A Message to You Rudy: Ex-mayor may have aided decision to keep Police Chief

It looks like Randy Rudy’s job as chief of the Aberdeen Police Department is safe - at least for the time being - although it remains unclear whether Mayor Mike Bennett is giving the chief a chance or simply had his hands tied thanks to a parting gift from the city’s former mayor.

In an email written by Bennett last week and provided by Art Helton, the mayor made it clear he wants Rudy to remain the city’s police chief, but, beyond that, he wants Aberdeen’s top cop to be the one running the department. Under the administration of former Mayor Fred Simmons it was often questioned who was running the Aberdeen Police Department - Rudy or Simmons.

“Chief Rudy is a law enforcement professional whom I respect. I have had several conversations with him over the past month and shared with him my desire for him to run his dept,” Bennett wrote.

“We talked about his being placed in a secondary position over the past 2 years and I assured him that I was going to give him an opportunity to run his dept. and that unless I had a brainstorm (I do have some experience in this area) I would work through the City Manager,” he continued. Continue reading A Message to You Rudy: Ex-mayor may have aided decision to keep Police Chief

Who Said That Local Politics Can’t Be Fun?

What took so long?

It’s been six months or so since Aberdeen Mayor S. Fred Simmons, who is also a local airport owner and insurance agent, erected a billboard on Route 40 at the city’s eastern border for his State Farm Insurance business. It wasn’t until this week, however, that the billboard, which features a nine-foot tall photo of Simmons’ head, was defaced.

The first time I saw the billboard, I was driving into Aberdeen with the rest of the westbound traffic on Pulaski Highway. I was immediately struck by several thoughts: Continue reading Who Said That Local Politics Can’t Be Fun?