The Troup County Marshall’s Office issued a warning to the husband of a candidate for the County Commission District 3 for illegal dumping of political signs near Gray Hill School Road Thursday.
Bill Gilmore, husband of candidate Ellen Gilmore and chairman of the Troup County Republican Party, reportedly admitted to dumping Congressman Lynn Westmoreland signs in the wooded area, according to the citation. He removed the signs, along with a makeshift animal feeding shelter the following day, the citation said.
Candidate Tripp Foster reported the incident, after he said he and a friend witnessed Gilmore carrying two armloads of signs Wednesday night at around 9:20 p.m. Foster said he was putting up a sign on Bartley Road, when he saw Gilmore go down into the woods.
“Curiousity got the best of me,” Foster said. “We pulled into the darkness of the trees and got out of the truck and locked it. We got near a hill and watched him.”
Foster said Gilmore parked in a hidden area with his headlights facing into an 8-foot opening in the woods.
“He was on a cell phone (and) holding more than 20 signs,” Foster said.
The following morning, sheriff’s deputies met Foster at the location. They found John Pezold, DeeDee Williams, Diane Matthews and Larry Harris signs, along with the two Lynn Westmoreland signs mentioned in the citation, Foster said.
“The Westmoreland signs were underneath the others, wet and rusted,” Foster said. “They had been there a while, but you could tell the others had just been dumped.”
“I didn’t dump any signs there Wednesday night,” Gilmore said. “Tripp Foster is a liar if he said he saw that. All I did was feed my cats that night.”
Gilmore said he has been feeding stray cats at the location for more than four years. He said officers on the scene could not confirm that the cats and Westmoreland signs were on county property.
“I have said the Westmoreland signs were mine. I am supporting him big time,” Gilmore said. “The county cannot say for sure that it was on their property, but I removed it all anyway.”
A warning was issued versus a ticket at the discretion of the code enforcement officer, Troup County Marshall Chief Lonza Edmondson said.
Gilmore is not being investigated for the theft of the signs.
“I’ve got a problem with this,” Foster said. “This was deliberate and done in the cover of darkness.”
The Sheriff’s Office determined it was an illegal dumping case and turned it over to the Marshall’s office Thursday.
Brother you didn't have to travel that road. You could have taken the high road. It was your choice and it was not the choice of a Christian man. Many people running for office and presently in office, through their actions, have created a stench that most voters in Troup County find repulsive. There is going to be a big change in the political picture in Troup County over the next few years. Politicians cannot stop it because the citizens demand it. This election will not totally cleanse the political picture in Troup County. Some bad apples will remain in office and a few will get elected into office. Every politician should be advised that the citizens of Troup County are demanding change and we will get change.
Sheriff Turner, a Christian man, refused to do what scriptures require. He should have made a personal apology, ask for forgiveness, and been restored to good grace. Instead he chose to defend his actions while blaming others and participating in mass mailings denigrating those who opposed or spoke out against him. Tripp, my Brother, a Christian man, which road will you travel?
Now Brother Paul and Brother Aaron. I applaud you for your stance. But as the Lord said to the Church in Smyrna, “ Show yourself loyal to death and I will give you the crown of life.”
We preach upon the dangers of Alcohol. The destruction of the family unit, the financial problems created by alcohol abuse, and the millions of innocent lives that have been taken by drunk drivers, and yet we continue to patronize the establishments that supply the alcohol. Does the store you buy your groceries at sell alcohol? What about the restaurants where you eat? Have you protested against the Cinema for showing “R” rated movies? Are we loyal to death?
Brother Paul, will you take the same actions against these establishments as you did with the LaGrange News, stop patronizing them and demand that you parishioners do the same?
Brother Aaron will you use your publication, The “Troup Baptist Association” newsletter and plead with all Southern Baptist to stop patronizing these places?
You were called by God and Ordained by God, weren’t you? Are you sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal? Our Lord did not pick and choose his battles and neither should we. Are we in God's army? If so then we are commanded to battle all things set against His Holy Word.
I know that there is no need to quote scripture to either of you. You are both very learned. Search your hearts and remember the words our Lord gave to Laodicea. “ I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are tepid and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.”
Our Lord also says, “ I will give to him who overcomes to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame and took my seat with My Father in His throne.”
We preach to the masses that faith has no bounds. Justification is our faith counted as righteousness. If there is no righteousness there is no faith.
My Brothers I love you, and I Pray brothers that all three of you will overcome. That you will not only display but solidify your Christian faith through actions. That the righteousness given by the Grace of God will be manifest in you.
I know you personally and to the best of my knowledge you are a fine person. But what is it that you stand for? As of now we will be voting for Mrs Gilmore and the main reason being is that we have no idea what your position is.
Anyway,Quoting Smokeymoose: "Do you report every little wrong doing that you witness?"
Any little wrong? There isn't anything "Little" about candidates stealing their opponents signs. It subverts the very foundation of the election process, which is at the very foundation of our system of government . Frankly, if found guilty, and this SHOULD have been investigated as a crime, not a littering infraction, and frankly it seems like charges should be filed. Bizarrely, it appears the perpetrator was not only allowed, but ordered to "get rid of the evidence" himself. How Brilliant was that? Until local powers as well as law enforcement start taking this sort of thing as SERIOUSLY as it really is, scumbag politics will CONTINUE to win the day. This is a crime that should get jail time. Instead . . . a warning for littering.