Kelly Evans qualifies as Democratic candidate in District 11 race
Kelly Evans, formerly of Cleveland and former coowner of M&K Mercantile there, qualified Wednesday as a candidate for the District 11 House of Representatives seat. The seat was occupied by Jeremy Oden of Eva until his resignation Dec. 3. District 11 includes the following polling locations in Blount County: Summit Fire Hall, Brooksville Fire Hall, Rock Springs Community Center, Blountsville […]
Chamber of Commerce moves to depot Jan. 2
Your attention please! Notify your automatic pilot that an important feature of the Oneonta landscape is moving: the Blount County-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce office. Long nestling like a hospitable buffer zone between law offices across Ala 75 from the county courthouse, the next time you look – POOF! – it’ll be gone. It’s moving to the old, restored L&N depot […]
IN THE STATEHOUSE
The economic state of our stateAs the end of the year approaches the story of the year has to be the state of the economy. Therefore, the political story of the year has to the sad financial state of the State. The Legislature and Governor spent 2012 wrestling with the general fund of Alabama. It has been an uphill battle that does not appear to […]
EDUCATION MATTERS
Notes on notes from Beyond the Classroom: why school reform has failedThe following was condensed from notes compiled by K-12 education columnist Larry Lee on the 1997 book by developmental psychologist Laurence Steinberg Beyond the Classroom: why school reform has failed and what parents need to do. “Given the fact that students spend only 12 percent of the hours in a year in a classroom,” Lee writes, “I think this book […]
Local bar association offers free legal clinic
The Blount County Bar Association will be sponsoring a free legal clinic on Jan. 24 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the district courtroom located in the Blount County Courthouse. This marks the third year for this event, but Blount County Bar Association president and local attorney Bill Burns says this time they are taking a new approach. “There […]
Commission action upheld; Ralph Mitchell dismissed
MERIT BOARD DECISION...The Blount County Merit Board ruled Friday morning to uphold the Blount County Commission’s Sept. 6 termination of former county administrator Ralph Mitchell. Elements of the decision 1. The merit board found sufficient evidence to support two of the six offenses with which Mitchell was charged: abusive conduct and conduct unbecoming an employee. 2. It found insufficient evidence to support […]
County municipalities, others pitch in to support juvenile probation office
Eight county agencies, including five municipalities, pitched in this year with $93,821 to support Blount County juvenile probation office (JPO) salaries and services. Two positions were placed in jeopardy last year when the state Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) eliminated funding for half of the four jobs authorized in the state budget for the Blount County office. A similar successful […]
Facebook post leads to arrest
Less than a week after 20 students were killed in an elementary school shooting in Connecticut, a 21-year-old Cleveland man posted a comment on Facebook stating he was so irritated he could “shoot up an elementary school.” Dakota Kent was arrested at his home, charged with a Class C felony of making a terroristic threat, and transported to Blount County […]