Lumberton Informer

The Lumberton Panthers kick off the 2014 Football Season tonight against West Marion. It should be an interesting game and I hope my friends from West Marion don't take this defeat personally. For updates on scores and other information relating to the Lumberton Panthers, visit the Lumberton Football Facebook page. In other sports related news, the Lumberton Family Life Center will begin hosting football viewings this season. They have invested in several 52" flat panel televisions, booths and other amenities to create a sporting environment. There will be plenty of food and fun. I don't have a copy of the menu but I hope buffalo wings are included in the mix. It sure would be nice if Lumberton was wet because I like to have an (well never mind) while watching the game. But a good batch of wings, fries or a burger should help with the enjoyment of the games. I will get the name and contact information to share with you once available.

The hearing for the FY 2015 budget is set for September 8, 2014 at 6:00 pm and the date for the adoption of the FY 2015 budget has been set for September 15, 2014 at 5:00 pm. The board is now back peddling to get insurance coverage. The other month they accepted a proposal from a fish oil salesman without asking for anything in writing. He claimed he would save the city over $100,000/year bit since at least 10 people on the payroll for the City of Lumberton are over 60 years old, the rates are higher. For instance, coverage for the mayor is costing the city $935.41/month. The City of Lumberton is looking at insurance payments that will cost at least $135,000/year. The board voted to approve Michelle Fuller of Bancorp South Insurance Services as agent of record for all health insurance for employees for the City of Lumberton. The board approved the signing of the CDBG Grant Program for a waste water treatment facility for a new sewer collection system on Lower Airport Road. The money ...

Now I would like to interrupt this week of positive posts with a @#$! update. It seems that one of our clerks has had enough and allegedly went on a tirade that allegedly led to the cursing out of an alderman and the abrupt quitting of her jobs. Before you all get overjoyed, I'm sad to inform you that it wasn't Merlene Wall. I am quite certain that most of the people in that office are rather comfortable with the use of profainity; especially when it comes to talks about me and other things they don't approve. But I guess they have become so laxed, that someone forgot they were talking to someone that has a vote that could lead to her termination. Now, it has been alleged that the clerk wanted to recant her verbal resignation and now the matter lies in the hands of the board members. The matter will be addressed tonight in a special called meeting; I'm sure most of the meeting will be behind closed doors. One thing that has stuck out in my mind is the fact that the p...

Whenever that question is asked, people from Lumberton usually give the name of a nail salon in either Purvis or Hattiesburg. Well, did you know there's a nail technician right here in Lumberton? The salon is locally owned and operated. I am sure she would love for you to drop by and give her a chance to show you her skills. Starting Friday, August 29, 2014, Howell Nails will be offering a Labor Day Special. Get a mani/pedi for $40. This special ends Saturday. For more details and to schedule an appointment, call 601-447-7011. For more pictures and updates on Howell Nails , visit their Facebook page.

When was the last time you visited the library? If you haven't been in a while, let me tell you, a lot has changed. The Library is a hub of knowledge, culture, and communication. Without your loyalty and support, this free and accessible public service simply would not survive. Federal funding covers only a fraction of our expenses. The ongoing support of patrons like you determines what the Library is today and what it will be in years to come. And because the patrons are as diverse as their collections, there's a variety of ways for you to get involved. The Lumberton Library has a warm, welcoming environment. Usually whenever you walk through the front doors, Sherri greets you with a smile and a hello! There's computers, a teen center, a reading room, local newspapers, video games, board games, Wi-Fi access and of course, books. The library offers a lot of services including but not limited to chair exercise, book clubs, and game nights. Bunco anyone? The library also...

Somer Taylor, owner/stylist, of Tangled Hair Salon has reopened and is ready for business. Tangled specializes in spa, beauty and personal care. Taylor offers professional services with a personal touch. Let's welcome her back by calling for an appointment. To schedule your appointment or consultation, call 601-796-2887. You'll be glad you did. Welcome Back Somer and we pray you have nothing but success in all your endeavors. Hours of operation: 10:00-5:00 Tuesday -Friday and 10:00-2:00 Saturday.

