Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Improving accuracy
After reading this article, I decided to create a checklist to improve the accuracy of my posts. I'm also working with newsroom management to establish corrections standards. More on this later.
And later:
Here's the checklist for all posts:
Read source material
Write piece
write head
write abstract
spell check
cut and paste piece into cms
preview piece
check photograph
post
The checklist for updates to existing posts:
Copy post into word doc
read piece
edit piece
read piece
change head
change abstract
spell check
re post
check photo
preview
post
While checklists may be no kind of fun, a point was made in the poynter.org article cited above: Pilots have checklists. And if it's OK for pilots to rely on checklists, the work of whom infinitely more lives depend on, then it's not a shortcut for journalists to use them as well.
And later:
Here's the checklist for all posts:
Read source material
Write piece
write head
write abstract
spell check
cut and paste piece into cms
preview piece
check photograph
post
The checklist for updates to existing posts:
Copy post into word doc
read piece
edit piece
read piece
change head
change abstract
spell check
re post
check photo
preview
post
While checklists may be no kind of fun, a point was made in the poynter.org article cited above: Pilots have checklists. And if it's OK for pilots to rely on checklists, the work of whom infinitely more lives depend on, then it's not a shortcut for journalists to use them as well.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Cramerton holds onto its school traditions with reunion
By Steven Jones
November 29, 2007 Gateway Gazette
Growing up in mill villages in the 1930s and ‘40s was tough, according to Hugh Johnston, Cramerton High graduate and president of the alumni group 45 Forever.
As a child, his parents worked in textile mills all across the area, moving from one town to the other as the natural boom-and-bust cycles of the local economy forced some mills to close and others to open.
Johnston and his family bounced around, working where they could and struggling to keep food on the table and the family fed.
Until they moved to Cramerton.
“Up ‘til then, we’d been poor. After moving to Cramerton, we had money,” Johnston said.
But, perhaps the best thing about living in the town built by textile engineer Stuart Warren Cramer was going to school at Cramerton High.
In 1924, Cramerton graduated its first class. In 1969, it graduated its 45th.
Now Cramerton High alumni want to share their legacy with the rest of the world.
The thing about Cramerton High...
For Johnston and other graduates of the original Cramerton High, the school was an inspiration and a community. Growing up in mill villages all over the place, Johnston said coming to Cramerton was a joy.
“We ate better, dressed better, had recreational facilities, better teachers,” Johnston said. “It was just an ideal place for young people to grow up in.”
Cramerton High was founded as part of Cramer’s model mill village in 1910, when Cramer bought Cramerton Mills from industrialist J.H. Hays, according to the town’s Web site.
He immediately constructed mill homes and facilities for his workers.
Cramer was dedicated to improving the lives of his workers and their children, Johnston said.
“He’s quoted as saying, ‘We make a little cloth down here but children are our most important product,’” Johnston said.
In keeping with the quote, Cramer built Cramerton High with quality in mind.
He paid teachers a supplement to compete with larger communities and schools, hiring what Johnston said were some of the best educators he’d ever had.
He built top-notch facilities, including a gymnasium complete with an indoor pool, a billiards room and a bowling alley. The gym is still used by the town of Cramerton as a recreational facility, Johnston said.
Cramer also built the area’s first fully lighted ballfields, so night games could be played.
“We had as nice a facility as in the whole country,” Johnston said.
It paid off, too, according to Johnston.
Cramerton High graduated all manner of successful young adults.
In Johnston’s class alone, about 50 percent of its graduates went on to college. Many of them served in the armed forces.
Even during high school, the kids turned out all right. They excelled academically, Johnston said, and athletically, winning several state championships.
Which wasn’t bad for a graduating classes as small as 41 students, like Johnston’s class, the Class of 1945.
In fact, Johnston said, the school did so well athletically that some of the bigger schools in Charlotte and Gastonia stopped playing them altogether.
“I think they underestimated Cramerton ‘til they started getting beat,” Johnston said.
And then
In 1969, Cramerton High closed down. The Cramerton Elementary School stayed open, until 1994, and a new school was opened in 1995. But alumni like Johnston didn’t want to let the hallowed halls be forgotten.
In 1987, Johnston was living in Dixie Apartments, years after graduating. He had kept in touch with eight other graduates from the Class of 1945 — they called themselves the Tramps — and they started talking about getting a reunion together.
As they did, other members from other classes discussed joining in, until finally they had all 45 graduating classes represented, from 1924 to 1969.
“It just kept spreading,” Johnston said.
Altogether, Johnston said, there were about 1,000 graduates. Johnston and others set up committees, gathered names and got organized.
Finally, in 1989, 45 Forever was organized enough to hold its first reunion on July 4 at the Sheraton in Charlotte. At the first reunion, 45 Forever honored the school’s founder, Stuart Warren Cramer.
Following the first reunion, 45 Forever held two more. In 1991, the group honored its teachers and principals. In 1994, Forever incorporated, organized more and updated its records to include everyone’s address, Johnston said.
