SPORTS: LOCAL NEWS: Mustangs win Joe Fivas gives extra-inning thriller update on city’s with Bears: Page 9 projects: Page 4 DR. PERRY GILLUM ELECTED PRESIDENT OF GENERAL APPOINTEE EMERITI GROUP: PAGE 4 162nd YEar • No. 276 16 PaGEs • 50¢ CLEVELAND, TN 37311 THE CITY WITH SPIRIT TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017 County renews rawls wants apologies consideration from sheriff, newspaper By BRIAN GRAVES the Cleveland Daily Banner in my [email protected] rebuttal ... none of those which were printed or appeared in the paper,” to Bradley County Commissioner Dan his fellow commissioners. of purchasing Rawls publicly defended himself in the “I would also like to thank the com- face of accusations made against him missioners who took a small amount by Sheriff Eric Watson in a front-page of time to research and debunk this story published in the March 12 edi- fabricated attack, and then to call and tion of the Cleveland Daily Banner. offer their support,” he said. old AU building Rawls made his comments during He said Commission Assistant Monday afternoon’s voting session of Lorrie Moultrie “took 15 minutes of the County Commission. her own time to go on the internet The commissioner took his time and debunk the Florida narrative.” Availability of $4 million during reports to address the situa- “I want to make this clear, the tion between the two local officials. attempt to link me to this or any mur- “I would like to say to the people of der is a clear fabrication of anything grant offers motivation the 6th District and Bradley County in Florida,” Rawls said. “The fabrica- as a whole, that I feel your pain about tion with no documentation or due By BRIAN GRAVES the continuing scandals in govern- diligence to verify the accuracy that [email protected] ment — especially this last case that involved me was printed by the was fabricated by the sheriff of Cleveland Daily Banner.” There may now be a motivation for Bradley County commis- Bradley County against me,” Rawls Rawls also repeated what he provid- sioners to quickly act on purchasing the former American Banner file photo said. BraDLEY CoUNTY Commissioner Dan ed to the Banner in Sunday’s edition Uniform building for the county school system. Rawls said he had provided packets that former Sheriff Jim Ruth had said The Bradley County Board of Education has been considering Rawls speaks at a prior session of the local of the documents, “which is part of using the site to install a program which would partner indus- governing body. the packet of documents I supplied to See RAWLS, Page 13 tries with students to teach career and technical skills. The participating industries could then potentially provide part-time jobs to the students. Director of Schools Dr. Linda Cash told the Commission’s Finance Committee Monday there is a $4 million grant avail- Mark GrissoM able; however, there is a mid-April application deadline and the conducts the 2014 system must be in possession of the property to qualify. WOOPathon benefiting The committee was discussing the potential of using a bond issue to help with the purchase. the Alzheimer’s “From what I understand, if they sell the GOAL Academy can Association. A card- they use that as part of the debt service for the bond issue?” board cut-out of asked Committee Chairman Milan Blake. Commissioner “My question is how do I get a cash flow while those build- Charlotte Peak, a ings are for sale so I can get GOAL out and start moving?” good friend of Cash said. “Let’s say I have the property, but in order to reno- Grissom’s, decorates vate in order to move GOAL into it, depending on what you the background in the decide about the property, how do I have a positive cash flow broadcasting studio. while the building is for sale?” Grissom died unex- Commissioner Thomas Crye said there is a significant short- age of storage space in Cleveland and “the lower level is totally pectedly Monday at vacant” and suggested there might be a business that could the age of 53. He was lease that basement space “and would provide you with a sub- memorialized by stantial revenue.” friends early today in a Cash said she was not sure exactly how much revenue that special broadcast by would bring in to start the renovation of the upper levels of the WCLE Mix 104.1 and building. station owner Steve “There’s enough to make it attractive,” Crye said. Hartline. Blake said Monday was the first time the issue had been Banner file photo See BUILDING, Page 13 Electronic poll books Cleveland icon Mark Grissom dies at 53 included in EC budget By BRIAN GRAVES “Mark Grissom was not just a con- “I've only known Mark for nine years, [email protected] stituent, but a friend of mine. He and I but I feel like I've