Lincoln County Board of Supervisors President and Brookhavenmayoral candidate the Rev. Jerry Wilson is disputing a DAILY LEADERstory Tuesday that claimed he refused to speak about the situationsurrounding the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries andParks until after the Brookhaven elections on June 2.

Wilson claimed his comment, which was made to a DAILY LEADERreporter after the board adjourned its Monday meeting, stated hisintention not to speak about the MDWF&P issue until the nextboard meeting on June 1. The board president was quoted in thestory as saying he would not comment on the situation until afterthe June 2 election.

However, Wilson said Wednesday the story misconstrued hiscomment.

“Y’all twist my words, so I’ll just be quiet,” Wilson said. “I’mgonna win the election, regardless.”

Wilson said the story was a “political stunt.” He said storieslike Tuesday’s are why his campaign advisers have told him to “keep(his) mouth shut.”

“I don’t know what ya’ll are up to,” he said to the newspaper.”If Les (Bumgarner, Wilson’s opponent in the mayor’s race) winsthis race, he’ll win it because of y’all.”

Wilson went on to say he considered the situation “ablessing.”

“It really tells me the hearts of the people, and what theyfeel,” he said. “People who know me know I’ll say what’s on mymind.

DAILY LEADER Managing Editor Matthew Coleman said the newspaperstood by the story.

“Rev. Wilson was asked for a comment and volunteered hisintentions while declining to speak on the matter,” Coleman said.”If there are any factual errors, we strive to quickly correct them- as we are doing with an issue regarding the number of signatureson the petitions to keep the wildlife office here.”

The story on the wildlife office incorrectly stated that thenumber of signatures gathered on a petition addressed to countysupervisors.

The story said petition author Dave Pace gathered 35 signatureswhen actually there were 35 separate petition pages with what heclaimed to have 450 signatures. Pace said he is continuing togather more signatures and is faxing updated petitions tosupervisors.

Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop said Wednesday he was counting theactual number of signatures on the various petitions. He said therewere now 46 petition pages – with the longest having 62 signatures- and there could be more than 400 signatures on themaltogether.