Jim Winters, an independent candidate for Hamilton County sheriff in the Aug. 7 election, sued the city of East Ridge 31 years ago over what he claimed was a baseless firing.

According to Mr. Winters’ personnel file, then-police and fire Commissioner Charles Gass did not renew Mr. Winters’ commission as a police lieutenant. Mr. Winters said the firing violated the city charter, which stated he had a right to go before the City Commission for a hearing.

Mr. Gass claimed that Mr. Winters was not recommissioned because of financial reasons, and that the lack of a commission did not constitute a firing.

Chancellor Wilkes T. Thrasher dismissed the suit in September 1979, records show.

That same year, Mr. Winters unsuccessfully ran against Mr. Gass for the commissioner position.

Democratic sheriff nominee Greg Beck on Wednesday filed a suit against the city of Chattanooga, challenging an order that he step down from his job as a city court officer. A hearing in that case is scheduled for Friday.

A FEDERAL LOAN FOR FIBER?

EPB came to the Chattanooga City Council’s Economic Development Committee Tuesday to ask for approval to use federal Housing and Urban Development loan funds to bring their Fiber to the Home program more quickly to Alton Park.

Dan Johnson, Mayor Ron Littlefield’s chief of staff, said the funds come from a $5.4 million loan EPB would already be getting, but that the company would use them earlier. He said Fiber to the Home is chiefly a program to save energy, though it also includes television, telephone and Internet service.

Mr. Johnson and Mr. Littlefield said using the funds would help bring business and jobs to the area.

“It actually allows the capacity for individuals to work from home,” Mr. Littlefield said.

Council members asked David Wade, senior vice president of EPB’s electric system, for the company’s timeline for rolling out the Fiber to the Home initiative.

The committee approved the proposal for this week’s council agenda.

AN ARRESTING RUMOR

The rumor had certainly made its way into every lawyer’s ear, but attorney Jes Beard, it seemed, was safe and sound Monday — and not behind bars.

Attorneys at the Hamilton County Courthouse were asking reporters and each other if they had heard about an attorney getting arrested in Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman’s courtroom that morning.

The rumor had even spread to Red Bank, prompting Judge Johnny Houston to reschedule Mr. Beard’s appearance there that afternoon when he didn’t show up promptly at 3:00 p.m.

“I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Mr. Houston said.

As for Mr. Beard himself, responding to the rumor that the feds or the IRS were after him for whatever reason, he said the next day he had “no idea where that one came from.”

ELECTION COMMISSION READIES FOR VOTING

Bud Knowles, administrator of the Hamilton County Election Commission, said he plans to add an extra poll worker to each of the county’s precincts for the Aug. 7 elections. “We’ll try our best to make it comfortable,” Mr. Knowles told poll workers during a training session at the commission’s headquarters Thursday. Outside the session, Mr. Knowles said there are 97 active precincts in Hamilton County. Adding another worker per precinct will cost about $8,700 in additional expenses per election, he said. Training sessions are meant to help poll workers better understand how to do their jobs on election day, he said. Workers learned about various topics, including touchscreen voting machines and provisional ballots. Vida Tate, who has served as a poll worker for 24 years, said she values the education. “The training’s actually pretty good because it’s … hands on,” she said.

DISCUSSION ON DRUGS, CRIME WEDNESDAY

The Chattanooga Community Council Inc., a citywide nonprofit organization, will hold an open meeting to discuss ways to stop crime, drugs and murders. The meeting also will include discussions about health care and GED/job skills programs. The meeting will be held at at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Southside Recreation Center. For more information, call 653-7373 or 704-0771.