News 2012

Today the Comptroller’s office released the results of their recent audit of the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA)’s past policies and procedures.  The UCHRA Board, Directors and Staff acknowledge there have been some unnecessary and, in some cases, unreasonable expenditures of public funds in the past. Thankfully, our Board of Directors showed great leadership and began taking necessary steps over a year and a half ago to resolve these issues.  As a result of their efforts, and those of the Directors and Staff of UCHRA, all findings in the report have been corrected. 
The fleet of Agency vehicles has been dramatically reduced.  Only those persons whose job requires them to travel out of office the majority of their work day still have daily access to Agency vehicles.  All Agency vehicles are now identified as such with a UCHRA decal.
 
By making changes to our cell phone policy, we have reduced our monthly cell phone bill approximately 45%.  No staff member is allowed to have more than one phone provided by the Agency.  The issuance of “Smart” phones is limited to those persons who require continuous access to email and data service.  No staff member will be issued a smart phone without approval by the Executive Director or Deputy Director.
 
A new policy regarding the use of agency credit cards has been established which more closely scrutinizes credit card purchases.  The policy strictly prohibits the use of the cards to be utilized in purchasing unauthorized items, including alcoholic beverages.  Any employee who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action and will be required to reimburse the agency for any prohibited expenses.
 
Travel will be restricted to allow only those off-site meetings and training sessions deemed necessary by the Executive Director. Travel expense reimbursement will follow State travel regulations and rates. 
 
 
 
 
It is the desire of UCHRA to transfer the lease on Lakeside Resort and Educational Complex to another non-profit agency.  Prospects toward that end are favorable, and we hope to have this process completed by the end of this year.
 
Finally, since assuming the position of Executive Director in May of this year, I have made a point of regularly communicating with our Board members and local media about issues affecting UCHRA.  We are committed to being transparent in our operations and welcome questions or suggestions anytime.
 
In the past year and a half, UCHRA has experienced changes in management, staff, structure and methods of operation.  Through all these transitions, we have maintained a high level of commitment to the service of the residents of the Upper Cumberland region.  We have addressed the issues of the past, and are ready to move forward.  We pledge to never lose sight of our purpose: Delivering Hope to those in need.
 
Executive Luke Collins
 
 

A Woodbury woman found herself in trouble with the law when Dekalb County Sheriff’s officials found a one pot meth lab in the vehicle in which she was riding in.  Amy E. Mullican of Woodbury and James D. Mitchell of Morrison were charged with initiation of a process intended to result in the manufacture of methamphetamine.  Mullican was also charged with simple possession of a schedule II drug which was methamphetamine.  According to wjle.com and Dekalb County Sheriff’s Reports  a drug detective stopped Mitchell’s vehicle for having a headlight out.  After smelling a strong chemical odor a search was conducted in which glass pipes, scales and aluminum foil was found among other items used in manufacturing methamphetamine Bond for Mitchell was $25,000 while bond for Mullican was $27,000.  They are set to appear in Dekalb County General Sessions Court October 4th

Here are the scores from the games on 9-25-2012:  
CCHS vs. Clarkrange
Set 1:  CCHS 25 – Clarkrange 22
Set 2:  CCHS 25 – Clarkrange 22
 
Kills:  Rebekah Faulkner 2, Ariana Kailiponi 2, Abbey Spry 4
Back Row Kill:  Marion Wallace
Assist:  Cheyenne Fann 1, Rebekah Faulkner 2, Ariana Kailiponi 3, Abbey Spry 2
Blocks:  Rebekah Faulkner 1, Ariana Kailiponi 1
Tip: Emily Sissom 1, Rebekah Faulkner 5, Ariana Kailiponi 3, Abbey Spry 1, Marion Wallace 3
Digs:  Emily Sissom 2, Marion Wallace 1
 
 
CCHS vs. Monterey
Set 1:  CCHS 25 – Monterey 16
Set 2:  CCHS 25 – Monterey 20
 
Ace:  Cheyene Fann
Kills:  Cheyenne Fann 1, Emily Sissom 1, Rebekah Faulkner 3, Ariana Kailiponi 2, Abbey Spry 1
Assist:  Rebekah Faulkner 1, Ariana Kailiponi 1
Block:  Rebekah Faulkner 2
Tip:  Cheyenne Fann 1, Emily Sissom 3, Rebekah Faulkner 6, Ariana Kailiponi 3, Abbey Spry 2, Marion Wallace 1
Digs:  Rebekah Faulkner 1, Ariana Kailiponi 3, Marion Wallace 1
 
