Lumberton Informer

For several weeks, the City of Lumberton has been the subject of fodder because we have elected officials that refuse to serve the community they claim to love. At the beginning of the year, the board refused to take actions against a city employee that committed a crime while on the clock, and just this week, the Mayor of Lumberton threatened that he will ask citizens to boycott the Lumberton Public Library because the Lamar County Library Board is actually composed of individuals that have integrity; it would be great if the same could be said about our board. With all that's wrong with Lumberton, there's usually a glimmer of hope that always shine despite the despair. Just this week, it was reported that students from Lumberton High School raised money to send to a school in Lumberton, North Carolina, after their school was damaged by Hurricane Matthew. In 2005, the students from Lumberton, North Carolina, helped the City of Lumberton after Hurricane Katrina an...

The Lumberton Panthers are about to take the field and battle for the title of State 1A Champs. The entire City of Lumberton is proud of the team. Some of you are currently in Starksville, waiting for the gladiators (Lumberton Panthers) to enter the arena and claim another victory. If you were not able to attend the game, it will stream live on-line and WDAM will also broadcast the game. This week, I featured some of the players on the team but we all know there's no I in team. Collectively, the entire team, coaching staff, cheerleaders, band, parents and fans have propelled the Lumberton Panthers to the spot they hold today; positioned to claim another championship victory for the City of Lumberton. Here's a list of the Lumberton Panthers: J.Tribbett (QB), D.Edwards (RB, ILB), D. Coleman (RB/LB), R. Coleman (RB/DB), K. Fairley (RB/ILB), J. Galloway (RB/ILB), D.Bucker (WR/DB), J. Buckley (RB/CB), T. Toney (CB/FS/WR), C. Bowens (DB/WR), E. Joseph (WR/DB),...

I haven't blogged much about the Lumberton High School Football team this year but it seems that every time I pick up a newspaper I see the name Dre Coleman. Based on everything I've seen and heard, this young man is a stellar athlete on and off the field. I was looking at his stats after the game against Nanih Waiya, and Coleman is credited for rushing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns; it's clear that his athletic prowess helped Lumberton cinch their victory has earned them a spot in the state championship. Friday's game went into overtime and it was a nail bitter. I know this week is exiting for everyone in Lumberton; especially the players and coaching staff. At the beginning of the season, there were doubts about the Lumberton Panthers football season because they're a young team and they have a sophomore quarterback but they have proven that they're a force to be reckoned with and they want to bring back another state championship trop...

Saturday, October 29, 2016, the Future Leaders of Tomorrow will host a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk at the 5th Avenue Park in Lumberton, Mississippi. The event will take place from 12 noon until 3:00 p.m. There will be plenty of activities for everyone. In addition to the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, there will be a canned food drive and a Fall Festival. So bring your kids, and bring something for the canned food drive and take part in this community event. There will be plenty of food, fun, music for everyone. Also, there will be survivors in attendance that will share their stories their testimony. Hope to see you there.

There will be a Homecoming Festival held in Lumberton on Saturday, October 15, 2016 beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m. The event is being held to help raise money to renovate the Lumberton Museum. There will be plenty of fun, food and activities for everyone. The festival will be held on Main Street and the Lumberton Museum will be opened so people can see the work that has been completed and the work that is needed in order to re-open the museum. I also think the Lumberton Football Club will be selling plates in front of His Place Worship Center. As I stated, there's something for everyone; just show me to the booth with the funnel cakes. This morning, I spoke with Daniel Wise, Candidate for the Mississippi House District 106 and he said he was going to come to the Homecoming Festival so he could talk to some of the citizens of Lumberton. When I told him that there's probably 800 voters in Lumberton and he said "every vote and voter matters; I will make ever...

With all that's wrong with Lumberton, this place had a rich legacy of service, respect and compassion for it's citizens and at the help of this legacy of customer-orientated compassion was none other that Mrs. Faye Houts Englle; affectionately known as Mrs. Faye. In a time when 2 out of the 3 department heads are utterly unprofessional, I thought I would take time to reflect on a person that was always warm, welcoming, professional, knowledgeable and she was a jewel that shined brightly. "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies?" As many of you know, there's practically no virtue within the walls of Lumberton's city hall. We must rely on memory and reflect on a time when honor, integrity, compassion were not only words but attributes and Ms. Faye not only embodied these attributes but she exemplified them every day. As I reflect on the gentle, kind nature of Ms. Faye, I realized that she was always present i...

Early Saturday morning there was a knock at my door. Everyone that knows me know I don't like unannounced visitors. I hesitantly opened the door with a frown on my face so the unannounced visitor would know they disturbed my Saturday morning routine and that I didn't want to be bothered. Well, when I looked up, there was Ben Winston standing at my door. I held on to my frown as he greeted me but my frown softened after he said he needed to talk to me and ask for my forgiveness. I was actually shocked because I have spoken some hurtful but truthful things about Ben Winston the politician and pastor. At one point, I even questioned the motives of Ben Winston the person. I was already feeling rushed because I actually volunteered to work that day. I informed Ben that I couldn't talk with him at the moment but I could talk to him later in the day. He then said he would like it if my mother would join us in the conversation. I told him I would be able to talk t...

