Only 6.9% of Walker County residents still qualify for unemployment benefits. Don’t be fooled by the way this is presented, and remember it’s the core of Bebe’s reelection strategy.

Heiskell doesn’t have a coherent plan for economic growth or attracting new businesses. Any new serious jobs in the county are likely in spite of her, not because of her – she could just as well take credit for the sun rising in the sky, or the price of gasoline. And many of the county’s new jobs pay much less than the ones we’ve lost. Is Walker County better off now than it was five years ago? Or ten? Maybe if you live in Chickamauga, but in LaFayette the answer is definitely “no.”

Meanwhile, Bebe’s supporters (and even her own secretary) can’t come up with reasons to vote for her beyond “because we told you to.”

James Benson was sentenced to life Thursday, after pleading guilty to January’s double murder at Hutcheson. He will be eligible for parole in 30 years, when he’s 89 years old.

From CatWalkChatt, 05/17/12:

“In court today, Benson explained how he shot the two women, which is required when a defendant pleads guilty. District attorney Herbert ‘Buzz’ Franklin said Benson offered no apology and showed no remorse during his explanation. At least eight family members were present at today’s proceedings, he said.

“Franklin said he is satisfied with the outcome of the case. ‘The families have been through a great deal of stress,’ Franklin said. ‘They have suffered through the loss of family members and experienced health-related problems as a result of this case.’”

“Memorial Day” music festival in downtown LaFayette this weekend. A week before Memorial Day weekend. Saturday the 19th, starting at 10 AM. Musical acts will include “Dave Gibson and Daisy Dern” and Little Texas along with local bands and vendors. 706 639 9250 for info.

Finally we get to see what the city’s new rail car looks like. It’s going to require a lot of TLC.

The LaFayette caboose everybody forgot about is in much better shape.

Watch out for bears? Ursine observations have been made in Summerville and Rome.

Chattanooga Times Free Press: Postal Service announces mass layoffs

People hate Walmart, but there have been non-local chain stores putting small businesses (and each other) out of business for a hundred years. Sears was to the 1930′s what Walmart was to the 1990′s.. Woolworths, Sears, K-Mart, Walmart, on and on. That said, try to spend some money at home in locally-owned stores and restaurants when you have a chance.

For today’s links and any breaking news, follow the Underground on Facebook or Twitter.
Daily Updates will resume on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend.

As the LU reported Tuesday night, LaFayette Public Safety Director Tommy Freeman was fired early Wednesday.

Freeman joined Public Safety (combined fire/police department) in 2007 after the death of long-term chief Dino Richardson. He was officially chosen by a committee, but in reality the decision was made by former City Manager Johnnie Arnold, who was himself fired last year. Freeman apparently never got the fire training he was required to have, turned a blind eye to an arson epidemic, intimidated, demoted, and attempted to fire several senior officers, and verbally abused many of his employees.

The abuse came to a head last month when Freeman terminated fireman Johnny Stephens, Jr. and attempted the same with patrol officer Denny Reyes. Their statements to the council brought new attention on the Director’s behavior, and apparently led to an investigation of the chief that culminated Monday during a closed-door “executive session” meeting of the city council.

According to several within the city, City Manager Frank Etheridge presented Freeman with two options early Wednesday morning: resign or be fired. it’s not clear which he chose, but by noon he was unemployed and assistant chief Bengie Clift was named interim director.

From CatWalkChatt.com, 05/16/12:

“‘Chief Freeman is no longer an employee of the city,’ said city manager Frank Etheridge. Etheridge hinted that the decision had been pending between himself and the city council for some time, and had been spurred in part thanks to the vocal public outcry against Freeman, which came to a head during the March 20 called meeting that upheld the termination of city firefighter Johnny Stephens.

“‘We had a difference of management styles and at this point we’re moving forward,’ said Etheridge. ‘We’re going to miss his skills, but we’re going to take a different path.’”

