Wednesday, December 21st

Cleveland Daily Banner- Commission Chairman Louie Alford wished the citizens of Bradley County a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year on behalf of his colleagues when they met for a voting session Monday. The holidays for the commissioners began quickly as they dispatched with the one piece of business on the agenda. Commissioners gave unanimous approval to a resolution allowing County Mayor D. Gary Davis to negotiate and enter into a contract with Cherokee Construction for a restroom/concessions building at Elrod Park. The local construction company had submitted the lowest bid, at $175,509. Committee members also agree to conduct a further review of Juvenile Court Director Terry Gallaher’s request for three additional full-time employees. The department was granted three in the last budget cycle. The end of that meeting marked the beginning of a rare two-week period when the Commission will not meet. County offices will be closed Dec. 26-27, as well as Jan. 2. Times Free Press- Donnie Brantley, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Marsha Brantley, has been assigned a public defender. Judge Andrew Mark Freiberg assigned Donnie Brantley a public defender in Bradley County Criminal Court during a brief appearance Tuesday morning. His wife, Marsha Brantley, was 51 years old when she disappeared in 2009. Her body has never been found. Freiberg set the next court date in the case for Feb. 13. Channel 3- A newly-formed cold case task force will be taking a second look at dozens of unsolved murders in Bradley, Polk and McMinn counties. The lead investigator of the new unit said there’s already four unsolved murders in the area that he believes his team can crack. Criminal Investigator Calvin Rockholt says, more than 40 unsolved murder cases will now have the chance for closure. Rockholt will lead a team of about a dozen investigators in a newly formed cold case task force. Bradley, McMinn, Monroe, and Polk county will each have cold cases re-opened. Investigators want each of those counties to have at least two cold cases open for investigation at all times. State News- NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — While Gov. Bill Haslam says he’s ready to unveil his plan to boost road funding in Tennessee, he says he’s putting off making any proposal public until fellow Republicans in the Legislature have time to explore their own funding ideas. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports (http://bit.ly/2h7f2Uw ) the governor didn’t tell reporters which lawmakers had asked for the delay, or when he expects them to present their own proposal. Lawmakers convene the 110th General Assembly for their organizational session on Jan. 10, but aren’t scheduled to get down to their regular business until Jan. 30 when Haslam is expected to deliver his annual state spending plan. Extra- Did you know that 44 people die every day from an overdose of prescription drugs in the United States? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the majority of deaths from drug overdoses involve an opioid. Here’s what you need to know about the epidemic and how to protect your loved ones. The Opioid Epidemic Opioids are medications that treat pain. Examples of these medications include hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine and codeine, though they’re commonly known by their brand names like Vicodin, Lortab, OxyContin or Percocet. This class of drugs is known to be addictive. The chronic use of opioids can lead to physical dependence and overuse of these medications can affect a person’s life, relationships, work and behavior. Opioid abuse has become a serious problem in the U.S., and unfortunately, according to Count It, Lock It, Drop It, a Tennessee-based program aimed at reducing overdose deaths, opioid abuse is the biggest public health crisis in Tennessee. In 2014, more people died from opioid overdoses than from car accidents. Here are four of the most common signs of opioid abuse. Low Energy If your loved one is abusing opioids, you may notice they have less energy than usual or are especially drowsy. You may notice the person looks tired or is not as interested in work or social activities. Change in Appearance Your loved one may look and/or act different when abusing opioids. Possible changes include pinpoint pupils, face or neck flushing, sudden itching, slurred speech, droopy eyes and frequent yawning. If you notice an unexplained change in your loved one’s appearance, look into it. Decreased Concentration Mental changes that can come with opioid abuse include difficulty concentrating and paying attention. A lack of focus can seriously interfere with a person’s everyday life and work. Less Interest in Social Situations A person abusing opioids might behave differently around other people. For example, they might be less interested in social activities than before or isolate themselves. They also might become secretive as a way to cover up their behavior. What to Do Next Of course, other factors can also cause these symptoms and behaviors, so even if your loved one exhibits one or more of these signs, it doesn’t automatically mean they have a problem with opioid use. But if you suspect a problem, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has recommendations on what to do. Before talking to your loved one, consider calling the National Helpline of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). This service provides 24-hour free and confidential treatment referral and information about mental and/or substance use disorders, prevention and recovery in English and Spanish. Advice or recommendations are for informational or educational purposes only, not a substitute for a visit or consultation with your doctor.