Newspaper Page Text
Seasoned
fire chief
taking
helm in
Pickens
Cherokee Fire / Photo
Tim Prather, who has
worked for over four
decades in fire services
including 10 years as
Cherokee County Fire
Chief will take over as
Pickens County’s Fire &
Rescue Chief in April.
Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Tim Prather, who has
served as the Cherokee
County Fire Chief since
2011 and who has a
decades-long career in fire
services, has been selected
as Pickens County’s new
Fire & Rescue Chief.
Pickens Commission
Chair Kris Stancil said
Prather, a lifetime resident
of Pickens County, was
hired following interviews
with four “incredible can
didates,” and that the
county is thrilled to have
someone of his caliber fill
the role. The position has
sat vacant since longtime
Pickens Fire & Rescue
Chief Sloan Elrod was
promoted to Pickens
County’s Public Safety
Director last year to over
see all public safety de
partments.
“I couldn’t have been
more pleased with the per
son or the knowledge he
will bring,” Elrod said.
“Fie has been through the
growth process that we
have been going through
and will continue to have.
The citizens of Pickens
County are in great hands
as Pickens County Fire &
Rescue moves forward.”
See Fire on 11A
Murdered
Pickens
sheriff and
deputy
recognized
over 150
years later
By Alex Goble
Staff Writer
agoble@. picken-
sprogress.com
On January 17, 1869,
at approximately 11 a.m.,
Pickens County’s Sheriff
Isaac McCleaird and
Deputy Joseph Brown
were shot.
They had been re
quested to assist in appre
hending an escapee from
Hamilton County, Tenn.
by the name of Joe
Richey. It was suspected
that Richey was inside a
home just a few miles
from Jasper, where Sheriff
McCleaird found him sit
ting at a table shaving.
Placing his hand on
Richey’s shoulder he told
him he was under arrest.
Richey bent down with
his razor still in hand and
drew a pistol from his
boot. He shot the sheriff
point blank in the chest,
killing him instantly.
Deputy Brown rushed into
the room and was shot
twice by Richey as he
made his escape on the
See Recognized on 12A
Whitestone landfill to reopen
after agreement reached
• Cutoff Road to be cut off from county maintenance?
• Sandy Bottoms rezoning approved
• County water & sewer bills available by email
A sign leading into the Whitestone Valley Construction and Demolition
Landfill in north Pickens. The site reopened Friday, March 4, the day after
commissioners signed a new agreement that will require the company undergo
more oversight, inspections, and follow certain stipulations.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
Commissioners have reached an
agreement with owners of the White
stone Valley Construction and Demoli
tion Landfill in Talking Rock to resume
operations.
The county issued a closing order
for the landfill in late December after
numerous violations were found, in
cluding the landfill accepting waste
from outside Pickens County and also
accepting household garbage, tires, and
mattresses, all of which violate county
codes. Nearby residents and business
owners - as well as motorists driving by
the operation in north Pickens just off
Highway 515- complained of noxious
odors. There were regular fires at the
site as well.
At the time the landfill was shut
down the company had $215,000 in
overdue tonnage fees due to the county,
which have since been paid.
Per the new agreement, discussed at
the regular March 3 commissioners’
meeting, there are now several stipula
tions the business must adhere to going
forward to “enhance health and welfare
of the residents and other stakeholders
of Pickens County,” said Commission
Chair Kris Stancil. Among stipulations
landfill owners have agreed to are:
Close monitoring of operations; bi
weekly covering of construction and
demolition waste; mulching; no accept
ance of scrap tires; creation of a fire
prevention plan to be approved by fire
marshal within 14 days and imple
mented within 21 days; restriction of
accepting construction and demolition
waste only; compliance inspections
that must be done within 24 hours’ no
tice; a host fee increase from $1 per ton
to $1.20 per ton to cover operational
changes for engineers to conduct in
spections.
The Monday following the Thurs
day meeting the landfill was opera
tional. An employee on site said they
Gennett Drive bridge repairs coming
Downtown bathrooms delayed,
CFO resigns, events approved
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
After nearly 12 months, it appears that the
bridge on Gennett Drive will be repaired fol
lowing Jasper City Council’s bid approval for
the project at their March meeting.
The bridge collapsed last March due to
flooding.
Bids for repairs came in significantly over
See Jasper on 12A
Angela Reinhardt / Photo
Lt. Chad Childers was recognized as an exemplary employee of the
Jasper Fire Department by council and Jasper’s Interim Police Chief
Matt Dawkins. Dawkins told council that Childers, who has been with
the department for 14 years, is dependable and considerate.
The interim chief relayed a story from February 2022 in which
Childers responded to a call where an elderly man accidentally drove
his vehicle into a convenience store building. After interviewing the
man, Childers discovered he was on a fixed income and was on the way
to get bread and bologna. Childers later took it upon himself to go get
groceries - including bologna - from the store with his personal money
and deliver them to the man. “Actions speak volumes to his character, ”
Dawkins said.
Qualifying ends Friday
A lot of interest for
commission seats; but not
for school board thus far
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
As of press time Tuesday afternoon,
a lot of interest was evident with can
didates seeking to qualify for the two
commission seats up for grabs this
year.
Jerry Barnes, the incumbent in the
west district (District 1) has chosen not
to seek re-election; and Becky Denney
the east district (District 2) resigned
earlier.
At Tuesday mid-day Josh Tippens
and Ricky L. Tucker had both officially
qualified for the District 1 seat. Dave
Gamer qualified for the Special Elec
tion County Commission District 2
(East).
Several other candidates had ex
pressed interest according to local GOP
leader Chris Mora, who was manning
the party’s table in the election office.
Pickens County Commission Districts
Qualifying continues through Fri
day.
Not so active was qualifying for the
three school board seats up for grabs.
As of Tuesday only one candidate
and none of the incumbents had thrown
their hats in the ring. Election officials
and the local GOP chair both said they
hadn’t heard of much interest.
Officially qualifying was Joe Wig-
ington for District 5, currently repre
sented by Steve Smith; no one had
qualified for District 2 currently held
by Aaron Holland or district 3 held by
Tucker Green.
See Qualifying on 12A
reopened the Friday, March 4.
Within the few minutes this re
porter was at the site several
trucks came in to dump con
struction and demolition waste.
Cutoff Road to be cut offfrom
county maintenance?
Residents who live off Cut
off Road have requested and
petitioned that it be taken off
county maintenance rolls and
closed to thru-traffic. Per legal
requirements to have a road re
moved from county mainte
nance, commissioners must
See County on 11A
Special Insert
in this edition
2022
Business
Directory
Campaign
Josh Tatum
announces for
Commissioner
Post 2 Page 3A
Obituaries - 6A
• Anthony Bruce
• Delmer McDaniel
• Emory Williams
• Jimmy Cagle
• Jimmy Taylor
• Joanna Ray
• Shirley Taylor
Contact Us
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