Now, on Dec. 1-2, 45 Forever will hold its fourth reunion, which Johnston said is important to the organization. Less than 10 years after the first reunion, 45 Forever’s memberships has more than halved, dwindling to about 450 members.
“We’ve lost a lot to attrition,” he said.
The group’s oldest graduate comes from the class of 1938, a little more than 10 years after the school’s founding.
Also, Johnston said, the group will have to make some solid decisions about the future and its legacy.
Some 45 Forever members want to turn the old Cramerton High gym into a museum honoring its storied graduates and heritage. The museum will consist of displays and exhibits that will not interfere with the gym’s current function as a recreation center, Johnston said. The city has already signed off on the idea, he said.
This reunion will also give the organization a chance to see if there’s enough interest to continue with the plan from all of 45 Forever’s members. Also, Johnston said the group might establish an annual meeting to continue with its activities and plans.
Looking back and looking ahead
After spending 11 years in Cramerton schools and graduating in 1945, Johnston said the memory of the high school and what it meant to him is still strong.
“If you wanted to know everybody, you knew everybody,” Johnston said. “You (got) exposed to your seniors, your juniors, your heroes, role models.”
Johnston said the school and the community featured a sense of belonging and security that probably doesn’t exist anymore.
And now, 45 Forever will continue to honor that and the legacy of its graduates for as long as possible, he said. Hopefully, the museum will be a part of that.
“We want to make it into a real showplace that will attract national attention,” Johnston said.
It can’t happen soon enough, he said.
“We’ve lost a lot of people,” Johnston said. “We were afraid we’d lose too many if we put (the reunion) off six months.”
By Steven Jones
November 29, 2007 Gateway Gazette
Growing up in mill villages in the 1930s and ‘40s was tough, according to Hugh Johnston, Cramerton High graduate and president of the alumni group 45 Forever.
As a child, his parents worked in textile mills all across the area, moving from one town to the other as the natural boom-and-bust cycles of the local economy forced some mills to close and others to open.
Johnston and his family bounced around, working where they could and struggling to keep food on the table and the family fed.
Until they moved to Cramerton.
“Up ‘til then, we’d been poor. After moving to Cramerton, we had money,” Johnston said.
But, perhaps the best thing about living in the town built by textile engineer Stuart Warren Cramer was going to school at Cramerton High.
In 1924, Cramerton graduated its first class. In 1969, it graduated its 45th.
Now Cramerton High alumni want to share their legacy with the rest of the world.
The thing about Cramerton High...
For Johnston and other graduates of the original Cramerton High, the school was an inspiration and a community. Growing up in mill villages all over the place, Johnston said coming to Cramerton was a joy.
“We ate better, dressed better, had recreational facilities, better teachers,” Johnston said. “It was just an ideal place for young people to grow up in.”
Cramerton High was founded as part of Cramer’s model mill village in 1910, when Cramer bought Cramerton Mills from industrialist J.H. Hays, according to the town’s Web site.
He immediately constructed mill homes and facilities for his workers.
Cramer was dedicated to improving the lives of his workers and their children, Johnston said.
“He’s quoted as saying, ‘We make a little cloth down here but children are our most important product,’” Johnston said.
In keeping with the quote, Cramer built Cramerton High with quality in mind.
He paid teachers a supplement to compete with larger communities and schools, hiring what Johnston said were some of the best educators he’d ever had.
He built top-notch facilities, including a gymnasium complete with an indoor pool, a billiards room and a bowling alley. The gym is still used by the town of Cramerton as a recreational facility, Johnston said.
Cramer also built the area’s first fully lighted ballfields, so night games could be played.
“We had as nice a facility as in the whole country,” Johnston said.
It paid off, too, according to Johnston.
Cramerton High graduated all manner of successful young adults.
In Johnston’s class alone, about 50 percent of its graduates went on to college. Many of them served in the armed forces.
Even during high school, the kids turned out all right. They excelled academically, Johnston said, and athletically, winning several state championships.
Which wasn’t bad for a graduating classes as small as 41 students, like Johnston’s class, the Class of 1945.
In fact, Johnston said, the school did so well athletically that some of the bigger schools in Charlotte and Gastonia stopped playing them altogether.
“I think they underestimated Cramerton ‘til they started getting beat,” Johnston said.
And then
In 1969, Cramerton High closed down. The Cramerton Elementary School stayed open, until 1994, and a new school was opened in 1995. But alumni like Johnston didn’t want to let the hallowed halls be forgotten.
In 1987, Johnston was living in Dixie Apartments, years after graduating. He had kept in touch with eight other graduates from the Class of 1945 — they called themselves the Tramps — and they started talking about getting a reunion together.
As they did, other members from other classes discussed joining in, until finally they had all 45 graduating classes represented, from 1924 to 1969.
“It just kept spreading,” Johnston said.
Altogether, Johnston said, there were about 1,000 graduates. Johnston and others set up committees, gathered names and got organized.
Finally, in 1989, 45 Forever was organized enough to hold its first reunion on July 4 at the Sheraton in Charlotte. At the first reunion, 45 Forever honored the school’s founder, Stuart Warren Cramer.
