During last week’s meeting, LaFayette Council voted to raise youth rec. softball and baseball fees during 2014 from $75 to $85 a child. The increase was proposed by Councilman Bradford and seconded by Councilwoman Meeks, it passed in a 5-0 vote.

Many parents (and a few non-parents) are concerned by this rate increase as it makes sports more difficult for the parents of poorer children or those who have many kids. However, the $85 range is still competitive with most other city recreation departments in the area.   

If you plan to habitually drive drunk, Walker County is a safe haven for keeping your license – thanks to Bill Rhyne, deputies working for Sheriff Wilson, and Judge Mullinax.

Per the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Walker County is “generous” with DUI charge reductions, giving nearly half the people charged during 2012 and 2013 with DUI a lesser charge. Reductions usually come about after inappropriate collaboration between arresting officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys for the accused, and the State Court Judge.

No word yet if this practice is linked to, or motivated by, illegal fees being charged in Walker County courtrooms.   

Walker County has received a federal grant to fund the salaries of nine fire fighters for two years.

This funding will replace THREE fire fighters and two other emergency workers who were cut last year due to the Commissioner’s backwards spending priorities; she cut fire personnel while hiring cooks, servers, and other staff for her restaurant at Mountain Cove Farms. Those people continue to be paid out of the county’s general fund while crucial fire fighters will now be paid through temporary grant money.   

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” -MLK

Walker County catch-all director Larry Brooks confirms LU report of a week ago about a manufacturer buying the old Sweetheart Cup / Imperial Bondware plant. He says, as LU did, an existing manufacturer is in talks to buy the facility with a deal expected by the end of the month.

Brooks credits the county’s “pro-business attitude” for the deal, which apparently has no government involvement. Because of the county’s attitude, or in spite of? Probably the latter.   

LaFayette Presbyterian Church asked the City Council last Monday if they could use Lowell Greene Rec center for a community health clinic twice a month. The council delayed deciding until February’s meeting, wanting more information about potential liabilities and insurance concerns.

Councilman Davis spoke up in support of this at the end of the meeting, so hopefully they’ll sign off on it next month. The city has far too many buildings nobody uses for anything, and it looks like this would be a benefit to residents (in the part of town where it’s most needed) with minimal costs.   

Public relations king Albert Waterhouse was arrested Thursday in Hamilton County for DUI. He was picked up for the same thing in 2012, 2004, and at least four previous times dating back into the late 1980’s. Thanks to his connections he’s never been given much of a punishment.

Waterhouse PR handles marketing for governments and politicians. In Walker County he advised Commissioner Heiskell’s 2012 reelection campaign, taking in $25,221.92 for services described as “Campaign Management.” Waterhouse PR also handles accounts for Chattanooga airport, downtown Chattanooga, Unum insurance, and a multitude of political campaigns like Scottie Mayfield’s failed run for congress in Tennessee a few years ago.

In 2004 Waterhouse, who lives on our side of Lookout Mountain, was stopped for DUI while driving up the TN side of Lookout. He DROVE AWAY from law enforcement, who still had his ID, and still was given a slap on the wrist sentence. The handling of that case led to a grand jury investigation.

Seems he’s a wealthy Lookout Mountain drunk who associates with the Davenports and never faces real punishment for his misdeeds.

In other words, he’s Bebe’s kind of guy.   

Before Monday’s LaFayette council meeting, Ben Bradford was sworn back in as a councilman by city attorney David Gottlieb. He joins new mayor Andy Arnold and new councilman Beacher Garmany, who were sworn in on January 2nd, along with the existing council – Wayne Swanson, Judy Meeks, and Chris Davis.

During the meeting, the council formally voted to create a singular “utilities department” directed by Jim Spier.

Wally Meeks, son of councilor Judy Meeks and brother of LPD detective Stacey will now be in charge of the water department since Spier is promoted to Utilities Director. (Ms. Meeks did not recuse herself from that vote, which is somewhat squishy.)

City leaders also voted to ask the state for an increase in the hotel/motel tax and changed the city charter so meetings scheduled on holidays can be moved to the following day.

