17 NOV 08: IT'S NOW OR NEVER

Today marks two weeks since a new mayor took office in Hurtsboro -- and already one man claims he's breaking the law. At least this leader had a political "honeymoon." I'm not sure some local high school students want Barack Obama to have one.

The new mayor of Hurtsboro is Rayford Tapley, and it sounds like he's already making changes. Tapley told the TV news the other day he's submitting the city's financial records to a group of auditors -- something he says hasn't happened there in eight years. Well, Hurtsboro IS a small town. Maybe the city treasurer simply trusted his calculator.

Mayor Rayford Tapley admits he's not sure why Hurtsboro's city records were not audited for eight years. An annual audit is required under Alabama law. But let's face it - the state's attorneys general have been busy in this decade. First they were fighting over monuments, then they started examining absentee ballots....

The mayor also says Hurtsboro will have a new police chief this week. Rayford Tapley plans to give the job to Jim Baxley, who's been serving as Municipal Court Clerk. Only a few more weeks of patience, and Hurtsboro could have had Ralph Johnson.

So isn't Hurtsboro's new mayor off to a good start? If you think so, you haven't read this blog much over the last couple of years. This e-mail reached us a few days ago:

"Sir" Richard:

I see by your latest Blog; that you have picked up another detracter! My My!! How easily folks get upset when their precious little whims are not catered too. I know you will survive, and will keep up the good work you are doing!!

I've finished licking my political wounds, and have set up my game plan for the next few months at least. Obama touted "change," but believe me. nothing has changed in "Hurt'sboro,.there are no new faces in Town Hall; they have just played musical chairs.

Mayor Tapley is orchestrating an effort to rebuild our "police" department with members of; "The over the hill gang," and have an old pal do an audit on the town's books. It sounds real cozy to me!

The old rascal (Mayor Tapley) has enough skeletons in his closet to start a memorial garden. There's quite a tale behind his efforts to minimize his bill to a tree trimmer, and of course, the "Mare" was in cahoots with him.

This attachment should emphasize the fact that; the Ol' Constable still has his one good eye on Town Hall!

Constable R.J. Schweiger

Mayor Tapley indeed told the TV news he plans to add more police officers. But he'll need to apply for the money to do it, apparently through a grant of some sort. Apparently he can't ask Hurtsboro voters for a one-cent sales tax, and put the former chief's picture on posters.

Robert Schweiger's attachment shows he's not surprised by Jim Baxley becoming Hurtsboro Police Chief. In a letter dated last Wednesday, Schweiger asks Baxley to find Mayor Rayford Tapley in violation of two city ordinances -- after only nine days in office. Older people sometimes can be impatient, because they know their time is short....

The letter declares Hurtsboro's mayor has violated a city ordinance since the summer of 2007, "by dumping or causing to be dumped, large tree trunk sections on public property...." Robert Schweiger contends such items are considered trash. But I suppose others would consider them fun things for children to climb in the Hurtsboro city park.

"Now that Mr. Tapley is the mayor of Hurtsboro; he is responsible for any violation that the city incurs," Robert Schweiger's letter continues. He then claims two police cars have been parked outside the Town Hall for months, and thus qualify as "junk cars." Never mind the fact that there may not have been any police officers to drive them....

If I understand this letter correctly, Robert Schweiger does NOT want incoming police chief Jim Baxley to move the two police cars. He wants Baxley to ticket the Hurtsboro Mayor first - or at least give him the keys, and have check under the hood first.

We held this e-mail for several days, because we wanted Mayor Rayford Tapley's side of the story. But a Thursday phone call to Town Hall was not returned. And when we reached him at home Sunday afternoon around 4:00, he was busy preparing dinner. Shame on me - I knew I should have called at halftime of the Falcons game.

Rayford Tapley invited me to call him today, so we'll try again. Robert Schweiger certainly has provided us plenty to ask. But in the meantime, perhaps the outgoing Constable should submit his "wish list" to the mayor personally - with an order for accomplishing them, and a deadline for arrests if he does not.

E-MAIL UPDATE: There's another gripe in our InBox -- this one involving Muscogee County schools....

Richard,

I was very upset with our local media after Friday night. As you know my wife and I serve on The Board Of Directors for Geoga PTA. Blanchard's PTA won a National Grant from our National PTA for their Healthy Life Styles theme that they submitted. I know for a fact that ALL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS knew about this presentation,as well as all media outlets in Columbus. What makes this such a huge event is Blanchard was the ONLY school in Georgia to receive the grant, as well only 23 schools across the COUNTRY were selected. Each school was awarded a check for $994.00 to use as they see FIT. It is a real shame that in a day when schools are being talked about in the media for BAD things taking place in the schools, here you have a school being recognized for the GOOD taking place in their school and not even ONE ELECTED OFFICIAL CHOSE TO SHOW UP. WOW!

--

Charles Lawhon

Charles may be saddened to know that I didn't see this honor mentioned on the school district web site Sunday night -- not even in the "recognitions" section. Perhaps the Jordan High School chorus drowned out the PTA members.

The Muscogee County School web site does show I missed "National School Psychology Awareness Week." Are you aware that if you give grade school students the incentive of a pizza night, they might read more library books?

I do have one question about Blanchard Elementary School. The outside sign says yearbooks are on sale now - and it also says an author will be visiting the school Tuesday. Are there any plans to combine the two, and turn the fifth-grade class into something like "Sweet Valley Grade School?"

Friday's item about our switch to HDTV brought a couple of helpful responses as well:

Hi Richard,

Channels 11 and 16 don't have digital companion channels. As low-power TV stations, they are able to "flash cut" to DTV on the same channel, but even after the "Big Switch," they will still be able to broadcast in analog. Channel 16 at least has a construction permit to broadcast in digital.

Both WTVM and WJSP want to take over channel 11 for their permanent DTV channel, so the LPTV on 11 will likely have to find a new home. Why do they want channel 11? GPB in particular has focused on VHF channels to save on their power costs. WTVM probably wants increased power relative to their permanent digital channel 9, which is limited in coverage compared to analog 9 due to the GPB's digital 8 in Dawson.

GPB is parked on many of those low power FM translator stations across GA. As I understand it, every translator station has to specify a full power station to relay, and there are restrictions about which stations can be relayed in the commercial FM band. These stations are temporarily using GPB until they can do something else.

I noticed that WJSP-FM is broadcasting in HD radio as of a couple of weeks ago. Almost all FM stations in Atlanta are already in HD, so Columbus has a lot of catching up to do.

Best,

Thomas

Wow - and all this time I thought a "flash cut" was something Knowshon Moreno did to gain yards for Georgia's football team.

I read recently about a possible change in dial positions coming to Columbus. But in this era, one station might have to be careful promoting itself as "News Leader 9/11."

A GPB engineer told me last week the Columbus radio signal at 107.7 FM has been borrowed from the WAY-FM network for a couple of years. WAY-FM seems to broadcast programs currently heard on Beacon University's station at 96.1 FM. So when Beacon goes out of business next spring, will we have a classic battle of "Way" versus No Way?

Another blog reader directed us to a web site which specializes in TV antennas. But when we entered our home address, it showed the ABC and CW Network digital signals in Columbus are on the same channel. This seems like potential trouble - although it might be interesting to see "Will and Grace" anchoring the 11:00 p.m. news.

We thank all of you who write us - and now for some short items from a relatively quiet Sunday:

+ The Ledger-Enquirer reported some of the write-in votes in Columbus races this year went to Mickey Mouse and Jesus Christ. If Mickey Mouse received more votes in a "Bible Belt" city, we should all be very concerned....

+ The Columbus Cottonmouths topped Twin City 4-3, in a game delayed from Saturday night. The delay was due to the Twin City team bus breaking down. You'd think with a name like that, they'd have a backup bus handy....

(The delayed hockey game also postponed plans to install a new scoreboard at the Columbus Civic Center. I guess even they have to make the "big switch" - although I'd be more interested in HDTV close-ups of the Columbus Lions dance team.)

+ Instant Message to Hibbett Sports at Peachtree Mall: OK, I give up. I'm stumped. Why do you have shoes for "technical running?" Are they for computer geeks, going back and forth between web servers?

Our number of unique visitors is up 31 percent from last year. To advertise to our readers, 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.

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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.

16 NOV 08: CITY ON SALE

Have you taken advantage of the big Columbus sale yet? We're about halfway through the three-month period with a reduced sales tax. So get out there and buy some things, before Mayor Wetherington makes you feel guilty in January....

Some items in Columbus had even bigger discounts this weekend. Gas stations along Veterans Parkway lowered their prices below two dollars a gallon Saturday. OK, it was only down to $1.99 9/10 -- but after what we've seen in recent months, a win is a win.

Raceway at Victory Drive and Interstate 185 apparently was the first Columbus station to fall below two dollars. I noticed their price at $1.99 at midday Friday -- yet there was NOT an unusually big crowd of cars around the pumps. I did see unusual smoke from one car, though. Perhaps someone was burning tires in celebration.