Following the first reunion, 45 Forever held two more. In 1991, the group honored its teachers and principals. In 1994, Forever incorporated, organized more and updated its records to include everyone’s address, Johnston said.
Now, on Dec. 1-2, 45 Forever will hold its fourth reunion, which Johnston said is important to the organization. Less than 10 years after the first reunion, 45 Forever’s memberships has more than halved, dwindling to about 450 members.
“We’ve lost a lot to attrition,” he said.
The group’s oldest graduate comes from the class of 1938, a little more than 10 years after the school’s founding.
Also, Johnston said, the group will have to make some solid decisions about the future and its legacy.
Some 45 Forever members want to turn the old Cramerton High gym into a museum honoring its storied graduates and heritage. The museum will consist of displays and exhibits that will not interfere with the gym’s current function as a recreation center, Johnston said. The city has already signed off on the idea, he said.
This reunion will also give the organization a chance to see if there’s enough interest to continue with the plan from all of 45 Forever’s members. Also, Johnston said the group might establish an annual meeting to continue with its activities and plans.
Looking back and looking ahead
After spending 11 years in Cramerton schools and graduating in 1945, Johnston said the memory of the high school and what it meant to him is still strong.
“If you wanted to know everybody, you knew everybody,” Johnston said. “You (got) exposed to your seniors, your juniors, your heroes, role models.”
Johnston said the school and the community featured a sense of belonging and security that probably doesn’t exist anymore.
And now, 45 Forever will continue to honor that and the legacy of its graduates for as long as possible, he said. Hopefully, the museum will be a part of that.
“We want to make it into a real showplace that will attract national attention,” Johnston said.
It can’t happen soon enough, he said.
“We’ve lost a lot of people,” Johnston said. “We were afraid we’d lose too many if we put (the reunion) off six months.”
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Woman pleads guilty to murder
By Steven Jones
Tuesday, December 6, 2005 10:42 PM CST
The Selma Times-Journal
Lizzie Mae Lewis pleaded guilty to stabbing her boyfriend to death with a steak knife in January 2004.
Lewis, who killed her husband after catching him in bed with another woman, pleaded guilty to a murder charge. At minimum, she could be sentenced to 20 years for the crime.
Lewis, 43, could get life for the crime. Sentencing is scheduled for later this month.
Lewis, of Selma, found her boyfriend, Roosevelt Jackson Jr. in room 105 of the Craig Motel.
She pulled a steak knife out of her pocket and stabbed him, killing the man on Jan. 19.
Police called to the scene found Lewis and Jackson's paramour standing over his body.
Lewis told police that she attacked him.
"I found my man laid up in here with her and I stabbed him," she said, according to police reports.
Police took the bloody steak knife from her and arrested her.
Jackson was transported to Vaughan Regional Medical Center. He was pronounced dead about three hours after the attack.
Lewis was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/ assault and murder.
The DV/A charge was dropped in exchange for her guilty plea on Monday in a Dallas County Circuit Court.
District attorney Michael Jackson praised the work of his prosecutor on the case, Mickey Avery.
"Mickey did a very good job on this murder case," he said.
Tuesday, December 6, 2005 10:42 PM CST
The Selma Times-Journal
Lizzie Mae Lewis pleaded guilty to stabbing her boyfriend to death with a steak knife in January 2004.
Lewis, who killed her husband after catching him in bed with another woman, pleaded guilty to a murder charge. At minimum, she could be sentenced to 20 years for the crime.
Lewis, 43, could get life for the crime. Sentencing is scheduled for later this month.
Lewis, of Selma, found her boyfriend, Roosevelt Jackson Jr. in room 105 of the Craig Motel.
She pulled a steak knife out of her pocket and stabbed him, killing the man on Jan. 19.
Police called to the scene found Lewis and Jackson's paramour standing over his body.
Lewis told police that she attacked him.
"I found my man laid up in here with her and I stabbed him," she said, according to police reports.
Police took the bloody steak knife from her and arrested her.
Jackson was transported to Vaughan Regional Medical Center. He was pronounced dead about three hours after the attack.
Lewis was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/ assault and murder.
The DV/A charge was dropped in exchange for her guilty plea on Monday in a Dallas County Circuit Court.
District attorney Michael Jackson praised the work of his prosecutor on the case, Mickey Avery.
"Mickey did a very good job on this murder case," he said.
Family plagued by sewage problems
By Steven Jones / Times-Journal Writer
Monday, August 18, 2003
Sometimes we all have days when it feels like we're taking more than our share of "crap" from the world.
But Betty and Gregory Simpson feel like they're getting more than their share.
Betty Simpson said, "We get everybody's 'crap.' Really."
Simpson isn't exaggerating. Every time the sewage backs up, she gets a yard -- and sometimes a house -- full of human fecal material, sudsy dishwater and anything else that happens to go down the drains of her neighbors along Dallas County Road 943.
The smell is the least of their concerns. The Simpsons say the problem is causing numerous health and financial hazards.
Saturday night, it happened again.
At around 1 a.m. the Simpsons heard the telltale "blub-blub," which they say heralds the coming of raw sewage into their home.
