FRIDAY 161st YEAR • NO. 288 APRIL 1, 2016 CLEVELAND, TN 22 PAGES • 50¢ 12 applicants so far for city schools director By LARRY C. BOWERS A number of additional issues are the subject at this time. Applicants have with anticipated additions. the city system, and Dr. Sharon Harper, Banner Staff Writer scheduled to be discussed in detail. two weeks, until April 15, to apply. One of three early applicants with ties executive director, Southeast CORE, for Board members will receive an update Interim Director of Schools Dr. Cathy to Cleveland and Bradley County has the Tennessee Department of With two weeks remaining in the on final construction at Cleveland High Goodman will provide the board an reportedly withdrawn her name, accord- Education. application process, 12 educators have School’s new Raider Arena and this update on the search process, and ing to TSBA officials. TSBA has con- Harper was director of research and thrown their hats into the ring as hope- month’s official opening, and Dr. Murl progress. firmed Zoe Renfro, adult education evaluation for Bradley County Schools, fuls for the director post of Cleveland Dirksen will have recommendations The school board is expected to supervisor for Bradley County Schools, a former principal at North Lee City Schools. from the Site Committee. address the job search at its Monday, withdrew her application this week. Elementary, and an assistant principal An update is expected to be provided Although a preliminary list of early May 2, board meeting. The other two names familiar to the at Ocoee Middle School. Monday, when the Cleveland Board of applicants for the vacant director of The TSBA Search Committee has community are former Cleveland Middle Other applicants, so far, are educa- Education meets in formal session in the schools position has circulated this released a list of 12 applicants to the School Principal Jeff Elliott, now super- central offices on Mouse Creek Road. week, the school board will not address media, which will be reviewed in May, visor of curriculum and instruction for See DIRECTOR, Page 6 Inside Today Sheriff suspends deputy for court incident TBI, DA now investigating By BRIAN GRAVES Banner Staff Writer A Bradley County sheriff’s deputy has been suspended fol- lowing an incident apparently involving excessive force against Vols reach midpoint an inmate that reportedly occurred in a Bradley County of spring camp Banner photo, HOWARD PIERCE General Sessions courtroom on WINNERS OF THE INAUGURAL Community First Awards, presented by Cleveland State Community College, were honored Thursday. The Tennessee Volunteers Thursday night. Front row, from left, are George Poe, winner for Public Service; Mickey Blevins, winner for Education; Brenda Hughes, The alleged incident took place reached the midway point of winner for Nonprofit Leadership and Community First Person of the Year; Mary Kennedy Hendershot, winner for Arts; and Wendy in the Bradley County Justice spring camp with their eighth Armenta, winner for Student Leadership. Back row from left are Donald Lorton, winner for Volunteer Service; J. Lee Stewart, winner for Center courtroom between 2:30 practice Thursday in Knoxville. Business; Nancy Casson, winner for Volunteer Service; Debbie Thompson representing Scott Bowman, winner for Healthcare; Bob p.m. and 3:30 p.m., according to Unsurprisingly, the Atlanta Braves Card, winner for Philanthropy; and Dr. Bill Seymour, president of Cleveland State. reports. Tenth Judicial District continue to struggle during spring Attorney General training. Three teams before Steve Crump has Syracuse have reached the confirmed with the NCAA Final Four as double-digit Cleveland Daily seeds. See Sports, Pages 13-15. CSCC names Brenda Hughes Banner that his office was contact- ed around 4 p.m. Primary process Family Cornerstones founder gets inaugural award The Bradley remains the same County Sheriff’s Office announced By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG Because of all the finger-pointing, through an initial Banner Staff Writer Crump backstabbing and name-calling that “Her unassuming, soft-spoken press release has defined the presidential prefer- Brenda Hughes, founder of the local demeanor belies a roaring lion Thursday that ence primaries, some have grown organization Family Cornerstones, has advocate for her community, Chief Deputy extremely critical of the process. been named Cleveland State Community and she has endeared herself to Brian Smith had Yet, one political pundit says not to College’s Community First Person of the generations.” begun an internal be overwhelmed by all the rhetoric, Year. — Dr. Bill Seymour investigation of She was honored along with nine oth- the incident, and because this is the typical primary ers during the college’s first Community that investigation process. See the guest “Viewpoint” First Awards gala Thursday night. honor those who do the same.” now includes the on Page 16 of today’s edition. This year, the college decided to honor He added that the five-year plan, the DA’s office and the 10 individuals for their efforts to con- “2020 Community First