On September 1, 2014, Lumberton Doughnut and Breakfast will be open for business. In anticipation of the grand opening, the blog posts this week will focus on the positive events happening in the City of Lumberton. If you have a good news story you would like to share, please send me a message so I can follow up and post the story. There's a lot of talk that I only focus on the negative. We'll, this is your opportunity to chime in about some positive events Let's see if the numbers match or exceed those for the posts that are deemed negative. Looking for good news and looking forward to the opening of a new business in Lumberton. Ciao!

Those of you that follow the Lumberton Infomer Facebook page, know I started uploading video clips from the meetings. I started taping the meetings, or portions of the meetings, because there's a group of individuals, namely the ones serving on the board, that want people to believe I was making things up. So, in order to avoid accusations of twisting the truth, I started taping parts of the meeting. I recently upgraded my cellphone and I'm thinking of either using it or the tablet to start taping the meetings in their entirety because now the elected officials and the city clerk are saying I'm taking things out of context. The utter ridiculousness of their accusations. If they spent a fraction of the time looking for ways to grow industry instead of monitoring my activities, they might be somewhat productive. The other day, when going into the office to get permission to view the public records, I noticed this sign (picture above) posted at the counter. Now, at what mee...

At the last board meeting, Danny Davis said they were working to keep the grass cut across the city and at local parks and cemeteries. Davis said that they cut grass every other week and they are constantly cutting. Well, it's been a little over two weeks and I drove by the areas and there was noticeable difference; the grass at all the cemeteries was well maintained. I know I'm always pointing out what they're doing wrong but I would like to take this opportunity to let Danny Davis and the Grass Cutting Crew (apologies for not getting their names) they are doing an excellent job and restoring a measure of decency at ALL Lumberton owned cemeteries. Kudos for the great job and I hope you guys continue with the maintenance and upkeep of the local cemeteries. I would also like to note that the area parks looked good as well. Again, thank you for your hard work. *In the picture collage, the cemeteries are as follows: Top photo: Big Quarters Middle Photo: Love's Addi...

Before beginning today's blog post, I would like to address some concerns that were raised yesterday. To the person that advised me to look into the Willie Lynch Theory, I have briefly read the article but I will need to do more research into the legitimacy of the so called theory before going into more details. However, based on what I have read thus far, I think you are pretty much on the money in your assessment. To the others, well the one person, that felt my post yesterday was a racist rant. Well, I only can see things from my perspective. You call it a racist rant and I call it reality. A few years ago, I had no qualms with police officers; I had never received any tickets or felt that they were out to get me. Unfortunately, that all changed once Hobson was given the key to the city. There are those that claimed I had "gotten away" with breaking laws; which is not true and that I was finally "getting what I deserved." If I had broken the law, not some ...

Day after day, I look at the news coverage of the execution of Michael Brown. There has been numerous posts and discussions about the incident. I must admit, it's hard to watch, but as I watch the protestors take to the streets, despite those that want to focus on the 1% that looted the stores or the accusation that Michael Brown was responsible for his death because he allegedly robbed a store; a fact the executioner did not know when he gunned down an unarmed teenager in broad daylight. There's only so much news I can take about this case, well, excuse me, it's not a case because the City of Ferguson has failed to charge the officer; instead, they have protected the officer/executioner and assassinated the character of the young man that was gunned down days before he was to start his first day of college. But as I watch the news coverage, I see the chilling similarities between the officers in Ferguson, MO and the officers that once patrolled the City of Lumberton just...

Last night, at the Lamar County Jamboree, the Lumberton Panthers gave fans a preview of the upcoming season with their 22-0 victory over Sumrall. Lumberton got scores on a 30-yard pass from quarterback Joe Arnold to Javier Chavis, a 60-yard run by Ben McSwain and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Daylon Burks. Blake Ford ran a pair of PATs to complete the scoring. "We've got eight key guys who have all played together since seventh grade," Ford said. "They've won every year and played a lot of football together, and we can see that carrying over into this season." It looks like a very promising season for the Panthers. The season.opener will be August 29, 2014 with a home game against West Marion. Come out and show your support. For more details about the players and for score updates, go like the Lumberton Football Facebook page.

