Jay Leno joked Monday night about a Chattanooga Times Free Press item that reported that former Sheriff Billy Long had promised to take students to the Hamilton County Jail.

At a County Commission meeting two days before Mr. Long’s arrest on federal money laundering, gun, drug and extortion charges, Commissioner Greg Beck discussed a plan with Mr. Long to show students the costs of crime by taking them on a tour of the jail. Upon reading the item, “The Tonight Show” audience erupted in laughter. “Kids, this is my room!” Mr. Leno joked, speaking as if he were Mr. Long.

MYSTERY DVD FOR GOP

Attendees at Monday night’s forum for Republican Hamilton County sheriff candidates had a gift under their windshield wipers: A DVD of a documentary titled “America: Freedom to Fascism.”

The movie’s title was written on the DVDs in marker.

The 110-minute film argues that the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution never was ratified by enough states, and therefore the federal income tax is illegal.

According to the U.S. Government Printing Office, 42 of the 48 states ratified the amendment between 1909 and 1913. For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.

Hamilton County Republican Party Chairwoman Connie Weathers said she had not heard any feedback from party members about the DVD.

ETHICS COMMISSION:

IT WASN’T A GLITCH

Though about 100 personal financial disclosure reports for local officials were lost in a Jan. 8-9 glitch, Tennessee Ethics Commission Director Bruce Androphy said many forms simply were not completed. Mr. Androphy said many officials believed they had completed the form, but they had not fully turned it in on the Ethics Commission’s Web site. He said many officials did not press the confirm button or thought they were finished after creating a Tennessee.gov user account. “You’ve got to get that confirmation,” he said. About 1,000 forms are missing, Mr. Androphy said. Officials were required to turn in their forms by Feb. 15.

EAT OUT, HELP THE HOMELESS

More than 10 area restaurants are taking part in an initiative where they give a portion of their Tuesday night profits to the Interfaith Homeless Network of Greater Chattanooga. The “Tuesdays in April” program will take part each Tuesday night of the month. As of last week, the restaurants are: Big River Grille (downtown and Hamilton Place), Bluewater Grille, Back Inn Café, Broad Street Grille in the Chattanoogan Hotel, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Easy Seafood Company, FoodWorks, Outback Steakhouse (Hamilton Place and Hixson), St. John’s Restaurant, St. John’s Meeting Place, Sticky Fingers (all three locations) and Sushi Nabe (North Shore). Participating eaters are asked to tell their server they are there for the Interfaith initiative. For more information, go to www.ihnchattanooga.org.

RAMSEY AT PACHYDERM

Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey will be the speaker at Monday’s Hamilton County Pachyderm Club meeting. The lunch event will be held at Niko’s Southside Grill, at 1400 Cowart St., at noon. The local Republican Party organization meets on Mondays.