Jackson Jambalaya

*COUGH* rednecks *COUGH*

Surely, they will get rid of Shirley!

I "Shirley" hope not.

@ 12:04

Rednecks we may be, but we arent bordered by Jackson, Canton, or Flora, Byrum, and the all things that go with it.

Whats funny is to go to the polls in Rankin County and see the pages upon pages on the Republican voter rolls, and then glance over at the 50 or so spots that have been filled in on the Democrat side. I wonder why Rankin County doesnt have the problems Jackson does?

Now, onto the elections. Has anyone noticed the facebook campaign Greg Wilcox has been running. I had to defriend on Facebook because it was so annoying. I wont state an opinion, but curious to hear the thoughts of others.

Cough, Cough if you'd get a haircut, you'd have a redneck too.

Cough, Cough if you'd get a haircut, you'd have a redneck too.

Almost the entire ballot other than Superintendent’s race is subject to Chancery Clerk Larry Swales power play. His play is aimed at the Supervisor races where he can dictate the votes he needs on any matter, and he only needs three of the five. The 3 races where he is trying to dictate the outcome are in District 2 with family friend Daniel Cross, in District 3 he’s promoting Bob Morrow –brother of his best friend and past Board attorney David Morrow, and in District 4 he’s teamed up with Kenny Miller. Swales would be assured to control the Board with these three. This would mean David Morrow could possibly come back as Board Attorney, the County Administrator and others are also subject to change. After August Mr. Swales will continue to push Law Clerk Haydn Roberts down our throats for the new Chancery Judgeship and it’s been rumored there’s already been incidents of strong arming of attorneys that practice in Rankin that have publicly come out to back candidates other than Roberts for the Chancery position. If anyone wants anything from the Board and it stands to reason Chancery too then you’ll have to go to the throne, kiss the ring and get his blessing. Get ready Rankin County as King Larry is on a mission to be THE MAN.

1:10
That's pretty amazing for a guy with a air-conditioning and refrigeration degree!

Which is why he can't also be voted by his Board to be the County Administrator as I think it requires a bachelors degree. If it only required a degree in bs then he would be over qualified.

Swales wants to be Irl Dean, Jr. And 1:10, if Bob Morrow is elected to the Board, his brother cannot serve as board attorney. Even Swales knows that much.

I'm voting fo the school superintend that promises not to put his extended family on the payroll......

District 4 Steve Gaines - no doubt about it. a retired federal investigator. He's been one of the most sincere guys i've met. We want integrity, above board politics.

I can't find which alphabet agency he was an investigator for. Anyone know? Anyone know why he won't list the agency?

Sue Townsend already has a daughter and son-in-law on the payroll!!! How long before they will be promoted???

District 3 will suffer if Morrow gets elected. His concern will be only for the City of Brandon. As far as the Rawls fella...I will say that while I have the utmost respect for our military, this guy seems to be either be a #&@*-stirrer based on his MC fiasco or has some mental issues that are not resolved. He also has no experience w/county or local government. Rutledge seems to be the best choice out of the three in my opinion.

Richard Morrison is the only candidate with the experience to run RCSD! Sue Townsend was Principal of an Elementary School with only Grades 2 & 3 and was rated C. Northwest Rankin under Morrison was a Star School rated A!!

2:02 - Special Agent Dept of Justice, i think. He's a straight arrow dude.

Kenny Miller is Irl Deans boy.

Kenny Miller is Irl Deans boy.

I like the Rutledge guy for D 3. He's independent of any outside influence. Pretty sharp.

I'm not trying to disparage Gaines at all. I am just curious if he was FBI, IRS, DEA, ICE, etc. I do find it odd that he touts his awards but not for whom he worked.

Morrison has been working in the Taj with Weathersby. Townsend has family already in the system and the other one is laying low! We are damned....but King Weathersby will be gone.

District 3 needs Rutland from what we have decided. We had Wilcox - he voted for a tax hike behind closed doors, never returned any calls and of course we only saw him every 4 years! Also if Morrow is elected along with 2 others, then the Board will be run by 3 people that live in Brandon. Can you guess which area will be taken care of first?

And by the way Irl Dean still runs the county....

2:11, it's "Rutland" not Rutledge. James Rutland. Very good man. Family man. Solid, competent jailer for the Rankin County Sheriff's Department. Rankin County native.

If you like Weathersby, you'll love Morrison...

We all knew Greg Wilcox had something up his sleeve when he ran that ad last week. He needs to do his homework and really find out how the Chancery Clerk's office is run before he spends that kind of money to print wrong facts regarding that office. It would be a shame to have such an ill informed Chancery Clerk as Greg Wilcox.

Talked to all 3 Superintendent Candidates. known Morrison for years, but wondered. Talked to him at an event, convinced he's the one for Rankin schools. He's got a lot of stuff he's wanted to do, but couldn't get it past the Chief. Richard lives in Brandon now. Too much negative coming from Townsend when i talked to her, job is over her head. Like the Franklin guy, but Louisiana ain't no top tier school jewel either. One day County will come together for the good of the District, the way i see it, only Richard can make that happen with the current board in place.

Here's the practical reality: The school district will be no better off nor worse off with either Morrison or Townsend. At the end of the day, it simply won't matter significantly. The district will continue to operate as it has under Weathersby for all practical purposes. What Rankin County voters need to be aware of is that, as a parting shot, Weathersby is secretly pushing for a 2 mill school tax increase that will be effective beginning January 1, 2016. Voters need to use these last few days prior to the election and pin down the candidates on whether they support the increase or whether they will commit to rescind any action by the outgoing leadership to enact a school tax increase.

