11 JAN 08: YOU'RE ALL WETTT

Caravan season has come to Georgia quite early this year. A group of Republicans came to Columbus Thursday, as part of a statewide tour - and the strange thing was that none of them are running in next month's Presidential primary.

Georgia's Governor, Lieutenant Governor and House Speaker all stopped at the Columbus Airport, to talk about issues in the upcoming legislative session. An all-star political lineup was waiting to welcome them - including Mayor Jim Wetherington as the token Democrat.

Governor Sonny Perdue outlined five key areas for the legislative session, which opens Monday: water, education, transportation, trauma and taxes. That spells WETTT - and seems to show education should be the top priority.

Governor Perdue says the Columbus area has nothing to fear from the Georgia Water Council's management plan. But I can understand why some people outside Atlanta are concerned. Coca-Cola's headquarters is in Atlanta - and that Dasani water has to come from someplace.

When it comes to transportation, Governor Perdue says he wants to encourage the use of railroads for shipping. He apparently thinks there are too many tractor-trailers on state highways - so the tax he really wants to cut this year may be the state fuel tax.

One interesting transportation idea was offered before the Republican leaders reached Columbus. During a Wednesday stop in Albany, Mayor Willie Adams said Interstate 185 should be expanded south of Columbus to Florida. Highway 520 must not be good enough anymore - either that, or the mayor is tempted by all the restaurants along the highway in Dawson.

(I can see one advantage to expanding I-185 to the Florida line. Driving to Cairo to win a state football title would become much easier.)

But here's the thing: Columbus city officials are resisting the urge to use Georgia transportation money now. City Manager Isaiah Hugley said this week the state would pay for the widening of Moon Road, but only if it has four lanes and a median. That official state of Georgia concrete must be the best anywhere....

Yet Mayor Jim Wetherington told WLTZ Columbus roads are NOT ready right now for the thousands of newcomers expected from base realignment. So he'll take any help from the state he can, while also promoting that proposed one-cent "public safety" sales tax. Our mayor is learning from those get-rich-quick infomercials - and looking for multiple streams of income.

Mayor Wetherington told GPB Radio Governor Perdue "hit all the right buttons" in his presentation on Georgia's needs for 2008. But I smelled a deeper message in the caravan around the state. Republicans want to show they're united, after last year's feuding between the Governor and House Speaker Glenn Richardson. Of course, it would help if Richardson was part of the tour....

These political party "flyarounds" in Georgia used to happen only in the days before or after a big election. Now Republicans have staged one in January, in a "legislative preview." What will the Democrats do in response -- hold Sunday forums called "cloudy, not Sonny"?

BLOG UPDATE: If all goes well, WRCG radio should return to the air today. Manager Chuck Thompson told WRBL Thursday repairs on the station's tower are almost complete. If I can offer a two-word suggestion to prepare for next time -- streaming audio.

Chuck Thompson explained someone fired gunshots at the WRCG tower in Phenix City 26 December, knocking the signal off the air for more than two weeks. It's been silent so long that listeners have missed out on an estimated $4,000 in money-saving tips from the Clark Howard Show.

That's not the only Columbus radio station having problems these days. Non-commercial WFRC-FM apparently can't pick up its Family Radio home signal from California right now. So for much of the week, it's played a 29-minute loop of instrumental music over and over. At least that beats the Atlanta station, which played nothing but the "tomahawk chop" music for days. [True!]

E-MAIL UPDATE: Thursday's Ledger-Enquirer prompted someone to write us....

Every one needs to read Kaffie's article today on the MCSD's new administration building...Is Cathy Williams the only member that is going to stick up for educating students? Thanks Cathy for your support for the betterment of our kids..We all know they are going to class in rundown portables and trailers.We know they are getting wet in the rain running out to these portables across muddy areas and some all the way across parking lots...We know of the use of class sets of textbooks and not enough computers...However,according to Mr.Walker,who says he contacted every principal,kids are not getting wet going to portables..They must be rainproof....

Thanks Kaffie for your continuing support of the children..

The column by Kaffie Sledge quotes Muscogee County School officials as saying the district owns 67 portable classrooms, and leases 64 more. At least now we know where they went, when Governor Don Siegelman kicked them out of Alabama.

School Board member Cathy Williams complained one "English as a Second Language" class at Spencer High School has only one computer. This tells me two things: first, Williams is sticking up for her alma mater. Second, we're becoming too reliant on computers in education - because they didn't have computers at Ellis Island 100 years ago.

Cathy Williams explained she supports a new central administration for Muscogee County Schools - but one that costs $13 million, instead of $31 million. But she was outvoted last year by other School Board members. At least they'll keep construction workers busy, during this tight housing market.

Now for other Thursday thunderings - and as it happens....

+ A late-night storm system prompted a midnight-hour tornado warning in parts of Russell County. Sirens could be hurt in downtown Columbus, in the minutes before the Russell County warning expired - yet Muscogee County only had a severe thunderstorm warning. My neighbor's right again. Sounds DO travel farther during winter.

(The severe storms proved how WLTZ's new weather team ranks far below the other Columbus TV stations. Mark Prater never interrupted the programming with weather warnings - but then again, the siren sounds probably didn't carry all the way to Iowa.)

+ Columbus police found a woman on Victory Drive, who was listed as missing in LaFayette for eight months. Dorothy Brooks admitted she decided to move to Columbus after leaving an Alabama prison last year. Now she's ready to return to LaFayette - so that new Victory Drive Huddle House simply was delayed too long.

+ WRBL showed a visit to Rigdon Road Elementary School by a group of men called the "F.B.I.: Fathers Being Involved." I'm glad they are involved - but I wonder how tempted these dads are to wear their F.B.I. outfits into restaurants, trying to get dinner discounts.

+ The president of Southern Union State Community College in Opelika was suspended, and could be fired. She's accused of several ethics violations - including one of the most dreadful sins in Alabama: not having a college football team.

+ Auburn lost their opening conference games in men's and women's college basketball. The Lady Tigers were tossed by Tennessee 85-52 - reminding me of some of the great names on the Lady Vol team, such as "Nicky Anosike" pronounced an-no-SICK-ee. If only she wrote for Wiki - as in Wikipedia....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1751 (+ 33, 1.9%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

10 JAN 08: COME SOUTH, YOUNG MAN

The year was 1987. I was on a writing team at a well-known cable news channel - and in one script I quoted the old phrase: "Go west, young man." The copy editor over me was baffled by it, had no idea where it came from, and challenged my using it. The woman had a New England college education, and is now a law professor - so perhaps she's more likely to suggest people go to court.

Recent Census reports show people not only are going west, they're moving south. But maybe they're not moving far enough south - because the Columbus Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday it plans a new effort to recruit young adults to the city. So much for including public shuffleboard courts in that upcoming sales tax question....

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce especially wants to bring 25 to 40-year-olds to town. A generation ago, these would have been called Yuppies: "young urban professionals." But Columbus is an intermediate-sized city - so is it OK to say they're after Yippies?

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce was urged to start this recruitment drive by Aflac - because the insurance company is having trouble motivating young adults to move here for work. Maybe the problem isn't the city. Maybe those young adults are concerned about being required to clean the duck pen.

Chamber of Commerce Chair Stella Shulman says the recruitment drive will include plenty of opportunities for young adult professionals to "network." At least that's they'll do at the Trade Center or RiverCenter - before going north on Broadway, to just plain drink and gossip.

WRBL found a young adult professional who actually moved back home to work in Columbus. Reynolds Bickerstaff used to live in New York, and says he's now only interested in going there "for a weekend." Yup, he's a Yuppie - since most Columbus natives would only think of going there for a vacation, or a flight change on the way to Europe.

(Hey, wait a minute - young adult professional! That's it! The Chamber of Commerce can say: "Yappies are happy in Columbus.")

Reynolds Bickerstaff offered several reasons why he prefers living in Columbus, instead of New York. For one thing, he says there's "no traffic" - which tells me he must not use Interstate 185 for his commute.

Reynolds Bickerstaff also explained people in Columbus are "15 minutes from anywhere." Of course, young adults who are more attracted to Atlanta say we're 100 miles down the road to nowhere....

But Reynolds Bickerstaff admits the pace is slower in Columbus, compared with New York. He says some young adult professionals become "overstimulated," and want to do all sorts of things. There's another selling point for Columbus - we can help cure adult attention deficit disorder.

