Many involved in the inaugural Fire in the Valley barbecue competition the weekend of June 3-4 say they’re being raked over the coals.
Competitors, sponsors and performers are still waiting for compensation from the event held the beginning of June, and some say they’re starting to feel like the contest, intended to raise money to support schools in Red Bank, was a fraud.
“Basically I’ve been swindled,” said Mike Andrews, a local musician and member of The Power Players.
He said the band still hasn’t received the agreed-upon compensation for performing at the event, and he said every time he asks about it he gets excuses.
Callie LeCompte, the event’s organizer, was in a car accident the day of the competition and her husband, Ed LeCompte, said she sustained head injuries and was taken to the hospital. A crash report filed by the East Ridge Police Department states Callie LeCompte rear-ended another car on June 4, and the incident resulted in no injuries.