Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Imagine working at a job for 13 years and then one day someone tells you your entire career has been in violation of state law.

That has happened to former Columbia Police Department dispatcher Clarence Louge, who was terminated by the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday night.

A state law passed in 1993 requires that dispatchers have a high school diploma or GED, Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow said. Logue, who was unaware the law existed, was fired for not meeting the education requirements.

Kinslow, who has only been chief three months, said the fact that Louge does not have a GED or high school diploma “should have been dealt with years ago.”

The responsibility ultimately falls back on whoever was the police chief at the time Logue was hired, said Kinslow, adding that Logue has done nothing wrong.

Former Columbia Police Department Dispatcher Clarence Louge

Logue said Joe Van Parkman was the police chief when he was hired by the city three years ago. Parkman could not be reached for comment.  Prior to being hired by the city, Logue said he was a dispatcher for the Sheriff’s Office for 10 years. Logue said Rip Stringer was sheriff when he was hired to work for the county.

Logue said at no time when he was hired by the city or the county was he told that he needed a high school diploma or GED to be a dispatcher.

Kinslow said it was discovered recently during a review of city employee personnel files that Logue did not have a high school diploma or GED. Once it was discovered, Logue was suspended and ultimately terminated.

Kinslow said Logue’s termination had nothing to do with job performance, saying he was a good dispatcher. In fact, Kinlsow said he told Logue that once he obtains his GED he will recommend that he be rehired.

“It’s an unfortunate thing, but the law is the law,” said Kinslow.

The law that requires dispatchers to have a GED or high school diploma falls under the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Board of Emergency Telecommunications Standards and Training, said Kinslow.

Southern Manor apartments on Alberta Avenue in Columbia may be converted into an assisted living facility for the elderly.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Big plans could be on the horizon to bring an assisted living facility for the elderly to Columbia.

Southern Manor apartments on Alberta Avenue may be converted into a 48-bed assisted living facility. Southern Manor is currently a 24-unit apartment complex for the elderly.

Converting Southern Manor into an assisted living facility will require approval from several agencies, said owner T.L. Pittman Jr. of Hattiesburg. Pittman said he should know in about a month whether the plan will become reality. On Tuesday night, the Columbia Board of Aldermen gave its blessing on the project.

Mayor Reed Houston said the city’s approval of the project is just the first step. “It’s not a done deal,” Houston said. “This is a long-term thing. It’s not going to happen this year.”

Houston noted that Pittman still needs to get approval from the state Health Department and USDA Rural Development.

If the plan to convert Southern Manor into assisted living does not work Pittman said he will consider building an entirely new facility.

Pittman said an assisted living facility would provide three meals a day, maid services and some limited medical assistance such as nursing. Assisted living, Pittman said, is the step before a nursing home and is for seniors who can still live independently to a certain extent.

Converting Southern Manor into an assisted living facility would involve remodeling the current apartments and adding additional rooms. The rooms at Southern Manor currently have kitchens, which would be done away with because the facility would provide the meals, the mayor said. The rooms would be remodeled into duplexes with a common living area, Houston noted.

Pittman said he had a study conducted that showed assisted living would be a benefit to Columbia. Chairman of the city of Columbia Planning Commission Shelton Ball told the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday that the proposed assisted living facility would be a great benefit to the city.

An assisted living facility would also employ approximately 24 employees compared to the two to three full time workers at Southern Manor, said Houston. The employees would work in areas such as cooking, maintenance, maid service and nursing, the mayor said.

Senior citizens could get government assistance such as Social Security to help cover the costs of the assisted living facility, Houston said.

Fired Columbia Police dispatcher Clarence Louge wants the public to know that his termination was not based on job performance.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

A Columbia Police Department dispatcher who was fired on Tuesday night by the Board of Aldermen told the Marion County Informer this morning that his termination was not based on job performance.

The dispatcher, Clarence Louge, said he was fired because he does not have a high school diploma or GED, which he says are required under state law to be a certified dispatcher.

