By Kay S. Pedrotti
Clean up of the Lighthouse Restaurant started Monday morning after magistrate judge Karen Jackson gave legal permission to Lamar County to remove the burned debris and place a lien on the property.

Two county bulldozers began clean-up at the burned out Lighthouse north of Milner Monday morning. (Photo: Walter Geiger)
From your commentary, a person could be led to believe she wrote about a Ringling Bros Circus Show, 50 Shades Of Grey, Hillary Clinton, NYPD Blue, Law and Order, Lets Make A Deal and an episode of Friends, when you wrote, "let the clown go"..."slap on the wrist"..."wise woman"..."scum bag"..."friend of the judge" and the best one, "the wonderful DA stuck it to the people of lamar county once again".
WOW! that is a lot to digest from your comment in order to reach a conclusion as to what really happened. You are lacking closeness to reality in an understanding of the criminal and civil parts of our legal system.
IN DEFENSE OF THE JUDGE AND DA, neither of whom I know, it is foolish to think a high profile case such as the burning of the Lighthouse would be prosecuted, tried and judgment rendered on the notion Mrs Sherry Wise being a "friend of the judge". tch! tch!
No where did I read in the article that the "powers that be want to cry about a mess". That's absurd! The correct procedures were followed resulting in the property clean up with NO COST to Lamar County. The Lighthouse Restaurant tract is a valuable piece of property and when it is either financed, refinanced or sold, Lamar County will recoup all funds expended to clean up the eyesore. A good deal.
For your reading pleasure:
LIEN: "is a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation."
Regards
An old taxpayer.
Jim Haynes
this is the statement in the Aug 15th 2013 edition of the barnesville paper "Judge Tommy Wilson, whose family also owned a seafood restaurant for years, agreed. "The only reason you are not going to prison is because Miss Sherry Wise asked for it," the judge said.
maybe i'm missing something here but that to me says plenty when it comes to sentencing someone for a crime.
How inappropriate of you to "pick and choose" a single paragraph from an archived article as your basis to perpetuate a skewed logic that Judge Wilson had "cut a deal" with Sherry Wise to minimize a sentence for her nephew simply because they were acquaintances.
I invite you and every reader to access an archived article titled: Aunt pleaded for arsonist's freedom: written by Walter Geiger on Friday, August 23. 2013. In the news article, Mr. Geiger professionally documents ALL facts and statements pertinent to the case and left this reader with a full understanding as to the motives behind Judge Wilson's "wise" decision.
Everyone will be informed as to what actually happened in court and to realize the logic behind Judge Wilson's final decision when he showed compassion, empathy and understanding for the plea of leniency from Mrs. Wise who was terminally ill. Please recognize the fact Judge Wilson's statements and decision were in open court and not behind closed doors.
No "good ol boy" deal was made.
Jim Haynes
Allow me to opine:
MC: jim just cant stand the fact that lamar county is (and has allways been) a back water,corrupt little forgotten place that continues to elect and re-elect good ol boys that sweep any issues involving their old money families under the rug.
Jim: Having lived in a beautiful area of California for almost 40 years and CHOOSING to retire to Lamar County without knowing anyone qualifies me to view the area without M.C.'s jaundiced perspective. I see this area as a beautiful place for my wife and me to live out our retirement years. I see no corruption or malfeasance here and over all the elected and appointed "good ol boys and women" do an outstanding job. It appears MC has suffered some traumatic experience in Lamar County and his angst is manifested via his comments. Life is too short to live or exist in a place that makes you unhappy. I experienced that feeling once when I lived in San Francisco in the mid 60's . I solved that problem, I MOVED to a rural community a hundred miles away!
MC: it eats his guts out that people are finally seeing the evil in these good ol boys ways and pointing them out.these good ol boys are slowly dying off and folks like jim here are scared to death they might loose control and have to live by the same rules that every non-good ol boy lives by.
Jim: Evil is defined as PROFOUNDLY IMMORAL AND MALEVOLENT. Just who are these "immoral and malevolent" "good ol boys". I don't see "people pointing them out" as written by M.C. I only see M.C ad nauseam railings. I'm not scared to death about losing control. I don't have any control of local happenings or anything else. I lived by the rules set forth by God, the rule of law and my conscience.
Heck, I don't even have control of my old white cat. Certainly NO control over my sweet wife!
MC:i know its sad to you jim, but one thing you cant do anything about is the future . its comming,and maybe one day in the near future,when someone has their day in court in lamar county, it wont matter who their family is.
Jim: I'm never sad. I don't dwell in the past of yesterdays. I know the future is coming as it does everyday tomorrow knowing good things will come about. I won't see 70 years again, but, I embrace the future and hope to live to be 100 years like my Mother did.
Since I have lived in Lamar County, I've never met any of these Doers of Dastardly Deeds known as the "good ol' boys". My long time investigator background appears to have failed me! I sure would appreciate M.C. pointing them out for us so we can be aware and on guard in case we have to appear in court.
Back on topic:
Thanks to the Lamar County work crews! The Lighthouse Restaurant debris site is looking much better.
Jim Haynes
"A Non-Good Ol' Boy"
mess up then Stephen should be in jail. He violated probation and this is what happens to you. Oh and they release about county taxes going up 11% in the same news paper at the same time. I am a tax payer and this irritates me.