UNA Continues to Spell "Loser"

 

I can hardly wait for UNA to play Auburn. Let's hope everyone's insurance is paid up. And that enough players are out of jail to make a team.

Is there some kind of rule that our local yokel school just has to recruit players who've been in "Hard Times"? And which is better/worse - alcohol crimes or theft or manslaughter?

Send your kids to UAH. You won't be sorry.

The Tatler

From Badge to Bars: The Downfall of Max Ryan Dotson

 

There's a fund raiser for Max Dotson. There's a lot of misinformation. Everyone should read this:

Max Ryan Dotson, once a lieutenant with the Sheffield Police Department, became a symbol of public distrust in law enforcement. In December 2022, Dotson's off-duty actions shattered the community's sense of security.

The incident involved Demarcus Key, a Black man, who alleged Dotson assaulted him, threatened him with a gun, and displayed reckless behavior. This abuse of power sparked outrage, particularly in light of Dotson's prior involvement in a controversial police dog attack case.

In July 2023, Dotson was found guilty of assault, menacing, and reckless endangerment. He received a two-year sentence and was terminated from the police force. This verdict offered some measure of justice for Key, but also raised questions about the department's vetting process and its ability to hold officers accountable.

Dotson's case wasn't an isolated incident. The lawsuit concerning the police dog attack highlighted a pattern of concerning behavior within the Sheffield Police Department. These incidents eroded public trust and exposed a potential culture of impunity.

The Dotson case serves as a cautionary tale. It underscores the importance of thorough background checks for law enforcement personnel and the need for robust internal investigations. Additionally, it highlights the necessity for fostering trust between the police and the community they serve.

Moving forward, the Sheffield Police Department must take concrete steps to rebuild public trust. Transparency in investigations, community outreach programs, and implicit bias training for officers are all crucial elements in this process.

In conclusion, Max Ryan Dotson's downfall serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accountability within law enforcement. By learning from this case, the Sheffield Police Department and communities nationwide can work towards a future where trust and safety are paramount.

Max Dotson: Whiskey, Xanax, & a Gun

 

You have to wonder how many chances former police officer Max Dotson should have. He'd been out of jail on an appeal bond for ten months when he was arrested in Florence last week.

He had 10 to 15 (can't FPD count?) half jiggers of whiskey, one Xanax on his person, an empty Xanax bottle, and a rifle in the back seat. Cute! Doesn't he have a young wife and infant at home? Maybe not any more.

Ben Graves has revoked Dotson's appeal bond. Good for him! I'm ashamed that he was ever a Florence police officer.

The Tatler

How the Yankees Took Florence - Part I

 

by

Mitch Gann

His name is William Dickerson Jordan. You can just call him Dick.


His parents moved to Florence, Alabama, after World War II, expecting a real estate boom. Barksdale Jordan and Jessie Dickerson Jordan may not have found the boom they had anticipated, but nonetheless the couple prospered and by 1950 had opened their own real estate company.


An interesting side note: Barksdale, of Lamar County, and Jessie, of Selma, pronounced their surname as “Jurdan.” As an adult, Dick has always used the pronunciation of “Jordan.”


Dick was the middle of their three children, born in 1944. He attended Coffee High School where he played on the football team along with his lifelong pal Joel Anderson Sr.  After graduation in 1962, he attended Auburn University where he met his first wife, Charlotte Jernigan of Falls Church, Virginia. The union produced two children, William Eidson Jordan and Ella Gaines Jordan Llevat.


Back home in Florence after graduation from Auburn in 1966, Jordan began his career at the M.J. Carter Insurance Company. He first ran for and was elected to the Florence City Commission in 1979. When the commission form of government changed to a city council, Jordan was on the inaugural panel representing District 2 in 1984.


After he was elected to the old Florence City Commission, Jordan began to write various insurance policies for the city. The Alabama Attorney General Charlie Graddick stated at the time that there was no ethics violation in the practice.


Jordan and his first wife divorced, and he soon married Etta Kay Williams. Then Jordan hit a blip in his council career. By 2000, Florence mayor Eddie Frost was seriously ill. Jordan was next in line to succeed him.


