Lumberton Informer

Over the past week, Lumberton has been abuzz about the allegations that Alderman Jay McGraw stole a Zippo lighter from the Shell station. What's more unsettling about the matter is the fact that there are people in positions of authority that are helping to cover up this theft; causing anger towards the police department and the management at the Shell station. It seems there's two set of rules in place; one for elected officials and one for everyone else. Surprisingly, this Zippo Lighter-Gate would have been yesterday's news had Jay McGraw accepted responsible for his actions by apologizing and resigning from his position as alderman. Instead, McGraw confessed on the news, said it was embarassing and said his lawyer advised him that he shouldn't resign. Since no arrest was made, I started digging for answers. Along the way, some feathers were ruffled because some people, namely Shell employees, want me to let the issue go. Unfortunately, I allowed my interaction...

This was the post I intended to post today but those Shell fires keep flaring up. If you look around Lumberton, you cant help but wonder what happened? People come to a small town thinking they're going to enjoy a friendly, welcoming community. But if you're looking a sweet smile and hometown hospitality, you better avoid city hall and stop at the Lumberton Public Library or Bancorp South. Lumberton wasn't always this divisive cesspool of bitterness, disdain towards customer/citizens and heartless political figures. If you wamt to remember a time when neighbors, including those serving at city hall, cared for one another you need to travel back to August 29, 2005; the day Katrina hit. Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on Mississippi and Louisiana. Mighty oak trees snapped under the mighty winds of Katrina. Houses were destroyed, businesses closed, streets littered with debris, power was out and gasoline was in high demand. Just recently, I heard complaints about who su...

This week has been mentally exhausting. I never realized how draining it is to deal with idiots. I've grown accustomed to the idiocy at city hall. Besides, they're courteous enough to discuss me during executive session. I rarely get the opportunity to address them face to face because they're silent when I'm present. Unfortunately, the opprobrious environment at the Shell station in Lumberton didn't afgord me the opportunity to renew my mind between posts. There was this constant need of the employess to defend the fact that their manager, Tommie Mosley, dropped the ball and allowed the shoplifting alderman, , Jay McGraw, to walk away from a crime unscathed. At one point, Mosley had her child and some random boy come to her defense. When I grew weary of constantly responding to the outrageous posts, one of which implied that I was stalking an employee...sounds familiar...I picked up the phone and called the Shell station to speak to the manager. Prior to my i...

Just a moment ago, I spoke to a rude Shell station employee and an even ruder store manager, Tommie Mosley. I guess she leads by example. Well, I grew weary of the back and forth comments that were being posted by Shell employees, Leslie Woods and Bria Youngberg. Now keep in mind that it was a Shell employee that provided me the details of Jay McGraw's shoplifting adventure. (I might post the inbox messages kater.) Well, I guess in an effort to steer attention away from them, the employee started posting how she was disgusted about the fact rhat I accused their manager of dropping the ball; something she claimed in the messages she sent me. Anywho. I was tiring of the posts and called the store to speak to the manager because this person is at work but stalking my Facebook page. Maybe she has two monitors at her desk like me or maybe she's neglecting her duties and that's how Jay was able to steal the lighter in the first place. Well, I called the store and to the cr...

The never ending saga of the stolen Zippo lighter continues. When WDAM aired the story on Monday, they stated that none of the employees at the Shell gas station wanted to talk on camera. Well, their silence was broken after I posted a response saying the manager at the Shell station, Tommie Mosley, and the Lumberton Police Department dropped the ball in this matter. Apparently, Shell employees, Leslie and Briana, were not at work when WDAM arrived because they had a lot to say on social media about what I posted. Let me refresh your memory regarding Jay McGraw's shoplifting escapade. When I found out about the shoplifting incident, it was two days after it happened. When the matter was covered by WDAM, it was five days later and Jay McGraw had already paid restitution and agreed not to return to the store. Now, with my suspicious mind, that seems like a cover up and everyone involved, including the Shell station manager, was part of the attempted cover up. When WDAM aired ...