Minutes from the meeting aren’t yet on the city Web site, but much detail has been shared through the city’s Facebook page. More from Monday’s session will be discussed on LU throughout the next week.     

Late Thursday night and into Friday morning, Floyd county authorities were searching for a missing Rome boy. Search helicopters flew as far north as Armuchee, close to the Walker/Floyd line.

Ashton Swearinger, age 10, disappeared after getting off his school bus Thursday afternoon. He was eventually found hiding behind a building shortly before 10 AM.   

23-year-old Will Sabec, accused of molesting an 11-year-old girl and exposing himself to a 10-year-old boy in LaFayette last summer, was finally arrested last week in Whitfield County. He currently resides in Walker County Jail.

(A photo of Sabec and an account of the accusations against him were shared on LU Facebook back in July. That post was the most viewed LU social media post of all time, shared nearly 600 times and seen by more than 24,000 people.)       

A look back at the life and accomplishments of Steve Hudson.

Hudson, who passed away in December, was a search and rescue pioneer, co-founder of Pigeon Mountain Industries, and a key figure in setting up Walker County’s 911 center and search/rescue caving team.   

Due to predictions of possible snowfall, schools are delayed today by two hours in Chattooga County. As this is being published around 4 AM, no delays or cancellations in Walker County or other districts have been announced. For the latest status check Walker County Schools’ Web site or LU Facebook.     

Monday Jeremy Bandy, 39 year old teacher at LHS, was arrested at the school by Walker County deputies for an outstanding warrant in Chattooga County, where he lives. He was taken to Chattooga County jail, booked, and apparently released.

Bandy was charged with 3rd degree cruelty to children and battery under the Family Violence Act. (3rd degree cruelty is defined as allowing children to witness violence against someone else. That violence would presumably be the battery charge.)

His teaching position at LHS is described as “academic support.” No word so far if he’s still employed by the school system or actively teaching in any form.   

Meanwhile, students at Chickamauga Elementary were briefly evacuated after two Gordon Lee students sprayed mace in a copier room. A letter sent home to parents the same day said everyone was fine and the students responsible had been identified and would be punished, but parents were left concerned about the lasting impact on younger kids and why the older students were there to begin with.

A follow-up report from Walker County Messenger filled in a few details: the two students were on the elementary side of Chickamauga Schools’ campus because they were in a teacher training class. They left the area after releasing the mace out of curiosity, then turned themselves in as the culprits later on.

The second article notes that discipline (if any) will be handled by the school, and no charges will be filed. Law enforcement and emergency responders were never notified of the incident and still have no information about what occurred.       

An existing local manufacturer is buying the closed Sweetheart Cup/Imperial Bondware plant North of LaFayette, for purposes of relocation and expansion. The building has sat empty for the better part a decade despite direct access to the railroad and Hwy. 27.

Even if this doesn’t add many jobs, it will be nice to have that eyesore at the main gateway to town cleaned up and occupied.

The 200,000 square foot facility and 7+ acres of land are currently listed for sale at $3.8 million. Company sources say this will be a purchase, not a lease agreement, but seems like that’s not 100% certain.

The same family has owned the property since at least 1983. It operated as Imperial Cup, Imperial Bondware, then Sweetheart Cup, and was finally shut down around 2000 after Sweetheart was bought out by Solo. Facility has mostly been empty since, although it was used for warehouse space by Walmart when the LaFayette store was being remodeled in 2008.   

Saturday a parked SUV rolled down a hill, crossed Patterson Road, knocked over a phone pole, and then crashed into an occupied building at LaFayette Garden Apartments.

Per eyewitnesses, there was a six or seven month old child inside the Honda. Neither the child or anyone inside the low-income apartment building was hurt.     

LaFayette City Council meeting for January will be tonight at 7. First meeting with new mayor Arnold and new councilman Garmany. Reorganization of utilities departments will be discussed, along with rec. department registration fees, the hotel tax increase, and other matters of business. Here’s the agenda.