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Chattanooga Update - August 15, 2013

106 views · Published 15 August 2013 · 5:09 · Indexed 20 October 2026

Channel: chattanooga times free press · 2013 · News & Politics

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Chattanooga police say a person was shot in the face on 4th Avenue this morning.

But because the victim survived, there's a higher chance police will never find the suspect.

A new analysis shows that most nonfatal shootings in Chattanooga stay unsolved.

If someone dies in a shooting, there's a 62 percent chance that police will make an arrest.

But if the victim lives, that number drops to just 33 percent.

Police Chief Bobby Dodd says he hopes to improve those percentages.

The police department is adding 40 more officers -- including 20 new detectives.

But even then the ratio will be one officer for every 352 residents.

And even with the extra manpower, the department will still have fewer officers per capita than it did 13 years ago.

So far this year there have been 81 shootings with 96 victims. At the same time last year, there had been 57 shootings with 65 victims.
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If you're a smoker you've undoubtedly noticed that the number of smoke-friendly restaurants, festivals, and workplaces in the Chattanooga area has been shrinking.

Still, smokers still have the great outdoors: smoking is permitted in Chattanooga parks and public spaces.

But for how long?

The number of outdoor smoking bans in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the past five years, and more than 800 cities have banned smoking in parks.

Now Tobacco-Free Chattanooga says it would like to see all public parks smoke free, and an ordinance presented to the city council.

Councilman Chris Anderson says a public smoking ban is something he believes the city has been progressing toward.

And the Health Department's tobacco prevention coordinator says she'd like to see smoke-free areas everywhere in the city.
Right now, 20 percent of people in Hamilton County smoke. That's slightly below the state average and slightly above the national average.

Researchers say there's not clear medical evidence that cigarette smoke outdoors can harm people walking by. But advocates say the bans help keep the streets clean and parents happy.
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Demolition has begun on the old Red Bank Middle School.
The building was built in 1938, but with a newly constructed school, it's no longer needed.
Red Bank's mayor says town hall meetings will be held to decide how best to use the property. Perhaps it may even become a park.
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State senator Stacey Campfield has introduced a "merry Christmas' bill for Tennessee.

He says the bill will assure students and teachers have a legal right to say Merry Christmas and to have a Christmas tree in their classroom.

And while he's unaware of a specific case where Christmas has become an issue in Tennessee schools, the senator says he knows of people afraid of lawsuits and passing the bill would provide them with reassurance.
 The executive director of the ACLU in Tennessee says quote, "Senator Campfield is envisioning a problem that does not exist. ...Legislators should not be filing legislation just to be wasting paper, and this seems to be one of the things that would be in that category."
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A House investigative panel says there's enough evidence against 10th Judicial District Attorney Steve Bebb to continue a process to remove him from office.
A Times Free Press series published last year detailed wide-ranging allegations of misconduct by Bebb and people he supervised. Those included allegations of rampant financial misconduct in the Drug Task Force, including a chief who spent thousands of dollars of public money on dining, travel and motels for himself and a female agent.
Rep. Tony Shipley says the action has been handled very deliberately because it's unique to try to remove a district attorney who has not been charged with a crime or lost his law license.
But he said there has been quote "an overwhelming desire to restore the trust of the people of Tennessee."
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A Chattanooga lawyer has been suspended for 9 months for ethical misconduct.

Attorney H. Owen Maddix was representing Theodore and Nancy Hayes in a civil action regarding a business dispute with the husband's partner.

Trying to collect money owed to his client, Maddux sent letters to customers telling them to make payments to him and that he would deposit the money with the court. Instead, he reportedly gave the money to Theodore Hayes.
A release said his actions violated rules of truthfulness and professional conduct.
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Finally, a Chattanooga company is expanding and adding 53 new jobs in the area.

Plastic cup maker WNA Chattanooga plans to invest $22 million dollars in a new production line.

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