Coming Soon: The Milford (TX) Messenger

Freedom of the Press Group, which includes The Ellis County Observer and The Palmer Post, will announce plans in the coming months for newspapers in "small towns the local newspapers have neglected or ignored," said publisher Joey G. Dauben.







More information will be provided later. For more information about the expansion plans, or to become an integral part of the new publications, e-mail Dauben at joey@thepalmerpost.com or call 214-281-0416.

May 8, 2010 Election: Milford & Milford ISD

In case anyone was needing to know:

Milford Mayoral Race:

• John Knight (incumbent) – 55 votes
• William Powell – 50 votes

Milford City Council: (three seats)

• Ty Evans (incumbent) – 68 votes
• Lora Sue Lauhoff (incumbent) – 64 votes
• P.J. Leible – 32 votes
• Bruce Perryman – 74 votes

Milford School Board: (two seats)

• Kimberly K. Cook – 73 votes
• Fadys Gates (incumbent) – 39 votes
• Shanette “Pooh” Johnson – 46 votes
• Russell Slaton (incumbent) – 53 votes

Direct Link: http://www.italyneotribune.com/stories/election-results-may-8-2010

Coming Soon: The Milford (TX) Messenger

Freedom of the Press Group, which includes The Ellis County Observer and The Palmer Post, will announce plans in the coming months for newspapers in "small towns the local newspapers have neglected or ignored," said publisher Joey G. Dauben.







More information will be provided later. For more information about the expansion plans, or to become an integral part of the new publications, e-mail Dauben at joey@thepalmerpost.com or call 972-891-2135.

Larry Burns vs. Becky Ramsey | Part 1.0

Someone who did not have my permission (Joey speaking here) deleted a post titled Larry Burns vs. Becky Ramsey | Part 1.

I have changed passwords - again - and have granted administrator access to only two other people - Megan Gray and my webmaster.

The original contents of that blog post were located in a Cache file on Google, so the original contents are below.

[UPDATE]However, someone has deleted the original comments on the Chad Adams Resigns post. Those were some pretty controversial comments that were damaging to local real estate developer Larry Burns. Ironically, those were the only ones deleted, along with the blog post below.

However, if I find the person or persons involved in this, I have plenty of legal help to get even.

[[[Original Post: Larry Burns vs. Becky Ramsey | Part 1]]]

When The Ellis County Observer launched in October 2005, it was fueled in a large part by real estate investor/auto dealer Larry Burns and Rodney Pat Ramsey going at it over a few controversial issues pertaining to downtown Waxahachie’s location for the new justice center, jail and parking garage.

[Click Here to Read the 2005 Archives]

Now Ramsey’s wife, Becky, is at it with Burns over some reportedly disparaging remarks made in some facilities subcommittee meetings (this was stirred by me reporting rumors on a Burns for County Judge campaign.) The claims are that Burns more or less said voters in Ellis County are too “stupid” to make decisions on certain county issues and that he referred to people of Middle Eastern heritage as (a) “towel-heads” or (b) “sand-niggers” or (c) wait until we release the written recorded meeting minutes to find out for sure.

It should be noted that: Ramsey ran for county/district attorney against Burns’ “boy,” Joe Grubbs. The Waxahachie Daily Light stabbed Ramsey in the back, the heart, the sides, the face, the legs, and probably beat up his wife in the process multiple times, which is why Ramsey no longer speaks with the WDL. (or writes for them)

This is classic Establishment vs. Non-Establishment.

I’ll let the readers judge - and post responses unedited - for themselves:

[Original Blog Post: http://www.elliscountyobserver.com/?p=5159&cpage=1#comment-16284]
From: Becky Ramsey
Would that be the same larry burns who insinuated that the citizens of ellis county were too dumb to make their own decisions?…the same one who used racially insensitive remarks in a public forum (which were recorded in the minutes)?…the same one who served on a facilities committee for a year, helped waste a few thousand tax dollars and then admitted they had accomplished nothing during their tenure?…the same one who swallowed any pride he may have had to kiss up to Judge Adams for board appointments?..is it the same one who attempted to get me fired for a letter to the editor written by my husband?…that guy? yeah, thats what we need..another completely unqualified candidate short on brains and quick to anger…but then again, he probably doesn’t have anything better to do and that seems to be a qualification around here lately…lets elect the guy with the least experience and ability…that always a good idea…jeesh.