On the Rankin County Coroners race, David Ruth is the man for the job. I've known David for 20+ years. He is a man of integrity and is the only qualified candidate on the ballot. Gilmer is telling everybody that he has met the qualifications set forth by the State of Mississippi. That's not true!! I called the Mississippi State Crime Lab and he has NOT taken the 40 hour Death Scene course. David Ruth is the only one that has taken it. I want a Coroner that tells the truth, because if Gilmer will not be truthful on his qualifications what will he do on your love one. Yes, he has been the Deputy Coroner for 1 1/2 years but Jimmy Roberts is still running all of the calls, just because you have the title doesn't qualify you to run. It's been said that if Gilmer wins he is going to name Jimmy Roberts as his deputy so he can continue to run Miss Mortuary through the Coroners office where Jimmy can still make money off of people. Jimmy went as far as he went to call in Richland to pick up a deceased person and was in the house asking for votes and even had Tony Gilmer signs on his van next to the sign that said Rankin County Coroner. Was this a good time to ask for votes when somebody was lying there deceased and Jimmy Roberts was worried about getting his Deputy elected. If you want a Coroner that will tell the truth and has integrity David Ruth is the one. Vote David Ruth Rankin County Coroner.

We are in trouble if Sue Townsend and her running buddy are elected. Neither one of them came to work when they were principals. You could see them out shopping, getting their nails done, tanning etc. Will they have time for that if they are running the school district?

Gaines was a special investigator for the USDA

Morrison has been at odds with Weathersby from the day he went to county office!! Completely opposite educational standards. He will bring RCSD to the top just like he did at NWR and he will be fair to all other zones. Northwest wake up unless you want everything to go to Brandon!!. Townsend isn't capable - proven by her C rated elementary school so Tanya Crain will be running it - Crain is already threatening county employees!!

Yes David Ruth is the one.

So which one of these candidates will help NWR schools that need it so desperately? I'm not very involved with the schools but keep hearing NWR needs help.

12:04 Sad cliche. You are uninspiring to say the least.

Nepotism....Sue Townsend's daughter and her son-in-law are working at a school. If she is elected wonder what they will do when she has to let them go?

Question for you guys. Suppose Superintendents were appointed. Suppose the board was making a real search for one. Recruiter is hired, interviews, the whole nine yards.

Would any of these candidates be seriously considered?

3:39 KF, great question. Of the 3. i think Morrison and Franklin would make the cut, based on the quals and experience. Of course, there'd be a bunch of PhD's to apply - but the Board makes the appointment even with a recruiter pulling from national search - Board majority right now? Morrison still get in. Personally, i'm fine with it. Bring Morrison on - if we voters are wrong with him, he'll know about it in 4 years. don't need a newbie coming in to be hand held by paid consultants for training to be a superintendent.

Oh yes Kingfish, Morrison would be elected because he has the most experience with grades K-12 and has been recognized by the State as Asst. Administrator of the Year and as Administrator of the Year of which neither of the other two have those credentials to fully understand all grades.

@3:25 - That sounds similar in theme to every other story I've heard about Jimmy Roberts. Thanks for the info. That swayed my vote!

Mr. Gaines, United States Department of Justice - Office of Inspector General - Special Agent - Mississippi and Louisiana - waste, fraud, and corruption

Who is Tanya Crain ?

OMG. Tony Gilmer is candidate for coroner. He has campaign signs by Floral Hills cemetery and on 471 where they make headstones. If that's not enough, go to facebook and type in Tony Gilmer photos. There is a picture of the bottom half of a corpse with his feet sticking our from under a sheet and a toe tag. It says: As a mortician, I always tie the shoelaces of the dead together. That way, if there is a zombie apocalypse, it will be hilarious. TASTELESS. A death is not a joking matter. He is a disgrace and should not receive a single vote.

Geez Pleez - Let it be over! Morrison is the only one that is qualified for the position. District will be screwed if not. Brandon finally got a freaking football stadium going after numb nuts wanted to redo the old one that was a safety risk. I heard that Morrison worked that deal out - it's progress folks!! No whining, Northwest has this, Brandon has that. It got done. Imagine what else could get done if the Morrison guy can finally do his job - LEAD! Tired of the bickering back n forth, Rez, Brandon - what about the rest of the county schools. we all got needs - think about it, give me Morrison that understands we got to take care of everybody. we aren't Hinds County for gosh sakes. We have great schools, not because of Superintendent, because of the parents, teachers, school sdministrators - use your head folks. Morrison says he will work for the whole district. Hold him to it.

Tanya Crain is a second level administrator. Think of her as the Valerie Jarrett of RCSD. She and Townsend are real good buddies and Crain would probably be named Deputy Superintendent, or at least be the de facto #2.

Crain has a lot of enemies currently employed by RCSD. If she is able to pull the trigger, we'd see a bunch of people let go. Morrison will probably keep the status quo - there may be a couple people that don't want to work for him, but if they leave it will be on their own accord.

Franklin is the best candidate for the job, but sadly this is a two horse race. Morrison is the lesser of two evils, in my opinion. We won't see a ton of change with the way the district acts, but I do believe he cares about the students and will do more to directly help them.

4:03 Crain worked for the school district federal programs - one of Townsend's close friends. Word is she will be put in a top spot if Townsend is elected. Crain resigned from district, about the same time the Huskey (federal programs Superintendent) fella was let go - coincidence? She was a "Fixture" in a lot of the schools and other places, i hear (and read in a letter from Rankin Co retired teachers).

well KF, you gave Rankin County a shot, stir it up, get the dirt out there, festivus (Seinfeld reference)came and went today - BUT Madison County wins the battle of nasty.

I'm an RCDS employee, and I along with over 90 percent of the employees in the district are voting FOR RICHARD MORRISON! He is the only candidate that can sustain the level of student achievement that we're accustomed to in RCSD. If one of the other candidate win, expect a huge drop off in academic success at our schools.

