Lumberton Informer

On April 12, 2015, the lives of one family changed forever. The news traveled quickly from Medina, TN to Lumberton, MS about the tragic deaths of 15 year old twins, Shawn and Keyshawn Collier. I may not have known the twins personally, but I know their mother, Dorena "Evette" Collier, their grandmother, Mrs. Charlotte Edwards, their aunts, uncles and cousins. The Collier family has many ties to the City of Lumberton. After hearing the news, I prayed for the family and offered my support. I could never imagine or would want to imagine the toll the death of a child has on a parent but as I viewd the Homegoing Services, I vould tell that the twins, Shawn and Keyshawn, were loved and will be greatly missed. I read some post via Facebook and I can see that their mother is a pillar of strength and courage. Instead of being consumed by grief, she's rallying for the establishment of a community center in Medina, TN. The seed has been planted and now the work has begun to nur...

Most of the news this week was surrounding the death of Travyon Martin, but his death is a reminder that lives of people of color are not valued in this country. Post-racial America my _____! Whitney Houston's toxicology reports have been released and it seems that she had more drugs in her than a Lumberton council member. Meanwhile, back in the City of Lumberton, there wasn't much news to report. The new library associate started this week. So stop by the Lumberton Public Library and meet the new Emily (a joke for my Devil Wears Prada fans.) In all seriousness, her name is not Emily, her name is Ashley Fortenberry. She graduated from Bassfield High School, and she currently resides in Oak Grove. She's a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in Library and Information Science. She's a very nice young lady and she's also very courteous and polite. For some reason, I wasn't formally introduced to her,I wonder if it was something I said o...

There has been a lot of media attention about the tragic death of Trayvon Martin but is it enough? In this country, it's acceptable to send a person to prison for dog fighting, but a kid can be gunned down for walking while black and they call it self-defense since Trayvon was armed with a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea. Has this nation really come to this? As I was watching CNN yesterday, I realized that "The Talk" Corey Dade had with his parents was the was same "talk" my parents had given me. I am a black man and my point of view comes from that perspective. Throughout my life, I have found myself in situations/circumstances where I'm the only black person in the group. When I was at PRCC, at the time of my induction, I was the only black officer/inductee in PTK (Phi Theta Kappa), at William Carey, I was the only black person, during that trimester, to join Sigma Tau Delta,but I'm called a racist because I see things differently. Maybe my persp...

As much as I hate to admit it, I don't like the taste of crow. I had someone tell me that people blamed me for the comments on the Informer because I have to approve the comments before they're actually seen by the readers of this blog and I thought that was a bunch of crock. To me, it seemed like a control issue. The woman went on to say that I should think about the people that are being targeted in the comment section of the blog and should think how would I feel if the comments were directed towards me or someone I loved. I guess the person that was relaying this vital information was not a reader of the blog because if she had been reading the blog, she would have noticed that a lot of the comments are vicious and generally directed towards me. But that wasn't really the point of the conversation, the point was to inform me that I shouldn't let readers post comments about the GCB's of her circle. However, there is one comment that I feel I should take responsib...

I understand that fashion statements come and go and I am well aware that each generation has a way of expressing themselves. However, I don’t understand why I am subjected to boxers, thong strings and butt cracks on a daily basis. Instead of the sag they are addicted to the crack and I don’t mean the drug; I am speaking of the crack of the behind. There are so many stories about the origin of the sagging pants; they range from the fact that criminals liked wearing baggy clothing to conceal weapons/drugs to the urban legend of men wearing their pants below their buttocks in prison as an advertisement for sex. Now, there's a way to advance your swag without continuing to sag. I have seen fashion shows where the jeans are sitting rather low on the waist, but the model wasn't exposing their underwear. It might work for the fashion industry, but it just doesn't work for everyday living. It’s sad to say that so many have grown accustomed to seeing young men holding onto the wais...

There seems to be a love/hate relationship when it comes to the Lumberton Police Department. This weekend was a prime example of this odd relationship between the citizens of Lumberton and the officers that patrol our streets. If the officers don't patrol when we're having a family gathering/party, then we love the officers. When a police officer flash their lights when we're speeding instead of pulling us over and writing a ticket, we love the officers. But when we're ticketed for driving without a seat belt, without our child in a car seat or for speeding, we're back to the hate part of our relationship. I know there are some that think I don't like the police department, but that's not true. I don't like officers that abuse their authority. This weekend, there were several things going on, but there wasn't any big disturbances, that is, until Abbott and Costello got into an argument about the sale of a DVD player. The police department was out and...

I must admit that my newest guilty pleasure is watching GCB on Sunday night. Why bother myself with the fakeness of the RHOA, when GCB is probably based more on the truth. Last night, while watching GCB, I realized that so many of those "types" are right here in Lumberton. Now, the executives at ABC left the title up for interpretation, some say the letter B stands for beauties, belles, but the real meaning rhymes with witches. They not only reside in cities like Lumberton, they're everywhere. You know the type, the bible-toting, scripture-quoting, Martini-chugging while the husband is drugging type of hypocrites that love to call on their prayer warriors while talking all type of crap about everyone they come in contact with. Just to be clear, the one's that try to fight off criticism by saying "the Lord knows my heart, I don't talk to those type of folk, or I just pray for those type of people." Sounds familiar? They put on a front like they're goo...

