Close to 200 concerned community members turned out for a town hall meeting tonight to discuss the future of Hutcheson Medical Center, the embattled Fort Oglethorpe community hospital.

The meeting started with Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell giving a brief recap of the foundation of Hutcheson, as well as its recent challenges.

Negotiations with Chattanooga's Erlanger hospital about a strategic partnership agreement with Hutcheson are going well, she said.

"It appears we're going to be able to seamlessly keep the hospital open and operational as we transition it from Hutcheson to a Hutcheson-Erlanger partnership," she said.

"We're here to save this hospital and keep it open," said Dade County Executive Ted Rumley, as the crowd broke into applause. "We're here to do what's right for our three counties and what's right for Hutcheson," he said.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.