4 MAR 09: The Long Reese Road
After Sunday's chilly snowfall, it seems spring finally has come to Columbus. Suddenly scandal stories are blossoming all over the place....
The latest potential scandal was unveiled Tuesday in the Ledger-Enquirer. It involves a stepdaughter of Rep. Sanford Bishop, who allegedly worked with the Muscogee County Junior Marshal program. When the word "allegedly" is placed on an employee and not a criminal, that's immediately a sign of trouble.
City Attorney Clifton Fay told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Aayesha Owens Reese was paid $7,500 for four months of work with the Junior Marshal program. But Reese reportedly was working for the Fulton County District Attorney at the very same time. You wondered who was the fastest driver on Interstate 185, didn't you?
Aayesha Owens Reese lives in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia. To work for Fulton County and Muscogee County at the same time would require quite a commute - unless she found a free wi-fi spot in LaGrange and became the top multitasker in a 100-mile radius.
The City Attorney says there's no evidence Aayesha Owens Reese ever did any work in Columbus. Clifton Fay also revealed Reese's husband was on the payroll of the Marshal's office for eight months, before she was "hired." It's not "double dipping" when only one spouse at a time is getting paid.
Muscogee County Marshal Greg Countryman says he asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter two weeks ago. That followed a city audit of the payroll in the marshal's office. A home address of Lithonia apparently raised suspicions - since everyone laughs at the idea of rapid rail service between Atlanta and Columbus.
But the marshal told the Ledger-Enquirer the whole matter is "politically motivated and personal." He didn't get more specific than that, but perhaps he should. Greg Countryman was unopposed for re-election last November. And Mark LaJoye's web site is only criticizing the sheriff right now.
A cloud of local politics is all over this investigation. Aayesha Owens Reese not only is related to Rep. Sanford Bishop -- she allegedly worked in a program which receives federal funds. You'd think the Congressman would know better than this, and hire his stepdaughter as a campaign staff worker instead.
(On top of that, Reese is the daughter of Columbus Municipal Court Clerk Vivian Creighton Bishop. Apparently at least one city department is at full staff right now....)
But Rep. Sanford Bishop says he didn't knew until mid-February that his stepdaughter was working for the Junior Marshal program. Perhaps Aayesha Owens Reese planned to surprise him on his next birthday - and use the Columbus money to buy him a nice jet, to match those corporate executives.
While reporters chased for details on this possible scandal, the suspect in another one appeared in federal court Wednesday. Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren admitted to WRBL Shatoya Wright was named "Officer of the Month" not long ago. If she's not careful, Wright could win this title a second time -- among fellow prison inmates.
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E-MAIL UPDATE: We heard Tuesday from the latest local version of "Ground Zero"....
I write to you again almost 2 years to the day of watching another storm come across the skies of Salem, this time to the north.
The local WTVM 9 had good coverage of tracking the path of reported activity on radar, the weather channel had fair reporting of a reported Tornado on the ground headed towards Lee county, Alabama. When the path was said to be headed towards Griffin's Mill in Lee County - It's just in me to get out and see first hand what's coming.
The path had taken a more northern approach away from Griffin's Mill and as I watched from the hill top, the lightning and thunder were close to each along with the multicolor clouds which contained the Tornado. It was raining hard on and off and that is when I was able to view the cell that came to have landed in on Salem and after a brief time on the ground it lifted up into the clouds and moved on to search for another spot.
I did go up to the area to help out and found a few citizens also were there to help, some had went home to bring back chain saws to cut the many trees that were blocking the roads and had pulled down what ever they touch, others were there to console the ones that had lost thier home and some came there just to see the damage and had no Intensions of offering their services for anyone.
This is the part that ticked me off, We were doing what we could to keep onlookers out, and some that came up that road to us whined about having to turn around. One vehicle did go thru the stopped vehicles, while in Company truck, fortunalty some volunteers got in the road and blocked this vehicle and when the camera's came out to take pictuces of that vehicle - then the driver turned around and left the area keeping thier head pointed down
My late father was much like this e-mailer. He stood outside when tornado sirens sounded and watched the clouds, while Mom and I went to the basement with a portable radio. I guess he waited to see if he needed to put down the garage doors.
Can you really blame the gawkers, for driving to Salem to check the tornado damage? After all, the basketball games on TV Saturday afternoon weren't compelling -- and Tiger Woods was out of that match-play golf tournament.
Some storm survivors in Salem admitted Tuesday their damaged homes have been robbed since Saturday. In fact, one house was robbed three separate times. You'd think a cup of snow in the freezer would be a good enough souvenir of the weekend....
BLOG UPDATE: Oh, the drama of it all! WRBL failed to have newscasts at 12:00 noon and 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, after presenting them Monday. This is turning into a more exciting cliffhanger than "Trouble in Rotwood" starring YellaFella - and it's also much easier to follow.
On top of that, the 11:00 p.m. news felt like it had been taped hours before. How could Shawn Skillman forget to show highlights of Tuesday night's Auburn-Alabama basketball game? And why did a "Daytime" devotional message from Edgewood Church of Christ appear, instead of the lottery drawing? Well, the second one is explainable - the staff is praying for an economic turnaround.
Considering what day it was, the cancellation of several newscasts was even more stunning. Six years ago, Columbus Council issued a proclamation honoring WRBL to mark 3-3-03. Tuesday was 3-3-09, and "News 3" having only three main newscasts sent viewers to.... well, you know....
So WRBL had no midday news Friday, had it Monday, then skipped it Tuesday. This leads to several theories about what's going on:
+ They're starting "alternate day" rules, a bit like street parking in New York.
+ A flu bug is sweeping through the newsroom, after staff members showed up Monday to sweep snow off the station vehicles.
+ Since Harmony Mendoza is filling in as the evening weathercaster, no one else can figure out the forecast during the middle of the morning.
Now for other news and notes from Square Root Day (as in 3-3-09):
+ U.S. News and World Report magazine declared Columbus the best city in the U.S. for older single people. Hmmmm - does that mean when I turn 65, I can play poker at senior centers and clean up?
+ The Ledger-Enquirer revealed Carmike Cinemas will give ousted Chief Executive Mike Patrick a five-million dollar severance package. Before you tell Patrick to follow the example of Aflac's Dan Amos and give up that money, keep something in mind - Patrick needs the money to look for another job.
+ Phenix City Council began considering a proposal to put limits on roadside memorials. They would be restricted to simple three-foot by three-foot crosses. After all, a glow-in-the-dark eight-footer might distract drivers into yet another crash.
+ Columbus State University released a long-range growth plan. President Timothy Mescon wants to increase enrollment to 10,000 in two years, but says that number will keep C.S.U. "a pretty intimate place." That's a bit like saying the Civic Center is an "intimate" concert hall when country music stars sell it out.
+ Columbus State women's basketball player Phebe Smith was named Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year. Smith is a criminal justice major -- so she needs to explain those 58 steals on the C.S.U. season statistics.
+ Auburn edged Alabama in men's basketball 77-73. But local sports fans without cable TV were left frustrated, because Auburn Network affiliate WSHE-AM was off the air. If we find out WRBL's owners are buying that station....
+ Instant Message to the 16 Georgia House members and three Senators who owe back taxes: Have you sent updated resumes to the White House yet?
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