Contrary to what other web sites have posted, Columbus has NOT waited four years for the return of two-dollar gas. Our blog archives show one station was that low two years ago [7 Nov 06]. But that was a station on Cusseta Road - in a part of town mainstream media only tend to visit when a police alarm sounds.

Isn't it hard to believe that only two months ago, the best gas price in Columbus was $4.29? The price has dropped more than 53 percent since September. Here's hoping the stock market stops following that example....

But of course, some travelers may grumble about lower gas prices in other cities. An online check Saturday night found some Atlanta stations down to $1.75. I think it's due to that big-city reputation - since it sounds cool to "get down in the A-T-L."

I didn't need gas this weekend, so I passed on the low prices. But I drove to another business with a big discount - the new Jimmy John's sandwich shop in the St. Francis Marketplace shopping center on Manchester Expressway. It offered a four-hour grand opening special, of one-dollar sandwiches. I'll trade a "five-dollar foot-long" for a one-dollar line-long any day.

But surprisingly, there was NO line stretching out the door when I arrived around 12:30 p.m. Friday at Jimmy John's. Maybe that's because there were two cash registers set up, instead of Subway's usual one. So that's apparently one of the big differences - do you want it faster or fresher?

The one-dollar special applied to six basic Jimmy John's submarine sandwiches. I chose #2, a roast beef sandwich called "Big John." Which is strange, since all six choices are eight inches long -- and none of the others are called big.

This leads to more big differences between Jimmy John's and Subway. All the sandwiches are made well behind the counter. Your only option for bread seems to be French. And for some reason, Jimmy John's is big on using alfalfa sprouts as a topping -- which must explain why they're hard to find at salad bars anymore.

The Big John sandwich (with NO alfalfa sprouts) was wrapped up and in my hands in less than three minutes. But I did NOT eat it right away, choosing to save it in the refrigerator until after my Saturday evening run. The fancy Friday evening dinner takes top priority, you know - and we thank Wal-Mart for the Beef Pasta dinner in a box.

So after a four-mile Saturday twilight run on both sides of the Chattahoochee (no, I never saw that river rescue), I opened the wrapper on my one-dollar Big John - and found a lot of French bread, with not a lot of meat inside. No wonder the menu denies Jimmy John's official name, and admits the sandwiches are NOT gourmet.

But the Jimmy John's sandwich was eight inches long, while the standard size for Subway and Quizno's is six inches. At a one-dollar discount, that's OK. At the regular price of $4.49, the other guys have the first down by about three inches.

One other discount price came as a surprise to me Saturday night. I finally succumbed and decided to fire up the heater for winter, but my lighter was all sparks and no flame. I could stop and draw a comparison to my dating history here....

So I walked down the street to a convenience store, where "lighters" usually go hand-in-hand with "cigarettes." Since I don't smoke, I bought a bottle of diet soda to go with the lighter. I explained to the cashier that if I couldn't control the flame, I could douse it in a hurry.

The lighters at the counter didn't have a price on them, so I was stunned to learn they were only 69 cents. I guessed one would cost a couple of dollars - especially since it's marked as "electronic." If you lay it on a table sideways, I suppose it does have an HDTV rectangular shape to it.

If you're still looking for a discount - well, maybe I shouldn't post this. But my weekend e-mail included news of a "secret sale" at Dillard's, which ends today. Some items supposedly are half-priced, but the e-mail didn't say which ones. Hmmmm - I suppose this IS the right time to buy swimming trunks....

BLOG UPDATE: Half of the Frank Lumpkin III case is now settled. The teenager Lumpkin is charged with shooting was convicted of theft, and will spend five years in juvenile detention. Maybe now the school-skipping will end....

Defense attorney Derrell Dowdell again asked why his teenage client is being punished, while Frank Lumpkin III is free on $2,500 bond. I would have asked a different question - why the teen's case went to juvenile court in less than 30 days, while Lumpkin's charge may not go to a grand jury for months. Maybe fewer Columbus teenagers are troublemakers than we thought.

Frank Lumpkin III took the witness stand in juvenile court, and claimed he shot the teenager accidentally during a wrestling match for control of his stolen SUV. Then came a chase on foot, in which Lumpkin says he fired a warning shot into the air. If Lumpkin avoid jail time for what he did, he has a great future as a private detective on TV.

Two teenagers were sentenced to five years in juvenile detention - the admitted car thief, and the teenager Lumpkin is accused of shooting. A third teen has released for lack of evidence, while the fate of two others remains unclear. Hopefully they're not committing crimes -- and instead are spending their free time setting up strange Facebook sites.

How did we do on "poker night" Thursday? Find out at the blog getting visits from around the world -- "On the Flop!"

E-MAIL UPDATE: Speaking of Facebook, and teenagers behaving questionably....

read Richard's article about CHS...I guess that was what sound off was about today..

If you mean that "other" Richard, he wrote a lot this past week about the Columbus High School students and their "Not My President" Facebook page. The Secret Service reportedly has finished an investigation of the site, and found nothing threatening the life of President-Elect Obama. Well, nothing Hillary Rodham Clinton didn't already say was possible....

Columbus NAACP President Bill Madison called a Friday news conference to protest the "Not My President" project. He declared it's "not OK" to threaten the life of the President-Elect. Madison's right, of course - but it's sad that he has to call a news conference to tell people that. Perhaps local schools should make this their "virtue of the week."

Today's entry is getting so lengthy that we'll hold other e-mails until Monday. That's because there's a lot of weekend news to review....

+ Aflac Chairman Dan Amos announced he'll give up any rights to $26 million in "golden parachute" money in his contract. Perhaps the Aflac board should give that money to Synovus, so it doesn't need such a big federal bailout.

(I don't understand why Dan Amos is doing this. Why not put the executive compensation to a vote, at next year's shareholders meeting? They were so nice to him last spring, before Aflac's stock price dropped 40 percent....)

+ The Muscogee County School Board finally announced the names of its three finalists for superintendent. One of them is Harris County Superintendent Susan Andrews - so a contract with her likely would include a fuel-efficient car, for commuting from Hamilton.

+ Muscogee County Teacher of the Year Linda Wilkes received a replacement for her "victory car." WRBL showed her accepting one from Rob Doll Nissan, after she had to give up the one provided by Bill Heard Chevrolet. So this media event was brought to you by the letter Z....

(First Rob Doll Nissan sold a car to Ed DuBose. Now it's providing one for a public school Teacher of the Year?! If I didn't know better, I'd think Doll is about to convert to the Democratic party.)

+ Actor Danny Glover visited the Columbus Civic Center, to speak at an "Economic Empowerment Conference." So which movie director is hiring extras, and what's the daily rate?

+ Troy University blew a 31-3 third-quarter lead, and lost to Louisiana State 40-31 in college football. When I heard L.S.U. score its first touchdown on radio, I said to myself the "Comeback of the Century" was underway. I could have made this accurate prediction a lot meaner, and called it the Choke of the Century.

(The Troy-L.S.U. game made college football history, as the first one to be broadcast on radio in Navaho. To which I have to ask -- why?! Aren't the press boxes in Arizona big enough to hold one extra broadcast team?)

+ Georgia edged Auburn 17-13 in their big rivalry game. Auburn will have to beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl to have a break-even record, and qualify for a bowl game -- so it's a case where one good bowl will deserve another.

+ Instant Message to Columbus High School: I didn't realize you had an ice hockey team at all, much less a winning one. Better right now to have face-offs than Facebooks.

POEM OF THE DAY: Now a quick summary of the weather we faced Friday afternoon....

Rain at three, go running at four,

Colder this weekend -- close the door.

SCHEDULED MONDAY: Is Hurtsboro getting better or worse?.... and HDTV help from our readers....

Our number of unique visitors is now up 31 percent from last year. To advertise to our readers, 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.

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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.

15 NOV 08: O-NO-BAMA MANIA

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find the following item humorous, serious, or a little of both - but we offer these thoughts from time to time, as we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.)

"Have you reviewed Deuteronomy 17, verses 14 and 15 lately?" A 78-year-old man asked me that question before last weekend's church service. He's apparently up on obscure Bible verses - even if he needed my help in remembering the "Republican.... white man" he says ran for President.

The Presidential race actually was the reason this man brought up Deuteronomy 17. I pulled out my Bible and read aloud the verses he mentioned, then he commented.

"What did we just do? We put an African in the White House." No, this man was NOT wearing a tie with a Confederate battle flag.

I had read e-mails and heard rumblings along these lines, even before Election Day. "So you're saying Barack Obama is not a U.S. citizen, even though there's a birth certificate for him from Hawaii posted online."

"That's not my point," the man said. "He's an African. He's not an Israelite." In his eyes, apparently not even a "Reuben" on rye.

I've attended church groups over the years which believe the U.S. is part of the "lost ten tribes" of Israel. So are Britain, Canada, France - and even the state of Israel, as the tribe of Judah. Check President-Elect Obama's "B.O.-graphy" on Wikipedia, and you'll learn he descends from the tribe of Luo. Hey, that means his family probably held Luo luaus....

