Lumberton Informer

I have been told time and time again that this blog does not offer a balanced view of Lumberton and I think I must agree. When I was driving around town and I saw the "We Love Coach Brown" and "Save Coach Brown" signs, I thought they were part of the Lumberton library's jail bail fund-raiser. Well, to my dismay, I later found out that Coach Shane Brown and Coach Anthony Pittman had been terminated from their positions at the Lumberton School System. Brown served as an assistant football/baseball coach and he was also served as the physical education teacher for the Lumberton Elementary school. Pittman was the head boys basketball coach. Pittman is appealing the decision regarding the termination of his contract, but since Brown is in his first year, he's not given the opportunity to appeal the decision of the board. Robert Walker, superintendent of the Lumberton Public School reported that according to state law, a teacher and/or coach may be let go in ...

Last night I watched Hobson's interview on WDAM. Just as I was telling the readers the other week, when speaking with Hobson one on one, he's very attentive, engaging, and well-spoken. For the most part, he gave a very believable interview and the interview also shed some light on the accusations that are being levied against Hobson. Prior to the interview, I wasn't aware of any investigation from the State Auditors' Office. I know when I attended the meeting, there was a pile of papers laid before each of the aldermen's seat. After they voted to go into executive session, the city clerk collected Gibson and Crider's paperwork. Stephanie apparently knew I was planning on reading those papers once they went into executive session, but she was a step ahead of me and took the remaining paperwork with her. One of the most intersting things that was said during the interview was the fact that Hobson acknowledged he received a call from three aldermen (most likely...

News 7 reported that it was a bad day for Lumberton, but those that were victimized by the antics of the LPD thanked God and Ice-Cube because "it was a good day." Now, it's an entirely differnt situation when dealing with the termination of two coaches, but I will blog about that on the morrow. But as far as the news regarding the termination of Hobson, there was a collective sigh of relief across the City of Lumberton. I don't know the full purpose/reason behind the promotion/termination of Hobson but it is my belief that he was put in place to target certain indivuduals. However, after he realized that he was being used by certain members of the board, he started making changes in his mannerism and that's probably what led to his termination. Gibson and Hale loved the way Hobson went after the people of Lumberton and they supported everyone he brought before the board. They were more than happy with this methodology as long as he did not mess with their f...

Mrs. Kim Rogers, founder of the KeKe B Foundation, will be hosting a Justice 4 Trayvon Martin Rally, today (March 27, 2012) at Lumberton City Hall. The event will start at 6:00 p.m. Everyone attend the event is encouraged to wear their hoodies and bring their Skittles. "A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Last night, there was a lot of commotion going on in the area of Lumberton that is rapidly earing the name Da Trapp (aka, Turn-key/Frank Lee Homes). I received a call about a fight going on and when I looked out the door, I noticed three police cars parked on Myrick Avenue. I went back into the house and was getting details about what had happened. From what I was told, someone shot himself in the leg and several people had gotten into an altercation, but no one was taken to jail. In Lumberton, you get arrested for parking tickets, not for disobeying a lawful order or discharging a fire arm, but it is what it is. As I was talking on the phone, I asked the person on the other end of the phone "did you ever wonder why this mess never happens in New Jack (oka New Jackfrica/Green-Tree Apts.)" Then I realized that the reason they're always bring their drama to The Key/Da Trapp is because the manger of Frank Lee Homes is not actively doing anything to quell the chaos. Whi...

On April 5, 2012, the Lumberton Board of Aldermen will vote to increase the water rates. . .again. They've devised a plan where they can ensure that all citizens are hit by this new rate hike. With the passage of the new ordinance, they will lower the minimum usage rate from 3,000 gallons/month to 2,000/gallons/month. Also, the new ordinance will require them to raise the water rates every year, despite the need for an increase. In essence, they're figuratively, tying the hands of every alderman that will serve from this date forward. But this post is not about the pending water bill rate increase, it's about the amount we're charged for fire protection. According to the water bill, fire protection (FP) is a grand total of .10/per household per month. Seriously? I don't know how much that generate every year, but I'm sure it's not enough to run an effective fire department. Why are we only being charged .10/month for fire protection? I don't agree with t...

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...