Louge contacted the Marion County Informer, saying he wanted to let the public know that he was not fired for any misconduct or poor job performance. He did not want misinformation and rumors spreading that he was fired for other reasons.

Mayor Reed Houston agreed that Logue’s termination had nothing to do with job performance. Logue did a good job as dispatcher and can reapply once he obtains his GED, Houston added.

Houston added that terminating Logue is a “sad thing,” but the city must uphold the law in terms of requiring dispatchers to have a GED or high school diploma. “It not his (Logue’s) fault,” Houston said.

Louge said he has been a dispatcher for 13 years and does not understand why the high school diploma and GED have never been issues before. Louge does not dispute the fact that a GED or high school diploma is required in the state of Mississippi to be a certified dispatcher.

It was discovered that Logue did not have his GED during a check of personnel files, said Houston. The mayor said the GED issue was never addressed when former Police Chief Joe Van Parkman hired Logue. Parkman could not be reached for comment to respond to the mayor’s statement.

It is unclear how long the state law has been in effect that requires dispatchers to have a GED or high school diploma. Therefore, it is unknown how long Logue was working as a dispatcher in violation of state law.

Louge said he is displeased with how the city handled his termination, saying his firing was reported in the Marion County Informer prior to him being officially notified by the city. Moreover, Louge said the Board of Aldermen suspended him over the GED issue May 20, and he was not aware of his suspension until a friend told him that the news was published in the Informer.

Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow

“I don’t appreciate the way it was done,” Louge asserted. “I would prefer that they had called and told me.”

Louge was a dispatcher for the Columbia Police Department for three years as well as a part-time patrol officer. Prior to that, Louge was a Sheriff’s Office dispatcher for 10 years and a deputy.

He said he wants to thank the Police Department and Sheriff’s Office for allowing him to serve as a dispatcher.

He said he does not blame the city for terminating him, saying that the chief of police and Board of Aldermen would be held liable if something bad happened in the course of duties and he was not properly certified.

Louge believes it was Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow that recommended his termination. Louge said he met this morning with Kinslow, who told him he could return to being a dispatcher once he gets his GED. In fact, Louge said Kinslow told him that he would personally recommend that he be rehired.

The Informer contacted Kinslow’s office for comment this morning and left a message for him.

Two city employees were terminated by the Columbia Board of Aldermen tonight.

Police dispatcher Clarence Louge was fired as well as Street Department employee Demara Collins. City Attorney Lawrence Hahn would not say specifically why the employees were fired.

In another employee matter, the board accepted the resignation of Police Department patrolman Willie Collins, who is going from full time to part time. The board also accepted the resignation of part time Police Department patrolman Lon Ward.

City Prosecutor Leigh Berry speaks to the Columbia Board of Aldermen about the open container ordinance.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Columbia Board of Aldermen tonight voted to strengthen the city’s ordinance pertaining to open containers of alcohol on public property.

The old ordinance only stated that it was illegal to possess beer on public property in the city limits. Other forms of alcohol, such as liquor and wine, were not included in the ordinance.

Under the old ordinance, defendants could not be prosecuted on a charge of open container for possessing liquor and wine, City Prosecutor Leigh Berry said. Open container cases involving liquor and wine can now be prosecuted under the ordinance.

To read the ordinance approved by the aldermen tonight click here: Open Container Ordinance

Berry said the loophole in the ordinance was discovered about a month ago when a defendant was charged with open container for allegedly having Crown Royal whiskey in the Wal-Mart parking lot. That case and others have been dismissed, because the ordinance did not have language pertaining to liquor and wine, said Berry.

“If we have an ordinance that deals with beer, we need one that deals with other forms of alcohol as well,” Berry told the aldermen tonight.

The penalty for violating the open container law is a fine of $50 to $250 and up to 90 days in jail. It is unclear how long the ordinance had been in effect before being changed tonight.

For the second month in a row sales tax collections in Columbia have shown improvement over last year, a sign that the city’s economy could be improving.

