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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 27, 2012 16:30:34 GMT -5
The State of Tennessee saw an increase in the number of hate crimes committed in the state and a decrease in the number of law enforcement officers killed or assaulted for the calendar year 2011, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's statistical analysis of Tennessee crime statistics and the compiling of two separate, annual reports. Friday, the TBI released both "Tennessee Hate Crime 2011" and "Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted (LEOKA) 2011" based on required monthly reporting of local law enforcement agencies crime statistics across the state. Bias motivated offenses were up nearly 51% to 261 offenses reported in 2011 compared with 173 in 2010. Prior to 2011, a three year analysis of hate bias offenses showed a decline every year between 2008 and 2010. There were 1,810 LEOKA incidents reported in 2011 compared with 1,854 in 2010, a 2.4% decrease. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17858182/tbi-reports-that-hate-crime-increased-statewide-in-2011
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 27, 2012 16:30:02 GMT -5
East Ridge Police have placed Officer Sean Merriman on paid administrative leave pending an internal affairs investigation. This comes after the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office responded to a motor vehicle crash in the 8300 block of Blue Spruce Dr. in Middle Valley involving Officer Merriman's personal vehicle. A hit & run traffic crash was reported at approximately 2:35 a.m. Friday morning. Deputies arrived on scene to find a parked Chevrolet S-10 Pickup truck had been struck. The suspect vehicle left the scene but officers were able to follow a fuel trail to an address in the 8100 block of Blue Spruce Road where they found a 2004 Jeep Cherokee parked with heavy damage. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17858218/east-ridge-police-officer-on-leave-after-car-crash
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 27, 2012 10:15:58 GMT -5
Managers have concluded that 11 dispatchers repeatedly misused the instant-message feature available to 911 operators at the Hamilton County Emergency Communications District. They also have confirmed that several been fired, or been suspended without pay. Managers have concluded that 11 dispatchers repeatedly misused the instant-message feature available to 911 operators at the Hamilton County Emergency Communications District. But Executive Director John Stuermer has declined to name names, or to discuss particulars of the violations until the employees' right-of-appeal process has been finalized. "My understanding is that they criticized people who worked there, or their superiors," says attorney Jerry Tidwell, who represents two of them women fired. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17797149/continuing-coverage-911-managers-confirm-firings-suspensions
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 27, 2012 10:15:12 GMT -5
Scottie Mayfield apologized to U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann "and to the voters" after his 33-year-old son confessed to slashing a Fleischmann staffer's tire at a Mayfield campaign event. "I am truly sorry and embarrassed," wrote Mayfield, who's challenging Fleischmann in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. "This kind of activity has no place in campaigns and we are regretful that it happened." The Mayfield campaign initially denied having anything to do with the incident, and the well-known dairy executive issued a public apology at the same time the Kingston Police Department on Thursday charged his son with a misdemeanor -- two facts Fleischmann campaign spokesman Jordan Powell cited in dismissing Scottie Mayfield's atonement as "politically motivated." "Is he apologizing because he's sorry or because his son got caught?" Powell said. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17840998/scottie-mayfield-apologizes-after-son-admits-slashing-tire
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 27, 2012 10:14:47 GMT -5
On Friday, May 4, in downtown Chattanooga, the Hamilton County and the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council (CAVC) will continue the long-standing tradition of honoring military personnel and mark their 63rd annual Armed Forces Day observance. The parade procession will begin at Market St. and MLK at 10:30 a.m. and will march north to Aquarium Way. That evening, the Air National Guard Band of the Smoky Mountains Rock Band will perform a live concert at 6:30 p.m. in the Tennessee Aquarium plaza. The concert will be open to the public. Each year, the parade honors a different branch of service, and a high-ranking member of that service is invited to serve as Grand Marshal. The Air Force is the honored branch of service this year, and Brig. Gen. Richard W. Scobee, deputy director of operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, will act as parade grand marshal and guest speaker at the luncheon following the parade. Air National Guard Band of the Smoky Mountains will lead the parade and its 50+ entries, which will include color guards, JROTC units and bands from area schools, units from military services, area veterans groups, patriotic organizations and local businesses. Honored guests will include government officials, Gold Star wives and mothers and representatives from all five military branches. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17841673/area-veterans-make-plans-for-63rd-annual-armed-forces-day-parade
