21 DEC 06: TRUE CONFESSIONS

Wednesday night's news had two items about family responsibility. One person tried to dodge it, and is going to prison. The other person admitted she was wrong, in front of hundreds of people. And no, that second person is NOT the current Miss U.S.A.

If you drove down Crawford Road in Phenix City, you may have seen a girl hold a sign outside a Busy Bee convenience store saying, "I STOLE MY MOM'S CAR." Then again, perhaps you didn't - because the sign was so big, the girl sat behind it attempting to hide.

The car thief holding that sign was 13-year-old Brittany Davis -- and it was her mother's car than she stole. Deborah Davis told WRBL she had to resort to a punishment more drastic than grounding. And I don't think the "Columbus Stockade" monument actually has a working stockade these days.

Deborah Davis says her teenage daughter stole her car last Friday, on a dare from the girl's friends. Brittany Davis is now barred from being around those friends anymore. And somehow, I don't think the movie "Mean Girls" will be allowed in her house.

Deborah Davis says her 13-year-old daughter is NOT really a "problem child" - but when she's around the wrong friends, she "makes some stupid decisions." Do any of her friends or their parents happen to work for the Columbus Revenue Department?

Deborah Davis works at the convenience store where her daughter and the sign were on display all day. She says the girl endured some harassment and laughter from customers. But perhaps most amazingly, it appears no one from the Phenix City Police stopped to arrest her.

One customer interviewed on TV suggested it was good for Brittany Davis to learn a lesson, by being punished with "humiliation." Yet this strikes me as a rather extreme case. Inmates doing community service don't have their crimes pinned on their uniforms - and the only one I've seen followed around by reporters lately was Boy George.

But I noted we had TWO items along this line - and the second news story Wednesday was quite sad. Former Lanett City Councilman Barry Waites was sentenced to 40 years in prison, for murdering his wife in 1998. For eight years he got away with the killing - while not even President Clinton could remain monogamous for that long.

This murder case had a strange twist, as Lanett resident John Spraggins claimed he had a detailed dream about the killing - a dream which led him to accuse Barry Waites of killing his wife at a public campaign forum. It could have been worse, you know -- Spraggins could have accused Waites in a TV attack ad.

I didn't realize until Wednesday that when Charlotte Waites was found murdered in the family home, husband Barry Waites didn't even bother to buy a headstone for her grave. Shouldn't that have been a clue, to someone in Chambers County law enforcement? Or were officers waiting for him to release an "If I Did It" book?

Part of Barry Waites's sentence requires him to repay $5,000 he received after his wife's death. It was money from the Alabama Victim's Compensation Fund. But maybe there's a better solution - to pay the money to his daughter, who seemed as distraught as her mother's relatives. But I doubt she'd buy a headstone reading, "MY DAD STOLE MY MOM'S LIFE."

Barry Waites remarried after his wife's murder - and that woman was heard declaring as she left the Chambers County Courthouse, "You'll hear our side of it." Does this mean an appeal is planned? Or is "48 Hours Mystery" planning a second stop, after updating the death of Fort Benning's Richard Davis?

E-MAIL UPDATE: The discussion continues about last week's apartment fire on Old Cusseta Road - and whether a TV station reported a "rumor," or a survivor's accusation against police:

I agree with reporters suppose to report on the news and not make their onw news,,,

I remember one reporter a few years ago telling me that if a story needs a little ump to it, it is up to the reporter to do it..

I think the comment was something like " There's news all day, every day, and a good reporter will make a story stand out to be notice".

It's not only reporters who do that. So do public relations specialists, who want their story to get special attention. Or have you noticed how somebody supposedly named Santa Claus has shown up all over Columbus in the last couple of weeks?

(In the immortal words that Lucy told Charlie Brown - Christmas is "run by a big Eastern syndicate, you know.")