3:37 - Voters should be aware of Apple Sue's comments concerning the hiring of her son-in-law and daughter. She often states they were hired after she retired. Their contract may have STARTED after she retired but they were HIRED while she was still principal in the district. She is already mastering the play on words as a true politician and not an educator. Her daughter is currently employed at a school led by a principal who was Apple Sue's assistant principal...goes along well with the good ole boy system we are trying to get away from in RC. Well said 3:50 - bring on Morrison. As far as I can tell through research, he has worked hard for RCSD as assistant superintendent and has always been fair to all zones. The success of our public education system is too vital to leave to hands of an elementary principal or college professor - neither of which are current practicing administrators. We do not have time or money to waste training them for this office. Morrison is the only one with the knowledge to push RCSD forward.

Crain a "Fixture" / what does that mean ?

Morrison is weathersby 2.0.

I work in rcsd and I don't know anyone who is voting for him.

Sue Townsend is what we need.

When it scrolls down, why didn't you edit the sample ballot?
It keeps showing the same sample ballot over and over and over and over and over and over ............

Can we please get back to who is Tanya Crain? Wasn't she fired for stealing from the district? Also, I've heard about this letter that very explicit about Crain & Townsend. This would be good to know 6 days away from election. Please someone inform me now. Morrison has my vote, but this information my help others decide on a candidate.

Crain resigned recently after it was discovered she had mis-spent federal funds. Her immediate supervisor also resigned! Lots more to the story!!! She is largest contributor to Townsends campaign and is saying she will be Deputy Superintendent and some of her close "male friends " will also be Asst Superintendents! As far as nepotism - Morrisons children are school age but as stated by someone earlier- Townsend already has her only daughter and son-in-law in place to be moved on up!!!

Morrison can not help the fact that he works for the district. Anyone who knows him or have met him would know he is his own man and is nothing like Weathersby, Rankin County is an A school district and Morrison was principal of an A school. He has the experience. I would give pause to vote for a superintendent who's only experience is working with 5-10 year olds.

As a RCSD teacher, I am compelled to comment on our Superintendent's race. I have personally talked with two of the three candidates for this race - those whom we can generally agree are the front runners...

Sue Townsend - I did not know Mrs. Townsend prior to meeting her during the campaign. After speaking with her about our school and district needs, I left thinking that she is a very nice lady but one who does not have any relevant DIVERSE "school" experience that she can draw on to help her lead an entire district. I believe she is sincere, but sincerity won't cut it when you have to make hard decisions that will affect a population as large as the district's students and its employees. From what I have heard and from what many of you in this forum have already mentioned, Tanya Crain is her "right hand man." I am sure that most of you remember the headlines from earlier this year about Ms. Crain being reassigned due to allegations of her activities in the federal programs office. These activities implicated her and one of our Assistant Superintendents. I will not elaborate but I have STRONG reservations about any mention of her being in a high leadership position in our district. In addition to the fact that she was above her level of competency in her last position with the district, there are some definite moral and ethical reservations that are there as well. Mrs. Townsend's dependency of her causes me concern.

Richard Morrison - I have met with him in my capacity as a teacher and also as a parent. I have had a good professional feeling about him but was cautious in my optimism of him as the superintendent because I was concerned that he is going to be the "status quo" guy and that we wouldn't see the change that the district needs with him in charge. So many people have painted him as "Weathersby's man" that it is difficult to be unbiased. Since speaking with his about his ideas for the district, those concerns have disappeared. He is our guy. I have no doubt.

Thanks 5:47. This makes me sad. Unfortunately, most voters are so removed from the election because we are working hard to provide for our family. I just want a superintendent who has the experience. This seems like a very stressful, time consuming and dedicated position. I think Morrison can handle it. God bless him & his family.
Thanks.

5:29 You must live in 39042 world...never about what is right for all but what you think is best for your zip. Y'all stick together no matter what is really right...living and loving the corrupt RC days in 39042. Yeah vote for Sue because she will only take care of 39042 and oh maybe Puckett too...with deputy dog Tanya really running the district. For those of you who want the school system to actually be successful, Morrison is the only candidate. Don't hate on him because he was promoted...his record as a principal and state board member is exactly what our county needed when he became assistant superintendent. Elementary principal Sue will keep our kids our kids at one level - elementary -not what I want for my kids. Just ask her...she won't be able to tell you anything beyond 3rd grade.

Vote for Richard Morrison, Rankin County School District superintendent. He is well respected by all RCSD employees. Cannot honestly say that about Townsend/Crain.

As an earlier blogger said, campaign reports show Tanya Crain as Townsends largest contributor. Also understand Irl Dean is raising most of the money for Townsend - smells like old Rankin County shady politics to me. Grumpy Farmer is also rumored to be supporting Townsend - another reason to support Morrison - if anyone has forgotten, Farmer was Cecil McCrory's pawn in giving up the territory to Pearl! Yep Rankin County politics at its best. We don't need politics in our schools - we need leaders and that's Richard Morrison!!!

Alright you Morrison lovers, will he dismiss Weathersby's kids? This is a yes or no question.

Let's at least be CLEAR on Morrison's record as a principal at NWR. When he took over, it WAS a star school. When he left two years later - it was RATED C school. Check the MDE website for the ratings - it is WELL documented.

It's not just Weathersby's kids running around in places of power. There are others at central office who have placed their own in nice, high paying jobs.

I have heard by many in the district that he has made no promises of employment to anyone.