According to the latest figures, which are from March, sales tax collections in the city of Columbia were up 9.6 percent compared to the same month a year ago. In February, sales tax collections were up .6 percent from the same month last year. In March the city collected $328,845 compared to March 2009 when $299,957 was collected. Prior to the upswing in February and March, the city’s sales tax collections had been on a decline for about a year.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Columbia Board of Aldermen this afternoon in a special meeting voted to suspend two city employees without pay.

Columbia Police Department dispatcher Clarence Lowe was suspended until June 1, and Street Department worker Lear Pittman was suspended until Monday. City Attorney Lawrence Hahn refused to divulge the specific reasons for the suspensions.

In other matters from the meeting, the board hired Andrew Pigott as a Columbia Fire Department firefighter, accepted the resignation of Eve Wellons from the Drug Court, and hired Amanda Vasilion Woods to replace Wellons in the Drug Court.

John Wayne Tolar

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Columbia Board of Aldermen on Monday night voted to accept the resignation of Police Department Major John Wayne Tolar, effective Nov. 10.

Tolar has worked for the Police Department for approximately 30 years.

The board voted to extend Tolar’s employment as an at-will employee, meaning he can be fired without cause, until Nov. 10. The aldermen voted 3-2 on the matter with Alderman-at-Large Edward Hough and Wendell Hammond opposing and Cheryl Bourne, Todd Pittman and Renee Galloway voting in favor.

Prior to the board extending Tolar’s employment and accepting is resignation, there were two other motions regarding the matter that failed. The first motion was that Tolar’s employment with the Police Department be continued as an at-will employee. Hammond and Bourne voted in favor of that motion while Hough and Pittman voted against and Galloway abstained. Mayor Reed Houston had to break the tie, and he voted against.

The next motion was to accept the verbal resignation of Tolar and allow him to retire Nov. 10, and it failed 3-2 with Bourne, Hammond and Hough voting against. That motion was similar to the one that passed. But the motion that passed included language that stated Tolar “requested” the board to accept his resignation.

Tolar served as interim police chief prior to Chief Jim Kinslow being hired in February.

After Kinslow was hired, Tolar was put back in his old position of major for a three-month period that was set to expire May 31. Whether Tolar continued working with the Police Department after the three-month period expired depended on the recommendation of Kinslow and the aldermen.

Last year, the aldermen actually voted to terminate Tolar but then authorized the mayor to appoint an interim police chief, and the mayor chose Tolar. Tolar then applied for the full-time police chief position, but the board chose Kinslow instead.

The Marion County Informer reached Tolar for comment this morning, but he said he could not talk at the moment because he was in a court proceeding in Purvis.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

A former Columbia Police Department detective who was fired this week by the Board of Aldermen is a good woman who loved her job, her son told the Marion County Informer today.

Ex-Columbia Police Detective Sherriann Fortenberry was terminated Tuesday for reasons that have yet to be disclosed. Fortnerberry’s son, Adrien Fortenberry, who is the Lumberton police chief, said he just asks that the citizens of Columbia and Marion County give his mom a chance because she did a lot of good for the city.

“It’s a sad situation,” said Adrien Fortenberry. “I hope things come out in her favor. I know everybody is forming their opinions about what’s happening. I believe once people find out the circumstances of the case, opinions will change.”

Fortenberry would not say what his mom is accused of doing, citing the ongoing investigation. But he said he has known of other law enforcement officers doing the same thing she is accused of.

This is the first time Fortenberry has heard of charges being filed over such an incident. “With them filing felony charges on her it’s pretty much ruining her career,” he said.

He added that he has spoken with other law enforcement officers who have also said that they have never heard of charges being filed in such a case. Fortenberry said he does not know if felony charges have been filed against his mother.

“No one has contacted my mom to let her know charges have been filed,” he stated.

He said his mom has worked for the Police Department since 1992 and loved her job, especially working with children. “A lot of people in Columbia love her,” Fortenberry said, adding that since she was fired she has received many calls of support.