The City of Lumberton is still abuzz about Jay McGraw's shoplifting confession and the fact that he got away with committing a crime without any real consequences. He wasn't arrested, he didn't get finger printed, he don't have a mugshot on file, he didn't aplear before a judge and by his own admission, he's not going to resign as alderman of Ward 2. It's clear that he's receiving preferential treatment because of his position and his close relationship with Ben Winston which guarantee him a majority favorable vote on any agenda item. If you don't think Jay McGraw has benefitted from his political position then try to steal something from a store, on camera, then go back and confess and set your own punishment and restitution. Jay McGraw has not paid his debt for shoplifting based on any laws; man's law or God's law. Based on Proverbs 6:31..."when a [thief] is found he must pay back seven times what he stole..." -New Living Trans...

If you read the blog yesterday, you saw me discussing the allegations that McGraw had allegedly stolen something from the Shell gas station. Apparently, WDAM follows the postings of the Lumberton Informer because hours later, Ryan Moore was in Lumberton getting Jay McGraw to confess to stealing a $26 Zippo lighter. The incident happened almost a week ago but the powers that be, including the members of the Lumberton Police Department, were attempting to sweep the theft under the rug. When McGraw was questioned about shoplifting from a local gas station, claimed that he didn't know why he stole the Zippo lighter. Clearly, this is not his first time taking something that's not his but we have to take his word that he was caught the first time he ever stole something from a convenience store. Deep eye roll. There's several problems regarding the way this theft was handled. As a person that was arrested for violating a 1973 parking law that was still on the books, I...

In case you haven't heard, there's allegations that Alderman Jay McGraw was allegedly caught on camera shoplifting. Surprisingly, the matter is not being handled by the Lumberton Police Department. Surely a department of four officers (1 police chief, 2 police captains and 1 additional officer) can handle an alderman that allegedly has stick fingers. If memory serves me correctly, didn't the previous Chief of Police have the sitting mayor charged with obstruction of justice while they had the person she was allegedly protecting in custody? Interesting. But I think that matter was handled by the Lamar County Sheriff's Department so I guess I can see the logic. Well, sort of. At this point, I'm not sure what was allegedly stolen. The logical side of my brain can understand why the LPD would thread cautiously regarding the alleged shoplifting charges since Jay McGraw was one of the aldermen responsible for the decimation of Lumberton's police protection. McGra...

Today is the official start of the Lumberton High School 2015 Football Season. The Lumberton Cheerleaders are selling ads for the 2015 Football Programs. A full page ad is $100, a half page ad is $50, 1/4 page ad is $25 and a shout out space can be purchased for $15. So, we're calling on ALL local businesses, parents, politicians and Panther supporters to help the Lumberton Cheerleaders by purchasing an ad for the 2015 Panthers Football Program. For more information, contact Ms. Natasha Gill, a Lumberton cheerleader or their parents. All support is greatly appreciated! Go Panthers! Just a reminder, the 2015 Lumberton Panthers t-shirts are available for purchase at Bancorp South in Lumberton.

The Lumberton Lodge 696 will be hosting a benefit fundraiser for Crystal Holder, who's being treated for cancer, on Saturday, August 29, 2015. All proceeds will be used to help offset her expenses. The Lumberton Lodge 696 will be selling fish plates for $6/plate. Lodge members are currently selling tickets for the fundraiser. The event will be held at the Wellstown Community Park. Please purchase your tickets in advance. Any donations will be greatly appreciated. Please help support this effort and thank you for your support.

Don't forget that the Future Leaders of Tomorrow will be hosting a bike/walk-a-thon and kid's day event this Saturday at the 5th Avenue Park from 7 am - 12 noon. There will be various speakers, a voter registration drive, food and fun for all. Come out and enjoy yourselves! Beginning at 12 noon on Saturday, Panther Ice (the snow cone stand on Main Street) will host a Customer Appreciation Day event. There will be free food and an opportunity to buy raffle tickets for a gift basket. Please stop by and show your support.

