Lumberton Informer

I received an e-mail about pending cuts to the library system. The e-mail reads as follows: Please dear friends.....read the attached document and give me your feedback. We can't handle many more cuts to our state aid grants....We have been Blessed to not endure some of the horrible stories that we have been hearing around the state about what is happening to many library systems due to cuts. The County of Lamar has been extremely kind to the library system but there is also a limit to what they can do as state losses in revenue also affect the County. If the cuts do happen as we have been told to prepare for, then Lumberton along with the other three libraries will suffer greatly. I am asking you to pass this information on to your family and friends. Please help me get the word out that we don't need any more state-level cuts. I know that some will say the library is no better than anyone else to suffer during these hard times but, as you can see by the statics provided, the ...

To pay or not to pay! Apparently, that is the question. I thought the drama for the day was finished, but then things got worse, if you could believe that. For some reason, the city clerk did not want the city workers to get their paychecks before the Thanksgiving Holiday. Why is there such a power struggle at city hall? Employees have always gotten paid before the holiday, so what has changed? Is the budget not balanced? Or is there something else going on? I just wonder why is it that every time Mayor Holder instructs our city clerk to do something, it is a battle? When Bobby Gibson signed the checks, he told the clerk that he was not going to sign any checks that included overtime pay for the police officers, and Stephanie complied with what he said, and did not include the police officer's overtime pay (despite the fact that the officer's actually worked those hours). But when Mayor Holder told her to have payroll prepared so she can sign the checks today, you would think t...

South Mississippians still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina are already lining up to apply for new federal housing assistance. The $132 million in grant money was announced November 16, 2010 by Housing and Urban Development officials and Governor Haley Barbour. According to state officials, as many as 5,000 Mississippians may qualify for some financial assistance, but you must meet certain guidelines. You must have owned and occupied your home at the time of Katrina. You must currently own your home. You must have unrepaired Katrina related damage to a single family home. No new construction. Home must be in an eligible county: Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, Pearl River, Lamar, George, Stone, Forrest, Jones. Applications are due by January 31, 2011 and must be filed at one of the Neighborhood Home Program Outreach Centers: Two centers are located in Hattiesburg, MS. Forrest County Multipurpose Center,962 Sullivan Rd.,Hattiesburg, MS 39401-2714 601- 544-5115 and the other cente...

The Lumberton Board of Aldermen just voted to give Susan Guidry a raise of $1.25 which will give her bring her hourly earnings up from $7.25 to $8.50. Susan's pay was cut along with the other city employees due to budget constraints, but there has been a change in the thinking of our board members and they decided that Susan Guidry deserved an increase in pay, despite the fact that the financial situation of the City of Lumbeton remains the same. Now keep in mind that none of the other city employees have been restored to their regular rate of pay, but they found it necessary to give Susan Guidry a raise because "she is struggling financially." Who isn't? Just last week, we lost our deputy court clerk because the Board of Aldermen refused to keep her at her regular rate of pay and even with the cut in pay, Melissa asked to given a 40 hour work week and they refused that request as well. We have police officers risking their lives and the Board of Aldermen have not met...

I try to use correct grammar when posting on this blog, but when I found out how much revenue the City of Lumberton is receiving from the Lumberton Airport, I had a Tasha Mack moment. I was looking for a positive story to close out the week, and I thought about my last visit to the Lumberton airport. I noticed all the cars (most of the cars were from out of state: Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, etc.) the amount of people there, the different concessions stands/eateries, and just an overall festive atmosphere. I never realized that sky-diving was such a lucrative business. There were people everywhere, there were several trailers ( I don't know if the trailers are for staffers or customers), gear sales, the canopy cafe, some jewelry was being sold, another food station, and much much more. Yesterday, I called city hall to ask our city clerk about the amount of rent the city of Lumberton is receiving from Gold Coast Skydivers, and she told me that they pay $100 a year for a lease on t...

Now would someone please explain this to me because I am confused. Yesterday, we lost a highly qualified court clerk because Gibson, Johnson, Crider and Hale voted to cut her pay and keep her as a part-time employee. Well, the officials in Forrest County realized that she would be an asset to their court system and hired her immediately. Now, our city clerk, Stephanie Mullings, will have to cover the duties of the court clerk because Susan Guidry is not qualified to cover that position. But what has me confused is this. Gibson, Johnson, Crider and Hale voted to terminate Betty Speights (because she discovered too much in her position as deputy clerk) and Harry Wilkes (because he was making too much money); they cut the mayor and the alderman's salaries to $1, but opted to keep their insurance (which is costing the City of Lumberton somewhere between $300-700/per month per alderman); they cut the salaries of the police officers and city worker, they cut the pay for two of the three ...

