Lumberton Informer

Here we go again. I was hoping against hope that the special election to fill the seat vacated by David Kent Crider would be free of any corruption but it seems that’s not going to be the case. I guess when the Geritol Gang got away with stealing a mayoral election, they loved the taste of blood. Just moments ago, I was informed that people were congratulating Johnnie Buckley on becoming the new alderman of Ward 1and there were saying he was getting sworn in on Monday, February 1, 2016. I was like, hold the presses, there were others that submitted paperwork to run for that position. So, how in the corrupt government of Lumberton is he getting sworn in without an election? Well, I’m glad you asked that question. It seems that the Lumberton Election Commissioner, Linda Martin, has decided that the other candidate didn’t get enough signatures from Ward 1 residents to qualify to run for the position. Keep in mind, that Martin didn’t contact the other candidate until today, from the t...

I’m often asked what prompts me to post about people that have passed and I generally don’t dedicate a memorial post unless I know the person or they have touched the lives of those living in the community and Qudry Underwood has met and exceeded those requirements. Not only have he touched my life but he touched the lives of many others during his short journey here on earth. I count it a privilege that I was afforded the opportunity to see Qudry grow into a mighty man of valor. I attend church with him, his father, Rev. Eugene Underwood and mother, Vanessa “Neat” Underwood. Qudry was always quiet but as he grew, he blossomed while possessing the attributes that everyone cherished. I recall him sitting quietly in church and I remember how his parents beamed with joy at his graduation celebration and they radiated with pride as he completed college. Qudry could be described as quizzical, quixotic, quirky, quiet, never quarrelsome but he was always, quintessentially Qudry and he will...

Today there were news cars all over Lumberton. Later, I saw where WDAM posted a story about an alleged shooting in the parking lot of the Shell Station that occurred in December. It seems that the police are now looking for help from the citizens. Now, I know I think differently from others but generally, evidence is gathered right after the event in order to be more credible. It’s a month later and the citizens of Lumberton are just hearing about this incident but keeping people from hanging out in a vacant parking lot is more substantive to certain Lumberton Police officers than an actual shooting and impersonation of an officer. Who knows? If the group that used to hang out at the Shell station were permitted to hang out, they probably would have had more details that could have led to a possible arrest of “Officer Bad-a**.” A few weeks ago, someone in boxed me about the December incident but I was preparing for an election challenge and didn’t want to deal with the managemen...

There’s news about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Is Lumberton next? People have wondered how could something like this happened in the United States of America. When there’s no interest in election and the people getting elected think global warming and protecting the water supply are not essential, de-regulation becomes the next step. The people of Flint, Michigan were not involved in their government, didn’t hold their elected officials accountable and voter turn-out was very low. Sounds familiar? As a result, those in charge gambled with the health of the residents and now they have no access to safe drinking water. I found the page of a blogger in Michigan and he was giving details of what was going on and the possibility of this happening but because the things he said were not popular, many made claims that he was a pot-stirrer, angry and crying wolf. Again, sounds familiar? When you elect people that are not accountable and don’t have your best inter...

I find the double standard funny here in Lumberton. People look for any reason to discredit what I say but they never present any facts. This blog was under scrutiny for over a year during when Merlene Wall sued me for stalking and defamation of character. It think she even tried to use the fact that her grandchildren were distraught as a basis for her case. Well, the solution to that matter was easy; tell your grandchildren to stay off my blog. That bit of advice is really for everyone. There’s people that love to focus on the anonymous comments and some of the comments are really out there but most people aren’t like me; they only possess keyboard courage. I find it strange that people get all in their feelings when I block them from my blog but the same people run to the Lumberton Connection, the page that has me blocked, to whine about the fact that I blocked them from my page. Also, the language used on Lumberton Connection is just as distasteful as the language used...

Move to Lumberton…lie on your job application and during the interview…get one of the top jobs in Lumberton…hire your friend…lie constantly…blame the software and training…tell more lies…play the victim…become a master of mass distractions…tell more lies…block access to public records...recommend your friend for termination because she caught an alderman stealing….tell more lies…play the victim again…have friend apologize to the thief…use fried to testify in your frivolous court case…realize you have home grown idiots in your corner…breathe a sigh of relief…pray the citizens don’t catch on…continue lying. That’s basically how to get away with incompetence in Lumberton. Now, I wouldn’t advise you trying that anywhere else or in places that actually want to grow but when you have a group of people that are vested in themselves and not their city; it definitely works. There was a special call meeting last night and I opted to stay home. At this junctur...

This morning, I meet with the election commissioner, two poll workers at the city clerk at Lumberton's City Hall for a recount of the votes cast during the run-off election. I don't know if the matter helped but it's a necessary process in order to seek relief from a circuit court. When they came into the room I had to pinch myself because Merlene was being so polite. I guess she can only show her fangs in front of the board members that support her and the two clerks that accepts her behavior. I hope they didn't think I was going to sit there and go through all those ballots. The ballots I was concerned with were the ones that were not counted. There were several "spoiled" ballots that were not counted; one was questionable while the others were clearly marked "Jonathan F. Griffith" but were discarded because they had other marks on the ballots. There were seven (7) affidavit votes that were never counted because they were told that the people ...

