Thursday, June 11th

From The Times Free Press- The owner of a pit bull that bit a 73-year-old woman several times Wednesday morning has been charged with a felony for letting the animal roam, Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson said. Patty Debusk was walking on Maryland Circle near Dockery Lane when the female pit bull attacked and bit her in multiple places, a news release stated. Debusk was taken to SkyRidge Medical Center for treatment.  Watson said the dog’s owner, Tammy Lynette Morales, 38, of Alton Avenue, had been warned previously to keep the dog restrained. Watson said his office has noted a rash of recent dog attacks, and he added that Bradley County has no animal control service. He said his officers are answering seven to 11 calls per day regarding dogs at large, but all they can do is attempt to find a dog’s owner and warn that person.  “If they fail to restrain their dogs as the law requires and we respond a second time, the owner of the animal will receive a written citation and be charged with a Class C (Dog-At-Large) misdemeanor,” he said. “If a dog bites or attacks someone and causes bodily injury, the owner will be arrested and charged with a Class E (Dog-At-Large) felony. He added that the County Commission asked him for recommendations for an animal control service. This is a update on a story from(WRCB) – Tennessee Highway Patrol has released the details in a fatal accident Tuesday night on I-75 S.    A dump truck,carrying asphalt millings, was traveling south in the left hand lane, that was closed off due to construction. The victim, Jason R. Cope, 42, of Cleveland was walking across the southbound left hand lane trying to cross the road. He was walking at a 45 degree angle with his back towards the traffic. The truck was going downhill around a left hand curve.  When the driver saw the pedestrian in the roadway he braked heavily and steered to the left toward the barrier wall in an attempt to avoid a collision.  The vehicle hit ” Cope” with the passenger front corner of the truck. This collision pushed the pedestrian into the right hand traffic flow lane. While the pedestrian was on the ground an unknown vehicle ran over the victim. The unknown vehicle continued traveling south on Interstate 75 and did not stop. The truck came to a stopped in the left hand traffic lane. Also an update on the tragic accident that took the life of 11year old Makenzie Biddwell- A candlelight vigil for Makenzie will be held 8:30 Thursday night at Stuart Elementary School.     If you would like to help Makenzie’s family with funeral costs here is the link to the “Go Fund Me” page set up by friends of the family:http://www.gofundme.com/wmfh9b8g You can also make a donation at any Regions Bank under the “Mackenzie Biddwell Memorial Foundation” From The Cleveland Daily Banner- New Bradley County Director of Schools Dr. Linda Cash has asked the county board of education for the go-ahead to create a new job position within the school system’s central office.  During a Tuesday night work session, Cash proposed hiring a new person with the title “human resources supervisor.”? Among her reasons for proposing the position were that the HR?role is currently being carried out by Chief Financial Officer Laura Bauer, someone she said is already carrying out other important tasks.  She said this realization came after speaking with central office staff about their various duties and learning the CFO?has been juggling duties related to hiring people and making sure they receive their employee benefits.  She pointed out the school system is consistently tasked with keeping its schools well-staffed, and said having an employee dedicated to human resources matters is vital to “the smooth running of the district office and of the district itself.”  The school board plans to vote on the proposed change during a meeting taking place Thursday. However, the board also discussed the possibility of the matter being listed on its consent agenda, meaning it could be up for a vote without further discussion. Officer Evie West Public Information Officer Cleveland Police Department- A theft occurred at Titan Towing on Monday, June 8, 2015 at approximately 5:30p.m. The vehicle that was stolen was a 1980 CJ5, drab green color and has the word Spicer across the windshield. The suspect seen drove the jeep leaving southbound on Georgetown Road. The CPD is asking for the public’s help in identifying this individual. Anyone with information on this theft and/or the suspect is urged to call the Cleveland Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, 423-476-1121. The biggest issue facing Tennessee high school sports for more than two decades is expected to take a giant step toward finally being decided today.  The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s Legislative Council, which sets the rules for the state’s high school athletic teams, will hold a special meeting this morning to discuss five proposals for how to deal with the issue of whether public and private schools should continue competing in the same division for district and state championships or split into completely separate divisions. “This is, by far, the biggest decision since I took over [in 2009] because it will shape the direction of our future,” TSSAA Executive Director Bernard Childress said. “Whatever is decided, it will determine the future of high school sports for both public schools and independent schools for years to come.”