Showdown postponed

Bessemer police late yesterday stopped the opening of at least one bingo hall tonight that was scheduled for 6 p.m. 

Lawyers for the Anchor Club have been in court all day trying to get some kind of clearance.

Operator Robert White said he will definitely not open tonight.

—Tribune staff report

Suit says committee violated Open Meeting law

EXCLUSIVE

A lawsuit has been filed against members of the Bingo Committee of the Bessemer City Council, alleging they violated the state's Open Meetings law and made decisions that should have come before the full council.

Council President Earl Cochran today confirmed that there is a lawsuit, but he has not seen it yet.

Cochran said he was informed of the suit by Kim Davidson, the council's bingo attorney.

—Tribune staff report

READ FULL STORY IN NEXT WEEK'S NEWSPAPER

Problems at new high school continue

Despite continuing problems at the new Bessemer City High School, the Board of Education agreed last night to pay $1.1 million to vendors.

According to reports the leaky roof at the school turned into a water fall during recent heavy rains.

Latest casualty was the 1,500-seat auditorium. Reports said the floor was completely saturated yesterday.

Builder Chris Woods continues to insist that everything will be okay in the near future.

—Tribune staff report

Stage set for showdown in Bessemer

The stage is set for a Friday evening showdown in Bessemer between bingo hall operators and Mayor Ed May.

Bingo machines have been moved into their respective halls and are being set up.

May has said he will shut down the halls when they open at 6 p.m. on Friday.

—Tribune staff report

May will close bingo halls

Electronic bingo machines are on their way and being set up for a reopening this Friday at 6 p.m. around the Bessemer Cutoff.

In Bessemer, Mayor Ed May is reportedly saying that he will use storm-trooping police to shut down the operations in his town the second they open.

This one will end up in the courts, but there could be some fireworks Friday night.

—Tribune staff report

Police harassment at City Hall

Bessemer Mayor Ed May's flunkies are harassing the press.

Nancy Hartzog went to City Hall today to pick up information about how the administration is failing to do its job.

Hartzog was asked to sign in by one of May's flunkies on the front desk. She declined.

That's when the mayor's rotund body guard, Sgt. Larry Waldrop, decided to step in and threaten Hartzog.

"When you're told to sign in, you will sign in," he bellowed in his best gestapo voice.

Sure, moron. Go fetch the mayor another Sprite.

—Tribune staff report

Mayor, Belcher won't sign attorney's check

Bessemer Mayor Ed May and Councilwoman Sarah Belcher are refusing to sign a check to pay bingo attorney Kim Davidson.

The City Council last week voted to pay Davidson $15,225 for her services.

But May and Belcher have other ideas.

Davidson is sending a letter to the pair giving them a deadline to sign the check or she will sue them.

—Tribune staff report

Bessemer jobless rate jumps

Bessemer's unemployment rate jumped to 16 percent in January, according to figures release by the state.

This is the highest figure since March 1982.

The increase from December to January was 1.3 percent.

Combined with those who have already gotten out of the labor market, Bessemer's total jobless is about 31 percent.

—Tribune staff report

Lipscomb bingo hall reopens

The bingo parlor in Lipscomb apparently didn't get the memo about reopening this Friday.

But 12 others are planning on opening their doors again.

They are voluntarily closed on Feb. 5.

—Tribune staff report

It was a snoozer

Bessemer Mayor Ed May must have had inside information because he failed to show up for his third consecutive City Council meeting today.

Only four members of the council were present, but they might as well have stayed away, too.

It was a sleeper.

The only interesting thing reported out came from Jesse Matthews who said there is no fire hydrant in the Brick City area from 20th Avenue to 15th Avenue.

Yawn.

—Tribune staff report

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW

Lu-Lu back in court soon ... Bingo halls will reopen soon ... The Foundry loves Bessemer, no, really loves Bessemer ... And Bubba has all the latest ... Finally, see who's not paying their tax bills ...

No trip to cherry blossoms

Economic reality has finally caught up with the Bessemer City Council as no one will attend the annual National League of Cities meeting next week in Washington, D.C.

It is the first time in at least three decades that no one from the Bessemer council went up to see the annual cherry blossoms and relax at taxpayer expense.

"We just passed our budget and there is no money," says Councilwoman Dorothy Davidson.

This is an election year and with unemployment in Bessemer at about 15 percent, no one wants voters this summer to think that their money was being thrown away.

Davidson is running for mayor along with four other candidates.

—Tribune staff report

Mob scene at theme park job fair

Back in the heady days of full employment, Alabama Adventure would stage its annual hiring day and a handful of people would show up.

For a time the theme park had to work out a deal with visiting foreign students to fill its ranks.

Not anymore. More than 1,000 applicants showed up Saturday to get a job.

—Tribune staff report