FRIDAY 161st YEAR • NO. 169 NOVEMBER 13, 2015 CLEVELAND, TN 22 PAGES • 50¢ School board authorizes County is seeking action appeal of liquor tax ruling on BEP funding formula By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG He said Bryant took the question By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG funding recommendations from the Banner Staff Writer under advisement, and she has Banner Staff Writer previous year, potentially lowering agreed to look at this part of the puz- the amount of money school systems The Bradley County Board of zle again. Logan then inquired if the Displeased with a recent report could receive for personnel like Education has voted to continue to school board planned to continue to from the committee behind the counselors. fight for the thousands of dollars it appeal the July ruling. state’s funding formula for schools, “When I saw this, I was just really believes it is owed from previously The issue goes back to 2013, when the Bradley County Board of alarmed,” Calfee said. collected liquor-by-the-drink tax rev- discussions began about making sure Education has passed a resolution The issue has to do with the rec- enues. revenues from taxes on liquor sold by urging action from the state. ommendations the committee made Cleveland attorney James Logan the drink were being distributed to Board member Dianna Calfee pro- in its Nov. 1 report compared to last Jr. addressed the board Thursday local school systems as they should posed the resolution, citing changes year’s. night, explaining why it may want to be. the Basic Education Program Review The 2015 annual report omitted continue to appeal a recent decision Tennessee state law requires a 15 Committee of the Tennessee Board the following priorities which had made by Chancellor Jerri Bryant in percent tax be charged on liquor that of Education recently made to its been outlined in 2014: the case. is sold by the drink in places like funding recommendations. n Continue to implement the BEP “She only ruled partially,” Logan restaurants. It dictates 50 percent of The Basic Education Program is a 2.0 funding formula; said. the revenue should go to the state’s funding formula the state govern- n Decrease the funding ratio of In July, Bryant ruled Cleveland general fund for educational purpos- ment uses to help determine how psychologists to students from 1 per should keep the entire local portion of es, while 50 percent goes straight to much money each school system will 2,500 students to 1 per 500; the disputed tax revenues for its the local “political subdivision” to be Banner photo, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG get. The review committee is tasked n Decrease the funding ratio of school system. distributed the same way as county ATTORNEY James Logan Jr. speaks to the with making recommendations in an elementary counselors to students However, Logan questioned what property tax revenues. Bradley County Board of Education about recent annual report which may be used for from 1 per 500 students to 1 per should happen with revenues collect- Tennessee Code Annotated 57-4-306 happenings with a lawsuit over liquor-by-the-drink further decision-making by state 250; ed before the city passed a liquor-by- tax revenues. The board voted Thursday night to legislators. the-drink tax referendum in 2002. See APPEAL, Page 10 take further action on the matter. This year’s report omitted some See BEP, Page 10 Mentors’ McDonald breakfast shooting "#%%#&%%(!*+ leaves 2 "*#+,&++$,-')*(.#+ scheduled ,"(+#''#',"(&&-'#,1 /#," ((+,)%+ (*,""(%#1+ " -'/"#"#+ #+ at CSCC victims .(%-',*+-))(*, (*, (&(0+*0), Tennessee Promise Randolph couple ,(!#.'(-,,"#+1* (',#('+&1&#%,(#*+, event is Wednesday dies of wounds ''++'$(0 Special to the Banner %.%' (* By ALLEN MINCEY *())( ,#*+,''++ Cleveland State Community Banner Staff Writer '$, #,", College will host a Tennessee Promise Mentor Breakfast on Two people are dead following Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 a.m. what authorities are classifying in Room 113 of the George R. as a murder-suicide in the Johnson Cultural Heritage McDonald community Thursday Center. evening. “The purpose of the breakfast The Bradley County Sheriff’s is to thank mentors who have Office reported the bodies of a Banner photo, JOYANNA LOVE signed up, as well as try to man and woman were discovered CLEVELAND HIGH students Austin Moses and Daniel Ferenchuk stand with Gobble at a vacant home at 160 Clear recruit new mentors,” stated Dr. Automotive owner Tony Gobble while job shadowing at the shop. Michael Stokes, vice president of Lake Road. Though the home was student services. “We at the col- empty, the BCSO said the resi- lege, as well as the tnAchieves dence apparently is owned by a staff, invite people to come and family member of one of the vic- find out more information about Following job shadows tims. the program.” The victims were identified as Mike Ragsdale will be in atten- Ricky Randolph, 57, and Gloria dance at this year’s Mentor CHS, TCPS students get good Randolph, 56, and the apparent Barnett surging in Breakfast. The Cleveland native murder-suicide was reported