But I digress: the man at church contended Barack Obama should NOT be our next President, because he's not part of the nation of Israel. This took some thought -- as I didn't want to accuse the man of on-the-spot racism. After all, he actually apologized for that day several years ago when he mentioned Martin Luther King Jr. with a racial slur.

Finally I asked the man regarding the President-Elect: "Couldn't he be grafted in, as it says in Romans 11?"

"No. This is about race. Romans 11 is about the Spirit." The fact that Mr. Obama's mother is white and brought him up as a single mother apparently isn't good enough for God.

Instead of arguing with the man, I decided to take my Bible home and review the passage in Deuteronomy 17. Other religious web sites have brought it up, arguing the U.S. voters rejected God's command in their choice of our next President. If the people who selected Ruben Studdard "American Idol" haven't doomed our country, this will....

But as I looked at the verses around verses 14 and 15, I began to draw other conclusions about our country and the presidential vote. For instance:

+ Verse 17 warns against a leader taking "many wives," or collecting "large amounts of silver and gold." Wasn't it the Republican who's on a second wife, and couldn't be sure how many houses he owned?

+ Verse 18 says national leaders are to write a copy of God's law on a scroll. Have any recent Presidents done this? Wouldn't Jimmy Carter be sure to have one on display at the Carter Center?

+ Back at verse 15, the wording mentions appointing a king - not a President. Should we repent of that rebellious behavior of 230 years ago, and go back under Queen Elizabeth?

The larger issue in all of this is who actually decided the presidential race. Daniel 4 says God gives the "kingdoms of men" to anyone He wishes. If Christians say Barack Obama is the wrong leader, aren't they in effect saying God blew it? It's not like He's a baseball umpire with bad eyesight....

Earlier in the fall, the Muscogee County Democratic Party went on a voter registration drive in my neighborhood. Chairperson Alice Pate happened to knock on my door - and she seemed puzzled when I said I "gave my vote to God several months ago." Beginning at Iowa caucus time in January, I prayed He would put the right person in the presidency. And if it leads to our country's demise, Jesus should come to our rescue even faster.

If I see that 78-year-old man at church this weekend, I plan to share these thoughts with him. And I'll ask if his real point was to see who my ultimate leader is. Instead of checking genealogies for our President, maybe we should say what the U.S. colonial activists said long ago -- "We have no king but Jesus."

SCHEDULED SUNDAY: Big deals are busting out all over....

Our number of unique visitors is now up 31 percent from last year. To advertise to our readers, 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.

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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.

14 NOV 08: DIGITAL DEMONS

Who says TV wrestling is a thing of the past? I've been engaging in it all week. No, not against Mr. Wrestling Number Three. My opponent is known on television as "Rabbit Ears" - and I'm not talking about a Bugs Bunny mascot, who lost its way from Six Flags Over Georgia.

This has been a big week for me, because I officially made "The Big Switch." At midday Sunday, I bought an HDTV set. But it was NOT one of those giant screens with stereo, which can cover a living room wall. That's because I rent a small apartment, and my neighbors might not like the National Weather Service voice on "Weather Now" drowning out their radios.

My new 22-inch flat-screen HDTV cost less than $300, and was amazingly light for me to carry out of the store. I'm used to bulky sets with heavy picture tubes - you know, the tubes which look like they could double as curling stones or propane tanks.

But since I'm a guy, I didn't bother signing up for help from an HDTV installation team. I also didn't purchase a special stand for holding my set. If the screen was really THAT flat, I could do what I've done for years with collectibles and plaques. Simply lean them against the wall, and pray for no earthquakes.

Yet I'm an unusual kind of guy, because I actually opened the instruction book for my HDTV and read how to make it work. It truly must be a man's model -- because the directions explained how to start the remote control, even before I plugged in the set.

You need to put the batteries in the remote control first, because my HDTV doesn't have a power button on it. Have we become that lazy in the U.S. -- when the "on-off switch" is off, and no longer on?

The next step was taking the HDTV out of the box - and it's compact enough that the set could fit on a tabletop next to my old TV cart. I didn't have to lean the set against the wall, either. It has a base wide enough to stand on its own.... uh, well.... it doesn't have legs or feet. And I'm not tilting it, so it's not exactly (ahem) on its derriere....

An online check before I went HDTV shopping revealed my old inside antenna ought to work with my new set. So I attached its cord, turned on the remote - and after the set did an "initial channel search," I discovered I only have three main digital TV channels. WLTZ may have "the look of a champion," but it has the signal of a team that missed the playoffs.

The digital versions of the ABC and Fox stations came in fine - and since I plugged in the HDTV just in time for Sunday football, that was fine by me. Yet the Fox telecast didn't look right, because the scoreboard at the top of the screen was missing. It took me awhile to realize my set offers four options for the shape of the picture - from regular to necktie knot close-up.

It took a couple of "initial channel searches" for my HDTV to find WLTZ's digital channel. But it still hasn't found the DTV signals for channels 11, 16, 28 and 66. I understand some stations are operating their digital signals at reduced power for now - but c'mon. Channels 11 and 16 were low-power in the first place.

WRBL's digital signal comes through at my apartment, but it's quirky. If I stand in the wrong part of the living room, the picture "digitizes" or disappears. That even seems to be true if I move my hands the wrong way. Is this all a big government plot to have people try yoga?

I can hope the "Big Switch" date in mid-February will resolve some of these signal problems. But I'm reaching the conclusion I may have to go shopping again - this time for a digital TV antenna.

My new HDTV set also receives old-fashioned analog TV stations. But it doesn't get any of them as well as my old set did, and the PBS channel is barely visible. It's like Clifford the Big Red Dog is caught in a big white snowstorm....

GPB has been battling signal problems on both TV and radio. WJSP-FM is very hard to hear at 88.1 these days. I wondered if it had to reduce power because "Tropical 88.5" was told by the government to broadcast toward Cuba.

GPB's web site explains a "digital upgrade" has affected both WJSP stations, on television and radio. You may not know "digital radio" is a growing phenomenon. Troy Public Radio now has three separate FM channels. One of them broadcasts the BBC World Service - so people in rural counties can learn to speak proper English.

But a friend pointed out a big surprise to me - that WJSP-FM is also available at the other end of the FM band, at 107.7. It has the same call letters, but a signal which is much stronger in my car. Not in my apartment, though - WCGQ is loud enough to take care of that.

Is WJSP-FM planning a "Big Switch" of its own? We called the GPB office this week, and several staff members knew nothing about the simultaneous signal at 107.7 FM. But then again, the main office is in midtown Atlanta - and Columbus radio signals are heard there only when the morning temperature is unseasonably low.

A GPB engineer finally did some asking around, and explained the situation to me. WJSP is using a spot on the dial for translator signals, on loan from a religious network called "Way-FM." Isn't this strange? Christians are selling out to presumed liberals - and in the Bible Belt, no less.

BIG PREDICTION: One year from now, the phrase "Big Switch" will have a very different meaning - and refer to all celebrities who announce they're homosexual.

SONG OF THE DAY: We've even come up with a song to help you prepare for the Big Switch. Today we're at 96 days to go. And if the signal problems aren't resolved soon, we're going to be like oldies radio -- and cry 96 tears.

How did we do on "poker night" Thursday? Find out at the blog getting visits from around the world -- "On the Flop!"

E-MAIL UPDATE: Now to a Columbus court case you may have overlooked....

I felt I must write the blog in defense of Dr.Sammy Caves. He is a decent man who found himself in hard times due to others leaving him holding the bag. He would never intentionally try to defraud the federal gov't by holding back on his assets when declaring bankruptcy. Some people do not realize that Chapt 11 bankruptcy means you are going to pay off your debts and you take responsibility for them..That is the type of bankruptcy that Dr.Caves filed in court..I wish you could see the hands that would go up over Columbus if you asked: How many people got their braces from Dr.Caves when their parents hit hard times?. He either did it as a free service to help kids be proud of themselves or allowed small payments made over a period of time. Thank you Dr Caves for helping the kids of Columbus..

A check of the Ledger-Enquirer's web site shows Sammy Caves was sentenced to home confinement and probation in federal court last week. He pleaded guilty to "concealment of assets" - which a few years ago was a code phrase involving Jennifer Lopez's body.

Prosecutors say Dr. Sammy Caves filed for bankruptcy five years ago, but never disclosed in the filing that he owned a gold watch and 18 guns. If he was hiding that many weapons, he must have taken those "orange alerts" for national security very seriously.

Part of the sentencing for Dr. Sammy Caves involves providing $50,000 of free dental work to low-income residents. This is what makes the case especially puzzling - because if an orthodontist wanted to conceal valuable assets, wouldn't he hide a lot of gold teeth and braces?

We have a call pending regarding one other e-mail - so we'll move on to headlines, from an admittedly slow Thursday in the news:

+ Columbus State University students slept outside, in a campaign called "Homeless for a Night." Students at large colleges do this during the winter all the time - only they call it waiting in line for basketball tickets.

