http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/ Catoosa County, GA News http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/content/b9ef32dc7b5e8ca3390d61088b03c125.html Chattanooga Tenn ndash; Thanksgiving was the National Red Kettle Kickoff Day for The Salvation Army and a very busy day for the local Salvation Army After serving 681 meals from their McCallie Avenue location mostly served to the homebound and joining in Unity in the Community at the First Tennessee Pavilion serving 1780 meals the Salvation Army was blessed by a very generous donor On Thanksgiving Day an anonymous donor dropped 43 100 bills into the red kettle located outside WalMart on Battlefield ParkwayOver the weekend the Salvation Army staff came together to count the kettle money like they do every day; however this time it was much different than any other day Deanna LaFerry Salvation Army administrative assistant found in her kettle several bundles of 100 bills I saw the first bundle and was so excitedrdquo; she said ldquo;Then another and then another I yelled at everyone 'Look what I have in my kettlersquo; I wish I knew who donated this so I could say lsquo;thank yoursquo; and let them know how much of a blessing they are to those in needThe Salvation Army Red Kettle donations go to help those in need of assistance during the holidays and into the new year This year's Red Kettle goal is 300000 for the Chattanooga and Cleveland areas Honorary Christmas Chair Mayor Ron Littlefield said he feels confident that the community will respond to help The Salvation Army meet its goalAbout the Salvation ArmyAffiliation: The Salvation Army an international movement is an evangelical part of the universal Christian churchSocial services: Assist victims and relief workers in time of emergency or disaster; provide Thrift Store and food pantry; Transient Shelter provides men the physical assistance food a shower a safe place and the spiritual direction necessary to set goals and begin again The Federal Bureau of Prisons'Sanction Center halfway house allows men to regain selfrespect and prepare to reenter societyContact: 423 7561023 On the Web:Salvation ArmyCLICK ON THESE LINKSFEEDBACK: Send a letter to the editorSUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each WednesdayGO BACK:Return to our homepage http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/content/71879f2cb60fd9d944ecdd7295a428d8.html Catoosa County has settled the question about who will provide its ambulance serviceCommissioners voted unanimously to choose Angel Medical Services to provide service throughout the countyCatoosa County Attorney Clifton SkipPatty said that all three counties opened the proposals for service on Nov 26 He said Central Ambulance Care Ambulance and Vital Care were disqualified for various reasons leaving Lifeguard and AngelLifeguard offered three ambulances for 24hour service with one supervisor for 187000 and Angel offered three ambulances 24 hours per day two during peak hours and one supervisor for 150000Catoosa County paid 122500 to Hutcheson for ambulance services under its contract according to Catoosa County Chief Financial Officer Carl Henson The cost is 27500 more than Hutcheson was receivingDewayne Wilson Angel Medical Services president and chief executive officer said that he is excited about the opportunity that his company is being provided The company previously provided the service in the western part of the county with no subsidyWilson said his company will be expanding its fleet currently eight ambulances to better serve the communityIn relation to the 89 Hutcheson employees who will be losing their jobs Dec 31 he said We can now start taking applicationsBackground:County officials open bids from potential ambulance service providersCounties will meet to determine ambulance service Hutcheson discusses ambulance service optionsBidding begins for threecounty ambulance servicesThe company which also provides nonemergency transport currently has 103 employees serving both Tennessee and GeorgiaWhether their company will be able to absorb the majority of those being laid off will depend on votes later in the week he saidWalker and Dade counties are expected to make their decision about who will serve their counties in separate meeting on Dec 4If we get all three counties we will be able to hire the majority of themhe saidCatoosa Commissioner Dewayne Hill said he was not the one that sifted through the proposals but based on information provided this is the best choiceAngel had more interest in the communityhe said More than just a financial interest They help the county in a lot of ways but that is not the only reason Itiexcl;brvbar;s the amount of service we get for the dollarHe said its simply more coverage for less costChairman Bill Clark said after looking at all the pros and cons It's the best quantity and quality for the taxpayerIn other business Tuesday Dec 2 at the Governmental Building the Catoosa County Board of Commissioners voted to: Appoint Bob Peck Scott Lybrand Chairman William HH Clark and Commissioner Jim Emberson to the Catoosa County Development Authority Other candidates were Andy Anderson Danielle