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Thursday, March 21st

Here is today's news sponsored by Toyota of Cleveland: From the Cleveland Daily Banner… Autumn Hughes reports: Outlining a list of shortcomings and

Here is today’s news sponsored by Toyota of Cleveland:

From the Cleveland Daily Banner…

Autumn Hughes reports: Outlining a list of shortcomings and needs focused mainly on additional classroom space, Bradley County Commissioner Thomas Crye told his fellow commissioners he believes county government has neglected its schools.

Crye made his comments Monday during the County Commission’s voting session.

“County government throughout the past several decades has neglected maintaining the school system infrastructure and deferred required maintenance to the point of being held together by duct tape,” Crye said. “During the past five years significant efforts have been made to improving the situation. Major initiatives taken include the construction of a new academic building at Lake Forest Middle School and approval and implementation of a $16 million energy savings program at the existing schools.”

Crye also noted significant progress has been made in school security to include one gate guard plus two SROs in the high schools. However, more remains to be done, he said, including the immediate need for expansion of Black Fox and North Lee elementary schools “necessitated by safety and space issues and not increasing of student load.”

“Black Fox portable classrooms have been cited by the fire marshal for not having two exits for each of the classrooms and will be condemned without corrective action being taken,” Crye said. “Inadequate space became a serious issue with the 2011 tornado and destruction of Blue Springs Elementary School. All Blue Springs students were reassigned to other schools and caused an immediate classroom space issue which has not been addressed in the past eight years.”

Also from The Banner…

Larry Bowers reports: Members of the local Fraternal Order of Police chapter and other FOP chapters recently ran into a rather unusual problem.

FOP member Wayne L. Jarrett, a former Charleston Police chief, discussed the problem with the Cleveland Daily Banner.

When Jarrett visited the Bradley County Court Clerk’s Office at the courthouse to renew his vehicle registration, he was told he could not obtain his new license plate with the FOP decal, because he did not have an up-to-date FOP membership card.

Jarrett is a member in good standing in the local Lamar Lawson Memorial FOP Lodge, but membership cards have not yet been distributed.

The Clerk’s Office in the past had been able to make a telephone call, then provide FOP members with their new vehicle plates. This year they said they cannot distribute new vehicle plates without being shown an up-to-date membership card.

Jarrett said his concern is that by the time his membership card arrives, his car license will be out of date and he would be in violation of the registration law.

A call to the office of Bradley County Court Clerk Donna Simpson found that this new requirement was a decision by the FOP organization.

The call also obtained information that there is another option.

If the local FOP member obtains a letter from FOP Secretary Tammy Hodgson, verifying the individual is a paid-up and active member of the chapter, they will be provided with new vehicle plates with the FOP decal.

Jarrett was able to obtain his letter and new license plate well before his vehicle tags would have expired.

He was appreciative of the clarification effort, but wanted to let other FOP members know about this option in getting their new vehicle registration while continuing to promote the FOP on their plates.