Yet a couple of things puzzle me about this new recruiting drive. Columbus sits only 40 minutes down the highway from a large recruiting pool for young adults. Auburn is filled with them, primarily because of the university. Maybe if the Chamber of Commerce gives them free rolls of toilet paper to move here....

I've mentioned here before that the Columbus Sports Council should propose hosting an Auburn basketball game or two at the Civic Center. That could attract young adults down U.S. 280 to our city. And if you've seen the empty seats at Beard-Eaves Coliseum, the Tigers probably would draw a bigger crowd here.

Keep in mind also that the Columbus area has plenty of young adults now. They're called Fort Benning soldiers. Why can't Aflac and other employers draw on them for staffing? Simply teach them to soften their voices a little, and hold out a pen instead of a machine gun.

BLOG UPDATE: WRCG Radio remained off the air Wednesday night, while transmitter vandalism is repaired. That meant the Georgia Tech-Georgia basketball game could not be heard - and unlike football season, Archway Broadcasting didn't move the Georgia broadcast to an FM station. WSB in Atlanta might as well stand for "We're Solo for Bulldogs."

Now turn down your radio, to pay close attention to our other Wednesday news....

+ WRBL showed demolition underway at the Baker Village Apartments. Where is the outrage about this, from the Historic Columbus Foundation? There could be decades-old graffiti on some walls, needing to be preserved.

+ Roanoke, Alabama Mayor Henry Bonner was indicted on 26 counts, after the entire City Council was called before a grand jury. Shiloh may have had a boxing match in December, but Roanoke can stage a "battle royal" wrestling meet.

+ Russell County High School baseball coach Tony Rasmus told WLTZ while he used steroids years ago, his players don't need to do it. Hmmmm - what are they adding to the cafeteria food at lunch?

+ Instant Message to Ki Hoon Han: Welcome to Columbus. Congratulations on being the first Cottonmouths player from South Korea. But I can't resist asking - will you be working in the off-season for Kia?

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1718 (+ 42, 2.5%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

9 JAN 08: IF I HAD A HAMMER....

....well, for starters, I probably wouldn't think about using one in a fight. I've had trouble over the years simply using hammers for their regular uses. Why can't Lee make "Press-on Nails" for walls and floors?

But someone grabbed a hammer for a fight two weeks ago -- and that someone happened to be a member of the Shiloh City Council, in eastern Harris County. Talk about a break from Southern tradition! He couldn't reach into his pickup truck, and pull out his hunting rifle?!

Well, wait a second -- Shiloh City Councillor William McDaniel probably couldn't reach for that rifle. Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley says he was on the ground, in a fight with Mayor-Elect Jessie Lee Ellison. If these gentlemen aren't careful, they're going to provoke some Hurtsboro residents to go one step too far.

An arrest warrant says William McDaniel was upset with Jessie Lee Ellison because of a planned added office at the Shiloh City Hall. They argued, eventually traded punches -- and now could be recruited to run for Alabama State Senate.

Shiloh's new mayor took office Tuesday night, after Jessie Lee Ellison and William McDaniel both posted bail. Of all the strange ways to check if criminals are treated properly....

WXTX "News at Ten" reported the Shiloh City Council meeting had a record turnout, and a few people wondered if "round two" would break out. Well, it beat driving to the Columbus Civic Center for a Cottonmouths game.

But there was NO "round two" at the Shiloh City Council meeting. Instead, Mayor Jessie Lee Ellison issued a written apology - and he shook hands with William McDaniel in front of everyone. Of course, even contestants in mixed martial arts do that after the decision is announced....

Georgia NAACP President Edward DuBose even showed up in Shiloh. He said he was there to "commend" William McDaniel for settling his differences with Jessie Lee Ellison. Of course, the combatants happened to have different skin colors - but does DuBose's mere appearance convict him of racial profiling?

A couple of Shiloh City Councilors called on both Jessie Lee Ellison and William McDaniel to resign. But both men assured the group they've resolved things - or as a co-worker told me Tuesday, they've "hammered out their differences."

E-MAIL UPDATE: Now to a dispute which did NOT end peacefully, over the Chattahoochee River. A reader suggested Tuesday we check the state line signs by the bridges....

Richard, While I do not condone what takes place on the 14th Street Bridge, it does belong to the State of Georgia. The state line of Georgia ends at the high water mark on the Alabama river bank. The law enforcements of both cities do share a responsibility to make sure that all people that use this bridge are safe while there. Unfortunately, some that sleep there are confused about the word "use." They use it as a place to sleep and a public restroom. But hey, it's our tax dollars at work!

I already knew the matter of bridge jurisdiction - but this message may settle a question the Redneckin blog in Russell County has raised off and on for years. Apparently the "Phenix City Riverwalk" IS technically part of Columbus. So a high enough flood in the spring could put part of the MeadWestvaco building in Columbus - and allow some incoming Russell County offices to secede.

Phenix City has taken some small steps to make the 14^th Street Pedestrian Bridge look nicer. Three potted trees are in place at the west end of the bridge, and a few fake giant snowflakes were hung from them in December. Someday Auburn football fans will discover those trees, and hang other things....

And speaking of Auburn football - the transfer of quarterback Blake Field brought a comment as well:

You know college coaches court,recruit and sign players they never intend to play..The whole idea is to keep them for playing for other schools,which is almost as good as have them playing second team.However,a free college education is worth sitting on any bench instead of owing big buck when college is finished..

I'd be willing to accept that explanation - but some college football players may not like that. In this case, he's pursuing a "Field of Dreams" in Valdosta.

But then again, Blake Field may have seen a big steamroller approaching from Columbus. Carver High School football coach Dell McGee revealed Tuesday quarterback DeRon Furr is enrolling at Auburn University early - in fact, by next week. I suppose a step-up is better than a dropout....

The title of this e-mail referred to "football," but I can't help wondering if this message relates to Ketia Swanier's basketball career at Connecticut as well. An all-state wonder from Columbus High is coming off the bench in her senior season. How many relatives does she have in Tennessee, anyway?

Now for other things which had people talking on Tuesday....

+ Local activist Jim Rhodes presented Columbus Council with petitions for widening Moon Road to three lanes. Rhodes contended city reserve funds should be used, to improve what he calls a "catastrophe." Someone should take this man for a ride down dirt roads in Russell County.

(City Manager Isaiah Hugley noted the city needs to spend "180 million dollars on roads." In this election year, he should know better than to make that statement -- and spend a few million on Rhodes.)

+ Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin told WRBL money currently is lacking for building a new ice rink. If all else fails, the city could build that new natatorium near Macon Road - then turn the air conditioners all the way up.

(No, I will NOT go for the cheap punch line here. I will NOT say plans for the new skating rink are on ice....)

+ TSYS stock fell more than two dollars, to a 52-week low of $22.97. So far, no executive has crawled on his hands and knees down Broadway to Synovus headquarters to beg for a reconciled marriage.

+ WRBL showed opening day of the new Rigdon Road Elementary School. There are plans to double the school's attendance in coming years - so all those students can parade past the new central administration building each afternoon, and remind the officials on the third floor to do their jobs.

+ Jordan crushed Columbus in boys' high school basketball 103-46. Jordan's a defending state champion, top-ranked, playing a local rival - yet the bleachers at Jordan only half-full. This is what happens when baseball practice starts about three weeks too early....

+ University of Georgia President Michael Adams proposed an eight-team playoff format for major college football. Auburn got stiffed, and Adams didn't care. Georgia winds up second in the final polls, and suddenly.... well, Adams DOES serve at the pleasure of the state Board of Regents.

+ Instant Message to the mom I saw picking up her daughter for an off-the-ground spin, outside the Public Safety Center: You should have told the Police Department you were going to do that. I don't think they would have arrested you for child abuse. It would have been the most loving thing most officers probably saw all day.

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: Thursday's entry will not be posted until around 8:00 a.m. ET.)

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1676 (+ 45, 2.8%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

8 JAN 08: NOT FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

Monday night was a beautiful night for running outside, with temperatures in the mid-60's F. A few days ago, I had to settle for jogging in a downtown gym. It's a nice place to visit - but I fear I look strange when I stick out my fingers to count the laps.