to has been involved in the leader- be due to an impending divorce Vols’ second half ship of tnAchieves since its between the two, according to founding in Knoxville over eight look at the real world of work Bradley County Sheriff Eric Tennessee defensive end years ago. Currently, he is the Watson. He said the BCSO was Derrick Barnett is coming alive in By JOYANNA LOVE called to the home at approxi- president of Tennessee Banner Senior Staff Writer the second half of the Volunteers’ Strategies. He is a former Knox mately 7:30 p.m. Thursday. season. Walker Valley’s Emilee County mayor. What do you want to be Autopsies are being conducted Spann, Cleveland’s Hunter Oliver Gov. Bill Haslam established when you grow up? on the two victims, but the sheriff and Bradley Central’s Tyler Tennessee Promise last year as Cleveland High School and did say that both bodies had gun- Carpenter have all signed scholar- both a scholarship and mentor- Tennessee Christian shot wounds. The autopsy will ships to play diamond sports in ing program focused on increas- Preparatory School juniors possibly reveal who was the initial college. The Titans know they ing the number of students that explored their answers to this victim and who was the suicide must stop Carolina’s Cam Newton attend college in our state. The age-old question this week victim, authorities said. in order to pull off a win Sunday. goal of the program is to provide through the Cleveland/Bradley The BCSO’s Criminal See Sports, Pages 13-15. high school graduates the oppor- Chamber of Commerce annual Investigation Division was con- tunity to attend a community or job shadow program. ducting an investigation into the Forecast technical college tuition free. Various businesses in town incident throughout the evening It provides students a last-dol- participated. Thursday and early morning Sunny skies should last through lar scholarship, meaning the “We want to be involved in today, while deputies from the the day, along with a high near 60. scholarship will cover tuition and the school and with these Sheriff’s Office maintained secu- fees not covered by the Pell grant, kids. The industry is a wide rity at the crime scene. Winds of 5 to 10 mph could gust as Clear Lake Road is located off high as 20 mph. Tonight should be the HOPE scholarship, or state open field,” said Gobble Banner photo, JOYANNA LOVE student assistance funds. Automotive owner Tony McDonald School Road in south- clear, with a low around 33. CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL juniors Shamaizaret Garcia ern Bradley County. Saturday should be sunny, with a Approximately 60,000 high Gobble. and Adam Foster play with a cat that needs a new home at the He said he enjoyed giving high near 56. Saturday night should school seniors statewide have Animal Medical Center during the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of applied for Tennessee Promise for the students the opportunity Commerce job shadow day. be clear, with a low around 30. fall 2016. to see what they would do as MainStreet In order to ensure students’ an auto mechanic, and learning about the future of able to see new equipment Index success, they are provided with whether it is a field that the industry. He said the tech- “that he had never seen mentors. Their goal is to help appeals to them. nology in cars has increased before” while at Gobble. Church........................................6-7 students navigate the college “We’ve gone through some of so much, it’s important to “I want to be an automotive set for busy Classified................................20-22 admissions process, and ensure the procedures that they do have well-trained auto techni- technician,” Moses said. Comics.........................................17 they complete Tennessee Promise daily,” said CHS student cians. Ferenchuk expressed the Editorials......................................16 program requirements in order to Daniel Ferenchuk. Cleveland High School stu- Saturday See JOB, Page 10 Horoscope....................................17 Ferenchuk was interested in dent Austin Moses said he was By ALLEN MINCEY Movies..........................................18 See BREAKFAST, Page 10 Banner Staff Writer Obituaries.......................................2 Stocks............................................4 It will be a busy Saturday in downtown Cleveland as mer- Sports......................................13-15 chants will be open for special TV Schedule...........................18-19 City Council looking holiday events and the Weather........................................11 MainStreet Cleveland Cruise-In will hold its final car show. Around Town at building purchase The Cleveland Cruise-In had completed its schedule for 2015 Jessica Shermer missing her By JOYANNA LOVE a few weeks ago, but due to pals at her former job ... Mar- Banner Senior Staff Writer inclement weather on some of lishia Carter sitting on a purple The possibility of the city of Cleveland buying an old building the Saturdays this year, a final swing “just a swingin’” near her on Edwards Street to turn it into a parking lot met some opposi- show has been set.