+ Alabama state records indicated 86.9 percent of Macon County voters preferred Barack Obama for President. Remember when President Bush went to Tuskegee and suggested the city improve a main highway? By next November, the city may have enough federal money to repair all of them.

+ The principal at Tallapoosa County's Reeltown High School confirmed he's barred displays of the Confederate battle flag. Tom Cochran also has asked students to avoid wearing Barack Obama T-shirts for a few weeks. These students need to learn a lesson - be like Columbus High School, and take your emotional screaming matches to the Internet.

+ Former presidential candidate John McCain appeared in Atlanta, on behalf of Senator Saxby Chambliss. Talk about a surprise! McCain's been so quiet since Election Night that I thought Sarah Palin's name would be the only one offered at the Electoral College.

+ The Associated Press reported Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps was spotted at a Birmingham restaurant, with a former "Miss Alabama USA." This was a big news story on Troy Public Radio -- while I'm not sure it would even make the first section of TMZ these days. Well, unless they both wore swimsuits....

SCHEDULED THIS WEEKEND: Are we doomed, because of the Presidential election? We meet a man who sounds that way....

Our number of unique visitors is now up 31 percent from last year. To advertise to our readers, 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.

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13 NOV 08: CHANGE AT THE TOP

The incoming Muscogee County District Attorney made her first major decision since the election Wednesday. It was a bold step, that I'm not sure anyone really expected. And it's something Gray Conger never would have done - because he's probably never had long enough hair to do it.

Did you see the dramatic video on WRBL -- as District Attorney-Elect Julia Slater had her hair cut? This admittedly shocked me. Slater styled her hair a bit like Sarah Palin to get elected, and now wants nothing to do with her....

Julia Slater probably went to the salon with an "up-do." She left with her hair entirely above the shoulders. I think that style is called a "bob" - although I didn't see former mayor Poydasheff anywhere in the video clip.

So you're probably asking why Julia Slater did this. Why make such a big cut, only days after the election? And is this a sign that she'll make big staff cuts, after she takes office?

There actually are other reasons why the District Attorney-Elect went to the salon. Julia Slater donated several inches of hair to Locks of Love, which provides hairpieces to children with a medical hair loss. I assume this program is aimed exclusively at girls - since baldheaded boys can pretend to be basketball players or professional wrestlers.

Julia Slater said she's watched a mother-in-law and personal hairstylist die of cancer in the last two years. That prompted her to make a hair donation to Locks of Love. This could become very popular in the next few weeks - as hair donations don't require you to realign your budget.

Julia Slater actually is the second local official to make a Locks of Love donation this year. Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley did it in May, several months before winning re-election. Once Slater becomes District Attorney, they can compare notes on stylists as well as criminal cases.

Julia Slater admitted there's a bit of symbolism in her big haircut -- that it symbolizes the change she plans to bring to the District Attorney's office. Can you imagine what could happen if all Democrats used this sort of symbolism? By this time next year, our President could have an Afro.

It's probably best that Julia Slater went ahead with the haircut now, before taking the oath as District Attorney. Remember how prosecutor Marcia Clark changed hairstyles, in the middle of the O.J. Simpson trial in 1995? The jury quickly decided her presentation simply wasn't consistent.

Julia Slater may be following the example of other female prosecutors. When I worked in radio news in Oklahoma during the early 1980s, the local District Attorney was female and had a shorter style. That woman still holds the position today - so short hair may succeed in a long run.

But let's face it - if Julia Slater had lost the election last week, would this haircut have been a news story? Would a TV station have bothered showing up to record it? Wouldn't some guys compare her to a stressed-out woman who learned her boyfriend dumped her through a text message?

Julia Slater's name made news for a very different reason Wednesday. She's the defense attorney for a woman awaiting trial for a series of home invasions. Soon Slater will switch to the other side of the courtroom aisle - and I'm wondering if that suspect is entitled to get at least some of her legal fees back.

BLOG UPDATE: Since we sort-of promised it Monday, we now have a picture of the new Columbus Walk of Fame. For now, it has three stars - so tourists from Canada might be forgiven if they think they stumbled onto a hockey tribute.

The Chair of the Columbus Walk of Fame committee assured us Sunday it would NOT operate like the Hollywood Walk of Fame - where celebrities sometimes can "buy" a star for thousands of dollars. Yet the Columbus stars have "sponsorship bricks" around them, including several with names of relatives. Maybe those bricks cost less than a family reunion T-shirt....

The new Columbus Walk of Fame reminded me of a similar walkway, about six blocks away. The Chamber of Commerce has a Business Walk on Sixth Avenue, yet you never hear anyone promote it as a "tourist attraction." Maybe it's because of the big Bill Heard Chevrolet logo in the middle of it.

On the other hand, maybe the Business Walk isn't promoted to tourists because you can pay for a spot on it. A little sign to the left of the walkway invites you to "Ad your name...." Yes, it's spelled like "advertisement." Give the Chamber of Commerce enough money, and people can walk over your name just like they do Tom Buck's.

Let's cool down after our walkabout, and check other Wednesday news....

+ Georgia State Senator Emanuel Jones announced he has the signed papers to take over Bill Heard Chevrolet. If he hires Zeph Baker as his general manager, Rep. Calvin Smyre may get nervous all over again.

(There's one Opelika business which could be disappointed by this news. Glynn-Smith Chevrolet probably has been packed on Mondays, due to Jimmie Johnson winning all those Sunday NASCAR races.)

+ Officials from Columbus, Mississippi visited town on a fact-finding trip. The cities have more in common than you might think. Columbus, Mississippi has a town named Hamilton to the north, a city named West Point nearby - and since it's down the road from Mississippi State University, we both want to pull out hair over college football teams.

+ The new Russell County commissioners were sworn into office. Tillman Pugh and Ronnie Reed returned to seats they used to have. And newcomer Larry Screws may have been disappointed - because principal's offices tend to have larger desks than his space in the meeting room.

+ Instant Message to the Country Music Association: First of all, why isn't it called the "Horizon Award" anymore? And how could you overlook Macon's Jason Aldean for that Best New Artist prize, and give it to a group named Lady Antebellum -- when two of its three singers are male?

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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.

12 NOV 08: MR. BIG AUCTIONEER

Well, what do you know - Bill Heard Chevrolet isn't quite out of business after all. It's simply moved the sale of some of its cars to a new location. And it didn't even bother taking over one of those vacant car lots in the middle of Phenix City.

The Tuesday evening news revealed Bill Heard Enterprises is selling used cars on eBay. You can even see the Bill Heard sign in front of many pictures - so if you haven't taken the historical photos by now, this could be your last chance to snatch one.

Bill Heard Enterprises apparently set up an eBay "store" in late May, well before the dealerships shut down. Yet a group of used cars was posted for sale there last week, well after the bankruptcy filing. Talk about getting them coming and going....

The cars and trucks offered by Bill Heard on eBay are less than three years old. The oldest model I found was a 2006 Silverado with about 25,000 miles - and it's being offered for $20,000. Some of the managers still have big mortgage payments to meet, you know.

We should note NO new cars are on sale in the Bill Heard store. They're apparently combined for sale with the dealership in bankruptcy court. Sell the building and the vehicles separately, and you have.... well, what DID Christ Community Church do with those cars near Macon Road?

So is Bill Heard Enterprises cheating, by selling used cars on eBay? One potential buyer for the dealership says no. Georgia State Senator Emanuel Jones explained Tuesday the bankrupt company still has to meet a payroll. It does?! How did the accountants and lawyers survive the shutdown in September?

Emanuel Jones adds Bill Heard's creditors must know about the sales of used cars on eBay, because otherwise it wouldn't be happening. Jones apparently hasn't read the Better Business Bureau's complaint file on the Chevy dealership.

Another sort of auction is underway involving Bill Heard Enterprises - for its dealerships. The corporate web site shows auctions were held in Birmingham Tuesday, for locations in suburban Atlanta and Las Vegas. But can you really sell new cars in Las Vegas - given the odds against winning at casinos?

The Bill Heard dealership in Columbus is NOT on the schedule for a bankruptcy auction right now. Emanuel Jones still hopes to work out an agreement to buy it, and bring back at least some of the laid-off employees. So you'll understand if those workers already are singing, "O Come O Come Emanuel...."

Meanwhile, the price of General Motors stock dropped below three dollars a share Tuesday. It hasn't been that low since 1943. With Bill Heard Chevrolet and Cadillac shut down, a lot of car customers may have given up and started shopping for Kias.

Here's what else made news on Veterans Day this year....

+ Your blog was one of several Columbus locations receiving a strange computerized phone call. A synthesized voice claimed there was a problem with my TIC Federal Credit Union account. Well yes, there WAS a big problem - as I've never had a TIC account.

+ Someone fired several shots at upper floors of the Aflac tower. No one was hurt - but this may go down as the most ridiculous attempt at duck hunting in Columbus history.

+ WXTX "News at Ten" interviewed a doctor who teaches sex therapy at Columbus State University. You wondered why enrollment suddenly jumped this fall, didn't you?