Left unchecked, the materials flow up from their tub and toilets, onto the floor, under the walls and into almost every room.
The Simpsons estimate it's happened eight times in the last year and a half. They say they're getting kind of used to it by now. But they still haven't been able to get used to the smell.
"It's just like sitting your head in a toilet stool," Gregory Simpson said.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. Gregory Simpson removed the caps from the sewage line in his front yard. Without taking this measure, he said, his home would have been flooded in no time.
At 2 a.m. they started making phone calls.
They called James Hale and Joe Thomas, both members of the Dallas County Water and Sewage Board. They called the Selma Police Department, the fire department, a plumber and even the Dallas County Emergency Management Agency.
And why not? The Simpsons say they consider it a bona fide emergency whenever raw sewage begins to back up into their home. They say you would, too, if it happened to you.
But this time, once again, their calls seem to have fallen on deaf ears. According to the Simpsons, they have been plagued by local bureaucracy. "It's like they don't even know this street exists," Betty explained. "It's been ignored."
Thomas was out of town the night of the incident. When the Times-Journal contacted him by phone Sunday afternoon, he said, "I'm getting ready to call now and see who was having a problem."
James Hale was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
Mary Shagat, another member of the water board, said, "I'm fixing to call a man that can fix it. If I could find her (Betty Simpson's) telephone number I would call and tell her how to contact us day or night."
The Simpsons, though, are tired of waiting. They've contacted local attorney William Faile. "I've contacted the water works. I'm hoping something can be resolved. It's a terrible situation," he said.
He's instructed the Simpsons to provide him with an estimate on the damage caused.
So far, the Simpsons estimate they've lost at least $1,100 in damaged carpet. They tried to dry it out, but it was so saturated in human waste they had to burn it.
They've also lost money on clothes and shoes. Anything left on the floor is prey to the random invasions.
Betty learned that the hard way. "One night, I hopped out of bed, my feet stuck to the floor," she said.
The Simpsons said their children suffer from respiratory ailments, and they are afraid the sewage may be part of the problem. Gregory said they're constantly using disinfectants and air fresheners to combat the odor problem. He said, "(We're) thinking we're killing the odor, but we're killing the children, really."
Betty suffers from a heart condition, and recently had surgery to clear a blocked artery. Not only is the constant nausea causing her chest pains, but she can't eat the food required to take her medication much of the time. "You just can't bring yourself to eat anything," she said.
It's so bad, in fact, that Betty said the police officer who visited early Sunday morning refused to leave his car, and suggested the Simpsons move.
"Lord knows we're stuck here until we can find someplace to move," she added.
The Simpsons aren't the only ones with a problem. Their neighbor, Bruce Fincher, remembers when the water board would relieve the sewage pipes in his front yard. "It used to bubble up under that tree. Mine came up through the tub."
According to the Simpsons, the water board told them once that lightning flipped a breaker on one of the sewage pump stations nearby, causing the back-flow. But they insist that doesn't explain the six or seven times it's happened before.
The Simpsons say that another time the water board contacted them and explained the problem was an old and obsolete pump station, installed in 1987.
The Simpsons aren't sure what the problem is. They just want it fixed. Hopefully, with the help of Faile, they'll be able to live a sewage-free life soon.
Until then, Betty said, "There's nothing else to do except go through the odors."
Monday, August 18, 2003
Sometimes we all have days when it feels like we're taking more than our share of "crap" from the world.
But Betty and Gregory Simpson feel like they're getting more than their share.
Betty Simpson said, "We get everybody's 'crap.' Really."
Simpson isn't exaggerating. Every time the sewage backs up, she gets a yard -- and sometimes a house -- full of human fecal material, sudsy dishwater and anything else that happens to go down the drains of her neighbors along Dallas County Road 943.
The smell is the least of their concerns. The Simpsons say the problem is causing numerous health and financial hazards.
Saturday night, it happened again.
At around 1 a.m. the Simpsons heard the telltale "blub-blub," which they say heralds the coming of raw sewage into their home.
Left unchecked, the materials flow up from their tub and toilets, onto the floor, under the walls and into almost every room.
The Simpsons estimate it's happened eight times in the last year and a half. They say they're getting kind of used to it by now. But they still haven't been able to get used to the smell.
"It's just like sitting your head in a toilet stool," Gregory Simpson said.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. Gregory Simpson removed the caps from the sewage line in his front yard. Without taking this measure, he said, his home would have been flooded in no time.
At 2 a.m. they started making phone calls.
They called James Hale and Joe Thomas, both members of the Dallas County Water and Sewage Board. They called the Selma Police Department, the fire department, a plumber and even the Dallas County Emergency Management Agency.
And why not? The Simpsons say they consider it a bona fide emergency whenever raw sewage begins to back up into their home. They say you would, too, if it happened to you.
But this time, once again, their calls seem to have fallen on deaf ears. According to the Simpsons, they have been plagued by local bureaucracy. "It's like they don't even know this street exists," Betty explained. "It's been ignored."