Hooper Roger Bowman Jr Robert iexcl;Jeffiexcl;uml; Wolford Ralph Mayo and Thomas Haynes Clark and Emberson abstained on their respective votes Reappoint Tony Henson and Jim Clark to the Catoosa County Tax Assessors Board Other candidates were LC Cripps Thomas Haynes Ralph Mayo and Jeff Wolford Reappoint Harold Silcox to the Public WorksSolid Waste Management Authority to elected official vacancy Other candidate was Phil Spencer Reappoint Jerry Hawthorne and Randy Smith to the Catoosa County Planning and Zoning Commission Other candidates were Danielle Hooper Bruce Tidwell Phillip Spencer Thomas Haynes Ralph Mayo and Jeff Wolford Reappoint Lana Duff Regional Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council Other candidates were Scott Radeker David Foster Thomas Haynes Ralph Mayo Appoint Thomas Haynes to the Northwest Georgia Regional Board Region 1 Mental Health Other candidate was Ralph Mayo Approve allocating funding from SPLOST special purpose local option sales tax available to the Catoosa County Development Authority for the purchase of 50 acres on Alabama Highway for 40000 per acre with 200000 down According to Catoosa County Attorney the authority will decide the final deal Ask the Georgia legislature to amend the act that formed the Catoosa County Public Works and Solid Waste Management authorities to pay all members of the board There was previously a stipulation that county elected officials serving on the board could not be paid the 100 per meeting Young said Approve a change order relating to the Blevins Acres sewerage contract reducing the contract by 4629136 Approve the chairman signing a letter allowing Catoosa County to participate in a 6 million grant the Coosa Valley Regional Development Office is accepting from the Department of Community AffairsCLICK ON THESE LINKSFEEDBACK: Send a letter to the editorSUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each WednesdayGO BACK:Return to our homepage http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/content/34aeaf922f769ec77592ebe44b029de8.html Catoosa election officials received a steady turnout for the runoff election as 11718 cast ballots of the 35789 registered voters during Early Advance and on Election Day Catoosarsquo;s general election runoff Dec 2 brings a year of six elections to an endIn the race for Superior Court Judge of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit two Catoosa County attorneys were seeking the seat of retiring Superior Court Judge Ralph Hill Jr Voters in Chattooga Walker and Dade and Catoosa counties chose Brian House 46 over Larry Stagg 42 In the runoff circuit wide House drew 15863 votes and Stagg received 10778 votesIn Catoosa County Lauren McDonald R won in the Public Service Commissioner over Jim Powell D McDonald drew 8013 votes while Powell secured 2941 votesSara Doyle won locally in her bid for Georgia Appeals Court Judge Nonpartisan against Mike Sheffield Doyle took 4755 votes to Sheffieldrsquo;s 4582 votesThese unofficial results are with all precincts in Catoosa reporting except for four provisional ballots including 729 paper absentee ballots eight of nine precincts reporting in Dade 13 of 14 precincts reporting in Chattooga and 19 of 20 precincts reporting in WalkerHouse stood by all evening at Catoosa Hall watching the numbers come in until it was apparent he was the winnerldquo;Irsquo;rsquo;ll keep my promise Irsquo;ll work hard Irsquo;ll be fair to everybody and apply the law to the facts as I promisedrdquo; he said ldquo;I want to thank everybody I had a big support group I want to thank them all for their helprdquo;House earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and then continued at the University of Tennessee to complete his law degree He practices with his own firm the Law Office of Brian House in RinggoldHouse will take office in JanuaryIn the US Senate race between Saxby Chambliss R and Jim Martin D in Catoosa and Walker Chambliss won over Martin with 16525 votes to Martinrsquo;s 7456 votesStaff writer Rachel Brown contributed to this articleCLICK ON THESE LINKSFEEDBACK: Send a letter to the editorSUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each WednesdayGO BACK:Return to our homepage http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/content/3eeb3e36876c63430898dfda5b9d78b9.html Well it may not be a fullfledged reunion of the Gold City Quartet but it certainly contains three former members with Jay Parrack and Jonathan Wilburn and Jeff Hullender ldquo;I am excited about this yearrsquo;s event especially with the talent that we haverdquo; Hullender said ldquo;To get this type of talent and for them to donate their time is an incredible giftrdquo;An Evening of Gold a gospel concert to benefit Stockings Full of Love program is Friday Dec 5 at 7 pm at Tiger Creek Elementary School 134 Rhea McClanahan Drive near US Highway 41 and Georgia Highway 2 south of Ringgold Ga The event will feature Parrack winner of two time Singing News Awards Favorite Tenor singerParrack is originally from Smackover Arkansas and is the son of a tenor singer His desire to do the same was realized when he accepted the tenor position with the Gold City