2 | LAGNIAPPE | January 8, 2015 - January 14, 2015 LAGNIAPPE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• WEEKLY January 8, 2015 – January 14, 2015 | www.lagniappemobile.com Ashley Trice BAY BRIEFS Co-publisher/Editor The Mobile City Council is considering the [email protected] diversity of companies receiving contracts. Rob Holbert Co-publisher/Managing Editor 5 [email protected] Steve Hall COMMENTARY Marketing/Sales Director Some pre-filed fun on Goat Hill. [email protected] Gabriel Tynes Assistant Managing Editor 10 [email protected] Dale Liesch BUSINESS Reporter The historic Azalea Court apartments [email protected] at the Loop are for sale. Jason Johnson Reporter 13 [email protected] Alyson Stokes CUISINE Web & Social Media Manager/Reporter [email protected] To gluten or not to Kevin Lee CONTENTS gluten? As more people Associate Editor/Arts Editor are jumping on the fad [email protected] diet, that is the question. Andy MacDonald Cuisine Editor [email protected] Stephen Centanni Music Editor [email protected] J. Mark Bryant Sports Writer 14 [email protected] Daniel Anderson Chief Photographer COVER [email protected] A nonprofit foundation is Laura Rasmussen working with the Mobile Art Director County Public School www.laurarasmussen.com 20 System to bring back Brooke Mathis Advertising Sales Executive Barton Academy, a [email protected] downtown landmark that Beth Williams has been vacant since Advertising Sales Executive [email protected] 2007. Misty Groh Advertising Sales Executive [email protected] Kelly Woods ARTS Advertising Sales Executive A Mobile playhouse premieres a [email protected] unique “feast-ival” for the stage- Melissa Schwarz Editorial Assistant 22 hungry. [email protected] Contributors: Asia Frey • Brian Holbert MUSIC Ron Sivak • Jeff Poor Tas Cru and his Band Jennifer McDonald of Tortured Souls will On the Cover: “Bringing Back Barton” By Dan Anderson highlight an evening of LAGNIAPPE (USPS 20) is published weekly, blues Jan. 9. 52 issues a year, Volume 13, Issue 2, every Thursday by Something, Extra Publishing, Inc. Entered at the Mobile Post Office, 250 St. Joseph St, Mobile, AL, 36601. 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. 25 Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 Fax 251.450.4498. Email: ashley- [email protected] or FILM [email protected] Mobile’s Jewish Film Festival returns LAGNIAPPE is printed at Signature Offset, 2610 Lakeview Road, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Sunday with a week-long selection of All letters sent to Lagniappe are considered to be intended for publication. 30 dramas and documentaries. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweek- lies and Alternative Weeklies Network All rights reserved. Something Extra Publishing, MEDIA Inc. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or in any way reproduced without the expressed In 2015 get behind stronger open permission of the publishers. Individuals may take one copy of the paper free meetings and open records laws. of charge from area businesses, racks or boxes. After that, papers are $3 per issue. Removal of more than one copy 32 from these points constitutes theft. Violators are subject to prosecution. SPORTS Help support Lagniappe Weekly by becoming a “Friend with Benefits.” Get in the ring with the stars of Scan this code for more info: wrestling as the WWE returns to 34 Mobile Jan. 11. STYLE The sounds of breaking plates and 38 laughter at GoDaddy.com luncheon. LAGNIAPPE | January 8, 2015 - January 14, 2015 | 3 POLICE DISP ATCH Nine 2014 homicides remain unsolved, two on books for 2015 BY JASON JOHNSON/REPORTER | [email protected] In less than 10 days, 2015 has already seen two open-and-shut murder cases in the Mobile area, cords, Davis is now being charged with sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, second degree but even as those investigations are underway, there are still nine unsolved murders from 2014. sexual abuse and first and second degree rape in the case. Altogether, the Mobile Police Department handled 31 homicide cases last year, including the Lori Myles, a spokesperson for the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, said the victim was admit- death of Timothy Williams, a missing man who was found dead in December, and David Patrick ted to a local hospital Dec. 24. There, medical staff and members of the Mobile County Depart- Kyles, the 29-year-old who law enforcement officials believe was murdered by a police imperson- ment of Human Resources alerted authorities to what they suspected to be signs of sexual abuse. ator in October. Both cases remain unsolved. Myles confirmed that Davis was known to the victim, and said he’d confessed the sexual abuse On Jan. 2, Mobile police responded