TPC Check-in 3/27/25: Talkin' WTC; Atty Lindsey; Odds & Ends - Data Centers & Water

 Greetings, Piedmonteers, & we sure hope it's fine as wine for everybody out there; or, at a minimum, as dandy as candy. 

So, what's the buzz? 

Tommy Craig 

William Thomas "Tommy" Craig, Esq. (WTC)

Well, I've looked over pretty much all available public documents regarding the old feller's bankruptcy proceeding. 

As is almost always the case w/ someone declaring bankruptcy, a large majority of his debts are being discharged & that, naturally, is a bit bothersome, concerning & confounding, considering, just from the home county alone, he's made upwards (above?) $25 million over the last few decades. 

So therefore, the question is begged: 

Where the Hell did all of that money go???

Reading through the documents there are certainly some oddities there, particularly having to do w/ some of his family members being involved w/ the settling of this situation; however, I'm not going to get into that at this point (things might change if a particular family member were to become county attorney or something similar). 

But for anybody wanting to get additional info on all of this, all of this is public information. So, w/ collegiate gusto & zeal, I'd recommend anyone & everyone to get after it! Put on your Citizen Journalist hat. Perform a Mitzvah, as some my ancestors would've said, & do the things you should be doing in order to be a productive member of society! 

Do Your Part!

Also, in re: Craig 

Was talking w/ one of the Network Chiefs just earlier today regarding the former "caustic county attorney."

Craig did indeed always hold himself w/ quite a level of aplomb, no doubt, coming across as graceful & cordial in a manner that would oftentimes ingratiate himself w/ many. Also, apparently, he always had powerful powers of persuasion. It is, in this writer's estimation,  how he was able to do so many of the the things he was able to do. 

Moving on... 

Attorney Stephanie Lindsey 

My, my, my. 

Wow. 

A moment of weakness? 

The pressure of the moment? 

She, possibly having had her "Charley James" moment, and just basically not giving a Fv<K anymore? 

Sidebar: 

As prescribed by state law, the Sheriff, Clerk of Court & the Probate of any particular county decides who the Legal Organ - the "paper of record" - is for that particular county (the newspaper that gets a bunch of money from that local government to run all the legals).

 As is obviously the case (and has been for years), 
  if the Covington News didn't have Legal Organ status they would've been out of business many, many years ago. 

Just a quick sidebar.

You understand. 

Odds & Ends 

The attempt of the Great Selling Out of Newton County continues, and we're not just talking subdivisions & apartment complexes here, folks. 

Those data centers, though. 

Most folks can't wrap their heads around the sheer volume of water that those things require. 

Water

The lifeblood of life. 

We're very fortunate that we have such a multitude of riches when it comes to water in the GA Piedmont, particularly w/ sub-surface water; however, if we keep approving these damned things, that may very well (and quite likely) will not be the case for much longer. 

Okay, then. 

Best, 

- MBM 

A Follow-up on the WTC & Newton BOC Situations

 Greetings, Friends. Hope this write-up finds you well. 

So last week I had two pieces that dealt w/ the recent developments of the Newton Co BOC as well as another one talking about (WTC) Wm Thomas "Tommy" Craig's bankruptcy situation. 

We'll start w/ WTC. 

I actually had two different folks to reach out to me to tell me how I was doing it all wrong regarding Craig.

Here is one of the communiques I received from an apparent former subscriber: 

Gonna unsubscribe now. Without actual facts and context to show relevance to public interest, this post is nothing but gossip about a private citizen. 

I responded back w/ this: 

Certainly your prerogative, [name redacted]. 

Did confirm that the information is legitimate. All public record. NOT gossip. 

And considering he's gotten $2 million in taxpayer dollars from the NCSO over the last decade (and once again eclipsed $300K the past fiscal year on record), the whole "private citizen" thing is just a total non-starter. 

Interesting...

And certainly a strange hill to die on, in my estimation.

But, whatever. 

But before I move on,  I'll follow up w/ this: 

I believe that Newton Co, prior to the aforementioned $2 million, had previously paid Tommy Craig upwards of some $20 million dollars going all the way back to the 1970s. 

And let's not forget about the Bear Creek Reservoir & Newton Landfill boondoggles. 

Homeslice is totally 100% fair game, obviously. 

Moving on. 