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 27, 2012 10:14:12 GMT -5
The Chattanooga Football Club has officially unveiled their home jersey for the 2012 season. The jersey features vertical navy and white stripes and the Volkswagen badge in the center of the chest. The Chattanooga FC crest is embroidered on the left sleeve and the NPSL logo is on the right. The team will have an open scrimmage against the Nashville Metros on April 28th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Finley Stadium. Chattanooga FC will open their 2012 season 7:00 p.m. on May 5th at home against the Knoxville Force. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17842034/chattanooga-fc-unveils-new-jerseys
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 27, 2012 10:13:34 GMT -5
Work on the stalled replacement lock at the Chickamauga Dam in Chattanooga could be revived next year if Congress adopts a Senate plan to change the way the Army Corps of Engineers funds its inland waterway projects. But without earmarks to designate funding and without the change in a House-passed budget plan, it still will require congressional conferees and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to agree to reactivate the stalled lock project. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Thursday an alternative method of funding a major corps project on the Ohio River could free up money to revive work on a new and bigger Chickamauga lock. Under the new funding formula included in the energy and water funding bill for fiscal 2013, Alexander said the federal government would assume a bigger share of the ongoing work on the Olmsted Lock and Dam on the Ohio River. That project is absorbing virtually all of the money in the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, leaving projects like the lock replacements at the Chickamauga and Kentucky locks without any money to proceed. www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/27/alexander-plan-to-revive-work-on-chickamauga-lock/
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 23, 2012 7:34:43 GMT -5
Dave Crockett thinks he can shave at least $4,000 a year from the power bill for the City Council building. Council members are willing to let him try. On Tuesday, they voted 8-1 to hire Madison, Tenn.-based Two Rivers Roofing Inc. to construct a "green" roof on the building next to City Hall. "We want to prove it and let this be a laboratory for all buildings downtown," said Crockett, director of the Office of Sustainability. Deborah Scott was the only no vote. She said she couldn't justify paying $341,000 for a vegetation-covered roof when a standard roof would cost only about $80,000. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17652141/green-roof-coming-to-chattanoogas-city-council-building
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 23, 2012 7:33:54 GMT -5
Chattanooga business and home owners say graffiti is taking over and glorifying gangs throughout the city. Now city leaders have stepped in with a new program to paint over the graffiti for free. The Community Graffiti Initiative kicked off just a few days ago with volunteers and city workers taking on the taggers with a little elbow grease and a lot of paint. Now just three days later, the graffiti is already back. But, city leaders say that's ok and that it's all part of the plan. Charles Toney owns the barber shop Nappy Cuts in the Amnicola area. "This gang graffiti that's going up here in these neighborhoods just went up Thursday and last Sunday," Nappy Cuts owner Charles Toney said. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17653882/city-begins-free-service-to-paint-over-graffiti
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 23, 2012 7:33:26 GMT -5
From November until March, the Chattanooga Community Kitchen operated nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide shelter for more than 100 people who had no place else to go. Kitchen officials said they can't do that again this November, at least not in the same way. "It was incredibly taxing," Kitchen Assistant Director Jens Christensen said. "Having people together 24 hours a day. It was cabin fever. There was no time to maintain the facility." The hope is that an agency or some group of agencies will step up to provide a second permanent emergency shelter to help people get into permanent housing. So far, no organization or agency is filling that gap. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17656384/community-kitchen-pushes-for-homeless-shelter
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 23, 2012 7:32:31 GMT -5