Fortenberry is confident that the justice system will prevail in this case. “I hope they look at it (case) closely and not let this one little incident ruin her life,” he said. “I know the system will work to the best of its ability.”

He said he is not blaming anyone for what has happened to his mom. “I’m not upset with anybody,” he said. “What happened has happened for a reason.”

Despite everything that has occurred, Fortenberry said his mom remains in good spirits. “She’s a strong woman,” he said.  She may be trying to be strong for her family, he added.

Fortenberry said he still plans to run for Marion County sheriff next year. He was a Marion County Sheriff’s deputy for 12 years and also a deputy in Walthall County. He was appointed Lumberton police chief last year. The situation with his mother is not going to change his mind about running for sheriff, he noted.

He said he hopes the citizens of Columbia and Marion County will remember that his mom is innocent until proven guilty. “Give her a chance,” he said. “No one in my family has ever been convicted of felony charges.”

Regardless of what happens, “God will take care of us,” he said.

Workers remove old asphalt on Sunset Circle in preparation for new pavement being poured.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

This morning workers were milling the street on Sunset Circle as part of a city paving project.

The old asphalt is being removed in preparation for new pavement being poured. The total project cost is $233,914, with $100,000 of it being funded with a state Small Municipality and Limited Population County Grant and the remaining $133,914 is being paid for by the city.

Streets on Sunset Circle, Pinehurst Drive, Glenmore Drive, Pine Avenue and parts of Ridgewood will be paved. Mayor Reed Houston said those streets are in desperate need of repaving. T.L. Wallace Construction is the contractor on the project.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

For the first time in over a year, sales tax collections in Columbia have increased, and Mayor Reed Houston hopes this is a sign that the local economy is beginning to improve.

According to the latest figures, which are from February, sales tax collections in the city of Columbia were up .6 percent compared to the same month a year ago. Though it may not be a big increase, it is better than the large drops that collections have been taking in previous months, Houston noted.

This February, the city collected $295,000 compared to February 2009 when $293,245 was collected. In previous months, sales tax collections have fallen greatly like in January when they were down 20 percent compared to the same month last year. The sales tax collections were reported at last night’s Columbia Board of Aldermen meeting.

In other matters, the Board of Aldermen announced that police officers Jason Breeland, Richard Browning and Shawn Williams are now certified and will receive a raise, bringing their pay to $10.85 an hour. In other business, the board approved hiring four part time seasonal workers for the Street Department.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Columbia Board of Aldermen tonight unanimously voted to fire Police Detective Sherriann Fortenberry.

Neither Mayor Reed Houston nor any of the aldermen would say why Fortenberry was terminated. “At this time pending the investigation we cannot say (why she was fired),” said Houston.

Houston said the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into Fortenberry. Fortenberry was not present at the meeting, and she declined comment when the Marion County Informer reached her by telephone after the vote.

City Attorney Lawrence Hahn said the Board had a “basis and grounds” for terminating Fortenberry. Aldermen Renee Galloway, Todd Pittman, Cheryl Bourne, Edward Hough and Wendell Hammond voted to fire Fortenberry.

Fortenberry was placed on paid administrative leave last week. The Board voted in a closed session to fire Fortenberry, and then opened the meeting back to the public and revealed that she had been terminated. The Board was in closed session for almost two hours before re-opening the meeting to the public. Police Chief Jim Kinslow was also in the closed session with the Board.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

A Columbia Police Department detective told the Marion County Informer today that the city has placed her on administrative leave with pay.

The detective, Sheriann Fortenberry, would not comment on why she was put on administrative leave.

Columbia Mayor Reed Houston declined comment on the matter. Houston also said Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow will not comment either because it is a personnel matter. Fortenberry was apparently put on administrative leave Friday.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

A local couple was arrested on child abuse charges today by the Columbia Police Department.

According to Detective Chris Brumfield, an 8-year-old boy was complaining of itching and burning on his back at school today and his teacher discovered severe bruising and other injuries on his back. Further investigation found that the injuries were spread all over the boy’s body.