Walter and Kim Rogers, founders of the KeKe B Foundation, are now accepting donations for the 4th Annual Walk Against Violence. The mission of the KeKe B Foundation is to promote and preserve non-violent, non-abusive family systems through intervention, prevention, and education; to empower victims and their families to break the cycle of domestic violence. To make the public aware of the resources available and to bring domestic violence out of the shadows and unite communities against domestic violence. The 4th Annual Walk Against Domestic Violence and Candlelight Vigil will be held on Sunday, May 27, 2012. Donations are being accepted to help make this event a success. All proceeds will go directly to the KeKe B Foundation. Any donation amount would be greatly appreciated. You may mail your donations to Walter and Kim Rogers, c/o The KeKe B Foundation, P.O. Box n, MS , Lumberton, MS 39455. The KeKe B Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization so all donations are tax deductible. Also, the...

It was reported that no one was hurt from the accident at Dirt Cheap. From what I was told, the owner of the car was not able to get in the parking spot because someone had blocked or limited the access to the handicap parking space by parking on the line. Allegedly, a good samaritan offered to move the vehicle for the man and was not familiar with the hand-gears that are used to operated the vechile. It was said that the man lost control of the car and plowed through the front entrance of Dirt Cheap. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the good samaritan allegedly was driving with a suspended driver's license. Lesson: even if you're trying to help someone, please know the status of your driver's license. In other news, it was reported that at least 12 full-time teaching positions will be eliminated at the Lumberton Public School District for the 2012-2013 school year. The teachers will be notified in April if their contract will not be renewed. The students are currently out ...

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...

The polls will be open today (Tuesday, March 13, 2012) from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. With all the talk about the Republican candidates, there are a lot of people that might not know that there's a Democratic primary as well. Voters will be asked for decisions on: Mississippi Congressional 4th District, where incumbent Rep. Steven Palazzo has mounted his first re-election campaign. Palazzo of Biloxi will face two Hattiesburg challengers, Ron Vincent and Cindy Burleson, in the Republican primary. In the Democratic primary, Michael Herrington of Hattiesburg and Jason Vitosky of Gulfport will face off. In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Roger Wicker is seeking re-election. Wicker will face two challengers in the Republican primary, E. Allen Hathcock and Robert Maloney. In the Democratic primary, Albert N. Gore Jr., Will Oatis and Roger Weiner will square off. See you at the polls.

***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...

The students enrolled in the Lumberton Public School System are on Spring Break this week, but Saturday, a group of students, parents, and teachers boarded a bus headed for Orlando, Florida as the Lumberton Strings prepare for their performance at Disney World. The Lumberton Strings will take the stage today at 11 a.m. as a part of a concert with the Disney Performance Arts OnStage program. The thirty-three member group,along with instructor, Mary Ida Ellis are taking part in a very memorable event and it was made possible to the large number of supports that donated time and money to help the group raise the $12,000 needed to make the trip to Orlando, Florida. Kudos to the Lumberton Strings and those that supported their dreams.

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. ...

There's a rumor circulating that Rebecca Hale is thinking about resigning from her position as Alderman, Ward 2. Last night, she was in panic mode and needed to speak with Timothy Johnson after the meeting. Apparently, she's thinking of submitting her letter of resignation. I seriously doubt she's going to resign. Who's going to rally the board members into paying for all those conference meetings, who's going to declare that they personally reviewed and corrected the minutes, and who's going to force the city to pay for insurance that's not beneficial to most of the city's employees? If she were to leave, who will be left to fill that void? Like I said, I doubt she's going to resign, unless of course, the details of her first husband's esatate has finally been settled. Otherwise, she'll stay, like the others, in order to keep the insurance coverage.

There were several people that wanted me to blog about various issues they were having with the City of Lumberton and I told them I would do so if they addressed the board during citizens comments. Well, the board meeting opened with citizens comments and no comments were made. The board opened proposals for administrator fo the 2012 CDBG Grant for the water system and proposals for the engineer for the 2012 CDBG Grant for the water system. Both set of proposals will be taken under advisement. Afterwards, Bobby Gibson finally informed the citizens of the reason why Mayor Holder was not in attendance. Agusta Callaway of Big Pictures Wellness addressed the board about a fitness/health awarness program she would like to help implement in the City of Lumberton. She also stated that she would like to help organize fitness programs with the area churches. The department heads gave their reports. Stephanie Mullings, City Clerk stated that a large portion of the tax money has come in an...

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...