Thomas was out of town the night of the incident. When the Times-Journal contacted him by phone Sunday afternoon, he said, "I'm getting ready to call now and see who was having a problem."
James Hale was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
Mary Shagat, another member of the water board, said, "I'm fixing to call a man that can fix it. If I could find her (Betty Simpson's) telephone number I would call and tell her how to contact us day or night."
The Simpsons, though, are tired of waiting. They've contacted local attorney William Faile. "I've contacted the water works. I'm hoping something can be resolved. It's a terrible situation," he said.
He's instructed the Simpsons to provide him with an estimate on the damage caused.
So far, the Simpsons estimate they've lost at least $1,100 in damaged carpet. They tried to dry it out, but it was so saturated in human waste they had to burn it.
They've also lost money on clothes and shoes. Anything left on the floor is prey to the random invasions.
Betty learned that the hard way. "One night, I hopped out of bed, my feet stuck to the floor," she said.
The Simpsons said their children suffer from respiratory ailments, and they are afraid the sewage may be part of the problem. Gregory said they're constantly using disinfectants and air fresheners to combat the odor problem. He said, "(We're) thinking we're killing the odor, but we're killing the children, really."
Betty suffers from a heart condition, and recently had surgery to clear a blocked artery. Not only is the constant nausea causing her chest pains, but she can't eat the food required to take her medication much of the time. "You just can't bring yourself to eat anything," she said.
It's so bad, in fact, that Betty said the police officer who visited early Sunday morning refused to leave his car, and suggested the Simpsons move.
"Lord knows we're stuck here until we can find someplace to move," she added.
The Simpsons aren't the only ones with a problem. Their neighbor, Bruce Fincher, remembers when the water board would relieve the sewage pipes in his front yard. "It used to bubble up under that tree. Mine came up through the tub."
According to the Simpsons, the water board told them once that lightning flipped a breaker on one of the sewage pump stations nearby, causing the back-flow. But they insist that doesn't explain the six or seven times it's happened before.
The Simpsons say that another time the water board contacted them and explained the problem was an old and obsolete pump station, installed in 1987.
The Simpsons aren't sure what the problem is. They just want it fixed. Hopefully, with the help of Faile, they'll be able to live a sewage-free life soon.
Until then, Betty said, "There's nothing else to do except go through the odors."
Man arrested in stabbing
By Steven Jones
Times-Journal City Editor
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
An Orrville man is in the Dallas County Jail after allegedly stabbing an acquaintance in a barroom brawl.
"I would have to assume alcohol was a contributing factor," Captain Roy Freine, of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, said.
Freine said the stabbing happened early Sunday morning, at about 2 a.m.
Sherman Gragg, a 21-year-old Orrville man, got into an argument with Terrell "Tiki-Boo" Rayford at Jerry's Place, an Orrville bar, Freine said.
The argument ended, according to Freine, when Rayford stabbed Gragg.
"My baby boy and him got into it," Lena Gragg, Sherman's mother said.
Gragg's mother wasn't at the bar at the time of the stabbing, but rushed to the hospital as soon as she found out.
"Me and my daughter and my son-in-law was flying like a bat out of hell," she said.
Rayford was later arrested at his home on County Road 33. He was charged with first-degree assault and is in the Dallas County Jail.
His bond was set at $10,000. The case is still under investigation.
"The detective got the knife he was (allegedly) cutting with," Lena said.
She said her son and Rayford argued before.
Gragg was taken to Vaughan Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and admitted.
Vaughan officials listed Gragg's condition as fair.
His mother said he suffered from four different wounds, in both sides of his chest and the navel.
"He had a punctured lung," she said.
She said the wounds caused internal bleeding and a chest tub was inserted Sunday morning.
"They took the tube out of him today," she said. "He's sleeping off and on. He's in pain."
Lena said she didn't know when Gragg would be discharged from the hospital.
Times-Journal City Editor
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
An Orrville man is in the Dallas County Jail after allegedly stabbing an acquaintance in a barroom brawl.
"I would have to assume alcohol was a contributing factor," Captain Roy Freine, of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, said.
Freine said the stabbing happened early Sunday morning, at about 2 a.m.
Sherman Gragg, a 21-year-old Orrville man, got into an argument with Terrell "Tiki-Boo" Rayford at Jerry's Place, an Orrville bar, Freine said.
The argument ended, according to Freine, when Rayford stabbed Gragg.
"My baby boy and him got into it," Lena Gragg, Sherman's mother said.
Gragg's mother wasn't at the bar at the time of the stabbing, but rushed to the hospital as soon as she found out.
"Me and my daughter and my son-in-law was flying like a bat out of hell," she said.
Rayford was later arrested at his home on County Road 33. He was charged with first-degree assault and is in the Dallas County Jail.
His bond was set at $10,000. The case is still under investigation.
"The detective got the knife he was (allegedly) cutting with," Lena said.
She said her son and Rayford argued before.
Gragg was taken to Vaughan Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and admitted.
Vaughan officials listed Gragg's condition as fair.
His mother said he suffered from four different wounds, in both sides of his chest and the navel.
"He had a punctured lung," she said.
