Let’s play nicely and stop spreading nasty rumors

"If I have to tell you one more time to stop it, I’m gonna turn this car around and we’ll go back home!”

How many times do we remember that threat – made by our exasperated parents – when we, as children, were behaving badly on a trip in the car?

Well, I’m starting to feel like the parent of naughty children. This week, I’m going to give the people of Milton a “time out.”

A rumor mill akin to the one started about a week or so before the May 18 Primary Election has been cranking out nastiness for a couple of weeks now. This time, it’s not about candidates running for office. Instead, the rumors are flying about events allegedly occurring within Milton City Hall.

We’ve received phone calls from people asking when the Banner is going write something about what’s going on. Well, we did, last week. Unfortunately, we had little information then and we have nothing more to report this week. Perhaps the situation will be addressed at Thursday’s regular meeting of the City Commission. That meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the municipal building. I encourage any concerned residents to attend.

But, as of press time Tuesday, we had nothing more to report about what may be or may not be happening at City Hall. We know City Clerk Shannon Hoskins has been on paid leave since May 24, and that her status is unchanged. Why she is on leave or whether or not she will return to the position is unknown. That tidbit of information has been confirmed by both Mayor Denny Jackson and city attorney Genon Hensley.

We know that the special investigations unit at Kentucky State Police Headquarters in Frankfort is checking out a complaint or complaints received by State Auditor Crit Luallen’s office centering around Milton city offices. But, the specific complaint or complaints – and the identity of the person or person who made them – is pure speculation at this point.

A call to the KSP unit in Frankfort about the situation was not returned by press time Tuesday. It’s entirely possible that any information regarding any investigation going on at this time may not be released until there is a conclusion, one way or the other. And that may take awhile.

I think we all have better things to do than spread rumors before anyone knows what the facts are. It does appear to have the ingredients for a really sexy story, but I can tell you one thing for certain: The Banner won’t publish anything until we have documentation and on-the-record comments from those involved in this situation. We don’t, and won’t, print rumors.

As Jack Webb used to say on “Dragnet,” “Give me the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.”

I promise that once we get those facts, we’ll pass everything along to you – our readers.

Until then, let’s all try to play nicely.

Phyllis McLaughlin is editor of The Trimble Banner and lives in Milton, Ky.