And in this corner...

You may have heard a rumor this week that there was a bit of a dust up between two city officials after the latest City Council meeting last Monday night. Well whatever you heard... you heard. I'm not here to say what DID or DIDN'T happen.

Dave Hawkins was nice enough to send me his article on what Don King might try to sell as 'The Brawl at City Hall'. Besides being a part of the best double play combination on the ball-field in Kingman, Mr. Hawkins also covers the news for radio and the weekly local newspaper The Standard. The article follows...

PHANTOM FIGHT FALSE---COUNCIL MEMBERS CLARIFY ARGUMENT
DAVE HAWKINS

They’ll probably never kiss, but they say they made up rather quickly. And Kingman City Council members Kerry Deering and Keith Walker indicate that they’re amused that a private argument between them is being portrayed through the local rumor mill as a fist fight.

"Typical Kingman," sighed Deering. "There’s just a bunch of crap going around."

"Everything has just totally been blown out of proportion," Walker concurred.

The elected officials agree that they engaged in a heated argument in the law library at City Hall, following the July 7 council meeting. But they also throw cold water on word around town that they became involved in a physical altercation.

"Keith and I were the only two in the room and we basically had a little conversation," Deering said. "We did raise our voices a little bit, but it was over. We shook hands. Things are good."

Deering’s version of events is corroborated by Walker.

"We’ve talked and everything’s fine. We left that night. We shook hands and walked away," Walker said. "This had nothing to do with city business. It had nothing to do with anything we voted on. It was just a personal issue. It got heated. We got into an argument where we raised our voices and that was about it."

Deering said he and Walker shared a few laughs that some have called Walker urging him to press charges so Deering would be expelled from office.

Sergeant Rusty Cooper said the police department is aware of the spat but is not involved in any investigation. He said, however, that the incident, because it occurred on city property and involved two city-paid individuals, is being treated as a personnel matter handled through the Mayor’s office.