Quartet of Gadsden Ala He remained with the group for a little longer than 10 years He and his wife Keri have two children Kaylyn and LJ He serves as Minister of Music for Hill Crest Baptist Church of Anniston Ala Also participating is Wilburn a fivetime Singing News Awards Favorite Lead singer who also traveled with the Gold City Quartet for more than 10 years His musical heritage descends from the time he spent performing with his parents as Jackie and ElaineHullender who played bass with Gold City Quartet will appear with his family including his children Justin 20 who sings baritone and plays guitar and Emily 15 who sings soprano or tenorHe added he is pleased to have Pipeline a quartet from Peavine Baptist Church as part of the lineupldquo;Gene Lowery is a constant in our community and is always willing to help out in benefitrdquo; he saidThe group features Judge Lowery singing lead Tim Cooper on baritone Eddie Cooper with the tenor and Eric Edwards on bassldquo;We want to encourage everybody to come out and support this event that helps so many families in our communityrdquo; Lowery said ldquo;With Jay Parrack and Jonathan Wilburn nobody could ask for a better evening of gospel musicrdquo;Admission is an unwrapped toy and 5 or 10 without a toy For more information call 423 7792456CLICK ON THESE LINKSFEEDBACK: Send a letter to the editorSUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each WednesdayGO BACK:Return to our homepage http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/content/bc4a713314d8b615c5d8bd7ad1d6c9b9.html UCTV3 and the City of Fort Oglethorpe are trying something new this year to raise money to buy toys for needy childrenOn Dec 6 from 8 am to 3 pm the two sponsors will host the first Market at the Post Station owner Judy Orsquo;Neal said this will be the first yard sale fundraiser in what organizers plan to make a biannual tradition to raise money for Stocking Full of Love headed up by sheriffs in Walker County and Catoosa County UCTV has supported the charities for yearsldquo;We wanted to do something different for a fundraiser this yearrdquo; Orsquo;Neal said ldquo;Wersquo;d like to raise 5000rdquo; through the yard saleMarket at the PostWho: Sponsored by UCTV3 and the City of Fort OglethorpeWhat: Yard sale craft and new or used itemsWhen: Dec 6 8 am to 3 pmWhere: The old polo field on Barnhardt CircleWhy: To benefit Stocking Full of LoveCost: 25 for a 15foot by 30foot rental space or 40 for a 20foot by 40foot spaceContact: 706 8663677Chris McKeever executive director of the 6th Cavalry Museum said the event takes advantage of this yearrsquo;s sluggish economy Fort Oglethorpe partially funds the museum which is on Barnhardt Circleldquo;People are fearing that a lot less money will be coming in to help outrdquo; she saidOrsquo;Neal said vendors will get to keep their proceeds while the fees for their spaces will go toward the charities Live entertainment inflatables for children to play on and a bake sale and concessions stands will also be available to help raise fundsRegister by stopping by the UCTV office at 100 First St Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pmThe rain date for the event is Dec 13For more information contact UCTV at 706 8663677CLICK ON THESE LINKSFEEDBACK: Send a letter to the editorSUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each WednesdayGO BACK:Return to our homepage http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/content/9893d2b8382f7c5a37bde0f7f9f0dc03.html Just in time for the Christmas holidaysThe Community Playerspresent Dickens'Told Twice with Mr Scrooge's and Tiny Tim's Christmas at The ColonnadeNov 28 and 29 at 7:30 pmDec 5 and 6 at 7:30 pmDec 6 at 10 amTickets are 11 for adults and 9 for students and seniorsCall 7069359000 to get your tickets http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/content/f60b6bb03a7e004c0ecc1c682accc40c.html Video:VIDEO: Watch Jernard Wells prepare Skinny Dipping Cocktail Shrimp during a recent presentation at UnikTingsThe difference in Chef Jernard Wellrsquo;s cooking is that itrsquo;s prepared with love he saysChef Jernard Wells was at UnikTings in Ringgold recently preparing his wifersquo;s favorite demonstration dish ndash; Skinny Dipping Cocktail ShrimpA saucy combination of sauteacute;ed shrimp and vegetables served over rice the entreacute;e is one of Wellsrsquo;s hundreds of original recipes The former Mississippianrsquo;s cooking style pairs emotions and romance with food and drink for a presentation that is spicy but tastefulldquo;Food and love go hand in handrdquo; Wells says ldquo;I have just brought it all together to show people how to use it to spice things uprdquo;He plans to open Bon Appetite a French and Cajun style sandwich shop at 41 Tennessee St by Dec 1 It will be the 29yearold chefrsquo;s third restaurant and he said he plans to offer cooking classes for lovers teens dieters and people on a budgetTherersquo;s a spicy side to Wells who has eight children with his wife Keena; and therersquo;s a milder side For example one of his latest cookbooks ldquo;88 Ways to Her Heart: Cooking for Loversrdquo; features recipes like Get Nasty Nachos Wow Her Wings and