DISCLAIMER The prices depicted in the memes are generalizations and the actual rates may vary. After making a trip to Hattiesburg to get fresh produce for a salad, I thought about the mayor and board's logic regarding Lumberton's economy. Keep in mind, the mayor and most of the board members are business owners. When they tried to justify the low rental rate given to Gold Coast Skydivers to rent the entire airport, they said if they buy gas or eat a burger in Lumberton it's better than nothing. So they think they can run a city with revenue from a hamburger here and there and a tank of gas. Wowzers! Based on that logic, here's what Lumberton gained from my recent trip to Hattiesburg. I went to Sam's for bell peppers, spinach, kale, onions and fresh mushrooms. While there I purchased meat, cleaning supplies and other household products. Before leaving Hattiesburg, I ate at one of the resturants. While I was in Purvis, I filled a prescription. Before reach...

On Saturday, August 15, 2015 at the 5th Avenue Park, the Future Leaders of Tomorrow will host a bike/walk a-thon kid's day event. The event will begin at 7:00 am and end at 12 noon. You still have time to sign up to participate in the bike/walk a-thon or you can sponsor a participant. All proceeds will help fund the purchase of school supplies and various activities throughout the school year imcluding a end of the year banquet for Lumberton, Purvis, Poplarville and Wiggins students. The event will include activities for everyone. There will also be a voter registration drive. If you are not registered to vote, bring a valid form of identification to get registered. Various speakers are scheduled to appear, including Ronnie Clark, fitness guru/trainer/motivational speaker, Minister Wynter Tacarra King, Ariele Tribett and Jonathan Farris, Candidate for Lamar County Attorney. Mark your calendars and come out Saturday, August 15, 2015 to be entertained, enlightened and informed.

I posted a video earlier today and as I promised, they're not up long. In case you missed it, this is what was said. I explained why I entitled Friday's post The Black KKK. Someone had posted a comment, asking the question, do black lives matter? All over social media, there's the hashtag trending about #BlackLivesMatter. As I thought about tne question, I wondered if black lives mattered to black people. When I called Ben Winston, Tommy Dukes and Cora Rogers the Black KKK, it was because their actions, or inaction, had me feeling like they were no different from the parent organization who's goal was/is to keep our communities uninformed, unemployed, without representation, out of the loop and sometimes six feet under. Winston, C.Rogers and Dukes accomplish these feats every month as elected officials of Lumberton. I see their disregard of certain segments of the city and I wonder why others are not outraged. If this board was comprised of a white mayor, three w...

DISCLAIMER: Every day we're reminded that we live in a litigious society. Unfortunately, telling the truth is now deemed offensive and could result in you getting sued. As a result, I feel it's necessary to include a disclaimer before writing this post. The meme attached to this post is for satirical purposes. I am almost certain that those offended by the meme will be the same people that are not familiar with the term satirical. The word satirical is a derivative of the word satire. Satire is defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or voices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. The meme used in this post does not imply that any elected official in the City of Lumberton is a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Any inferences made by the readers of this blog is based on their personal knowledge and experiences with the elected officials. Now that I've gotten that ...

I think I've reached my breaking point. Tuesday's board meeting showed me who they are and I believe them wholeheartedly. I know if the Lumberton Informer is not being talked about anywhere else it's being heavily discuseed at city hall. I can just visualize them gathered around the computer, teeth clenched, watching, reading while their blood pressure rises. But all of that's about to change. I think Tuesday took me to a place where I actually became angry and it's hard to remain objective when you're angry. The Mayor and Board of Alderpersons said hours were cut and the police department was cut because of budget constraints but for some reason, they still have money for nonessential items like security cameras, hotel reservations and hiring an additional deputy clerk. Where's the money coming from to cover another salary? There are those that are going to try and associate my angst with Melissa Willoughby-Nightengale but this isn't about her; it...

