When a “catfish pond” becomes a massive excavation operation, you know something fishy is going on.
In 2006, Roads Inc., Escambia County’s largest road contractor, applied for a stormwater permit to dig what they called a “catfish pond” on Hillock Drive in Cantonment. What followed was a two-year saga that exposed the ugly underbelly of local government corruption, cronyism, and the lengths some officials will go to protect their friends in high places.
We became involved with Jacqueline Rogers contacted us in 2007. I had helped Dave and Mary Hoxeng launch News Radio and had a one-hour show that ran from 1-2 p.m. on weekdays. The show, “IN Your Head Radio,” helped us build public support for Rogers and her neighborhood.
The Permit That Started It All
The original permit, issued on March 14, 2006, seemed innocent enough. Roads Inc. president Cody Rawson claimed he wanted to “dig a pit, use the material offsite and let the pit fill with water once excavation has ceased. Pit will become a pond to be stocked with fish.”
But here’s where it gets interesting: the permit application was later modified. “Catfish pond” was crossed out and replaced with “Single Family Residence.” “Dig a pit” became “construct a lake.” These weren’t minor clerical corrections—they were fundamental changes to what was supposedly being built.
What Was Really Happening
While Roads Inc. maintained they were building a recreational catfish fishing pond, everyone who visited the site knew better. County officials, reporters, citizens, and even Roads Inc.’s own truck drivers all agreed: this was a borrow pit operation, plain and simple…