When Frost died in March 2001, Council President Dick Jordan became mayor. It was a position that Jordan proclaimed he had never wanted; nevertheless, he was now in the public eye more than ever. During the next election cycle, Jordan chose to run for his old council seat representing District 2, saying that serving as a full time mayor interfered with his work at the Carter Agency and ultimately cost him money.


Things may have returned to normal for Jordan in his career, but his second marriage was not on such an even keel. Soon Dick and Etta Kay parted ways.


Dick then met Elizabeth Stockard Watts. She was twice married and divorced, as he was. Libby, as she was known to her friends, was looking for a better job, and Dick was there to help. With his assistance, Libby found a home on the University of North Alabama Board of Trustees. About the time of their marriage, Libby began work with Florence Arts & Museums.


Libby became the only Director of Cultural Tourism that Florence ever had…courtesy of Dick. She then went on to become the director of the Rosenbaum home…courtesy of Dick. It was there that she met a volunteer named Brian Murphy…

This is What's Wrong with Florence

 

What's wrong in Florence? Here's a few clues...

1. It involves a male who's grossly overweight.

2. It involves a female who looks and dresses like a male.

But you can get rid of this dubious pair in less than two years. Even if you have to elect Bill Griffin, just do it!

The Tatler

Young Betterton is a Thug

 

Now our mayor's grandson has beaten up someone. Is Andy Betterton to blame? Well...he raised him as we understand it.

Christopher Betterton is now 23. Obviously he's responsible for his actions but just as I'll always be a major influence on my three daughters so will Andy and his moral tenets, if he has any, be a huge force in Chris' life.

Andy needs to resign pronto! It's not too late to take Chris in hand and make something of him. Florence doesn't need a mayor like Andy Betterton. We can't take two more years of him!

The Tatler

"First Grandson" in More Trouble

 

Bored? You can always play "Let's Count the Pot Leaves in the Mayor's Grandson's Tattoo." Or you could speculate where Christopher Jackson Betterton was going at 3:00 am after losing his shirt.

At least this time it's just a DUI.

Three more years, three more years.

The Disgusted Tatler

Save Florence - Send Andy Betterton to Montgomery

 

Andy Starts New Career as Intersection Window Washer

So, all of you who voted for Steve Holt are saying about now "We told you so." You who voted for Andy Betterton are ashamed to admit it. Have faith. There may be an answer.

His old campaign page from running for the state house is still up. Yes, really. And he's still collecting money for some sort of campaign. Renewed copyright and everything:

Andy Goes to Montgomery

So let's see if we can't get Sister Kay to appoint him to something down there, as in a lifetime job. Wouldn't we all be so much better off?

The Tatler

Two Women Fight Over Man's Body?!!!

 

Those who know me in real life know that I've been married 30 years. Gorgeous has only been married for 20 since she takes a decade off her age and doesn't want people to think she married at 13. The day we said "I Do" we agreed that she would make all the small decisions and I would make the big ones. After 30 years of marriage I'm amazed to say there have so far been no big decisions.

There have been three daughters that we love dearly. Have there been arguments? We're human, so yes. Have I ever thought about leaving her and our girls? There's not a "No" loud enough to answer that. I've worked with many men who left their wives and were soon sorry. How hard is responsibility to understand? 

Like almost everyone in the Shoals, I've been disturbed by recent events, but it seems to get worse each day. This morning on Facebook I was bombarded by links to a woman who says she is Nick Risner's fiancee. She says he and the mother of his daughter are divorced. She was denied his body to bury and is now prevented from going to the funeral.

I'm totally amazed by this. Why would this woman make such an admission and why would his ex-wife even want to bury him? Props to his bravery, but a D- on his ability to lead a family.

My wife says she hopes our girls get a husband like me. I'm flattered, but I'm more or less hoping they decide to stay single. No grandchildren, but at least they won't be used and abused by someone who promised to take care of them until death.

The Shoals Tatler

Florence is Trading In:

Elegence, Intelligence, & Love
for

Sloth, Immorality, & Greed

The Tatler