Are we on the right path as a city? What are your thoughts as the reader? Be sure to follow Muscogee Muckraker on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see our upcoming stories as they break throughout the coming week.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — From two local Army veterans moving city policy to improve the lives of many, to city council hiring the nation’s premiere investigatory firm to audit a ‘series of events’ that have ‘surfaced concerns,’ to a relook at the city manager nepotistically providing opportunities for ‘like minded’ employees but not others, here’s all the muck that’s fit to print from the Columbus, Georgia area, along with a look at what to expect in the week ahead.
EMPLOYER SETS EXAMPLE; ADVOCATES FOR WORKER HARMED BY CITY POLICY
This story was originally published on August 28, 2023.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — Two local Army veterans have successfully moved the city to expand the service coverage of METRA’s Dial-A-Ride program, which will now better serve Columbusites with disabilities who depend on the service to get around the city.
Ronaldo “El Rico” Morrison had used the city’s Dial-A-Ride service to maintain his independence for the last 12 years, taking the ride every day from his Columbus apartment to his office job at Access 2 Independence.
However, when Morrison moved to another area of the city, he was told that the city could not provide him with the same services he had been using for years — even though his new neighbors within the same subdivision were.
Back when Dial-A-Ride changed its route coverage area, Morrison’s neighbors were “grandfathered in” to continue receiving the service. Morrison, however, was not. Instead, he was now left with no way to get to work.
When Morrison asked the city how he was supposed to get to an area where Dial-A-Ride could pick him up, Morrison was told he would have to use his wheelchair to cross Bradley Park Drive and travel down several blocks without sidewalks to get to a designated pickup point. All the while, Morrison’s neighbors were receiving door-to-door service from the same program.
Both veterans of the United States Army, Morrison and his employer, Kirk Holcombe, decided to take action. They began contacting city councilors and other officials to see how they could work together to solve the issue — and not just for Morrison’s individual case, but for the city as a whole.
Explore the full story to see how Morrison and fellow veteran Kirk Holcombe used civic engagement to move city policy and improve the lives of many in Columbus.
LOCAL ORG HOSTING RIVERWALK CLEANUP SEPTEMBER 15; CITY CAN’T KEEP UP DESPITE TAXES
This story was originally published on August 29, 2023.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — A local nonprofit is hosting a Riverwalk Cleanup to pick up trash and other debris from areas that the Columbus Consolidated Government can’t seem to get around to.
The Chattahoochee River Conservancy will be hosting the event on Friday, September 15, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. A briefing will take place at the Woodruff Riverfront Park Splash Pad located at 1000 Bay Ave.
The event appears similar in scope to one held just a few months ago in June by the Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission, which recovered an unfathomable 6,000 pounds — 3 tons — of garbage from only a handful of city parks.
It remains unclear how and why the Columbus Consolidated Government needs to rely on the helpful and caring hands of volunteers to remove trash that weighs as much as a Ford Ranger — especially given that it is one of the most heavily-taxed counties in the State of Georgia with SPLOSTs and OLOSTs that seem to respawn themselves from some of the lowest voter turnout rates in the nation.
Explore the full story for the details to see how you can now contribute your labor in addition to your tax dollars.
COGLE INITIATES POWERS: COUNCIL HIRES GOV’T INVESTIGATOR TO AUDIT ‘SERIES OF EVENTS’ THAT HAVE ‘SURFACED CONCERNS’
This story was originally published on August 30, 2023.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — The Fountain City’s legislative body has approved the hiring of the nation’s premiere governmental investigative law firm to accompany an audit of one of the city’s top offices after a ‘series of events’ have begun to ‘surface concerns.’
During the city council meeting held on August 29, City Councilor Joanne Cogle (District 7) made an unexpected motion at the very end of the session’s published agenda.
That motion was for council to formally initiate its investigative powers under Section 3-300 of the City Charter. Here’s why.
Back in July, city council approved a new ‘top-down’ audit schedule to take account of the city’s most influential offices, placing the office of City Manager Isaiah Hugley at the very top of that list.
Now, according to Cogle and her colleagues — who all unanimously agreed — there have been a ‘series of events’ that have begun to ‘surface concerns’ that warrant such a formal inquiry.
Explore the full story to see how Cogle initiated city council’s investigative powers, along with the full text of her approved motion.
CITY MANAGER FAVORED FEMALE WORKER; 'LIKE MINDED' BELIEFS FUELED NEPOTISM
This story was originally published on September 16, 2022 and republished on August 31, 2023.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — Having the ‘correct’ political beliefs can advance your career at the hands of City Manager Isaiah Hugley, as revealed by two city employees in a recent interview on CCG TV’s Columbus Connection.