The ironic thing is he would probably still have his job if he hadn’t fired Stephens and Reyes. Their terminations led to a LOT of attention being put on him and his behavior, which is why he was fired. Let that be a lesson to you: sometimes bullying backfires.

..Although he still gets his retirement so he didn’t lose much.

Now the council has to decide who will replace him permanently. They will be having two planning meetings, on Friday and Saturday, and will probably be looking at options for how to choose a successor; it would be very surprising to see anyone named since (per our understanding) the job has to be posted publicly before it can be filled.

More on that topic later.

The Underground will step up and say “thank you” to the City Manager and council for making a right decision about this, and taking care of the problem finally. This sends a good message to the employees and citizens of LaFayette that things are different, and hopefully now they will be.

WQCH Radio, 05/16/12: “A WALKER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE GBI. SHERIFF STEVE WILSON CALLED-IN THE STATE AGENCY TO LOOK INTO ALLEGATIONS THAT ITEMS COLLECTED IN LOCAL CRIME INVESTIGATIONS WERE NOT DISPOSED-OF IN THE MANNER REQUIRED BY LAW. THE EMPLOYEE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED BUT SHERIFF WILSON SAID THE PERSON IS ON PAID LEAVE UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION IS CONCLUDED. IF EVIDENCE OF UNLAWFUL CONDUCT IS UNCOVERED BY THE GBI, THEY WILL TURN THE EVIDENCE OVER TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR POSSIBLE PROSECUTION.”

The only surprising thing about this? Sheriff Wilson decided to do something about it. He’s tolerated dead bodies in the woods, cops beating their wives, and deputies having sexual contact with underage girls – but he called in the GBI for somebody mishandling evidence. So the question has to be asked: what did this unnamed employee do to piss Steve Wilson off?

In other Sheriff’s Department news…

Chattanooga Times Free Press, 05/16/12: “The Walker County Sheriff’s Office has ruled the death of a man found with his feet bound and a pillow case over his head as a suicide.”

Steve Wilson says “it was unusual.”

..no comment.

Update on Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old West GA graduate who contracted a flesh eating virus earlier this month. She’s recovering but will definitely lose her fingers. She doesn’t know this, and may not realize they amputated her leg at the hip. The psychological trauma later on may be worse than what she’s going through physically.

During this year’s political campaigns, please remember that nonprofits, churches, and government agencies cannot legally advertise for, endorse, or otherwise contribute to any candidate. There’s been some activity that probably falls into a gray area legally, and it needs to stop. Most of it probably isn’t intentional, and this is just a reminder to think before you get yourself or your church or whatever into legal trouble.

You can support specific ISSUES all you want, like TSPLOST or a ballot measure about something, but you cannot support a candidate if you’re tax-exempt. Examples include: political signs at churches, making calls to plan fundraiser parties while on the clock at a tax-exempt organization or agency, and packing campaign material into giveaway bags as part of a school club activity.

Some of this is, again, innocent. Some maybe less so. If you’re in charge of a tax-exempt group, think about these things. If you’re a candidate, try not to get your constituents in legal trouble by throwing up signs on their property or giving them piles of pens and fans and crap with your name on it to have students give out. If you’re running for office you ought to know election law well enough to realize this isn’t acceptable.

This isn’t referring to a specific candidate. It seems like there are examples of this in many directions, including some who oppose each other. Just use your brain, and take this as friendly advice.

Apparently Georgia’s new license plates are flat because they’re made of vinyl. What’s next, cardboard?

Look back at tags of the past here, here, and here.

Rossville continues its pro-business ways by banning semis from all roads except Highway 27.

Now how are semi trucks going to use Bebe’s proposed TSPLOST interstate to nowhere? After it ends at the TN line, trucks will have to use McFarland to get back to 27.

11Alive.com / WXIA TV, 05/15/12: “Last year Georgia handed out $50 million in cash to needy families. ..$148,948.36 was redeemed in liquor stores. $4531.19 at Tobacco Shops. $920 at out of state Casinos like Harrah’s in Cherokee, North Carolina and Bok Homa in Heidelberg, Mississippi. $5685.00 was even redeemed at Six Flags here in Georgia.”