She said the wounds caused internal bleeding and a chest tub was inserted Sunday morning.
"They took the tube out of him today," she said. "He's sleeping off and on. He's in pain."
Lena said she didn't know when Gragg would be discharged from the hospital.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
19-year-old assigned $5M bond in killing
By Steven Jones
Times-Journal City Editor
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Bernard Eldrige Boyd was a registered sex offender, convicted of several larcenies, in violation of his parole, and once, even allegedly tried to sell stolen tires to Dallas County Deputies.
"He got out of jail two weeks ago for a theft case," Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lynch said. "(But) he didn't deserve to get killed."
Lynch represented the state in Timothy Gayle's bond hearing on Monday. Gayle is being charged with murder for Boyd's slaying on Saturday, when witnesses say he shot and killed Boyd with a 7 mm rifle.
Judge Bob Armstrong assigned a $5 million bond in the case. To make bail, Gayle must pay $500,000, or 10 percent, of the bond assigned.
District Attorney Michael Jackson said he was happy with the bond in the case.
"We're going to ask for a stiff sentence (too)," he said. "Hopefully he (Gayle) packed his suitcase, because he's going away for a long time."
Jackson said the victim's past wasn't a factor in his office's prosecution.
"The fact that the victim may have been in trouble is not going to stop us from prosecuting," he said. "They're still human beings. They have families just like everybody else."
Witnesses said that Boyd, a 30-year-old Old Montgomery Highway resident, got into an argument with Gayle, according to official reports.
Boyd, witnesses said, had jokingly told the 19-year-old that if they were both in prison, Gayle would be his "girlfriend."
Reports stated the argument escalated, and Boyd and Gayle hit each other once.
"I know it was a verbal or pushing-type thing," Interim Selma Police Chief Jimmy Martin said.
Gayle left, apparently still angry over the disagreement. He returned with a 7 mm scope-mounted rifle. Witnesses said others on the scene attempted to stop him, but he waved them aside with the weapon. Boyd was sitting on a blue cooler. According to reports, he tried to apologize to Gayle.
Witnesses say Gayle shot Boyd once. Boyd fell, and Gayle allegedly walked over to his body and shot him again.
According to the DA's office, the first shot killed Boyd, entering his torso from the left side. The second shot severely damaged his left leg.
"It was premeditated, the likes of which you can't imagine," Lynch said. "He's (Gayle) not remotely remorseful."
Gayle, witnesses said, left the scene in his car. Police recovered the car at a Cole Street residence, an address it was previously reported at which Gayle lived. Gayle, who actually lived on Utah Street, was arrested and questioned in the incident. Police said the questioning led them to the gun allegedly used in the killing, which was recovered at a Hidden Acres trailer.
Gayle is being held in the Dallas County Jail. The district attorney's office said the case would go before a Grand Jury in about two weeks.
Jackson said he's still trying to convince criminals he's serious about cracking down on gun offenders.
"These defendants are going to have to learn that Dallas County is the wrong place to pull a gun on somebody," he said.
Times-Journal City Editor
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Bernard Eldrige Boyd was a registered sex offender, convicted of several larcenies, in violation of his parole, and once, even allegedly tried to sell stolen tires to Dallas County Deputies.
"He got out of jail two weeks ago for a theft case," Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lynch said. "(But) he didn't deserve to get killed."
Lynch represented the state in Timothy Gayle's bond hearing on Monday. Gayle is being charged with murder for Boyd's slaying on Saturday, when witnesses say he shot and killed Boyd with a 7 mm rifle.
Judge Bob Armstrong assigned a $5 million bond in the case. To make bail, Gayle must pay $500,000, or 10 percent, of the bond assigned.
District Attorney Michael Jackson said he was happy with the bond in the case.
"We're going to ask for a stiff sentence (too)," he said. "Hopefully he (Gayle) packed his suitcase, because he's going away for a long time."
Jackson said the victim's past wasn't a factor in his office's prosecution.
"The fact that the victim may have been in trouble is not going to stop us from prosecuting," he said. "They're still human beings. They have families just like everybody else."
Witnesses said that Boyd, a 30-year-old Old Montgomery Highway resident, got into an argument with Gayle, according to official reports.
Boyd, witnesses said, had jokingly told the 19-year-old that if they were both in prison, Gayle would be his "girlfriend."
Reports stated the argument escalated, and Boyd and Gayle hit each other once.
"I know it was a verbal or pushing-type thing," Interim Selma Police Chief Jimmy Martin said.
Gayle left, apparently still angry over the disagreement. He returned with a 7 mm scope-mounted rifle. Witnesses said others on the scene attempted to stop him, but he waved them aside with the weapon. Boyd was sitting on a blue cooler. According to reports, he tried to apologize to Gayle.
Witnesses say Gayle shot Boyd once. Boyd fell, and Gayle allegedly walked over to his body and shot him again.
According to the DA's office, the first shot killed Boyd, entering his torso from the left side. The second shot severely damaged his left leg.
"It was premeditated, the likes of which you can't imagine," Lynch said. "He's (Gayle) not remotely remorseful."