+ Georgia Congressman Paul Broun confirmed to the Associated Press he considers President-Elect Obama a "Marxist." By doing this, Broun also confirms he's becoming the Georgia Republican Party's answer to Cynthia McKinney....

(Broun bases his statement on a July speech, in which Mr. Obama talked of creating a civilian force to ensure national security. Wait until the President-Elect takes office, and learns the National Guard has been doing that sort of thing for about 200 years.)

+ American University researchers told National Public Radio Georgia had the second highest increase in voter turnout, in last week's election. Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin probably were stunned to discover the state had that many Libertarians.

+ Outgoing Opelika High School football coach Spence McCracken told WRBL he might coach somewhere else next year, instead of retiring completely. Hmmmm - does the answer depend on how Saturday's Georgia-Auburn game turns out?

+ The Atlanta Hawks shook off Chicago 113-108, and now are 6-0 to start the basketball season. If this streak keeps up, things could be very different the next time these two teams meet in late December - and I won't have to listen to the game on a Chicago radio station.

(Besides Atlanta, the only other unbeaten team in the N.B.A. is the Los Angeles Lakers. This season could come down to which team trades for Kevin Garnett first.)

+ Instant Message to Tire-Master on Veterans Parkway downtown: If all the other candidates are taking down their campaign signs, you should do the same. Especially since your sign says "Weeks 4 Coroner," and that vote was four months ago.

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11 NOV 08: LUMPKIN CENTERED

Happy Veterans Day to you. Today we mark 90 years since the end of World War I. Some called it the "war to end all wars" - but those people obviously haven't lived in Columbus for any length of time.

The latest issue which has people taking sides is the case of Frank Lumpkin III. Well, it's really more than his case - because I found out Monday the teenager he's accused of shooting was also arrested, on a much higher bond. The teen's attorney is unhappy with that, even though in some gangs a big bond would be a bragging point.

Attorney Derrell Dowdell gave several interviews Monday about the Frank Lumpkin III case, including one with this blog. Among other things, Dowdell said he's "appalled but not shocked" that his client was assessed a $35,000 bond while Lumpkin's bond was $2,500. Some would argue the teen's bond is 14 times higher because he has that many convictions....

Derrell Dowdell maintains Frank Lumpkin III should have been held on a much higher bond for shooting the teenager. He wants more charges imposed, yet he also wants the District Attorney to step aside, in favor of a special prosecutor. Don't simply go away, Gray Conger -- go away mad.

Last week's election has NOT changed one thing in Derrell Dowdell's view. He told me he wants incoming District Attorney Julia Slater to recuse herself from the Frank Lumpkin III case, as he wants incumbent Gray Conger to do. Oh dear - this could spark rumors about which judge Slater is dating.

Derrell Dowdell used to be an Assistant District Attorney under Gray Conger. He says it was "known" in recent years that Conger was romantically involved with Judge Julia Lumpkin, who's the brother of Frank Lumpkin III. Known?! I guess I need to stop by the 12^th Street Tavern more often after work.

But Derrell Dowdell says there are more important reasons why all local prosecutors should recuse themselves. He says too many prominent Columbus families are involved -- and he doubts District Attorney Gray Conger is competent to handle the case. There's an easy way to settle that doubt, of course. Delegate the case to one of those assistants....

We asked Derrell Dowdell about the issues raised in an e-mail posted here Monday. He argued if his teenage client has 15 prior arrests, that should have dissuaded Frank Lumpkin III and his friends even more from attempting a "citizen's arrest" over a stolen SUV. This assumes something, of course - that Lumpkin knew who did it, and conducted a background check first.

"They're just kids!" Derrell Dowdell contended about the people accused of stealing Frank Lumpkin III's Navigator. He said there was no justification for Lumpkin's group to show up at a convenience store with weapons. Here's hoping he makes the same comment at high schools and recreation centers -- as people there could be more likely to have that idea.

Derrell Dowdell also told me he's trying to arrange a meeting with Police Chief Ricky Boren. He wants to know why the people riding with Frank Lumpkin III were not arrested. At least no one can accuse the police of rushing to make false arrests THIS time....

In addition to that, Derrell Dowdell discussed a civil suit against at least Frank Lumpkin III. "Anyone who knows me knows I'm going to file civil action." Silly me - asking an attorney if he's going to file a lawsuit is like asking the chef at Bludau's if he plans to prepare a dinner.

Derrell Dowdell was ready to talk about all kinds of fine points, involving facts and evidence in the Frank Lumpkin III case. He seemed surprised that I haven't analyzed every detail of the surveillance tape. I eventually had to explain something to Dowdell -- I do NOT work for the newspaper.

Richard Hyatt's web site noted the other day that the Frank Lumpkin III case will go to a grand jury. But given the transition in District Attorneys, it's hard to believe that will happen quickly. The Kenneth Walker case didn't go before a grand jury until 11 months after the shooting - making that "speedy trial" slower than a baseball season.

For now, I'm content to let both sides in the Frank Lumpkin III case pile up their stacks of facts and bags of evidence -- and from what I'm reading online, they're doing exactly that. But Darrell Dowdell is sure that Lumpkin will be punished at some point. We'll see if Lumpkin owes damages, goes to prison - or if he's simply barred from the family reunion.

What do we think of the World Series of Poker's grand finale? Find out at our poker blog, "On the Flop!"

E-MAIL UPDATE: It seemed at times Monday like we couldn't please anybody. Our exclusive interview with former Rigdon Road School Principal Phyllis Jones brought a response from the reader who first raised questions about her:

Interesting Blog.

I think you better let someone else deal with the investigative reporting...you are not very effective at it. To trusting and to gullible. Of course that is better than the other so called reporting agencies around here. They are just to dishonest and under the thumb of the powers that be.

Might wanna let someone else handle the comedy because I ain't laughing. It was my tax money that was stolen...even though at least some of it was paid back.

Thanks.

Wow - I'm too trusting?! If I ever try online dating, I'll be sure to include that quote in my profile....

At least we don't trust the rumors we receive in our InBox, especially when they involve well-known people. We try to get their side of the story, so they don't get a lawyer and sue us for libel.

But at this point, the burden of proof seems to be on the rumor-spreaders. If they have evidence beyond what they've heard, we invite them to send it to us. But mere rumors usually aren't allowed in a U.S. court of law - and in Britain, Hear'Say went out of style about six years ago.

One week after the vote, the debate also continues about the Muscogee County Sheriff's race:

Richard, Only jerk is the reader who wrote that comment on your blog, the bottom line is John Darr has no leadership abilities or any ideas on what he needs change first in the Sheriffs Office. "You can't learn that by putting a leadership book under your pillow at night". Only plan that John had during his campaign was to work with his employees a novel idea considering this is where most of the changes must occur first. Never once did he mention what he going to about the over crowding issue or how is going to reestablish community relations and public trust of the Sheriffs Department.

John had once asked me outside the 4th Street Baptist Church during the campaign if would hire him back once I won the race, my response to him was "sure I would be glad too". We all know that the vote came down to party line and I could have ran as democratic and won that race. no great surprise there. John Darr could have never won that race without my consistent and relentless' attacks on Ralph Johnson, just ask anyone that attended our Candidate Forums. Ed Dubose and Greg Countryman also stated that they were very impressed with ideas I had, but they promised their support to John before they knew I was in the race. The demographics in politics will change again in 2012 and will be back with plenty of support and win this race. www.marklajoye.com

Only days before the election, outgoing Sheriff Ralph Johnson gave William Howell of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition a tour of the Muscogee County Jail. Howell wanted to see if overcrowding was a problem. It was noteworthy that he didn't offer to house any inmates himself, to ease the problem.

So to hear Mark LaJoye tell it, he was the "pit bull" in the Sheriff's race. But I would never compare him with Sarah Palin, by suggesting he wear lipstick....

But if Mark LaJoye expects Ed DuBose of the Georgia NAACP and Muscogee County Marshal Greg Countryman to change their allegiance in 2012, he could be sadly disappointed. I've only known DuBose to back a Republican on one occasion - when he bought that car from Rob Doll Nissan.

So what else made news Monday? Let's check around and see....

+ Richard Hyatt's web site reported two Columbus High School students have set up a Facebook group which denigrates President-Elect Obama with racist language. This again shows the lack of a news-related local talk show on Columbus radio - because countless rednecks would want to learn about this, and add racist comments of their own.

+ WRBL showed a wrecking ball knocking down walls at the fire-damaged Bibb Mill. The front facade facing 38^th Street will NOT be knocked down for the time being. This could be the most unusual racquetball court I've ever tried....

+ Columbus State University reported a record fall enrollment of almost 8,000 students. There's only one way Columbus Technical College can keep up with this - and I'm not sure Brookstone School would share its football field during the fall.

+ The Columbus Cottonmouths lost to Huntsville 4-2, in an unusual Monday night game. You'd think Monday night hockey could be as successful as Monday night football. There's hard hitting. There are dramatic moments when scores are more likely. If only hockey would allow players to punt the pucks with their skates....