to what would become to authorities during the investigation. An arraignment for Davis is scheduled Jan. 8 in Mobile the scene of 2015’s first homicide. After receiving a report of district court. a gunshot victim at the 2000 block of Stockton Drive, officers arrived to discover the body of Tracy Clipper, who had died Local man arrested for multiple sexual assaults inside the residence from an apparent gunshot wound. The Mobile police officers believe they have a suspect responsible for the sexual assault of multiple mother of four children was killed by her long-time boyfriend juveniles in custody, the result of an ongoing investigation. Police arrested 22-year-old Daniel Jeffery Leon Moss, 44, of Mobile. Moss was taken into cus- Rendon, of Mobile, Dec. 30 on two counts of first degree sexual abuse. tody at the scene and is charged with murder. On Dec. 23 local authorities responded to a report of a sexual assault on Old Pascagoula Road Later that day, the year’s second death occurred, but after a juvenile female reported she and her sister, who had walked to a gas station near their whether it will be considered a homicide will be determined by residence, were approached by an unknown male driving a Ford Mustang. The young woman told a grand jury. According to authorities, an argument in the park- authorities she and her sister were sexually assaulted before the suspect fled the scene. ing lot of KFC in Tillman’s corner lead to the fatal shooting of On Dec. 30, a similar case was reported at a Chevron Station on Government Street around 50 year-old James Naylor. Photo/MCSO 12:30 a.m. There, a female victim advised an unknown male in a Ford Mustang parked near In a press release last week, a spokesperson with the MPD her vehicle and sexually assaulted her after she left the store. According to police, 12 officers Jeffery Leon Moss said a suspect had been detained for questioning, but his iden- responded to the scene and Rendon was identified as the suspect in both cases. He was taken into tity wasn’t being released. Earlier this week authorities said custody without incident. the evidence from the incident will be presented to a grand jury to determine if any charges will be filed. Two behind bars for multiple fraud, identify theft charges An alleged con man was put behind bars New Year’s Eve after an investigation by the Mobile Man accused of raping child multiple times Police Department led authorities to James Michael Newburn, 34, who’s charged with multiple over five years counts of theft by deception and identity theft. Authorities says a Mobile man is in jail today after being By the numbers, Newburn is charged with 21 counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, second charged with raping a minor over a period of five years in degree theft of property, identity theft and operating a scheme on Craigslist to defraud others. Eight Mile. Tavares LeJames Davis, 33, is accused of forc- Newburn is currently on bond for theft by deception charges in Mobile County — the result of ing a known juvenile into sexual contact beginning in 2009, selling electronics on Craigslist to a victim, but delivering a wrapped up rock and other worthless when the “girl” was only 8 years old. Now 13, authorities objects instead. say the victim was abused as recently as December, but it Ashley Anne Fairchild, 34, was also arrested and charged with 17 counts fraudulent use of a was stopped when Mobile County Deputies charged Davis credit card in connection with the case. with multiple sex crimes Dec. 30. Authorities say Davis was During the investigation, additional victims were discovered to have been deceived by New- already being held at the Mobile Metro Jail for safekeeping burn. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of the suspect is encouraged to contact Mobile Photo/MCSO by agencies in Mississippi and Baldwin County for charges police at 251-208-7211 or the Fourth Precinct at 251-208-1300. Tavares LeJames Davis unrelated to the alleged sex crimes. According to MCSO re- 4 | LAGNIAPPE | January 8, 2015 - January 14, 2015 BAY BRIEFS BB Proposed ordinance will add diversity question to bids BY DALE LIESCH/REPORTER | [email protected] f a business doesn’t have a diverse work- City Attorney Ricardo Woods said the state’s force, it won’t be getting a nod from Coun- law does offer some wiggle room in that the cilman Fred Richardson for any future city word “responsible” isn’t clearly defined. He work. An ordinance proposed by the Dis- said asking a contractor about the level of diver- Itrict 1 representative would ask any contractor sity among its workforce is “perfectly accept- about the diversity of its workforce as a part able.” He added that the law might change the of the city’s bid process.