WELL, with all the big news breaking last
week and then going dead in the water it leaves one’s imagination open to play
on what if’s, maybes, speculation and rumors.
After looking at all the Facebook entries
and seeing the gamut of responses there dealing with the idiotic, bizarre,
unknown, way out in left field and a few with a little reasoning behind them,
it’s time to let fly with above what if’s, maybes, speculation and rumors.
Here’s an update on what’s in
circulation. If you don’t like one, keep
reading and pick another.
First item, let’s get it out that, by
appearances, a company named Power South Energy Cooperative has blocked both
the Monthly View and Conecuh County News and Views from being seen from their
servers. What’s this mean? Power South distribution members include
Southern Pine Electric which is tied in bed to Johnny Andrews by virtue of them
having put Andrews on their Operation Roundup Board in 2013. This appointment was done under the
recommendation of Evergreen Southern Pine Office lead man, Rodney Hildreth, a
former Conecuh County Commissioner. It
was passed by the Board of Trustees during a time frame when David Cook,
another former Conecuh County Commissioner, was chairman. Mr. Cook has been on the board of trustees
since Moby Dick was a minnow and we already know the “partnership” formed by
Andrews, Cook and Hildreth when they all served on the Conecuh Commission
during 2012-2016. By the way, neither
Cook nor Hildreth continue to be a Conecuh Commissioner however, I have it on
good authority Cook lust to get back in that position.
What does this possible blocking of the 2
websites most critical of the actions of the commissioners and most especially
Johnny Andrews, and the ones not afraid to point out the wrongful actions of
the same? Maybe nothing or maybe they
don’t want the power company employees to have knowledge of what’s going on in
“their” management system.
As long as I’m on it, I really want to
know why Southern Pine finds Conecuh’s Caucasian commissioners so valuable to
their company and image and why they didn’t place any black commissioner on any
of their boards. Every Conecuh County
Commissioner serving during the 2012-2016 terms EXCEPT those of
African-American background held some type of position within Southern
Pine. Now that one of those sterling
picks has been arrested for distributing drugs it appears a move has been made
to ensure the employee base will be stymied from finding out this information.
Got that out of the way.
Johnny Andrews says he’s not guilty, he’s
been set up. Right!!!!. Let’s wait till this plays out before we
declare Andrews guilty or not guilty.
One thing to keep in mind, how many of you
really think the FBI and Alabama Attorney General’s office
are going to arrest Andrews for marijuana distribution and not have
their ducks in a row about this?
Speculation, how many of you think Andrews is the beginning and ending
point of the line for what’s going on?
Rumor, Johnny holds information about Dr. Dino, his pet project that he
unleashed on the Lenox area going so far as to find him, (Dr. Dino), a place to
build the biggest dinosaur in the world.
How is Conecuh going to function?
We’re the Collard Green Capital, Big Foot Capital, SERFI Capital,
Sausage Capital, and now we’re on schedule to become the Dinosaur Capital!!!
That’s an awful lot of sugar for a dime
when most of our residents can’t afford a dime due to a lack of industry that’s
been lost over the years because of poor/mismanagement of our county/city/town
leaders. IF Andrews does wind up guilty
and is convicted of being a drug dealer just how does one propose this to be a
good thing for our county? I can only
imagine the businesses rushing to come here where we have all these “capitals.”
Continuing speculation, Andrews, as a
member of the Cooperative District Board, has some type of insider information
about some purposed wrong doing there.
Even I’m aware of what I perceive to be a lack of action and/or follow up to some issues that should have been addressed there.
Jim Allen, owner/publisher of The Monthly
View has a website located at http://themonthlyview.home.mindspring.com
with a survey on his website where one may vote as to what they think will be
the next issue addressed. You can have a
choice from: The County Commission;
Evergreen City Hall; Castleberry Town Hall; Repton Town Hall; other: These are in addition to the two others
mentioned above.
