The Fayette County Board of Commissioners is demanding accountability from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.

A few people have asked me why there hasn’t been an article in The Citizen about the 17-year-old Fayetteville resident and “American Idol” contestant Paris Bennett.

Yet, another queen has sprung up to reign in my family.

My mama has ascended to the royal throne to preside as Green Bean Queen. Over the summer, she earned this title by paying prodigious attention to her little garden, which consisted solely of green beans, tomatoes and a few cucumbers that weren’t planted but popped up anyway. The poor tomatoes got little attention because the green beans got the royal share of love and nurturing.

Easter is a celebration. But more than that, it is an inauguration of new life and a new lifestyle. The one and only reason we celebrate Easter is that the dead and buried Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the tomb.

Today I want to answer the question asked by Adam when he realized he was naked and alone. It is the same question asked by Napoleon on his first attempt to mount his steed. In fact, I think it is the same question posed by Congresswoman McKinney last week when she was stopped at the Capitol with her new “Kramer” hairdo. It is a question that has haunted all of us at one time or another, and that is “WHAT’S THE DEAL?”

On Tuesday April 22, of this past week, I went to our monthly meeting of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) in Fayetteville. This is a wonderful organization of men who have traced their lineage back to those who were a part of America’s very birth as a nation. I am proud in the best sense to be a part of them.

It’s late Sunday evening and I just received a phone call from my son James who is with his wife at Lovelace Women’s Health Center in Albuquerque.

Mom was used to the sight of blood, but this time it was different. There was more than usual.

The day started like most school days on Flamingo Street. Some kids caught the school bus; other kids rode their bikes; us Ryckeley boys, we just walked.

Queen ruled the night on the performance show of “American Idol.” The remaining eight contestants were put to the test with the challenge to perform the hits (as well as some of the more obscure songs) from this iconic rock and roll band.

Last week my oldest daughter Melanie turned 9 years old. Her little sister Kristen is still 4.

I’m 57, and if you said I’m too old for kids that age, you wouldn’t be the first. Both girls were born in China, both joined our family by adoption.

In the South, Easter is as big a holiday as Christmas. And, we all know that Southern women spend months getting ready for Christmas.

In the early 1950s, when I was barely in grammar school, my father got religion like a case of the flu. And not just any religion. He caught the Chattanooga-Tennessee-Born-Again-

Media types at this time of the year are always coming up with some sort of purported new slant on an old story. At this Easter season, they talk about Judas. From some questionable documents uncovered several years ago in Egypt and now just coming to public attention, Jesus directed Judas to do what he did: betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas was just carrying out orders previously given to him by Jesus. If that were the case, we would all start naming our boys Judas in addition to Peter, James, and John.

My wife has been married to a coach for 26 years. Patty Thorn has been married to a coach twice as long, 52 years. Amazing!

It’s late Tuesday night and I’m paying the price to go boating with Dave tomorrow. I had some “Fayette Woman” stories to finish, and I’m working late.

I love this time of year! Spring means warmer temperatures, baseball season, pretty flowers and the celebration of Easter. Easter is a big time for us pastors! I love to see a pew-packing Sunday.

It’s not often that we get to be in the presence of heroes, but that is just what I get to do today.

A few of definitions of “hero” are, “an illustrious warrior; a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one that shows great courage.”

To say that I was tired after finishing my 24-hour shift at the fire station last Friday would be an understatement.

First thing Thursday morning we attended a special class, took a test, then it was outside pulling hose and drafting water out of lakes. We trained for almost four hours.

Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg were among audience members at tonight’s live performance show of one of the nation’s biggest television phenomenons. It was country night on “American Idol” this evening, and the nine remaining Idols were guided by country music legend Kenny Rogers in their quest to make it one more week in the music competition.

You may have witnessed a two-year-old throwing a good old-fashioned tantrum at Braelinn Kroger a couple of weeks ago? The boy with spun-gold hair? Right in the check-out lane? Face red and tears soaking his shirt?

April is a great month. One could even argue that it is the greatest month of the year.

April gives us the end of the NCAA basketball tournaments, the beginning of the Major League Baseball season, the Masters, longer days, warmer weather, a free large iced tea with the purchase of chicken strips on the Chick-fil-A cow calendar – the list goes on and on.

“Bodacious! That’s what’ll it be!” proclaimed Rudy.

I smiled and nodded. Exactly what I had in mind. Bodacious. It’s such a delicious Southern word, one that only Southern women truly understand and use regularly. Bodacious means bold, showy and outstandingly Southern in the best, unique kind of way.

Avoid the ocean deep, where danger is abound

Even where there’s beauty, danger lurks

It was a sight to behold. It never had happened to me in all my ministerial days. Picture this: a beach wedding on the Gulf of Mexico. The bride was as lovely as any bride and the groom was in a striking tuxedo. There were bridesmaids as well as groom attendants. All the normal stuff of a wedding. And I was there in my ministerial best to officiate at the beautiful, beach ceremony.

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Those who say that democracy is dead need only to look to Coweta County, Ga., to see that active citizen participation and a responsive governing body can still work well together.

Our elementary school bus driver, Mr. Holcomb, sported a salt and pepper handle-bar mustache that curled so far up on the ends, it almost touched the top of his ears. His bushy, gray eyebrows stuck straight out like little fingers from his forehead and shot up whenever he got excited. Other than the end of school, March 31st was the day his eyebrows shot up the most. It was the start of spring break, and Mister Holcomb knew the perfect way to start the week-long vacation.

To all my fellow genealogy enthusiasts and readers: My deepest apologies for the recent temporary interruption in the columns. Believe me, it was totally out of my control.

I read a lot of newspapers, both in print and on-line. These are just some of the stories that found their way on to my radar and got me thinking.

War is such a dangerous business that the mistakes which come from kindness are the very worst.
— Carl von Clausewitz, “On War,” 1832

It is fair to say or so I believe that I am the only Dixie Diva who has ever gargled with moonshine.

This is probably one of the safest assumptions of my life. Especially knowing the propriety and ladylikeness of the others. Particularly in remembering that many of them are Baptists.