Gayle, witnesses said, left the scene in his car. Police recovered the car at a Cole Street residence, an address it was previously reported at which Gayle lived. Gayle, who actually lived on Utah Street, was arrested and questioned in the incident. Police said the questioning led them to the gun allegedly used in the killing, which was recovered at a Hidden Acres trailer.
Gayle is being held in the Dallas County Jail. The district attorney's office said the case would go before a Grand Jury in about two weeks.
Jackson said he's still trying to convince criminals he's serious about cracking down on gun offenders.
"These defendants are going to have to learn that Dallas County is the wrong place to pull a gun on somebody," he said.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Farmers report little damage from Dennis
By Steven Jones
The Selma Times-Journal
July 19, 2005
While Hurricane Dennis hurt Dallas County farmers, many of them still counted their blessings, according to the Farm Service Agency.
Perry Woodruff, of the Agency, said that Dennis wasn't nearly as damaging as Ivan.
“Thank goodness,” he said.
Woodruff said that many crops in the area were bent over from the wind and rain, but much of the crops will be saved, although he couldn't say how much.
Many area farmers, who grow soybeans, cotton and corn in Dallas County, won't know how much of their crop is lost until the plants “stand up.”
“Only time will tell,” he said.
Still it was a lot worse with Ivan, Woodruff said, especially for cotton crops.
When Ivan came in, the cotton plants were closer to harvest time.
“A lot of it was open and ready to pick,” he said.
Woodruff said that much of the crop was literally blown away as the cotton bolls were open at the time.
In fact, Woodruff said, the damage was so low that the FSA didn't activate the Emergency Conservation Practices program.
The ECP is a cost-share program, administered by the federal government, that allows farmers to recoup a portion of their losses from the storm.
Woodruff said claims were still coming in from Ivan, but the damage reported was so slight, he said that the FSA didn't think it was necessary with Dennis.
“It was not near as bad as Ivan,” Woodruff said.
Most of the rest of Alabama farmers issued similar reports.
In a statement from Ron Sparks, state Agriculture Commissioner, the overall damage was “minimal to moderate.”
Baldwin, Escambia and Monroe Counties, however, reported major damage.
“Based on current reports, Alabama farmers and producers have been very fortunate compared to the widespread devastation incurred by Hurricane Ivan last year,” stated Sparks. “Most people feel truly blessed that Dennis lost a lot of its strength so quickly.”
The Selma Times-Journal
July 19, 2005
While Hurricane Dennis hurt Dallas County farmers, many of them still counted their blessings, according to the Farm Service Agency.
Perry Woodruff, of the Agency, said that Dennis wasn't nearly as damaging as Ivan.
“Thank goodness,” he said.
Woodruff said that many crops in the area were bent over from the wind and rain, but much of the crops will be saved, although he couldn't say how much.
Many area farmers, who grow soybeans, cotton and corn in Dallas County, won't know how much of their crop is lost until the plants “stand up.”
“Only time will tell,” he said.
Still it was a lot worse with Ivan, Woodruff said, especially for cotton crops.
When Ivan came in, the cotton plants were closer to harvest time.
“A lot of it was open and ready to pick,” he said.
Woodruff said that much of the crop was literally blown away as the cotton bolls were open at the time.
In fact, Woodruff said, the damage was so low that the FSA didn't activate the Emergency Conservation Practices program.
The ECP is a cost-share program, administered by the federal government, that allows farmers to recoup a portion of their losses from the storm.
Woodruff said claims were still coming in from Ivan, but the damage reported was so slight, he said that the FSA didn't think it was necessary with Dennis.
“It was not near as bad as Ivan,” Woodruff said.
Most of the rest of Alabama farmers issued similar reports.
In a statement from Ron Sparks, state Agriculture Commissioner, the overall damage was “minimal to moderate.”
Baldwin, Escambia and Monroe Counties, however, reported major damage.
“Based on current reports, Alabama farmers and producers have been very fortunate compared to the widespread devastation incurred by Hurricane Ivan last year,” stated Sparks. “Most people feel truly blessed that Dennis lost a lot of its strength so quickly.”
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
EMA director asked to resign
By Steven Jones
The Selma Times-Journal
Oct. 25, 2005
The Selma Ministerial Association asked the Dallas County Commission to remove Emergency Management Director Brett Howard Monday.
Claiming that Howard “expresses very little concern for the citizens of Selma's safety,” the Association - composed of area Baptist ministers - said they didn't think Howard should continue as head of the EMA at a press conference held on the steps of the Dallas County Courthouse annex.
The Association's criticism revolved around Howard's actions during and after Hurricane Katrina, especially in regard to the needs of evacuees within Dallas County.
“This is a human life issue,” the Rev. Ezeikiel Pettway, a member of the Association, said.
The Association said that in the aftermath of Katrina, Howard showed disregard for the safety of human life, encouraged churches and pastors not to bring evacuees into the county, closed shelters prematurely, stated inaccurate numbers concerning evacuees, failed to communicate properly with area residents, expressed no concern for the citizens of Selma and didn't make a Katrina plan public.