As soon as I posted yesterday, I started receiving phone calls asking me where do I get my information. I told them that paying attention will give you more information than needed. I don't reveal my sources, b/c I need to stay connected, but most of the information comes from just listening to everday conversations. For instance, last week I had three people give me information about a conversation Bobby Gibson had with another individual at Ward's. The three guys that told me aboout the conversation were not there together and they told me their stories at different times, but the information in all the stories matched. One guy approached me at Big K and was telling me about the conversation Bobby Gibson was having with this other guy and I was shocked that they guy even knew about the Lumberton Informer. But the conversation that was overheard by three different individuals went something like this. Bobby Gibson enters Ward's and another guy approaches him and say...

Last night, Alderman Rogers hosted a Community Forum with the residents of Ward 3. Many of the questions asked could not be answered by Alderman Rogers; they would need to be addressed by Gibson, Crider, Johnson and Hale. The meeting was quite informative, and the consensus of those in attendance was "if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem." Many of those in attendance were not pleased with the grid-lock that is taking place at city hall. As a result, Alderman Rogers stated that he will organize a Town Hall Meeting that will be open to all citizens of Lumberton. It will be held on Monday, December 6, 2010 at the Lumberton Voting Building (Ben Barrett Building next to Ramey's). Rogers stated that Bobby Gibson, Kent Crider, Rebcecca Hale, and Timothy Johnson will be invited to attend. They will be there at different times to adhere to laws regarding the assembly of aldermen at one time. In addition to our local aldermen being asked to atte...

In case you didn't know. . there's more than one alleged rapist on the loose in the City of Lumberton. From what I gathered, these men are targeting women that live alone. But when this information was relayed to our board of aldermen, all you could hear was crickets chirpping. One police officer addressed the board and told them that crime was on the rise in Lumberton and thye looked like it didn't matter to them. Officer's pay has been cut and now Mayor Protempore, Bobby Gibson is refusing to sign checks for the hours the officers actually worked so now we have shifts that are not being worked b/c they aren't getting paid for the hours they work. A decision was made to suspend an officer (don't want to deal with the retailation at this moment) for three days. It is believed that this officer's actions could cause some serious legal issues for the City of Lumberton, but we all know that folling the law is not a priority of this board. An intersting commen...

There is a special called meeting scheduled for 10:00 a.m. this morning. The agenda stated that it is for a meeting with the department heads, but the clincher is the motion to enter into executive session. Did the department heads call for this meeting? Or is this another move on the part of Gibson, Johnson and Crider to find another way to break even more laws? I don't know why they called the meeting, and at this point, I really don't care. Unless they are calling a meeting to amend the budget then there is no need to attend this meeting. OAN: Why is it that everytime I point out something that is taking place at city hall, I am supposed to have a personal agenda? Now for those of you that have the ability to read and comprehend, the following statements are not intended for you. I get it that you are either related or friends with the people that are talked about in this blog, but instead of trying to get on the defensive, take a moment to see if what I'm talkin...

There's a new eatery in Lumberton. It's called the $4.00 Lunch Bag. It is located at 107 E. Main Street (right across from City Hall). You can order 1/2 lb. plain hamburger or 2 hot dogs, and you order will include: 1 bag of chips, 1 snack of the day (Little Debbie) a 16.9 oz. soda, and all the condiments for your burger or hot dog. The price is $4.00 (tax is already included.) Also, any single menu item can be purchased for $1.00 is purchased with the order.

Anyone paying attention noticed the re-emergence of the FEMA trailers here in Lumberton. Ben Winston was cited for storing the FEMA trailers on his property in June of this year, but before the ink on the citation dried, his squad was working to find a way to squash this matter by any means necessary. So, Bobby Gibson, Timothy Johnson, and Kent Crider traveled the road of lawlessness and disbanded the planning and zoning committee to help their chief deal with the issue of the citation. The board was advised time and time again that the disbanding of the planning and zoning committee was not a legal option, but they went ahead and did it anyway. Now, you may be wondering how is Ben Winston connected to this act of lawlessness? Well, I'm glad you asked that question. Today, November 10, 2010, was the date set for the meeting between Ben Winston, his lawyer and the planning and zoning committee regarding the citation he received concerning the trailers. But guess what, the plann...

On Wednesday, November 24, 2010 from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m there will be a special blood drive for Arthur McQueen at the Oxford Health Care Center (across the street from Bass Memorial Academy), which is located at 6428 Hwy.11. All donors will receive a free shirt and will be registered in a weekly drawing for a $100.00 gift card. To make an appointment, go online to www.bloodhero.com (enter sponsor code: arthurmcqueen) or call Leslie McQueen at 228-234-1091. You participation will be greatly appreciated.

