23 NOV 08: CRACKING THE BOOKS

Aha! Now it is official. Now we know the accuser of Phyllis Jones. And now the rumor-spreaders are so thrilled, they've put our blog on their dartboard.

But let's start at the beginning. Saturday's Ledger-Enquirer finally confirmed who filed the ethics complaint against former Rigdon Road School principal Phyllis Jones. It was indeed the Muscogee County School District -- which probably wanted things settled quietly. But Jones never was quiet about those good CRCT results....

The Ledger-Enquirer apparently went to the director of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, to confirm the school district had filed the complaint. When we were sent to a lead investigator this past week, we were told the commission could NOT release that information. Hmmmm -- I follow the "no means no" standard when it comes to dating....

The Ledger-Enquirer had to file an Open Records Request to get to the bottom of the complaint against Phyllis Jones. It involves two checks written in September - one from Jones for "restitution," one from the school district for "improperly classified" book purchases. Since Jones's check is more than $1,200 bigger, we may know which party has less of a budget problem.

The newspaper notes Phyllis Jones announced her retirement in September, three days after writing the restitution check. That followed an audit of book fair money at Rigdon Road School, which apparently stretched back to 2003. And to think Books-A-Million was practically around the corner all this time....

The book fair math can be complicated, but it appears Rigdon Road School tried to pay for book fairs with Title I money. That's federal money provided to selected schools for instructional materials. It could be that books such as "Clifford the Big Red Dog" belong somewhere down around Title VIII.

So the Muscogee County School District reimbursed Title I in late September, through the Georgia Department of Education. That apparently settled the financial questions - and remember, it could be worse. The state could have punished Rigdon Road School, by ordering the principal's position to stay vacant.

The newspaper reports it left calls to Phyllis Jones seeking comment, but they were NOT returned. Maybe the reporter should go searching for her at more unusual places - such as Cottonmouths hockey games or RiverCenter concerts.

So the state investigation officially is underway, and all the cards appear to be out in the open. Is everybody happy? Our InBox knows better than that....

Its is a good thing you are not an investigative reporter, or any other type of reporter, because you suck at it. I hardly consider the Ledger a great news source; but if you look at their web page, you will find all the information you need detailing the events mentioned to you weeks ago. A copy of the restitution check and formal audit report are available as pdf files on the Ledger-Enquirer site. You jest and suggest the rumor mongers won't let things die from 1993. However, the events you speak of from 1993 are an entirely differnt matter, but serve as another example of the educator's dishonesty and lack of character. She was suspended and required to make restitution the first time in 1993; however, after her second offense, she was allowed to retire and required to make restitution. I hope you are better at your day job...if you have one. Maybe next time you run into Dr. Phyllis G. Jones she will be more forthcoming...but I doubt it.

Thanks,

Robert

This e-mail came from the person who first brought the Phyllis Jones rumors to our attention in mid-September [17 Sep] -- even before the school district wrote its Title I check to the state. If this person also tipped off the Ledger-Enquirer, I hope he/she buys a subscription to help pay for all those hours of research.

I could engage in self-promotion and self-justification about our handling of the Phyllis Jones case, but I won't. I'll simply apologize to this upset reader, and point to the Big Blog Question the September e-mail inspired about the direction this blog should take. If the reader has another tip and is at a loss for options to expose the truth - well, Playgrounds Magazine still comes out every month.

We noted in September that governmental probes are NOT what we intended this blog to be. If voters in our poll had wanted us to focus on investigations, we would have had more time to track down these details. Instead, I face different nightly challenges - such as how to be funny about shoplifters.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Speaking of which, we turn to the woman who has even more tipsters talking. Another reader dishes even more alleged dirt, on the mother of the teenager allegedly shot by Frank Lumpkin III:

Ms. Mathews and her lovely parenting skills.

Ms. Mathews took her 12 year old daughter to Dillard's on a shopping spree. When they were caught by the Loss Prevention Officers, Ms. Mathews ran out of the store and got into a car and sped away......................leaving her 12 year old daughter behind in the store holding the bag, literally and figuratively.