Newton BOC 

According to an almost-always accurate source, most everybody didn't know about the Linda Hayes pick for Chair. Initially, several of us had assumed that our current State House Rep, Tim Fleming, was involved w/ this but I'm quite confident he wasn't & this source has confirmed that.

Apparently, he was just as surprised as the rest of us were when the news hit. 

So, the question is obviously begged, who in the hell was the driving force behind this decision? 

Well now, that's a damn good question, isn't it? 

I'm working on running down a few leads to try to figure that out.

#StayTuned

DEVELOPING... 

Best, 

MBM 

William Thomas "Tommy" Craig, former Newton Co Attorney, Files for Bankruptcy

 The Chronicles can report that Craig first filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code on October 2, 2023. 

Notice the Judge's Last Name

Over the last almost year & a half the proceedings have slowly wound its way through the process as the Order confirming the Ch 11 Plan was made on 24 January 2025 so it looks as if things are getting close to being finalized. 

Additional research will have to be done concerning whether the millions in federal back taxes that Craig previously owed might be a part of the reason for this petition as bankruptcy does discharge certain IRS debt. 

WTC

With recent developments & discussions throughout the community about Craig, TPC felt like this was a matter that should be part of the public discourse. 

Stay tuned for future updates. 

### 

- MBM 

Local REAL Politics Round-up, 3/13/25

And we're back. 

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”

Newton BOC 

So the news hit end of last week that Gov Brian Kemp did indeed suspend both BOC Chair, Marcello Banes, as well as Stephanie Lindsey, rep for BOC 3 (for the second time in as many years). 

What was surprising - and to many, concerning - were his picks for the interim placeholders. 

Ms Linda Hayes, the former longtime Clerk of Superior Court of the home county, was the real shocker as Kemp's pick to chair the county Board of Commissioners. In addition, Kemp named Andre Cooper as the acting BOC 3 Commissioner. 

Concerns abound regarding these appointments. 

Many in the community, this writer included, have concerns that possibly William Thomas "Tommy" Craig, Esq. (WTC), the former, caustic longtime county attorney, will be regaining major influence w/in the county government due to these selections. 

Another item of consideration is the fact that both Hayes & Cooper allegedly have strong ties to Sheriff Brown (who in turn has very strong ties to WTC as evidenced by his payments to Craig well in excess of a million dollars over the last few years). 

Further, with the change to the charter a while back, the BOC Chair now has veto power. So even if BOC 1,2 & 5 were to vote against things, in certain situations Madam Chair Hayes would have to ability to quash that majority vote. 

One local political watcher has already theorized that appointing Banks Craig (Tommy's son) as county attorney would be high on the priority list of this reestablished & reinvigorated  WTC/JC coalition. 

I'd say it's certainly in the realm of possibility. 

Man, Newton County. What else can you say? 

DEVELOPING...

#staytuned 

Ignominious & Salacious Drama in the Home City 

So the situation w/ former CFD Battalion Chief raised quite the brouhaha  last month as the news hit that he is suing the city after what he considers to be a wrongful termination. 

Looking at what is now known, I think it's a slam dunk. It's going to cost Covington money for damages as well as lawyer fees. 

All of this can be laid at the feet of one Fleeta Baggett, the "honorable" Mayor of the Home City. 

Yep, her friend (which it seems like many know the identity of) showed her the picture & then...what did Fleeta do? She does what she always does. She went full-on Fleeta. 

My, my, my. What a world, what a world! 

Carry On, 

### 

The Long Awaited & Much Anticipated...the paving of Floyd St getting closer & closer

 Good Afternoon, Friends.

It’s been a while, I know, but good to be back.

So obviously a lot going on at all levels. Federally indicted members of the BOC here in the home county as well as the county manager getting popped for DUI, the usual shenanigans up at the Gold Dome & the happenings of Trump 2.0 & the not-so-unexpected pushback from “The Resistance/DC Swamp.”

Certainly a lot of items for discussion & I’ll be getting to some of those over the coming weeks. But first, some good news.

After over a decade of consternation & handwringing by many (yours truly included), the signature street of our beloved home city - Floyd - will finally be getting a full repave this year starting (weather permitting) right around the 1st of April (and no, this is not some cruel April Fools’ joke).

After having already completed the stormwater, sewage & water line projects, the gas lines are the current & final piece of the puzzle before paving can commence (apparently the gas lines have taken much longer than anticipated).