COMING SOON: Why blogging on weekends may become more difficult than ever....

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10 NOV 08: MORE EBONY THAN IVORY

"I'm so happy that Barack Obama won...." So said a speaker Sunday at the Liberty Theatre, during the premiere of the Columbus Walk of Fame. And no, there was NO hurried effort to find a Republican and make it an official political forum....

It's probably no surprise that someone would talk about the presidential vote at the Liberty Theatre. But the big surprise was who said those words -- not Calvin Smyre, not Ed Harbison and not Carolyn Hugley, even though they all spoke during the program. It wasn't even Sanford Bishop, because he entered the theatre right as an aide said he could NOT attend.

The only speaker who dared to utter Barack Obama's full name during the Columbus Walk of Fame ceremony was Don Nahley. The 78-year-old former co-host of Rozell and Coffee Break declared: "I don't want to sound political, but I'm so happy about it." As I told someone sitting next to me, "Leave it to a white guy to steal the show...."

Don Nahley was on the program to offer a tribute to Walk of Fame inductee Fredye Marshall. She was a regular singer on Rozell's midday TV show, and Nahley recalled he sometimes gave her a ride home from WRBL. Marshall gave a command performance for the British royal family - yet METRA couldn't work out a special bus ride?!

But Don Nahley decided other speakers on the stage had told Fredye Marshall's story well, so he decided to use most of his three minutes to talk racial history. He noted his mother-in-law in south Georgia didn't like Ed Sullivan presenting African-American artists. Nahley's wife told her bluntly: "This world will be a lot better when your generation is gone."

Connecticut native Don Nahley hopes Barack Obama's election will bring the "dawning of a new age." He also wondered due to segregation, "How many geniuses have we missed....?" Not to mention the wanna-be geniuses, who make up stories about why they need handouts on street corners.

Nahley's words were noteworthy because the Liberty Theatre was packed for the Columbus Walk of Fame ceremony - and almost everyone there was African-American. Mayor Jim Wetherington described it as a future tourist attraction. So maybe the white people are waiting for the crowds to dissipate.

Walk of Fame Chair Jacquelyn Egins told your blog after the ceremony she expects it eventually will honor artists of all ethnic backgrounds. Maybe if the Jake Hess fans started holding gospel hoedowns at the Liberty Theatre on Sunday afternoons....

The Columbus Walk of Fame begins with stars for three musicians. In addition to Fredye Marshall, there's a star for Ma Rainey -- but the program for Sunday's ceremony showed her year of death as 1929, ten years too soon. If you tell relatives a woman died at 43 instead of 53, is that a compliment?

The third musician honored Sunday was 19^th-century pianist Thomas Wiggins, better known as "Blind Tom." He gained fame not only as a composer, but for his ability to repeat piano pieces others played merely by hearing them. So 100 years ahead of his time, Wiggins was a pioneer of "instant replay."

Thomas Wiggins was remembered at the ceremony by Russell County Judge George Green. Green declared he has the largest collection of "Blind Tom" material, which soon will be available to the public at his "Green Museum." I wondered what they were planning for the Russell County Courthouse, once some offices are moved.

(The judge's "Green Museum" in Phenix City is available now by appointment only. Research into Blind Tom probably has to be worked around George Green's personal attempts to be blind - as in finalizing plea bargains.)

Robert Anderson with the Liberty Theatre Cultural Center told the audience he dreams of building a museum on the other side of Eighth Avenue, to tell the stories of people on the Walk of Fame. Based on how long it took to make Ma Rainey's house into a museum, look for it to open around 2025.

Besides Don Nahley, the other unexpected star of Sunday's ceremony was Miss Georgia 2008. A few people in the audience stood up when Chasity Hardman was introduced to sing. I overheard one woman saying, "Aren't you supposed to rise for royalty?" Just because she's wearing a crown does NOT mean she's ruling the state....

Chasity Hardman went on to present an inspirational song which had people rising to applaud in the middle, then sitting, then rising again at its conclusion. Either these people thought they were at a Pentecostal church service, or they've watched "American Idol" a bit too much.

Miss Georgia also received the most embarrassing moment of the day - as she was introduced as someone who has "a secret crush on John Travolta." What does mother and minister Ann Hardman think of her daughter quietly longing for a Scientologist?

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: We regret to report our camera batteries died, so we have no pictures of the Walk of Fame ceremony. We may post some shots of the walkway Monday or Tuesday on our picture page.)

E-MAIL UPDATE: Two messages were sent us several weeks ago, which inspired a Big Blog Question on what direction this blog should take. Today we finally feel comfortable posting them....

Lets just say the principals book FAIR wasn't FARE and it is not the first time "accounting practices" have come into question at Rigdon Road Elementary....

I have heard that the principal misappropriated funds from the sale of books at a school book fair. I also heard that this is Not her first indiscretion when it comes to MCSD funds.

It seams that in Columbus anytime a person of color is accused of a crime inside the government or school district it is swept under the rug in fear that the public will cry Racism. The law would suggest that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, although I know it really doesn't work this way. However Red, Yellow, Black or White, theft is theft.

The allegations that I have heard suggest that books were sold by this principal at a book fair that belonged to MCSD and were not intended for sale. The money from the books was in turn pocketed by the principal with no records kept of the sale of books. I have also heard that a similar event took place with the same individual, not sure of the outcome of that.

In addition. It is obvious that the Ledger is controlled by the powers that be in this town. You would be hard pressed to find any truth in this publication when it comes to any of those powers.

We happened upon former Rigdon Road School Principal Phyllis Jones, outside Sunday's Walk of Fame ceremony. You may be happy to know she heard those rumors, too....

Phyllis Jones denies she reached into any accounts at Rigdon Road School for personal gain. Jones also denies speculation that she somehow manipulated test scores, so Rigdon Road students did so well. "They did the same thing to Jesus," she pointed out. That's true - except He didn't have the option of taking a nice retirement package.

So why did Phyllis Jones suddenly decide to resign as Rigdon Road Principal last month? "It was TIME!" she said with a smile. She's 55 years old, and wants to have free time to enjoy life. I should have asked her where she's stashed all the investment money to afford that....

Phyllis Jones decided it was time to retire over Labor Day weekend. She says she was with her husband and friends in Charleston, South Carolina - and she had to get to Columbus before seeing all the historic homes. Do you see the sacrifices people have to make, when they're in charge of year-round schools?

Even though she's retired from Muscogee County schools, Phyllis Jones tells me she's keeping busy. She's doing consulting work for a couple of rural schools in south Georgia, and has finished more than 80 pages of a book. So wait a ew months, and Jones may answer all the other Rigdon Road rumors - for a price.

In the meantime, Phyllis Jones is planning vacations to Canada and Alaska. She also has other things to do: "I want to go to a wrestling match...." Yes, as in professional wrestling. Somehow I can't imagine Jones holding up a sign saying, "Rigdon Road fears the Undertaker."

We promised one other e-mail today, which relates to the Frank Lumpkin III case:

Hi, Richard!

Just curious if those fine television reporters you work with are going to now do a followup with the heartbroken mom of the teen shot by Mr. Lumpkin? Afterall, it was the newsleader's exclusive featuring mama cryin about her little boy wasn't it? Here are some suggestions for the "newsleader" to ask this mother of the year! What kind of mother let's her child skip school for three years? There ARE laws against it. And how is her precious baby so innocent with a rap sheet a mile long including 15 priors? Enquiring minds want to know the rest of the story Richard, please track mama down for some real must see TV!

Good Luck!

Robbie

This is referring to a story in the Ledger-Enquirer last week, which detailed the teenager's juvenile court record. But if prior convictions automatically mean someone is guilty of stealing a car, then President Bush must have been drunk at all his White House state dinners.

The phone number of the teenager's mother is NOT made clear by the Columbus phone book, so we called the teen's attorney. As of Sunday evening, two calls to Derrell Dowdell had not been returned. Perhaps we'll have to wait for the next news conference - where the mother might appear with the head of a home schooling committee.

Let's wrap things up with some other sights from a lovely fall weekend....

+ An afternoon walk near South Commons found a crew watering down the warning track at Golden Park. What a nice reminder that.... hey, wait a minute! Why do that at a baseball stadium, when there's no current team there? And besides, doesn't that water risk another flooded outfield?

(The Golden Park lights have been on after dark a few recent evenings. Either the city is trying to attract another baseball team, or we've found this year's holding pen for SOA Watch demonstrators.)

+ Georgia State Senator Emanuel Jones told WRBL he's working on a deal to buy Bill Heard Chevrolet. Is this really a good solution? If a customer tries to sign an agreement for a car, Jones may propose three amendments and one committee substitute.

+ The Atlanta Falcons nipped New Orleans 34-20, and are now 6-3 on the year. Did you see Joey Harrington on the Saints sidelines, backing up quarterback Drew Brees? I'm sure Harrington is more comfortable there -- with so many more clubs for playing the jazz piano he loves.

