All Neighbors in Springfield, IL
Top Neighbors: The magic behind the mirrors
You will never have to pay to be listed as a top neighbor. Period. That important detail clarified, let's discuss how we arrive at two "top neighbors" for a given region:
Localism is a bustling collection of hyper-local communities, and the top neighbors should reflect those members who are most active. When ranking users in a given region, several factors are considered. To get your foot in the proverbial door, you need to have posted at least one "Localism" article or photo for the region.
The very best way to quickly rise to #1 is to post high-quality local content. Keeping a steady strem of incoming posts and photos will massively tilt the scales in your favor.
What doesn't count toward the top neighbor ranking? ActiveRain points and community sponsorships. The top neighbor spots will always go to the most active members in a region. We want to create a level playing field that encourages the growth of communities — talent and dedication are required to win the day.
Raymond S. Bunn is a veteran of Iraq and a seven-year veteran of the Atlanta Police Department. In 2002, Officer Raymond Bunn and Officer Terry Mulkey were patrolling a parking lot when they suspected a car theft taking place. Jamal Smith jumped from a vacant vehicle to a Chevy Tahoe. The two officers identified themselves as police officers and ordered the driver to stop and exit he vehicle. The Chevy Tahoe accelerated at Officer Bunn and he fired two shots at the vehicle. Corey Ward, the driver, was hit once and died instantly. Three years after the incident occurred, Officer Bunn was indicted. Officer was simply defending himself and Officer Mulkey from these dangerous men. Officer Bunn has a wife and five children and cannot afford the legal and expert witness fees required to defend himself.
Guillermo "Gilmer" Hernandez is a popular deputy sheriff of Edwards County, Texas. One night in Rocksprings, which is a small Texan town right on the Mexican border known for smuggling illegal aliens and drugs, Hernandez pulled over a Chevy suburban that failed to stop at a stop sign. When the vehicle stopped he noticed that it was loaded with people lying on top of each other. As he approached the vehicle the driver put the vehicle into gear in an aggressive move to run over the officer. Hernandez leaped to the side and fired at the tires. The car crashed and nine illegal aliens jumped out leaving one behind whose head was wedged above the tire chamber. Hernandez was convicted on two counts of violating the civil rights of illegal aliens. Hernandez was acting in self-defense. LELDF is assisting Hernandez with a citizen's campaign to pardon him.
Richard Thompson was the Chief of Police of Crawford, Nebraska. Officer Thompson knew a man, Jesse Britton, was wanted in connection with a string of burglaries. He tracked Britton to the upstairs of an abandoned warehouse that was completely dark. In searching the warehouse, Officer Thompson located Britton hiding behind a desk I the middle of the warehouse. Officer Thompson yelled for the suspect to show him is hands; but instead Britton rose from behind the desk and pointed a stolen revolver at the Officer Thompson's head. Thompson fired two shots at Britton in self-defense. One hit him and he died instantly. Thompson is now charged with second-degree assault, and faces five years in prison. Officer Richard Thompson is a father, grandfather, and husband who needs to be home with his family instead of serving a sentence of five years in prison for a crime that he did not commit.