Lately, I have received a lot of e-mail questions/comments asking me about Hobson. Contrary to popular belief, I don't hold any grudges against him. I've learned that sometimes we must let go and let God. My response is my responsibility. I have talked to Hobson on several occasions and when you talk one on one with Hobson you get a glimpse of the man behind the badge. I don't know what led him down the path or how he became intermingled with the political crooks that are now ruling the City of Lumberton, but there's another side of Hobson that often not seen or protrayed on this blog. After he was hired, several articles surfaced regarding his past. I started blogging about what I found and I blamed Chief Fortenberry and the Board of Aldermen because they didn't do a simple Google search. Today, they're still hiring officers without conducting a background check. I guess some lessons are harder to learn, but at what point do they realize they are responsible f...

***Note: This post is intended for adults only. . if you are not at least 18 years or older then you should not be reading this post. .If you are over the age of 18 and your level of comprehension is still on the 5th grade level, you should not be reading this post. Last night I decided to attend court because I wanted to know what they were going to do with the 80+ tickets that were written by Jacob Matthews. (Last night he was often referred to as "Super Trooper" and several people said that he's now working in Columbia as a police officer.) When I entered the building, I noticed this discrepant old man sitting in the corner and when I looked in his direction he just started jerking in his seat and was mouthing something. I looked over at him again and I realized that he was the old man that gave me the finger the other week. I just shrugged my shoulders and took my seat. After sitting down, I got a phone call, and I went in the back room to answer the call and when I r...

There will be a public hearing regarding the second water rate increase in this budget year. The other day I said I would share with you my theory behind this additional rate hike. This board has not shown any fiduciary responsibility to the citizens that elected them into office. Shortly after being elected, they made a pseudo gesture of voting to reduce their salaries to $1/month and they also revoked the Mayor's salary and she now receives a check for .99/month. But the money they were receiving in salary is minuscule in contrast to the expensive health/dental insurance that the City of Lumberton is paying for each alderman. In the past, the City of Lumberton only paid insurance benefits for the mayor, but when Barry Waites, Butch Davis, and Ben Winston (The Killer B's) were elected, they changed the format (b/c all of them were self-employed) and voted to pay insurance for the aldermen and the mayor. Well, since this administration has been spending money without any minute...

Last night, the board informed the public that another water rate increase is on the way. Well, the board didn't inform the public, they actually passed the buck to Ben Barrett, Public Works Director. The board payed a membership fee to the Mississippi Rural Water Association in order to be considered for a $250,000 water improvement grant. Well, one of the requirements of the grant requires the city's water system to be able to sustain itself. I blogged about this on Feb. 23, 2012 and even before that blog was published, everyone, well everyone with the exception of those serving on the board of aldermen, knew the city's water system was out of whack. The board voted last night to request the Mississippi Rural Water Association to come and conduct a water system study, but the study was completed long before the actual board meeting and the MS Rural Water Association had already been paid to conduct the study; they just needed to go back and have it placed in the minutes. ...

Over the last few weeks, I have been stopped repeatedly about various issues going on in Lumberton. Thankfully, I didn't post the concerns. I really appreciate the calls, visits, etc. but at some point, every tub must rest on its own bottom. We live in a technology driven society, almost everyone has a camera phone. Why do you always see some sort of injustice taking place, but never have any documentation to support your claims? So, for those of you that have called/stopped me and talked incessantly about various issues, well, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 is your opportunity to bring your concerns to the attention of those making the decisions in the City of Lumberton. It's strange that some of the main people complaining now were not complaining when their pockets were being lined by the Lumberton Police Department. So, if you have a complaint about why tickets are being written for seat-belt/car seat violations and not for the four-wheelers that are nosily speeding up a...

Last night, at Gateway Baptist Church, Mayor Johnny Dupree helped launch the M-Pact Club's new outreach division, the W.I.S.E./T.H.U.G. (Women Inspiring Sisters for Excellence/True Heroes Under God) Coalition. There was a little murmuring among the attendees because they didn't see any of Lumberton's elected officials, but Chief Hobson did assign an officer to escort Mayor Dupree through the City of Lumberton to the event. The emcee for the event was an extraordinary young man who is wise beyond his years, "Dash" Shelby, who commended Jamyria for her "desire to be of service and . . her quest to make a positive change in a generation." Prior to the introduction of Mayor Dupree, Sharun Tribett captivated the attendees with her soul-stirring praise dance performance. Rev. Jimmy Richardson of the Pearl River Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. introduced Mayor Dupree and presented him with the "Audacity of Hope" award. Mayor Dupree spoke to the crowd, and s...

