CLEVELAND, Tenn.
2 adults, juveniles charged in thefts
Two adults and two juveniles were arrested in connection with thefts from a Bradley County auto body shop, authorities say.
Malcolm Durand Shalchick, 20, and Thomas Allen Bottoms, 23, both of Southeast 14th Street in Cleveland, are charged with burglary, theft over $10,000 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, said Bob Gault, spokesman for the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.
Shalchick faces an additional charge of arson, Gault said.
The juveniles are being held at the Juvenile Detention Center, he said. It's unclear what charges have been filed against them.
The owner of an auto body shop on Dawn Drive reported the burglary and theft on June 23, Gault said. Two vehicles were at the garage for repairs, and Sheriff's investigators learned one of the cars, a Dodge Magnum, had been driven to Fort Hill Cemetery, where a cloth was placed in the fuel tank in an attempt to set it on fire, Gault said.
Bradley auction raises $100,000
Saturday's Bradley County Sheriff's Office auction netted more than $100,000 for almost 40 vehicles that crossed the block, officials said.
"It was an excellent turnout," sheriff's spokesman Bob Gault said. "When they first started the auction, it was really crowded."
Gault said one reason for the larger turnout is that newly elected Sheriff Jim Ruth discontinued the practice of putting smaller items up for bid on the Internet and mixed them into the local auction instead.
"I'm sure having other items than just the cars attracted a lot more people to the auction," he said.
A 2006 Infinity G-35 drew the highest bid at $15,500, with a 2003 BMW 745 LI ranking next at $12,500, he said.
Officials said about $83,000 of the proceeds went to the county's drug fund and $17,000 went to the general fund.
CHEROKEE, Ala.
Downpour floods new town hall
Torrential rainfall that struck Northwest Alabama flooded Cherokee's new town hall, a former senior center building that's being adapted for municipal services.
Councilman Mike Malone spent much of Tuesday removing standing water and even removing tile in part of the building.
Malone said a culvert wasn't big enough to divert water when the rain was falling so fast. He says about an inch of water backed up to the door and came in, going all the way to the front of the building.
Fire Marshal Art Walker said he told the council members before they moved into the building earlier this year that it's subject to flooding.
RHEA COUNTY, Tenn.
Sobriety checks set for Friday
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting sobriety checkpoints in Rhea County on Friday, according to a news release.
The scheduled checkpoints are contingent upon manpower and weather conditions.