This blog post was composed several months ago but I never published it until today. Hope you enjoy my moment of transparency. Galatians 4:16 reads as thus, "Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" It seems that every day, there's more and more bad news about the City of Lumberton. The people of this city are hurting; either they have lost a loved one to the death, the justice system, or the person has yet to realize they're lost. When one hurts, we all feel their pain. I am saddened by the turn of events that seemingly plague this city. As a matter of fact, I am writing this while preparing to attend the funeral services of a beloved family member that lost her fight against cancer. The other day, a friend posted a status on Facebook and at the end it had the following phrase: "Life goes on." Although we might not like it, but our death or the death of someone we love does not stop life from going forward. We may take a brief ...

I received a request to search the minutes from 2000-2006 because of the belief that we had only three police officers during this time. It seems that it's easier to find a unicorn than it is to pinpoint a time when Lumberton had only three police officers. It seems that it's a figment of people's imagination. Because nothing in the minute books has supported this assumption. Dukes said times a ferent now than they were 25 years ago. How foolish! Let's be real for a minute. Drugs has always been readily available in the City of Lumberton and probably any other small city. However, the difference now and 25 years ago is the parents. Back in the day, a child, with no job, could come into their parent's home with expensive sneakers, gold chains, pockets full of money, buying televisions, driving candy coated cars with rims without explaining where that money came from. Today, street corner pharmacists can roam around fresh to death and their parents won't date qu...

It seems that our local official either don't know the guidelines regarding Open Meetings/Executive sessions or they're choosing to ignore the rules of ethics that are set in place for a reason. Since the swearing in of this administration, the board has constantly ignored the rules governing executive sessions. I have been reluctant to file an ethic complaint but since the matter is not getting corrected, I have no choice but to move forward and seek other remedies. For the record, the Open Meeting Act states the following: § 25-41-7. Public body holding executive sessions (1) Any public body may enter into executive session for the transaction of public business; provided, however, all meetings of any such public body shall commence as an open meeting, and an affirmative vote of three-fifths ( 3/5 ) of all members present shall be required to declare an executive session. (2) The procedure to be followed by any public body in declaring an executive session shall ...

Why is this board continually digging this city into a deeper hole? If you watched the video from last night, you have Mayor Winston, admitting on tape, that he and the board knew that the police department was understaffed; leaving the City of Lumberton unprotected. I hope someone get a copy of that video to the woman who, along with her one year old child, was viciously assaulted because there were not enough police on duty to respond to the call. Any lawyer that passed the bar exam should be able to make a case against the city using that information. Also, did you see anyone, other than me, notice the bitchassedness of Tommy Dukes? Pardon the language, but that was a pure bitch move. You did not want to vote to hire another police officer, so why are you sitting there trying to convince the police officer that Chief Cowart didn't want him on the force because she was given three officers and she did not choose him. First of all, how generous of him to give her three officers ...

Gary Hickman tried to bring clarity on the 2014 FAA-AIP Grant application and acquisition of parcels 1 and 3. After a lengthy discussion, Cora Rogers still didn't know what was going on and so she voted against several projects. But that was actually a smart decision because when all is said and done, the project totals will be $246,176 and the City of Lumberton must pay 5% because it's a matching grant. So, the city will actually have to pay $24,618 but half will be reimbursed by MDOT. Keep in mind, our city gets $8,500 year in rental fees from Gold Coast. So, you do the math. At the recommendation of city attorney, Lindsey Carter, the board accepted the contract from McNeil-Rhodes for a grant application for energy improvements to the water system. The board approved hiring one additional police officer. I will post the video of that discussion on Facebook. The board then voted to go into executive session. The board used the records room because they claim the old room ...

Yesterday was nothing short interesting. After leavin the doctor's office, I decided to stop by city hall to look through some records. Once I arrived, Audrey (the woman that wants the alley closed during football games) and another woman were in the hallway, waiting to see the mayor. Once I got into the clerk's office, I noticed a man working on what seemed to be the budget. I wonder if this was the man Jay McGraw recommended to assist with preparing a new budget. If so, when did the board approve this job that would cost the city an additional $1,200? While one clerk was getting the records, another clerk had me fill out an information request form. While standing there, I noticed a sign prohibiting the use of cell phones and recording devices. Looks like we're slowly becoming a communist city. Someone is constantly making up rules while the board continually break the laws set forth for a code charter municipality. First they locked the records room, preventing access ...