Update: “state auditors are now going through their own data to identify problems. In the meantime, Gov. Deal said the state is working to implement a new federal law to restrict where those EBT cards can be used.”

For today’s links and any breaking news, follow the Underground on Facebook or Twitter.

For the latest on this, visit the LaFayette Underground Facebook…

Walker County Schools finally admits to laying off 49 teachers, as we told you a week ago.

Chattanooga Times Free Press, 05/15/12: “Through natural attrition and layoffs, the [Walker] school system will lose 49 teachers, including 21.5 special education teachers and 27.5 classroom teachers. Some schools will lose art or music teachers, though they may be replaced by computer instructors who can be paid with federal dollars. Employees also will see eight work-reduction days next year, similar to furloughs.”

Walker County Commissioner Candidate Dr. Paul Shaw on sole commissioner government:

“‘I’d like to be the last sole commissioner,’ Shaw said, saying the matter would be put to a public referendum after he is in office for two years. ‘We have 67,000 people, that’s a lot for one person to be responsible for. With a $21 million budget, that’s a lot for one person to be able to write checks without any checks and balances. I wouldn’t even trust myself with that much power.’”

Maybe a poor choice of words, he should be able to trust himself, but we understand what he means. With no accountability comes the likelihood of problems – the best way to avoid those problems, even with a trustworthy person in charge, is to bring in accountability. Accountability for Walker County government means a board, not a queen or king. Period.

Local high schools on the list of GA’s best: Dalton (16), Trion (25), Rome (31), and Calhoun (37). All these are city schools.

Chattanooga Times Free Press, 05/08/12: Walker County flood plan calls for taller road

The likelihood of this being needed is very small. And again it’s all about Chickamauga. Less than 5% of the county’s population gets 90% of its attention and investment.

Be careful, watch out for rabid animals and call for help if you see one that acts suspiciously. Lots of reported cases this year.

ajc.com, 05/10/12: “[The] mere perception of a conflict is doing great damage to the integrity of our legislative process. It is maddening to endure the denials of our state’s political leaders. This is why we must toughen lobbying and campaign finance laws. We should have every confidence that laws are considered based on our best interest.”

But at least one state legislator says “lobbyists are functional and necessary contributors to public policy discussions at all levels of government.”

As IF restricting gifts would cut out all lobbying. Right now it’s a big-dollar free for all. Lobbyists are fine, but adding teeth to state finance laws and limiting what and how much legislators can accept has GOT to happen.

If the laws had been in place since day one this would be no big deal.. Now they don’t want to pass the laws because they’re hooked on the goodies.

GBP says Georgia is ranked 6th nationally for “friendliness to small business.”

That might be a bit higher without Northwest Georgia.

What has the city’s economic development director been up to lately? Creating a brochure about the cemetery.

Our US Representative has been recognized for his taxpayer-friendly voting record, but still has trouble explaining his involvement with a collapsed bank in Calhoun that cost the government millions.

For today’s links and any breaking news, follow the Underground on Facebook or Twitter.

LaFayette City Council meeting tonight at 7:30. Here’s the agenda. Looks like nothing especially big, but you never know.. If we have someone there, we’ll try to deliver “play by play” coverage on Facebook and summarize it here tomorrow.

The SunRae Water saga continues..

Friday evening Channel 3 released a follow-up report on SunRae Water, directly mentioning the Underground and our “opposition” to the jobs the company will supposedly provide. That called for a blog post in response.

A more balanced report from the Times Free Press on Saturday featured yet another interview with Commissioner Bebe Heiskell, who still (despite continually inserting herself into this story) insists the deal isn’t political. Heiskell also said the company will get its water to bottle from “the nearby municipal water supply” instead of from the polluted Barwick plant property.

But yet another article from the Catoosa Walker County Messenger quoted SunRae COO Dr. Robert Beeman saying “the water used will come from a source close to the plant, but that the company has not yet decided on a precise location.” Seems like they should know by now where the water will come from, considering it’s supposed to begin operation in about five weeks.