Matthew Deniston, the only independent candidate in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District race, said he'll refuse the customary $174,000 congressional salary and work for free if he wins. "I don't need 175 grand," the McDonald, Tenn., resident said. "I sell solar panels, so hopefully I'll sell enough to support myself." Deniston also said that, if he reaches Capitol Hill, he's not sure he'll hire any help -- not a legislative director, not a press secretary, maybe not even an administrative assistant. "I can do everything myself," said Deniston, who co-owns an organic farm in Ooltewah. www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/23/candidate-says-would-not-take-congress-pay/
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 20, 2012 9:05:10 GMT -5
Tommy Jett, a popular radio personality in Chattanooga since 1961, was involved in a one-car accident in Rossville Wednesday afternoon. Friends say his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, but he was severely injured. Late Thursday afternoon, a team of surgeons at Erlanger was scheduled to pin two fractured bones in his neck and one fractured bone in his back. A laceration covered the total top of his head. Jett's pastor, Rev. Eugene Coleman of Carpenters Cowboy Church tells Eyewitness News, "Tommy is not expected to suffer any permanent injuries after the surgery, but he needs prayers." Jett's car reportedly hit a guard rail, went airborne and turned over five times before coming down near McFarland Avenue in the woods. It took rescuers more than two hours to extricate him. His wife Charlene has been at his side since he was admitted to the hospital. The family lives in nearby Flintstone, Georgia. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17588743/deejay-tommy-jett-injured-in-car-crash
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 20, 2012 9:04:43 GMT -5
The March unemployment rate in Tennessee has dropped 0.1% to 7.9%, the eighth straight month of decline. Karla Davis, commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development, said Thursday it's the lowest rate since November 2008. The national figure for March was 8.2%, down 0.1% from February. Davis said the state lost jobs in March, but the number of unemployed declined at a faster rate. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17587653/state-jobless-rate-declines-01
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 20, 2012 9:02:38 GMT -5
The cab driver found shot on Ocoee Street has died. The 32-year-old cabby was on duty, when he was shot and left for dead Wednesday afternoon in his taxi. Investigators say 18-year-old Christopher Padgett shot Nathan Deere in the head. Police arrested Padgett this morning, less than 24 hours after the shooting. "A Millennium cab had been parked in the street for some time," police spokesman Nathan Hartwig told Channel 3 on Wednesday. "We're not exactly sure how long it was parked there. The complainant was just concerned about why it had been parked there for so long." www.wrcbtv.com/story/17585949/teen-arrested-cab-driver-shooting
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 20, 2012 9:02:09 GMT -5
Deputies have arrested a man wanted for child rape. Marion County authorities have been looking for Joshua Luke Mitchell since Sunday. Authorities believed he had fled the state, but Sheriff Bo Burnett says Mitchell was spotted by State Troopers Thursday evening on Highway 41. Burnett says Mitchell was arrested shortly before 7:30 p.m. behind the Riverside Catfish House after a short foot chase. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17589954/wanted-sex-offender-arrested-in-marion-county
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 20, 2012 9:01:40 GMT -5
A controversial rezoning plan will move forward in Hamilton County to alleviate over crowding. Hamilton County School Board Chairman Mike Evatt tells Channel 3 members voted in favor of the plan to move several hundred students from East Hamilton Middle-High School to Hunter and Ooltewah middle schools, and Ooltewah High School. Nearly a dozen elementary schools will also be rezoned. Chairman Evatt says the board voted 5 to 3 in favor of the plan, with Chip Baker abstaining. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17590286/school-patrol-board-members-approve-e-hamilton-rezoning-plan
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 20, 2012 9:01:13 GMT -5
A video posted online Wednesday shows GOP candidate Scottie Mayfield saying he must get elected to Congress before he elaborates on what he wants to do there. "Until you get on a committee, it's really hard to get too focused," he told the College Republicans at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. "Quite honestly, I've got a file in my file cabinet that's 'When I Get There.' I haven't really focused on that because I've got to get there first." Mayfield was responding to a student's question about "two or three things" he'd like to accomplish in Washington. A McMinn County dairy executive, Mayfield is challenging U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17592415/gop-candidate-scottie-mayfield-focusing-on-win-first
