2 | LAGNIAPPE | April 9, 2015 - April 15, 2015 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• LAGNIAPPE WEEKLY APRIL 9, 2015 – APRIL 15, 2015 | www.lagniappemobile.com Ashley Trice BAY BRIEFS Co-publisher/Editor Baldwin Schools lose at least $7 million in [email protected] failed tax referendum. Rob Holbert Co-publisher/Managing Editor 5 [email protected] Steve Hall COMMENTARY Marketing/Sales Director Lessons learned from the Atlanta “cheating [email protected] scandal” could be applied locally. Gabriel Tynes Assistant Managing Editor [email protected] 10 Dale Liesch BUSINESS Reporter The 11-story Perdido Dunes Tower [email protected] in Orange Beach has scheduled a Jason Johnson groundbreaking ceremony. Reporter 13 [email protected] Kevin Lee CUISINE Associate Editor/Arts Editor [email protected] No bull about it: The Andy MacDonald CONTENTS Istanbul Grill on Airport Cuisine Editor Boulevard offers a nice [email protected] Stephen Centanni Turkish spin on traditional Music Editor Mediterranean recipes. [email protected] J. Mark Bryant Sports Writer [email protected] Daniel Anderson Chief Photographer [email protected] 1616 Laura Rasmussen Art Director COVER www.laurarasmussen.com Underhill Family Brooke Mathis Orchestra, Eric Erdman Advertising Sales Executive [email protected] and Greg Fells are among the locals Beth Williams Advertising Sales Executive appearing alongside [email protected] regional standouts at Misty Groh the 2015 SouthSounds Advertising Sales Executive [email protected] Music and Art Festival this weekend at various Kelly Woods Advertising Sales Executive venues. 2424 [email protected] Melissa Schwarz ARTS Editorial Assistant Conductor Scott Speck will lead the [email protected] Mobile Symphony Orchestra through Contributors: the music of John Williams April 11-12. Asia Frey • Brian Holbert 30 Tommy Hicks • Ron Sivak Jeff Poor • Ken Robinson MUSIC On the Cover: SouthSounds 2015 by New Orleans funk outfit Dan Anderson Gravy pours it on for a new album due out LAGNIAPPE (USPS 20) is published weekly, soon. The group will 52 issues a year, Volume 13, Issue 15, every Thursday by Something, Extra Publishing, Inc. Entered at the Mobile Post Office, 250 St. appear with Earpunk at Joseph St, Mobile, AL, 36601. Soul Kitchen April 10. Periodicals postage paid at Mobile Post Office, 250 St Joseph St., Mobile, AL 36601 and other locations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 1102A Dauphin St. 32 Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 32 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 Fax 251.450.4498. Email: ashley- [email protected] or FILM [email protected] LAGNIAPPE is printed at Signature Offset, 2610 “Top Five” misses the charts, hits Rock Lakeview Road, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. All letters sent to Lagniappe are considered to bottom instead. be intended for publication. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweek- 38 lies and Alternative Weeklies Network All rights reserved. Something Extra Publishing, Inc. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or MEDIA in any way reproduced without the expressed permission of the publishers. Latest on local legals bill and “The Individuals may take one copy of the paper free of charge from area businesses, Company” battles for their right to racks or boxes. After that, papers are $3 per issue. Removal of more than one copy throw circulars in local yards. from these points constitutes theft. 39 Violators are subject to prosecution. Help support Lagniappe Weekly by SPORTS becoming a “Friend with Benefits.” Former BayBears coach Hunter Ward Scan this code for more info: is included in the Southern League 42 Hall of Fame’s class of 2015. STYLE Boozie has the last of the Lenten 46 gossip. April 9, 2015 - April 15, 2015| LAGNIAPPE | 3 P OLICE DISPA TCH BY JASON JOHNSON/REPORTER | [email protected] “He had clearance from the state. It’s not something we doesn’t.” Background procedures questioned after Mobile would have known about,” Pierce said. “He had allegedly had According to Peek, Hill was put on leave March 5 — more teacher’s arrest a problem, but those were dropped, and the state didn’t take his than three weeks prior to his arrest in Mobile. Since then, Hill After a Denton Middle School teacher was arrested for two certificate. Are we supposed to do a background check on all the has resigned his position as a teacher for the Mobile County sexually related crimes in less than a year, questions started new teachers that have already taught somewhere?” Public School System, and has been removed from the school’s circulating as to how the Mobile County Public School System Dr. Michael Sibley, director of communications for the ALS- website. conducted the teacher’s background check. DE, told Lagniappe there’s nothing to prevent school systems “The day there was any indication there had been an incident, Deandre Gerard Hill, 32, turned