Month: October 2016

NAACP Stone High Noose allegations unraveling like cheap sweater after entire town branded as racists by the media

If things were as bad as Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Stacey Payton claimed on Monday during the presser on what was claimed to be a racially motivated “noose” incident at Stone High School then there would have been no need for either he or the child’s parents to embellish their accounts with several white lies. Let’s recap:

1. The claim that local law enforcement tried sweeping the incident under the rug has been flatly contradicted by the Sheriff Department Captain assigned to the case.

2. The claim that the school district had done nothing about the incident was not only contradicted by the fact the Head Football Coach immediately kicked the alleged perpetrator off the team but also belatedly by Stone County School Board Attorney Sean Courtney, who revealed today the perpetrator had been suspended by the School District with the disciplinary due process started. Only one child was involved in a non-racially motivated incident instead of the four Johnson and Payton wanted to see charged with federal hate crimes.

3. Finally there seems to be some confusion between a jump rope tied into a lasso and a hangman’s noose, the key here I think is that one term while sensational does not convey the reality of what happened outside the football locker room. Ms. Payton, being a language arts instructor at Gulf Coast, would be well aware that IMHO.

Of course Superintendent of Education Penny Owen going into hiding on Monday gets a contributory attaboy because by hiding instead of engaging the media, the School District insured it would lose whatever control they could have exerted over the resulting coverage by balancing out some of the whoppers Johnson told at the presser Monday. Instead the town made the National news and not in a good way.

Even worse it appears all this was precipitated by High School kids making political statements flying a symbol of hate in the Confederate Battle flag from their pickup trucks on school grounds.  That should have been nipped in the bud because this is where some of the hard feelings are coming from, rightfully so I’ll add. Continue reading “NAACP Stone High Noose allegations unraveling like cheap sweater after entire town branded as racists by the media”

Of knuckleheads, racism and the bums rush to judgment: The kids got us into it and now they gotta get us out

We’ve watched the recent events surrounding “the noose” allegations at Stone High School in Wiggins with equal amounts of amusement, horror and likely for none of the reasons vox populi would either be amused or horrified. First we’re amused that one of Slabbed’s high quality twitter followers has gone underground avoiding the media in general. Second I was personally amused to see AP reporter Jeff Amy scratch Stone County off his list of Mississippi counties where he has written a story.

The horror would derive from a rush to judgment on matters involving a bunch of of 15 and 16 year old kids, some of whom are clearly knuckleheads but all of whom are still kids. I’m also horrified the local newspaper of record via its editorial board paints an entire community with a broad brush laying this disaster at the doorstep of the community citing a contrived racial divide when a closer look indicates a far different narrative.

First let’s talk about what we know. We know that the high school kids were allowed to make political statements at the High School by flying the confederate battle flag from their pickup trucks. They are following the example set for them by adults like Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant and most of the state’s political leadership who endorse a symbol of hate under which an entire race of people were enslaved. Slabbed can’t blame the kids here though because they are only following the bad example set for them by the state’s political leadership and their parents who should, but don’t know better for whatever reason. What this is not is the community’s fault because many of us know better than to engage in such boorish behavior. Continue reading “Of knuckleheads, racism and the bums rush to judgment: The kids got us into it and now they gotta get us out”

Been away on business…….

And while I’ve been gone we have nooses on the loose at Stone High School while down in the Bay, Hizzoner and his new City Clerk decided to skip last night’s recessed meeting of the Bay City Council. Meantime Rick gave us the backstory on the change at Bay City prosecutor. And that just scratches the surface really.

Looking ahead this is the last week of the regular high school season here in Mississippi for classes 4A to 1A. The playoff brackets are out and it is certainty the Rocks will host the winner of Friday night’s Sumrall-Green County game on November 4th. Because the playoff orderings in Region 5 and 6 are not set there would be a total of 5 possible teams that would be there in Round 2, which would mean road games against Mendenhall, Northeast Jones or Quitman or home games against McComb or Lawrence County depending on who advances. Assuming Poplarville and SSC advance in their brackets, the November 18th match-up at Brother Phillip Stadium in the Bay should be quite the game. Very good teams in Florence and West Lauderdale round out the district winners of Regions 5 and 6 with one of those two teams likely to advance to South State in the other bracket.

In other news one of Slabbed’s inaugural topics, insurance claims handling after Hurricane Katrina hits the U.S. Supreme Court as arguments are scheduled in Ex Rel Rigsby on November 1. On tap the Court will resolve the three way split among the appellate Circuits regarding busting the case seal in False Claims Act cases. The 6th Circuit stands alone requiring auto dismissal if the case seal is broken while the rest have varying standards that would require the dismissal. Here in the 5th Circuit, cases are dismissed “only if the seal violation caused actual harm to the Government” pursuant to a balancing test. Joining what is viewed as the most conservative appellate Circuit in that approach is the most liberal in the 9th Circuit. When the time comes we’ll have a link for those that want to listen in on the oral arguments.

Rafferty out as Bay St Louis City Prosecutor

This has something to do about a conflict the City Council would not waive Tuesday night involving the lawsuit Mr. Rafferty filed against the City over his September bill.

As an aside surely Rafferty knew when he filed the Bill of Exceptions he’d be out as City Prosecutor. Something tells me there must be a backstory here worth knowing.

What we know so far about Jolynne Trapani’s nomination to the CMR

The last time Slabbed visited with Ms. Trapani, she was jonesing for free, taxpayer paid dumpster service for her Old Town Bay St Louis restaurant. Now Ms. Trapani is Governor Phil Bryant’s head scratching pick to serve as environmental representative to the CMR. The environmental community does not claim her as one of their own based on what I am being told by representatives of both the CCA and the Sierra Club, who both feel this pick makes a mockery of the law specifying an environmental representative sit on the CMR. This is what I’ve been able to ascertain:

  1. She is not active in the CCA, though she is a member.
  2. She was not the person recommended by the CCA to serve as the Hancock County Environmental Representative on the CMR nor was she the person recommended to the Governor by State Senator Phillip Moran.
  3. Her friendship with Mike Cure is well known in Bay St Louis.
  4. Mr. Cure met with Governor Bryant within the last three weeks.
  5. There is a widespread expectation in the environmental community that she will vote on the CMR exactly as she is told to by Cure and Richard Gollot.

There is more to come folks.