LU will be on “light duty” through the remainder of this week. Next Daily Update will be on July 7; check Facebook for the latest breaking news.

Walker County hasn’t reached a final management agreement for Mountain Cove Farms; per this report, the amount paid per month could end up being greater than the $3,000 reported a few days earlier.

Here the county also admits losing at least a quarter-million dollars on the Farm so far THIS year even though Commissioner Heiskell and Not-Commissioner Ashburn claimed it was profitable on UCTV last winter.

Based on the linked article, the county’s 2012 financial report, and some rough numbers from last year, MCF has cost Walker County taxpayers at least a million dollars so far just to run, beyond the millions spent to buy it in 2008.   

Last week during the same county business meeting, Commissioner Heiskell renewed a contract with the state to fund Walker Transit.

A year earlier she dismissed the contract, briefly defunding transit until public outcry (started by LU and county employees who spoke to the media) changed her feeble mind.

2013’s 100% rate increase, from $2 to $4 per trip for elderly and disabled residents, remains unchanged.   

Georgia’s new gun laws began yesterday. One aspect of the law lets school districts make a local decision about arming teachers or school employees.

So far no school system in the state has embraced the concept. Administrators in at least one district down state feel teachers wouldn’t have enough discretion to decide when, or who, to shoot during an incident.

Walker County has nineteen public K-12 schools, including Chickamauga. The combined campuses (Chickamauga’s three schools and Saddle Ridge’s two schools) leave sixteen individual campuses to protect.

We only have TWO SRO’s, based at the high schools, plus whatever Chickamauga does – and at least one of those SRO’s (Bruce Coker at Ridgeland) is almost never at the school. Seems like it would add to security, not harm it, if each of those schools or school campuses had one or two key employees like a principal or coach who had weapons training and access to a gun in case something happened.

Meanwhile in Missouri, a handful of school districts have paid $45,000 to send select teachers and school employees through weapons training classes. They’ve got a similar law and the districts there are taking advantage of it.   

Another new state law starting July 1 requires middle school students to be vaccinated for whooping cough and meningitis. Rule applies to all public AND private schools, excepting homeschool.

State has so far rejected CDC demands that students also be vaccinated against flu and the Human Papillomavirus STD.   

More stupid theft…

WQCH Radio, 07/01/14: “TWO LAFAYETTE MEN HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR STEALING BATTERIES FROM TRUCKS PARKED AT A SOUTH CHATTANOOGA STREET ADDRESS. FORMER POLICE OFFICER ARNOLD OWENS REPORTED THAT EXPENSIVE BATTERIES HAD BEEN STOLEN SUNDAY, FROM HIS COMMERCIAL PUMPER TRUCK AND A FORD PICKUP.

“POLICE FOUND THE BATTERIES HAD BEEN SOLD TO A LOCAL SCRAP DEALER. THEY HAD THE REQUIRED I.D. INFORMATION ON THE SELLERS, AND THAT LED TO THE ARREST.

“18 YEAR OLD JOSHUA BLAKE HUMPHREY AND 20 YEAR OLD WILLIAM MAURICE WOOTEN WERE EACH CHARGED WITH ENTERING AUTO AND THEFT BY TAKING. VALUE OF THE STOLEN ITEMS TOTALED $700.”

$700 of batteries scrapped for probably less than $20.   

Monday the library hosted a free petting zoo.   

Multiple reports of helicopter(s) circling around in West LaFayette monday evening after dark, shining lights on the ground. Activity was spotted as far south as Roper stretching north to Linwood.

Helicopters were apparently NOT involved in law enforcement activity, but what exactly they were doing still isn’t clear.   

Proponents of medical marijuana (and products derived thereof) claim it as a cure-all for everything from cataracts to cancer, but the limited availability of legal cannabis means there are few studies available that can prove weed does much of anything at all.   

Latest Walker County Jail booking report, June 23-29.   

Six years ago the status quo of LaFayette and Walker County was quietly challenged by a nameless new Web site, author unknown.

Started on a whim, out of frustration with politics and conditions in the city, the site went silent after a handful of posts – returning 15 months later with a name: The LaFayette Underground.

(Author[s] still unknown.)

“Christ didn’t go around intentionally picking fights with people, He didn’t cause controversy for controversy’s sake, but he also didn’t back down from a verbal battle or hold back His message to protect people’s feelings. And that, in essence, is what this is about. Saying what needs to be said, flipping over some rocks, in hopes of bringing a little light back into this community before it completely dies.”   

City has rescheduled free public showing of “Despicable Me 2” to July 12th at 9 PM. Movie was supposed to play last Saturday but was canceled due to weather.   

Superintendent of Chattooga County Schools wants to implement a new system to track students on busses and in school buildings, using GPS and RFID tags embedded in ID cards. System would be paid for through advertising sent to parents.

George Orwell would make some serious hay out of this.   

The only thing that ever changes at Georgia DFCS is the person in charge. The broken system stays broken, year after year.   

Last fall a Richmond County GA mom was banned from her child’s school after posting a photo of her concealed carry permit on Facebook.

Now the Richmond school system is paying the veteran a $1,000 settlement plus covering her legal fees.   

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