himself over to police after a from ordering an independent background check, but typically we put him on immediate leave to have him out of the school warrant was signed for his arrest last week. The former 7th and they go through the ALSDE’s website. and he hasn’t been back since then,” Peek said. “It was reported 8th grade language arts teacher has been charged with “sexual “Mobile didn’t do anything out of the ordinary,” Sibley said. and handled immediately.” contact with a student under the age of 19,” stemming from an “There was a lag between when we notified Mr. Hill his teaching However, Sibley said if the incident with the student at investigation by the Mobile Police Department and the local certificate was being reviewed and when it became visible to the Denton hadn’t been reported, Hill could have potentially “flown Child Advocacy Center. public. In that time, though bold of him, Mr. Hill was employed under the radar” until there was a reason to review or look into According to police in Mobile, a warrant for the teacher’s in Mobile. We take complete ownership for that.” the status of his teaching certificate. arrest was signed March 31 after a female student at Denton MCPSS Superintendent Martha Peek said the school system Middle School reported to school officials Hill had made state- followed procedure when vetting Hill for the job using resources ments of a sexual nature to her while she was in his classroom. Two officers injured during Theodore foot pursuit provided by the ALSDE. She said the school’s human resources But according to police in Montgomery, Hill was also ar- On Monday, two officers were injured in a foot chase that left staff did exactly as they were supposed to when Hill’s applica- rested for indecent exposure while working at Southlawn Middle one Mobile man behind bars. According to police reports, the in- tion was reviewed in August of 2014. School in Montgomery this time last year. The misdemeanor cident began when two MPD officers attempted to stop a vehicle “It was pointed on the ALSDE portal (Hill) had gone through charges there were later dropped, but at this point it’s unclear in the area of Bellingrath Road for a routine traffic violation. the background screening, ABI and FBI checks and was suitable why. However, when the driver, 26-year-old Demarcus Johnson, to teach under state law,” Peek said. “We also had a recommen- According to the MCPSS, Hill’s background check was pulled into Azalea Court Townhomes, he exited the vehicle and dation from the system he previously worked for (Montgomery cleared through the Alabama Department of Education (ALSDE) attempted to elude officers on foot. After attempting to enter one County Schools), which gave him strong recommendations and prior to being hired at Denton Middle School in the summer of residence at the complex where relatives lived, Johnson tried to said they would hire him back.” 2014, but no additional or independent background checks were flee through the back of the complex. According to Peek, the incident of indecent exposure wasn’t sought. As officers pursued Johnson, they sustained minor, non-life- brought up to officials in Montgomery County until Oct. 10 — FOX 10 reported earlier this week that members of the ALS- threatening injuries — one to his shoulder and the other to his after Hill was hired at Mobile. DE had confirmed the school system “never contacted ALSDE leg — during a chase that spanned approximately 50 feet. As for the ALSDE, Sibley said the 7-month “lag” in publicly for an updated background check or verification of Hill’s teach- Both officers were taken to a local hospital where they were posting the status of Hill’s teaching certificate was the result of ing certificate before they hired him last summer,” but now those treated and released. his right to due process. officials seem to be changing their tune. Johnson was charged with possession of a controlled sub- “If his teaching certificate had been revoked, Mobile would In the meantime, MCPSS spokesperson Nancy Pierce said on stance, resisting arrest, attempting to elude and possession of be made aware immediately, but sometimes that process can take Tuesday school officials in Mobile didn’t have any way of know- drug paraphernalia. According to the Mobile County Sheriff’s up to a year,” Sibley said. “We don’t expect this to happen again, ing there was a potential problem with Hill when he transferred Office, Johnson has a laundry list of previous charges including and we’re putting stop gap measures in place to make sure it from Montgomery. robbery, weapons violations and other drug charges. 4 | LAGNIAPPE | April 9, 2015 - April 15, 2015 BAYBRIEFS BB Contracts confirm city’s long relationship with Dirt, Inc. BY DALE LIESCH/REPORTER | [email protected] company affiliated with Dirt, Inc., a yard waste per month at 23,900 cubic yards, as landfill at the center of a lawsuit be- compared to 22,000 for Midway.