Imagine there’s another New Year on the horizon and you’ve celebrated with your family and friends and the countdown begins. “Five, four, three, two…” Wait! Before you pull out your pistol, cock back your rifle and shoot into the air to celebrate another New Year or whatever you wish to shoot in the air to celebrate in the town of Vaiden, you might want to think twice.
Now, instead firing shots in the air in the city limits costing you a mere $50, it’s going to cost a whopping $750.
During Monday night’s board meeting, the board approved raising the gun firing ordinance from $50 to $750. Mayor Mel Hawthorne said he couldn’t remember which board member brought the matter up, but wanted the board to take a look at the ordinance that has been on the books for quite some time.
“This should have been updated,” Alderwoman Lesia Hemphill said, with many on the board agreeing.
The board agreed that the 30 days in jail for the violation of the ordinance was appropriate but wanted to raise the fine. Many said $200 to $250 but at the suggestion of Board Attorney Lane Greenlee decided to raise it more.
“You’d have to get a judge, a prosecutor, pay court cost and no one is going to do it under $600. So, you would want something to recoup what you lost,” Greenlee said and suggested $750.
“Well, that’s a little more than what I thought,” Hawthorne said and many agreed with Greenlee’s fee.
Also, in the past the town of Vaiden has went up for several grants and haven’t been successful obtaining them. So, for them, it’s time to take a different approach. Hawthorne said they still wanted to use North Central Planning and Development to reapply for major grants like the Community Block Development Grant because they still had the town’s paperwork but they wanted to look elsewhere when it comes to other grants.
“We definitely haven’t had much luck,” Hemphill said.
Also, the board:
•Proclaimed Feb. 28 at Rare Disease Day
• Hired Brady Butler as a part-time police officer. Butler told aldermen that he worked for the City of Jackson for 20 plus years and had since retired and moved back to his hometown of West.
