By Staff
While we are discussing civil matters, who do you think handles the service of executions out of County and Chancery Court? Who provides security for all residents to do business in the Court House? When the Police Detectives desire to have a computer generated photo line-up for identifying suspects, guess where they go?
In the early years, the City of Meridian was one square mile. Since then the administration and Council has told the residents outside the City that we are going to provide you better services and thus have annexed them. This has caused those persons to be taxed twice.
The services provided by the members of this department will stand any challenge and, yes, all residents of Lauderdale County are being served.
Your comments are not taken without challenging the validity of them. I do agree with you on one item. The taxpayers of Lauderdale County would be better served with consolidated law enforcement. By allowing those that are taxed to elect the best Sheriff to serve as their head of law enforcement, this would make him or her answerable only to those that elect him or her.
I'm sure that you have your camera angle and I have mine but don't ever say, "City residents get little benefit from the Sheriff's office."
Billy Sollie
Sheriff, Lauderdale County
Firefighters, police officers deserve more pay
To the Editor:
The articles I have been reading in the newspaper about firefighters and police officers having to work two and three jobs is appalling. These men and women risk their lives for us. They have very serious high risk jobs and they deserve to paid whole lot better than they do.
These people are our family, friends, next door neighbors, and they don't ask for anything from the community. They are unselfish to put their lives on the line to protect and defend us every day, to make our city safe.
They are the ones who should get the raise not the ones who sit behind a desk in an office all day. The raises that went to the mayor, city council members and others should have gone to the men and women who took an oath to protect and serve.
Our elected officials are so concerned with the revitalization of downtown and Bonita Lakes to promote tourism and increase the population of Meridian that they didn't take into consideration one important fact. Who is going protect them? If the firemen and police officers aren't paid enough to stay here, not only will there be no one to protect these facilities they so desperately want but the population will also decrease.
The city needs to reevaluate their priorities before we end up without an effective fire department and police department. Who could blame them for leaving, or looking to better themselves.
Wendy Carpenter
Meridian
JARMC: Home of love, care, life'
To the Editor:
It is very seldom I think for someone to stay in the hospital 53 days and come out with nothing but praise for the doctors, nurses and staff.
I entered Jeff Anderson on May 29, 2001. I was taken in under the care of Dr. Geer, one of the best heart surgeons in the world. With God leading his hand and his great skill, he gave me back my life. It was not only his great skill; he was concerned about a human life. In this case it was my life.
They say that I had about a 5 percent chance of living. He started the operation about 4:30 a.m. and continued through 12:30 p.m. Then he had to go back in a second time for about an hour and a half. Then a third time for about an hour.
I know that he has done this time and time again, but the love and care he seemed to have for me really touched me. Then when he completed his work, the Angels of the hospital took over. I called the nurses Angels because that's what they are.
I stayed there long enough to know the whole ICU unit. Every time I opened my eyes, there would be one looking down at me, wanting to know what I needed. I know they had other patients they cared for as they did for me, and they did just that. That's the reason they have to be Angels, being with all the patients at the same time. The male nurses and student nurses were just a concerned about my condition. They never let you want for anything. That's not all. When I went to a private room, the nurses were just as sweet and concerned as my Angels were. Yes, I think I can rightfully say that there is no other hospital as well equipped with doctors and nurses as Jeff Anderson in Meridian.
Delton Crout
Forest