After uttering a comment that attacked the credibility of TheDAILY LEADER Monday during a public meeting of supervisors, BoardPresident the Rev. Jerry Wilson backed off the statement whenquestioned after the gathering.

Wilson appeared to shift blame to the newspaper in order to calmspeaker Jan Busby. To illustrate her point against supervisors’idea to create a new permit enforcement position within the LincolnCounty Sheriff’s Department, Busby read portions of the story,”Board eyes hauling permit law upgrade,” from The DAILY LEADER’sApril 8 edition.

“Sometimes the paper don’t always print the truth,” Wilson saidafter Busby read from the story.

Following the meeting, Wilson said he was actually referring toa Busby-authored letter to the editor – “Supervisors don’t need torun sheriff’s dept.” – in the newspaper’s April 15 edition. Theletter appeared on the newspaper’s Opinion Page.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Wilson said. “That’s what shewas saying – she put her own words to it. She said we were tryingto run the sheriff’s office, and (The DAILY LEADER) didn’t saythat.”

“While we are pleased that Rev. Wilson has retracted hiscomments against the newspaper, we are a bit puzzled by the wholeincident in the first place,” said DAILY LEADER Publisher BillJacobs. “In her letter to the editor, Ms. Busby expressed heropinion based on a factual story published by the newspaper.Obviously the board does not agree with her opinion, but they dohave to agree with her right to express it.”