First Baptist Church of Lumberton has opened a food pantry to help families of Lumberton feed their families. The pantry is open on Tuesday's of every week from 10:00 am- 2:00 pm. If your family need help making ends meet, stop by and get some assistance. Please note, no donation is required to receive items from the pantry. Kudos to the pastor and members of First Baptist for their generosity and concern for the community. To God be the glory!

For those of you that texted and voiced your concerns for my safety regarding Mayor Ben Winston and his family, let me put your minds at ease. I was told that I should be careful because Ben is the mayor and when he was an alderman, he went to the mayor's house and attacked him. Rest assured, if anyone comes to my home for that purpose, I'm inviting them in and I will blog the rest once it happens. Fear is of the enemy and I will not be fearful of anyone because I blog the truth and for the record, just because I filed charges against someone that threatened me in the past does not mean I'm fearful. For the record, I'm not about to be in the streets fighting anyone, young or old but rest assured, I am protected; spritually and naturally. Now, for the review of the regular scheduled board meeting. Alderwoman at Large Cora Rogers was not in attendance. The first agenda item was to allow Mr. Mike Orgeron to address the board. Mr. Orgeron demanded the city officials t...

I just finished watching the news and realized why I blog. The only way our story is going to get told is if we tell it. Based on what was aired on WDAM, the Lumberton Police Department is looking for James Youngblood, 34, who's considered armed and dangerous, for allegedly beating his ex-girlfriend and child. As Randy Swan went to the next story, I was just sitting there waiting for the rest of the details but there were none. What kind of reporting was that? When the board voted to slash the LPD, WDAM ran the story all night. Is it possible that the assailant got away because of a lack of officers? Was the officer responding to the call working alone? Did the officer call for backup? If so, how long did it take for the backup officer to respond? Seems like legitimate questions to me. Also, at the latest board meeting, Mayor Winston refused to break a tie vote to approve the hiring of one additional policeIofficer. Could that be a factor in the brutal assault of a woman and her ...

Less than a day after Mayor Ben Winston refused to break a tie to authorize the hiring of one additional police officer, his nephew allegedly brutally beat a woman and her child. Because of the volatile nature of the call, the officer on duty was waiting for back up from the Lamar County Sheriff's office. According to Mayor Winston, he was assured by Danny Riegel that county officers will be available for assistance since there was it one Lumberton police officer on patrol for 12 hours. If another Lumberton officer was on duty, they could have responded to the call within minutes. Instead, the officer had to wait over 50 minutes for assistance from the county. Time and time again, the board was warned that this could happen but they're so obtuse in their thinking that they could care less. Instead, the board is more concerned that we have grass cutting crews and $6,000 lawn mowers despite the fact that the grass, in certain areas, is not getting cut. So, when the large crew ...

Former Lumberton Police Officer, Cassandra Fortenberry-Lumpkins, has been selected to serve as Chief of Police for the City of Prentiss, Mississippi. Some of you may not remember, but Fortenberry-Lumpkins was a dedicated officer in Lumberton but the Oreo Trio (Bobby Gibson, Kent Crider and Timothy Johnson) terminated her and several other good officers to implement their plan to turn control of the LPD to Dennis Hobson and his squad of goons. The city has lost and continue to loose good officers because of politics. I'm glad to see that Chief Cassandra has continued her successful career in law enforcement and has ascended to her rightful spot as Chief of Police. May you continue to grow and prosper.

Usually, the day after the board meeting, I post a review of what happened. I consider it a service to those that cannot attend the meetings but today I'm not in the mood to blog. The more I blog, the more I realize the unfairness in the world. Dealing with the board meetings has forced me to confront the liars and cowards that rule the City of Lumberton. Sitting through the meeting have me the realization that the neither the citizens nor the elected officials care about the constant decay of this city. In my opinion, silence equals acceptance. So, why am I the onlyIone yelling foul? The fact that Tommy Dukes sat there last night and made excuse after excuse for Danny Davis and the fact that the cemeteries in the black community are not properly maintained was sickening. The fact that no one in the board or in the community have a problem that a seasonal worker that was hired to cut grass does nothing but ride around with Roy everyday. Could this be the reason why the grass crew...