Archie Who? Said The Cop With The Blue Lights And Ticket Book

By Editor | September 27, 2023 |

I have a new keepsake for my fun file on my computer and a story worthy of sharing. My fun file has interesting tidbits of unimportant history along with lots of good pictures – some fit for print and some not.

This latest addition dates back a little over a decade when football legend Archie Manning was cruising down the bypass on a Sunday morning in 2010. He was likely headed back home to New Orleans after the Rebels’ 43-21 homecoming win over Louisiana-Lafayette. His drive was interrupted by flashing blue lights as a Water Valley police officer pulled him over for driving 73 MPH in a 55 MPH zone.

Surely the officer let him off with a warning?

Not so, as the new keepsake is a copy of the citation written to Archie. So the lingering question, was the speeding ticket fixed for Archie?

Those who have lived in the Valley for a while would not be surprised with the answer. The police department has long had a policy of not fixing speeding tickets with no exceptions. This policy dates by to when Larry Hart served as aldermen and has held steadfast for a former governor’s wife as well as Archie.

But the fun twist is that Archie didn’t have to pay that ticket. Instead Hart, who was serving as mayor at that time, went over to city hall and wrote a check to the city for $169.50. Hart kept a copy of the ticket, canceled check and receipt. He told me Archie did not request special treatment, but he did call and thank the mayor for paying it.
I now have a copy of this keepsake for that fun file.

Hopefully your curiosity is bubbling over now about this fun file. There are some great pictures in it. Remember the time a few ne’er-do-wells went treasure hunting at Snooky’s house while he was at the Neshoba County Fair? Or the crudely drawn cartoon from back in the beef plant days when county officials spent a lot of time in executive session sorting out details?

I even have a few new additions, Shedlia Freeman’s “sporting” his Giants’ shirt and a coach taking a tumble during a recent football game.

But of all the pictures in my treasured file, there is one folder from a Chamber banquet in 2007 that has long been my favorite. Anyone remember that March night when the hypnotist came to town? That was my first and only experience with a hypnotist and thankfully I wasn’t on the stage. I was clicking away, some of the funniest pictures in my career. The only problem, my life has been threatened if they are ever published! (at least in print:)