This weekend, Jamyria Holder, founder of the M-Pact Club, hosted the 1st Annual M-Pact Club Awards Celebration. When Jamyria, aka My-My, told me of her plans to host the event, I was not certain that the event would take place, but instead of dousing her dreams, I told her that I would be more than happy to help any way I can. God gave her a vision as well as provisions to fulfill the seed that was planted in her heart. The event was quite successful.(I'm not even going to go into my rant about the fact that WDAM did not respond to the many calls and press releases regarding this program. But I guess they didn't respond because it was about something positive happening in the City of Lumberton.) The mistress of ceremonies was none other than Prophetess Andrea Hardy of New Orleans, Louisiana. Minister Deidra McLemore led the attendees in praise and worship services and later gave a rousing rendition of Mahalia Jackson's "Trouble of the World." Sis. Annie B. Holder ...

The other night, the board decided to pay membership dues to join the Mississippi Rural Water Association. They're doing so in an attempt to gain access to a $450,000 grant to assist with the sewer system. When the grant writer was speaking about the water feasibility or water viability study that needed to be conducted in order for the City of Lumberton to receive the grant, public works supervisor, Ben Barrett, barked that "$450,000 is a drop in the bucket. . and it's probably not worth all the trouble." At first, I was thinking that a match-free grant in any amount was worth the paperwork that's associated with getting the grant. Well, that was my feeling until the grant writer went into more details about the grant. It seems that the grant will require a lot of paper work and documentation and the water system must be deemed viable in order for the City of Lumberton to obtain the grant. Glenn Powell, grant writer, stated that citizens of Lumberton should also ...

The last few days, this site was set up differently, and those that received the link will continue to receive the "invite only" posts. I hope you enjoyed the posts from the last few days and I will continue to use your e-mail addresses to send you certain posts. Thank you to those that e-mailed me and you will receive some extra posts in addition to those posted on the public forum. Now, for some of the news you may have missed. Apparently, the husband of Alderwoman Hale found out what happens to a person when he allegedly call a person by something other than the name they were given by their parents. I really don't have all the details, but in the words of Chris Tucker, "You got knocked the. . " well, you know the rest. In the meantime, despite his past behavior/conduct, he was allegedly allowed to sign a post release for some charges that were pending. I wonder why he was treated differently from anyone else that's been arrested in Lumberton? Recently, I...

Last night I found myself watching Amistad and it was an eye opener. As I sat there watching, I took note that the brutality of slavery was able to exist, in part, because of black people that were more than willing to sale members of their race for some sort of profit. Sadly, after all these years, not much has changed. Here we are what should be a post-racial America, the year 2012 and we still have black men willing to sell out their race for a profit of some sort. By now I know you know where I'm going with this post. Bobby Gibson and Timothy Johnson, for whatever reason, are modern day turn coats, would would and have sold out the residents the came out and voted them into office. This is black history month, and whenever I attend a board meeting and witness the lack of unity from those that are supposed to represent their community, I begin to wonder if the civil rights movement was a failure. It begs the question that was posed by Cicely Tyson in the Tyler Perry movie, ...

Last week I was accused of moral turpitude. Gross Moral Turpitude is a Medieval legalistic term which referred to "the raping of large numbers of nuns", specifically in numbers in excess of eleven at any one time but a similar act performed on eleven or less nuns is referred simply as Moral Turpitude, and have a less strict canonical relevance. Today, the term is most often heard from sanctimonious do-gooders intent of pushing their own limited worldview onto the larger community, most often in the form of questioning the ethics and moral compass of reasonable individuals who might disagree with them and that's what I took from the conversation that was meant to put me in my place, so to speak. So let me take a few moments to tell you my views of moral turpitude. It's no surprise that some elected officials want to catagorize me as a vile person. Why? Is it because I feel that they should be held accountable to those that elected/selected them to serve. You may consid...

At the last board meeting the board voted to terminate Harold Williamson. Some people in the audience didn't know who he was and what type of work he performed in the public works department. The best way I could think of to describe his duties was to refer to him as the public works department mascot because he rarely moved from the side of Roy Easley. .I guess he could be better described as Roy's ride or die chick. But this post is not about Harold, but about the statement made regarding the board's attempt to give Roy Easley another pay raise. In case you didn't know, the other employees of the public works department have only seen a fifty cent raise over the last five years, but Hale was upset that Roy Easley wasn't given another raise since the board budgeted for Roy to receive another raise, while the other workers are stuck struggling to support their families on a raise that amounts to about ten cents per year over the last five years. Instead of focusing ...

I just got schooled about the "Politics of Grass Cutting" post that was posted yesterday. I was asked about the posting and I explained why it was posted. The post was supposed to be about the grass, but it turned into another posting about the ineffectual leadership that's running the City of Lumberton. Readers of the blog may have noticed that the post has been changed to "The Politics of Hiring" because I received some very informative information about the grass that's planted in the green areas. I learned that the grass is a winter grass and it's was planted to allow the other grass seeds to take root. The winter grass will eventually die and the new grass will begin to grow. It was also explained to me that this is the process that is used whenever new grass is planted, to ensure grass growth. So, the complaints regarding the tall grass are not warranted because the grass that's there at this moment is transitional, and will soon die out once t...