bloggers had yet to comment at all on these incidents. They're focusing on bigger issues such as immigration these days -- on keeping cheaters out, instead of working on the ones we already have.
E-MAIL UPDATE: When someone puts "brothel" in the title of a message to me, I'm tempted to delete it as spam. But this one came from "IsOurCitySafe," so I didn't dare:
Mayor Bob Poydasheff said he could see why the city needs regulations: "The experiences that I've encountered with escort services, particularly in areas where you have large military installations, et cetera, is that they can degenerate... into more than just escort services, and that breeds crime, and quite candidly prostitution and things that are attendant to that," he said.
According to Bob, he has "encountered" more than one escort service in his life, at large military installations, and "et cetera." I wonder if he paid more than the $5000 city council is planning to charge for a escort business license?
That's a captivating question - but if "IsOurCitySafe" is going to watch things this carefully, I don't even plan to pay for a Ford Escort.
This e-mail makes me thankful I already have a business license for the opening season of Power Frisbee of Georgia. I didn't have to spend $5,000 for it - and besides, people with frisbees in their hands can "have a fling" without an escort.
As he likes to do, "IsOurCitySafe" actually sent two e-mails at a time - so maybe this is the "escort" to the prior message?!
The following reports are just a few of the violent crimes that happen everyday in a city that has a city government denying we have a public safety issue:
Thieves take teenager's cell phone, leave him with $1
Columbus teenager was walking home near midnight Sunday when two men in a passing car pulled their van to the curb near Linwood Boulevard and Dudley Avenue.
The 16-year-old told police a man wearing a white do-rag and a white sleeveless shirt jumped from the vehicle, pointed a rifle or shotgun at him and demanded to know "what he had."
The teen said he pulled his cell phone and a $1 bill from his pocket and held each up for the man to see. The thief took the cell phone -- valued at about $59 -- got back into the white van with blue stripes and the waiting driver sped into the night, leaving the teen-ager holding his $1 bill....
First of all, do you think these two men in the van made a wise choice? The teenager could find a pay phone and use his dollar bill to call police -- then officers could dial the cell phone number and track down the thieves. Take the dollar bill, and the teen probably wouldn't have bothered.
I've condensed this e-mail, because it goes on to mention several recent crime stories we've discussed here - the shooting and lawsuit involving The Fire House club, and the man who was carjacked when he stopped to ask for directions. Cases like these are keeping this from becoming The Blog of Russell County.
But I have to respond to this e-mail with a question - couldn't crimes such as these still occur, even if Columbus had a fully-staffed police force? I don't hear the "Law and Order" detectives grumbling about a lack of officers, and they've been working on crimes for 14 seasons.
(Well, OK, before you write me back - those ARE the same two or three detectives working on all those cases....)
We have one more message relating to the city's lawsuit against that club on Sidney Simons Boulevard:
Richard,
Note that the co-owner of the Fire House, Faye Simmons, also is owner of the Meritage Café and Gallery (ex Miriam's). Perhaps that explains in part her public distancing away from the Fire House operation. The two establishments probably do not share the same clientele.
Thomas
Thanks for pointing out something I hadn't realized before. Maybe I should visit that "gallery" on 13th Street and see if it's filled with wanted posters.
That's a curious combination of businesses Faye Simmons has - Meritage Café and The Fire House club. If she really wants to promote "One Columbus," she could replace those rap nights at The Fire House with a string quartet concert....
Now for other items from a Thursday which felt more like mid-June than mid-April:
+ Synovus Financial CEO Richard Anthony told the GPB program "Georgia's Business" his biggest lesson of the last couple of years is that "you can't communicate too much." I absolutely agree with this - and if any Columbus radio station needs a new talk show host, I'm ready.
+ The President of Kia Motors faced South Korean prosecutors, about possible slush funds to bribe government officials. The "Korea Times" newspaper claimed the investigation might delay construction of the new Kia plant in West Point. I didn't know the defense attorneys in Seoul were so expensive....
(Meanwhile, WRBL reported Phenix City officials have rescheduled their Kia "sales trip" to South Korea for mid-June. We hope Mayor Jeff Hardin doesn't mind visiting jail cells.)
+ The Ledger-Enquirer revealed Muscogee County students no longer are allowed to take gum-chewing breaks between CRCT exams. I think I can see the logic behind this. Four chomps plus three chomps could be a grade-school math question.
+ The annual spring "Uptown Concert" series began on Broadway. But WRBL noted it was moved off the lawn in the median, in part due to a lack of sponsors. Who could have imagined this -- Budweiser expecting a little grass with its beer?
+ The new Christian radio station WURY-FM played the Elvis Presley classic, "Crying in the Chapel." Now that's one sneaky way to attract a worldly audience....
+ Instant Message to the Krystal near Peachtree Mall: Thank you for bringing me a salad that's labeled with the day it was made. Too bad the salad you gave me was a day old....
COMING THIS WEEKEND: The "one night only" special, when I advertised for a date....
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