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 20, 2012 9:00:36 GMT -5
Thursday evening, officers from the Chattanooga Police Department's Special Investigations Vice, Narcotics, and Crime Suppression Units worked in an undercover capacity to approach suspected prostitutes to see if a "date" could be made. Undercover officers targeted the East Lake, Rossville Blvd, and Highland Park areas, and ended up arresting eight women ranging in age from 33 to 58. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17595864/eight-arrested-in-undercover-prostitution-sting
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 19, 2012 9:59:42 GMT -5
The University of Tennessee has announced that Pat Summitt has stepped down as head coach. Summitt has been the head coach of the University of Tennessee women's basketball program for 38 years and has the most wins of any coach in NCAA history. Summitt will remain with the university in the position of Head Coach Emeritus. The University of Tennessee Athletics Department says assistant head coach Holly Warlick will assume the role of head coach. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17525780/reports-summitt-steps-down-at-ut
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 19, 2012 9:59:16 GMT -5
A proposal that would ban the teaching of any type of sexual activity in schools is headed for a House floor vote. The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim Gotto of Hermitage passed the House Education Committee on a voice vote Wednesday. The Senate approved the companion bill 29-1 earlier this month. Gotto said he proposed the legislation after complaints against some outside vendors that were teaching sexual education in schools. He said in some cases students were being told that any kind of sexual activity is permissible, as long as it's not sexual intercourse. Gotto said safe sex can be taught in schools' "family life education" curricula, but it must be abstinence-centered. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17578615/no-sex-bill-headed-for-house-floor-vote
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 19, 2012 9:58:49 GMT -5
Georgia's unemployment rate has dropped for eight straight months, and the state's labor commissioner says that's a sign more Georgians are getting back to work. The Georgia Department of Labor reports the state's unemployment rate for March was 9%, compared to 9.8% in March 2011. The figure is the lowest since February 2009, when unemployment in the state was 8.9%. Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says Georgia companies are feeling more optimistic about the future and more Georgians are looking for and finding employment. The state's long-term unemployed number also declined to 239,200 - the lowest since September 2010. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17578872/gas-unemployment-rate-down-8-straight-months
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 19, 2012 9:58:15 GMT -5
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released their annual "Crime in Tennessee 2011" report which shows a 1.7% decrease in overall crimes reported in Tennessee in 2011 compared with 2010. This is the third year in a row that reported offenses decreased when compared with the previous year. For the 2011 calendar year, 576,844 Group A offenses were reported compared with 586,714 in 2010. The largest majority of crimes reported were committed against property at more than 58%, which is a decrease of 2.5% from the previous year. Crimes against persons also decreased approximately 2%. However, crimes against society increased 3%. With an estimated population of more than 6.3 million people, Tennessee has seen crime drop a total of 4.6% since 2009. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17584465/tennessee-crime-rate-drops-for-third-straight-year
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 18, 2012 16:30:13 GMT -5
Dick Clark, the ever-youthful television host and tireless entrepreneur who helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream on "American Bandstand," and later produced and hosted a vast range of programming from game shows to the New Year's Eve countdown from Times Square, has died. He was 82. Spokesman Paul Shefrin said Clark had a heart attack Wednesday morning at Saint John's hospital in Santa Monica, where he had gone the day before for an outpatient procedure. Clark had continued performing even after he suffered a stroke in 2004 that affected his ability to speak and walk. Ryan Seacrest, who took over main hosting duties on the countdown show from Clark, said in a statement Wednesday that he was "deeply saddened." www.wrcbtv.com/story/17527018/american-bandstand-host-dick-clark-has-died
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 18, 2012 16:29:44 GMT -5
