Tag: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

Fabled Donut Eater to Hyde Smith Campaign

Been busy as heck folks but I could not let June roll by without sharing that I too love donuts and commenting on this:

There’s been an unexpected staffing shakeup at DMR ~ Paul Hampton

Then there’s Melissa Scallan, the public affairs director who is leaving the agency, perhaps only temporarily. Neither Spraggins nor Scallan would say much.

“Not sure if I can make the announcement as to where Melissa is going,” Spraggins wrote in an email. “Probably can very soon.”

Scallan, a reporter at the Sun Herald for years before going to DMR, simply said we’d have to be patient.

Of course Point Park beat me to it: Continue reading “Fabled Donut Eater to Hyde Smith Campaign”

Mississippi Workers Comp Judge Awards Death Benefits to Michaela Hill’s Husband, A DMR Friends and Family Scandal Update

For the Walker and Shumate clans, the time spent in prison for their role in the DMR scandal is over. It took a few years but the family of the late Michaela Hill finally gets some much needed closure. Point Park explained it best in a comment that I now bump up here:

Doug good things come to those that defend justice and the truth. Sources say you will receive a late Christmas present in the New Year. Let’s hope the Hill and Sabatini families finally have some good news. Meanwhile slimy Bill Walker appears on WLOX as if nothing happened and all the while claiming he did nothing wrong. Grandchildren playing all over in the news clip. Cheap sadistic photo opp. I wonder if this creepy bast@&$ ever wonders what the grandchildren of Michaela feel like without their grandmother. I’m sure Bill will be true to his word and participate in public events. Local sources have already spotted him at baseball games malls and even a charity event. It leaves one to wonder when Bill will appear in church. Slime ball has much to be forgiven for. Perhaps he will sit next to a member of the Hill or Sabatini family and ask forgiveness for what he and Tina Schumate did to Michalea.

Below is the full 32 page decision of the Administrative Law Judge finding Ms. Hill’s suicide to be work related and awarding her late husband a death benefit of $438.68/week for the next 450 weeks (37 plus years). Those interested in Slabbed’s coverage of the DMR Scandal can click here to get all the posts including our coverage of the scandal. Continue reading “Mississippi Workers Comp Judge Awards Death Benefits to Michaela Hill’s Husband, A DMR Friends and Family Scandal Update”

Jamie Miller leaves DMR to head to the MDA, Replaced by Joe Spraggins

Makes you wonder whether any of Miller’s fabled staff such as the Cake Eater and Doughnut Girl will be joining Miller in Jackson or if his replacement Joe Spraggins is still moonlighting with Ted Cain’s management company.

Miller leaving DMR ~ Jackson Jambalaya

Looking forward I’m wondering if Spraggins inherits Miller’s brand new tricked out SUV and his slightly used Contender Fishing Boat?

We have a complaint plus an election: A playing on the internet update

The mistake was lifting Ms. Ladner’s profile picture and marrying it to a fictitious profile bearing her name.

Identity Politics: The ‘real’ Susan Ladner files identity theft complaint with sheriff’s office ~ Dwayne Bremer

“Susan” is in good company as this is not Slabbed’s first rodeo on this general issue. I’ll add there are two tracks that can be taken to unmask anonymous commenters in civil and/or criminal with criminal being what I would term the fast track. There is a fair amount of law in this area that I will not go into but if I were the person behind Susan I’d lawyer up ASAP.

Next up is a very interesting read from the Hancock Supervisors meeting. If I were on the Board of Sups I think I’d want DMR Commissioner Jolynne Trapani at the next meeting to explain the deal that has been cut for the ice house no one knew anything about to be built on the beach in Hancock County.

Supers hot over ice house proposal ~ Dwayne Bremer

Just a thought but if this tidelands funded construction project is being dictated from on high in Jackson look for the usual suspects to be feeding from the trough.

Next up we had a new commenter stop in with us yesterday leaving his opinion of the current state of the Bay-Waveland School District. Brandon’s comment echoed an anonymous letter to Mayor Fillingame that has been making the rounds: Continue reading “We have a complaint plus an election: A playing on the internet update”

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.

For those wondering about the Sun Herald-DMR Public Records case…

The Sun Herald found no joy at the Court of Appeals, which reversed Chancellor Schloegel. As of September 2, it was Writ time at the Mississippi Supreme Court, which has not yet ruled whether or not they will be taking the case. Click below to get the 13 page Writ filed earlier this month:

Auditor v Gulf Publishing Writ of Certiorari

Auditor v Gulf Publishing Writ of Certiorari

Spin it baby……

This is not Bill Walker’s Department of Marine Resources.

Why a state agency paid $291K for a boat ‘fishermen dream of’ ~ Anita Lee

True dat on this not being Bill Walker’s DMR. In several respects my own opinion as a DMR watcher would be that its worse. Despite his penchant for self enrichment Walker was a scientist while his replacement is a local GOP good ol’ boy political hack. And the wasting of tax money continues regardless.

Anita’s story had a quote from Miller implying this boat would be used in a law enforcement role but Slabbed’s sources have all insisted it is used to catch Red Snapper (to the delight of the Delta Supper Club). The contradiction in using a tricked out fishing boat for law enforcement could be why the commentary on Miller summoning the Sun Herald for a PR moment was so immediately negative.

Hat Tip to Captain Mullet on Twitter for providing the inflection point while Slabbed’s original post breaking this topic continues to generate great interest on social media, coming in second in 2016 to Scott and Trinity Walker. Continue reading “Spin it baby……”

Jamie Miller must be taking some politicians fishing today…..

Still no official state markings for Jamie Miller’s new fishing boat, purchased with BP settlement money. Hot off the twitter folks:

Slabbed Introduces the newest addition to the DMR Fleet: Ain’t she a beaut!!

With the tip of the hat to our tipster I’d like to share with everyone the boat DMR Executive Director Jamie Miller authorized for use in the snapper sampling program per Slabbed New Media’s source, who is been granted anonymity as they are not authorized to publicly discuss such matters. The next step was to issue the call for pictures:

It is the boat true, die-hard fishermen dream of. The boat that has but one reason to exist: to help you catch the kind of fish that win tournaments – plain and simple.

And with a bigger tip of the hat to a photographer who answered the call and was able to sneak a pic: Continue reading “Slabbed Introduces the newest addition to the DMR Fleet: Ain’t she a beaut!!”