By: Mark Wayne

Date: May 2022

In a recent re-election interview with Lawrence County Judge Executive, Bill Gardner, he stated the most pressing matter in the county is “that woman in charge of the library”. He was of course referring to, Mrs. Charley Belfrie, the current Librarian for the Lawrence County Public Library. The County Judge Executive went on to explain that it didn’t sit right with him that a woman could be in charge of a public institution, especially one that has access to taxpayer funds.

         “I’m just saying, overseeing finances isn’t a woman’s place. I understand someone taught that woman to read, which was admittedly a mistake. Just because she can read, doesn’t mean she should read. We need to do something to take away her power and her access to taxpayer money. Hell, she might bleed all over it.”

         The County Judge Executive then explained he has personally paid every “news” source in Lawrence County to attack Mrs. Belfrie, in an attempt to “bully her back into the kitchen, where women belong.”

The County Judge Executive and the Lawrence County Public Library have been in conflict recently over the passing of Senate Bill 167, a bill which would effectively give the County Judge Executive the power to strip the library of its non-partisan autonomy. It also gives the County Judge Executive a path to reroute taxpayer money allotted for the library to go to other institutions, as well as lease and construct new buildings on behalf of educational institutions with that money.

         “I get so excited when I think about SB167. You can’t imagine the kickbacks and money I’ve gotten for making promises to Addiction Recovery Care to have taxpayers fund facilities for their private Millard School via Senate Bill 167. They apparently found out about my Bambi themed birthday party and are looking at getting me a Bambi Special Edition 2022 Ford Explorer, complete with antler decorated mirrors and deer tail exhaust pipe.”

         We were going to reach out to Mrs. Belfrie for this story, but the County Judge Executive payed us not to. Therefore, Mrs. Belfrie did not return our calls for comment.

The County Judge Executive has also gone on record about stopping the Library’s Summer Feeding Program, which he views as a waste of taxpayer money. “We have to stop feeding these poor children. That’s a little too close to socialism, and that’s not what Jesus would want. These poor children need to learn to be hungry. It’s just like a weak woman to want to help feed the poor children. We need a male librarian that’s going to put a stop to that.”