Rumor, if Andrews is guilty, how did he
deliver the “goods.” As the local
collard growing king, his collards were not certified “weed” free. Yep, “allegedly” he put the illegal stuff in
with the good stuff and just carried it in.
I can recall seeing him on several collard green delivering missions,
makes me wonder if all those people getting collards from him might have been
getting “bonus material.” Again, let’s
not jump to the conclusion he’s guilty yet…
Unconfirmed rumor but to good not to put
out there. His former cohort on the
commission, David Cook, gave Andrews a ride back to Prattville (where he was
initially arrested) to get his pickup.
This was after Andrews was booked in the Conecuh County jail. In addition to giving him a ride, it is
rumored Cook posted his bond.
I actually went by the jail to get a copy
of the booking paperwork and a mugshot.
I was informed everything about the case was sealed therefore, no
booking paperwork, no mugshot and no conformation as to what his bond was or
who posted it.
I was told it was sealed paperwork due to
it being an ongoing investigation. That
certainly leads me to speculate there’s gonna be more arrest warrants issued.
If all will take time out to remember a
situation in the recent past with a HHS teacher, a search warrant was issued
and several months later an arrest warrant was issued. We may be looking at something very similar
dealing with this case. It could be
months before we could really be put “in the know” on anything dealing with
Andrews and his arrest.
One other thing that can be speculated on is "how much bail." Following are the guide lines for Alabama with what should be the proper charges and responding bail outlined in red.
Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure
Rule 7. Release.
Rule 7.2. Right to release on one’s personal recognizance
or on bond.
(a) BEFORE CONVICTION. Any defendant charged with an
offense bailable as a matter of right may be released pending or during trial
on his or her personal recognizance or on an appearance bond unless the court
or magistrate determines that such a release will not reasonably assure the
defendant’s appearance as required, or that the defendant’s being at large will
pose a real and present danger to others or to the public at large. If such a
determination is made, the court may impose the least onerous condition or
conditions contained in Rule 7.3(b) that will reasonably assure the defendant’s
appearance or that will eliminate or minimize the risk of harm to others or to
the public at large. In making such a determination, the court may take into
account the following:
1. The age, background and family ties, relationships and
circumstances of the defendant.
2. The defendant’s reputation, character, and health.
3. The defendant’s prior criminal record, including prior
releases on recognizance or on secured appearance bonds, and other pending
cases.
4. The identity of responsible members of the community
who will vouch for the defendant’s reliability. 5. Violence or lack of violence
in the alleged commission of the offense.
6. The nature of the offense charged, the apparent
probability of conviction, and the likely sentence, insofar as these factors
are relevant to the risk of nonappearance.
7. The type of weapon used, e.g., knife, pistol, shotgun,
sawed-off shotgun.
8. Threats made against victims and/or witnesses.
9. The value of property taken during the alleged
commission of the offense.
10. Whether the property allegedly taken was recovered or
not; damage or lack of damage to property allegedly taken.
11. Residence of the defendant, including consideration
of real property ownership, and length of residence in his or her place of
domicile.
12. In cases where the defendant is charged with a drug
offense, evidence of selling or pusher activity should indicate a substantial
increase in the amount of bond.
13. Consideration of the defendant’s employment status
and history, the location of defendant’s employment, e.g., whether employed in
the county where the alleged offense occurred, and the defendant’s financial
condition.
14. Any enhancement statutes related to the charged
offense.
(b) BAIL SCHEDULE. The following schedule is established
as a general rule for circuit, district and municipal courts in setting bail
for persons charged with bailable offenses. Except where release is required in
the minimum schedule amount pursuant to the Rules of Criminal Procedure, courts
should exercise discretion in setting bail above or below the scheduled
amounts.
BAIL SCHEDULE
Recommended Range Felonies:
Capital felony $50,000 to No Bail Allowed
Murder $15,000 to $ 150,000
Class A felony $10,000 to $ 60,000
Class
B felony $ 5,000 to $ 30,000
Class C felony $ 2,500 to $ 15,000
Drug manufacturing
and trafficking$ 5,000 to
$1,500,000