http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/ringgold/ Ringgold, GA News http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/georgia/ringgold/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/ringgold/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/ringgold/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/ringgold/content/765eb6b6e825717eff293785802081af.html Once again the Christmas Season is upon us For the twentysecond year the Catoosa County Sheriffrsquo;s Office will sponsor the Stocking Full of Love toy drive Each year the Sheriffrsquo;s Office accepts names of needy children from Catoosa County schools civic organizations and state agencies and provides toys for those children at Christmas Last year 1011 children received toys from the Stocking Full of Love because of generous donations from Catoosa County citizens This year beginning December 1 the Sheriffrsquo;s Office will begin collecting names of those children who would benefit from the program Names will be accepted until December 10 at 2:00 pm After that date donated toys will be sorted and more toys will be purchased with the monies donated to bring the joy of Christmas to hundreds of area childrenAnyone wishing to donate new toys can bring them to the Catoosa County Sheriffrsquo;s Office or contact the Sheriffrsquo;s Office to have the toys picked up at your residence or business when convenient Sheriff Summers stresses that the list of names continues to grow and the program is in great need of toy donations and monetary donations for the 2008 programAll monetary donations should be by check payable to the Catoosa County Stocking Full of Love and may be mailed to the Catoosa County Sheriffrsquo;s Office at PO Box 909; Ringgold GA 30736CLICK 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/ringgold/content/dc0f204323b9c06500c6c5b56cecc213.html Dozens turned out for the 10th Annual Communities in Schools Dinner this year themed the Graduation RoundUpJayme Elliott director of Communities In Schools of Catoosa County said the main focus of the event is to celebrate the organizationrsquo;s effort to create a community in which every student is inspired their family encouraged educators empowered and citizens are engaged ensuring that every child graduates high school with a purpose and directionThrough this effort the organization raises funds that help it accomplish many of the projects it undertakes throughout the yearThe event was hosted at Emerson Russellrsquo;s Renaissance Building in Rossville and was underwritten by Ringgold Telephone Co Tennessee Valley Authority Northwest Georgia Bank and Emerson Russellrsquo;s CateringStudents helping with the event acted as servers dressed in Western attire fully with cowboy hatsPrior to the event guests shared the opportunity to bid in a silent auction featuring a variety of items donated by a long list of patrons As guest milled around music began performed by Matt McFarland His band including Rich Terry John Cady and Jeff Murray to entertain during dinner later joined himEmerson Russell welcomed visitors to the event followed by comments by Chris Evans CIS Board Chair representing First Tennessee Bank and Donna Jackson CIS Board Vice Chair representing New Castle HomesEvans said that her favorite part of the CIS program was Intervention Day where teachers work with students to create an action plan to overcome obstacles that the students describe in their ability to learn and succeedElliott welcomed Neil Shorthouse statewide CIS president and the two of them honored CIS Board Member Angelo ldquo;Nubbyrdquo; Napolitano Performance Learning Center coordinator who will be retiring this yearldquo;This is astonishing what Nubby has donerdquo; he said ldquo;It all happens when you select the right leaderhellip; He believes in the students and the rose to the expectationsrdquo;Napolitano said that the recognition was a bit unsettling ldquo;The staff I work with is the best in the countyrdquo; he said He said the whole purpose was to allow kids to graduate that would have never done it or graduated on timePast CIS Board Member Mike Gurganus Ringgold Church of Christ pastor coordinated the live auction Among the many items were Coca Colarsquo;s ldquo;Coke For a Yearrdquo; a Roper Stove homemade cakes and a personal visit from the Big Red Guy aka SantaAuction donors included Shaw Industries Method Architecture Vision Hospitality Locomotion Promotions Cakemakers Dr Jason Webb Dentistry Build a Bear PLC Welding Program YMCA Janet Sims Casey Elliott Sports Stop Roper Corporation Hitson cabinets Sew Cool Embroidery Robert Hitchcox Lisarsquo;s Gold and Diamonds Advanced Auto Georgia Wines Ringgold Florist Merle Norman Auto Zone Blue Moon Cruises Hair Junkie Ellabags Starbucks of Fort