Cuddle Her Cobbler all of which were created for his wifeHis sandwich shop menu names are a little more muted and include Crescent Cajun Turkey Sandwich Chicken Salad Sandwich and House salad For local flair therersquo;s also the Ringgold Infusion Sandwich and hot wings and pizzas are also availableChildhood dreamsAs a 10yearold child Wells dreamed about cooking ndash; literallySometimes it was about infused steak injected with honey or other ingredients Whatever Wells dreamed about he prepared when he woke up that dayFinally his mother told him to start writing down the recipes he prepared so he began keeping his own collection of documented original creations By age 16 Wells was looking for a nice car and a way to earn enough money to buy it He surprised his mother by announcing that he wanted to open a restaurant out of the family kitchen and she surprised him by insisting he do it the ldquo;rightrdquo; way The two drove into town where Wells spent 5 for a license then went to the grocery store where his mother informed him he owed her 10 for gas He spent the rest of his savings on ingredients but by the end of his first week in business he had made 150The next week he made 500 he said and by summerrsquo;s end he had made 9000 ndash; more than enough to buy his car By then he was more interested in cooking than in dating so he bought a 500 ldquo;junk carrdquo; and decided to also do deliveryldquo;Thatrsquo;s one of the best feelings to have someone love something that you createdrdquo; he saidFrench flairWells opened his first restaurant The All New Deli at age 21 in Holly Springs Miss It was a bistro style deli he owned and ran for several years until he sold it and opened The Picnic Basket and The Ultimate Picnic Basket in Olive Branch Miss near Memphis Tenn By then the only things Wells lacked were credentials so he entered and paid his way through the Memphis Academy of Culinary Arts where he graduated about five years ago As part of his studies he traveled to Paris and New Orleans His dishes now all tend to have a Cajun and French flair he saidAbout two years ago Wells signed contract with publishing company AuthorHouse which prints his cookbooks He has also been on tour with Barnes Noble giving cooking demonstrations at stores around the country His Indianabased publishing company wanted him closer to the home office he said but the family didnrsquo;t want to live in IndianaThey decided to try somewhere new split the difference between Indiana and Mississippi and look in the Chattanooga Tenn arealdquo;I had never been here in my liferdquo; he saidPassionate plansKeena said her husband had become burnt out on running restaurants at one time after being the sole chef at his previous locations When the family moved to Ringgold about a yearandahalf ago he had planned to continue his cookbooks and tours and selling his line of spices herbs and blends He also has a chef clothing lineldquo;We tried to do other things but hersquo;s not real happyrdquo; with a ldquo;real jobrdquo; that doesnrsquo;t involve handson cooking she saidThe Love Chefrsquo;s Thanksgiving Turkey of LoveIngredients34 cup olive oil 4 tablespoons honey3 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil1 tablespoon brown sugar1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Salt to taste 1 12pound whole turkey DirectionsPreheat oven to 325 degrees F 165 degrees C In a small bowl mix the olive oil garlic rosemary basil brown sugar paprika honey black pepper and salt Set aside Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry Remove any large fat deposits Loosen the skin from the breast This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin Work it loose to the end of the drumstick being careful not to tear the skin Using your hand spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan Add about 14 inch of water to the bottom of the pan Roast in the preheated oven three to four hours or until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees F 80 degrees CWells said that when he received a ldquo;great offerrdquo; on the building he changed his mind about not opening another restaurant ldquo;I said lsquo;Why notrsquo; Everyone that lives in this city roughly between the ages of 16 and 55 are looking for something to dordquo;Keena said that while shersquo;ll keep her job at Blue Cross Blue Shield shersquo;ll also help her husband initially at Bon Appetiteldquo;I think itrsquo;s going to be a really good restaurantrdquo; she said ldquo;I think he makes good food because he enjoys what hersquo;s doingrdquo;Wells said he also prepares meals in the comfort of peoplersquo;s homes and has traveled the country for the past yearandahalf for that segment of his business While Wells said some people are amazed hersquo;s accomplished so much while still in his 20s he attributes his success to starting at an early ageHe said hersquo;s looking forward to opening the Ringgold restaurant which will seat about 30 people The walls are painted in sundried tomato and summer squash ndash; shades of red and yellow that Wells said will be the eateryrsquo;s theme colorsldquo;I just want it to be a nice atmosphererdquo; he saidCLICK ON