Here is the link http://reports.mde.k12.ms.us/data/

You will need to input Rankin County, NWR High School and 2011-2012 was Morrison's last year there. (Spoiler: These results will show a BIG C)

Gaines is the most qualified person running in any election in the State. What a straight arrow...Wilcox, Miller, Shirley, Palmer, Prentiss Grant...(Windham has done a great job this last year too as Constable)....Rankin has some great candidates...second to none!!!!

That's not a yes or no, 8:00.

Let's be even more clear. When Morrison left NWR the school had a 198 QDI, way higher than most "B" rated schools. The problem was because, under his leadership, the school's QDI was very high the year prior, it was extremely difficult to meet growth (way more difficult than most schools because of the extremely high QDI the year prior)the school dropped an additional letter grade. MDE realized that should absolutely not have been the case, and corrected the problem the next year.

Townsend's "C" rating was a true "C" rating. In the running for one of the lowest in the district. There's no debating that.

Richard Morrison is the better leader.

That is my point.

You peeps are arguing over performance at schools, not districts.

If you were able to run a real search, you would be looking at actual Superintendents with actual resumes.

Yet, you are forced to hire someone to run one of the largest districts in Mississippi who has NO EXPERIENCE as a Superintendent.

The only thing worse is an appointed board appointing a superintendent.

Completely agree Kingfish - and after this election I think a move to appointed superintendent is so necessary. I don't think Weathersby's timing to suddenly appoint his man - after others had qualified for an election was fair - however.

You're Right Kingfish -It's rather scary when you think RCSD could have a principal of a 2nd and 3rd grade school over the 3rd largest district in Mississippi.

The move to go to appointed superintendents was the board and the request was made to the legislature to make it effective with the next election not this election!!

Sadly 8:18 you are right...the general public (aka 8:02) doesn't understand the screwed up accountability system that is in place for our schools. Nevermind that NWRHS has been a leader with ACT scores and National Merit Semi-Finalist scores in the district. And what about the amount of scholarship money NWRHS seniors earned? Morrison worked to support teachers and students outside of the four tests that "measure" a school. Unlike elementary schools, high schools must prepare their students for much more than state mandated tests. As to the resume comment, Kingfish - almighty Kingfish - you should practice what you preach. Read the resumes. Morrison is qualified for the position. I challenge you to find a candidate from outside of the community who will work for our kids and not just a check. Morrison is committed to the district and kids.

8:24 what are you talking about? Appointing "his man"? You didn't know that was a move to appoint his daughter?

I agree, if you like Weathersby,
You will love morrison !!
He is now married to his former assistant
Principal , Ms Heather Burch. Who also is
Employed at the county office!

Can someone tell me how Swales is actually pushing a law clerk to become Chancery Judge? I really hope the voters can see through this one. Couldn't he have found a practicing attorney to be his pawn? Lawyers love to be whored out and I am sure he could have found one that actually had represented a client before to do his bidding.

I have heard of the "strong arming" attorneys that an earlier posted mentioned. That is despicable.

I worked very closely with Mr. Gaines. I knew him as a Special Agent of the United States, Office of Inspector General (OIG). He always conducted himself professionally and with integrity. His Government Series was GS-1811 "Special Agent" which carries the most elite status of all U. S. Special Agents. The OIG focused on waste, fraud and corruption in our government and government programs. Special Agent (SA) Gaines seemed to have a passion for good, honest government and when his investigations revealed people in trusted positions stealing our tax dollars, SA Gaines held them accountable and was very successful in the federal courts. Hopefully, you understand that Special Agents are careful about telling specifics of their work which could jeopardize the security of their family.

Yes and Heather Burch Morrison was moved to the district office before Mr Morrison. If she was running against Richard - she just might beat him. Probably the best there is in her area! The Mississippi Department of Education wanted her!!!

9:14, What's your point? It doesn't matter who he's married to. Besides, Morrison and his wife are two of the best educators/administrators in the district. Having people like that in leadership roles usually results in increased student achievement. Even more of a reason to support Richard Morrison.

If he is the only guy for the job, and that includes any candidates produced by a true, national search, then there is something wrong with the job.

Kingfish...would love for you to be a part of that national search. You would actually see the qualities of Morrison that can't even be addressed through a resume. It is a critical time for educators, they need a leader with compassion and heart. Morrison is that leader. Dare I ask if you have spoken to him or taken the time to meet with him? Probably not considering your line of work.

Looking at the candidates I am shocked by the total lack of education and true experience of leadership at any level from most any of the candidates. If this is the best Rankin County can do, it's time to move.

Wilcox- Wasn't this guy running Flowood's Parks and Rec a few years ago? Did he eve attend college?

Swales- Don't know much about this guy, but his son seems connected to another guy running.

Cross- Isn't this guy a firefighter? Did he ever hold any elected position or attend college, much less graduate?

Garner- Maybe the most laughable. This guy certainly isn't a leader of any kind.

I may be incorrect, but these guys (as well as most others that I know little about) should scare the hell out of any voters. Nothing more then big egos and little, small-minded ideas from what I see so far.

Good luck Rankin County!

Yes Richard Morrison is married to Heather. What a blessing they found each other. Two people who have a love for and devotion to their professions which happens to be in education sounds like a good fit to me. Richard Morrison's record speaks for itself. Although I don't know Heather, I have heard nothing but glowing reviews from people who work with and and from people who don't work with her. It's been said she is the best there is with curriculum. Lets all try not to be so petty and make something out of nothing. RCSD is lucky to have both of these leaders. Our children benefit!!!

This is interesting yet exhausting about the superintendent's race. Truth be told my home value has double in 15 years. That's because of great schools PERIOD. So, I don't care who hires who if they are qualified and does the job. Granted the teachers of this district are in the top 10% in the state, but somebody in leadership had to be doing something right to be an A school district. Just my two cents and that's all it's worth.

