Lumberton Informer

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Sadly, when it comes to elections in Lumberton, we're insane. For some reason, the people of Lumberton elect the same people over and over again and they expect different results. Why? If I knew the answer to that question I wouldn't spend so much time trying to shed the light of accountability on city hall. Last week, the board voted to accept the resignation of Mayor Ben Winston, who decided to leave the world of politics after losing to Warren Byrd....AGAIN. The board was going to set a date for the special election but Alderman Kent Crider asked the board to wait to set the date because he wanted to see if he could convince the taker of shinny things, Alderman Hugh James McGraw aka Jay McGraw, to resign. In the course of a week, Crider has designated himself as the negotiator because he's planning on running for the mayoral position. Interesting. In an interview with t...

Apparently, there are some that are confused by something I said in a video post earlier. There are two things that make allows the United States to stand out among other nations and that’s the freedom of speech and the right to vote. I said earlier that I would no longer blog about Jay McGraw if he resigned but I can blog about anyone as long as it is not a written defamatory statement; something that’s otherwise known as libel. When it comes to public officials, the burden of proof is higher and actual malice must be proven in the defamation case. There are some that thought the news of the resignation of Mayor Ben Winston would prevent me from blogging about him and that is not true. The readers of this blog know I have made several references to former elected officials regarding their actions while they were in office. As a courtesy, I probably won’t blog about him after today unless I’m referring to his duties while he was an elected official. After all, Winsto...

For a moment, I thought there wasn’t going to be a meeting. The clerk was not in the board room but as Tommy Dukes, Cora Rogers and Kent Crider entered city hall, they went directly to the clerk’s office by-passing the board room. Was there a meeting before the meeting? Alderman Quincy Rogers came in the board room and then the rest came in one by one. Ben Winston was not there because he was either trying to bail his friend Jay McGraw out of jail for stealing….AGAIN or the most logical reason, he was at the voting precinct trying to garner more votes. In his absence, the board members seemed confused about starting the meeting. Alter woman at large, Cora Rogers finally called the meeting to order. Interestingly, she has been on the board for two years and was looking at the agenda like a calf looking at a new gate. In other words, she was totally lost. She was so slow and it took almost 30 minutes to address one agenda item because she didn’t understand what was...

DISCLAIMER: Every day we're reminded that we live in a litigious society. Unfortunately, telling the truth is now deemed offensive and could result in you getting sued. As a result, I feel it's necessary to include a disclaimer before writing this post. The meme attached to this post is for satirical purposes. I am almost certain that those offended by the meme will be the same people that are not familiar with the term satirical. The word satirical is a derivative of the word satire. Satire is defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or voices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. The meme used in this post does not imply that any elected official in the City of Lumberton is a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Any inferences made by the readers of this blog is based on their personal knowledge and experiences with the elected officials. Now that I've gotten that ...

When I walked in the board room, those present were laughing and talking loudly. By the time I took my seat, they were whispering. The rest of the board trickled in sans Alderwoman Cora Rogers. I guess she couldn't hold up to her promise that she was going to vote for the negotion with the Gold Coast Skydivers to keep 10 trailers at the airport. Just a month ago, she was saying how happy she was that the trailers woukd be off the property. Telling half-truths and flip-flopping. It looks like Cora is well on her way to a dishonest career in politics. The room was still filled with whispers and then she walked in smelling like cigarettes and regrets. When I saw her friend following her in I knew she was getting rehired. I looked through the agenda and didn't see her name and I didn't see any postings of the job in the newspaper so I felt I was overreacting. But after she sat down, I noticed Jay McGraw wasn't flailing and threatening to leave the sandbox, I knew somethin...

Tomorrow is the start of a new school year in Lumberton. It's also the day of the "Be a Hero" blood drive that will be hosted by the Lumberton Public Library. In collaboration with the Summer Learning Program, the Lumberton Public Library is hosting the "Be a Hero" blood drive. The even will take place at the Lumberton Public Library on Wednesday, August 5, 2015, from 12 pm until 5:30 pm. Volunteers and donors are needed. If you are interested in helping, please contact the library by calling 601-796-4227. Wednesday, August 5, 2015, also marks the beginning of the 2015-2016 academic school year in Lumberton. Sadly, the svhool year is beginning without a beloved student, Jayla Hope Sandifer. We continue to pray for the Sandifer and Bolton families during their time of bereavement. We also pray for the students, teachers, administrators and support personnel as they enter a new year. Dear God, Thank you for the gift of children. Please watch over them...

I can't recall the last time I voted in a Republican primary but it's so important that we retain Warren Byrd as Lamar County Supervisor of District 2. On Tuesday, August 4, 2015, I ask you to join me in voting for Warren Byrd. It would be hard to find someone whose election had a bigger positive impact on local government than did Warren Byrd's selection by voters to be Lamar County's District 2 Supervisor four years ago. When Warren Byrd took office, he had to start from scratch because his predecessor, Ben Winston, neglected most of the district he was supposed to represent; namely the City of Lumberton. Warren Byrd has managed to adequately represent the entire district and that's why he deserves another four years. Warren Byrd can be counted on to keep pushing to make county government more efficient, transparent and citizen-friendly. When the residents of District 2 elected Warren Byrd four years ago it served as proof that we were no longer chained to t...

When I attened the political ralley at Wood-Hinton Park in Lumberton, I believe the only candidate for Lamar County Constable, District 3 present was E. L. "Scooter" Coker. Coker was very down to earth and knowledgeable about the post of Constable. Coker has served in the field of law enforcement for an impressive 23 years. I was surprised to discover that Coker's desire to serve others and his community began when he bevame a volunteer fireman. Coker's main goals, once elected, are to provide peace of mind, implement the laws of the State of Mississippi by increasing patrol, serving civil and civilian process, excuting warrants, evictions and replevins professionally and effectively. Coker promise to honor the position of Lamar County Constable, District 3 and use his position to help clean up Lamar County through whatever opportunities he's given. Coker said "As Constable I know I would be more productive in my individual capacity to aid law enforcement ...

