Chattanooga City Attorney Mike McMahan said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting the city would settle a case with 42 retired Chattanooga firefighters for around $110,000.
McMahan said the case involved discrepancies in the firefighters’ personal leave days, called Kelly days.
He said the city would be negotiating with all the firefighters individually, so the final figure may grow or shrink slightly depending on how much each person is paid.
The settlement is a separate issue from complaints by current firefighters over use of personal leave days.
Wrigley gets its sign
The City Council voted 8-0 Tuesday to allow the Wrigley Corp. to install a roof sign atop its building on Jersey Pike that will display the Life Savers logo.
The corporation asked the council three weeks ago for the variance to allow the oversized sign to be placed on the roof.
Council members asked Tuesday whether other Wrigley Corp. signs would conform with the sign ordinance. Zoning Inspector Richard Hutsell said they would.
flying reindeer OK in Georgia
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin granted a special 24-hour permit for nine flying reindeer to land in Georgia on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.
According to a statement from Irvin’s office, the special permit “waives routine veterinary requirements and inspections which protect the health of animals in the state and help prevent the introduction of exotic diseases.” The permit application was filed last week by a “North Pole toymaker,” according to Irvin.
The commissioner, who is retiring in January, said he was advised by state veterinarians that the reindeer should not “pose any threat to agriculture or violate any of our biosecurity measures.”
“As it was explained to me, these reindeer will be moving very quickly and will not intermingle with any livestock in our state,” said Irvin. “In fact, they will not even touch the ground, but will only prance and paw on rooftops.”
Alexander to Nixon: “Think black”
The Wall Street Journal Washington Wire blog pulled a memo from U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., out of the dustbin of history Friday.
Alexander, who the paper said was a junior White House aide in 1970, advised the administration of President Richard M. Nixon to “think black” to help improve relations with black Americans.
The Nixon Library released the memo on Friday, according to the Journal.
Alexander sent the memo to Nixon adviser Bryce Harlow, the paper reported.
The memo stated that White House staffers did not “think black” when it came to race relations. It recommended the Nixon White House include blacks at social events and presidential ceremonies and urged the Republican Party to cultivate black candidates for congressional seats, the paper reported.
Asked for comment, Alexander’s office sent a statement to the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Friday.
“Anyone who knows Sen. Alexander knows of his lifetime of effort to include African-Americans in the political process,” the statement reads.
“On the wall in his Senate office hangs his address as ‘Governor’ of Tennessee Boys State in 1957 — when it was all white — urging passage of civil rights laws.
“And in 2008, according to CNN, he received one out of four black votes statewide in his re-election to the Senate at the same time President Barack Obama headed the opposing ticket.”
Read the full item here: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/12/10/the-nixon-files-lamar-alexander-tells-nixon-white-house-to-think-black.
Ramsey submits resignation
Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey, his voice quivering with emotion, gave the Hamilton County Commission his letter of resignation on Thursday.
The move was necessary in order for the commission to begin searching for his replacement. Ramsey is leaving office after 16 years to become Gov.-Elect Bill Haslam’s deputy.
“I am thankful for the achievements that we have been able to bring to Hamilton County over the years as we worked together as a team; and am especially appreciative of the opportunities the citizens of Hamilton County have afforded me in allowing me to serve them for the past 16 years as county mayor, 14 years as county assessor, two years as County Commissioner and four years in the Tennessee General Assembly,” Ramsey said.
Commissioners and audience members gave Ramsey a lengthy standing ovation.
Fleischmann to Meet officials
Chuck Fleischmann, the newly elected 3rd Congressional District representative, plans to meet with local elected officials in 11 counties this week to discuss economic development.
The meeting with Hamilton County officials is scheduled for 9:30 a.m Monday at the county courthouse and is open to the public.
Fleischmann also plans to meet with other county mayors and executives, but Hamilton County is the only stop where he plans to meet with county commissioners and city mayors, according to his schedule.
“As we transition to many new leaders on the federal, state and local levels of government, I want to sit down with our current and incoming leaders to talk about how we can grow the economy all over the 3rd District, and discuss the challenges many of our counties and cities face,” Fleischmann said in a news release.
Compiled by staff writers Cliff Hightower and Dan Whisenhunt.
Contact Cliff Hightower at 757-6480 or chightower@timesfreepress.com
Contact Dan Whisenhunt at 757-6481 or dwhisenhunt@timesfreepress.com