known him all my life,” By LARRY C. BOWERS time personnel. The cuts are were good friends, and we both loved said Cindy Lowery, senior vice president [email protected] not expected to be substan- The Bradley County Commission held a baseball. He got to see his Cubs win the of the Mid South chapter of the tial, but will lower the eventu- moment of silence Monday for one of the Four of five members of the World Series. He will be missed.” Alzheimer’s Association. al bottom line. county’s most iconic personalities. — Milan Blake Bradley County Election “The first thing I thought when I got the The election office’s actual Mark Grissom, whose irascible humor news of his passing was that he's with his Commission gave their budget for 2016-17 was greeted radio listeners in the morning and approval to a tentative budget sweet mother,” Lowery recalled. “Mark $278,603, while the original whose compassionate soul helped families some point, Grissom would tell them to contacted me years ago and said, ‘I want compiled by Administrator of budget was $354,792. But, during their darkest hours of grief, died Elections Fran Green at a “Get off my phone!” to do something in memory of my mom.’ this was not apples to apples. Monday of an apparent heart attack. He That was never an insult, but a joke in He and his dad sponsored our Cleveland Monday afternoon meeting in The actual budget was for one was 53. the courthouse annex. which his listeners cheerfully participat- Walk to End Alzheimer's in her memory, election, while the original Grissom was born in Chicago to the ed. but he still wanted to do more. He came Green’s projected budget was for two elections. Rev. Tom and Patty Ann Grissom and remains a work in progress, It was through the program that up with the idea of the 24-hour radio- The projected project for began his tenure as a funeral director in Grissom took up a cause which struck thon, and the rest is history. Mark's pas- as she outlined some proba- the coming year is expected Cleveland when he established Grissom ble cuts from the document close to home. sion for honoring his mom and his to be in the neighborhood of Funeral Home more than two decades Wanting to memorialize his beloved unabashed love for her was so touching she provided election commis- $40,000 more than 2016-17, ago. sioners to review. mother who was taken by Alzheimer’s dis- and inspirational. He was a great advo- although this will also be a But, it may be he is best known to ease, Grissom established the cate for the Alzheimer's Association. But The county administrator is one-election year. The differ- many for his years behind the micro- planning to lower projected WOOPathon to raise money for the beyond that, Mark was my friend and I ence is that this year the phone at WOOP-FM, where he hosted Alzheimer’s Association — an event he am going to miss his texts, calls and the costs in two specific areas — “Mark In The Morning.” election workers and part- hosted for four straight years and which See BUDGET, Page 13 Listeners would call in knowing that, at netted more than $70,000 for the cause. See GRISSOM, Page 13 AROUND TOWN WEATHER INDEX Ginger Strickland sharing her Today calls for partly sunny skies and a 60 per- Classified............................14-15 famous taco soup with her students ... cent chance of rain, with a high near 79. Tonight Sports....................................9-11 Comics.......................................6 Stocks........................................4 Shirley Shadden and her sister-in-law calls for clouds and an 80 percent chance of rain, Horoscope..................................6 Bobbie Shadden having a good time at TV Schedule..............................7 with a low around 52. Wednesday should be cloudy, Obituaries...................................2 6489076 75112 a famous country music venue in with a high near 64. Wednesday night calls for most- Weather......................................8 Nashville ... William Willy Winner being Opinion.....................................12 photographed by Leisa Scoggins. ly cloudy skies and a 30 percent chance of rain, with a low around 45. 2—Cleveland Daily Banner—Tuesday, March 21, 2017 www.clevelandbanner.com Google opens ‘shortcuts’ to OBITUARIES (USPS 117-700) Periodical Postage Paid at Cleveland, TN 37320-3600 Post Office information, POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to: Banner, P.O. Box 3600, Cleveland, TN 37320-3600 Published at 1505 25th Street, NW (P.O. Box 3600) tools on phones Michael Armour; and eight sib- from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday at the in Cleveland, TN 37320-3600, daily except Saturday SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — lings.