While I'm here, can anyone tell me how to get a "Snapcode" to register my child? Probably should ask that elementary canidate. It's like getting a passport to register an Kindergartner in school these days. Can the new superintendent take care of that?

I agree, we have a great school district. From Puckett to Pisgah our schools are the best in the state. We have great teachers, administrators, supportive parents and most importantly good children. Someone in the district offices must be doing something right. I am sick and tired of folks bad mouthing our schools. Move anywhere else in the state and them see how you feel. I appreciate what Mr. Weathersby has done and I will support the candidate that is elected. We are blessed to have such good schools!

@10:42 cross is very intelligent individual. He's an instructor chief for the fire academy and graduated from univ. of Memphis.

11:04 You made me laugh out loud. Now I need to say that I am appalled by the comments regarding RCSD's leadership. If you are any type of business person you know that leadership starts at the top. So if there was such poor leadership then how is it that RCSD has more National Board Certified teachers than any other district in MS and among the highest in the nation? How is it that last year's graduating seniors received district wide over $31 million in scholarship offers? How is it that they have the 4th lowest administrative cost in MS our of 148 districts? How is it that there are over 710 employees with advanced degrees and there are over 1,000 students enrolled in dual enrollment classes? The comments about the Taj are unwarranted. Maybe you should have attempted to walk through the last office where employees were sitting in cubicles about the size of a closet. Go look at Madison's new county office at the Renaissance and maybe you will rethink your comment. Why do people move to Rankin County? Quality of life and the school system. So if you think it has been poor leadership, you are insulting every RCSD administrator, teacher, secretary, bus driver and cafeteria worker, etc. Those stats listed above do not happen without some type of decent leadership. Maybe you need to look at some of the other districts that have been taken over by the State Department of Education. Pull your kids out of RCSD and move to one of those areas. You won't have to go too far for poor education. All you have to do is move to Jackson. Then you can drive on streets filled with potholes and view the dilapidated buildings. Oh yes and don't wait on staying at the hotel by the Convention Center because that may not ever happen. To sum it up, Rankin County ain't so bad after all.

This thread has been great fun, especially all the slick posts about how dreamy rankin county and Richard and heather Morrison are. I also enjoyed the slick excuses offered for points about Morrison and Weathersby. Smoke and mirrors - GREAT advertising. Perhaps most (especially these last few - wow, am I in pariadise or Rankin County?) were the product of the great team at The Circlot Agency and Morrison supporter Rick Looser? (Photos of the expensive Morrison campaign fundraiser held a Looser's home can be seen on morrisons Facebook page).

I read "THE letter" written to Sue Townsend with copies mailed to many, many, many others regarding Tana Crain. To say I was horrified and repulsed is an understatement. Surely people supporting Sue are unaware

No kidding, 6:24. Wonder if his campaign has to pay OT to Cirlot when they post after hours?

The Morrison supporter never answered KF's question. While Morrison may be the best candidate locally (somehow I doubt he's the most qualified in the area) he would not make the final cut on a national scale. And that's the point. Our district can and should hire the best available nationally.

My pet rock has more personality than Mr. Cross

6:24 it must be sad being you - so synical.

Where can "the Townsend/Crain letter" be found? Can someone upload it or is it available online somewhere?

An answer to 11:57's questions

. So if there was such poor leadership then how is it that RCSD has more National Board Certified teachers than any other district in MS and among the highest in the nation?

Because greedy RCSD administrators seized on an opportunity to gain more money and pushed teachers into spending their own money to get certified. That number rose very quickly until the game was figured out, and it has actually plateaued.


How is it that last year's graduating seniors received district wide over $31 million in scholarship offers?

Might want to check the data. They include all Pell grants (which are not scholarships) that low income students are qualified for (around $22,000). They also include $75,000 for everyone going to the military, because that is the "max" college benefit. Athlete being recruited by 10 schools, that's 10 full scholarships. They got called out on this a couple years back.

How is it that they have the 4th lowest administrative cost in MS our of 148 districts?

I'd like to see this data. RCSD is chopped full of administrators. I'm not doubting you - but my guess is the data is spun.

How is it that there are over 710 employees with advanced degrees and there are over 1,000 students enrolled in dual enrollment classes?

710 out of 3000 employees having an advanced degree is pretty standard as a percentage for education. 1,000 students enrolled in dual enrollment classes isn't shocking when the district considers a 22 on the ACT "high achieving."

The comments about the Taj are unwarranted. Maybe you should have attempted to walk through the last office where employees were sitting in cubicles about the size of a closet.

Ha! That building is a shrine to Lynn Weathersby. There are Fortune 500 companies that have employees working in small cubicles.

Go look at Madison's new county office at the Renaissance and maybe you will rethink your comment.

The one that Venture Technologies basically gave the school district? Maybe you ought to go back and look at some of the buildings that were offered to RCSD for renovation when they built that building.

Why do people move to Rankin County? Quality of life and the school system.

Because they want a better life but can't afford Madison County.

Im glad to see Florence has internet so that they can post en masse to support Weathersby 2.0 in Morrison. Many many misinformed people. People saying Brandon proper gets everything isnt 100% correct, Weatherby is a Florence man.

Can someone mention how much Weathersby's family makes at the office? Doesnt his son make close to $100k managing the bus barn? Seems like a lot of fluff to me.

The truth is there have been 2 school board members that have been there to keep Waethersby in check. Without those two, he would be getting away with a lot more, end of story.

Appointed superintendents would be a great idea. I think there may be more qulaified people for the job within the district, that just dont want to put up with the political BS and mud slinging to run. Think about appointed superintendents in the Delta. That would solve a bunch of problems.