Oglethorpe Chattanooga CocaCola Bottling Jayme Elliott Tammie Walker Donna Roach Premiere Jewelry Nelda Walker Kirklands Big Lots Scott Lane Digital Photography and all county schoolsElliott thanked all who attended and said with their support the program is able to provide the information support and encouragement that parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life Annually CIS provides more than 3000 books to students and 100 eye exams and glasses to children in need she saidTo find out more about how you can assist contact Jayme Elliott by phone at 706 8580529 or fax at 706 8614855CLICK 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/ringgold/content/810e370cd6a631e6e0cb84b574f0a153.html Each year Samrsquo;s Club chooses a teacher of the year based on nominations throughout the community and region which includes Alabama Georgia and Tennessee After being nominated from a parent of one of his students Jeff Crawford of Ringgold High School achieved the recognition of Teacher of the Year from Sams ClubCrawford would not accept the award alone as he feels the improvement in students lives is a joint effort This was more of a school award rather than an individual awardsaid Crawford Without Amy Bagby this could not be possibleCrawford is a product of the Catoosa school system and has taught 16 years at Ringgold High School The reason Crawford said he became a teacher was from an influential teacher he had while at Ringgold High school as a student ldquo;I had a psychology teacher Beverly Lewis she just made class fun and interesting to merdquo; said CrawfordIn addition to Crawford's teaching at Ringgold High school he also works with a mentoring program at Ringgold Elementary school to help students build self esteem Making students feel better about themselves helps them learnhe saidRinggold High School Principal Sharon Vaughn explained Crawfords role at Ringgold High as influential ldquo;I have 40 years of experience and I could not teach classes the way he doesrdquo; said Vaughn ldquo;He is the most patient teacher when it comes to studentsrdquo;In addition to bringing the school a 1000 award Vaughn and Crawford both agree in this bringing great pride to Ringgold High schoolCLICK 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/ringgold/content/2c371c22c7ba69d1fa3173fa6c826a2d.html The Catoosa County News invites readers to submit their favorite holiday recipes for publication Include a name city and contact information Participants are also welcome to include photographs or additional information about what makes the recipe special Wersquo;ll publish several of our top picks and all submissions will be used for the upcoming Catoosa Citizens for Literacy Cookbook The cookbook is a fundraiser project for the Catoosa County Learning Center and will be available next spring Send your favorite selections to The Catoosa County News PO Box 40 Ringgold Ga 30736 or email them to catoosacountynewscatoosanewscom Deadline is Friday Dec 5CLICK 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/ringgold/content/5f82b6ff55150dc4bda2b6b51c364dfb.html Ringgoldrsquo;s Down Home Christmas ParadeWhen: Friday Dec 5 at 6 pmFor participants: The Parade line up starts at 4:30 pm at the Ringgold High School parking lot The parade will travel on Sparks Street to US Highway 41 turn South and proceed to Western Atlantic Depot at Depot Street Float Contest winners will be announced during the parade Parade entry forms are available from Dr Ronal Grahamrsquo;s office at 896 LaFayette Street For information: 706 9352251Fort Oglethorpersquo;s ldquo;Fantasy of Lightsrdquo; ParadeWhen: Saturday Dec 6 at 6 pmFor participants: The parade will begin lining up at 5 pm Participants should come to the checkin point at Radio Shack to receive a number after the entire participating group is together It is easier to line the parade up if the groups meet together then come to the checkin point Candy will not be thrown due to safety precautions Candymay be handed out by walkers along the curbside during the parade Prizes for the best floats are sponsored by Capital Bank First Place is 300 Second Place is 150 and Third Place is 100 Floats will be judged on performance appearance and theme To be eligible for prizes the float must have at least two feet by three feet banner poster board size or bigger on the right side the passenger side of vehicle Please mail completed entry forms to Fort Oglethorpe Fire Rescue 201 Forrest Road Fort Oglethorpe Ga 30742 or fax to 706 8611041 Forms are available at wwwfofdfirecomFor information: Fort Oglethorpe Fire Rescue 706 8614194 or 706 8614059CLICK ON THESE LINKSFEEDBACK: Send a letter to the editorSUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each WednesdayGO BACK:Return to our homepage