Alabama blogger ordered to pay $3.5 million in defamation lawsuit

By Lynn R. Mitchell

An Alabama blogger has been ordered to pay $3.5 million in settlement after he falsely accused a campaign manager of having an affair with an attorney general candidate that resulted in a son.

Described as one of the worst cases of cyber-bullying, the campaign manager, Jessica Medeiros Garrison who is a Birmingham lawyer, sued the blogger and won, noting, “The absolute and blatant disregard for the truth has to come with consequences” (continue reading here).

Grand Canyon of the East: Lookout Mountain's Little River Canyon in northeast Alabama

Located in northeastern Alabama and high atop the Lookout Mountain range, the Little River Canyon is the deepest, most rugged river canyon east of the Mississippi River. The Little River flows almost the entire length of Lookout Mountain with sheer sandstone cliffs that drop off to the river below.

A little self-indulgence ... you knew I had to include the Lynn Overlook sign.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
May 2013

Northeast Alabama: Little River Falls at Lookout Mountain

The formation of the Little River Canyon begins with this 45-foot Little River waterfall.

I talked with a park ranger about the danger signs and learned they have had a number of people ignore the signs and go over the falls. Once she personally warned two young boys that they were too close to the falls and told them they needed to head back toward their parents. A few minutes later they both went over the falls, injured but not killed.

Another time a mother holding a baby got too close and slipped, going over. A ranger threw off his gun belt and dived in, grabbed up the baby, and held the mother up and all safely made it back to shore.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
May 2013