Sheriff candidates Beck, Hammond disagree on county jail privatization

Republican Hamilton County sheriff candidate Jim Hammond said Tuesday he would consider letting a private company run the county jail.

“I don’t think there are any sacred cows,” he said.

But he added that he would not want to upset county employees.

Mr. Hammond has heaped praise on Corrections Corporation of America, which runs Silverdale Detention Center. He said the county jail could be run more cost-effectively under a private company.

Democrat Greg Beck, a county commissioner running for sheriff, said he believes the jail would already be under the supervision of a private company if it would bring down costs.

“I trust (Hamilton County Mayor) Claude Ramsey,” he said. “If there had been another way to (run the jail), I think he would have said it before now.”

Mr. Beck and Mr. Hammond are running against independent candidates Jim Winters and Tim Akins as well as write-in candidate Fred Fuson in the Aug. 7 sheriff election.

A COALITION FOR SCHOOL OFFICERS

Mr. Beck and Mr. Hammond suggested sitting down with a group of officials to discuss what’s to be done with the county’s school resource officer program.

SROs are “a prize given to communities based on politics,” Mr. Beck said.

He said a group of officials should meet with school administrators to determine which schools have a need for an SRO.

Mr. Hammond said SROs are “a hot button.”

“It’s a very expensive venture as we now see it,” he said, suggesting a coalition of school, law enforcement and government officials to look at the long-term path for the program.

Mr. Akins, Mr. Winters and Mr. Fuson have all expressed support for the SRO program.

THE VOLKSWAGEN SCHOOL?

On the day Hamilton County Schools announced Finley King as the new principal of Central High School, Volkswagen AG also declared Chattanooga as the home of its first North American assembly plant.

On Tuesday, the day of the announcements, Mr. King said he hopes Central would become “the Volkswagen school,” since its state Highway 58 location is near where the new plant is planned.

When he heard the news, he immediately changed his school’s marquee to say, “Welcome Volkswagen Motors!”

“We’re excited about having Volkswagen in our backyard,” he said. “We already teach German.”

DISC GOLF COURSE OPENS

Chattanooga area disc golfers have a new facility to use at the Carver Recreation Center in the Bushtown neighborhood.

A nine-hole junior disc golf course — at 600 N. Orchard Knob Ave. — now is open, according to a news release from the Chattanooga Flying Disc Club. The recreation center will have “loaner” discs on hand for those who want to play.

Meanwhile, the organization is working with the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation to establish an initiative to teach children how to play the sport, according to the release.

For more information, call the Carver Recreation Center at 697-1280 or Scott Homberg with the Disc Club at 505-5605.

HALL, STATON BACK PADGETT

The campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Padgett has announced two local supporters for his Aug. 7 primary run.

Annie Hall has been tapped as campaign coordinator for Hamilton County, while Dr. Brent Staton is county finance chairman, according to a news release from the campaign.

“Hamilton County is a vibrant part of Tennessee — an example of how a community can pull together its innovative thinkers and make lives better. I am delighted to draw on that energy in my campaign to bring hope to the working families of Tennessee,” Mr. Padgett said in the release. “With the help of people like Annie Hall and Dr. Brent Staton, we will take the message to Washington and deliver for Tennesseans.”

Mr. Padgett, former Knox County clerk, is attempting to win the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander. He is running against Bob Tuke, Gary Davis, Kenneth Eaton, Mark Clayton and Leonard Ladner on Aug. 7.