But then, after the paving is done, that glorious moment we’ve all been waiting for will finally become a reality. Our lives will forever be changed. A repaving from the Square all the way to 278.

And the People rejoiced!

Until next time,

- MBM

Past Piedmont Chronicles: [Fred Wheeler] - What Are the Hot Dogs & Fireworks All About?

 

[Fred Wheeler] - What Are the Hot Dogs & Fireworks All About?

   
 The Fourth of July is a big holiday.  There will be 160 million people cooking out; we will consume more than 155 million hot dogs.   More than $650 million will be spent on personal fire works with another $318 million spent on professional shows.
   So, what are we celebrating on the Fourth of July?  You’ve probably seen the videos of people unable to answer that question.  An acceptable answer would be, “It’s our nation’s birthday” or “It’s Independence Day.”
   How did our Independence Day come about?  Given the conflicting backgrounds, ideologies, and aspirations of the people inhabiting the Thirteen Colonies of America in contrast to those of the Mother Country, there was destined to be an irrepressible conflict between the two in the latter half of the eighteenth century.
   Since the founding of Jamestown in 1607, the colonists had gotten used to a system of self-government.  Great Britain had followed the companion policies of the establishment of representative institutions in the colonies and benign neglect.  After 1680, the elected assemblies won the right to initiate all legislation that governed the colonies.  They controlled the purse strings, including determining the pay for judges and government office holders.
   Britain embraced an economic system called mercantilism (sort of a mixture of fascism and crony capitalism of today).  It had long been accepted that they had the right to impose restrictions on trade and manufacturing.  But, the revenue from the tariffs hardly covered the costs of administrating them; and most of them were pretty much dead letters because of pervasive smuggling.
   It generally was accepted, even by the British, that Parliament could not tax the colonists for revenue.
   The irony is that the precipitating event which brought about the separation of the American colonies from Great Britain was the culmination of their partnership in an enterprise that seemed to be a huge benefit to both: their shared victory in the French and Indian War (1754-63).
   Among other things, as a result of their victory, Britain was given Canada and the area between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
   The downside was that Britain had run up a tremendous debt fighting the war (it was called the Seven Years’ War in Europe) and they needed to station 10,000 troops in garrisons in their newly won territory to guard against a French or Spanish invasion and depredations by Indians against the settlers. Because the colonies would benefit from these actions, Britain did not think it unreasonable for the Americans to absorb some of the costs involved.