The child was taken to the Department of Human Services. The couple arrived at DHS and was arrested there. The boy’s biological mother, Melissa Edwards, 29, and her 50-year-old live-in boyfriend, Michael Bogle, were arrested. Bogle is charged with child abuse, as police believe he was the one who allegedly hit the child, while the mother is charged with accessory to child abuse. Police believe Edwards was aware of the abuse but did not report it.

Brumfield said the preliminary investigation reveals that the boy was “beaten on a routine basis.” Bogle and Edwards were booked into Marion County Jail while the child was put in the custody of DHS.

“In my 15 years in law enforcement, I have never seen a case this bad,” said Brumfield. Detective Sheriann Fortenberry headed up the investigation for the Police Department.

Charges of child abuse are expected in the city and the county, as one of the alleged beatings occurred at Bogle’s residence at 6 Giles Drive in Marion County, while the other allegedly happened at the mother’s residence at 500 Bullis St. in Columbia.

One of the beatings allegedly occurred last night while another is suspected of happening last Thursday.

From left, George Davis, Bobby Wright and Buford Breland claimed that they have been harassed by the Columbia Police Department about riding their wheelchairs on city streets.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Three elderly men said the Columbia Police Department is harassing them about riding their wheelchairs down city streets.

The men said they were recently stopped on separate occasions by a police officer who told them they cannot drive their motorized wheelchairs down city streets or they will be ticketed.

Buford Breland, Bobby Wright, and George Davis are residents of East Columbia Apartments, which are living quarters for the elderly. This afternoon, the men sat under a shade tree at the apartment complex and spoke with the Marion County Informer about the situation.

Breland said he was riding his motorized wheelchair down McNeese Street on the way to the bank Tuesday when an officer stopped him and said he needed to be on the sidewalk. Breland responded, “Why doesn’t the city build some sidewalks.”

The officer asked him if he had a seatbelt on the wheelchair, and he responded that it did. To legally operate a wheelchair on city streets it needs to have headlights and a turn signal, the officer added, letting Breland off with a warning this time. Since being stopped by the officer Breland has taken his wheelchair back out on the streets to the Southern Fried Rabbit to get something to eat.

George Davis shows the scars from multiple knee surgeries that have put him in a wheelchair.

“What am I supposed to do, sit here and starve?” Breland asked. “I don’t have any other way to go. I don’t know what they expect me to do. I guess I’ll have to move somewhere with sidewalks.”

Many of the sidewalks that are in town are torn up and not suitable for riding a wheelchair on, Breland noted. Breland, 67, said he can walk “very little” after an accident in which he was hit by a cow. He suffered nerve damage in his back, has diabetes and recently had three toes amputated.

Bobby Wright, 63, also said he was recently stopped by police for riding his wheelchair on Mississippi Avenue, and an officer told him, “We’ve got orders to ticket” those on wheelchairs.

“None of this mess came up until the new police chief got in there,” said Wright, referring to recently hired Police Chief Jim Kinslow.

Kinslow could not be reached for comment. The Informer asked Mayor Reed Houston if there were any ordinances regarding riding a wheelchair on a city street, and he said he would need to check with Kinslow.

Wright, who has had leg surgery because of poor circulation, said there are many people whose only means of getting to the store and doctor’s office is on a wheelchair. Wright added that the city needs to build some sidewalks or widen the roads.

“They (police) want to hassle us,” said Wright. “What are we supposed to do, sit here and do without bread and milk?”

George Davis, who often rides his wheelchair to the hospital, said he was stopped by police on Sunday when he was on his way back from his son’s house on Church Street.

Davis, 76, said he was as close to the curb as he could get, and the officer told him, “You aren’t supposed to be on the road,” to which Davis responded, “Where am I supposed to go?”

The officer told him that the next time he would get a ticket, and Davis said, “Well you better start writing then.” Davis has had six operations on one knee and five on the other.

The three men further complained that 5-year-old children ride their bikes around the city so why can’t they ride their wheelchairs.