This one’s sure to stir a few bees in a few bonnets, but that’s what happens when things come full circle.
Jerry Joe (JJ) McVaigh
When we learned of the death of a local cop—to whom I’m related, incidentally—back in November, we kept it off the online version, saving it for print because basically, the very existence of Jerry Joe McVaigh was one of the reasons why our paper came into being.
This month’s page 3 article in the print version explains exactly how that came about, so I’ll not give any of it away any further, but instead will direct you to our first Read the Lead for today, “Expensive cop dies during hunting season,” wherein you’ll come to understand EXACTLY why we call him “expensive”…and why we care not that coverage of his death, which, like it or not, is NEWS, might appear somewhat harsh to people who don’t understand that when our tax dollars fund a police officer, they should be funding someone above reproach and not prone to bend the law at every turn:
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EDWARDS/RICHLAND CO.—One of the area’s most reviled police officers died while out hunting during the third weekend in November in Richland County.
Jerry Joe (JJ) McVaigh, 57, of rural Richland County near the Wabash and Lawrence county lines (so mentioned here to illustrate exactly where the guy lived, which is key to the article), was out hunting on the morning of Friday, November 22, 2013, when he suffered a massive heart attack.
McVaigh graced the pages of every issue of Disclosure for years due to his position in West Salem as then-(2003) chief of police for the little burg.
While he held that position in 2001-02, Disclosure staff were working for the late Harry Bradham, publisher of the West Salem paper, and staff was treated to displays of some of the most corrupt behavior imaginable by a law enforcement officer—McVaigh—during that time.
McVaigh, along with his soon-to-be-replacement (although it wasn’t for lack of trying to keep him out of the position), Harv Fenton, would come to the newspaper office in West Salem, showing off the fruits of their labor at area meth busts.
Fenton was inexplicably involved in the busts as the village’s fire chief….although all of the busts occurred OUTSIDE city limits, thus were activities that shouldn’t have involved either McVaigh OR Fenton…and yet, they did, repeatedly.
Following the bust of Monty Turner in late 2001, McVaigh and Fenton trotted into the paper office bearing night vision goggles and power tools, in an effort to show off to Bradham what they’d been allowed to “pick through” when the bust at Turner’s rural home had occurred
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Read the rest of the story by clicking this link to get started with your online subscription, or pick up a print version at these vendors! You can get your print copy of Disclosure in Edwards County at Bruce Lee Garage in Albion and Liquor Barn in Grayville; in Lawrence County at Lou’s Restaurant in Bridgeport and Jim’s Guns outside of Lawrenceville; in Richland County at MotoMart in Olney, Marilyn’s Liquor Cabinet in Olney and Bottle Hut of Noble; and in Wabash County at CJ’s Fast Stop in Allendale, Mt. Carmel Package on 8th Street and Cork & Bottle on 9th!