Tag Archives: Valdosta

Surely a thorough investigation should be conducted to determine the facts. —Barbara Stratton

Received Thursday on Georgia Governor Nathan concerning this alleged suicide. -jsq

With all due respect to Mr. Rhynes, who I consider a friend, no one knows all the facts in this hanging death of an inmate and yes all prisoners should be protected even against themselves for liability and ethical reasons. However, if I had just committed and confessed a murder I personally might prefer suicide, probably because I would think I did not deserve to live if the shooting was not in self defense. Perhaps Mr. Rizer was of that opinion, and if so he should have the freedom to make his own choices. Yes, I know about the Baker Act, know all the correct answers to pass suicide prevention training, and I have the Wingman card with rules for suicide prevention in my wallet. However, I am still a believer in free will including suicide. If there were any circumstances that contributed to his ending of his life against his will then surely a thorough investigation should be conducted to determine the facts.

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Planning Commission agenda for Monday 2012-04-30

Here is the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC). It was faxed to Gretchen Quarterman of LAKE by GLPC chair Bill Slaughter, at her request.

Does anyone volunteer to transcribe it or OCR it?

There appear to be four cases for final action by Valdosta Mayor and Council on 10 May 2012, and three cases for final action by the Lowndes County Commission on 8 May 2012. GLPC itself is advisory: it votes on recommendations, but it does not decide.

You may wonder why we don’t just point to the official copy of the agenda on the GLPC website. That’s because that website no longer exists (try the above link; you’ll see). It’s still linked to from the City of Valdosta web page for GLPC. More on all that later.

-jsq

Someplace worse than here

Eric Stirgus wrote for the AJC 25 April 2012, PolitiFact: For the record, it’s OK to record council meetings,

Meetings of the Cumming City Council rarely make the evening news, but that changed last week with video of a woman being tossed out of the public gathering.

The woman, Nydia Tisdale, was attempting to film the council’s meeting April 17, but she was told that was not going to happen.

“We don’t allow filming inside of the City Hall here,” Mayor H. Ford Gravitt said, “unless there is a specific reason.”

Hm, what does state law say?

Title 50, Section 14 of the Georgia Open Meetings Act:

“[v]isual, sound, and visual and sound recording during open meetings shall be permitted”

Stirgus notes some irony:

In a strange bit of timing, Tisdale was tossed from the council meeting on the same day Gov. Nathan Deal signed House Bill 397, a revised state law on open meetings and records aimed at providing greater access to documents and public meetings.

The Georgia Attorney General’s Office is investigating, as well it should. The investigation shouldn’t take long, since the entire incident is on video. Meanwhile, the mayor keeps digging:

Gravitt also explained that he had concerns that allowing one camera and tripod in would embolden multiple people to bring in cameras and tripods into a meeting.

Then people might know what’s going on!

Here’s the video:

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This gang movement —Barbara Stratton

Received yesterday on People, citizens with the same rights as everyone else, being intimidated and bullied –Jeff, another in a series of opinion pieces. -jsq

Please note this comment left on the You Tube video by acon4awhile (I guess this means a conservative for a while. Could this be one of the “Blue Republicans” who have jumped parties to try to get Ron Paul nominated because the Democrats like his promise to legalize drugs and other liberal interests? Good possibility since I first linked to the Blue Republican web site from one of his posts.)

“There’s 2/3rds needed to close the debate over the slate, but just 50% + 1 to pass the slate. So where does this lead? Making people wait so long they have to leave and then vote on the slate that already passed?? I’m assuming there can be a motion to amend the slate passed once some of the original majority have to leave, adhering to a filibuster. I guess we could have been more aggressive, but could have been just as successful. We got 14/28 district and 8/22 state for Ron Paul that day.” acon4awhile in reply to acon4awhile (Show the comment) 1 day ago

This comment speaks for itself. The intent was

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Southern Company CEO got 62% raise in 2011

What did Southern Company (SO) do to justify a 62% raise for its CEO last year? Could it be lots of special financing for the proposed new nukes at Plant Vogtle on the Savannah River?

Bill Murphy wrote for citybizlist Atlanta 16 April 2012, The Southern Company CEO Thomas Fanning Got 62% Raise in 2011 – cbl

The Southern Company (NYSE: SO) Chairman, President and CEO Thomas Fanning got a 62 percent jump to $9.75 million last year, according to an SEC filing. He got $6.02 million in 2010.

Fanning, who has led the Atlanta-based energy company since December 2010, received a base annual salary of $1.06 million, shares worth $2.25 million, stock options worth $1.50 million, $2.46 million in non-equity incentive and $2.42 million representing a change in pension value and nonqualified deferred compensation.

-jsq

Moody detonating tomorrow

Peculiar sounds from Moody are pretty common around here, but expect more tomorrow morning.

