Breaking News!!! Commissioners Alleged to have Terminated Sam Lockridge-High Level County Employee!! Report by Robert A. Williams

A report, no, several reports, have come to me this morning from reliable sources that the Cleveland County Commissioners have immediately terminated Sam Lockridge for cause from County Employment. Lockridge is or was a high level official in the Cleveland County Health Department overseeing the County Landfill, Animal Control, the County Shooting Range and maybe more. Health Department Director Dorothea Wyant is or was Lockridge’s immediate supervisor.

The original report alleges Lockridge had “zipper problems” and a video is involved.. Other reports allege Dorothea Wyant may be involved or other women that Lockridge has “power over.” A later report alleges that Commissioner Ronnie Whetstine was contacted and Whetstine’s story is Lockridge is on administrative leave until the “truth is discovered.” I recall that Lockridge had a sexual related complaint allegedly lodged against him over 20 years ago when he worked in the old Health Department building beside the Hospital. Lockridge was moved out to the Land Fill as a disciplinary measure.

Folks, I have tried to communicate with all Commissioners, County Manager, Assistant County Manager and the Cleveland County Human Resources Manager asking for confirmation whether or not any of this is true. To this very minute not one of them has contacted me by phone or email. This leads me to believe there is something to these reports and they are in cover up mode just like the Community College Board of Trustees, the schools and the Economic Development scams and scandals. They seem to never learn that their first allegiance is to the citizens of Cleveland County and that they have an obligation to tell the truth.

But Noooo. They think they have the right to remain silent and everything will just blow over given enough time. They think citizens are stupid and will forget all about the various scandals floating around the Community College, Economic Development, the school system and amongst the Commissioners before the next election rolls around. And why not??? That MO has worked up until now. It works with the Shelby Star.

I work a little differently. All these folks mentioned are “Public Figures” under the law and they do not have a right to remain silent in the court of public opinion about their public performance, or lack thereof. They are expected, under the law, to be honest, ethical and trustworthy. When they tell lies, do crooked dealings, are wasteful and corrupt, they get called down to answer for what they do. I consider it an admission of guilt if the will not respond by just remaining silent in the face of serious allegations.

On the other hand, I offer everyone of those government officials the opportunity to answer to the questions and allegations that are included in my articles. I make it a practice to send every government officials involved in an article an invitation to make comments and to date not one comment have I received. They apparently know that if they provide me with a comment, I will check it out and make comments of my own if they have lied to me or the public.

So, Sam Lockridge, Dorothea Wyant, Dr. Steve Thornburg, Dr. Shannon Kennedy, Commissioners, School Board Members, Community College Board of Trustees and everybody else, you all are invited to provide to me your side of this and every story and I will properly include your comments into this or other articles to ensure your story is told. But, if you don’t provide your side, I will consider every part of the reports sent to me as an absolute truth and urge all my readers to do the same.

Readers, stay tuned for the whole and detailed truth of this story as soon as it surfaces. We are patient but we don’t forget very much either.

PS: There was a closed session item on the Commissioner’s Meeting Agenda for their June, 6, 2017 meeting regarding a potential legal matter-obviously a lawsuit coming down the road. The closed session lasted about an hour and when the Commissioners came back to open session, County Attorney Tim Moore quickly cut a trail out of the building. None of the Commissioners were talkative and all wore grim faces. I figure the closed session was about the Sam Lockridge situation or another lawsuit that the County lost and had to pay $55,000. Either one and the County may have to pay out more tax payer dollars. Why don’t the commissioners just do the right thing in a timely manner? Why do they practice so much deception?