Friday, July 26, 2019

Pelahatchie Fires Back at Kingfish

The attorney for the Pelahatchie Board of Alderman accused the Kingfish of filing an Open Meetings Act complaint to generate headlines for this website.



Yours Truly filed an Open Meetings Act complaint against the Pelahatchie Board of Aldermen on July 2 with the Mississippi Ethics Commission.    The Board held a "work session" that started an hour before the regular Board meeting July 1.  However, the Aldermen and employees huddled in a small group in the corner of the Board room and spoke in lowered voices that were impossible for the audience to hear. The behavior continued for the duration of the work session.  The Board conducted earlier work sessions in similar fashion - huddled in a corner, speaking quietly, away from microphones while the public was ignorant about what took place. 

City Attorney John Wakeland replied to the complaint yesterday.  He impugned this correspondent and accused me of acting in bad faith:  
It is believed that the Complaint was not filed to correct an alleged open meetings violation, but rather to create a news headline for the use and benefit of the Complainant blogger.

Nice try.  The "complainant blogger"'s record as a public records activist is fairly well known.  The Kingfish has gone to court three times over public records.  There are at least half a dozen Public Records opinions at the Ethics Commission with my name on them.  Simply put, the public has a right to know what its elected representatives are doing at public meetings.  If secrecy is required, the law allows the Board to use the executive session to discuss sensitive matters.   The other reporters repeatedly grumble about the huddling but never do anything about it.



Mr. Wakeland follows up with this defense:

 The Respondent attempted to make reasonable accommodation for the public in conducting its work session and monthly meeting.     The Complainant was encouraged to position himself wherever he may choose to observe, hear and ask questions regarding all issues involved in the work session.

Ah yes, the "reasonable accommodation."  Maybe five or six people could walk up to the huddle and hear what is taking place.  Not feasible for the entire audience.  Suppose a citizen was disabled? There is a reason there are seats and microphones.    Don't worry, the attorney assures us nothing took place:

And now answering the unnumbered Complaint the Respondent would aver that it was never the intent of Board to conduct any business of the town in a way other than as required by our statute. The bulk of the work done in the work session was a review of the agenda by the members of the upcoming monthly meeting. No business was conducted, no votes were taken, nor any strategy discussed. No effort was made to conceal any of the actions of the Board. In the future the Board will take all reasonable steps necessary to comply with the requirements of the applicable statutes in order  to avoid any misunderstanding.
Learned counsel is an honorable man and is taken at his word.  However, the problem is we are having to take him at his word as to what took place because no one can hear what is taking place.  The work session where nothing was discussed was more than twice as long as the regular Board meeting that took place immediately after the work session. 

All the Board has to do to comply with the law is simply sit in front of their microphones and use them or talk loudly. 

The Board asked the Commission to dismiss the complaint with prejudice. Mr. Wakeland also requested the Ethics Commission to task me with the costs of defending the complaint. Nice try.

Kingfish note: Mayor Ryshonda Beechem appeared at the March work session and had the Board follow the Open Meetings Act.  To say they weren't happy is putting it mildly.  Watch for yourself.



31 comments:

Madison Rulz said...


No fair Kingfish, enforcing the rules and all.

1. Unless Kingfish requested the huddle, they were responsible for the blog 'headline.'

2. If Kingfish was only interested in blog headlines and page views, he would probably pass on attending Pelatucky board meetings and focus on Ole Miss student crimes and cat fights at Mistletoe.

Anonymous said...

Or perhaps to obtain the records requested.

Anonymous said...

Bless John Wakefield's heart. Let's see if Board Attorney #5 of the Nation of Islam Mayor Era can last more than a couple of monthly meeting cycles.

Anonymous said...

Haha, keep up the good work KF/JJ. Folks should be held accountable for their words..

Anonymous said...

Please proceed!

So much winning there in Pelahatchie!

Anonymous said...

Look at all them lined up!

Did someone start a rumor that the sherruf was going to be selling a repo'd double wide less than 30 yrs old complete with the wheels under it?