Wilcox....woof. Yes he just runs the parks and rec in flowood. What a self promoter. He's looking for that retirement position in the Chancery Clerks office. Wonder how much campaigning he's been doing while on the clokc with Flowood. Me thinks it's a bunch.

8:48 with the word of God. Well done.

8:48
if you could step down from the all knowing alter. It was not Venture Technologies. It was Diversified Technologies and it still cost more than the rankin offices by a few million.

Get your shit straight or the rest of your argument will seem less credible.

Morrison is the choice. Hands down.

If you folks want Gary Rhoads running the county as well as Flowood, then vote for his Parks & Recreation Director, Greg Wilcox. If you are sick of Rhoads,and want someone dedicated to running an efficient office and assisting people who need help, reelect Larry Swales!!

I really wanna read the "letter". Please someone upload it. Don't know if I would change my vote but.... This Crain lady must be something. She must have dirt on that lady canidate.

QUESTION: Why is Irl Dean raising money for Sue Townsend ? Lots of money. HMMMM. Think about that.

9:34 aka Brandon "Proper" you seem to fit the 39042 zip perfectly and provided a great example of what is expected from that fine zip code. I have not read any post stating Brandon currently receives 100% of anything, but they want to ensure they do by electing Sue and running mate Tanya. Reality check too...Morrison has supporters from all areas of Rankin County. Although I seethe that zip code, people tell me Morrison helps all of the schools and even worked some issues for the 39042 whiners about football. Too bad King Peterson jumped ship to Madison before his fiefdom was completed. Guess he could afford Madison county life.

Peterson jumped ship bc the administration, aka Weathersby, through him under the bus after he fired the lesbian softball coach and then had to hire her back because he was scared she would slap a lawsuit on the district even though she broke a well written rule and possibly mishandled funds.

8:48 here. My apologies for saying Venture instead of Diversified.

Morrison is going to win, but that doesn't make him the best choice. He is, however, the safe choice for the status quo at RCSD - so I do not blame all of the RCSD-bots to be stumping for him.

The best candidate for the job was Morrison's predecessor - the one that really built NWR into a great school. I do like Heather Burch though. She's qualified to run the school district, but she doesn't have the stomach for politics, I imagine.

After Morrison wins, I expect he will do a better job than Weatherby. Townsend would be a complete disaster, as others have said. Franklin brings solid credentials, but an outsider will not win a county wide race. I suspect Morrison wins without a runoff - and this is the last superintendent election in Rankin County history, as they will go to an appointed system pretty quickly.

@ 1:47 PM - you should get your facts straight because none of what you said is true about Peterson and the softball coach. The softball coach had no access to any funds so there was no mishandling on her part. Peterson knew all of this because the parents told him before he fired her. He wanted to hire one of his good ole boys to take that position so he made up a few accusations that just weren't true. It all blew up in his face because you can't legally fire someone who has a contract.

Morrison was given ass. Superintendant job,
Only after promising Weathersby he would keep
All the Weathersby "children" in there current
Position when he became superintendent.

@3:33, 1:47 here. If you know so much, who was it that he was trying to put in her place since HS softball coach is such a lucrative position. Trust me, I know more about that fiasco than most. Weathersby cost us a good coach. Congrats to MC, sucks for BHS.

I've known David Ruth for over 25yrs. and know that he is honest and a very hard working and thorough man . He will make an excellent coroner for RANKIN Co. I served as alderman for 8yrs while he was a patrolman and when the time came for an investigater for the city of Brandon, he stepped up for the job and the board gave him that chance and he became the best investigater we ever had.David later worked with the coroners office under Jimmy Roberts and completed all the qualifications as a depety coroner, including the 40 hr. death scene course which some have claimed they completed and have not. As coroner David will treat every family of a deceased loved one with total respect and dignity they deserve .Some of my question I had asked Tony Gilmer as for as his qualifications as coroner has not been answered as of yet , we as citizens, if the need for a coroner or a death scene investigation is ever needed ,then we need a coroner that we as citizens can talk and relate to , and get our questions answered. David Ruth is really the only canidate that is truly quilified and dedicated to this post for coroner. so please I ask for your help , support, and vote on August 4,2015 for the best choice as coroner. David Ruth will not let Rankin County down , I assure you

If elected Richard Morrison will be, in effect, de facto Weathersby.

Morrison would have never been placed in an Assistant Superintendent position unless he was in agreement with the Weathersby way of leading--or rather misleading--a school district.

Everyone needs to get their friends on this blog to read the comments and then decide who needs to be superintendent. If I hadn't already made up my mind, I sure as heck wouldn't vote for Apple Sue. She has only worked with elementary kids. A small budget at her school is no where close to the multi million dollar budget of the school district. However she can get Tanya to help her since she "fudged" on the federal funds. And again, where is that letter? What is I all about? Maybe Kingfish can find it and put it out there for all of us to see.

Not to keep beating a dead horse but has anyone visited the candidates for superintendents Facebook pages today? I don't know either candidate (I so wish I did) but these discussions have motivated me to find out more. Where else to go other than Facebook?
Morrison has a post today with interviews. He seems very smart, in touch and sincere. Definitely, not like what I imagined after reading some of the posts. Then I headed on over to the Townsend page and.....she has this gross picture of an arm with an IV hanging out of it. I kid you not! I thought it was a joke. But my goodness I can't believe a candidate for ANY office would posted that. (Maybe Tonya Crain did it) Why do folk feel a need to post EVERY thing on Facebook? We "trust" you Ms. Townsend, didn't need the visual.

Anyways, seems like her illness came at an convenient time. I'm just saying.... Supertalk's Linda said Townsend didn't respond to an invitation to come talk with the other candidates. So I guess she wasn't coming anyway.

