Friday, September 29th

From the Tennova Healthcare Cleveland News Desk, here is your news for Friday, September 29th, on Mix 104-1 and Talk 101-3 The Buzz.

From WRCB Channel 3…

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says he is considering running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of his friend Bob Corker.

Haslam told reporters Thursday that he had been holding out hope that Corker would decide to run for a third term. But the former Chattanooga mayor’s decision to return home has forced Haslam to consider whether he should run.

Haslam can’t for run for governor again next year because of term limits. The Republican says he will consult with family and friends and pray about whether to run for Senate, which he says hasn’t been something he has long aspired to.

The governor did not indicate exactly when he would decide, other than it wouldn’t be as soon as Friday or as long as a month.

From the Chattanoogan…

The mother of a child killed in the tragic Woodmore Elementary bus wreck said she was locked in a room at a funeral home until she signed up with an “attorney” from Chicago.

Latesha Denise Jones is suing Taylor Funeral Home, Anita Taylor, the Witherspoon Law Group and Alphonso McClendon.

The suit filed by attorneys Jay Clements and Alexander Burd says a few days before her daughter’s funeral that Ms. Jones went to Taylor Funeral Home for a private showing of her daughter’s body. It was the first time she had seen her daughter since the wreck on Nov. 21, 2016.

It says the mother was so upset that she could not continue talking about the funeral arrangements. It says Ms. Taylor told her to go home, clear her head, then return that afternoon if she was feeling better.

Ms. Jones returned with the child’s father and other family members. The family met for several hours with a Durham School Services official since the bus firm was paying for the funeral.

The suit says Ms. Taylor then instructed the mother and a few other family members to go with her to another room away from the rest of the family. It says she then locked the door.

The suit says Ms. Taylor introduced the family to Alphonso McClendon, saying he was an attorney who could help the mother in her time of need. It says Ms. Taylor “doled out numerous praises for his ‘law firm’ which would then represent plaintiff regarding the wrongful death of her daughter.”

It says McClendon said he was an attorney with the Witherspoon firm, which is based in Texas. He said the firm had been in touch with Durham about a settlement.

The suit says members of the family attempted to open the door, but it was locked. It says other family members knocked on the door during the meeting, but it stayed locked.

The complaint says, “For a period in excess of 30 minutes, plaintiff was locked in the aforesaid room by Ms. Taylor, while McClendon illegally solicited her for legal representation, until she signed a representation agreement.” The door was then unlocked by Ms. Taylor, it was stated.

The suit says over the next few weeks Ms. Jones “was lied to repeatedly” by McClendon. It says he was not an attorney and never has been.

The complaint says McClendon “made promises he could not fulfill, left the state almost immediately, and left plaintiff lost and confused about her deceased child’s legal rights.

The suit asks $750,000 compensatory damages and $250,000 punitive damages.

From the Cleveland Daily Banner…

CLEVELAND POLICE are seeking the identities of two men who burglarized vehicles in Cookdale Trail last week. A home security camera captured footage of the two burglarizing this vehicle on Sept. 21. Several items were stolen from vehicles in the neighborhood. If you have any information on the suspects, contact Detective Brian Stovall at the Cleveland Police Department at 423-303-3134, or leave a confidential tip on the CPD’s Facebook page.

This has been your local and state news. You can get news anytime by visiting our website, mymix1041.com, powered by Pioneer Credit. From the Tennova Healthcare Cleveland News Desk, this is Jeremy Gault reporting.