The daily newspaper in Americus, GA is the Americus Times Recorder (TR). Our newspaper, the AmericUSumter Observer, has exposed their selective reporting numerous times when it comes to certain well connected individuals or entities. When our publisher sued Sumter Regional Hospital in 2001, the local TR newspaper refused to publish any positive news that was given to them about our publisher, Dr John Marshall. However, they jumped to report any news that supported the hospital positively. When the lawsuit against Dr Marshall was resolved, the TR did not report anything about it. Similarly, the recent news of a young man winning a judgment for $24 million because of malpractice at Sumter Regional Hospital (SRH) was never published in the Times Recorder. This is because the hospital's business relationship with the only daily newspaper in Americus, has given SRH protection from any negative news even if the negative news is the truth.

The young man who was awarded the $24 million judgment was hospitalized at Sumter Regional Hospital because of a fractured leg. According to his attorney, the hospital was negligent and caused the young athlete to have his leg amputated in 2005. The story was reported on W A L B TV in Albany, GA which reaches most of Southwest GA including Americus. Any responsible newspaper would have informed the citizens of Sumter County about the hospital's negligence. The lack of coverage of this big story by the TR clearly demonstrates just how far they will go to conceal the poor quality of care at Sumter Regional Hospital. The TR's selective reporting is so blatant and is regularly done without any shame as in the case of the firing of former hospital CEO Jerry Adams. Initially, the TR reported that Jerry Adams resigned as the hospital administrator but the dishonest reporting produced a public outcry so loud that they were forced to change their story and reported the truth in their next issue that Adams was removed by the hospital's management board.

When Mathis Wright ran for Sumter County Commission against former sheriff Randy Howard, the TR dug up some insignificant taxes owed by Wright but did not mention anything negative about Randy Howard. They could have mentioned that Howard was defeated by Bob Ingles in a shocking election upset. He and his sons have been linked to alleged corruption and abuse of power as sheriff. The TR gave valuable assistance to Howard in his victorious win for the Sumter County Commission seat against Wright. This is just another example of the Times Recorder selectively reporting news that will help those individuals who are in their clique.

The Sumter County attorney, Paul Farr, left his position under highly suspicious circumstances last year but the TR only reported that he is no longer the county attorney. There was no explanation as to why the attorney for Sumter County was fired. Our newspaper, the AmericUSumter Observer, reported that he was fired from his own law firm first, allegedly for mishandling the firm's and a client's money.

Subsequently, the county had to let him go as their attorney but the Sumter County Commissioners did not inform the citizens of the reasons why they had to fire him. We asked one commissioner why did they let Paul Farr go and he said it was because his firm fired him. That was not a satisfactory answer and the public deserves to know. The Times Recorder has been very duplicitous in their protection of certain public officials with SRH but also with the Sumter County Board of Commissioners.

Sumter Regional Hospital has been involved in numerous malpractice suits and the T R has not reported cases that would reveal the serious health care quality issues at SRH. Most notably is the butchering of several patients by Dr Glenn Summers, a general surgeon, who left Americus with one 28 year old patient in a vegetative state in Magnolia Manor Nursing Home. The patient is Milton Mills Jr., son of Peggy and Milton Mills, Sr. of Plains, GA. The TR is fully aware of this surgeon who, in another case, left a piece of appendix in the abdomen of Steven Jackson.

This young man suffered abdominal pain for over a year until he had to return to surgery to correct Dr Summer's botched surgery. David Seagraves, CEO of the hospital had the unmitigated gall to bill this victim for $20,000 in full. We noticed Sumter Regional Hospital never reported Dr Summer's malpractice problems to the Composite State Board of Medical Examiners [the licensing board]. And of course the Times Recorder did not inform the citizens of the poor quality of care by Dr Summers so that they could protect themselves from danger.

The TR did not hesitate to report a malpractice case against our publisher, Dr Marshall in the 90's even though he was released from the malpractice lawsuit because they found no wrongdoing on his part but SRH had to pay out money in that case. It was the Bobby Balkcom vs. Sumter Regional Hospital and Dr John Marshall which was filed by Bobby Balkcom following the death of her husband Walter Balkcom because of negligence by Sumter Regional Hospital.

There are many prominent citizens in our community who get a free pass at the T R which protects their reputations while ordinary citizens are eagerly exposed. Take for example, Sumter County school board member Donna Minich, whose son tried to burn down Sumter Middle School, he was caught with drugs, and his mother saw to it that he was placed in the Performance Learning Center instead of being appropriately placed in the alternative school.

There was no coverage of Donna Minich's preferential treatment of her extremely troubled son. But the T R did not hesitate to drag Principal Victoria Harris' name through the gutter about some misunderstanding about typing by a staff member. [Harris is Black and Minich is Caucasian.] A former TR reporter, Sissy Bowen, devoted over two full pages on a story denouncing Victoria Harris. While blasting away on Ms Harris, they used questionable reasons to connect and scandalize the first Black school superintendent, Dr Franklin Perry; but the Professional Standards Review Committee found no wrong doing by Dr Perry and gave minor action against Victoria Harris. In 2007, we reported an article in the Observer on a Pakistani store owner on Lee Street who beat a Black child to the extent that it required a visit to the emergency room. There was no coverage about the incident in the T R, unless it was buried in the "city beat" that reports criminal activities. On the other hand, they did a complete and extensive front page story with a picture of former NAACP vice president Craig Walker for spanking his niece in the presence of her mother who happens to be Walker's twin sister.

Walker's niece did not require any doctor or emergency room visit. We could go on and on for days reporting the selective and bias reporting of the Americus Times Recorder. How can the citizens of Sumter County trust what they read in that newspaper?

It is well documented in our newspaper that prominent Blacks are covered extensively if there is adverse or negative news about them, while prominent Caucasians are spared. A final example was the "Girls Gone Wild" news stories we reported where the adult children of prominent citizens, lawyers, mayor, etc were not covered in the Times Recorder.

If that was not enough, our Observer newspaper could not get a police report from the police department on these special citizens of well connected families. We have no problem obtaining police reports on ordinary citizens whether they are Black or Caucasian. The Times Recorder does a city beat every day which reports criminal charges involving ordinary citizens but don't look to find any reports on the elite untouchables.

The editor of the Americus Times Recorder, Beth Alston, has been in that position for almost 30 years. She has been the major protector of the elite Caucasian citizens and most notably Sumter Regional Hospital. She has never found the need to report the excessive salaries of hospital CEO David Seagraves who makes more than $325,000 a year with no experience and questionable credentials. The vice president of hospital operations, Steve Machen, is receiving over $250,000 in salary with limited credentials that he received on the internet. In spite of the exorbitant salaries, the TR is participating in the pleading for funds to build the new hospital while the taxpayers' monies that are abused by the leadership go unreported.

Our newspaper has been criticized by many of these individuals [well connected and elite Caucasians who are in their clique] who are benefiting from the protective cover that the TR gives but nonetheless our Observer has continued to shine a bright light on them. [Judges, lawyers, elected and appointed official, etc] Maybe one day the men and women of SumterCounty will finally say, 'enough is enough.' We are certain that truth crushed to earth by the TR will rise again through the truthful reporting of the Observer. We will continue to report fair and balanced news.As a monthly newspaper, we cover national, world, sports, education, health, religion, business, entertainment, and the local news that the daily TR selectively reports.