Starkville Ward 7 Alderman Henry N. Vaughn, 61, of 105 Henderson St., was charged with DUI first, no insurance and careless driving Thursday, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.
The sheriff’s office confirmed the arrest occurred about 1:56 a.m. near the intersection of Miss. Highway 182 and Reed Road. The Ward 7 alderman would go on to post a $1,640 bond and be released about 2:59 a.m., OCSD confirmed.
Deputies would not confirm any details stemming from the arrest, including if law enforcement agents performed a field sobriety test or if Vaughn tested positive for alcohol in the field.
The Dispatch was unable to view an arrest report Thursday, but OCSD confirmed details on background.
Vaughn was absent from Tuesday’s Starkville Board of Aldermen meeting due to a death in the family. Aldermen gave their condolences to the absent board member at the table before the meeting officially began.
City officials would not comment on Vaughn’s arrest or what it means to his service as an elected official.
Vaughn is at the center of one of two ethics complaints pending against Starkville after the alderman failed to recuse himself from a February school board appointment.
While two aldermen recused themselves from the vote because of family ties to SSD, Vaughn participated. He confirmed to The Dispatch that night that his daughter works for the school system. He voted, Vaughn said, because she does not live with him.
The Miss. Ethics Commission previously warned Vaughn and former Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas to withdraw from Starkville School District appointment proceedings to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
City officials have acknowledged the ethics complaint and another that focuses on Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn but have not commented on their current statuses.
In January, Vaughn took exception to months of public criticism directed at him and fellow aldermen by lashing out and describing such statements as a “disgrace in the sight of God.”
“You elected all seven of us to serve, but you’re so disgraceful and so unfaithful (to the city),” he said in January. “It’s always something bad that this board is doing. It’s a shame on you all. It’s a disgrace in the sight of God.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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