 

A local former teaching and coaching legend in the Cannon County school system passed away earlier today from complications of an automobile accident.  Coach Mike Mayfield passed away around 12 noon Tuesday at the Vanderbilt Medical Center.  Coach Mayfield was involved in a one car accident on East Main Street in Murfreesboro close to Central Middle School on Friday September 14th.  He had been in the hospital since.  Coach Mayfield was an inspiration to the many that he taught and coached throughout his high school teaching and coaching career which began in the 1970s. He was on the current Cannon County Board Of Education.  Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced later by the Woodbury Funeral Home.  To leave a memory for the family or to sign Coach Mayfield’s online guest book, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net  

Just what is it that needs to be done to the Adams Office Building in order for early voting to be held at the Election Offices?  The answer seems kind of unclear.  Recently the State Fire Marshall’s Office came out and did an inspection of the Adams Office Building which houses the Election Offices, Cannon County SAVE, Veterans office amongst other offices.  After the inspection, the fire marshall listed 18 violations that needed to be corrected in order for the building to stay open.  The Cannon County Election Commission called an emergency meeting to gather ideas on what to do to get back in compliance so that the building would be open when early voting starts.  They decided to make sure that the back door would be open during early voting hours, put together an emergency plan diagram to display in the building and provide a volunteer firefighter to walk the grounds to make sure there are no fire hazards throughout the early voting periods.  The Commission felt that by taking these steps that it show the fire marshall that improvements would be done.  The other option if he didn’t okay the efforts was that the Election Office would have to find temporary housing for the Early Voting period. WBRY-News talked to County Executive Mike Gannon who offered a slightly different take on the situation.  Gannon said he discussed with the Fire Marshall at the time of inspection that they had no intentions of closing the building down for Early Voting.  Gannon is working with an engineering company Hailey and Associates to see what options there are to bring the building in compliance.  Gannon says the only stipulation that has to be done for Early Voting to be held in the Election offices is that the back doors which are connected to the Cannon County Ambulance Service must be unlocked and accessible during the Early Voting hours.  Documents were provided not only by the Election Offices that detailed the 18 violations but also provided by Christopher Garrett, spokesman of the State Fire Marshall’s Office.  When WBRY News asked specific questions about the violations and what needed to be done to keep the building open, Mr. Garrett would not comment outside of the documents that were previously sent..
 

WHERE:         CANNON COUNTY COURTHOUSETIME:              6:00 PMDate:               TUESDAY                   OCTOBER 2nd, 2012 1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (9-4-12)
3. TREASURERS REPORT / STATUS OF TENNANTSOLD BUSINESS:

THC SELECT LEASE AGREEMENT

PHONE / MAILBOX / OFFICE SPACE / BROCHURE

CRANE INTERIORS BUILDING REPAIR / MAINTENANCE / ROOF REPAIR

CO-SIGN CHECKS / ESTABLISH SEPARATE BANK ACCOUNT FOR THE IDB

PC DISPOSAL STATUS

INDUSTRIAL PARK LAND ISSUE (REMINDER FOR NOVEMBER)           
NEW BUSINESS:
1. REPRESENTATION ON JOINT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD-CANNON COUNTY
2. RECOMMEND A MEMBER TO REPRESENT IDB ON U.C.A.D. BOARDNEXT MEETING: (THURSDAY) NOVEMBER 8th, 2012 AT CANNON COUNTY COURTHOUSE 6:00 PM
 

A new general surgeon will be joining the Stones River Specialty Clinic in October.  Beginning October 10th Dr. James Van Winkle General Surgeon will be offering his consultation and surgical services.  He will have a bi-weekly clinic that will be held on the second and fourth Wednesday afternoons of each month.  Dr. VanWinkle  accepts most major medical insurance plans.  If you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact the main office at 615-563-5675

Taxpayer money has been used to cover $2 million for travel expenses, meals and entertainment, mobile communications devices and subsidies for a training complex and resort property used by the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency, an investigation by the Comptroller’s Division of Investigations has revealed. 
Among other issues, investigators found that agency officials spent nearly $60,000 on an annual trip to Washington, D.C., more than $1.6 million to subsidize its training complex and resort property, $123,000 for gift certificates for training events, more than $100,000 annually on 160 mobile communication devices for employees, and thousands of dollars for extravagant meals and entertainment.
 
The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency serves 14 counties in the Cumberland Plateau region with a 63-member board comprised of various county and city mayors and derives the vast majority of its funding from state and federal governments.
 