Join or Die

   However, the idea of a standing army was anathema to Americans; and they only were willing to pay taxes that their own elected representatives had passed. 
   The vast majority of political thinkers among the colonists embraced the philosophy of John Locke (1632-1704).  They believed that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed; and that men naturally possess certain rights, the chief among them being life, liberty, and property. 
   As for the attitude toward Britain, the colonists generally fell into three categories.  There were those who supported the British Government in all they did (the Tories); those who wanted reconciliation with Britain (the conservatives); and those who wanted the rights of Englishmen (the radicals).  Subsequent events gradually would cause most of the members of the latter two groups to realize that reconciliation was impossible and that rebellion was unavoidable.    
   Desperate for money to defray its debt, in 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act.  A tax was imposed on every piece of printed paper the colonists used: documents, licenses, newspapers – even playing cards.  The tax impacted most severely the lawyers and merchants, until now the most reliable supporters of the British Government.
   The widespread reaction was the beginning of the revolutionary movement in the American colonies.  In May 1765, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed five resolutions made by Patrick Henry that declared that America possessed all the rights of Englishmen; that the principle of no taxation without representation was an essential part of the British Constitution; and that Virginia alone enjoyed the right to tax Virginians.
   Riots occurred in August. Tax collectors were run out of their homes and had to seek refuge in military garrisons. Clubs of patriots, calling themselves “Sons of Liberty”, organized across the colonies.  A Stamp Act Congress was convened in New York in October 1765.  If the Stamp Act had not been repealed, a revolution would have started a decade before it did.
   Things settled down for a while until Parliament passed the Townshend duties in 1767, putting duties on tea, colors, glass, and paper that should be used “for defraying the charge of administration of justice, and the support of civil government” in the colonies.
   By the time the duties were supposed to go into effect, the colonies had organized a boycott of British products.  The boycott failed, but Parliament repealed all the duties except that on tea.  In response, the colonists switched to coffee or drank smuggled Dutch tea.
   There was another lull for a couple of years, then Parliament passed the Tea Act of 1773. Its purpose was to bail out the East India Company which was on the brink of bankruptcy.  It kept the three pence tax on imported tea.  But, because it allowed tea to by-pass the British middlemen, it actually was cheaper than smuggled tea.
   Parliament misjudged the Americans.  Their assumption was that the Americans would disregard the tax and welcome the cheap tea, but, they stuck by the principle of “no taxation without representation” and agreed to boycott the cheap—but, taxed tea.  In the port cities, the tax resisters desired to keep the tea from being disembarked so the duties would not be collected.
   The Boston Tea Party was held on December 16, 1773.  A group of patriots dressed as Indians went aboard the ship, “Dartmouth”, and dumped all the tea overboard.  Actually, there were other tea parties, for example, in Charleston and Yorktown. In Annapolis, the brig, “Peggy Stewart” was burned, destroying over a ton of tea.
   In London, the British Government was incensed.  In retribution, Parliament passed the Port Act which closed the port of Boston until the East India Company was compensated for its lost tea. The day the Port Act became effective, July 1, 1774, there were riots throughout the colonies.  At the urging of supporters in New York, a Continental Congress was convened. The tipping point had been reached.
   On both sides of the Atlantic things escalated. Parliament passed a series of “Coercive Acts” (Americans called them the “Intolerable Acts”). Parliament unilaterally changed the charter of Massachusetts. The Quartering Act required the citizens of Boston to open their homes to British soldiers. Most galling to the colonists was The Quebec Act which annexed the area between the Ohio and   Mississippi Rivers, later known as the Northwest Territory, to the Province of Quebec.
   In October 1774, Congress passed the Nonimportation Agreement providing that Americans boycott all British products.  British troops moved into Boston. Units of Minutemen were formed; military stores accumulated; committees of observation appointed to monitor the British troops in Boston.
   At the Second Virginia Convention, meeting at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Patrick Henry, who had earlier been elected a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, on March 23, 1775, declared:
                   “…The question before the house is one of awful moment to this country.
                   For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom
                   or slavery… Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace—but there is no peace.  The
                   war is actually begun.  The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring
                   to our ears the clash of resounding arms!  Our brethren are already in the
                   field!  Why stand we here idle?  What is it that gentlemen wish?  What would
                   they have?  Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price
                   of chains and slavery?  Forbid it, Almighty God!  I know not what course others
                   may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
  

 Less than a month later, on April 19, 1775, the “shot heard round the world” was fired at Lexington followed by more fighting at Concord. For those who still wanted reconciliation or peace, events were spinning out of control. Opinions changed over-night.  Militias assembled in Boston to lay siege to the British hold up there.  Militia troops under Ethan Allen captured Fort Ticonderoga on May 10.
   In Philadelphia, on June 14, Congress created the American army. The next day, they unanimously elected George Washington to be its Commander-in-Chief. On June 17, the British moved against the  New England troops who had occupied Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill. They won the battle but paid a terrible price and were still under siege in Boston.
   On October 26, 1775, King George lll addressed the opening of Parliament by declaring that America was in rebellion. Lord Dunmore, the king’s governor of Virginia, who had evacuated Williamsburg, had naval forces destroy Norfolk on January 1, 1776. Thomas Paine published “Common Sense” in January calling for a declaration of independence.
   The hiring of foreign mercenaries by Britain was the last straw for many Americans.  In April 1776, American ports were declared open to the ships of all nations except Britain.  On May 10, 1776 Congress advised the colonies to establish governments whose authority was derived from the people rather than the king.
   On May 15, the Virginia Convention unanimously instructed its delegates to Congress to vote for independence.  Thus, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution in Philadelphia, to the effect that the “united Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free, and independent States”, and that foreign alliances and a plan of confederation ought to be established.

Moultrie Flag

   A vote was postponed until July 1 so some delegates could consult with their states on how to vote.  An overwhelming majority of delegates voted for independence on July 2.  A committee led by Thomas Jefferson was appointed to compose it and on July 4 the Declaration was approved.
                         “When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one
                           people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them
                           with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the
                           separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s
                           God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires
                           that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
                            We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal;
                           that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights;
                           that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  That to
                           secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving
                           their just powers from the consent of the governed….”
   But, that was not the end of the matter. As its title implies, it was a declaration, not a statement of fact.  The armies and militias of the colonies would have to fight another five years before they won their independence, and wait another two years for the Treaty of Paris of 1783 to fix the terms of separation between the new nation and the Mother Country.

