Lumberton Informer

How is it that there are businesses in Lumberton that are not paying a water bill? This is the second time a certain business owner has not received a water bill for a building he owns. First it was the little salon next to the old Saxon building, and now I have discovered that the Lumberton Drug Court has not been paying a water bill either. Now both the salon and the drug court building are both owned by the same person. Whenever there was a problem reported in the area of a mistake on the water bill, we were told that there must be a glitch in the system and they are working to get the problems corrected. Somehow, these glitches are beginning to develop into a pattern. I spoke with the person that was leasing the salon and she told me that she did not pay a water bill when she first moved into the building. But when she shared that information with another stylist that was leasing a building from the same person she was leasing from, her free water came to an end. As long as ...

When it rains, it pours. First I heard about Fiorello's closing and now I just found out that the feed mill (Land of Lakes) has closed. That is going to be a big hot to Lumberton's budget. That is a great loss in the amount of revenue that will be going on the books for Lumberton. I hope our aldermen are paying attention to what is going on in this city and submit a budget that will help us weather these hard times. I have been trying to decide what to post and what to leave out, but you know my tag line states "From the hood to the hall. . . I'm reporting it all." So, I would like to talk about what's been going on at City Hall these past few days. I want to know the legality of taking employee time cards out of City Hall to fninish payroll. When I came to City Hall on Thursday, I saw Deputy Clerk 1 leaving the office with some paperwork. I needed to research some information about a zoning ordinance and when I asked Deputy Clerk 2 where was Sue going ...

The ripple of the BP oil spill has reached the shores of Lumberton. Fiorello's officially closed Friday, August 27, 2010. No longer will we enjoy the aroma of shrimp po boys, burgers and fries. I don't know if the closing is related to the escalating price of seafood or if the family has decided to find another business venture to persue. But one thing is for certain, the business will be missed by all.

Today, I'm not going to blog about the payroll issues, taking time sheets out of the office, suspensions or any of the other drama that took place this week. But I do want to talk about the big dumpster that is sitting in the middle of the street on Myrick Avenue. The dumpster is blocking half of the street, making it difficult and sometimes dangerous for drivers to get to the stop sign and their homes. I know they are in the middle of remodeling the units at Frank Lee Homes again, but there are several vacant units and the large dumpster could have easily been placed in one of the empty parking areas or on the lawn. Instead, they opted to place this large dumpster in the middle of the street, with no regards to the safety of those driving through this area. My question is who is responsible for correcting this matter? Should the police department ticket this company for their disregard for public safety or is this a matter for the code enforcer? I am not certain of the laws, ...

What makes a good mayor? In my opinion, a good mayor has a good professional relationship with each council member. He or she has demonstrated this by meeting with them or talking with them individually to learn more of their desires and positions. Being able to work as a team member and support other council members is integral to the successful mayor. He or she is respectful of the council members’ opinions and allows sufficient time for them to make their point (if there is a point to be made). The good mayor does not push the council in a certain direction that is not consistent with the majority of the council’s position in order to further a personal agenda. Finally, a good mayor not only works well with other council members, but works well with the city staff. Respecting the staff and not attacking it, supporting and appreciating their work, and making suggestions for improvement for the benefit of the city is important for the good mayor and the council. What makes a goo...

This is going to be a long post, so fasten your seatbelts because this is going to be a bumpy ride. Yesterday at City Hall, there was a heated discussion between "Give 'Em Hell" Nell and a city alderman. There were going back and forth with accusations against one another, and the coversation became quite heated. While there, another alderman entered the board room and said that they could hear them all the way in the city clerk's office. Now, we were right next to the Police Department, and no one from the police department came to offer any assistance. This could have been a code 10 man down situation. Both sides got the opportunity to say some things they apparently been wanting to say, and hopefully they have moved on and are ready to work together for the good of the city. While at city hall, I found out that the Louisiana Club will be hosting some fundraisers in an attempt to raise some money to purchase video cameras for the Lumberton Police Department. ...

The Hattiesburg American ran a story today about two utility clerks in Collins that were charged with embezzlement. Apparently, the two set up a scheme to receive utility services provided by the city with no intention of paying for the services. I didn't know that would fall under the category of embezzlement. You mean to tell me that if a business owner was receiving free water and sewer services and not being billed for those services, that would be considered embezzlement? (Did you catch the sarcasm in that rhetorical statement?) But how can something like that happen? Wouldn't they need someone else in the office to help cover their tracks? Oh, my bad. The article did say that two women were indicted in the embezzlement scheme. One defination for embezzlement stated that it is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted. Embezzlement is performed in a manner that is premeditated, systema...