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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 NOV 08: SEEKING STRIKE THREE

If you thought we could get a breather from local politics after Election Day, think again. Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin already have TV commercials on the air, for the Georgia Senate runoff in December. And suddenly, Martin has the courage to mention the name Barack Obama in his ads.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Today we present the first candidate for Muscogee County School Board in 2010. The indefatigable Bert Coker reveals to your blog he plans to run. We should stop here, to allow Coker to look up the word "indefatigable" - to learn how to say it, and see if that's a compliment.

Bert Coker was a write-in candidate for mayor in 2006, and received less than 100 votes. Then he ran for Columbus Council this week, and received about 30 percent of the vote. Now Coker says he'll attempt the trifecta, by running for school board -- and if his support grows another 30 percentage points, school board meetings may become the most entertaining event in town.

Based on the map of school board districts, it appears Bert Coker will challenge John Wells in 2010. One man wears cowboy hats. The other has run with bulls in Spain. Are we in Columbus or Fort Worth?

(But hey, I've got an idea - let's arrange a debate, the next time Pro Bull Riding comes to the Civic Center.)

Bert Coker disclosed his plans for 2010 when we called him about a very different issue. A source told us Coker never called Skip Henderson, to congratulate him about winning the at-large Council race. "That shows you what sort of man he is," the source asserted - and unlike the big word above, that was not a compliment.

Yes, Bert Coker admits it - he did NOT call Skip Henderson to congratulate him Tuesday night. But Coker has an explanation for it. And surprisingly, it's NOT because Coker plans to do it in person at the next Columbus Council meeting....

Bert Coker says he called Skip Henderson twice during the campaign, seeking a gentleman's agreement to not turn negative. Coker claims Henderson never called him back, even though Henderson had called several times to answer Council-related questions. Maybe Henderson feared revealing some deep campaign secrets - like how he supports base realignment.

"He didn't act like he knew me," Bert Coker contends - claiming in Skip Henderson's eyes, "I was a piece of meat." And in the eyes of many politicians, Coker is tough and stubborn enough to require a full can of Adolph's tenderizer....

On top of that, Bert Coker claims Skip Henderson's son pulled up some of his campaign signs. This not only is unethical - it ruins a perfectly good opportunity to aerate soil.

But Councilor Skip Henderson gave a very different story, when we called him Friday afternoon for a reply. Henderson says Bert Coker only called him once during the campaign - and went on to conduct a race filled with "personal attacks." I didn't dare ask Henderson whether or not his mother wears Army boots.

Skip Henderson added Bert Coker has a tendency "to fabricate facts from time to time." For instance, the Councilor seriously doubts his son pulled up campaign signs. But he'd better be careful - because Coker has all of 2009 to call police for fingerprint dusting of those signs.

(But then again, Skip Henderson could be right about his son. This election year has taught us if any hanky-panky happened, Josh McKoon would have alerted the news media right away.)

Skip Henderson recalled when Gerald Ludwig ran against him in 2004, Ludwig picked up 18 percent of the vote. Henderson says the 30 percent or so collected by Bert Coker this year simply reflected votes against an incumbent. Gray Conger must be wondering how Coker made so many other voters angry at him.

Bert Coker offered one other interesting campaign story, which you may or may not choose to believe. He says on election night at the Marriott Hotel, an eight-year-old boy came up to him and offered a 50-dollar bet on the outcome of his Columbus Council race. No wonder I heard a church pastor declare this weekend the Internet is "terrible" - it's spawned a wave of young gamblers.

Bert Coker told the boy he couldn't accept a bet like that, since he was running for office. You'll notice Sarah Palin didn't put a case of Alaskan salmon on the line this past week, against the Obama daughters' puppy....

The boy's family apparently backed Skip Henderson in the Columbus Council race - but as the night wore on, the boy became sleepy. Bert Coker says when he saw the child on a couch, he covered the boy with his coat. The coat had Coker's name tag on it. He should be thankful the stunned family which found it didn't press charges.

How did our Thursday night of poker go? The answer awaits you at our other blog -- "On the Flop!"

E-MAIL UPDATE: Another defeated candidate suddenly is the hottest topic in our InBox. First we have this follow-up from that candidate....

Richard, I will be be running in as a Conservative Republican in 2012. www.marklajoye.com

This certainly will be a change, when it comes to the Muscogee County Sheriff's Race. Ralph Johnson made it a point to run as an independent. Sheriff-Elect John Darr and Robert Taylor in 2004 ran as Democrats. The last "Law and Order" Republican in Columbus became a police chief in Chattahoochee County - and now Ken Suddeth must be in hiding somewhere.

But another reader has a different view of Mark LaJoye:

This guy is a total jerk and everyone in the Sheriff's Office was opposed to him. No one likes him and that's why he had no chance and will have no chance again in 4 years. John Darr will succeed and will be a great leader. He has the morals and attitude that anyone would want in their leader. John Darr will succeed and will bring respect and honor back to the Sheriff's Office. Thank you.

Everyone's opposed to him?! But a Mark LaJoye supporter claimed John Darr's election will lead to an exodus from the Sheriff's Department [7 Oct]. So maybe a personnel shuffle was inevitable - with Columbus Police salaries suddenly looking much more tempting.

We have one other e-mail which is more of a dare, and we'll address that Monday. Now let's check some other weekend discoveries:

+ Which area town is demanding a man dressed as Santa Claus appear to promote a December activity - and unless Santa appears, no one will show up? Fort Valley State doesn't get this desperate, and demand the team mascot recruit students.

+ A jog downtown revealed the old Bradley Theatre plans to reopen soon, as "The Fat Cat" nightclub. So much for asking for diet soda there....

+ WRBL reported local sales of assault rifles have jumped since Tuesday's election. One man told me this weekend President-Elect Obama wants to impose a tax on ammunition. If the estate tax can be called the "death tax," would something on ammunition be called an "attacks tax?"

+ Columbus High School won the Georgia AAA cheerleading championship at the Civic Center. WRBL showed part of the squad's routine, where a girl walked across the arched backs of her teammates. This is what happens when a team is sponsored by a chiropractor.

+ Alabama won "Saban Bowl II" at Louisiana State, 27-21 in overtime. With Florida winning over Vanderbilt, an Alabama-Florida meeting for the Southeastern Conference title already is settled. The "parity line" in college football must extend up Interstate 85, from Auburn to Athens.

(Alabama radio announcer Eli Gold declared the official announced attendance which "the fire marshal allows" was 92,400. But CBS announced a record Baton Rouge crowd of 93,039 - which must have included all the photographers along the side of the field.)

+ Auburn won its "Senior Day" game in college football. The final score was 37-20 over Tee Martin, which must have been.... no wait. It was T-N-Martin. Like Tennessee....

+ Instant Message to the person running a funnel cake tent on Second Avenue, outside the Villa Nova package store: I noticed you didn't have the overflow cheerleading crowd this weekend, compared with the Fountain City Classic. So what sort of wine goes best with a funnel cake?

BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $2.09 a gallon at Fuel Tech on the 280 Bypass in Phenix City.... milk for $3.28 a gallon at Wal-Mart.... and Barack Obama's name to come up during every African-American church sermon in Columbus....

Our number of unique visitors is now up 31 percent from last year. To advertise to our readers, 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: 871 (+ 29, 3.4%)

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.

8 NOV 08: THE EXTRA 100 YARDS

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find the following item humorous, serious, or a little of both - but we offer these thoughts from time to time, as we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.)

"Did your cashier greet you today?" A little computer pad asked me that question Friday afternoon, as I checked out of a Wal-Mart store. But I thought they already had greeters stationed at the entrance. Uh-oh - is there another layoff announcement coming?

I had to click on the NO button to that computerized question, which came up while my list of groceries was on the screen. The cashier directed me to her lane, but she didn't really say hello. That's partly my fault - as I wandered across several checkout lanes, trying to save five cents on 20-ounce soda bottles.

If you're not familiar with Wal-Mart checkout lanes, the plastic bags are arranged in a triangular set-up on a turntable. Cashiers can spin the turntable around, to fill three of them in a hurry -- as if they could double as DJ's at a nightclub on weekends.

Several bags of groceries quickly filled my shopping cart - but I took care to double-check the turntable one last time before I left. A bag might not have been turned in my direction. Yet the cashier moved on to the next customer, so I presumed all was well. Well, except that she didn't seem to greet THAT customer, either....

As I rolled my cart out the door and toward my car, I heard a voice say, "Sir! Excuse me!" For a moment, I chose to ignore it. Beggars standing outside Wal-Mart have a wide range of people to approach....

But then I turned around - and the cashier who had checked me out was walking quickly toward me in the parking lot. She had a bag of canned goods, which I had left behind. We had both missed it. Of course, I would have spotted the error once I returned home - and I might NOT have "greeted" the cashier, after making the long drive back.

Some grocery cashiers never would have done what that woman did. They would have stuffed the extra bag under their counter - and it's anyone's guess what could have happened from there. My can of cranberry sauce might not have even wound up at the House of Mercy.