I stepped outside at 7:05 p.m. for my "Bi-State" course - up Front Avenue, across the Dillingham Street Bridge, down and up the Phenix City Riverwalk, across the 14^th Street Pedestrian Bridge and then down Broadway toward home. It's what I call "urban running" - except I stopped and jogged in place on the sidewalk, when a crowd outside the Cannon Brew Pub blocked my way.

Based on my normal pace, I probably jogged across the 14^th Street Bridge around 7:25 p.m. It appeared four people were on the bridge, seemingly talking about a TV set. That seemed unusual, because the most high-tech people usually have on that bridge is a bicycle.

A woman hollered at somebody, after I passed the group while jogging eastbound. But I jogged on, presuming they were NOT trying to get my attention. Yes, I was wearing bright gold running shorts on a warm January night -- but that does NOT mean I'm sexy.

The distance of the run was 3.15 miles non-stop, and I was thankful that everything turned out so nicely. But I had no way of knowing what I missed -- not until I turned to the 11:00 p.m. news. That's when I learned there was trouble on the 14^th Street Bridge around 8:00, which ended with a deadly stabbing. Wearing gold shorts suddenly meant no one could finger me as a suspect.

The 14^th Street Bridge used to be a nice piece of history, named after Horace King. But ever since auto traffic was moved to the 13^th Street Bridge, it's become a pedestrian bridge -- and seems to have been ignored. No one's even bothered to hang political signs from it.

The TSYS parking garage and the historic Mott House are at the east end of the 14^th Street Bridge. The Riverview Apartments sit near the west end. Every time I jog on that bridge, apartment dwellers seem to be on it. I've never noticed TSYS employees there - not even to offer the folks from the other end debit cards.

Early news reports indicate a fight developed on the 14^th Street Bridge Monday night, involving groups of homeless people. That doesn't surprise me much, because I'm found people sleeping on the bridge a few times. It's a quiet spot after dark - and so poorly lit that police might need a flashlight or a stumble to find the people resting there.

I can understand why some people might feel unsafe on the 14^th Street Bridge at night. But I've figured I had an advantage over the crowd which gathers there - I was usually running, and a moving target is harder to catch.

One man keeps telling me I shouldn't run downtown or on the Riverwalks at all after dark, because it's too dangerous. But Columbus is a city lacking in public recreation centers with running tracks. And besides, the evening was nice and mild - so why sweat in a gym when you can leave it on a sidewalk?

I actually noticed more police officers than usual on my Monday night course. A Columbus patrol car was turning around as I neared the east end of the 14^th Street Bridge. And Phenix City police officers walked three big dogs, outside the amphitheater - so I held up my hands, so everyone would know I don't carry Milk-Bone dog biscuits when I run.

So I missed the deadly violence on the 14^th Street Bridge by about 35 minutes, and I'm thankful for that. Perhaps the next time that course comes up in my running rotation, I'll move up the jogging time to 5:00 so there's daylight. But I've encountered at least one man in a rage near that bridge even in the afternoon - and yes, I knew better than to challenge him to a footrace.

Perhaps Phenix City is waiting for The Phenixian complex to be built, before taking steps to improve the 14^th Street Bridge. I recall artists' sketches years ago which depicted large groups of people on the bridge, in an environment like a street fair. That was true to some extent Monday night - only the only things people might have been selling probably were illegal.

Before we watched the 11:00 p.m. news about the 14^th Street Bridge, we had another topic in mind - so we'll start with that, in our review of other Monday news:

+ WRBL showed the opening day of practice at Columbus State University, for both men's baseball and women's softball. Yes, the first Monday of the year means it's time to think baseball. But actually, Roger Clemens started the season with that "first pitch" Sunday night on "60 Minutes."

(C'mon now -- baseball practice on 7 January?! Before the college football season officially ends? With scheduling like this, I'm not sure Jordan and Glenwood High Schools ever find enough basketball players to win state titles.)

+ Local and federal officials announced the arrest of two 21-year-old men, for a series of church fires in East Alabama. One of the suspects reportedly lived with his parents, and kept stolen items from a church in his bedroom. Don't they make Southern homes with crawl space anymore, for hiding merchandise?

+ A pilot flying from Lynchburg, Virginia to Dublin, Georgia ran out of fuel, and landed safely on Warm Springs Road. He wasn't far from Bill Heard Chevrolet - but I'm not sure even they would accept a trade-in like that.

+ A judge in Macon ruled a Native American grave site can be moved, so Moon Family Properties can build a new 1,000-unit housing development. In other states, this could have been settled differently - with the grave site reserved for a tribal casino.

+ Managers of the two new Wal-Mart SuperCenters told WLTZ they've received about 1,200 job applications so far. This could be the longest line of greeters this side of Auburn football's "Tiger Walk"....

+ Speaking of which, Auburn quarterback Blake Field announced he's transferring to Valdosta State for his senior season. His father seemed to blame Tommy Tuberville, writing the coach never intended to give Field a chance to start next fall. Carver's DeRon Furr is scaring opponents at the "next level" already.

+ Instant Message to the Valley Times-News and Eufaula Tribune: Please ignore that game on TV Monday night. Remember what you did with Auburn three years ago - and please declare MY Kansas Jayhawks the national college football champion! Or maybe the United States champion. Or the best team with only one loss to win a B.C.S. game. Or something....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1631 (+ 22, 1.4%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

7 JAN 08: LOCKED STOCKED GUN BARRELS

We're now only one week away from the start of the new Georgia General Assembly session. All lobbyists hereby have seven days to set their speed-dials for Atlanta accordingly.

All sorts of proposals come up in the legislature every year. Rep. Richard Smith brought up one in a recent e-mail, which is bound to be controversial. It involves whether you should be guaranteed the right to keep firearms in your car while at work. So you could work until 4:00 p.m., then drive out of town and hunt for an "early-bird dinner" at 4:30.

Georgia House Bill 143 specifies "no private or public employer" would be allowed to have "any policy or rule that has the effect of prohibiting an employee from transporting or storing a firearm in a locked motor vehicle" in any "employee parking area." So your car would have to be locked -- but your pistol might not have to be.

HB 143 says nothing about keeping your weapon out of sight, while you're parked on the job. "Concealed carry" rules occasionally spark discussions on blogs, but apparently you could leave your gun in plain view in the back seat of your locked car. Perhaps even set up with a trip wire -- which could be trouble if someone has to call Pop-a-Lock.

Rep. Richard Smith's e-mail notes a companion bill in the Georgia Senate adds language about employer liability. Senate Bill 43 says employers could NOT be held liable for damages, if a worker keeps a firearm in a car on the job. So if someone "goes postal," you couldn't sue the Postal Service.

Well, check that - employers could still be sued if the "employer commits a criminal act involving the use of a firearm." If you ask the boss for a raise and he pulls a gun out of his desk drawer in response, you might still get the raise - only from a civil jury.

(My late father carried a revolver in the car he drove to and from his business. I never knew it until he totaled the car one Saturday afternoon in central Kansas, and my mother reminded him of the gun hidden under the front seat. It's a good thing she brought a big pillow for taking naps....)

There's also an exception in SB 43 if "the employer knew or, in the exercise of ordinary care, 'should have known' that the person using such firearm would commit such criminal act on the employer's premises." That would seem to put pressure on bosses to conduct background checks of all their employees. Who added this clause, Google?

Rep. Richard Smith admits in his e-mail, "This will be a very emotional and contentious vote." In fact, an unnamed "large business in Columbus" is already lobbying against these bills. Based on recent news stories, Columbus Regional has other criminal matters to worry about already....

"I am a very strong believer in the second amendment," Richard Smith's e-mail concludes; "however, I am also a very strong believer in property rights." So it's a tug-of-war between your gun and your boss's rules - and your boss is far more likely to win if he grabs your gun.

One question I have about this proposal is why employees would be allowed to carry firearms where they park at work, when students can't keep them inside their cars at any Georgia schools. The students face "zero tolerance" rules on school grounds - which probably has changed how woodcraft is taught in shop classes.

THE BIG BLOG QUESTION wants to know what you think of this. Should employees have a guaranteed right to carry firearms in their cars while on the job? Should employers have the right to set rules about such things? And should be separate rules for knives, among members of the meatcutters' union?

E-MAIL UPDATE: Let's play catch-up from our fifth anniversary weekend, beginning with someone who wants to correct us....

Sorry Richard,

My kids attend SLS and they don't start school until Monday, Jan 7. You may have confused it with Calvary Christian School, which did start back on Thursday Jan 3.

