Shortly before Midnight Thursday, eyewitnesses in the Naomi area reported what appeared to be some kind of law enforcement raid on Ken Visage Rd. or one of the nearby side roads. Multiple law enforcement, fire, and possibly Drug Task Force units were gathered in the parking lot at Skate n Play before heading out to do.. something. Updates as they’re available through the day today on LU Facebook.

There’s been a lot in the news this week about Ales Campbell’s tax records. Supporters of Commissioner Heiskell have been posting outdated files on Facebook and handing them out in parking lots, telling voters she’s a deadbeat and ineligible to run for Commissioner or serve once elected. They also used County Attorney Don Oliver to spread this to the media with a press conference on the county’s dime.

WQCH Radio, 10/10/12: “THE ATTORNEY FOR WALKER COUNTY GOVERNMENT, DON OLIVER, CALLED A PRESS CONFERENCE TUESDAY MORNING TO SAY HE IS RECUSING HIMSELF FROM FURTHER INVOLVEMENT IN A POLITICAL CONTROVERSY BREWING IN THE RACE FOR COMMISSIONER.

“OLIVER SAID THE COUNTY ELECTIONS SUPERINTENDENT, BARBARA BERRY, CONTACTED HIM – ASKING IF HE COULD VERIFY THAT WRITE-IN CANDIDATE ALES CAMPBELL HAD UNPAID TAXES. OLIVER SAID HIS ASSISTANT DID THE RESEARCH AND VERIFIED ‘DELINQUENT TAX EXECUTIONS WHICH MIGHT RELATE TO THE CANDIDATE’. IN A CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS ARTICLE TODAY, CAMPBELL ADMITTED OWING BACK TAXES, AND SAID THE DEBTS HAVE NOW BEEN PAID AND CLEARED.

“OLIVER SAID THE WALKER COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS WILL HOLD A REGULAR MEETING FRIDAY, AND ON THE AGENDA IS CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER THE CANDIDATE’S WRITE-IN STATUS CAN STAND, IN LIGHT OF THE ACCUSATION. IT IS POSSIBLE, OLIVER SAID, THAT MS. CAMPBELL COULD BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE TO RUN FOR THE OFFICE, BUT THAT THE TAX ISSUE COULD RENDER HER INELIGIBLE TO ACTUALLY HOLD THE OFFICE OF WALKER COUNTY COMMISSIONER. MS. BERRY SAID SHE INVITED THE WRITE-IN CANDIDATE TO ATTEND FRIDAY’S MEETING OF THE ELECTIONS BOARD.”

There are three sets of tax issues. One is a local inventory tax for her husband’s business that wasn’t paid. That one was less than $500 and taken care of within hours of the candidate being made aware of it. The other two are old issues with the IRS and a loan company which were paid years ago. Documents to verify one have been produced, and documents for the other are being mailed in from out of state.

Ms. Campbell will be at the Walker County Elections office Friday morning at 8:30 to address the Elections Board. She says she will verify owing no back taxes and confirm (again) her eligibility to run for and serve as county commissioner.

This is the first of three planned Candidate Q&A’s for the upcoming November election. Questions were e-mailed to both candidates for Walker County Commissioner, incumbent Bebe Heiskell and write-in challenger Ales Campbell. Ms. Heiskell declined, again, to answer these valid questions – most from her constituents.

LU: What is your full name, and what name do you generally go by?

HEISKELL: [no response]

CAMPBELL: Ales Green Campbell – I go by “Ales”

LU: What is your age?

HEISKELL: [no response]

CAMPBELL: 47

LU: What is your address? (We will only publish the street, not your house number.)

HEISKELL: [no response]

CAMPBELL: Shinbone Valley Road, LaFayette

LU: How can voters contact you or stay in touch with your campaign? (Please include info like e-mail, phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc. if applicable.)

HEISKELL: [no response]

CAMPBELL: alescampbell@writeinales.com
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/275459489178079/

Yesterday Walker County Attorney Don Oliver held a press conference announcing he’s uncovered documents showing Ales Campbell’s husband’s business owed back taxes on a fired employee years ago, all of which has been addressed, and then said he doesn’t know if it impacts the election or not, then recused himself because he’s the county attorney – which is why he shouldn’t have done any of this in the first place. What a joke.

The Times Free Press actually quoted Ms. Campbell instead of just running a press release from the Commissioner’s Office. Campbell verified three different tax issues – an IRS lien, a property lien from the state of Georgia, and an unpaid inventory tax bill. The first two, according to the candidate, had been taken care of some time ago (documents verify the IRS problem was resolved) and the local inventory tax problem was paid the day it came to her attention.

In later reports the county attorney said Walker County Elections Registrar Barbara Berry called him in to check out the tax issues, but it’s still not clear where the Campbell family’s tax documents came from in the first place since supporters of Commissioner Heiskell had them before the candidate did. For more breaking news and updates on this, check LU Facebook throughout the day.

A local amateur photographer has been offering people $20 “tattoos” like these while she “learns” how to do them. Several things to remember: Unlicensed tattooing is illegal in Georgia. You can get sick and die (or at least have scars) from poorly done tattoo work. These aren’t real tattoos; they’re scratches like you get in prison. After all that, the tats are ugly (no offense to whoever got this one). Buyer beware.

Discussion of these two images on Facebook Tuesday night became absolutely epic.

If you didn’t think the Campbell write-in campaign was serious…

This is a serious effort. Early voting begins next Monday, the deadline for voter registration is today.

New stop signs have been set up at the intersection of McCarter Rd. and Gordon Pond Rd. A lot of folks are blowing through the new stops because they’re located in a blind place and they’re used to speeding through. Pay attention and be careful.

The city verifies signs were erected by the county, but they’re apparently within city limits? It’s not fully clear if patrolling the intersection is a responsibility of LPD or the Sheriff’s Office or if it’s even legal for the county to erect signs inside city limits.

Commissioner Heiskell takes home a $105,000 annual salary, and spends tens of thousands a year on projects like Mountain Cove Farms. She pays NWGAJDA $90,000 of our tax dollars to keep Jeff Mullis from having to work a real job. But the Rossville Library will probably close next year because of a $12,000 budget shortfall. Heiskell says she can’t give them anything until she hears from the people, so here’s your chance to let her know how you feel – sign this petition demanding that Bebe give the library system the funds it needs to keep all three branches in Walker County open.

As noted earlier in the week, the library board had to decide if they would close Rossville, cut back hours, or run it as-is until funds expire. They expect the money to be totally gone for that branch in the spring, and the LaFayette or Chickamauga branches could also close for the same reason. Tell Bebe to stop wasting our money on her pet projects and fund things that benefit a majority of county residents instead of just her friends and supporters.

After years of planning and a lot of money, the new Walker County Planetarium has finally hosted a group of students. The facility will be open to the public for free twice a month on the first Sunday at 2:30 and last Tuesday at 7:30. That means it’ll be open this weekend.