Hamilton County Commissioner Curtis Adams said he wants to know how much the county’s Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority is paying its attorney, but can’t get the information.
“When a county commissioner can’t get these records, there’s some problem,” he said.
Mr. Adams told other commissioners Wednesday that he’s seeking the information on behalf of an East Ridge citizens’ group. He said his inquiry is nothing personal against John Anderson, the authority’s attorney and the city attorney of East Ridge.
Mr. Adams said the group has been told Mr. Anderson has made more than previous East Ridge city attorneys.
Robin Derryberry of Derryberry Public Relations said the authority will provide Mr. Adams the information once authority Chairman Henry Hoss and Executive Director Cleveland Grimes return from a Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce trip to South Carolina.
Commissioner Fred Skillern said he has also asked the authority for information about the number of customers they have in Soddy-Daisy and Red Bank, but has not received that data.
fixing the fountain
The Hamilton County Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a $76,000 contract to restore the fountain honoring firefighters outside the county’s Courthouse.
“Anyone who’s looked out there at that fountain will understand we need to fix it,” Mr. Adams said. “Anybody here remember when that was put up?”
To laughter, commission Chairman Jim Coppinger said, “I wasn’t here, but it was in the late 1800s.”
The statue that stands atop the fountain is of a boy drinking from a fire hose.
nurses endorse berke
The Tennessee Nurses Association has endorsed state Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, for reelection, the association announced in a news release.
“We look forward to continuing to work with him on legislation impacting the nursing profession and health care in our state,” said Laura Beth Brown, the association’s president.
Sen. Berke is running against Republican Oscar Brown for the 10th District state Senate seat.
kefauver dinner monday
The Hamilton County Democratic Party will hold its annual Kefauver dinner Monday night, party officials have announced.
Scheduled speakers include U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.; Mr. Tuke; Sen. Berke; state Rep. Joanne Favors, D-Chattanooga; and county party Chairman John Bailes.
The dinner begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 266-4125.
The event is named for former U.S. Sen. Estes Kefauver, D-Tenn.
PIERCE HAPPY FOR POLICE PRESENCE
Councilman Leamon Pierce thanked the Chattanooga Police Department on Tuesday during the City Council for arresting several streetwalkers along Rossville Boulevard and 19th Street last weekend.
“I want to thank you all for coming and dealing with my prostitutes,” Mr. Pierce said.
The Chattanooga Police Department said 19 prostitutes were arrested over the weekend in the area. Mr. Pierce said he has went out on the street many times himself in the past and tried to deal with what he called “my prostitutes.”
DOWN AT THE CAR WASH
Paul Page, the city’s administrator of General Services, said Tuesday during the City Council meeting that a compromise had been made on washing city cars.
Anyone who drives their car home would be required to clean their own car, he said. The city will provide five to six vouchers per year for a full cleaning for any car that is borrowed, he said.
The city had rejected allowing cars to be cleaned the week before in an attempt to try and save money.
School district employees receive awards
Two Hamilton County Schools’ employees recently were recognized statewide for their work.
Gail Fernandez became the gifted teacher of the year at the Tennessee Association of the Gifted conference held here at the Read House last month. Ms. Fernandez teaches gifted services at Westview, Wallace A. Smith and Snow Hill elementary schools.
Dr. Brenda Benford, director of the school system’s pre-kindergarten program was awarded the 2008 Advocate of the Year award from the Southeast Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth.
Dr. Benford was responsible for writing the three-year $3.9 million Great Beginnings Early Literacy grant recently awarded from the U.S. Department of Education for prekindergarten programs.
Kelli Gauthier covers K-12 education in Hamilton County for the Times Free Press. She started at the paper as an intern in 2006, crisscrossing the region writing feature stories from Pikeville, Tenn., to Lafayette, Ga. She also covered crime and courts before taking over the education beat in 2007. A native of Frederick, Md., Kelli came south to attend Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism. Before newspapers, ...
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
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