COMMUNITY 3 | OUR COLUMNISTS 4-6 | YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS 7
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VOL. 6, NO. 45
NOVEMBER 5, 2011
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Hoedown!
Beloved bridge A history of the Clinch River Bridge See page 4
Dark in the Park Cuties in costume! See page 2
Jerry Tharp and Caroline White made worthy opponents during a round of cornhole at the farmers market. The cornhole boards were made from sassafras wood by Rick Riddle. FEATURED COLUMNIST DR. BOB COLLIER
New Critters! Smokies home to thousands of newlydiscovered species. See story on page 6 Donna and Rick Riddle make their way down the line of the Virginia Reel during the farmers market in Union County. Photo by Ruth White
ONLINE Band members Eric Holcomb, Caleb Dyer, Earl Bull and Josh Campbell entertain the crowd at the farmers market.
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4509 Doris Circle 37918 (865) 922-4136 news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Cindy Taylor brentcindyt@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES Shannon Carey shannon@ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 4509 Doris Circle, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 11,000 homes in Union County.
Board lists reasons to fire Goforth By Shannon Carey Director of Schools Wayne Goforth should be fired, members of the school board said Wednesday, but on advice of their attorney, Mary Ann Stackhouse, the board put Goforth on administrative leave with full pay and benefits at least until a hearing Nov. 21. The school board voted Oct. 19 to suspend Goforth without pay and named Marilyn Toppins as interim schools director. School board member Danny Wayne Collins read from a prepared statement and cited six reasons to terminate Goforth’s contract for cause: ■ Neglect of duty for failing to solicit bids for the new Horace Maynard Middle
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School gym floor, the cost of which exceeded $10,000. ■ Neglect of duty and inefficiency for failing to solicit bids for $101,612 worth of computers and a $19,826 telephone and intercom system for the new Paulette Elementary School. ■ Neglect of duty for failing to comply with local policy and federal standards regarding unpaid school lunch charges. ■ Incompetence and neglect of duty for allowing expenses to exceed appropriations in five school funds. ■ Incompetence and neglect of duty for approving and writing checks for which there was not money available in the bank. Collins alleges that Goforth knew a loan from the County Mayor’s Office had not
been approved by the state comptroller, and the Trustee’s Office had to cover, then stop school checks. ■ Conduct unbecoming a professional educator, inefficiency and neglect of duty for Goforth’s avoidance during a Sept. 9 County Commission meeting of a letter sent home to parents about the budget situation. The charges were all approved by the same vote of Danny Wayne Collins, David Coppock, Don Morgan, and Billy Sexton for, Mark Devault, Gerald Smith and Brian Oaks against. Oaks recused himself from the letter vote, citing conflict of interest. Oaks’ wife, Susan Oaks, a central office employee, helped draft the letter in question. The four board mem-
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Herb Moncier. The lawsuit demands that those four board members pay Goforth’s remaining salary out of their own pockets. After the meeting, Moncier said the lawsuit stands even though the board voted unanimously to put Goforth on administrative leave with pay. Moncier repeatedly addressed Collins, Coppock, Morgan and Sexton directly, implying that if they drop the charges against Goforth the lawsuit will be dropped as well. Stackhouse outlined the School board member Danny termination process. GoWayne Collins Photo by S. Carey forth may appeal termination to a state-approved bers voting to approve hearing officer whose decieach charge are the same sion can be challenged by four who voted to suspend either Goforth or the school Goforth without pay Oct. board in Chancery Court. 19, and they are the same Goforth’s contract with named in a civil lawsuit the school board expires filed by Goforth’s attorney, June 30, 2013.
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