Shout out to Mr. Franklin. He really seems like such a nice guy. Like someone I would love to have as a neighbor. I just wish he had a chance. Thanks you Mr. Franklin.

You know all of you that are in opposition to Richard Morrison have said nothing bad except that he worked for Weathersby. Even though he has, he has more experience in running a district than the other two. Besides he can't help who his boss was.

9:49 Well you know I think Tanya and Sue could hire Milton HMS to manage the budget for the district. Oh but wait, didn't that create problems the first time?

I have one question for all of the candidates for SI.

Has anyone actually applied for a Superintendent job in another district and if so, where and when?

I have to add a PS to my 9:51 on the FB comment. This has nothing to do with the election so it may not get posted. But if you go to their FB pages. Notice the cup of urine on Townsend page near her bed. She really needs to take this picture down. Really please someone tell her PR person for me. I'm asking as a voter. I don't want to post on her page cause she has 3,000+ supports who would see it. So if you know her, tell her to take it down. Lord I hope they post this...

Facts don't seem to be very important to the folks commenting on this page. First and foremost has anyone bothered to look at the campaign finance reports for this race? Lynn Weatherby and his minions have been giving to Richard Morrison since day one. Yes Tanya Crain and Sue Townsend are friends they have been for years. Tanya Crain was not "fired" she was asked to leave because she refused to support Richard Morrison. She wasn't a "team player" same with Huskey. There was never a question about federal funds. Actually Tanya turned the Federal Programs section of RCSD around. There's a lot of slander floating on these comments, which is sad for "educated voters". Next let's talk about Sue's daughter and Son-in-law working for the district. Their contracts did NOT begin until after her retirement went into effect. It was mentioned earlier that she often talks about their jobs in her speeches. Can I ask how often Richard has mentioned that his wife works for the district? He doesn't? Wow more teansparency from the Morrison crowd. You also might be interested to know that Richard tried to have his wife moved to MDE JUST so he could say he was "against nepotism". It didn't work. She is still employed by the district and has been told to keep a low profile. You talk about Irl Dean backing Sue Townsend anyone want to talk about the fact that Richard's biggest supporters are the Harkins family? Why don't you ask Senator Harkins where his girls go to school? It's not NWR. They go to private school... And on a side note how arrogant can one be? A 1st term Senator that barely won his race four years ago throws his name around for an "endorsement"?...

It is my understanding that Tanya Crain ,while Federal program's director, had to have a consultant do her job for a year or more. HMS. That mustve cost the tax payers a chunk. Apple Sue has a few family members employed as well, her daughter and son in law. PR to librarian, hummmm.

Let's call the kettle black 10:28. Facts are facts and you are grossly incorrect about your post. Yes, look at the campaign finance reports and see that Tanya is Sue's largest single donor. Guess since they are BFFs, it is a donation of love and we won't be seeing Tanya on the steps of RCSD if "Apple Sue" is elected. I believe Morrison has many donors from all parts of Rankin County and not one particular area unlike Sue has 39042 (as a previous blogger so affectionately refers to Brandon). As for the alleged firings or "asked to leave" statement about Tanya because she wasn't a team player, seriously doubt Morrison would want her as a part of his team considering her character flaws. To my knowledge Team Morrrison didn't want or ask for Tanya to be on his team. Who could blame him after reading this fine saga of Rankin County? As to the statement about Sue's kids, true their contracts started after Sue retired. Earlier blogger already cleared that up for us all- hired and started are two different terms. Hired before she left - true statement. As to Morrison's wife, she has been in the district since 1997. She doesn't need Morrison to earn her position in RCSD and any person working in the district knows this to be a fact. I believe the MDE job was considered temporary to begin with which is often a way for districts to help them. Check the contracts, fact she was always employed with RCSD. I don't know what you mean by "teansparency", but I do know Morrison demonstrates transparency with everything. As for Harkins, who cares about where is his kids go to school? Harkins knows this position is important to all who live in Rankin County. Finally, a win is a win. Harkins serves his district well and is unopposed this time. Doesn't look like too many people had a problem with him...why don't you run since you have all of the "facts".

10:28 must not have read any of Kate Royals articles with the Clarion Ledger. Just the tip of the iceberg. That's what happened to Huskey and Crain. Through the freedom of information act you can find out how much Crain paid Mr. Mitchell-HMS Consulting at $1000.00 per day X 100 days. Do the math. Their resignations had nothing to do with a campaign. Has everything to do with money.
While you are checking, find out how much was paid to Kirkland which is where she is employed now.

10:28 AKA Knoxx AKA Chicken Plucker it's time to get over you losing the Senate race!

Forgive me for my ignorance. Pleas don't bash me. I am enjoying reading these comments, but I need to understand the secret codes. 1. What/who is HMS?, 2. What/who is Kirkland, 3. What is the letter? Please informed so I can catch up with everyone..

Why is everyone talking about Tanya Crain? $1000/day? 10:28 You kidding right? I know the district did not pay a company $1000/day to train a person to do a job. What did they train about? Ummmmm. Really? This really makes me so mad, when my son says they can't bring books home because they only have enough for one class. Richard Morrison I am expecting you to start working on this on Wednesday, August 5th.

I have read the comments concerning the superintendent election in Rankin County. The main question that I have that I was wondering about is that if the fired/retired assistant superintendents mishandled federal grant money as well as other monies for the district as mentioned by other individuals on this board, then why hasn't the district or the public asked the state auditors office for an accounting of funds? It would seem to me that if it is money that was used for a federal program that was mishandled then there would have probably been more of an investigation into the mishandling of the funds being that it was federal money. I just find it odd that after reading the story on the Clarion Ledger and other sites that there hasn't been more read about that.

