Retired LPD officer Rudelle Greene passed away in Mississippi last weekend. Greene, who served the city for decades, was 85. Services will be held in Leland, MS where he lived (near family) after retirement.

Per the 1940 census he grew up on Cove Rd. which is now Culberson Ave. Greene’s father Lowell donated land for the Lowell Greene Rec. Center back when the city didn’t allow non-whites to use the main recreation department. Rudelle was one of the city’s first black cops after desegregation.

Rudelle Greene spent roughly 40 years with LaFayette PD; the photo above shows him with other officers in 1975.   

Walker County Sheriff’s Office says whoever left oil and tacks in the road to disrupt Ironman bike competition Sunday will face criminal charges.

Finding them, however, will not be easy.   

Open up those wallets folks, we’ve got a fire fighter in need.

Carrie Carter, wife of Walker County volunteer fireman Tracey Carter, passed away Sunday. The family is in need of financial assistance both for Ms. Carter’s final arrangements and for a stack of medical bills left from her ten year battle with cancer. (She had no life insurance.)

Anyone interested in helping can give online via GoFundMe, or directly to the fire department, designated for the Carter family. WCES says donations will be accepted at the office (107 Alex Drive Chickamauga off Hwy. 136) or the Fairview station (207 Jenkins Road Rossville) where Tracey serves.

As of 4 PM Wednesday, $570 has been contributed online. The family owes $1,900 just for a downpayment on Carrie’s funeral services. (A report on this situation is scheduled to run on Channel 3 news today at 5 PM.)         

As LU predicted back in the winter, Hutcheson is getting BACK into the baby business it abandoned last December.

Last year hospital leaders claimed OBGYN/L&D services weren’t financially viable, but now a restructured labor and delivery area will be reopened before 2015.

Hutcheson’s CEO has said on several occasions the hospital would only get back to birthing babies if Governor Deal would change state Medicare laws, which he still hasn’t done and likely won’t do. False promises, some kind of threat, or an attempt to use the OBGYN service as political leverage?

Regardless, it’s good to have the Hutch back to doing something it’s actually competent at and known for.   

Owners of The Dinner Bell restaurant in Flintstone endorse LU’s Sole Commissioner Vote Petition. They agree, with hundreds of others, that the people should vote on Walker County’s form of governance.

They also have a copy of the paper petition on hand for people to sign. If you want to endorse the petition in person OR know someone who supports it but can’t sign online, head to 3270 Chattanooga Valley Rd. for a bite to eat and leave a signature on the letter. Let them know you appreciate their support. (The offline petition can also be signed at Catlett Grocery on Roundpond Rd.)

Offline petition has at least 200 signatures. The ONLINE petition, which started this whole thing, has received more than 1,600 signatures in only nineteen days. Eventually Jeff Mullis, Steve Tarvin, and John Deffenbaugh will have to pay attention to these constituents if they want to keep their jobs.

Even those who support sole commissioner government should support the petition because the people deserve a chance to say what we should have. This issue will be controversial and undecided forever until the people can actually vote on it.       

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum steam trips will be coming through town again starting this weekend.

Last week’s appearance by the 4501 was a trial run to make sure the restored engine and local tracks were up to par for passenger service.

(Johnny Cash approves.)   

Several weeks ago LU mentioned water rates in parts of the county going up, along with recent tax increases. Commissioner Heiskell has since denied involvement with the water authority, saying it operates independently and sets its own prices so we shouldn’t blame her for the rate change.

The Water & Sewer Authority DOES have its own board, but board members are appointed BY Heiskell, and she is the board’s chairman – so it’s HER board and she IS responsible for decisions made there.

Who all is on the board? Heiskell, John Culpepper, Lawrence Berry, William E. Kincer, and David Ashburn – Bebe, her supporters, and someone with engineering experience chosen to give the board credibility. (The county’s Rural Water Authority also has a board, which is elected by customers. The entities are not related.)

Why deny something so easily proven true? It’s almost like compulsive lying, from Walker County’s last sole commissioner. She would have been better off not saying anything at all.   

Bojangles is coming to Summerville. The restaurant will be located inside Summerville’s old Taco Bell, next to their NEW Taco Bell.

LaFayette isn’t getting a Bojangles (not yet anyway), but we DO have a nice bridge where Mr. Bojangles can sleep one off.   

Your arrows are backwards, boys.. backwards.

(Fresh painted repaved Walmart parking lot.)   

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