Friday, September 18th

This is a update on a story from yesterday- A Meigs County man is dead after a shootout that started over a stolen rooster. Authorities say the argument started after the man accused his nephew of stealing his prized fighting gamecock. The shooting happened around 2 a.m. on Wednesday in the driveway of a home in the 200 block of Moore Cemetery Road in Decatur. Timothy Johnson, 52, was killed in the gun battle. According to the District Attorney’s office, Timothy Johnson’s nephew, 28-year-old Larry Johnson, shot his uncle dead. The nephew, who survived a gunshot to the chest, was airlifted to UT Medical Center and is in critical condition. According to the DA’s office, when Timothy Johnson went to the house to retrieve the rooster, which was unharmed, the argument escalated outside of the home. Investigators are still piecing together the case, and are waiting on toxicology reports to come back. The Cleveland Daily Banner- The Bradley County Commission Law Enforcement Committee met Wednesday and heard Sheriff Eric Watson say a plan was being worked that is hoped will smooth over inmates working with the county road department. There has been a months-long back-and-forth between the two departments since the BCSO was awarded the state litter grant which was administered by the road department for decades, and Watson has refused to allow inmates to work for the department after some have failed drug tests. Committee member Howard Thompson recalled the list of jobs for inmates that was submitted on a list from Road Superintendent Sandra Knight Collins. Watson said the BCSO had only recently learned of the list containing 32 work items for which inmates were being used. “I’ve never known of them patching potholes and doing all of this other stuff,” he said. “This replacing tin roofs — we don’t even allow [inmates] to do that here, and I’m surely not going to allow that type of work anywhere else.” He reiterated there had been two failed drug tests by inmates assigned to the road department, as well as Tri-State. Another of the work items Watson had a problem with was directing traffic. “We don’t want them directing traffic. We do not even let the volunteers here at the Sheriff’s Office direct traffic. My reserves don’t even do it. They’re not trained. A trustee doesn’t need to be holding a stop sign,” he said. “I’m sorry, but it’s not going to happen. There is too much liability involved.” He noted where the litter crews are working, “It’s my full-time employees who are stopping traffic.” “All we ask is, whoever takes our inmates … go by our policy,” Watson said. To that end, Watson said his department is developing a “memorandum of understanding” to be used to determine the use of inmates. OOLTEWAH, TN (WRCB) – The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Christmas parade at Disney, Thanksgiving in Chicago, this incredible group of student musicians is well-traveled, but when they filled their school theatre Thursday and noticed the mayor and other city officials in attendance, they knew this was going to be big. A short video featuring an official from the Tournament of Roses Parade set off the shouts and claps of excitement. The realization that they are headed to the ‘granddaddy of them all’ was quickly setting in. The group was passed over for the invite last year, but parade officials kept them on the short list. Band director Joel Denton was very emotional as he thanked students, alumni, parents, and city and county officials who help the program take part in prestigious events around the country. To be chosen as one of 13 bands to go to the Rose Bowl is an incredible opportunity,” he said later. “Our students are going to be bouncing off the walls today.“ ”it couldn’t happen to a better group of young and to their director, Mr. Denton,” beamed Ooltewah High School Principal Jim Jarvis. “He has given his life to this program and worked countless hours to provide these students, over the years, with one of the finest music programs in the state of Tennessee.”