Dick Clark, the ever-youthful television host and tireless entrepreneur who helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream on "American Bandstand," and later produced and hosted a vast range of programming from game shows to the New Year's Eve countdown from Times Square, has died. He was 82. Spokesman Paul Shefrin said Clark had a heart attack Wednesday morning at Saint John's hospital in Santa Monica, where he had gone the day before for an outpatient procedure. Clark had continued performing even after he suffered a stroke in 2004 that affected his ability to speak and walk. Ryan Seacrest, who took over main hosting duties on the countdown show from Clark, said in a statement Wednesday that he was "deeply saddened." www.wrcbtv.com/story/17527018/american-bandstand-host-dick-clark-has-died
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 18, 2012 5:49:52 GMT -5
East Ridge Police say the suspect that shot at police, led them on a chase over the state line and rammed a deputies patrol car was just 14 years old. Tuesday, Channel 3 is learning more about what led up to it. It started in Tunnel Hill. The 14-year-old's family called Tunnel Hill Police, saying the boy took off from their South Carolina home in a family car, and called saying he had a gun and might rob a store. A Tunnel Hill police officer was at the Mapco Mart on Highway 201 when he noticed the car the runaway teen's family described, as a maroon Chevy HHR with South Carolina plates. "He backed off and called for backup to get another unit out there," Tunnel Hill Police Chief Roy Brunson says. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17517213/14-yr-old-shoots-at-police-leads-chase
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 18, 2012 5:49:16 GMT -5
Not everybody on Stringer's Ridge is thrilled with TDOT's $102.5 million widening of Highway 27 north of the Olgiati Bridge. "I don't think you can ever make everybody happy about a major highway project," Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield says. But broader dissension has prompted TDOT to take its $80 million companion project off-budget. That plan would widen the bridge itself, soften some of 27's sharp curves leading up to it, and re-work the interchange at ML King Boulevard. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17518290/tdot-reconsiders-funding-us-27s-re-working
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 18, 2012 5:48:44 GMT -5
Despite public outcry, a man says he's not backing down from his proposal to open a gun training center. The issue is its location, just hundreds of feet from a daycare. "I have been handling guns since I was seven," says Paul Chapman. Paul Chapman's gun hobby goes back to his childhood. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17519543/business-owner-defends-proposed-gun-range
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 18, 2012 5:47:46 GMT -5
Residents of The Meadows on Ooltewah-Ringgold Road could tell something was wrong when they spotted a man carrying two duffle bags out of a home. "He was just zigzagging back and forth," Anna-Catherine Colson told Channel 3, "you could tell something was wrong." "There was jewelry laid out all through that yard," Colson pointed across the street, "he had a bag full of stuff, guns, a bunch of ammo." Catoosa County Sheriff Phil Summers says the unidentified man ran from deputies into a wooded area. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17517655/robbery-suspect-shot-and-killed-by-authorities
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 17, 2012 8:09:11 GMT -5
A Hamilton County high school marching band has earned a trip to the Big Apple. Monday morning, members of the Ooltewah High marching band learned they've been selected to march in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It's the second time the school's marching band has been invited to play in the parade. Students say they're ready for the challenge. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17462939/ooltewah-band-selected-for-2013-macys-parade
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Post by CMF Newsman on Apr 17, 2012 8:08:40 GMT -5
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law on Monday legislation that requires drug testing for welfare benefits and cracks down on the spreading problem of metal theft. Enacting a law to safeguard the public purse, Deal signed legislation that requires applicants to pass a drug test in order to qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits. Florida passed similar legislation back in 2010 decreasing their welfare applicant pool by 48 percent and saving their state $1.8 million. "This program is intended as a safety net, and this requirement guarantees that the benefits are used for their intended purposes—to care for children and assist with job preparation," Deal said. HB 861 provides that each applicant failing the drug test will become ineligible to receive benefits for a certain time period, based on the number of previous test failures. Children of parents who fail a drug test can still receive benefits as long as the parent designates an appropriate payee to receive the benefits on the children's behalf. www.wrcbtv.com/story/17463853/georgia-welfare-metal-theft-bills-signed-into-law
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