Cheers.

Tim Kelly

Really - St. Luke School was NOT open last week?! You could have fooled me Wednesday afternoon. I went there about 4:00 p.m. and found a group of children heading out the door, crossing lights blinking on 11^th Street and several people at the first-floor office window. If no tables were set up for Wednesday Night Supper, what WAS happening there?

Speaking of dining out, here's a follow-up to Thursday's e-mail about the quickly-closed Wildflower Buffet in Phenix City....

For some reason, the west side of the River will not support Restaurants.

I have asked managers from Golden Corral and Ryan's as to when they plan to build over there and both said "there are no plans to do that"

Golden Corral managers mentioned that they are looking to build somewhere in South Columbus, they did mention that the same owners of the Columbus Store are the same owners as the Opelika store.

If the west side of the River opens more BBQ pits, State Officials might have to add motorized wheel chair lanes through out the area..

some have forgot to mention that the new rules for Business license fee's might have something to do with it?

I'm not familiar with the Phenix City business license rules. But there's no guarantee that city will support any more barbecue restaurants. Keep in mind that the new Charbroil restaurant sits where Golden Rule Barbecue used to be -- and as close as that pit was to Golden Acres Baptist Church, it should have been a big success.

Now for other leftovers from the first weekend of January....

+ The Columbus NAACP held its annual banquet at the Trade Center. The guest speaker was veteran civil rights attorney Fred Gray - which is very ironic, since he's argued against gray areas in racial matters for decades.

+ Ground was broken for the new Harris County Middle School. Superintendent Susan Andrews says the school is needed to prepare for base realignment at Fort Benning - not to mention shopping realignment, once "The Grove" project opens.

+ Northland Neighbors reported a "Charles Flowers" recently sold his Columbus home for $265,000. Does this mean the former Muscogee County Schools coach and Athletic Director is in Albany to stay? Could he move farther south to Thomasville, and claim to be part of the Flowers bread fortune?

+ Connecticut pummeled Purdue in women's college basketball 100-50. I watched this game to see how Columbus High alum Ketia Swanier is doing with "U-Connie" - and was disappointed to find even in her senior season, she's still coming off the bench. Swanier could be starting and starring at Georgia. Not to mention saving money on winter coats....

+ Xavier exterminated Auburn in men's play 80-57. The final minutes included an appearance by a Xavier player named Charles Bronson - who hopefully isn't a drama major, or planning to enter mixed martial arts.

+ Instant Message to the Presbyterian College Blue Hose, who lost to Georgia Tech in men's basketball Sunday: I shudder to think of what Don Imus will say, if your women's team is ever successful....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1609 (- 106, 6.2%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

6 JAN 08: FIVE FOR FIGHTING?

Today is a big day for this little corner of the Internet, as we mark five years of blogging! It's tempting to declare it the equivalent of 50 Internet years, and ask for gifts of gold - especially with gold trading at about $800 per ounce.

BLOG SPECIAL EVENT: Our first blog entry occurred five years ago today, 6 Jan 03. We called it "That was an Epiphany," to mark the inauguration of Columbus Mayor Bob Poydasheff. If you can remember which company used that phrase in a TV commercial, you're showing your age a bit....

The original idea of this blog was to write humor about anything that I found in Columbus, Georgia -- more about my actions than events in the city or metropolitan area. There was a time when I only blogged two or three times a week. Then I found out people really were reading - and the pressure to impress slowly has grown from there.

As time went on, I found more and more interesting topics in the area which could serve as material for a humor blog. From reviewing the archives, the current format seemed to develop in November 2003. Plenty of fascinating items came together then - and it's a wonder I didn't declare Tommy Tubervlle the director of WHINSEC, or the new Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.

Some people have wondered where we get our ideas for blog topics. Many come simply from following local news. And at first, many topics came from basically living my life - encountering curious, strange or downright funny things. It was "Seinfeld" without a Kramer, and often longing for an Elaine to be by my side.

This blog wasn't really a source of breaking news for its first couple of years. At least, I didn't label anything as a "Blog Exclusive" back then - even though I probably was the only person in Columbus who was writing about birds getting stuck in the vent, above my kitchen stove.

As time went on, readers began sending this blog tips about all kinds of things in the area - items which no local news outlets seemed to have. One of the first came in January 2005, when we broke the news that Aflac's Dan Amos had married his second wife. In January 2008, of course, this simply isn't good enough. We need paparazzi pictures of the couple hurrying away from St. Simons Island.

Then came the week in March 2005 when we sat in federal court, monitoring a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against WRBL's news department. No other reporters showed up until the day of closing arguments and the verdict - well, not counting the reporters who were called to testify, and they didn't stick around to take notes.

We were tipped off to that lawsuit as well -- and the tips which led to scoops seem to have started a trend. By my count, we had 15 different "Blog Exclusive" entries last year. They ranged from television news and radio talk to a damaged church sanctuary. And I'm not even counting that schematic drawing of the school superintendent's private restroom....

Yet as I pondered the five-year mark of this blog in bed late Friday night, I admittedly couldn't get to sleep. I was troubled by what I fear the blog is becoming - the number-one spot in metro Columbus for people to vent, complain and whine. If it simply doesn't fit in the small space of the Ledger-Enquirer's "Sound Off" column, it might come here.

Consider some of the things e-mailers have complained about here in the last 12 months: The Muscogee County School Superintendent, Pioneer Little League coaches and directors, the Phenix City Manager, the Pastor of Cascade Hills Church, countless residents of Hurtsboro -- and even a little German restaurant on Victory Drive. It's as if the city slogan is simply, "What Progress???"

Perhaps some of the complaining here stems from the fact that there's no outlet for it on local radio anymore. WEAM-AM has a local talk show in the afternoon, but that's merely for sports - and I don't think the hosts would consider church gossiping even a spectator sport.

Perhaps some of the complaining comes from the nature of our country. Like it or not, the United States was founded on the basis of complaints against the British crown. People still find reasons to be "tea'd off" with the government today....

(In fact, it's a wonder the 13 colonies didn't invent the "Festivus" holiday - you know, with the annual airing of grievances.)

Perhaps some of the complaining stems from the things I've written to spark the discussion. When I last appeared on WLTZ's "Rise-N-Shine" in November, host Nan Floyd said people knew about my blog - and I jokingly called it "infamous" and "notorious," it was noteworthy that she didn't disagree with me.

While I strive to be humorous here, I do find strange things on occasion that don't seem quite right to me. Perhaps that makes me come across as a complainer - but my purpose is to get people thinking in better, more "right" ways. Maybe not right enough for hardline Republicans, but you know what I mean....

My background is with a church association which tends to complain about all sorts of things wrong with this "present evil world." Perhaps you're familiar with fundamentalist groups such as these. If something new comes out, they analyze it carefully, find at least one flaw in it, then sternly preach against it.

This association also would find fault with making New Year's resolutions. People invariably fail to keep them, the ministers would tell you. And besides, God meant for the calendar to start in the spring -- which poses a problem in the Southern Hemisphere, which perhaps God didn't want humans to populate in the first place.

Have you heard anyone make a resolution to stop complaining in 2008? I can't say I have - but as I reflect on five years of blogging, maybe it's time some of us did it. And since we're more than five days into the year, I think we've past the point of being automatically disqualified based on our use of a pagan calendar system.

If this sounds like a difficult thing to do, here's a suggestion: make your criticism constructive. Mix encouragement or positive words with your complaint, or offer a way for doing things better. That way.... wow, I'd better watch myself. I'm going to start sounding like a columnist for "Parenting" magazine.

I've personally found plenty of things to enjoy, as I reflect on living in Columbus. On this fifth anniversary of blogging, I leave you with some of them in our blog picture section:

+ A souvenir puck from the Columbus Cottonmouths' first championship season in 1998. Yes, I keep it in my freezer during hockey season.

(And what do you know - it's "legends weekend" for the Cottonmouths. Coach Jerome Bouchard scoring two goals in the "old-timers game" didn't seem to tell the full story. How many fights was he in?)

+ An inflatable baseball from the old Columbus RedStixx, and a "mini-basketball" picked up when the Riverdragons played in the National Basketball Developmental League. OK, neither team is in town anymore - but their potential value at an eBay auction goes up every day.

+ A picture of my neighborhood from the last time it snowed in Columbus, around 2001. Due to global warming, we might never see a scene like this again.

