Tag: Bradley County

Australian Titanium Company to Build First U.S. Plant in Bradley County

Peter D'Abrosca

An Australian company that manufactures titanium alloy is coming to Bradley County, according to a release from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD). 

Amaero International Limited will build invest $54.9 million in a manufacturing, research and development (R&D) facility in Cleveland. The R&D facility will serve as the company’s global headquarters. The company will create 105 new jobs in Bradley County. 

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Activists in Bradley County Request Government Owned Broadband Network Planned for Cleveland, Tennessee to be Approved by a Referendum

Kaitlin Housler

Leaders of four citizen groups representing “thousands of conservatives in Cleveland and Bradley County” have sent a letter to the City of Cleveland and its utility department, Cleveland Utilities, calling for the city’s proposed multi-million dollar broadband internet service plan to be approved by a referendum of the voters.

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Activists in Cleveland, Tennessee Oppose Government Owned Network for Broadband Project

Kaitlin Housler

Leaders of three citizen groups representing “thousands of conservatives in Cleveland and Bradley County” have sent a letter to the city of Cleveland and its utility department, Cleveland Utilities, announcing their opposition to the city’s proposed multi-million dollar broadband internet service plan.

Currently under review by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Cleveland and Cleveland Utilities have proposed a government-owned broadband network (GON), costing an estimated $72 million.

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Bradley County Schools Wants $362 for Simple Open Records Request

Chris Butler

Members of the Bradley County School System will not comply with an open records request unless The Tennessee Star pays them $362.54. This week The Star submitted open records requests to officials at several school districts throughout Tennessee. Specifically, we requested copies of any emails any school principals sent since Jan. 1 of this calendar year that mentioned vouchers, Educations Savings Accounts, or Senate Bill 795. Bradley was one of several county school districts The Star contacted. Members of the Tennessee General Assembly are currently debating the bill. As The Star reported, SB795 is Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Savings Account bill. In an emailed statement, Director of Schools Linda Cash said that by Tennessee law a records custodian may require payment for actual costs incurred in making copies of public records. “It has been determined that the cost to produce the records you requested is estimated at $362.54,” Cash wrote. “This letter should also serve as notification that upon receipt of payment, additional time will be necessary to ensure that any confidential information contained within the requested documents has been removed. The review of the records for confidential information may take at least three days.” [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/BUTLER_TNStar-records-request-cost-estimate_4-19-19.pdf”] Cash did…

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Cleveland, TN Utilities Employee Uses Utility Money on Personal Shopping Spree

Chris Butler

A Cleveland Utilities information technology clerk went on an eight-month spending binge and used $5,415 of utility funds on travel bags and wireless speakers, among other luxuries, according to a state audit released this week. Authorities charged the woman, Rexanna Wilson, 50, with theft. Wilson later pled guilty in Bradley County Sessions Court and paid restitution in full, said Cleveland Police spokeswoman Evie West, in an email to The Tennessee Star.  No contact information for Wilson was apparently available Wednesday, either on social media or through the telephone listings for her area. “Investigators determined the clerk spent at least $5,415 of utility funds between September 2017 and April 2018. She used the money to purchase at least 92 items including purses, travel bags, wallets, headphones, wireless speakers, woodworking tools, and other items for her personal use,” according to a press release from the Tennessee Comptrollers’ Office. “The clerk frequently falsified purchasing documents by providing inaccurate descriptions of the items she bought. She also utilized the utilities’ tax-exempt status to avoid paying sales taxes.” Cleveland Utilities fired Wilson from her position last year. Comptroller’s worked the case alongside Cleveland Police officers and members of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, according to the Comptrollers’ press…

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Report: Government Workers in Tennessee Steal Millions

Chris Butler
Tennessee Capital building

Local governments in Tennessee are short more than $3.75 million of taxpayer money they’re supposed to already have in their coffers, according to two new reports from the Tennessee Comptrollers’ Office. That’s because too many local government employees are stealing the money you worked so hard for — and they’re spending it on themselves, Comptrollers said in two new reports. The reports detail money that went missing during the most recent fiscal years.  One report profiled how much money went missing from local county governments — more than $971,000. Another report detailed cash shortages and other thefts for other local government entities, including internal school funds, utility districts, housing authorities, and nonprofits. For that, Comptrollers said there was a shortage of more than $2.7 million. Combined, both reports detail about 50 examples of government waste, fraud, and abuse in Tennessee. Among only a few of the examples: • An employee in the Bradley County Mayor’s Office, according to Comptrollers, paid fictitious persons for contracted services. That employee used that money, more than $15,000, for personal gain. • The Cocke County Office of Clerk and Master had a cash shortage of more than $101,000 due to theft and conversion of office…

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