One other question do the assistant superintendents have the hiring authority for all the consultants that are used for these training programs? I am just curious as I was reading the comments above, if so then whomever is the new superintendent should really look at this because if Dr. Weathersby didn't have oversight over this money being spent then something else is wrong with this as well.

Looking forward to this election cycle being over.

Listed to Super Talk the other day where Morrison and Franklin were guests. I will summarize Morrison as BS talk. I don't think Townsend is the answer either. My son graduated from NWR during Morrison's tenure, it is my opinion that the high school slid significantly after Ms.Massey left. If I vote, I will cast it for Franklin. He seemed articulate, humble, experienced, and exuded leadership that did not come across from Mr. Morrison.

HMS and Kirkland are consulting firms. Crain is now employed by one of these firms. The letter refers to a letter being circulated that was written by a group of former Rankin County teachers concerning Crain and her various "escapades" - too descriptive to publish here!!

Can someone PLEASE post this letter? I am an undecided voter. I see pros and cons of each candidate. I really feel that this should be made public if it is the "smoking gun" that some on here are claiming. I would really like to see this. Thanks!

I was a student teacher under Dr Townsend while she was at Brandon elementary school. I learned quickly that if you were not one of her sorority girls you didn't get far. I have tried to pull up an article when she ,after administering corporal punishment on a student as a discipline measure, left bruises and or marks on the student. Parents hired a lawyer and I cannot remember the outcome. Anyone else remember this? She is not a leader. My vote is undecided right now, between frankllin and Morrison.

First, the voters of Rankin County need to "educate" themselves on the candidates and not rely on the various speculative comments posted on this site. This is an important election affecting ALL residents of the county because the of the significance that the education system plays on the economic growth of our county and in turn our home values. It is imperative that the person elected have the credentials and experience to run one of the largest school districts in the state of MS.

To that end, I have tried to be a well informed voter considering the qualifications of each of the candidates, visiting their webpages and Facebook sites, watching news broadcasts and tuning in most recently to the SuperTalk interviews. I was much disappointed that Mrs. Townsend did not participate in this opportunity to share her views alongside the other candidates. The talk show host indicated that Mrs. Townsend did not respond to the invitation. Not satisfied with that answer, I ventured to her Facebook site to see if she had a conflict preventing her appearance.

Oddly enough, she was in the hospital. At first, I thought...well that explains it, but then after reasoning this through...
1) Why did Mrs. Townsend not contact the host at SuperTalk to either accept or reject the invitation? I am most certain this invitation was extended in advance.
2) If hospitalization was in fact the cause for her no show, then why not call to make the host aware of this? That would have been my first priority if I were running.
3) Is this just evidence of her character? Quickly trying to cover herself up when put on the spot to avoid any backlash and save face? Not someone I want in office!

Based on what I've seen so far, I am currently in support of Mr. Morrison. His experience, credentials and awards stand out as the most qualified for this job!

PLEASE BE AN EDUCATED VOTER!

Protect the county books from complete transparency. Vote Swales 👎

Sure the Weathersby son Directs the bus barn. He did his time there before taking the lead. He has done a good job. I challenge ANYONE to step in his shoes for one week. Getting 13K students to school and back, everyday, with drivers off or sick, seems overwhelming. My hats off to the Bus Barn crew.

I totally agree with you, 4:45. During my tenure at one of the schools, it was not uncommon to see him there during morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up. He has a huge responsibility which he takes very seriously. He also came across as a nice, decent guy. It's a shame his family's patriarch has put such a sour taint on the Weathersby name.

sure.

So, regarding the infamous "letter" that we keep discussing, IF the accusations are true, they are quite disturbing. They paint several people in a very negative light. One is especially shown to be of very questionable moral character. However, what truly blew my mind the most is that it was supposedly written by retired teachers. Teachers have to earn a college degree. The person who wrote this had a very poor concept of the English language. The letter was full of grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and sentence fragments. This person doesn't know how to correctly use a question mark, exclamation point, comma, or apostrophe. This goes beyond being a "grammar Nazi." This letter appears as though it were written by an elementary student, not an ex-elementary teacher. That being said, reading this letter did not aid me in my decision making process. On one hand, IF the accusations are true, then the accused are disgusting, corrupt, hypocrites and do not need to be in any form of leadership. On the other hand, these wild accusations are not proven in the letter. Plus, it's hard to give much credibility to someone who cannot even write a sentence or at least have a friend who is literate proofread it for you. LOL

We might as well let Flowood take over out here in 39042/7. KF is correct we have a flawed mechanism for developing leadership in positions that advance our communities in education. I have no idea who any of these people are - just FB posts and random comments on a blog build the identity.

Elected? Why do we not have a say in who we hire to build the education system? Forget election. I say interview. Review their qualifications. Elicit public discourse to determine the best leader possible.

I swear, this thread reverberates of lemmings.

But, Kapt, you DO have a say in who is hired....by VOTING. Interview, review their qualifications....by attending their 'meet & greets' and other such gatherings where you can speak with candidates.

Granted, there is "a flawed mechanism" in place at this time. Weathersby's nefarious tentacles reach far and deep and have been working to hard repel Townsend.

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2018/05/17/brandon-high-school-principal-rankin-county-assistant-superintendent-retire/620362002/

Ms. Crain was at it again. This time in the district building, and it was caught on video with Dr. Frazier. Woman is crazy.

OK Kingfish - it's been 5 years since the election and Sue is still on the throne. Superintendents are appointed now, not elected. But her term was up in January. Who appointed her? Was there a search? Resumes submitted? Interviews conducted? I must have been sleeping through it all.
We're ready for a real professional to run our district. Her motto is Great to Best. Well, we're ready to find the best superintendent in the nation to run our district, not the best of the worst 39042 has to offer.