SCHEDULED MONDAY: We resume blog business as usual, with some leftover e-mails and other things....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1715 (- 197, 10.3%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

4 JAN 08: GOOD JAYHAWK, BAD J-HAWK

No, I didn't ask Mayor Wetherington for a formal proclamation - but I declared Thursday "Jayhawk Day" in Columbus. And I want to thank one particular Columbus police officer, for rearranging his schedule to make news on the same day as Kansas's Orange Bowl appearance.

The "Bad J-Hawk" (note the spelling) made news first - as officer J.D. Hawk went to Columbus Recorder's Court. He pleaded no contest to a speeding ticket, for driving 103 miles per hour on Manchester Expressway. If he was able to drive that fast on that road, I assume last year's paving problems finally are fixed.

J.D. Hawk was fined $430, for his no contest plea to speeding. That probably will annoy Columbus NAACP President Bill Madison, who suggested last week Hawk should have been jailed for driving so fast. The way Madison's been talking lately, I'm starting to think he might run for Muscogee County Sheriff to lock up almost everybody.

(Bill Madison wants J.D. Hawk jailed for speeding, the confidential informant in the Kenneth Walker case jailed for perjury AND Zachary Allen jailed for his positive drug test. Either Madison plans to support that one-cent sales tax to expand the jail -- or his favorite TV show is "Law and Order.")

WRBL reported on J.D. Hawk's explanation of his speeding ticket. He says he drove 103 miles per hour last October because his 13-year-old daughter was home alone, and a fire had broken out in their kitchen. Hmmmm - does this implicate Hawk in the Zachary Allen investigation? If he didn't trust the fire department to get there first....

J.D. Hawk pleaded NOT guilty to a separate charge, of missing an earlier court hearing. The Recorder's Court judge sentenced him to 20 days of probation, for contempt. It's pretty hard to sentence a police officer to "community service," when he's already providing one.

J.D. Hawk's attorney explained why the officer missed the earlier hearing. Frank Martin says two other police officers told Hawk he didn't have to show up -- which may in part explain why Martin is Hawk's attorney now....

But Frank Martin notes J.D. Hawk already has paid his fine. That means no jail time. And that means local jail guards don't have to take special precautions to keep him safe. They don't have to watch him like.... uhhhhhh, well, you know - like a Hawk.

Then came the evening, and it was time for the "Good Jayhawk" to come out - as my alma mater Kansas played its first January bowl game in 40 years. But then again, that's not a big bragging point anymore. Kansas could have gone to Mobile for this weekend's GMAC Bowl and accomplished that.

Loco's on 13^th Street has become my game spot of choice -- but it was a bit disconcerting when I walked inside shortly before kickoff. All the TV screens seemed to be on ESPN, for the Ohio State-Illinois basketball game. In Columbus, no S.E.C. can mean no-seen....

Even with my Kansas ballcap and sweatshirt (thank you for that gift, Dad), one of the servers at Loco's needed me to ask for a TV screen to be switched to the Orange Bowl. It wasn't like I was spending Thursday poker night at my usual spot - a place where Headline News stays on a screen, even when Glenn Beck is on.

I kept looking for a glimpse of my older brother, who planned to go wherever Kansas traveled for a bowl game. I assume he flew from the Kansas City area to Miami. I would have driven there from Columbus. But then I figured it cost at least $110 for a ticket, probably that much for gasoline -- and a winter rate of $60 to stay at a Motel 6.

(My little brother went to a Kansas bowl game a few years ago. That may seem like no big deal - but he's mentally disabled, and lives in an institution! His whole unit traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, even though my brother can't even walk or speak. I'm not sure which state lawmaker arranged that one....)

The Orange Bowl was the best game so far in the Bowl Championship Series. Kansas took a 7-0 lead on an interception return - as I heard someone at a nearby table say the words, "They haven't played anybody...." Excuse me?! Kansas beat Central Michigan to start the season, and Central Michigan won its conference. Not that most sports fans in Columbus could name that conference....

As I moved from dinner to dessert at Loco's, Kansas advanced the lead to 14-0. At that point I declared at the bar: "If you have a jukebox, would you please play Pat Benatar's 'We Belong'?"

But Virginia Tech rallied to make the game good and close. Both defenses played strongly, with Kansas picking up four first-half sacks. There were so many sacks, I wondered if the Orange Bowl was sponsored by Publix.

The final score was Kansas 24, Virginia Tech 21 - and as the game ended, I realized the Orange Bowl simply had followed an evening-long trend. The underdog who fought for change had prevailed, despite the critics. Can coach Mark Mangino run for President as an independent?

I didn't realize until WRBL's Thursday evening news that the Hardaway High School marching band went to the Orange Bowl. If I had known this weeks ago, I would have bought enough band candy to get a ticket on their bus as a chaperone.

(But after watching the halftime show, I have to ask a question - how did they disguise the band members to look like ZZ Top?)

E-MAIL UPDATE: The number-one thing I didn't know when 2007 began [31 Dec 07] prompted a reader to offer some advice....

First I would just like to thank you for including my emails in your blog. I do belive some attention is now being directed to the improprieties going on with the City of Phenix city government in no small part because of the readership of your blog. I applaud you and the fact that you did (even though as you say you were double dog dared) take the time to visit the property where the city manager SUPPOSEDLY "lives part of the time".

Now to your comments about DSL and the giant "trip wire" of cable you have laid in order to use the service and also your comments regarding a splitter and the phone still being able to be used in addition to using the phone line for DSL... I have a few comments.

DSL internet runs on the "backbone" of the phone line. It doesnt interrupt normal phone usage as it only uses part of the line to carry internet traffic. Splitter or no splitter if you have more than one phone jack in your home and are attached to DSL you can still use your phone to make or receive calls at any time connected or not.

I can tell from your mention of your savings that you (like the rest of us) are very responsible with your spending. That can also be applauded but if you happen to win a few times over there at Kim's Cove maybe you can apply some of your poker winnings as follows to take care of your current situation. Here are my suggestions.

For $34.99 you can purchase a wireless DSL router. (You would plug your DSL w/included short cords into the phone access across the room from your computer...believe it or not you don't need a splitter as I believe you can even plug your phone into the back of this router as well so it can still receive calls)

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/195914/Wireless-Router-With-Switch/

Then ... for an additional $34.99 you purchase the USB Wireless Network Adapter which plugs into any open USB port on your computer & connects to your wireless router. You will be online at your full DSL speed across the room with no wires for approx. $69.98 + applicable sales taxes.

If you wanna stay "wired" thats fully up to you ... just thought I would offer my advice if the "trip wire" gets to be too much ... as I think last I looked a trip to the emergency room for a sprained ankle may be much higher than the $69.98 + tax.

Have a great new year!!!

Charles

Thanks for the advice - but if I wanted to be really wireless, I would have bought a laptop computer in the first place. It helps for a blog like this to have good connections.

Speaking of "splitters," someone else is writing about Cascade Hills Church:

Hi Richard! Could you please help me get the word out to those who are interested in getting CHC back? Ever since the article at the Ledger was 30 days old, it went into the archives and people cannot blog now. I know that there are a lot of members who want to try & get their church back, but they don't know how to communicate about it now. I created a Yahoo account just for those people. The web address is cascademember@yahoo.com. Could you also let people know that the Ledger Enquirer is working on getting the blog back up within the next few days. There will also be a "real life" meeting Saturday January 12th concerning "getting our church back". I'm not sure what time the meeting will be yet or where, but I'll let you know. Anyone who's interested in attending or if you have questions & concerns, please contact me at cascademember@yahoo.com.

Thank you & Happy New Year!

I've read this phrase "get our church back" several times - and it leads me to ask a question. Where is it written that a church belongs to the members? That may be the Baptist tradition, but simply because I pay a tithe at church does NOT mean I own the place. In fact, the Pastor might show me out the door if I acted like I did.

We'll address other e-mails another time. But now let's check other Thursday news....

+ Columbus dropped to its lowest temperature in five years, at 19 degrees F. It was SO COLD that coffee shops were allowed to take down their warning signs about how hot the drinks are.

+ Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington began tinkering with his one-cent "public safety sales tax" proposal. He told a news conference 30 percent of the money would be used NOT for police, but for infrastructure needs such as road repairs. A well-paved street WOULD be safer than one with potholes, you know....