Plan,” had Tennessee Bureau tribute positive things to their commu- included the goal of promoting giving of Investigation. Smith Forecast nities. back to one’s community. Crump con- “This is something we envisioned last After accepting nominations from firmed this morning both his year after coming up with our strategic those in the Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Banner photo, HOWARD PIERCE office and the TBI are involved in plan,” Cleveland State President Dr. Bill Monroe and Polk counties, a committee BRENDA HUGHES is presented as the investigation. Seymour said. “We always try to put the Community First Person of the Year by Dr. Bill The DA released a four-para- community first, and we wanted to See HUGHES, Page 6 Seymour, president of CSCC. graph statement to news media outlets late this morning. “District Attorney General Today’s outlook is for mostly Stephen Crump has initiated an cloudy skies, with a high near 73. investigation of a courtroom inci- Commission seeks ‘real time’ financial info dent that occurred during yester- Tonight’s forecast calls for cloudy day’s (Thursday’s) docket of the skies and a 50 percent chance of By BRIAN GRAVES friendly for those who want information from the Bradley County General Sessions showers, with a low around 48. Banner Staff Writer various departments,” Blake said. “However, that Court,” the DA’s news release Saturday should start out cloudy, should not curtail us from getting the reports we reads. Bradley County commissioners are preparing to want.” then gradually become mostly ask to view “real-time” financial reports for county It adds, “Chief Deputy Brian sunny, with a high near 63. He suggested developing a system that would be Smith informed this office of an government. “view only” for commissioners to be able to see cur- Saturday night should be mostly The issue came up during Thursday’s meeting of incident involving a corrections rent reports. officer and an inmate late yester- clear, with a low around 39. the Commission’s IT committee. “We should have the ability to view the data and Commissioner Milan Blake spoke of his work day (Thursday) afternoon and run the reports as we need them — not just simply stated that Sheriff Eric Watson toward automating the budget process using the make a request we want them,” Blake said. “If we Index data from the county finance department. Church........................................8-9 Blake Davis “We were trying to make it easier and user- See COMMISSION, Page 3 See INCIDENT, Page 3 Classified................................20-21 Comics.........................................17 I-75 South Editorials......................................16 Horoscope....................................17 Scams, frauds Obituaries.......................................2 congested Stocks............................................4 Sports......................................13-15 get local focus TV Schedule...........................18-19 by accidents Weather........................................11 By ALLEN MINCEY in legal forum Banner Staff Writer Around Town By BRIAN GRAVES Up to 12 separate passenger Banner Staff Writer vehicles were reportedly involved Brooke Grissom admitting to in multiple traffic accidents in the nearly falling asleep in a midnight There are people who would like to take your same area of Interstate 75 movie ... Sendy Blessing stress- money and they are willing to do it by both high- Thursday afternoon, but officials ing over her 29th inventory in 29 tech means and good old-fashioned lying. said no serious injuries were years ... Greg Vital excited about To prevent area residents from suffering from reported in the mishaps. the birth of a buffalo at his farm those slings and arrows, the Community Legal According to Lt. John Harmon of ... Bob Lawson sharing a beauti- Forum held Thursday focused on just that sub- the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the ful poem written by his grand- ject. first incident happened at about daughter Haley. Sgt. Daniel Morton with the Tennessee 2:20 p.m. in the southbound lanes Highway Patrol’s Identity Crimes Unit told of the around mile marker 18. Harmon scheme involving “skimming.” said that in total the incident involved three commercial vehi- See FORUM, Page 6 Sgt. Daniel Morton Jack Tapper 6489076 75112 See I-75, Page 6 2—Cleveland Daily Banner—Friday, April 1, 2016 www.clevelandbanner.com OBITUARIES (USPS 117-700) Periodical Postage Paid at Cleveland, TN 37320-3600 Post Office POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to: Banner, P.O. Box 3600, Cleveland, TN 37320-3600 Published at 1505 25th Street, NW (P.O. Box 3600) Sheila Ann Braziel To submit an obituary, have the funeral home or cremation During this time, he met and in Cleveland, TN 37320-3600, daily except Saturday Sheila Ann Brumlow Braziel, society in charge of arrangements e-mail the information to obitu- married his sweetheart, Patricia and Christmas day by Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. 49, of Signal Mountain, died [email protected] and fax to 423-614-6529, attention Ann Harris of Etowah.