The Comptroller’s investigative report, which was released today, details how agency officials made tens of thousands of dollars in disbursements for non-public purposes in 2011 alone.
 
Investigators found numerous receipts from a March 2011 trip to Washington, D.C., apparently for 30 agency officials, employees and guests to meet with their members of Congress. On several occasions during the trip, officials charged more than $3,000 per meal for lavish dinners including alcohol.  On a single meal at Washington’s Oceanaire Seafood Room, 34 agency guests consumed nearly $5,000 in food, including over 30 alcoholic beverages.  The costs of such extravagant meals were typically split between two agency credit cards, ostensibly to conceal the high costs.
 
During the same Washington trip, the agency spent $1,255 for officials, employees and guests to attend a performance at Ford’s Theatre, $289 for a visit to Madame Tussauds wax museum and $284 for a trip to Mount Vernon.
 
In addition to expensive annual trips to Washington, agency officials made frequent trips to Nashville each year, charging expensive meals and alcoholic beverages on agency credit cards for purposes of entertaining agency board members and legislators.  In February 2010, for example, the agency spent $2,361 for 25 guests at Morton’s Steakhouse, dividing the dinner check among three agency credit cards.  In August 2010, seven guests were treated to $85 in pre-dinner cocktails before an $807 dinner at Morton’s at the agency’s expense.  In October 2010, the agency spent nearly $10,000 to have its annual meeting in October 2010 catered and more than $8,500 for a staff holiday party in December 2010. 
 
The human resource agency provided its training and resort property, Lakeside Resort and Educational Training Complex, at least $1,696,928 in subsidies since 1995, according to the Comptroller’s report.  Even though there appeared to be no effort to recover this financial support, the agency recorded this receivable as an asset on the financial records, yet wrote off the entire debt in 2010 as uncollectable.
 
“Whether money comes from federal, state or local government, it is all public money that should be spent for proper public purposes,” Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said. “When taxpayers see their money being spent for the purposes outlined in this audit, it erodes their faith in government. I encourage leaders of the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency to take steps to ensure these types of expenses don’t occur in the future.”   
 
The Comptroller’s office continues its review of the Upper Cumberland Development District and a separate report will be issued on that matter at a later date.

A Murfreesboro woman was placed under arrest last week for her 5th offense of Driving Under The Influence.  36 year old Deanna J. Collins of Annelle Road in Murfreesboro was pulled over by Woodbury Police Officer John House on West Main Street and charged with DUI 5th offense.  Ms. Collins’s driver’s license status came back revoked.  She was charged with Driving on Revoked License 2nd offense.  The charges didn’t end there however as while Officer House was placing Collins under arrest she allegedly began to pull away and kick at Officer House.  Added charges of resisting arrest were placed against her.  Ms. Collins is currently out on bond.  She is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court on Tuesday October 23rd  

The Early Voting Location might be moved from the Cannon County Election Offices if improvements aren’t immediately made to the Old Adams Hospital Building in which the office is being housed at on 301 West Main Street.  A recent inspection by the Tennessee State Fire Marshall’s office found 18 deficiencies in the building.  Some of the violation include the sprinkler system and alarm system needs annual inspections, exit light are required, a safety electrical inspection needs to be done, doors at the end of the hall are locked, corridors are obstructed, and there’s no emergency plan in place and documented for the facility.  The Cannon County Election Commission called an emergency meeting last night to discuss the reports and talk about solutions.  After brainstorming for over an hour it was decided to make sure that the doors at the end of the hall which connects to the Cannon County Ambulance Service are unlocked during early voting which begins October 17th.  Chairman Matt Studd will talk to Ambulance Director Ricky Cope about making sure the doors are unlocked and memo passed along to the ambulance staff noting the requirement for the doors to remain unlocked during early voting hours.  Since the sprinkler system, lights and fire alarms aren’t working at first it was discussed about buying smoke alarms as a possible fix.  The Fire Marshall’s office suggested a firewatch which is paying a volunteer firefighter to patrol the grounds looking for fire hazards.  The Election Commission also agreed to get a emergency plan drawn up and posted in the building.  After they get all three of these items completed, they will then submit these improvements for the State Fire Marshall to sign off on.  If the Fire Marshall determines that these items that are being worked on are a show of improvements, he will sign off on allowing the building to continue to be occupied.  If the Fire Marshall determines the opposite, the Election Commission have come up with 4 building spaces to look into to temporary house Early Voting.  Efforts will be concentrated on upgrading the current offices with Early Voting just more than two weeks away.