Now a check of other stories people reported on Wednesday:

+ A child fingerprinting and identification event was held at Carolyn Hugley's insurance office on Buena Vista Road. WRBL interviewed Pat Hugley Green, and labeled her on the air a "concerned parent." So when did she resign from the Muscogee County School Board?

+ WXTX "News at Ten" reported the Chattahoochee County Public Works Director has resigned. This is on top of the police department implosion, and the County Manager's resignation - so it looks like the new county commission's first duty in January should be to schedule a job fair.

+ Aflac announced its famous duck will put on a mask and become a rescuing superhero, in a new January commercial. It's a good thing he's putting that mask on - so he can't be picked out from all those other white ducks in Columbus.

+ The Columbus Cottonmouths signed retired defenseman Tom Wilson to a five-game contract. Wilson racked up 119 penalty minutes in half-a-season last year, then joined the Columbus Fire/EMS Department. I guess we know why he didn't apply for the police force....

+ Albany's new "South Georgia Peanuts" independent baseball team named Wally Backman as its manager. Backman last managed the major league Arizona Diamondbacks - for all of four days. Suddenly the Alabama football coaching job doesn't seem so bad....

(First came the Montgomery Biscuits, then the Columbus Catfish, and now the South Georgia Peanuts. If all these teams were in the same league, their games could be televised on the Food Network.)

+ Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball was disqualified from the Gator Bowl, because he didn't keep his grades up. Apparently Ball forgot about his courses even more than he forgot about wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

+ Instant Message to Victoryland: I'd be a little more thrilled about that "2006 Cadillac Escalade" you're giving away tonight at midnight, except for one thing - the 2007 models have been out for weeks.

2006 IN REVIEW CONTINUED: April brought big developments in the Columbus Mayor's race. Jim Wetherington announced he was running. Bob Poydasheff had a street named in his honor. And Councilor Wayne Anthony turned out to have one of the safest seats in town.

President Bush came close to Columbus in April, by speaking at Tuskegee University. He chose to speak in other parts of Georgia during the fall campaign - which apparently means Rep. Lynn Westmoreland will agree with whatever decision the President makes on Iraq.

A judge ruled in April that Russell County Commissioner Ronnie Reed must vacate his office. But eight months later, he's still there - and with Probate Judge Al Howard leaving his office, there may be no one left to embarrass him at commission meetings.

The troubles at Russell County schools mounted in April, as middle school principal Larry Screws was arrested. The school board was asked to comment, and took two days to issue a written statement - as if the board members are trying to be the next nominee for United Nations ambassador.

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed tough new rules in April, restricting state services for illegal immigrants. Yet somehow, El Vaquero and El Carrizo still have two restaurants each - and "Viva 1460" remains on the air in Spanish.

Several Columbus business deals made news in April. Midtown Inc. bought the old Sears building on Macon Road. Circle K stores bought Spectrum. And the District Attorney decided The Fire House wasn't worth anyone buying anything there at all.

A lawsuit was filed in April, accusing managers of the Auburn Hooters restaurant of encouraging women to act like prostitutes. Why DID they put the Columbus location at the opposite end of town from Victory Drive?

(You'd think Hooters would take this Auburn lawsuit seriously. After all, news of that kind of behavior in April led to the Columbus Boys Choir having to reorganize under another name.)

This blog was first to tell you in April about a new low-power radio station from Phenix City. WURY-FM broadcasts a Seventh-Day Adventist radio network - yet amazingly, it's still on the air every Saturday morning when I wake up.

The Columbus Civic Center had some big events in April. First came country star Gretchen Wilson. Then came an ice-skating version of "Finding Nemo." And at the end of the month, a new event began - "Where in the World are the Vipers' Rent Checks?"

Auburn University officials tried floating the need for a new basketball arena in April -- only days after former Auburn star Charles Barkley was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame. I'm not sure Barkley's big ego can be held by either place.

But an even bigger "sports story" emerged in April from Fort Benning. Faith Middle School students claimed three world records in cup-stacking. When this is added to the Best Ranger competition, I'll be a little more impressed....

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