During Monday night’s City Council meeting, Councilman Chris Davis made a motion to put liquor by the drink on a LaFayette ballot this fall. None of the other four councilors would second the plan, essentially a 1-4 vote against changing city pouring rules.

Councilman Bradford said the city needs more time after recent controversy regarding liquor at Chattanooga Street Tavern, and should wait on Walker County to solidify its own liquor rules. His thoughts were echoed by councilors Swanson and Garmany.

Also from the meeting: LaFayette has entered an agreement to rent a jet fuel truck for $8,000 a year, saying it will attract more aircraft to the city’s airport and make a small profit.

Seems like a fiscally sound idea. If it doesn’t make money they can end the lease after a year and the most we lose is $8k.

Not sure about THIS claim though: “At that time Barwick Industries was the world’s largest manufacturer of tufted carpet and the LaFayette airport was part of the company’s success. DC-3 cargo planes would land in LaFayette, be filled with rolls of carpet and then flown to Detroit for use by automobile manufacturers.”

(If that actually happened it’s no wonder Barwick eventually went bankrupt. Seems like an inefficient way to ship carpet.)

Meeting agenda [PDF] also had a scheduled appearance from someone representing Jefferson’s Restaurant, but per Councilman Davis they didn’t show up.         

Yesterday was the first day back in class for Walker County students, and the first day of use for this almost pointless school zone sign. This isn’t helping.

Beyond the usual complaints about unannounced changes to school bus routes, everything seems to have gone smoothly.

Rock Spring Elementary principal Kandy Gilstrap was present for the first day of class, but today faces surgery for the breast cancer she’s been battling since March. After surgery Gilstrap will require chemotherapy treatment until next May.       

Dustin Keith Williams of Summerfield Rd. Noble arrested last week for stealing mail from at least 100 local mailboxes. Williams’ wife lied about his whereabouts as he tried to escape through the attic; attempt was unsuccessful and he won a free trip to jail. (Wife also goes to jail for lying to police.)

Williams allegedly rifled through mail looking for credit cards or applications for credit, which he then used for shopping sprees in area stores. He’s also accused (at least by victims) of stealing Netflix discs.

LU has mentioned mail thefts several times this summer. Williams made a previous LU appearance in June after he was connected to credit cards stolen from vehicles in Rock Spring. Seems he really likes stolen cards.   

Notorious Walker County business owner Carey V. Brown now faces charges from New York State in connection with his Chattanooga-based payday lending businesses.

Brown (who started out with “Happy Motors” in Rossville) and several business associates face 38 counts of criminal usury and one count of conspiracy in New York State. Brown’s network of connected companies was investigated and mostly shut down in Tennessee over a year ago.

At one point Brown sat on several nonprofit boards and publicly promised to donate $1 billion to charity during his lifetime. His charitable money laundering giving has dried up since his legal troubles began.

“Former used car dealer Carey Vaughn Brown wanted to save souls, and money was the easiest way to reach the world’s downtrodden.”

Stating that as a fact seems awfully generous. Most of the churches and nonprofits in Walker County that had dealings with Mr. Brown wouldn’t say he was operating out of the goodness of his heart.. Many donations he made had a lot of strings attached, and almost all those strings were for his own benefit.

Years from now when the New York case(s) finish, the IRS will take Brown to the cleaners.     

New management contractor at Mountain Cove Farms seeks to hire a “General Manager” for the money-losing county property. The GM would be paid out of county funds, beyond the $3,000+ per month being handed over to this outside management company.

Even a good manager can’t make a dead horse run…   

Domestic violence goes with summer the way peanut butter goes with jelly..

WQCH Radio, 08/09/14: “LAFAYETTE POLICE USED A TASER TO STOP A FIGHT, FOLLOWING A DOMESTIC STALKING REPORT SATURDAY. 37 YEAR OLD MICHAEL ANDREW SULLIVAN OF ALPHARETTA ALLEGEDLY VIOLATED HIS EX-WIFE’S TEMPORARY PROTECTION ORDER AND TRIED TO BREAK IN TO HER LAFAYETTE HOUSING AUTHORITY APARTMENT ON READING CIRCLE.

“ACCORDING TO THE POLICE ACCOUNT, SULLIVAN KICKED AND DAMAGED THE APARTMENT’S BACK DOOR, IN AN ATTEMPT TO ENTER. WHEN HE COULDN’T GET INSIDE, HE WENT TO THE FRONT OF THE HOME AND CUT THE TIRES ON THE WOMAN’S VEHICLE.

“A MAN WHO WAS VISITING IN THE APARTMENT SPOTTED THE TIRE DAMAGE AND WENT OUT ON THE FRONT PORCH TO INFORM SULLIVAN THAT 9-1-1 HAD BEEN CALLED. SULLIVAN THEN CHARGED THE MAN, AND THE TWO WERE STILL FIGHTING WHEN POLICE ARRIVED.

“SULLIVAN WAS TASED AND TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. HE WAS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED STALKING, BURGLARY, CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND CRUELTY TO CHILDREN. THE CRUELTY CHARGE WAS FILED BECAUSE THE VICTIM’S CHILDREN WITNESSED THE VIOLENCE.”

Don’t get that wrong- LU isn’t trying to be dismissive of what was obviously a scary situation. Just seems like the weather heats up and so does everybody’s temper.   

This year’s political primary and primary run-off elections cost the state and counties millions, and got minimal attention from voters.

One of the better ideas for reforming elections would introduce a “jungle primary” where candidates from every party appear on the same ballot, and the two highest finishers go on to the November race.   

With a proposed 44% tax increase rejected, Dade County leaders have put together a smaller budget that lays off or furloughs dozens of employees. New plan, almost a million dollars less than the earlier budget, still requires a 25% tax hike.

Dade County is still paying the price for 2011 tornadoes and the collapse of a huge privately-funded land development deal last year.   

Happy 100th birthday to Grace Oliver.

Ms. Oliver will celebrate a century of life this Saturday at the Housing Authority meeting room on Oak St.   

July restaurant inspection scores.

Congrats to Bob’s Brick Oven on their 100. That’s almost impossible to get.   

Monday Hancock County’s historic 1883 courthouse burned to the ground. No answers yet how the blaze began; courthouse was still being used for county business and contained legal documents likely gone forever.

Walker County has lost a few courthouses to fire through the years but not in over a century.

Another good reason to digitize everything important.   

GA residents can win a lifetime hunting/fishing license sponsored by the Georgia Natural Resources Foundation. Register online by August 21 to qualify.   

Southwire Co in Carrollton has taken a hands-on approach to helping dropouts and struggling teens finish their educations. The company hires youth, pays them to work in the factory, and also sends them to job-relevant classes that count for school credit.

Would be spectacular to see this kind of thing spread.   

New tighter cooperation and coordinated computer systems between GA Department of Human Services and Department of Driver Services means thousand of state residents habitually behind on paying child support may soon lose their drivers’ licenses.

The new system will catch some who slipped between the cracks previously. Loss of license is meant for habitual deadbeat parents who have made no effort to find work, not the ones fighting to catch up on child support debt.   

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