Cody Creel is one of the candidates seeking your vote for Lamar County Coroner. Creel was at the Lumberton Political Rally a couple of weeks ago and while greeting potential supporter, he rushed to aid a citizen of Lumberton that was having complications from the extreme heat. Cody Creel has a campaign page on Facebook: Lamar County Coroner Elect Cody Creel. There you will find more details about his campaign and a video explaining why he's seeking office. A Lamar County resident had this to say about Cody Creel: "Politics is not something I normally talk or post about, but a very special friend of ours is running for Coroner in Lamar County. Cody Creel is Derek's Guardian Angel. Cody was the EMT on the ambulance the day he had his heart attack. Derek coded twice and Cody revived him back. So I'm asking you to Please vote for this kind man."-Lisa Carroll Smith

I don't know how I missed the second email attachment. There were two (2) letters submitted to the Army Corp of Engineers from the City of Lumberton; one dated June 15, 2015 and the second letter dated June 29, 2015. In the letter dated June 15, 2015, there's a outline explaining how the City of Lumberton plans on obtaining the $641,375.00 needed for the non-federal share (25%) required to secure the grant. According to the letter the money will be obtained from the following sources: ● Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) CAP Loan, ● Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) Revolving Loan Fund, ● South Mississippi Planning & Development District, ● MDA Small Municipalities and Limited Population Counties Grant Program, ● MDA Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Public Facilities Grant Program and ● Local funds as needed. The second letter, dated July 29, 2015 is probably the letter Mayor Ben Winston, Alderwoman at Large Cora Rogers, Alderman Jay McGraw...

Guess what I received today? The copy of the letter Mayor Ben Winston presented to the Army Corp of Engineers that claims the $641,375.00 needed to pay the matching portion of the water and sewer grant is in the City of Lumberton's general fund. Is this general fund part of the budget you claimed you didn't know how much it contained for almost a year? Or is this a secret general fund account? Board meeting after board meeting after board meeting you, Ben Winston, said we didn't have any money and that's why we can't have the legally required number of police officers on duty. We don't have enough , oney in the budget to have a full time court clerk. We don't have enough money in the budget to pay for repairs or replacement of the police cars. But somehow, in a letter to the Army Corp of Engineers dated June 29, 2015, you make the claim that there's $641,375.00 in the general fund account. So Ben, if you have any capacity for telling the truth, which l...

This past weekend, I met this engaging young couple that were out campaigning for Martin Hankins. They were going foor to door and I happened to be home. We talked for a few minutes and they knew a lot about the candidate they were supporting. I know it's impossible for the candidates to personally greet every voter in the County but if you have people working the campaign trail, you may want to take a cue from Hankins and make sure your volunteers are friendly and knowledgeable; they represented him well. In case you didn't know, Martin Hankins is looking to become the next Lamar County Circuit Clerk. Hankins is currently serving as Alderman at Large for the City of Purvis, Mississippi. Hankins primary goal is to "Insure the integrity of the voter registration and election process of Lamar County are upheld." To hear more about why Martin Hankins is seeking the position of Lamar County Circuit Clerk, visit his Facebook page, Martin Hankins for Lamar County Circui...

Amy Lott is one of the candidates seeking the office of Lamar County Circuit Clerk. Lott attended the political rally in Lumberton but I didn't get the opportunity to interact with her. I'm not clear about her platform but you can go to Super Talk 97 to hear her speech. I visited the Amy Lott for Lamar County Circuit Clerk Facebook page but it's mostly pictures. I know campaigning can be hectic but I cannot stress enough the importance of updating your social media site; especially if it's purpose is to promote your platform. In the "About" section of the Amy Lott for Lamar County Circuit Clerk Facebook page, it was stated that Amy is "Seeking to serve as Circuit Clerk while sustaining the quality of Lamar County through integrity, honesty and experience. "

Hoyt Tyner is one of the many candidates seeking the position of Lamar County Circuit Clerk. Tyner's campaign tagline is Honesty ● Integrity ● Trust. On a campaign flyer, Tyner stated that the voters of Lamar County deserve honest, trustworthy leadership in the Circuit Clerk's office. In case you didn't know, some of the duties of the Circuit Clerk are: to serve as Registrar of the County and Circuit County Courts, to receive and file all lawsuits, indictments, motions in civil and criminal cases, to maintain docket books, issue jury summons, issue marriage licenses, secure private documents, to serve as a notary and to register citizens to vote. Tyner said "In addition to hard work ethics, I have REAL goals for the office, mostly as it pertains to digitizing the records and transactions of the office, and making public records available to the public online. I'm very passionate about voter registration drives. I want citizens of all ages to participate in the e...

In case you didn't know and all those clusters of political signs didn't give you a clue, this is an election year for Mississippi. Usually, there's low voter turn out for state elections but I think it's important to vote in every election; not just the Presidential election. The primaries are August 4, 2015 and it only take a few minutes to make sure your voice is heard. When I saw the list of candidates, I knew early on that I would be taking part in the Republican primaries. First, I don't like it when a person is elected and I didn't have any input. Most of the candidates running for office are Republican and I want to have a say in who serves. Now I have never been one to vote along party lines; I vote for tbe person not the party. Well, there are those that will say their vote don't count and they're right. If you don't vote, your vote does not count. Voting is important and the residents of Lumberton are seeing the direct results of not v...