The purpose of life is to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you lived and it's evident that Mary Ball is walking in her purpose. After 42 years of faithful service, Ball has retired from Bancorp South. At some point, Mary Ball, has touched the lives of everyone in the City of Lumberton. Her presence, caring, concern and graciousness is the common thread that has developed the beautiful tapestry of customer service at Bancorp South. For many of us, Mary Ball is the reason why we stayed with our local bank. Over the years, she has helped us open out bank accounts, balance our books, reminded us of events happening in Lumberton, helped with our deposits, withdrawals and sometimes an overdraft. After getting comforted by Mary Ball, the sting of an overdraft fee didn't hurt as much. We would take the hit and her advice to closely monitor our spending. Winston Churchill said that "We make a living by what we get, but we mak...

I noticed the work on the roof of the Lumberton Museum is going great but I wonder if the people of Lumberton know that the elected officials of Lumberton are not interested in supporting local businesses. The money raised for the museum came from current and former residents of Lumberton; when the bidding process was opened, the representative for Hickman and Associates (Firm used by the City of Lumberton to secure grant money for the airport) assured Mrs. Bogle and the other members of the Lumberton Museum Committee that they could select the company they wanted to use since the monies for the project were obtained through donations. Well, somewhere during that process, the rules he outlined changed. The museum committee wanted to use a local contractor but it seems that the board was not on board. I made calls to city hall to see if I could obtain a copy of the bids but I had to file a FOI request. After looking over the submitted bids, the most professional bid came from...

I'm a music lover...a real music lover. I create playlists based on mood and I can remember my exact mood based on the playlist. I'm not a music critic because I don't think it's fair to dissect another person's work; either I like it or I don't. I usually don't blog about music but earlier today, I saw a post from Micah Schaffer informing people that he released Wedding Season-EP to celebrate his birthday and his wedding anniversary. I've always followed his music and his posts on social media are always fair, focused and faith-filled. Through social media, I saw snippets of his journey down the aisle and I want to take this opportunity to wish him and his beautiful wife, Lenore, a Happy Anniversary. In the song, "The Story of Love" Schaffer proclaimed "Lord willing, if the creek don't rise, let the first 10 be on the high." Based on the Wedding Season-EP which is essentially an journey of love, I'm sure they will ha...

There’s never a dull moment in the City of Lumberton. Despite what you think of me or my quest for accountability; my goal, unlike others, is for the advancement of Lumberton. At the latest board meeting, the city’s engineer opened bids to begin work on the roof at the Lumberton Museum. There were three bids but the lowest two were from a local contractor and a contractor in Purvis. During the meeting, the city’s engineer informed Mrs. Kathleen Bogle that since the monies for this project was raised through donations, they were not required to accept the lowest bid. After the meeting, Mrs. Bogle and other members on the Museum Committee expressed their desire to hire a local contractor. The engineer said he would question those with the lowest bids to ensure the work was up to par. Less than a week later, it seems that the engineer has suggested the City of Lumberton accept the bid of the contractor from Purvis. Here’s the twist, prior to his recommendation, the...

With all that's bad in this world, let's take a moment to support a group that's actually doing something good; The Future Leaders of Tomorrow. On Saturday, July 9, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon, The Future Leaders of Tomorrow will host school supply drive and car wash in Purvis, Mississippi. Cars will be washed for a donation of $6. In addition to the car wash, they will be accepting donation of school supplies, selling raffle tickets for a $100 FootLocker gift card and they will also be selling raffle tickets for the bike raffle. There will be plenty of food available as well. All proceeds will be used to help with the Back to School Day Event that will be held in Lumberton on July 30, 2016. Please come out and support this great cause. Your support, donations and participation will be greatly appreciated.

Let me let you in on a little secret....the best treats in Lumberton are come from Tresa's Treats. Just the other week, I was minding my business, scrolling through Facebook and I happened upon the page of Andres Arnold when I was stopped in my tracks after seeing these delectable chocolate covered strawberries. I immediately commented because I had to have me some. I told her that I was on my way and as soon as I posted the comment, I was headed out the door. Moments later, I was knocking on her door, waiting to get my hands on those strawberries. While I was there, she just finished baking a batch of chocolate pecan cookies and she gave me some to sample. When I got home, I immediately poured me a glass of cold milk and devoured the cookies and I had forgotten about the chocolate strawberries. I was mesmerized by the immense flavor of the cookies; the flavors lingered in my mind and I had to get more. I eventually got around to the chocolate covered strawberries, thankfully, I ...