My thanks to that woman for displaying good customer service. It's something we ALL really should do - and when we do, we follow another legendary example. Jesus said in Luke 22 He came "as one who serves." He served all the way to death - and believers have faith He's still serving today. If you start believing in Jesus through prayer, you may wind up with eternal life. And that's far better than a bag of groceries.

COMING SUNDAY: Leftover accusations about the local election, and an announcement about 2010.... all from the same person....

Our number of unique visitors is now up 31 percent from last year. To advertise to our readers, 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: 842 (- 103, 10.9%)

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.

7 NOV 08: CHEF TELLS

So I'm watching the 12:00 noon news Thursday, and learn something I never knew before. Mr. Food declared it was "National Men Make Dinner Day." That's easy for him to say - since he makes dinner during the news almost every day of the week.

In most regular families, it's probably a big change of pace when the man of the house prepares dinner. When I was a boy, Mom had to spend occasional stints in the hospital - and Dad seemed to make only one real specialty. Toasted bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches admittedly became old after a couple of days.

My late father wasn't the sort of man who would put on an apron and fire up a grill during the summer. In fact, we didn't own a grill. And this was in the pre-microwave era, when a toaster oven in the kitchen was a VERY big deal....

But I've surprised some people over the years, who think Mr. Single Guy goes out to eat all the time. In a typical week, I do it only once - on Saturday nights, after my twilight run. I replenish all those burned calories as fast as I possibly can.

During the recent vacation blogging, I noted I took a "Chef's Class" in eighth grade. It was a bit like home economics, except it was males-only and emphasized cooking. Our big "coming out event" was a field trip one morning to a supermarket.

Then during college, I lived in a "scholarship hall" where about 50 students did all the duties - including teams preparing lunches and dinners almost every day. We were on our own to prepare most breakfasts. But there was a special incentive to wake up early on Saturday mornings. Otherwise, the specially-delivered doughnuts might be gone.

I don't really remember how it happened -- but in the transition after college, I started cooking for myself on a regular basis. People ask if I "cook from scratch," but that can be a tough question to answer. If you follow the instructions on the Hamburger Helper box, does that count?

Through hand-me-downs from my mother followed by her death, I gained a full set of pots and pans - then a nice complete set of Corning dinnerware. I also inherited her set of stainless steel.... uh, well.... if it's stainless steel, you can't call it "silverware". And if the spoons and forks are arched, why do people call them "flatware?"

I still use those hand-me-down items today, almost 25 years after my mother died. And my cooking schedule has become relatively routine. On this Friday, I plan to make a nice big dinner to start the seventh-day Sabbath. Since I'm single, there probably will be enough leftovers to last three or four days beyond that.
And as a result, they actually do NOT "know me at Applebee's."

If there are days left over in the week after eating leftovers, I'm prepared. My kitchen pantry is stacked with canned items for dinner - primarily cans of chili. It's inexpensive to buy. It's simple to heat and eat. It fills me up. And the beans make sure my body is (ahem) properly cleansed.

Then there's the freezer, which has several dinners waiting. For years that meant store-brand frozen pizzas or Banquet chicken dinners, but that trend is changing. Lean Gourmet dinners are becoming an inexpensive alternative -- although they seem weird to buy, because I'm neither lean nor a gourmet.

There's a shoe box filled with recipes in my home. But it's stashed under the TV set in the living room, and I hardly ever bring it out to prepare anything special. Shame on me for that - as I get too busy watching TV to pull out anything under it for dessert.

As it happens, today is my twice-a-month big grocery trip. So if you run into me at the supermarket, keep Mr. Food's announcement in mind - as this man makes dinner more than one day a year. In fact, it would be nice to find a girlfriend willing to volunteer on a fill-in basis for Thanksgiving weekend....

How did our Thursday night of poker go? The answer awaits you at our other blog -- "On the Flop!"

E-MAIL UPDATE: Your campaign comments keep on coming. We start with one about an Election Day construction crisis....

From the who gives a cr*p file...Bill Madison's complaint about the paving project keeping voters from getting to the polls just goes to prove how uninformed and misinformed anybody can be. First of all, the employees of Robinson Paving didn't schedule the paving project on election day. They are hired to do a job. Their job has to be done when the weather permits. Election day is just another work day, plain and simple. As to the "inexperienced workers" handling traffic, that's not Robinson's job. I'll match Robinson's workers and their "experience" in what they do as compared to what Madison does with his "inexperience" in his job any day of the week and twice on Sunday, as the old saying goes. Once again it comes down to Madison just doing what he is definitely most "experienced" in....complaining. He no doubt has labeled a complaint against the DOT and Robinson Paving in the past for referring to their job as "blacktopping" the road surface.

The road work at Buena Vista and St. Mary's Road had been underway for at least a couple of weeks before Election Day. I drove through that area one Saturday night and noticed that. If the crew followed the Atlanta approach and worked on a Saturday night, we might not be having this discussion.

NAACP President Bill Madison may be among the people who want Election Day made a holiday, so everyone gets the day off to vote. Actress Kerry Washington expressed this view, when she made a campaign trip to Columbus in January. Republicans might go for this under one condition - that it be combined with Veterans Day.

When I was young, I heard a Methodist pastor give a sermon warning about pejorative "black" phrases in our society. But Bill Madison might not mind "blacktop" right now - since a "black man" is on top of the polls.

Speaking of "That One" on top....

President Elect Obama may be the best thing to happen to generations of boys that no longer can fall back on the absent father excuse. And to think I voted Republican.............................

Thoughts along that line have occurred to me, too. If I see an African-American person doing something wrong, I'll simply ask: "What would Barack Obama think?" It could work like those Santa Claus threats in December - except Mr. Obama is real.

Dropping down to the Muscogee County Sheriff's race:

hey-rich-

you know that mark la joye person who is writing you, are you sure he is the real thing, lajoye! I mean he has very unprofessional language, and he is very well, not what you might expect from a sheriff. do you think it is someone else impersonating him? If not, maybe it is a good thing he did not get sheriff- seems kinda mean. and, the constable, tell him to come on over to this side of the river and do his thing here.

I have no evidence to indicate our messages from Mark LaJoye were bogus. In fact, 12 e-mails came from an address which matches the contact page on LaJoye's web site. Based on that, Sheriff-Elect John Darr might replace my "Idiot of the Week" title with one for Special Online Investigator.

Let's take one more e-mail, about Muscogee County schools:

Richard..When do the new members of the MCSD board take office,before or after the supt.selection? The Ledger said the candidates are interviewed by different boards around town..Do these board make suggestions as to their selection for the position?

A check online of the school district's policies shows the new board members officially take office 1 January. But I recall newspaper stories from recent years, where at least one board member hurried to a judge in December and took the oath early. Yes, the distrust is THAT deep....

Exactly when the school board will select a new superintendent is an open question. Keep in mind the position was posted on a Georgia state web site back in February. But when a special meeting was held Wednesday to trim the field of candidates, some thought that was a big post-election rush.

Didn't the Columbus Chamber of Commerce send a letter to the school board, offering to help find a superintendent? Groups such as that might be offering some advice. But State Senator Seth Harp advised against building the new administration building, and we know where that stands....

We still have a phone call to make on another e-mail. So we thank all of you for writing, as we move on to some Thursday headlines:

+ The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer announced it will have a special edition Sunday, on the presidential election. Some would say this proves the newspaper has a bias - but look at it the other way. If the Republican ticket had won, barbecue restaurants would be under pressure to add moose to the menu.

+ Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle spoke at the Columbus Diabetes Summit. But he said it's too early to talk about him running for Governor in 2010. From what I saw, Cagle also thinks it's too early to wear a "Saxby in the Runoff" button.

+ WRBL revealed Phenix City Fire Chief Wallace Hunter is filling in, as interim City Manager. We don't want to hear any department manager complain about getting "hosed" with their budgets....

+ Federal agents ended their on-site investigation of the Bibb Mill fire. They left without making any definitive statement about a cause. But I suppose with a fire this big, finding the cause is like finding a matchstick in a haystack.

+ The late-night news revealed the Metro Narcotics Task Force helicopter now has a "thermal imaging" device. One officer said it can spot someone "smoking a cigarette from 10,000 feet." So stay out of those no-smoking sections downtown or else....

(The Sin City Inquisition and Bar-B-Q blog reported the narcotics helicopter flew over part of Ladonia during the afternoon -- and Columbus Police cars were there as well. It's not clear why they were there. But this seems like a lot of effort to track down a runaway police recruit.)

+ The Landings shopping center on Airport Thruway turned on its holiday lights. Aw, c'mon - this is getting ridiculous! Isn't there a rule that Sunny 100 FM has to start playing Christmas songs first?

+ Shaw clobbered Kendrick in high school football 43-6. The Raiders will make the playoffs with a 4-6 record - which for several years has been about the only way Kendrick could do it.

+ Instant Message to all evangelicals: You know, maybe there IS something to this stuff about Barack Obama being a messiah. Did you notice his Chief of Staff is named Emanuel?

Our number of unique visitors is now up 31 percent from last year. To advertise to our readers, 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: 945 (+ 27, 2.9%)

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.