They can waste all the money they want, we don’t care – but the commissioner tied this to her reelection campaign by making the announcement and essentially taking credit for bringing them here. If not for that and the potential (which they deny) for money, tax breaks, business, or other incentives from the county.. We’d totally leave it alone.

We just don’t want anybody to vote for Bebe because of this non-business coming in, when it’s probably not going to ever be anything and they won’t report its non-accomplishment as loudly as its coming here was reported last week. And we want residents of Kensington to be aware of the potential for this to be a garbage processor instead of a water bottler.

“Of Schieck’s six companies, only one — Sunrae Environmental — has an accessible website. But none of his companies actually produce any products or own any space, Schieck said. ‘They’re startups, and they haven’t started yet,’ he said.”

WRCB TV 3, 05/24/12: “Students in Georgia scored an average of 151 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam last year, meeting the national average for the first time. ..Still, the vast majority of students in Georgia aren’t considered proficient in science. Just 30% of Georgia students scored proficient or better on the test, up slightly from 28% two years earlier.”

Meeting the average means we were.. Average. Roughly half the 50 states did worse than us, and half did better. Or did they change the word “average” to mean something else?

Walker Schools never commented about the five-dozen teaching jobs cut, but they did send a memo to all staff Friday announcing 8 furlough days next year.

“Memo To: All Walker County School System Employees
With the exception of Bus Drivers and Bus Attendants
From: Ed Combs, Director of Personnel
Re: 2012-2013 Work Reduction Days
Date: 5/10/2012

“Because of declining student enrollments and declining revenues from both state and local sources and increased costs to employee benefits (health insurance etc.), it will be necessary to reduce the work schedule next year by the equivalent of 8 days for all employees with the exception of those listed above. Half-time employees would be reduced 8 half days. It is regrettable, but this must be done to maintain our fiscal integrity and preserve as many jobs as possible. Each work reduction day saves the equivalent of approximately 5 teaching positions.

“Over the last 10 years, the Walker County School System has endured austerity reductions (state funding cuts) in the amount of $34,547,338. Projected cuts next year for Walker County are $7,158,170 that brings the total cuts to education funding from the state legislature to $41,705,508 in austerity alone since 2003. In spite of these cuts in funding from the state, Walker County has been able to operate with only 2 work reduction days in 2009-10, no work reduction days 2010-11, and 7 work reduction days this year. Many systems have had 8-10 work reduction days for several years. What we are experiencing now is what other systems have been experiencing for several years.

“The 2012-2013 school calendar will remain as is for students with changes only to in-service days. You will be provided a revised employee calendar prior to leaving for summer break.”

MyFoxAtlanta.com: “Aimee Copeland severely cut her left leg while zip-lining in a friend’s backyard near Carrollton last week. She contracted a flesh-eating bacteria infection that forced doctors to amputate the leg.”

Later reports say she will lose her other leg, and probably her fingers too if not her hands.

Background info on Copeland.

The Summerville News reminds everyone: Stealing Political Signs is a Crime.

But it seems the illegal placement of unrequested signs and placement of signs at churches and on government property is a bigger deal and happening more here than sign theft. And it’s NOT theft to take down a sign someone places on your own property without permission. You nail it to my fence and it’s my sign to do whatever I want with.

WQCH Radio, 05/11/12:

“A MILLION DOLLAR SEIZURE OF PROPERTY IS REPORTED FROM A DRUG INVESTIGATION IN SOUTHERN WALKER COUNTY ACCORDING TO THE DRUG TASK FORCE. THEY SAY WARREN SMITH, BARBARA SMITH, SETH SMITH, RANDALL FERGUSON, RONALD HISE AND BARRY FRANKLIN WERE PART OF ONE THE LARGEST MARIJUANA OPERATIONS EVER DISCOVERED IN THE AREA. ALL WERE INDICTED BY THE WALKER COUNTY GRAND JURY ON “RICO” RACKETEERING CHARGES, THIS WEEK. SO FAR, 12 OF THE 21 PEOPLE BELIEVED ASSOCIATED WITH THE MARIJUANA RING HAVE BEEN ARRESTED.

