FRIDAY 161st YEAR • NO. 228 jANUARY 15, 2016 ClEvElAND, tN 20 PAGES • 50¢ County school board strengthens hazing policies By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG “In view of recent news, we thor- The juvenile perpetrators are cur- ing — a work session — and discussed mental or physical health or safety of Banner Staff Writer oughly went through to check our rently facing charges of aggravated its policies Thursday night. that student or (2) induces or coerces policies,” Cash said. “Our policy, if assault and aggravated rape. On The revisions Bradley County’s a student to endanger that student's The Bradley County Board of passed, does align directly with Thursday, the District Attorney’s board is considering making to Policy mental or physical health or safety,” Education has passed a first reading Tennessee Code. We wanted to make Office announced charges against the 6.304 include definitions about haz- one such definition reads. of a set of new additions to its policy sure we were not only in compliance team’s coach and assistant coach and ing, bullying, and other abuses and Board member Nicolas Lillios asked on bullying and hazing. but going above compliance.” the school’s athletic director for their information about the need to report if the policy would allow for different During the board’s monthly voting The recent news she referred con- alleged failure to report the incident such incidents if they occur. penalties for different types of abuse, session on Thursday night, Director of cerned a December incident involving as required by state law. “Hazing is defined as an intentional and Cash said the proposed changes Schools Dr. Linda Cash proposed three Ooltewah High School basket- The Hamilton County Board of or reckless act on or off school prop- were following what state laws have to some changes which better define ball players who allegedly injured a Education has since come under fire erty, by one student acting alone or say on those matters. what those negative actions are — and teammate while out of town overnight for its policies related to hazing and with others, directed against any what the punishments are for them. for a tournament. bullying. That board also held a meet- other student that (1) endangers the See POLICIES, Page 16 Inside Today McQueen kicks off Read 20 student initiative State commissioner BC Bears outrun praises local efforts By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG Mustangs on mat Banner Staff Writer The Bradley Central Bears flexed their muscles on the Bradley County Schools wrestling mat with a win over the received high praise from Tennessee Commissioner of Walker Valley Mustangs. At Banner photo, HOWARD PIERCE Cleveland, the Blue Raiders fell to Education Dr. Candice McQueen tAYlOR ElEmENtARY’S Brendan Almquist, JaKyra Humes, MaKya Humes and Brydon Stedman sing during the Readers Are Leaders during a recent event. Soddy-Daisy. The bowling Community Celebration. Mustangs rolled their way to a The school system hosted the region championship. In basket- Readers Are Leaders Community ball, the Lady Vols lost on the road Celebration on Thursday, a gath- to fellow SEC member Arkansas. ering to officially kick off a new See Sports, Pages 9-11. Read 20 reading initiative it adopted this year. Local educators are asking the Community events community to read to children at least 20 minutes a day to promote for King observance reading before they can even read As America prepares to observe on their own. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on “It’s very inspirational,” Monday, a wide variety of communi- McQueen said of the event and ty events is scheduled for Cleveland Bradley County’s efforts so far. and Bradley County. Many involve Since August, schools have been championing reading by also community service initiatives of encouraging students to read on which the slain Civil Rights leader their own for at least 20 minutes was a staunch advocate. For a look per day. at what’s coming locally, see the edi- Bradley County Director of torial on Page 12 of today’s edition. Schools Dr. Linda Cash asked her audience to imagine what it would mean for students to no longer Forecast struggle with reading. Banner photo, HOWARD PIERCE Banner photo, HOWARD PIERCE Banner photo, HOWARD PIERCE DR. lINDA CASH, director of Bradley DR. CANDICE mCQUEEN, Tennessee HARRISON YOSt, a first-grader at North “We’ll have gone from catching up to getting ahead,” Cash said. County School, makes a call to action during Commissioner of Education, discusses early Lee Elementary, reads a paper he wrote titled She shared some recent TCAP the Readers Are Leaders Community literacy and the 90 percent reading goal dur- “What Reading Means To Me” during the test scores which said less than Celebration. ing a keynote address at the Readers Are Readers Are Leaders Community 50 percent of students are “profi- Leaders Community Celebration. Celebration. cient or advanced” in reading. While the school system has been able to celebrate improve- ments in math in recent years, Cash said there is still much work Rain is in the forecast for today, CFD proud of work, looks to 2016 to do with reading. along with a high temperature Unfortunately, she said some He said that the size of the department around 50 degrees. Tonight’s fore- By ALLEN MINCEY students start the first day of Banner Staff Writer does not allow for specialized teams, such kindergarten already behind on cast calls for mostly cloudy skies as a team for swiftwater rescue or a team for and a 30 percent chance of show- Cleveland Fire Chief Ron Harrison said YEAR IN REVIEW their reading knowledge because hazardous materials. “We have to be mas- some do not have people reading ers, with a low around 40. Saturday that he is proud of the 92-member depart- ters of all, so that is why we go through all ment, of the work responders do to help pre- to them at home. should be mostly cloudy, with a of this training,” Harrison said. “The gap will be closed, because high near 46. Saturday night calls serve lives and property. He said he looks visiting firemen like family. “We were born and raised as structural forward to a continued history of providing To do the job they perform, CFD person- we are going to start this as a for mostly cloudy skies and a 20 firefighters … when I came here, that is all community,” Cash said. percent chance of snow after 1 services to the community. nel have to log many hours per year in we did, but over the past few years, our pre- Harrison said that it is due to dedicated training, and not just in fighting building She said closing the gap will a.m., with a low around 30. vention efforts have really taken effect, and help Bradley County reach a very firemen, and the training they receive, plus and home fires. our structure fires are down,” Harrison said. a feeling of helping others, that makes the “In 2015, just under 33,000 hours were important goal — to have all stu- Twenty-two members of the department dents reading at or above grade department successful. spent in training,” he said. “A significant have gone through National Fire Academy Index “It is like a family, and many come from part of our lives is [spent] in training. You level by the time they reach the training. “We put a lot of emphasis on staff third grade. Church........................................6-7 families of firefighters,” Harrison said. He take what people think we normally do — development,” he said. said he has visited other fire departments respond to emergencies — and the next Classified................................17-19 across the state and nation, and they treat biggest thing we do is train.” See CFD, Page 3 See McQUEEN, Page 16 Comics.........................................13 Editorials......................................12 Horoscope....................................13 Movies..........................................14 Cemetery caretaker Obituaries.......................................2 Stocks............................................4 offers ‘thank you!’ Sports........................................9-11 TV Schedule...........................14-15 By ALLEN MINCEY said, adding that a riding mower Banner Staff Writer has been donated to help Goins and Weather..........................................8 his brother maintain the cemetery Robert Goins was sad when he section. Around Town found out someone had stolen “I think I’ve got about $1,800 equipment he uses to maintain the right now,” Goins said. “It is there Traci Hamilton having an veterans’ section of Fort Hill for the veterans’ fund … Joe Davis attachment to “Cascade” ... Cemetery last year. He is feeling made a veterans’ fund for me.” Barbara Parker outdoing herself much better after several in He is hoping someone will donate with a surprise for senior night ... Cleveland responded to pleas to a pressure washer so he can clean Pastor Jeff Archey stopping by replace those items recently. the gravestones in the veterans’ the Banner office with a pleasant “It makes me feel good that peo- section. He said that some are look- smile ... Gingy and Bill Wallace ple of Bradley (County) and ing a bit green due to the trees in having a great time while in Cleveland have donated to replacing that area. Nashville ... Kylee Hoffman keep- the items stolen,” Goins said. He If not donated, with the amount ing the stats for some basketball added that local vet Steve Stewart of money given to the fund, he games. helped him get two string trimmers could possibly purchase a pressure that replaced those taken. Banner photo, HOWARD PIERCE washer. SEvERAl ItEmS have been donated to Robert Goins for upkeep at the Veterans’ “I think I am blessed to have This will be 18 years that Goins those donate, and I have really got Cemetery at Fort Hill Cemetery.