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T U E S D A Y 162nd YEAR • No. 182 NOVEMBER 29, 2016 CLEVELAND, TN 16 PAGES • 50¢ Local firefighters dispatched to Sevier County Cleveland, Bradley crews CU crews restore fighting Gatlinburg blazes electricity to 1,944 By ALLEN MINCEY Banner Staff Writer By LARRY BOWERS Cleveland and Bradley County “We are in the process Banner Staff Writer today of sending a “We were able to firefighters are helping the Cleveland Utilities sent crews restore power very efforts to fight fires in the different engine that into the windstorms Monday quickly in each of the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge way, and we will have evening and early this morning, areas today, and will continue to two of the four up there disruptions.” with scattered damage and power — Jamie Creekmore do so as long as they are need- returning with it.” outages reported across the utili- ed. — Shawn Fairbanks ty’s service area. According to Chief Shawn Two waves of storms swept outages. Fairbanks of Bradley County through the Cleveland communi- “The total of customers out of Fire-Rescue, one engine and AP/Photo Courtesy of Brianna Paciorka/Knoxville News Sentinel “We are in the process today ty, one in the evening and anoth- power overnight was 1,944,” said four firefighters were sent to THICK SMOKE from area forest fires looms in Gatlinburg on er after midnight. Creekmore, adding that the max- that area around 8:30 p.m. of sending a different engine Monday. According to reports, as many as 30 structures there were that way, and we will have two Jamie Creekmore, CU imum number without power at Monday. He said the BCFR per- burning Monday night. They included private residences, businesses Customer Relations supervisor, any specific time was 1,248 sonnel were mostly fighting and hotels. Cleveland and Bradley County firefighters have been dis- said there were five two-man cabin fires in that area. See CREWS, Page 16 patched to the area to help fight the blazes. crews sent out to address the See ELECTRICITY, Page 5 Food for local Council families in need A goal to distribute 750 boxes of receives food staples and $24,000 in dona- CONCERNS AT BCHS tions has been set by the William Hall Rodgers tentative Christmas Basket Fund. Worsening wall cracks, sinking The food sta- downtown ples will be floors alarm education leaders given to fami- proposals lies in need in By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG the communi- Banner Staff Writer ty just before Christmas. The fund, “All of a sudden, it became a 16 action steps which is a 501(c)(3), is a volunteer- Members of the Bradley County major problem. Three weeks supported effort. Donations may be Commission’s Education Committee left ago, we had a little problem; mailed to First Tennessee Bank, for revitalization with a bit of a sinking feeling after see- now we have a big one. Now, P.O. Box 3566, Cleveland TN ing Bradley Central High School on there is a lot of movement.” By LARRY C. BOWERS 37320-3566 or dropped off at First Monday night. Banner Staff Writer Tennessee Bank at 3870 Keith St. Large cracks in classroom walls and — Dr. Linda Cash sinking floors were visible when county Center City Revitalization or Director of Schools Dr. Linda Cash and Downtown Redevelopment Inside Today BCHS administrators led them on a frames are pulling away from the walls,” Initiative: Whichever term you specially-called tour. Shoemaker said at one point. “This is use, it stacks up as a tremen- Cash explained school administrators causing a lot of issues.” dous opportu- have this semester been keeping tabs Outside the windows, he pointed out nity — and on some cracks which had become visi- there has also been “some movement” challenge— for ble in some of the classrooms. with the bricks on the school’s exterior. the city of “All of a sudden, it became a major On the director’s orders, BCHS teach- Cleveland. problem. ... Three weeks ago, we had a ers and students are no longer using C i t y little problem; now we have a big one,” rooms affected by the damage. Cash Manager Joe Cash said. “Now, there is a lot of move- said safety is “of the utmost impor- Fivas spent a ment.” tance.” majority of his The movement has resulted in large Students and teachers are currently time at the cracks in the walls in some classrooms, reworking their schedules to be able to Cleveland City the problem worsening the closer one share rooms. Still, with the problem Council meet- Fivas gets to the exterior walls. being so widespread, Cash said she ing Monday The floors also slope in these rooms, realizes it is “challenging” for them. afternoon, pro- going downward as one approaches the Commissioners were shown three viding council- exterior walls. Cracks have formed in classrooms in the “E Hall” at BCHS. men an update Falcons still flying, the floors as they have pulled away However, there are problems in multiple on tentative from the bases of the walls. buildings on campus. revitalization