Rental home owned by Wilder mayor is condemned; tenants heartbroken

In January, a Newport city building inspector examined the property and required the Cook family's landlord to repair a wall, the frame of the home, windows and more. Two weeks ago, the inspector determined the landlord had done nothing to fix the house, so the city issued a condemnation order and required Cooks' family to move. "It makes me feel pretty much like less of a person, less of a man ... because I have to live in these conditions and I can't do better for my family right now," Cooks said. The condemnation order also states the owner didn't have a city license to rent the house. The owner and landlord is Stanley Turner, who also happens to be the mayor of nearby Wilder.