THESE LINKSFEEDBACK: Send a letter to the editorSUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each WednesdayGO BACK:Return to our homepage http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/catoosa-county/content/20476b353a78e2d2c2f05faa7eace194.html Fort Oglethorpe officials say theyrsquo;ve fixed a sewer problem that has been plaguing the Steele Road areaCity Manager Ron Goulart said a pump station off the road leaked twice in the past several weeks and nearly leaked again over the weekendFort Oglethorpe is under a consent order from the Environmental Protection Division to pay a 500 fine every time the pond exceeds the boundaries set forth in their permit and a 1000 fine each time there is a spill into state waters like nearby West Chickamauga CreekFortunately Goulart said a city employee who drove by the pump station saw the problem before it occurred again and officials were able to fix a worn seal and make other repairs for about 5000ldquo;I hope to have that station out of service in two years and have that gravity fedrdquo; Goulart said referring to a largerscale sewer project the city is undertaking that will help eliminate many of the pump stationsThe station was repaired the day of the Nov 24 council meetingOther projectsFort Oglethorpe officials have been wrestling with major sewer expansion and rehabilitation projects for years and are under a consent order from the Environmental Protection Division in which theyrsquo;re fined for spills and closely monitoredBuilding Official Mark Lindsay said that as of Nov 20 workers lacked three feet on the bore under Cloud Springs Road The bore is for a connection to a sewer line that will run under the road and eventually over to Mack Smith Road and Battlefield ParkwayMayor Ronnie Cobb said hersquo;s asked the county to turn over funding for the project to the city Historically the county has overseen sewer projects in unincorporated areas and turned them over to the cities when they were completedCobb said he wants county officials to turn the money over to Fort Oglethorpe now and let the city complete its own projects He said city officialsrsquo; expertise and experience in handling the infrastructure would allow for more timely and efficient handlingldquo;Wersquo;re in the sewer business Wersquo;ve been here a long timerdquo; Cobb said ldquo;We need to be doing our ownrdquo;He said Fort Oglethorpe canrsquo;t bid out the next phase that runs to Mitchell Acres until the county finishes its work on laying sewer lines along Mack Smith Road because planners wouldnrsquo;t know where to tell an architect to tie onThey have a general idea of where the sewer lines will end but things can always change just like the Cloud Springs Road boring location had to be moved about 50 feet after fiber optic lines were discovered there Cobb saidThe next section of sewer will be north of Cloud Springs Road between Reynolds Drive and the bridge and it will cross under Cloud Springs Road and continue to the oxidation pond at Mitchell Acres where it can pump into the interceptor system Then the city will be able to decommission the pondThe next phase after that will travel from Battlefield Parkway to behind Rosewood Extended Care officials saidldquo;Hopefully we can get this next phase of the interceptor out by early springrdquo; Cobb said He said he expects the project would be complete in eight to 12 months after the bidding depending on rock and weather and wetland mitigation issues Probably the Mitchell Acres oxidation pond will be closed in oneandahalf years he saidldquo;I think we can apply at that time that that pond is decommissionedrdquo; to get out from under the consent order Cobb saidOn an unrelated topic Council Member Steve Brandon said at the meeting that comments that appeared in a story for the Nov 19 issue of The Catoosa County News should have said the process of bringing sewer to newly annexed homes on Dietz Road would be too expensive not that it would be one of the most expensive sewer projects ever undertakenOfficials said they donrsquo;t yet know the cost Cobb said running sewer to the homes would be relatively easy but Brandon said the nearest line is several hundred feet awayIn other business at one of the shortest council meetings this year members: Heard the second reading on an ordinance that allows employees and job applicants to respond to findings in drug and alcohol tests within five days of being notified of them The council is scheduled to vote after the next readingAuthorized a resolution relating to the Black Branch Trail Grant Phase III for which they plan to apply for a 100000 grant The project would extend the cityrsquo;s trail system which already stretches from City Hall to Gilbert Stephenson ParkWere introduced to Robert L Stultz the new city attorneyApproved the 2009 Annual Utilities Protection Center Inc contract for about 3200Reminded residents that the annual Christmas parade is Dec 6 at 6 pm and the annual tree lighting at City Hall will be Dec 2 from 7 pm to 8 pmCLICK ON THESE LINKSFEEDBACK: Send a letter to the editorSUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each WednesdayGO BACK:Return to our homepage