even with injuries Administrators noted the floors have “You’ve got pretty much the same proposals for thing happening in every building on the city. The The Atlanta Falcons are having sunken some three or four inches in spots. this side,” Cash said, gesturing to an Council, espe- to rely on backup players to protect exterior wall. cially David their lead in the NFC South. The BCHS Principal Todd Shoemaker and Assistant Principal Terry McElhaney The school consists of several “halls,” May Jr., Kentucky Wildcats are on top in or buildings, linked by courtyards and Banner photo, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG R i c h a r d the AP men’s basketball poll and pointed out various problems on the ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Terry McElhaney Banks tour, stressing the urgency of having walkways. Shoemaker noted the dam- Banks, and are still looking to be challenged on shows how the floor has sloped and cracks Bill Estes, the basketball court. The Bradley them fixed. “As you can see, even the window See CONCERNS, Page 16 have formed in the wall of a classroom at asked probing Central Bearettes are off to their Bradley Central High School. questions of first 5-0 start since the 2012 sea- Fivas through- son. See Sports, Pages 9-11. out his presen- tation. The city Forecast manager is proposing 16 Today’s forecast calls for cloudy action steps in skies and a 50 percent chance of the Downtown showers or thunderstorms, with a Revitalization Estes high near 70. Tonight calls for a 90 Action Plan. percent chance of rain, with a low One of those around 60. South winds of 15 to 20 steps would be mph could gust as high as 30. to have a cen- Wednesday calls for continued rain, tral contact to with a high near 66. Wednesday s t r e a m l i n e night calls for partly cloudy skies d o w n t o w n c o m m u n i c a - and a 30 percent chance of rain, tions, and with a low around 37. redevelopment activities. He is planning to May Index Banner photo, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG appoint Senior WOODEN SUPPORTS have been added to a wall inside Banner photo, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG Planner Corey Divel as the Classified................................14-15 Bradley Central High School which has sustained cracks. Bradley A LARGE CRACK is visible in a wall in a classroom at Bradley Comics...........................................6 Downtown Redevelopment County Director of Schools Dr. Linda Cash said the work was sug- Central High School. Teachers and students are no longer using this Coordinator. Editorials......................................12 gested by a structural engineer. and other classrooms being investigated for structural problems. Fivas said this is not a promo- Horoscope......................................6 tion, or a title change. Divel will Obituaries.......................................2 continued to be responsible as Sports........................................9-11 the city’s senior planner. In Stocks............................................4 Fivas’ plan, MPO Coordinator TV Schedule..................................7 County work sessions set for guest speakers Greg Thomas will have the same Weather..........................................8 role for Southside By ALLEN MINCEY public entity, and what could be done to rather than a voting session, as no vote was Redevelopment activities. Banner Staff Writer improve it if a pollster had his or her wish. necessary. Another step was readily Ann Cherry, FOLA president, presented “That is what work sessions are for,” said embraced by a consensus of the Around Town The Bradley County Commission holds postcards that the public filled out during Commission Chairman Louie Alford. He two types of meetings — voting sessions and Council. Near the end of the month of October containing comments said to commissioners, “If you have a guest Monday’s meeting, Banks sug- Maria Silvenis doing a good work sessions — but many times, the lines from those who wished to make them. She you would like to bring before the deed for a stranger ... Tammy between the two cross over when unneces- gested the Council meet with the said that 250 library patrons filled out the Commission, please bring them to the work Cleveland Housing Authority to and Randy Taylor seeing all the sary. cards, and she wanted to bring them to the session.” family ... Lauren Witt being sur- Thus, the County Commission Monday determine if they are willing to Commission for their perusal. Commissioners said that one exception to join in the endeavor. prised with a birthday song. night agreed that whenever any guests ask County commissioners were also invited this plan might be if someone needed to to speak at a Commission meeting, they Strategic planning for the revi- to the History Branch’s open house set for speak before the Commission on a time- talization effort will include com- come to a work session.

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