The Daily Update returns.

Since the last LU Update in mid-July, Walker County saw the commissioner race heat up between Dr. Paul Shaw and incumbent Bebe Heiskell. Heiskell’s refusal to participate in a called debate at the Civic Center and a rain of bad economic news spelled out trouble for the Commissioner, and it seemed nearly certain that she would lose the July 31st primary vote.

Heiskell managed to win the election, but – despite outspending her opponent more than 8 to 1 ($150,000+ to $18,000) – was victorious by only 214 votes. Heiskell’s squeaker win can be credited primarily to county employees scared into voting for her because of false rumors about job cuts and changes Shaw would make to their departments if he won.

214 votes out of some 10,444 cast is a tiny margin, but slightly exceeds the 1% maximum allowed for a recount, making Heiskell the hands-down winner in the primary race. No democrat qualified to run for Commissioner on the November ballot, essentially guaranteeing Bebe a fourth term.

But it’s still not set in stone.

On August 24, 47-year-old mother of five Ales Campbell filled out paperwork to become an official write-in candidate for the Commissioner election. Heiskell’s miniscule win inspired Campbell to run, showing that the incumbent Commissioner is more vulnerable than she’s ever been.

Campbell is a bus driver for Walker County Schools and owns Campbell Surveying with her husband KC. She has training in economics, banking, and computers and volunteers with 4-H and the LaFayette Womans Club, among other groups.

Ales was a key player in the Shaw campaign and has picked up the goals laid out by Shaw, including financial accountability, regular public meetings, and letting voters decide between the antiquated sole-commissioner government or a county led by committee. Shaw endorsed Campbell’s run, saying a vote for her “is a vote for the ideas I have put forward.”

The Campbell campaign will have its first public meeting this Thursday, September 6th, at 7. The meet n greet will be at Dr. Shaw’s former medical office, which served as Shaw campaign HQ until his defeat. Campbell promises yard signs and other campaign material will be available during the event. A campaign Web site has already been set up and has more content than the pricey Bebe! site had after a year of operation.

Expect more articles about Campbell, Heiskell, and the write-in process soon. Dates for political events, including voting schedules, are available in the LU Local Calendar.

Follow-up to Stocking Full of Guns. Read that before this, if you haven’t already.

Two weeks ago the Underground reported on rumors about misuse of funds donated to Walker County Stocking Full of Love, a charity operated out of the Walker County Sheriff’s Office.

In brief, the organization lacks accountability because it has never registered with the IRS. Multiple eyewitnesses have observed money spent inappropriately during the last several years. The biggest abuse reported concerns Deputy Bruce Coker, SFL’s CFO and Treasurer, using charitable funds to purchase a shotgun as a gift for Sheriff Wilson, the charity’s CEO.

Attempting to be responsible, the Underground sat on these reports for two years while trying to track down more verification or hard evidence. An LU contributor put in an Open Records request to Stocking Full of Love this June, seeking financial records from 2009-present. Those records would confirm or disprove the stories, but Sheriff’s Office employees only partially filled the request by sending bank statements without copies of cleared checks.

A second request was made in July, asking for cleared checks. This request was delayed for nearly a month in violation of state law. The delays and lack of cooperation strengthened suspicions that the men behind Stocking Full of Love had something to hide. We ran the rumor as such on Monday July 30th, 12 hours before Election Day, so voters would at least be aware of what had been said.

On Election Day the Sheriff’s Office finally put about half of the records requested – cleared checks from July 2009 through September 2010 – in the mail. Breaking the law by waiting a month to partially fill the request ensured the information wouldn’t be made public before people turned out to vote, shielding the Sheriff’s reelection campaign and Deputy Coker’s failed effort to become Chief Magistrate Judge from flack related to abuses at Stocking Full of Love.

Considering what the released files contain, they were right to fear what voters might think.

E-mail interview conducted with Walker Tax Commissioner candidate Carolyn Walker. Her opponent, Keith Fults, did not answer the questions. Walker is incumbent Tax Commissioner. Last of twelve scheduled Q&A’s. (Due to election day being almost over this is posted as a draft with answers dumped straight in sans formatting. Apologies for the lateness and roughness of this post.)

What is your full name, and what name do you generally go by?

My name is Carolyn White Walker, I go by Carolyn

What is your age?

I am 66 years old

What is your home address? (We will only publish the street/town, not your house number.)

My Home address: [redacted] Straight Gut Road, LaFayette, Georgia 30728

How can voters contact you or stay in touch with your campaign? (Please include info like e-mail, phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc. if applicable.)

I can be contacted by phone: 423-304-5322, e-mail: walkerlc@windstream.net; facebook: Carolyn w. Walker or Re-elect Carolyn Walker

E-mail interview conducted with Walker State Judge candidate Bruce Roberts. His opponent, Billy Mullinax, did not answer the questions. Roberts is the incumbent judge. Eleventh of twelve scheduled Q&A’s. (Due to election day being almost over this is posted as a draft with answers dumped straight in sans formatting. Our apologies for the lateness and roughness of this post.)

What name do you generally go by? Bruce Edward Roberts

What is your age? 46

What is your home address? (We will only publish the street/town, not your house number.) Dicks Creeks Road, LaFayette, GA 30728

How can voters contact you or stay in touch with your campaign? (Please include info like e-mail, phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc. if applicable.) Office Number: 706-638-1664 judgebroberts@aol.com

E-mail interview conducted with Walker County Sheriff candidates Billy Mullis, Freddie Roden, and Steve Wilson. Wilson is the incumbent. Tenth of twelve scheduled Q&A’s.

We apologize for the delay in getting this up, the election isn’t over until 7 PM. For time purposes, remaining interviews are posted with limited editorial commentary.

LU: What is your full name, and what name do you generally go by?

MULLIS: Billy Dewayne Mullis

RODEN: My full name is Frederick Clinton Roden Jr. I go by Freddie.

WILSON: [no response]

LU: What is your age?

MULLIS: 43

RODEN: I’m 50 years old.

WILSON: [no response]

LU: What is your address? (We will only publish the street, not your house number.)

MULLIS: [redacted] Bryant Ave. LaFayette GA 30728

RODEN: My home address is [redacted] Chamberlain Road, Lafayette.

WILSON: [no response]

LU: How can voters contact you or stay in touch with your campaign? (Please include info like e-mail, phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc. if applicable.)

MULLIS: [redacted] Bryant Ave., LaFayette GA 30728
706-639-1795
Mullis4wcso@yahoo.com
www.billymullisforsheriff.com
Facebook: Billy Mullis or Billy Mullis for Walker County Sheriff

RODEN: Voters can contact me on my cellphone, 423-762-1320 or at my home # 706- 638-8124. My email address is roden2013@gmail.com. I also have a website at rodenforsheriff.com and a political FB page.

WILSON: [no response]