(Mayor Wetherington added the Columbus Police Department hired 68 officers last year. That means more than 17 percent of the force consists of "rookies" - which is something the Atlanta Falcons might want to consider next season.)

+ GPB Radio reported the city of Columbus will begin sending e-mail "smog alerts" when the air quality is poor. This is apparently for color-blind people who can't recognize pollen on their cars during spring.

(The smog alert system is beginning because Columbus had ten different "particle pollution" violations last year. I'm waiting for the related statistic to come out - how many acres of woodland at Fort Benning had to be burned, to make this possible.)

+ Columbus resident Robert Dorsey told WRBL he plans to sue the former Court TV for slander. The program "Body of Evidence" reportedly showed Dorsey's picture in late September while calling another man a rape suspect. This could explain why the cable channel changed its name this week to Tru-TV.

+ St. Luke School was back in session, even though Muscogee County schools don't return to class until next Tuesday. If their students do better on those standardized tests in April, we'll know why - because Monkey Joe's and Peach Bowl Lanes didn't offer winter break reading rooms.

+ Instant Message to Edgewood Church of Christ: I watched "Turning Point" on WYBU-TV 16 Thursday night. I realize "yield" can be a challenging word to spell correctly on the screen. But when you show the misspelling "chuch" - well, which Bible translation are you using?

COMING THIS WEEKEND: This blog's fifth anniversary celebration.... what SHALL we do?!?!....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1912 (+ 33, 1.8%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

3 JAN 08: TWO-WAY -- NO WAY

Here we are in high-tech 2008 - yet an old-fashioned kind of communication is dominating our attention. Wednesday's mention of Columbus radio stations brought this e-mail:

Richard, I thought I had a problem with my radio as I haven't been able to get WRCG for days now. But then I read that you can't get it either. I like to listen to Boortz and Clark Howard. In the past I've never had trouble tuning into WRCG from the north Phenix City/SmithsStation area....

There's more to this e-mail, and we'll get to it below. But when you can't hear WRCG in the neighborhood where their tower has been located for years - I mean, Neal Boortz ought to holler loudly enough to make that happen.

Your blog was first to report Wednesday afternoon that WRCG Radio is off the air due to vandalism. A spokesperson for Archway Broadcasting says someone damaged the transmitter "during the Christmas holiday" and destroyed some vital equipment for keeping the station on the air. Hopefully it wasn't someone upset because the signal has been weak for a couple of years....

The Archway Broadcasting spokesperson admits the office has received a lot of calls wondering what happened. She says once key parts arrive either Wednesday or Thursday, engineers will begin round-the-clock work getting WRCG back on the air. In the meantime, Clark Howard listeners will have to settle for clipping coupons to save money.

(No wonder WRCG has received a lot of phone calls - the station's web site hasn't even mentioned the problem. But then, how many listeners would find the web site these days? It's not good when your own station is about #50 in a Google search.)

The spokesperson told me if all goes well with the repairs, WRCG will be back on the air sometime next week. Until then, the only broadcasting "Two-Way Radio 1420" can do is to hand out real two-way radios to loyal listeners.

This is the latest in a series of signal problems for WRCG, going back about three years. It started when the late Chuck McClure sold the station's Phenix City tower site for development around the Wal-Mart SuperCenter. A planned one-mile move of the tower turned into as big a nightmare as the thought of Antonio Carter co-hosting "Talkline."

The one-mile tower move has left WRCG hard to hear at times, especially after dark. Sports contracts with Atlanta baseball and University of Georgia football were moved to WRLD-FM "Boomer 95.3." But the poor Atlanta Thrashers stayed on WRCG - and now their hockey games are ice-olated.

I didn't realize until I researched this story Wednesday night that WRCG is planning a bit of a downgrade. The government approved a permit in October, for the station to broadcast at night with only 79 watts of power. Do you realize that's one watt for every year this station has been on the air? [True!]

One radio buff told me Wednesday Archway's big FM station WCGQ has had occasional signal problems recently as well. Now THAT would be scary - for Columbus to lose its only reliable outlet for Britney Spears music....

E-MAIL UPDATE: Let's stay on the FM side, since we heard from a couple of you about the end of The River. They corrected something we admittedly misunderstood....

Richard,

The tower for 95.7 is actually located at the northeast corner of Harris County. With the power they're running, they don't cover most of Columbus. However, they have a construction permit to move south to the southeast corner of Harris County. That signal would cover almost all of Columbus, including downtown. 95.7 can't move to the west because of required spacing from 95.3/Valley.

The move was originally proposed in order to allow 95.5/Athens to move west into Atlanta. 95.7 won't cover nearly as much area as before, but the Columbus signal will be improved.

The "Mix 95-7" name was ill advised. In addition to the confusion with "Mix 96.7" in Opelika, there's a "Mix 94.7" in Americus, which comes into Columbus depending on conditions.

107.3 had the same music format as Sunny 100 a few years ago, before the Q transitioned back to CHR/Top 40.

-Thomas

I had forgotten about that other "Mix FM" in Sumter County. Maybe WIOL-FM should have a different nickname - like "Blend" or "Frappe."

Another "radiohead" also set us straight on this station:

Hi Richard,

Mix 95.7 is not broadcasting from Lee County. It's actually supposed to move to a transmitter site in Waverly Hall. I belive it's still broadcasting from the tower near Manchester. According to the FCC site for WIOL.... they have a construction permit south of Waverly Hall on the Muscogee, Talbot, Harris County borders. When it moves to that site it will be actually decreasing power, but the coverage over the city of Columbus should improve. From what I read on some other website it's part fo an agreement reached between WIOL, WBTS in Atlanta and a 3rd station I think in Rome GA. WBTS at 95.5 wants to move closer to Atlanta but in order to do so had to get the other stations to relocate their transmitters and/or reduce power. (WBTS was originally an Athens station). WIOL already switched to Mix 95.7 a few weeks ago as I heard it on my way into Columbus from Atlanta. They are picking up the Kidd Kraddick morning show out of Dallas, TX, which might give Bob & Sherri a run for the money (if the stations signal does improve in the city).

I heard Kidd Kraddick during a road trip in Augusta a couple of years ago. His show was unlike any I've heard on FM radio - where the female sidekick utters most of the filthy jokes.

Oh yes - we promised to go back to that original e-mail. It went beyond WRCG's problems....

Also, have you noticed several long-time restaurants closed recently on the Phenix City Bypass? The Wendy's in the K-Mart Shopping Center closed before ' 07 ended and also the Bonanza which had been on the Bypass for around 30 years closed. The Bonanza was sold and changed it's name to the Wildflower Buffet which stayed open only a couple of months before it closed and the "For Sale" sign went up

Those vacant properties join the old Winn-Dixie Building which has been closed for a couple of years now and the large FoodMax building which has been vacant for years.

Do you think this shows a trend?

Just wondering

Yes, I noticed that closed Wendy's on U.S. 280. In fact, it let me down on a Saturday night a couple of weeks ago. I expected it to be open for dinner - and wound up scrambling around a poorly-lit bypass in the rain worse than a Hawaiian quarterback.

I knew the Bonanza restaurant had changed names, but I didn't realize the Wildflower Buffet already was closed. Apparently Phenix City residents prefer that buffet down the street - and are singing, "You've gotta have Hartz."

Other people have noted how the Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Phenix City has suffocated all the other supermarkets around it. FoodMax fell in 2001, followed by Save-A-Lot (which turned into Club Roc) and Winn-Dixie - showing that Circle K store in front of Wal-Mart is tougher than anyone imagined.

Let's take one more e-mail, about all sorts of things we've discussed here recently....

Thanks for an always entertaining and some times informative year..I hope 2008 brings peace to Columbus and our troops home and the "mare" of Hurtsboro out of hiding..We knew Dr Phillips wanted a castle in 2008. He is getting it by having his own throne room right off his office... Try some boric acid on some bread in a mayo jar lid..gets those roaches every time..You can buy the powder or Harris Roach pills ,same thing...

Thank you for the nice.... hey, wait a minute! SOMETIMES informative?! At least I have a bulk mail counter you can follow every day....

As for that insect suggestion - if boric acid kills cockroaches, can antacid kill ants?

Thank you all for taking time to write! Now we write a little more about Wednesday's news....