Traditionally, the four characteristics of a diamond are color, cut, clarity and carats but in Lumberton we know that the TRUE characteristics of a Dymon is dedication, determination, drive and dexterity. In case you missed Sunday's edition of the Hattiesburg American, it was noted that Lumberton's seniors earned $718, 000 in scholarships and leading the pack with over $200,000 in scholarships was none other than Dymon Buckley. When I added up the number of scholarships, I was astonished. I was almost as astonished when I heard that Dymon was not the selected as the Valedictorian of Lumberton's Class of 2016. Please keep in mind that I am in no way trying to take away the accomplishments of the person that was selected as the Valedictorian but since he and Dymon were the only two with college course work under their belts, it seemed odd that they both were not selected as Valedictorians because everyone knows, well everyone except those at LHS calculating grade point aver...

Are you looking for something to do on Saturday, June 18, 2016, then look no further. Wright's Custom Woodwork is hosting the Lumberton Dixie Youth Car Show and Adult Tee Ball Tournament at Wood-Hinton Park. There will be plenty of vendors, activities, games and treats for everyone (I heard there will be funnel cakes on deck....Yum-O.) This event will also help support the Lumberton Dixie Youth so come out and show your support and help make this event a success. If scheduling permits, Lumberton's own, Bobby Ducote and Lil Legend will be there as well. Hope to see you there. I will be somewhere by the funnel cake vendor.

I'm a little late posting a review of the latest board meeting but not much has changed. As I was sitting there I was thinking about the sheer incompetence of the city clerk, Merlene Wall and that fact that she's going to become a certified clerk in a few weeks and she has no idea of how to operate the BBI system. She's totally incompetent and has the full support of an idiot board; as a matter of fact, they're actually planning on hiring an accountant to do her job in a city that does not have enough money for a full police department or public works department but they have plenty of money to fix the problems of Lumberton's money pit, Merlene Wall. Of course the board members are aware that this is their final year in office and there's another election coming up in 2017 so they're scrambling to purchase police cars and other things in hopes that the shiny new things will help you forget about their ineptitude over the past three years. As I listened to ...

There's a group that's getting together to see if they can help save the Lumberton School District. I'm not sure if the school could be saved. At this point, I'm not sure IF the school should be saved but I will see what they're planning and if I can offer any assistance, I will. I don't have all the information at this moment but I just wanted to let you know there's a group that's working to form a committee to see what could be done to keep a school in the City of Lumberton. I will post more details as they become available. If you're interested in helping, please let me know and I will pass along your information. #PantherProud

Disclaimer: Please note that the photos used for this post are students that gave me an invitation. As you know that graduation is a time of celebrating your achievement, the end of school, a finishing point and the start of a new life. You will be celebrating the start of another living and you are well skilled, so it is the beginning of some challenges. Do not consider your degree as a ticket to a better living but take it as a ticket to modify the earth. Tell yourself that you will get to a higher level no matter how difficult it is and you’ll fly above the sky like an eagle also because of this information that you gained. You will act differently if you tell yourself that graduation continues on till you die. Whatever situation or problem you encounter along the way, it shall bring you light at the end. There is nothing that will now end your journey of making your life look bright and beautiful once you have graduated. As you enter this new phase of your life, pray that G...

Death is a constant reminder of the fragility of life. We must LIVE, LOVE and FORGIVE! I'm sharing a part of my friendship with Donte so my broken heart can begin to heal. People like to wait until a person die before they express how they feel. Please know, I have expressed my love and appreciation for Donte while she was able to appreciate the impact she had on my life and I will continue to show my love by being there for her family. I know there are some that read the title and wondered why I referred to Donte as a DIVA. If you noticed, I turned D.I.V.A. into an acronym. When I think of Donte I have never thought of her as a DIVA in the natural sense because she was not a temperamental or haughty woman. When I think of Donte , I think of her as a true D.I.V.A. because she was DEVOUT, INSPIRIATIONAL, VIRTUOUS, and ANNOINTED . Now, don't get me wrong, she was also a fashionista. As a matter of fact, we became friends over a pair of stilettos. I've known Donte al...

On Saturday, March 26, 2016, the members of Future Leaders of Tomorrow (F.L.O.T) hosted a Kid’s Day (Day in the Park) Event at the 5th Avenue Park in Lumberton. This was a fun-filled event that had plenty of food, entertainment and information to help uplift the community. The event included speeches, performances, voter registration, performances, crawfish, barbeque and a Easter egg hunt. Lumberton is featured on WDAM all the time but for some reason, this event didn’t make the news. I wonder why???? This group of dedicated, caring, community minded individuals gave of their time and resources to provide a positive day of fellowship for the children of Lumberton and surrounding areas and the event was a GREAT SUCCESS! Kudos to the Future Leaders of Tomorrow because they are Lifting Up the City of Lumberton Through TRUE Leadership. Maybe those at city hall should take notes. I heard they are going to host a similar event in Poplarville. Their desire to spread ...