Apologies, once again, for the late post.

As the LU reported Tuesday night, LaFayette Public Safety Director Tommy Freeman was fired early Wednesday.

Freeman joined Public Safety (combined fire/police department) in 2007 after the death of long-term chief Dino Richardson. He was officially chosen by a committee, but in reality the decision was made by former City Manager Johnnie Arnold, who was himself fired last year. Freeman apparently never got the fire training he was required to have, turned a blind eye to an arson epidemic, intimidated, demoted, and attempted to fire several senior officers, and verbally abused many of his employees.

The abuse came to a head last month when Freeman terminated fireman Johnny Stephens, Jr. and attempted the same with patrol officer Denny Reyes. Their statements to the council brought new attention on the Director’s behavior, and apparently led to an investigation of the chief that culminated Monday during a closed-door “executive session” meeting of the city council.

According to several within the city, City Manager Frank Etheridge presented Freeman with two options early Wednesday morning: resign or be fired. it’s not clear which he chose, but by noon he was unemployed and assistant chief Bengie Clift was named interim director.

From CatWalkChatt.com, 05/16/12:

“‘Chief Freeman is no longer an employee of the city,’ said city manager Frank Etheridge. Etheridge hinted that the decision had been pending between himself and the city council for some time, and had been spurred in part thanks to the vocal public outcry against Freeman, which came to a head during the March 20 called meeting that upheld the termination of city firefighter Johnny Stephens.

“‘We had a difference of management styles and at this point we’re moving forward,’ said Etheridge. ‘We’re going to miss his skills, but we’re going to take a different path.'”

The ironic thing is he would probably still have his job if he hadn’t fired Stephens and Reyes. Their terminations led to a LOT of attention being put on him and his behavior, which is why he was fired. Let that be a lesson to you: sometimes bullying backfires.

..Although he still gets his retirement so he didn’t lose much.

Now the council has to decide who will replace him permanently. They will be having two planning meetings, on Friday and Saturday, and will probably be looking at options for how to choose a successor; it would be very surprising to see anyone named since (per our understanding) the job has to be posted publicly before it can be filled.

More on that topic later.

The Underground will step up and say “thank you” to the City Manager and council for making a right decision about this, and taking care of the problem finally. This sends a good message to the employees and citizens of LaFayette that things are different, and hopefully now they will be.

WQCH Radio, 05/16/12: “A WALKER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE GBI. SHERIFF STEVE WILSON CALLED-IN THE STATE AGENCY TO LOOK INTO ALLEGATIONS THAT ITEMS COLLECTED IN LOCAL CRIME INVESTIGATIONS WERE NOT DISPOSED-OF IN THE MANNER REQUIRED BY LAW. THE EMPLOYEE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED BUT SHERIFF WILSON SAID THE PERSON IS ON PAID LEAVE UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION IS CONCLUDED. IF EVIDENCE OF UNLAWFUL CONDUCT IS UNCOVERED BY THE GBI, THEY WILL TURN THE EVIDENCE OVER TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR POSSIBLE PROSECUTION.”

The only surprising thing about this? Sheriff Wilson decided to do something about it. He’s tolerated dead bodies in the woods, cops beating their wives, and deputies having sexual contact with underage girls – but he called in the GBI for somebody mishandling evidence. So the question has to be asked: what did this unnamed employee do to piss Steve Wilson off?

In other Sheriff’s Department news…

Chattanooga Times Free Press, 05/16/12: “The Walker County Sheriff’s Office has ruled the death of a man found with his feet bound and a pillow case over his head as a suicide.”

Steve Wilson says “it was unusual.”

..no comment.

Update on Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old West GA graduate who contracted a flesh eating virus earlier this month. She’s recovering but will definitely lose her fingers. She doesn’t know this, and may not realize they amputated her leg at the hip. The psychological trauma later on may be worse than what she’s going through physically.

During this year’s political campaigns, please remember that nonprofits, churches, and government agencies cannot legally advertise for, endorse, or otherwise contribute to any candidate. There’s been some activity that probably falls into a gray area legally, and it needs to stop. Most of it probably isn’t intentional, and this is just a reminder to think before you get yourself or your church or whatever into legal trouble.

You can support specific ISSUES all you want, like TSPLOST or a ballot measure about something, but you cannot support a candidate if you’re tax-exempt. Examples include: political signs at churches, making calls to plan fundraiser parties while on the clock at a tax-exempt organization or agency, and packing campaign material into giveaway bags as part of a school club activity.

Some of this is, again, innocent. Some maybe less so. If you’re in charge of a tax-exempt group, think about these things. If you’re a candidate, try not to get your constituents in legal trouble by throwing up signs on their property or giving them piles of pens and fans and crap with your name on it to have students give out. If you’re running for office you ought to know election law well enough to realize this isn’t acceptable.

This isn’t referring to a specific candidate. It seems like there are examples of this in many directions, including some who oppose each other. Just use your brain, and take this as friendly advice.

Apparently Georgia’s new license plates are flat because they’re made of vinyl. What’s next, cardboard?

Look back at tags of the past here, here, and here.

Rossville continues its pro-business ways by banning semis from all roads except Highway 27.

Now how are semi trucks going to use Bebe’s proposed TSPLOST interstate to nowhere? After it ends at the TN line, trucks will have to use McFarland to get back to 27.

11Alive.com / WXIA TV, 05/15/12: “Last year Georgia handed out $50 million in cash to needy families. ..$148,948.36 was redeemed in liquor stores. $4531.19 at Tobacco Shops. $920 at out of state Casinos like Harrah’s in Cherokee, North Carolina and Bok Homa in Heidelberg, Mississippi. $5685.00 was even redeemed at Six Flags here in Georgia.”

Update: “state auditors are now going through their own data to identify problems. In the meantime, Gov. Deal said the state is working to implement a new federal law to restrict where those EBT cards can be used.”

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