When I walked in the board room, those present were laughing and talking loudly. By the time I took my seat, they were whispering. The rest of the board trickled in sans Alderwoman Cora Rogers. I guess she couldn't hold up to her promise that she was going to vote for the negotion with the Gold Coast Skydivers to keep 10 trailers at the airport. Just a month ago, she was saying how happy she was that the trailers woukd be off the property. Telling half-truths and flip-flopping. It looks like Cora is well on her way to a dishonest career in politics. The room was still filled with whispers and then she walked in smelling like cigarettes and regrets. When I saw her friend following her in I knew she was getting rehired. I looked through the agenda and didn't see her name and I didn't see any postings of the job in the newspaper so I felt I was overreacting. But after she sat down, I noticed Jay McGraw wasn't flailing and threatening to leave the sandbox, I knew somethin...

Tomorrow is the start of a new school year in Lumberton. It's also the day of the "Be a Hero" blood drive that will be hosted by the Lumberton Public Library. In collaboration with the Summer Learning Program, the Lumberton Public Library is hosting the "Be a Hero" blood drive. The even will take place at the Lumberton Public Library on Wednesday, August 5, 2015, from 12 pm until 5:30 pm. Volunteers and donors are needed. If you are interested in helping, please contact the library by calling 601-796-4227. Wednesday, August 5, 2015, also marks the beginning of the 2015-2016 academic school year in Lumberton. Sadly, the svhool year is beginning without a beloved student, Jayla Hope Sandifer. We continue to pray for the Sandifer and Bolton families during their time of bereavement. We also pray for the students, teachers, administrators and support personnel as they enter a new year. Dear God, Thank you for the gift of children. Please watch over them...

I can't recall the last time I voted in a Republican primary but it's so important that we retain Warren Byrd as Lamar County Supervisor of District 2. On Tuesday, August 4, 2015, I ask you to join me in voting for Warren Byrd. It would be hard to find someone whose election had a bigger positive impact on local government than did Warren Byrd's selection by voters to be Lamar County's District 2 Supervisor four years ago. When Warren Byrd took office, he had to start from scratch because his predecessor, Ben Winston, neglected most of the district he was supposed to represent; namely the City of Lumberton. Warren Byrd has managed to adequately represent the entire district and that's why he deserves another four years. Warren Byrd can be counted on to keep pushing to make county government more efficient, transparent and citizen-friendly. When the residents of District 2 elected Warren Byrd four years ago it served as proof that we were no longer chained to t...

When I attened the political ralley at Wood-Hinton Park in Lumberton, I believe the only candidate for Lamar County Constable, District 3 present was E. L. "Scooter" Coker. Coker was very down to earth and knowledgeable about the post of Constable. Coker has served in the field of law enforcement for an impressive 23 years. I was surprised to discover that Coker's desire to serve others and his community began when he bevame a volunteer fireman. Coker's main goals, once elected, are to provide peace of mind, implement the laws of the State of Mississippi by increasing patrol, serving civil and civilian process, excuting warrants, evictions and replevins professionally and effectively. Coker promise to honor the position of Lamar County Constable, District 3 and use his position to help clean up Lamar County through whatever opportunities he's given. Coker said "As Constable I know I would be more productive in my individual capacity to aid law enforcement ...

Cody Creel is one of the candidates seeking your vote for Lamar County Coroner. Creel was at the Lumberton Political Rally a couple of weeks ago and while greeting potential supporter, he rushed to aid a citizen of Lumberton that was having complications from the extreme heat. Cody Creel has a campaign page on Facebook: Lamar County Coroner Elect Cody Creel. There you will find more details about his campaign and a video explaining why he's seeking office. A Lamar County resident had this to say about Cody Creel: "Politics is not something I normally talk or post about, but a very special friend of ours is running for Coroner in Lamar County. Cody Creel is Derek's Guardian Angel. Cody was the EMT on the ambulance the day he had his heart attack. Derek coded twice and Cody revived him back. So I'm asking you to Please vote for this kind man."-Lisa Carroll Smith