“THE SMITH FAMILY MOVED TO THE MENLO AREA IN SOUTH WALKER COUNTY ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, ACCORDING TO TASK FORCE COMMANDER, PATRICK DOYLE. IN MARCH, INVESTIGATORS SEIZED MORE THAN 600-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PROPERTY, INCLUDING REAL ESTATE, CARS AND BOATS, ALLEGING IT WAS ALL PURCHASED WITH DRUG MONEY. WITH MORE PROPERTY SEIZURES PENDING IN GORDON COUNTY, THE TOTAL IS AROUND 1.1-MILLION DOLLARS IN VALUE, ACCORDING TO DISTRICT ATTORNEY, ‘BUZZ’ FRANKLIN. A DOZEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES… FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY AND LOCAL… ASSISTED IN THE INVESTIGATION.”

They were also charged with misuse of a communications facility.. This should be interesting when more details come out.

Local extras are STILL needed for the movie “42″ which starts shooting in a few weeks. Lets get some Walker County people in those seats.

Free breakfast, lunch, and snacks, you might win a prize, you’d be in the movie (albeit from a distance) and you might get to see Harrison Ford in person.

For today’s links and any breaking news, follow the Underground on Facebook or Twitter.

Channel 3 did contact us asking for a statement, but we didn’t get the e-mail in time for them to use the response. Here’s what we told them Friday evening:

“We were initially excited to hear the news about SunRae Water on Channel 3, but immediately some concerns came to mind. The company was incorporated only a few weeks ago, Mr. Schieck’s other businesses are all garbage processors, none of his other companies seem to have any real facilities, the building in Walker County he plans on using is considered polluted by the EPA, and last year he told media there were plans to build a $31 million garbage processor here. In light of Commissioner Heiskell’s past business deals that didn’t pan out (like the hotel on Lookout Mountain she announced in 2010), it’s not unreasonable to think this might be more about the upcoming election than about a new legitimate business coming to town. We’ve asked Mr. Schieck to answer some questions, but so far he has refused to comment other than saying ‘wait and see.’ The last thing this community needs is to ‘wait and see’ more county money wasted on a business that hasn’t proven itself to be legitimate. If it’s legitimate we welcome the jobs and economic activity, but he’s done nothing so far to show legitimacy.”

The Underground isn’t anti-jobs. We welcome jobs, if they actually come. But we have concerns about the legitimacy of “SunRae Water” and some questions about the company, but so far those questions and concerns have been met with attacks and derision. If they cannot, or will not, answer legitimate questions, the people of Walker County need to be very careful about lending support to the business or the persons responsible for bringing it in.

It isn’t wrong to question government or business leaders, especially when they present things that are hard to believe. Asking those kinds of questions is a foundation of this country. And considering Commissioner Heiskell’s history of questionable judgment and false promises, it’s not wrong at all to ask if this deal is all they make it out to be – especially in an election year. Her attacks against us reveal much about her own character.

Heiskell says the Underground made this political.. She made it political when she announced the deal. If she’s going to use this deal as a vehicle for reelection, then she needs to be prepared to have some questions asked. And with a legitimate deal, both the business involved and the politician taking credit for making the deal happen would be glad to answer those questions.

We have not had time to write a decent blog addressing all the concerns we have about SunRae Water / SunRae Environmental, but one will be coming soon. In the meanwhile read a few of these links concerning the business and the site being used.

• 2006 – Bebe Heiskell says site is extremely polluted brownfield
• Jun 2011 – SunRae to open garbage processor in “Georgia county”
• Nov 2011 – SunRae to build plastic & worm casings factory in Walker
  

We’d also encourage you to read over past blog posts here and familiarize yourself a bit with the Underground before you accept the claims that we’re against business or anything else except political shenanigans.

More soon…