They made their complaints official after the press conference, by presenting a resolution calling for Howard's job at Monday's Dallas County Commission meeting.
In that resolution, they said Howard told them in meetings on Sept. 16 and 17 not to bring evacuees to Dallas County.
Also, they claim Howard told them he wasn't concerned about the wants and needs of Selma's citizens.
“He said the citizens of Orrville and Valley Grande and other parts of this county pay his salary,” the Rev. L.L. Ruffin, Association President, said.
Ruffin said members of the Association told him Selma's citizens pay county taxes, which are also part of his salary.
“He replied that he did not see it that way,” Ruffin said. “Such statements and actions suggest a cavalier attitude and a discriminatory direction of the Dallas County EMA.
“(We) call for the removal of the director of the EMA.”
The commission said they would respond to the Association's charges later, but expressed support for Howard.
They said they believed Howard had performed admirably as EMA director, citing commendations he'd received from the Alabama EMA for his work.
“He's carried out his duties commendably,” Commission Chairman and Probate Judge John Jones said.
As for the comments Howard allegedly made, Jones said he wasn't aware of them, but they would be looked into.
He did, however, hint at how he personally felt about the allegations.
“May he who is without sin cast the first stone,” Jones said, quoting the New Testament to Ruffin. “Maybe we sometimes take things out of context.”
After Katrina, Dallas County became the temporary - and in some cases permanent - home for at least a hundred evacuees from Louisiana and Mississippi. It isn't clear how many evacuees sought shelter in the area, but estimates ranged from 200 to 600 at one point.
Howard said, at the time, that most of these evacuees were staying with relatives and friends as far as he knew.
At first, the Black Belt Chapter of the American Red Cross opened several shelters in Dallas County. According to officials at the time, many of them were unoccupied after Katrina.
The last shelter, at Westwood Baptist, closed two days after the storm when the Red Cross determined there wasn't a need for it, ARC interim director Jakki Phillips said in a meeting last month.
Howard did say, after the commission meeting, that he has no responsibility over when shelters are opened or closed. He said that decision rests with the ARC.
The Selma Times-Journal
Oct. 25, 2005
The Selma Ministerial Association asked the Dallas County Commission to remove Emergency Management Director Brett Howard Monday.
Claiming that Howard “expresses very little concern for the citizens of Selma's safety,” the Association - composed of area Baptist ministers - said they didn't think Howard should continue as head of the EMA at a press conference held on the steps of the Dallas County Courthouse annex.
The Association's criticism revolved around Howard's actions during and after Hurricane Katrina, especially in regard to the needs of evacuees within Dallas County.
“This is a human life issue,” the Rev. Ezeikiel Pettway, a member of the Association, said.
The Association said that in the aftermath of Katrina, Howard showed disregard for the safety of human life, encouraged churches and pastors not to bring evacuees into the county, closed shelters prematurely, stated inaccurate numbers concerning evacuees, failed to communicate properly with area residents, expressed no concern for the citizens of Selma and didn't make a Katrina plan public.
They made their complaints official after the press conference, by presenting a resolution calling for Howard's job at Monday's Dallas County Commission meeting.
In that resolution, they said Howard told them in meetings on Sept. 16 and 17 not to bring evacuees to Dallas County.
Also, they claim Howard told them he wasn't concerned about the wants and needs of Selma's citizens.
“He said the citizens of Orrville and Valley Grande and other parts of this county pay his salary,” the Rev. L.L. Ruffin, Association President, said.
Ruffin said members of the Association told him Selma's citizens pay county taxes, which are also part of his salary.
“He replied that he did not see it that way,” Ruffin said. “Such statements and actions suggest a cavalier attitude and a discriminatory direction of the Dallas County EMA.
“(We) call for the removal of the director of the EMA.”
The commission said they would respond to the Association's charges later, but expressed support for Howard.
They said they believed Howard had performed admirably as EMA director, citing commendations he'd received from the Alabama EMA for his work.
“He's carried out his duties commendably,” Commission Chairman and Probate Judge John Jones said.
As for the comments Howard allegedly made, Jones said he wasn't aware of them, but they would be looked into.
He did, however, hint at how he personally felt about the allegations.
“May he who is without sin cast the first stone,” Jones said, quoting the New Testament to Ruffin. “Maybe we sometimes take things out of context.”
After Katrina, Dallas County became the temporary - and in some cases permanent - home for at least a hundred evacuees from Louisiana and Mississippi. It isn't clear how many evacuees sought shelter in the area, but estimates ranged from 200 to 600 at one point.
Howard said, at the time, that most of these evacuees were staying with relatives and friends as far as he knew.
At first, the Black Belt Chapter of the American Red Cross opened several shelters in Dallas County. According to officials at the time, many of them were unoccupied after Katrina.
The last shelter, at Westwood Baptist, closed two days after the storm when the Red Cross determined there wasn't a need for it, ARC interim director Jakki Phillips said in a meeting last month.
Howard did say, after the commission meeting, that he has no responsibility over when shelters are opened or closed. He said that decision rests with the ARC.
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