Anonymous said...

I hope they bring the full arsenal of the City of Pelahatchie to bear on Kingfish and they shut this two bit gossip rag down. Good riddance to bad rubbish. The city and state will be better for it.

Anonymous said...

Full arsenal of pelahatchie?

A used coffee pot, a broken microwave, a few bent folding chairs, and a broom.

Not even a roach fears that you librard

Anonymous said...

Board: “trust us!”

Uh no. This law exists so we don’t have to trust you.

Anonymous said...

11:08
Cantonian here. We too have been the targeted unfairly by nosy nuisance Kingfish and we look forward to the day that Jackson Jambalaya is brought to heel.

Go for it City of Pelahatchie!

*raises fist in solidarity*

Anonymous said...

Leave those poor people alone. They have had to watch a nice little town go to hell in just a couple of years. Knox Ross had all going the right way and now just look.

Anonymous said...

Lawyer just doing his job. Defend your client no matter how stupid client is. Fun job I bet

Anonymous said...

Attn 12:34 Are you a former or current board member of CMU (Canton municipal utilities)?

Anonymous said...

Funny how people complain about this site being a nuisance, but they are on here reading. I haven't seen anything unfair. It's just news. Do things the correct way and there shouldn't be anything newsworthy. Pretty simple.

Anonymous said...

Lifeling Florentine chiming in as well.
Kingfish please don't come snooping for skeletons in our closets whenever Tater gets elected. He lives in Flowood now. Let sleeping dogs lie and let the secrets of the past stay at the bottom of Hoover Lake.

Anonymous said...

Why is Kingfish spending so much time in pelehatchie and not covering the shenanigans at the Hinds County Board meetings? It’s the biggest and nuttiest county in the state but you drive out to Pelehatchie for fun?

Cynical Sam said...

"The board doth protest too much, methinks." (Stolen from Hamlet)

Anonymous said...

King Fish doesn’t need a Pelahatchie board meeting to use as a fancy headline to
attract viewers...:)....LOL!

Also...at 1:39pm...where’s this Hoover Lake of which u speak?...🤔

Waller to the top...in an upset...😎

Anonymous said...

"It is believed that the Complaint was not filed to correct an alleged open meetings violation, but rather to create a news headline for the use and benefit of the Complainant blogger."

Does counsel really believe it makes one damned bit of difference why the complaint was filed? And this man is an attorney?

Anonymous said...

@2:21
Latitude: 32°9'35.02"N
Longitude: 90°10'38.48"W

Anonymous said...

Nobody from Florence knows what a Florentine is. Especially someone from Cleary Heights. They refer to themselves as children of the big cross buffet.

Anonymous said...

I can't find an attorney with the last name Wakefield in the MS Bar lawyer directory. What gives?

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, "just wants headlines" is not a statuory reason to deny an open records request.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps there's food on the counter. It appears that those at the trough haven't missed any meals.

Anonymous said...

4:12, since I've never filed one, do you have to give a reason or intended use of the information sought under this law? I suspect and would hope NOT.

Anonymous said...

Could be the Pelahatchy Attroney's name is John Wakeland!

https://www.facebook.com/PelahatchieNews/posts/the-board-voted-on-two-hires-in-mondays-board-meetingjohn-wakeland-as-the-new-bo/2619261264815549/

Anonymous said...

They refer to themselves as children of the big cross buffet.

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

Anonymous said...

Just heard the Mayor has filed suit to fire all five alderman. She is NUTS!

Anonymous said...

As Shakespeare said, "First thing, kill all the news reporters!"

Or some such.

Anonymous said...

I like it when the gray-haired lady pops her hand on the desk for emphasis. That is SUPER helpful! What a bunch of goons!!

Anonymous said...

Why don't you request the paid invoices that was paid with $20,000 out of the special fire fund that didn't have anything to do with the fire dept and see who signed them!! I can tell you that there was CAP loans paid with those funds and some pipe for public works and according to the local paper that these were charges the fire dept made!!! So why don't you check into that news story???



Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.