People who had a way with words in the news last week:
“The Walnut Street Bridge isn’t just a crucial gathering place and connection between downtown and the North Shore, it is a powerful symbol of Chattanooga and a source of civic pride. Frankly, this work is overdue. For too long, civic leaders have kicked the can down the road and let this shining jewel of our city fall into disrepair. It’s time to start the process of renovating the bridge so that it can enrich our city for the next 30 years the way that it has for the previous 30.”
— Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly on upcoming renovations to the Walnut Street Bridge
“You just robbed him of his young, beautiful life. You only care about the person in the mirror.”
— Kelly Derry, mother of murder victim Evan Derry, during a sentencing hearing for Terrence Lewis, who was convicted of killing Derry and Randy Williams.
“If somebody asked me if I wanted him to have a death sentence, I’d say no. I’d like him in a prison cell somewhere. He doesn’t deserve to be around other people.”
— Randy Williams Sr., father of Randy Williams, on Terrence Lewis. Lewis received consecutive life terms.
“Further, Erlanger knew that Dr. (redacted) had on at least two occasions refused to take bleeding patients back into surgery to stop their bleeding because to do so would mar his record, so he transfused those patients with so much blood over a period of hours that he severely depleted the blood supply in the entire Chattanooga area.”
— From a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed against Erlanger Health alleging the health system made illegal kickbacks to doctors.
“A complete picture of the facts will demonstrate that the allegations lack merit and tell a very different story than what these former employees now claim. Erlanger will vigorously defend this lawsuit.”
— Brian Roark, an attorney representing Erlanger in the whistleblower lawsuit.
“It was tough starting out and getting some of these contracts, but over time, we’ve gotten more business with EPB and many others, and we have proved what we can do,”
— Mike Jones with Special Touch Landscape & Tree Service in Chattanooga, which is among the minority-owned contractors that has been doing work for EPB for the past eight years.
“At the chagrin of many people that are warning me differently, I said that I will implement a new policy that a phone call, email, text, whatever message to my office, will receive a reply within 24 hours.”
— Angie Teems, who defeated incumbent Shannon Whitfield in the Republican primary for chair of the Walker County Board of Commissioners.
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