Ms. Mathews, aka Ms. Thomas had apparently trained her 12 year old daughter not to talk to the police when asked who the mother was.

This happened 02/17/08.

The Muscogee County District Attorney's office confirmed most of these details for us Friday. And we didn't even have to file any annoying paperwork at the Government Center to get it, either....

Assistant District Attorney Brad Bickerstaff told me Demetria Matthews is charged with stealing three shirts from Dillard's, with a value of more than $300. Some people simply can't wait for that "30 Days, 30 Ways to Save" series on TV.

Brad Bickerstaff could not provide details beyond the indictment papers, but he told me the 12-year-old daughter of Demetria Matthews is accused of "aiding and abetting" in a shoplifting crime. This sort of behavior won Tatum O'Neal an Oscar years ago -- so rentals of "Paper Moon" should be suspended at once.

Demetria Matthews was transferred from Muscogee County to the Cobb County Jail almost two weeks ago. Brad Bickerstaff admits he's not sure which shoplifting case will go to trial first. Based on the traffic our blog has received about this case, a Muscogee County trial might want to be moved to the RiverCenter - with an admission charge.

-> How did our poker night go Thursday? If you simply MUST know (sigh), check our other blog -- "On the Flop!" <--

BLOG UPDATE: We didn't realize until Friday that God Bless Fort Benning actually DOES plan to change its date. Next year's bash on Broadway will be held in October -- probably sometime between the Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic and the Fountain City Classic. So there finally will be a fall party in Columbus where white people won't feel out of place.

Former Mayor Bob Poydasheff explained God Bless Fort Benning is being moved away from SOA Watch weekend to show it is NOT a counter-demonstration. It may not be now, but we shouldn't forget it began somewhat that way [24 Nov 03]. The difference is that nowadays, buses of Fort Benning soldiers actually come to the event's rescue.

It must have been challenging for the God Bless Fort Benning "Freedom Run" Saturday morning. Columbus had a record low of 24 degrees F. - and it was SO COLD that some people had to go buy thermal running shorts.

Meanwhile, SOA Watch began its weekend of protests outside the Fort Benning gate. Founder Roy Bourgeois said the money allocated to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation should be turned over to Muscogee County schools. Maybe then we'll finally have that park around the central library....

Let's see if any other topics get people's blood boiling on a cold weekend:

+ The new "Paws Humane" animal shelter had its grand opening on Milgen Road. Paws Columbus has merged with the Muscogee County Humane Society -- which surprised me, since the two boards were feuding a couple of years ago. You don't think the Michael Vick case persuaded them to stop the dog-fighting....?!

+ Auburn native Robert Gibbs was named White House Press Secretary for the incoming administration. Now all President-Elect Obama has to do is put Margaret Tutwiler back at the State Department, and this will be the most Southern-sounding government since Jimmy Carter.

+ The annual "Peanut Bowl" at McClung Memorial Stadium ended the Columbus Youth Football season. By my count, Edgewood and Eastway each won two titles. Phenix City and South Columbus each captured one. And Northern Little League must have rested its players, for another World Series run next summer.

+ LaGrange College lost its first-ever Division III football playoff game. The Panthers were pummeled 51-26 in Mississippi by the Millsaps.... uh, er.... what are they, the Ronnies?

+ Troy clinched a tie for the Sun Belt Conference title with a 48-3 laugher over Louisiana-Lafayette. I didn't turn on the WDAK radio broadcast until I saw Troy was up 31-3 - because after last weekend, I figured that's when the action would start.

+ Despite all these sports events and others in Columbus, WRBL decided NOT to have a sports report in its 11:00 p.m. newscast. WLTZ's Jeremy Moss would have shown something. It might have been a mixed martial arts contest from North Dakota, but he would have shown something.

+ Instant Message to Nicholas Schaaf: I realize you're innocent until proven guilty. But c'mon - getting arrested for robbery on Milgen Road because your legs are tied with Saran Wrap?! That stuff must have more cling than I imagined....

SCHEDULED MONDAY: We've tried to talk to an area mayor.... we really have....

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