SHINING THE LIGHT ON SELMA AND DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA June 20, 2019 | Volume 4, Issue 21
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No leaders at the helm As citizens call for better law enforcement, Selma has no police or fire chief BY CINDY FISHER & TODD PRATER Selma Sun Staff
At a time when efforts to clean up crime is at an all-time high in Selma, the Queen City has no chief heading up its police or fire departments. The fire chief position has been vacant for some time, and the police chief job came open last week amid political turmoil between then-Chief Spencer Collier and elected officials. Collier announced his retirement the day after a heated City Council meeting on June 11. Then Collier finished the week by getting arrested for a domestic issue in south Alabama. Visit
SelmaSun.com to read more on that. Selma’s elected officials have argued for years about who has the power to hire these leaders, the mayor or the city council. Mayor Darrio Melton hired Collier, a former lawmaker and head of the state law enforcement agency, when he got into office in 2016. However, a court recently determined the City Council actually has the hiring power for both the police and fire chief positions. Melton said that decision has been appealed to a higher court. But since no decision has been made, the lower court’s
Retiring police Chief Spencer Collier’s mugshot from his arrest for falsifying a police report in Daphne last week. ruling stands, and the council is tasked with filling the vacant positions.
Selma City Council President Corey Bowie said now the council must get to work to find the best people to be the next police and fire chiefs. He said the council welcomes input from the citizens, and they are considering a steering committee to help in the search. He points out that it is imperative that whoever is hired for the position of police chief be able to jump in and pick up where Collier left off. Bowie said he appreciated Collier’s experience and partnerships he made with other law enforcement agencies to help fight crime. Over the past two-plus years, Bowie said Collier set a precedent that future chiefs will need to follow
to continue to move Selma, and crime fighting in Selma, into the 21st century. Melton said he is grateful for the improvements Collier made and that under Collier, crime is down in the city. Melton also said the attitude in Selma is more positive. The next chief needs to get involved with the new Weed and Seed program and what’s needed as part of the $1 million federal grant the city was given to help fight crime, Bowie said. If the higher court reverses the order and gives the mayor back hiring power, Bowie said he hopes the mayor and council can work together to be sure the
right candidates are chosen for these positions. “I would hope the Mayor and Council members would not lose sight of the big picture of keeping the city safe and keeping in compliance with the grant,” Bowie said. As for who will be the interim police chief while the search is on, Bowie said that is still up in the air. Collier officially retires on July 30, but he is on medical leave until then due to injuries sustained in a car accident while on the job several years ago. According to Melton, Capt. Johnny King and Capt. Natasha Falks will oversee the day-today operation of the department until a new chief is hired.
Oral histories on film hope to project positives of Selma BY TODD PRATER Selma Sun Staff
Identifying what is right with a place can help people identify what is wrong in a way that empowers them to expand on what is right to eventually fix what is wrong. That’s the idea behind a project that will culminate in a presentation at Arts Revive in the Carneal Building during a special Chamber After Hours on Thursday. The project is called Selma 200: Stories of Revitalization. It all started when civic leaders from Selma met Allison Fast, founder of Blue Magnolia Films. Fast has undertaken similar projects in Mississippi to celebrate their bicentennial. She and her team were called to Selma to use this unique format to help point out the positives here and to celebrate what is good about Selma and Dallas County. The project started with a one-week workshop where selected members of the community told their stories using oral histories and testimonies along with still photography. These were put together into four-minute films of the participants telling their personal stories in their own words. The idea behind these stories is to engage the community by pointing out the good and positive of the community, raising the visibility of what is already here with hopes to build upon that to move in a positive direction. Fast said she and her team noticed that there is a lot of love for Selma, and this format will give members of
First day of workshop, the group sits in a circle. Clay Carmichael, Carey Fountain, Kimberly Smitherman, JoAnne Bland, Afriye Wekandodis, Pride Forney, Amy Milligan, Ronnie Leet, Becky Youngblood, Vicky Stoudenmire, Linda Derry, Alison Fast and Aaron Phillips. the community an outlet to express that love. The hope is that the community will get inspired and move towards positive revitalization of the area using the arts as a catalyst. “Art doesn’t have to be something that’s just a beautiful image,” Fast said. “It can be something that points a pathway forward. They are things that are already here.” The project culminates June 20 at 5 p.m. with a screening of the films at Arts Revive in the Carneal Building at a special Chamber of Commerce After Hours. Participants are
Afriye Wekandodis on The River Center for Humanity; Patty Sexton and Beth Spivey on the St. James Hotel; Joanne Bland and Kimberly Smitherman on Journeys for the Soul; Vicky Stoudenmire on Arts Revive; Clay Carmichael on the Blackbelt Benefit Group; Linda Derry on Old Cahawba; Jawana Jackson and Pride Forney on the Jackson Foundation and Museum; Ronnie Leet and Amy Milligan on Temple Mishkan Israel. Fast reminds everyone that these stories are not the only stories. In fact, this
Instructor Alison Fast works with participant Vicky Stoudenmire on her script.
project is just the beginning. She hopes the stories inspire other members of the community to tell their stories soon. Fast likes the idea of holding an annual event to collect stories from different people each year. After June 20, the films will be available online at www.bluemagnoliafilms.com and www.artsrevive.com. The screening of the films on the 20th will be followed by the launch of the Selma 200 large-scale public art display using windows and storefronts throughout downtown. The photos and videos will also be shared on social
media throughout the state in celebration of Alabama’s Bicentennial. Fast thanked the sponsors, which include Arts Revive, Blackbelt Benefit Group, Black Belt Community Foundation, The City of Selma, South Arts, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Alabama Bicentennial Commission, Alabama Tourism Department, Hampton Inn Selma, Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, The Selma Dallas County Public Library and Vaughn Medical Group.
Linda Derry records audio for her story.
Participant Kimberly Smitherman learns how to use Adobe Lightroom photo edit with Blue Magnolia Films instructor Aaron Phillips.
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