Gadsen Flag

   Less than three months after the declaration of independence, Washington was driven out of New York and across New Jersey. Christmas, 1776 was a low ebb for the American troops. With one week to go before the enlistments of most of his troops, Washington crossed the Delaware River and routed the Hessian troops at Trenton.
   The winter quarters at Valley Forge and Morristown, New Jersey were terrible. A major turning point in the war was the surrender of British General Burgoyne and his force of 5,000 to General Horatio Gates on October 17, 1777.  It was not only a great strategic gain for the Americans because it kept the British from splitting the colonies, but it convinced France to enter the war on the side of the Americans.
   Washington bided his time in White Plains, New York, waiting for an opening to mass his forces with those of the French. His opportunity came in the fall of 1781. After a campaign from South Carolina through North Carolina, General Cornwallis limped into Yorktown. Washington rushed south with a force of 8,000 men, half of whom were French regulars.  The French fleet arrived at the end of August and landed another 3,000 troops.
   There was no remedy from the sea for Cornwallis because the French fleet controlled the bay.  On October 19, 1781 Cornwallis surrendered his entire force of 6,000 to Washington. At the time of the surrender, the American forces surrounding Cornwallis numbered 16,000. Of these, 7,000 were French, 5,500 were Continental Army, and 3,500 were Virginia Militia.
                                                                                    ### 

- Fred Wheeler 

A TPC REAL Politick Check-In: Federal Indictments in the Home County; What's up w/ Madam Mayor?

 Howdy, Folks! What's cooking? 

So, the big news last week naturally was the report that both Marcello Banes, the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Newton Co., GA, as well BOC 3 Commissioner-Elect, Stephanie Lindsey, were both indicted by a Federal Grand Jury. 

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, indeed! 

But of course in our system one is always presumed innocent before being proven guilty; however, it's looking pretty bad for the self-described dear, old friends - Marcello & Stephanie. 

For one thing, reading the press release from the North Georgia US Attorney's office seems to give the impression that they've pretty much got 'em dead to rights. 

Also, it's my understanding, based on research & from what a few folks w/ familiarity w/ these things have told me, that the conviction rate for federal indictments is in the range of 90-95%. 

So, again, not looking very good for those two at the moment. But, there's a long way to go. You never know. 

It does seem to be confirmed that Ms Lindsey did receive a $150K real estate commission for a parcel in Stanton Springs some years back. Further, based on what the US Atty's office has stated, it looks as if $100K of that was put into a LLC that was organized & that finally approx $100K of that money found its way to Marcello (who served on the JDA board that voted to approve the sale) & then that amount of money was purportedly spent on that fine house Marcello built a few years back. 

My, my, my. 

We'll keep an eye on it... 

Madam Mayor 

Fleeta Smith Baggett. 

Mayor of the home city (Covington, GA, USA) for right at six months now. 

It's my understanding - and I feel 100% confident in reporting on this at this time - that while an official court TPO was not placed on her, a very serious warning was given to her by the CPD to no longer ever enter the premises of one of the merchants of the Covington Square. 

That happened a while back. 

Not a good look. 

Now, more recently, an official grievance has been filed against Fleeta by a City of Covington employee. 

Many are aware of how Fleeta has been brow-beating, threatening & just overall being most unpleasant to multiple city employees the last few months. She's also had public confrontations w/ multiple city employees as well as some other elected officials. 

As a confidential source told me -- "she really is totally out of control." 

Per the city's charter, the mayor is not supposed to have any involvement w/ day-to-day operations of the city government. Moreover, the position really has NO real power or authority of any sort. The only duties of this elected office are basically as follows: 

- to preside over city council meetings or other functions
- to break any possible ties of city council meetings
- to be a figurehead/public face of the city 

And that's really basically it. 

I feel as if that is simply killing Fleeta -- the not having any real power. 

But the kicker, I believe, is this: she has no way, really, of getting her way as she simply doesn't have the votes on the council to do so. If she could get a 3-3 tie, she could swing a few things her way. But, she doesn't. 

And I think that's really eating her up. 

Her behavior as of late is something that some had worried about leading up to the election but it was thought that she'd obviously be better than the alternative, and that she likely had corrected some of her previous ways. 

Well...

### 

Okay for now. Until next time. 

- MBM