Tina Holder, owner of Tina's Hair Salon and Barbershop, held her grand opening on Saturday, November 6, 2010. Mayor Holder and a number of residents from the City of Lumberton and surrounding areas were on hand for the festivities. Tina rented a former salon location before moving into her own facility a few months ago. During the Grand Opening Celebration, Tina gave away several door prizes that included t-shirts, gift certificates for future services, gift baskets and hair care products that are available at her salon. There was also demostations in proper techniques for wrapping hair and there was some styling sessions that took place during the grand opening. Kabriana Keeler was on site giving free facials and make-up sessions to several women that were in attendance for the event. Tina's Grand Opening Celebration was catered by The K Team (Kaye Merritt and Toni Keeler). There was something there to satisfy everyone in attendance. The K Team served a variety of food...

If you read today's edition of the Hattiesburg American, you saw the article about Lumberton. Apparently, Timothy Johnson is serving as the spokesperson for the Goon Squad (Gibson, Crider, Johnson and Hale). He talked of how they were trying to do what's best for the city and how he hoped it would help the financial future of the city. But he failed to mention that the board never considered the budget proposal that was presented to the board by Jack McMullan. According to Jack, the budget cuts he proposed would have allowed the city's law enforcement officials as well as the other city employees to remain on payroll without any pay cuts and/or termination of employment. Unfortunately, Gibson, Crider, Hale and Johnson were not concerned about the financial well being of the City of Lumberton's employees. I also noticed that there was no discussion on the part of Timothy Johnson about the board's decision to disband the Lumberton Planning and Zoning Committee. I thou...

I just received a letter and it stated that I was a racist (expletive) and I should stop tearing up the City of Lumberton. First of all, the idiot writing this letter apparently does not know the meaning of the word racist. So let me school you on this word. According to Webster's, racism is defined as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race 2: racial prejudice or discrimination. Therefore, I must inform you that I don't fit that category; invest in a thesaurus and try to find a better word or category for me. I would also like to ask the anonymous coward that sent the letter if he/she attended the last board meeting? There is clearly four individuals that are doing enough to tear up the City of Lumberton without any help from me. I talked with someone about the various issues that are taking place in this city and people are looking for a solution to the many p...

After the board meeting on Tuesday night, I am still SMDH. The biggest highlight of the meeting came when Alderman Quincy Rogers, seemingly the only alderman that is working for the citizens that elected him, put Rebecca Hale, Ward 1 Alderman, in her place. I am still wondering why Rebecca is such a double-minded individual. Just a few months ago, she wanted my assistance in building a case of misconduct concerning the actions of Timothy Johnson and Bobby Gibson. But now she is full steam ahead with any and everything they say. Could this be some sort of side effect? If so,it would offer some clarity as to how she operates. During the meeting, the board justified their votes by saying that the City of Lumberton is suffering financially, but during the same meeting, they wanted to vote and send the city clerk to a training class that was not mandatory. Now, you just cut the police officer's salary and you turn around and get ready to spend money on travel, hotel fees, and registrati...

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen could be summed up with the statement made by Kent Crider, "This is OUR meeting." There was no regard for those that elected them to serve as representatives for the various wards of Lumberton. Bobby Gibson almost had a coronary trying to get the police officers to have Janie Johnson, Sylvia Griffith and others removed from the board meeting because they dared to voice their opinions about what was taking place. Just a month ago, Gibson was upset that two police officers attended a budget workshop and now he and the rest of the Goon Squad have filled the board room with police officers so that they can threaten law-abiding citizens with expulsion from the board meeting for speaking or daring to question the antics of those elected to represent the people of Lumberton. The board did not approve to pay the claims docket because they did not want to meet with Mayor Holder to amend the budget, so the city is curre...

Did you attend last night's board meeting? Well, you didn't miss much. Mayor Miriam Holder was there, Alderman Quincy Rogers was there, Chief Fortenberry was there, City Clerk Stephanie Mullings was there, and Public Works Director Danny Davis was there, but everyone else was MIA (missing in action). There were a handful of citizens, and after everyone synchronized their wathces, the meeting was dismissed for a lack of a quorum. Before the meeting was dismissed, I noticed that there was no order for citizen comments on the agenda. I asked the mayor about it being omitted, and she said that the aldermen did not want to hear any citizen comments. Did I just hear her correctly? The aldermen do not want to hear from the citizens that elected them to serve. Now, how about them apples? Just a month ago, the aldermen refused to allow the Mayor of Lumberton to address the voting public and just a few weeks laters, they (Gibson, Crider, Johnson and Hale) have decided to close th...