+ The high temperature in Columbus was the lowest in five years, at a chilling 36 degrees F. It was SO COLD that Columbus State University scientists who believe in global warming took heat lamps outside.

+ Freeway Ford announced (in radio ads, of course) that it's going out of business. This is what happens what Interstate 185 is declared a "scenic byway," and not a freeway....

(This is another big economic loss for Midtown Columbus. Rob Doll Nissan and Kia Autosport will remain in the Macon Road area - but it probably won't be long before the Kia dealership moves very close to West Point.)

+ WLTZ set a date for the opening of two new Wal-Mart SuperCenters. The Midland and Airport Thruway stores will open 5 March - giving a whole new meaning in Midland to "March madness."

+ Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Dale Cardwell spent his second day on a 300-foot-tall scaffold above Atlanta. Cardwell admits he's staying up there for several days to call attention to his campaign - which tells me he's having trouble raising money for TV commercials.

(Did you hear WLTZ news anchor John Beard react to the video of Dale Cardwell? Beard said on the air he's not likely to vote someone into office who sleeps outside in the cold. If Beard keeps making political comments like that, he might be out in the cold - or hoping Senator Saxby Chambliss will hire him.)

+ Georgia's Secretary of State issued a reminder that Monday is the deadline to register to vote in the February Presidential primary. Of course, by that time the choices will be simple -- because much of the news media will have crowned the nominees, based on Iowa and New Hampshire.

(WRBL noted something I didn't realize before - that you can show "tribal identification" to register to vote in Georgia. Isn't that part of the problem in Kenya right now?)

+ Auburn won its fifth men's basketball game in a row, 76-58 over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Tigers won despite having only six healthy scholarship players. The "walk-ons" played so much that they might be called "run-ons" for the rest of the season.

(Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's teams are called the Islanders. I went to Corpus Christi on vacation a few years ago, and the campus is NOT located on an island. But then again, when was the last time you saw a "tide" cover Tuscaloosa, Alabama?)

+ Instant Message to Columbus State University sportscaster Scott Miller: I've got it! A great idea for a new sponsor! Have Wild Animal Safari present the referees -- and you call them "tonight's zebras."

BIG PREDICTION: Weeks of intense pressure and close scrutiny come to a head tonight -- and I dare to predict an upset will happen. Yes, my alma mater Kansas will WIN the Orange Bowl over Virginia Tech! Now if I can only find a sports bar which isn't focused on those other contests....

SCHEDULED FRIDAY: Our own "Bowl Bash," and e-mail about one of our "25 things we didn't know"....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1879 (+ 30, 1.6%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

UPDATE 1....

2 JAN 08: THE RIVER RUNS DRY

Before you panic at that title -- no, there was NOT a New Year's Day coup, where Florida seized Lake Lanier and claimed all the water for itself....

By "The River," we mean the Columbus radio station with that nickname. In recent days, it has ceased to exist -- as Davis Broadcasting has removed the classic rock from WIOL-FM 95.7. It's either that, or what many people who have lived here for years already know: get off the rocks in the river, before you get hurt.

I wondered if something had changed with The River Sunday evening, when I couldn't tune in the station to hear Alabama play in the Independence Bowl. Then someone told me Monday morning the station now was broadcasting from Auburn - and of course, that explained everything.

(The Independence Bowl game wasn't on WEAM-AM, either. "The Zone" aired the New Mexico Bowl, then doesn't broadcast the game with Alabama?! Davis Broadcasting must be calming down about Nick Saban, too.)

The station formerly known as The River now calls itself "Mix 95.7" - and it promises to play the best songs from "the eighties, the nineties and today." You know you're getting old when radio stations which used to promote "the sixties, seventies and the eighties" have moved most of those decades to the oldies station.

(Davis Broadcasting also has unplugged all the web sites for the old format. So type in "The River rocks," and Google might give you a choice of places for kayaking.)

I finally was able to hear Mix 95.7 a bit Tuesday. The station also promises to play "a lot of music, with little talk." Translation: it's like a computerized jukebox....

The man who told me about the new Mix 95.7 offered a couple of interesting insights. He says the station sounds like it's competing against WGSY-FM "Sunny 100." That sort of radio format has been running unopposed in Columbus for a long time. But shouldn't this new sound have started while Sunny 100 played all that Christmas music?

But if Mix 95.7 wants to compete with Sunny 100, it has a big problem. By broadcasting from Lee County, large parts of Columbus may not be able to hear the signal. I found Monday that from downtown Columbus, I could hear an FM station in Dothan better than Mix 95.7. Maybe the fog drifted in from the south....

The man also wondered if Mix 95.7 might cause confusion in Lee County, where there's already a station called "Mix 96.7" with similar music. Maybe the staffs need to meet in a parking lot and - well, you know - Mix-it-up.

Speaking of Columbus radio: I tried to tune in WRCG-AM Tuesday night to see if it was broadcasting the Sugar Bowl. I couldn't hear the station at all -- but I was able to pick up a station on that part of the dial from Pell City, Alabama. Did someone shoot New Year's fireworks too close to the radio antenna?

E-MAIL UPDATE: Our year-end events have put us a bit behind on your messages. A couple have reached us about one of Tuesday's award winners....

Richard,

What are you thoughts on Cascade Hills Church?

Do you feel as though Bill was honest in his interview with you?

Have you kept up with the Ledger-Enquirer's comment blog following the news article? It is approaching 90 pages with almost 1000 comments.

What do you think will happen with Bill Purvis and Cascade Hills Church?

Is it true that you were the first person notified of the things going on at Cascade Hills many months ago?

What are your policies about sharing email and contact information with Bill Purvis or any other organization or individual?

How did you like the music when you visited the church?

Do you think Bill would talk to you again?

Do you know if it is true that since your interview with Bill, he has armed security that escorts him from his car to the stage and back at each service?

Did you threaten him or something? I wonder if he is afraid of the media? I wonder if he is afraid of the truth?

Guess who was playing the bass guitar this past weekend in place of Roy, the guy Gary Cellar kicked out of the band... Emily Cellar, Gary's wife. I think that is funny. She looked kinda funny holding that big bass guitar, but she didn't do to bad. Nothing like Roy, but she kept a bass line going and for the most part hit the right notes, something that can't necessarily be said for the singers at Cascade Hills :-).

Just Curious

Yeow -- this e-mail is more detailed than those Cascade Hills online membership applications.

Perhaps I'll answer J.C.'s first question by answering all the others. As far as I could tell, Pastor Bill Purvis seemed honest when we chatted in October [7 Oct 07]. He could well have changed his mind after we talked, about taking the e-mail rumor-spreaders to court. After all, the Bible says God doesn't change - but it doesn't say a thing about His ministers.

I didn't know about the Ledger-Enquirer's comments section on the 1 Dec 07 front-page article until Tuesday. The most recent comments seem to be dominated by critics of Cascade Hills Church. But I've noticed people tend to leave negative comments at the newspaper's web site about almost any story it posts. Perhaps the moderator only intervenes for Kaffie Sledge columns.

A few recent comments have talked about a Yahoo group for Cascade Hills critics called "Take Back Our Church." Which leads me to ask - if they don't like the church, why don't they find another one? They only have about 300 others in Columbus from which to choose....

Asking "what will happen" with Cascade Hills Church and Pastor Bill Purvis is quite an open-ended question. It's not like a U.S. Senator is coming after them, the way Charles Grassley is probing Creflo Dollar and Eddie Long in metro Atlanta. There are mega-churches, and then there are ultra-mega-churches.

I have no way of knowing if this blog was first to be notified of "things going on at Cascade Hills." I don't tend to take e-mailers to district court, and ask for their "cc lists."

If someone asked this blog about the contact information of e-mailers, I would ask the e-mailers if they objected to my passing it on. It would be their choice, and I would honor their decision. No one from Cascade Hills Church has made any such request - unless it was in one of those "e-vite" messages they send me about sports leagues.

The music at Cascade Hills Church was pop-contemporary, and I have no problem with that. But I know more conservative ministers can't stand that sort of "worship music." They practically say Satan the devil personally invented the drum....

Would Bill Purvis talk with me again? I don't see why not - since we chatted a second time, a few weeks after the October interview. At that time, the Pastor told me he actually read what I wrote. And he was pleased that I had positive things to say. Of course, Purvis has mentioned in sermons he tries to compliment people more than criticize them.

