The latest news

Richard, might you be referring to this?.....

From today's Journal....

Police: Councilman approaches Duke Energy worker with gun
Report filed after employee shut off electric; councilman's name appears in police reports 4 times in one year

MIDDLETOWN — A Middletown police report dated July 11 details how Councilman A.J. Smith brandished a handgun and confronted a Duke Energy employee who was shutting off electric service that had “illegally been reconnected” to his Sixth Avenue home

This is the fourth time in a year Smith has appeared in the police reports for minor incidents. He also is scheduled to appear before the Ohio Elections Commission Aug. 18 for failure to file his campaign finance reports when he ran for City Council. That issue could result in thousands of dollars in fines.

At a glance

Middletown City Councilman A.J. Smith, who represents the city’s 2nd Ward, has had his name appear four times in Middletown Division of Police reports from July 14, 2010, to July 11, 2011, records show.

July 11, 2011: Police were called to a home at 907 Sixth Ave. owned by Smith after a Duke Energy employee claimed Smith confronted him with a handgun when he was shutting off electric service. No charges have been filed.

Jan. 11, 2011: Smith filed a police report after receiving harassing text messages on his personal cellphone from an unknown sender.

Jan. 8, 2011: Police were called to Applebee’s on Towne Boulevard after a server confronted Smith about allegedly not paying for a $2.50 bottle of Heineken. No charges were filed. Smith termed the incident as a misunderstanding, and former economic development director Mike Robinette paid for the beer.

July 14, 2010: Police were called to a report of a disturbance at a home in the 2000 block of Aaron Drive involving Smith, his sister and two other women. Police said Smith insisted all four be summoned into Middletown Municipal Court, where disorderly conduct charges later were dismissed against all four.

Source: Middletown police reports

Just wondering why Mr. Smith always seems to be around whenever police are called. Also wondering why this happened on July 11th and the Journal is just now telling us about it. Mr. Smith seems to be "living on the edge" of disaster, doesn't he? Kinda "pushing the envelope" on acceptable behavior. Wonder if Duke will take him to court for the illegal hookup? The man is compiling some real serious issues in his life that could be easily preventable. C'mon AJ. When I talked to you, you appeared to be a competent person. Why ask for these problems in your life?

Are all others unaware that MMF has a devious dissimulator, an evil hag, about to toss her hat into the city council ring?  

If that rumor is true and it is Mort, will THAT be enough to get someone competent from here to run to try and prevent this from happening? If it is Mort, given her tendency to dominate and play the overbearing type she appears to be, it will create even more problems for this city as to the council make-up. The last thing we need, is a person with her demeanor. She would add to the non-existent connection between citizen and their city reps. Too pompous for me. I hope she is not the candidate Richard mentions.

A member of the Planning Commission may run.

Stanky wrote: Whether she would make a good councilperson or not, I appreciate that someone with a love for the city and a history of working on behalf of many city entities, causes, and events is willing to step up into a role that is sure to generate the venom, scorn, and potshots of the many armchair quarterbacks on this board.

Now that you have labeled who and what we are here on this board, and you detest us so, why do you wish to participate? Mort has an advertising/public relations company doesn't she? I'm sure her first priority is to improve the health of that business and not necessarily "for the love" of the city. She works the events, causes and "city entities" to help her business. She doesn't have a monopoly on caring for this town anymore than many on this site. We just have a different approach toward the health of the city. We want problems fixed and the truth to be addressed. She is in denial that there are that many problems. Most things are just "peachy keen" to her. Perhaps if she didn't come across as being such a dictatorial person, people would think differently of her. She appears to be too "pushy". JMO

I heard that AJ will not be showing up to tonights meeting.

According to a local website:

“This year’s attendance was less than last year’s event, which drew between 2,000 and 3,000 people,” said Middletown Police event coordinator Lt. Leeann Hood, of last night’s "National Night Out" event at Sunset Park.  She attributed the decline to the hot weather.

The attendance figures would probably have been much higher, perhaps even in the hundreds of thousands, if city officials would have paid local shill Ms. Ann Mort to provide the estimate.

randy wrote: I heard that AJ will not be showing up to tonights meeting.

Will this be an excused absence or did the mayor advise him to stay away for awhile to "allow the public to forget" like all politicians do when they are caught?

Will he be brandishing his weapon to others or helping disconnect the illegal Duke service?