Nepotism, according to the Oxford dictionary, is “the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.”
Isaiah Hugley has served as Columbus’ city manager — an unelected position — for a lengthy 18 years worth of numerous scandals and accusations of unethical behavior.
Explore the full story to see how Hugley’s nepotism towards ‘like minded’ people gave her special opportunities to advance while others with different beliefs were left behind.
DOING AMAZING: THE COLUMBUS LOGO STORY
This story was originally published on May 28, 2022 and was republished on September 1, 2023.
We’ve all seen it, and many of us don’t like to talk about it — but others do, and none of it is good. That’s exactly what bad branding does. It causes others to think and talk badly about you. When you slap that logo on the side of every municipal opportunity in town, people begin to think you’re fairly tone-deaf.
Have you ever wondered why Columbus’ logo and branding are so … pathetic? There’s a story to it, and boy does it not disappoint. Here’s what actually happened, as alleged by those who were there and tried frivolously to stop the inevitable from happening.
Explore the full story for the details of what actually happened, as alleged by those who were there and tried frivolously to stop the inevitable aMaZiNgNeSs from ironically depicting the true brand of the city.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN APPLY TO SPEAK AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING
This story was originally published on April 11, 2023 and republished on September 2, 2023.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — “The true source of our sufferings has been our timidity.” — John Adams.
As most residents are acutely aware, the political state of the Fountain City has seen better days. Through violent gang-related crime, staggering rates of homelessness, and a poverty rate twice the national average, it is clear that we as a city have our work cut out for us.
Fortunately, the ideas for how to best address and fix these extremely-serious issues do not have to come from behind the bench of our city’s elected officials.
They can come from you.
In fact, our city’s form of government strongly encourages you to take an active role in civic engagement by publicly speaking your mind on issues that are politically important to you.
During each regular meeting of the Columbus City Council, there is a section of the meeting called the Public Agenda.
This section is entirely dedicated to having everyday residents just like you voice their opinions on whatever they deem to be of political importance to our city.
It is incredibly easy to apply. Here’s how.
Explore the full story to see how easy it really is to voice your concerns during the public agenda of a city council meeting.
THE WEEK AHEAD
In observance of Labor Day Holiday Holiday, the Columbus Consolidated Government is closed Monday, September 4. Normal operating hours should resume the following day on Tuesday, September 5. If you are unsure when your trash will be collected, you can easily view the city’s holiday schedule here.
The Columbus City Council is not scheduled to meet this week. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. on the second floor of the C. E. “Red” McDaniel City Services Center located at 3111 Citizens Way, Columbus, GA 31906.
The meeting’s agenda is expected to include several important items of discussion, including an update from City Manager Isaiah Hugley on how the city plans to expand its Dial-A-Ride/ParaTransit service area.
Join Today. Protect Tomorrow.
There has never been a better time to be a Columbus Police Officer! The Columbus Police Department is a state and nationally accredited law enforcement agency dedicated to protecting and serving the citizens of Columbus, Georgia. Become part of a highly trained law enforcement team focused on building and maintaining strong community partnerships that improve the safety and quality of life for every citizen. Join today and protect the promise of a better tomorrow. ProtectColumbus.ColumbusGa.gov
A Look At Personal Safety
As the Columbus Police Department continues to unify under its new leadership model, violent crime is still likely to exist at higher levels than we would all like — even in what have previously been thought of as the “safer parts” of our city.
We at the Muckraker want to encourage our readers and their loved ones to remain hyper-vigilant as they go about their daily lives.
Based on lifetimes of experience and the combined professional careers of us at the Muckraker and our associates, here are what we consider to be the most important ways Columbusites can make themselves “hard targets” to avoid becoming a crime victim:
Situational Awareness: Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Keep your head on a swivel. Don’t walk around with headphones in. Keep your eyes moving and scanning around you as you move about.
Trust Your Gut: If something inside of you is telling you that something isn’t right, trust that feeling. For example: If you’re parking your car at night and your gut tells you the dark shady spot next to the alley isn't the best place to park, don't park there. Your intuition is often more powerful and protective than you think.
Move With Confidence: Think about this one for a minute. Are criminals going to target the guy or gal who struts hard down the street like a freaking lion patrolling their own domain, or are they going to leave that hard target the heck alone? Keep your head up. Move from place to place with a purpose. Don't walk around with your face in your phone with your purse wide open. Don’t look weak. Look dangerous.
Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.
-30-
© 2023 Muscogee Muckraker. All rights reserved.
Be sure to follow Muscogee Muckraker on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see all the muck that’s fit to print as it breaks throughout the coming week.