Since I haven't been to Cascade Hills Church since early November, I have no idea what sort of security detail Pastor Bill Purvis has. But would he need a security guard to escort him to his car? I remember the telecast a few years ago, when he drove on stage -- admittedly in a $100,000 Porsche. [True!]

No, I have NOT threatened Pastor Bill Purvis. For one thing, all the offering checks I left in the buckets cleared the bank -- and I wrote absolutely nothing on the "memo" lines. I mean, just because my checks have Bible verses on them....

But all the negative e-mails and web site comments may have Pastor Bill Purvis a bit insecure -- assuming he actually reads such things. Somewhere I recall Purvis saying he does NOT read negative comments. Other TV preachers have the same approach -- which must be nice, because their Savior didn't always have that privilege.

By the way, Cascade Hills Church has its own blog these days -- and its rules specifically say negative comments are NOT allowed. So congratulations to minister Kathryn Bryant, on her trip next week to the People's Choice Awards. And no, she is NOT nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a TV comedy.

Another e-mail wanted to alert us to something, about the 1 December 07 Ledger-Enquirer article on the Cascade Hills court case:

Hi Richard.

I have had several phone calls from people asking if the article regarding Cascade Hills has been removed. The article itself has been archived because it is over 30 days old, but the comment pages are still available for another 30 days. They can be accessed at http://pod01.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=911&nav=messages&webtag=kr-ledgerenqtm&tid=6486. Please pass this along so people will know how to access it.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

I can't tell from the e-mail address who sent this message -- so I hope Ledger-Enquirer religion writer Alison Kennedy isn't in hiding somewhere.

We'll hold a couple of other e-mails until later in the week, and briefly check other discoveries from the start of 2008:

+ United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley President Scott Ferguson told WLTZ the campaign is on schedule to meet its financial goal by 12 February. Hmmmm - since that's Abraham Lincoln's birthday, will the last $5,000 be delivered in pennies?

(Scott Ferguson added he's visited every agency funded by the local United Way. He admits he doesn't like staying behind a desk all day - and as we all know, that's why someone invented secretaries years ago.)

+ A Phenix City woman accused a Circle K station on U.S. 280 of selling gasoline with water mixed in, which ruined her car engine. Someone may have passed along bad information about hybrid fuels....

+ Georgia humiliated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl 41-10. I hereby take back my suggestion last summer that the Atlanta Falcons draft Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan - and suggest instead that they try to talk Georgia's Matthew Stafford into leaving school two years early.

(The Sugar Bowl telecast showed me something I hadn't seen before -- the Georgia Bulldog "Uga" being iced down along the sidelines. Did he pull a hamstring during the season, that no sportscaster reported?)

+ Instant Message to Thom Brennaman of Fox Sports: The fight song is NOT called, "Glory Glory Hallelujah." It's "Glory Glory for Old Georgia." I think the last time "hallelujah" was inserted was when Coach Ray Goff was fired.

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1849 (+ 76, 4.3%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

1 JAN 08: YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER

No party invitation? No problem! We didn't have one Monday night, either -- so we interrupt your viewing of some midnight music special for the premier awards show of 2008. Oops, that's PREMIERE. As in the first one....

We continue an annual blog tradition by presenting the Burkard Awards - honoring all sorts of accomplishments of the past year, for better or for worse. These are in no particular order -- and there's no particular prize for them, either. After all, what if I give someone a gift card that's the wrong color?

So before the Writers Guild of America shows up and begins picketing our online show, let's hand out the awards for this year....

+ Most annoying construction project: The sewer line replacement in South Commons, next to McClung Memorial Stadium. It's interrupted the Riverwalk, hindered parking at big sports events - and when it rained Sunday, Victory Drive might as well have become a fishing pond.

+ Most annoying construction project, Alabama division: the Streetscape work on Broad Street in Phenix City. I thought people actually wanted to hurry past City Hall....

+ Newly elected official who made the biggest impact: Cathy Vaughan Williams of the Muscogee County School Board. But why is she defending the new administration building, after voting against it?

+ Newly elected official who made the least impact: Columbus Councilor Mike Baker. This may be the first time we've even mentioned his name since his inauguration.

+ Busiest elected official: Marion County Sheriff Horace Snider. When you don't have time to announce the arrest of an escaped murder suspect for two months, you're simply too busy.

+ Radio program that local elected officials were most glad to see disappear: "Talkline" on WRCG.

+ Radio program that government critics most want to see restored: "Talkline" on WRCG.

+ Best guilty pleasure: Chocolate glazed donuts from Golden Donuts for 65 cents each. Starbucks can keep those fancy top-dollar scones.

+ Best new local motivational tool: Playing videos of Carver High School's football comebacks.

+ Local executive who's gained the most power: Billy Turner of Columbus Water Works. The drought proved we're at his mercy more than we ever realized.

+ Worst local stock: Carmike Cinemas, which has lost three-fourths of its value since last summer. AMC can make a buyout offer anytime it's ready.

+ Nicest surprise involving a car dealership: Carl Gregory Honda on Northlake Parkway. The service waiting room not only has cable TV, but the staff pops popcorn in the afternoon - like it's a small-scale Hollywood Connection.

+ Most satisfying surprise involving a car dealership: The Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, for listing years of violations by Bill Heard Chevrolet.

+ Most controversial church: Cascade Hills. Maybe other churches have whispering campaigns against their pastors - but at least they're kept to small group meetings, and out of district court.

+ Scariest church sign message: Central Baptist Church of Phenix City. Its current sign says: "Looking to Jesus in 2008." Some might misread that "to" as a "for."

+ Most confusing shopping complex: Tigertown in Opelika. When you have to drive around for seven or eight blocks to find a Kroger store which has minimal signs, you wonder if this was built by petroleum companies.

+ Biggest sports disappointment of the year: The San Francisco 49'ers. I adapted them as my pro football team of the year, since I turned 49 in August - and they only won four games. So I guess it's downhill for me from here....

+ Most disappointing quitter of the year: Columbus native turned Seattle Seahawk Mack Strong. He retired from pro football several weeks before Bobby Petrino did.

+ Coach of the year: Jim Morrison, for managing the Columbus Catfish to a South Atlantic League championship in a city where pitifully few people cared. He actually tipped his hats to the players as he accepted the trophy -- but notably did NOT do so to the crowd.

+ Coach most likely to demand any job or salary he wants: Carver football coach Dell McGee. If Brian Billick turns down the Atlanta Falcons, he might want to give them a call.

+ Best name for a sports athlete: Auburn wide receiver Tommy Trott. If he played for California, the students would call him "Trotsky" and not even blink.

+ Cutest TV reporter: Call me a wimp, but this is a tie - Jennifer Serda of WRBL and Stefanie Tiso of WLTZ. This is a Big Blog Question just waiting to happen.

+ Comeback of the year: Jason Dennis. He came back to Columbus television from Birmingham, you know.

+ Good guy of the year: Attorney Gary Bruce. After all, his commercials say he is.

+ Local fashion trendsetter of the year: WRBL meteorologist Bob Jeswald. He started the "casual Friday" look on TV before anybody else -- even though I thought that fad was fading out.

+ Most subtle decor change: Several places lacking Christmas decorations. The big TV stations had none on their news sets. And Heritage Park didn't have any lights, much less a tree - making me think those things were water-powered.

+ Beggar of the year: Our count jumped from eight to 12 in 2007, and we give the award to my former neighbor. He said he needed a loan after his roommate entered hospice care - and he wound up spending the money on cigarettes for himself. The roommate reportedly died. The beggar moved out. And I never got my money back - much less any cigarettes.

+ Joke of the year: We asked for your nominations, and this year we have a first - not something we wrote, but someone who was a frequent topic:

"Joke of the Year"...the mare of Hurts-boro....(is there really a mayor there?)

Believe it or not, this was NOT submitted by Constable Robert Schweiger.

(If there is one, Sandra Tarver-Yoe still hasn't contacted us. Next time we visit Hurtsboro, we'll have to walk on the other side of the police station.)

BUT SERIOUSLY: Only after we posted Monday's entry did we learn about the death of Phenix City Manager Bubba Roberts's daughter. Our sympathies to the Roberts family -- and may this be an opportunity for healing wounds across East Alabama.

SCHEDULED WEDNESDAY: A Columbus radio station makes a change.... and we face a lot of questions about one particular church....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1773 (+ 37, 2.1%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.