On this day, a milestone has been achieved. I’m not going to give her age but Mrs. Miriam R. Holder is living history. She was born in a segregated society, taught in an segregated and integrated school system (31 ½ years), became a paralegal and is the only female to serve as Mayor of Lumberton. Because she is a free woman we celebrate your freedom. Because she is a wise woman we celebrate your wisdom. Because she is a strong woman we celebrate her strength. To know Mrs. Holder is to love her. I remember when I first met Mrs. Holder at the Lumberton Elementary School. I remember seeing this beautiful woman with a radiant smile and as we approached her classroom, she greeted each one of us. I always was and still find that I was intrigued by her presence and that watch that was always pinned on her blouse or blazer. It moved as she moved and many times I was mesmerized by its seemingly hypnotic movement. Whenever you interacted with Mrs. Holder you know that she c...

On Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Pastor Eddie Sandifer and the Gateway Church will presents “Coming Home Celebration and CD Release” of Psalmist Angela White Carter. Angela is a Lumberton native and is one of Lumberton’s great vocalists. The guest speaker for the event is Evangelist Jessica Smith and it will be hosted by First Lady Annie Bell Holder of Tabernacle Baptist Church. Special Guest will be Spring Chapel Baptist Church of Purvis, Mississippi, Mime Ministries and other Guest. This CD release celebration is going to be a True Worship Experience. Please come out and get filled and help support a local talent that’s completed her CD, This Is My Season: Angela White Carter . There will be plenty of songs, refreshments and CD’s available for purchase. Hope to see you there!

Yesterday, several people contacted me because they felt I was showing my hand and letting the city hall lurkers know what I was doing by posting a copy of the letter I sent to Stacy Pickering, State Auditor. Trust me. I know what I'm doing. One thing I'm certain of and this is this, the last person anyone from city hall will do is voluntarily contact the State Auditor's Office. I know what to post and I know what to leave off the blog. Here's the thing, I don't obsess about those lurking from city hall because they matter not. The reason I posted the letter was to provide other citizens with the address so they can write letters requesting an investigation into the finances of the City of Lumberton. Now, for today's post. I love going through my screenshot file and see the bizarre claims that are constantly made. For those that send me screenshot, please continue to do so because it's so refreshing to use their own words to show you who they are. The fo...

Yesterday, someone suggested that I write the State Auditor's Office and request an investigation into the City of Lumberton. I know I've blogged about it and the blog has reached a lot of people but it's time to take it to the next level. This was one of the ideas I wanted to implement as Mayor but I have no problem writing as a concerned citizen. The content of the letter pictured above is listed below and I hope others will take the time to write a letter too. I don't know if it will help but I plan on writing them at least twice a week about the condition of this city and once I have enough letters stacked without any response, I can then take them to the media and ask why are they ignoring the pleas to investigate Lumberton. January 13, 2016 Stacey Pickering, State Auditor Mississippi Office of the State Auditor Hattiesburg Office P.O. Box 16088 Hattiesburg, MS 39404-0688 Fax: 601-582-4170 Mr. Pickering, For years, the finances of t...

At the first meeting of the year, the board went into executive session to discuss litigation regarding the water department. I thought it was strange that the board was going into executive session to discuss litigation with the city attorney, Lindsey Carter, was not present but this is Lumberton. I was planning on investigating the matter but I shrugged it off. Well, during a brief trip to the Coast, I stumbled across the details of the litigation that was discussed during executive session. It seems the City of Lumberton is trying to say they don’t have ownership of the water line from the main meter to the individual water meters on the property of Pecan Ridge ( aka Turnkey). Now how did that happen? Didn’t MRHA 8 pay for the water meters that were installed on the various properties owned by MRHA 8? Another question, if the City of Lumberton does not own the water line then how are they coming onto the property to shut off water services for individuals that do n...

Pictured above is a screenshot of a post made by the husband of deputy clerk, Melisssa Nightingale. A few people sent me the screenshot and today I decided to address it because I think it’s representative of Kent Crider’s supporters. I don’t monitor Greg’s posts or interact with him on social media because I knew at some point, he was going to show his true colors. Keep in mind that whenever we interacted at city hall it was Mr. Jonathan this and Mr. Jonathan that but people have a tendency to show you who they are via a keyboard. Thankfully, I made a wise decision to limit my interaction. Proverbs 26:4 NKJV offers this advice: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.” When I first received the screenshot message, I glanced over it and deleted the message. After receiving it from more people, I took the time to read the message. Afterwards, I realized that some of the statements contained in this post were posted anonymously under...

Here's a recap of the election that will be remembered for years to come. It's mainly photos and screenshots but they provide insight to the problems that continue to plague Lumberton. The ballot that rocked the election. There was a lot of debate about the improper disposal of a ballot and everyone had an chimed in, including the person that improperly disposed of the ballot. After posting a photo with the title and hashtag Thieves In the Temple??? a former friend tried to turn the questionable election into an attack on her mother. She later went on a diatribe saying her mother put Lumberton on the map and she's probably saying more but she's since blocked me on social media. Despite the distraction tactics, it added more questions to an already questionable election. Next there was questions about a run-off election. It seems that Merlene Wall and Kent Crider were confused about the opinion versus law. People were voicing their concerns and...