Horn Lake gets apology from attorney

Made demeaning comments about town; mayor’s satisfied

An attorney’s comments before the Hernando Planning Commission last month got him in some hot water with another DeSoto County city, leading to a letter of apology to Horn Lake that was read aloud at Tuesday night’s Board of Aldermen meeting.

Attorney Hugh H. Armistead sent a letter, on his official letterhead, to former Mayor Nat Baker, new Mayor Allen Latimer and Horn Lake’s seven- member Board of Aldermen, asking their forgiveness for comments he was reported to have made at a June 11 meeting.

At that meeting, while discussing design changes to some homes under construction in a subdivision taken over by First Secu- rity Bank after foreclosure, Armistead was reported to have told planners that developers were not “trying to cheapen it down to make it look like a slum Horn Lake project.”

Armistead could not be reached Wednesday to verify his comments, reported by a local media outlet, but Latimer said Wednesday he had spoken with Armistead and that the attorney did not dispute the remarks.

“He said he got caught up in the emotion of the moment,” Latimer said. “He was very contrite and sincere. I’ve known him, and he is an honorable gentleman. This lays it rest as far as I’m concerned.”

In his letter to the city, Armistead said he did not intend to offend.

“Please accept this letter as my apology to you, your fine citizens and all members of the general public for any derogatory comments I made during a recent Planning Commis-

sion meeting at the city of Hernando,” the letter reads, adding that he “was wrong to reference Horn Lake or any other city for having a bad area.”

Latimer said he wasn’t sure i f Armistead had ever done business with Horn Lake but the new mayor, who was sworn in before presiding over his first meeting Tuesday, reiterated that he was satisfied with the apology and was ready to move forward.

And Armistead, in addition to offering the written apology to Horn Lake, said in his letter that he would repeat it to Hernando officials the next time he appears there.

“I will publicly restate this apology upon any further appearance at the city of Hernando,” Armistead wrote, “and will go forward hoping that you know I am truly sincere in conveying this apology.”