More responses:

[Original Post: http://www.elliscountyobserver.com/?p=5159&cpage=1#comment-16284]
From: Larry Burns
Becky,
I think that most Ellis County citizens realize that my service on three different facilities commitees as well as service with The Friends of Ellis County, who were instrumental in the passing of the bond, has been to assure that what happened in the past would not happen again. The person that made the racially insensitive remarks you reffered to was not me and was not invited back to serve on subsiquent commitees at my suggestion, perhaps you need to read the transcript again. I think you failed to mention that you and your husband Rodney Ramsey were speculating on property accross the street from the Justice Center at the time the original facilities group met, and we were’nt moving fast enough to suit you, resulting in much discourse. Chad Adams was never pleased at seeing me serve in any capacity and never appointed me to anything. Becky you took information meant for your employer, who’s property was later purchased by the county and shared it to your husband who used that information in a letter to the editor. I informed your employer that we would no longer be allowed to meet informally because of this breech and what your employer did after that is none of my concern. I have never announced my intention of running for County Judge and have no intention to do so. I have however, been asked to consider filling the un-expired term and I said I would consider it. If your intent is to help Bob Carroll get elected I think you should tell Bob in advance that you intend to use inflamatory remarks on his behalf and let him decide if he needs your help. Bob Carroll is an honorable man and a friend and I doubt he approves of such behavior on his behalf.

Larry Burns

[UPDATE] Unfortunately, again, certain comments originally posted detailing the back-and-forth exchange between Burns and Ramsey are gone. Totally. Someone who did not have my permission deleted the content.

Avalon: 'Misappropriation of Funds' Alleged

UPDATE: Since 1999, a verbal contract has been in place between the emergency services district and the Avalon Volunteer Fire board.

The ESD No. 8 (which includes Avalon) manages the tax dollars that come in from that specific district; the AVFD and ESD No. 8 are two separate entities.

Got a request from folks in Avalon last week to attend tonight's fire department board meeting in which allegations of the "misappropriation of funds" -- tax dollars -- would be brought out in the open.

Before The Ellis County Press' Chantel James and I had to leave (I was starting to get real sick due to this prolonged fever) early, we video taped the reading of the last fire department board's minutes -- and in those minutes laid the entire story.

The BlackBerry notes I was able to leave with:

• Cell phone bills have "major discrepancies"
• Fire Chief Roy Scruggs was suspended as chief pending an audit
• Scruggs' wife, Debbie, serves on the ESD 8 board of directors; since the suspension of her husband, ESD 8 presented a contract to the Avalon VFD board to take over all operations and ultimately disband the entire department on May 31, 2008; AVFD board members say this is "retaliation" for suspending Scruggs;
  
• Over $5,000 in cell phone bills reported
• One of those cell phones belongs to Debbie, according to the AVFD spokesman
• AVFD pays roughly $2,200 on cell phone bills
  
• Some bills are being mailed to firemen, which caused board members (which are appointed by county commissioners) to express concern that proper bookkeeping wasn't taking place
• A pro-bono auditor reported that receipts have not been turned over and that no paper trail of spending exists (so far); their deadline to turn those documents over is May 31
• A little over $6,000 exists in the current ESD budget
• A motion to bring Scruggs back as a fireman - and not the chief - was approved, but he cannot act as chief (which stipulates no access to bank accounts)
  
• Two ATM cards with almost identical card numbers were "mistakenly" used by Scruggs - but he reportedly paid the accounts back
• The acting chief spoke - Jimmy Mitchell - numerous times before the packed Avalon Volunteer Fire Department building in support of Scruggs
  
• Firemen went door to door to get people at the meeting tonight (it was packed)
• Scruggs presented a contract to allow for the Waxahachie/Forreston departments to run Avalon's department during the financial situation
• Some audience members didn't buy into that proposal
• Before leaving, Scruggs was reportedly on his way to the meeting; he had reportedly neglected to show up citing a lack of legal counsel
• Audience members said Scruggs should be present during the allegations being made public
• A board vote was approved to return hose valves to save money which would in turn, replenish the bank account
• Of a recent grant used to obtain four pieces of fire equipment, only one was purchased and used (i.e., where's the rest of the money?)

Avalon doesn't have its own incorporated town; they have a tiny school district and a volunteer fire department, and are included in fire district, so things spread quickly down there.

Avalon is located on Highway 34 not too far from Italy and Bardwell.

Jimmy Mitchell, the assistant chief who had administrative oversight of the cell phone bills, was asked to resign by the AVFD and did so last night.