WALB at some unspecified time, perhaps today, Lowndes Co. 'booms' may be Moody detonations. This Moody PR is dated Tuesday, CONTROLLED DETONATION AT MOODY AFB,

4/24/2012—MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.— — The 23d Civil Engineer Squadron Explosives Ordnance Disposal team will clear practice ordnance from target areas at Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range from Monday, April 23 thru Thursday, April 26 for target maintenance and regular range repairs. On Friday, April 27 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., the EOD team will safely dispose of any ordnance deemed unsafe during the clearance with 2-3 munitions detonations.

The detonations are expected to be heard throughout Valdosta and surrounding areas. They are part of a controlled reduction of unexploded munitions and will be overseen by Moody explosives ordnance specialists.

Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range is used by military aircrew and ground personnel regularly for tactical and ground maneuvers and weapons training.

Should you have any questions pertaining to this topic, please feel free to contact Moody Air Force Base Public Affairs Office at 229-257-3007. Also, visit Moody's official website www.moody.af.mil for more information on Moody and to view current news releases. Information is updated daily on our Facebook page, simply search Moody Air Force Base Official.

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ALEC, bills to ditch renewable energy, and the Southern Company

Got caught promoting laws that encourage people to kill people? Double down on laws to kill people through pollution! That’s what ALEC is doing. And look who’s apparently a member of ALEC: the Southern Company, parent of Georgia Power, and proprieter of several of the largest and dirtiest coal plants in the country.

Brian Merchant wrote for Treehugger Tuesday, Two ALEC Campaigns Exposed: One Kills Renewables, One Boosts Fracking,

After major corporations like Pepsi, Kraft, Proctor & Gamble, and Coke all ditched the rightwing group, ALEC announced that it would Plant Scherer abandon its drive to enact gun and voter ID laws. The group’s decision came after a couple high profile campaigns were launched decrying ALEC’s involvement in passing the ‘stand your ground’ laws.

But the group is actually stepping up its efforts in other arenas, as I noted last week. And two new reports, one from ProPublica, the other from DeSmogBlog, outline its new aims: dismantle legislation that incentivizes renewable energy generation, and preserve loopholes that allow natural gas companies to keep the chemical cocktails in their fracking fluids secret from the public.

This is the same ALEC that promotes laws like Georgia’s HB 87 that lock up more people to benefit private prison companies like CCA, which wanted to build a private prison on Lowndes County, Georgia. Traficking in human beings is not too sordid for ALEC, so poisoning people through polution doesn’t seem surprising.

Hm, let’s look at the corporate membership of ALEC, as collected by Sourcewatch’s ALEC Exposed. Why there’s The Southern Company, parent of Georgia Power! I’m frankly a little surprised Continue reading →

Georgia Governor Nathan concerning this alleged suicide. —George Boston Rhynes

Received today. -jsq

After the alleged suicide of inmate Terrell Rizer 19; while in the Valdosta-Lowndes County Jail; after being arrested and charged in the April 11, murder of Timothy McKinney; Georgia Governor Nathan Deal should issue an executive order as was done with the Quitman 10 alleged voter fraud case in Brooks County concerning this alleged suicide.

Moreover, this investigation should be conducted by an outer state agency and the other alleged suicides that has occurred in the Valdosta-Lowndes County Jail. Governor Deal should also investigate why Lowndes County is leading State of Georgia in jail deaths for whatever reasons and this investigation should be done by an outside agency!

We can only ask why South Georgia News Media failed to include

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Leon County Commission agenda packets and videos

Apparently the same day Tallahassee and Leon County Florida Commissioners met together, the Leon County Board of Commissioners had its Regular Public Meeting. I know this because they publish on the web agendas with board packet details for each item plus video. They already have video on the web after yesterday’s meeting.

Do you prefer just to listen, without having to look at them?

View Live or Previously Recorded Commission Meetings on Real Audio

They’ve even got a trouble ticket system for tracking requests from citizens!

Maybe the Lowndes County Commission and the various local city councils could ask Leon County, Florida how they do it.

-jsq

People, citizens with the same rights as everyone else, being intimidated and bullied –Jeff

 

We have another response to Interesting voting at Lowndes County Republican Convention Delegate Meeting. Jeff blogged on WOW! Lowndes County Republican Delegate Meeting Video:

…What you will see in this short video is people, citizens with the same rights as everyone else, being intimidated and bullied at what is supposed to be a meeting that has rules and procedures in place to ensure fairness and due process. I will be the first one to admit, this video is a wake up call to me that I need to have a better understanding of these rules and procedures. One does not have to have a full working knowledge of the rules and procedures to see what is happening in this video. There are a few at this meeting (some are newbies to this process) that obviously disagree with the majority and the majority do not like it one bit! At this point I would like to point out that it would have been proper if those that were experienced would have been nicer and appreciate the fact that other people in the community are getting involved, as we all should, and taken the opportunity to help them understand procedures. Instead they do their best to ridicule and make them feel uncomfortable….

I don’t think the reaction of those that were guilty of using such tactics was because these people were Ron Paul supporters. I believe they would have responded exactly the same to anyone that had the audacity to question or challenge them, to not just sit there like good little zombies and go along with whatever they said. You see, that is where the real problem lies. Those with power or authority have either been corrupted by that power and authority or believe

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