Thursday, November 5th

Times Free Press reports- Almost four months after a lone gunman attacked the U.S. Naval and Marine Reserve Center on Amnicola Highway and killed five U.S. service members, the sound of a gunshot echoed there again Wednesday. But the Marines inside the reserve center didn’t feel threatened — the noise was away from the building. “None of us felt like it was anything directed at us,” said Marine Capt. Chris Cotton. Still, both the Marines and someone nearby at Chattanooga State Community College called police to report the sound — sending dozens of Chattanooga police officers wailing to the site in bulletproof vests, toting assault rifles, once again responding to the report of “shots fired” at the reserve. First responders blocked the entrance and members of the Chattanooga Police Department’s SWAT team moved through the military complex with a police dog. Dozens of police cars lined the shoulder of Amnicola Highway and officers stood in tight circles not far from the memorials for the men who died July 16. Police quickly determined there was no active shooter and no one was injured. Officers could not find anyone who actually saw a shooter and officers did not recover a weapon. “We are responding, given the nature of the location, more robustly than we normally would,” Chief Fred Fletcher said at 10:52 a.m., after emphasizing that there was no active shooter. Many officers also responded to Chattanooga State, which went on lockdown at 10:33 a.m. Officials urged students on Twitter to stay inside and avoid hallways until the school lifted the lockdown at 12:47 p.m. Fletcher said officers also responded to the military recruiting center on Lee Highway — site of the attack on July 16 — as well as other undisclosed “at-risk” locations throughout the city. All was quiet at the recruiting center during the incident Wednesday. The Cleveland Daily Banner- The Chattanooga attorney for Cecil Lawrence Inc., owner of Sunset Memorial Gardens and Hilcrest Memorial Gardens in Cleveland, has responded to a seven-day order from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. The cemetery company was threatened with a suspension of its license without the response. Attorney William G. Colvin was ordered to file a plan for remediation of Sunset’s six mausoleums within seven days of the receipt of an Oct. 22 letter. The Lawrence Group had earlier contracted with McCleskey Mausoleum Company in Georgia for a remedial plan, but McCleskey has withdrawn from the case. Colvin and the Lawrence Group have since contracted with Ensure-A-Seal of Export, Pa., and founder David Yearsley has filed a preliminary report. This report was received by Colvin, and forwarded to the Department of Commerce and Insurance Tuesday evening. Spokesman Kevin Walters informed the Cleveland Daily Banner that the Department of Commerce and Insurance is in the process of reviewing the report. “This is not a completed plan, and has not been approved by the department,” said Walters. “Still, as we review this report, Sunset Mausoleum has not been suspended at this time.” To read Yearsley’s report to Colvin visit our website mymix1041.com Yearsley’s report to Colvin, which was filed with the state Tuesday, reads: “I have completed the inspection of the Sunset Memorial Gardens Mausoleum and would like to provide a preliminary report on my findings. All of the inspection criteria I set forth in my letter dated Oct. 30, 2015, have been completed. My findings are as follows: • I inspected 38 occupied and un-occupied crypt chambers in six chapel buildings. • I selected various entombments dating from 1981 to 2014. • I inspected 38-crypt chambers for noticeable fluid stains and decomposition odors. • I inspected 38-crypt chambers to be sure the plastic shutters were sealed properly. • I will provide documentation for the 38 crypts examined today. I trained the Cemetery staff on how to prepare a crypt chamber for entombment. They were instructed on how to locate and open the vent and drain in the crypt. The crypt was prepared for an actual entombment and after the service; the Cemetery staff was trained on how to seal the casket in an Ensure-A-Seal Casket Protector, just prior to entombment. Recommendations: • Every new entombment needs to be sealed in an Ensure-A-Seal Casket Protector. This unit will provide a controlled environment for the final disposition of the remains. The Lawrence Group, Inc. has made a commitment to provide the Casket Protector for all future entombments • Replace six clear, Plexiglas crypt shutters with plastic shutters. • Agree to a documented, daily-weekly monitoring program for the mausoleums. • Agree to a third party observer to examine and correct the seals around the plastic shutters of each occupied crypt chamber in the six chapel buildings. A detailed schedule to accomplish this task will be provided in my final report. Summary: It is my professional opinion after the examination of the six chapel mausoleums today that the overall conditions in the building are good. These are mausoleums that have been built in the late 1950’s and the newer building was built in the 1990’s. Entombments have been made in these buildings without any type of casket protection for over 60 years. I did not detect any fluid leakage from any of the crypts nor any recognizable decomposition odors. For this Mausoleum Program to be successful as they move forward, they will need to commit to the following: • Have an effective casket protection product that will control the final disposition of the remains for all new entombments. • They will need to continually monitor the mausoleum for any recognizable change from the existing caskets entombed in the crypts. Kindly review this preliminary report. I will provide a documented report no later than Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Should you have any immediate questions, please feel free to contact me.” In another development in the case, the state has informed the Banner it has received 240 complaints (concerning Sunset) from Cleveland funeral home owner Ralph Buckner. Those complaining have been notified and informed of the process the state is using to address the complaints. The complaints were received in bulk. The people who had complained were contacted by Dennis Hamilton, director of Cemetery and Preneed Services, Regulatory Boards Division. The Cleveland Daily Banner reports- Cleveland and Bradley County will be taking on a pinkish color over the next couple of days, to help raise breast cancer awareness and pay tribute to those who lost the battle to the disease, as well as those who continue to fight and win the struggle. Friday will be the culmination of many days of preparation for the Volley for a Cure, an event to raise not only awareness, but funds that will be used to help find a cure for cancer. In fact, it has been much more than a few days, but rather several months, of preparation for Friday’s event at Lee University. Today there is a special luncheon which will be held at the DeVos Recreation Center on the Lee University campus. Sonya Jones, runner-up in “The Biggest Loser” this past season, will be the inspirational guest speaker at the luncheon, which begins around 11:30 a.m.Friday will be a special day in Cleveland as Mayor Tom Rowland has proclaimed it “Paint the Town Pink Day,” with everyone encouraged to wear pink to signify their support of the fight against cancer. T-shirts are available that display this year’s theme, “Real Heroes Wear Pink,” and may be purchased at the Cleveland Daily Banner, Doctor’s Express, the Plastic Surgery Clinic and the Farmhouse Restaurant. At4:30 p.m. Friday, festivities begin at Lee University’s Paul Dana Walker Arena with a “Pink Party” at the arena, which will include a bake sale, a silent auction and lots of fun activities for children. At around 7 p.m., the Lee University Lady Flames will be in action (and most assuredly in pink) as they take on the team from University of West Georgia. This year’s scholarship recipient will be announced between the second and third games of the evening. Those attending the volleyball game are also encouraged to wear pink, and wear the “Real Heroes Wear Pink” T-shirts if possible. Fund raised through the Volley for a Cure events will go toward the scholarship and toward fighting cancer through research. For more information, contact the Plastic Surgery Clinic and ask for Zandra Welch, Kristi Muhonen at Doctor’s Express, or Andrea Hudson at Lee University