Growth in Tourism Linked to Charles Hall

The continuing growth of tourism in Tellico Plains has Charles Hall written all over it. The area has become an international destination for motorcyclists, bicyclists, and nature lovers.

It began when he appeared before a Congressional House Committee which funded the construction of the the Cherohala Skyway- a multi million dollar road project which connects Robbinsville, North Carolina and Tellico Plains.

The town's public library was another project directly linked to him and other civic leaders--we thank Charles and his family for his legacy and his outstanding leadership as well as the local business community which enriches the quality of life and attracts newcomers to come and visit, enjoy, and often make Tellico Plains their new home. Be sure to stop by the Charles Hall Museum.

Russ 'Barney' Parks Is Out as Tellico Plains Police Chief

Misconduct Allegations Include "Being in a Sexual Relationship with an Informant" -- Scandal Creates A Near Collapse of Law-Enforcement

Update: Former Chief Russell Parks was indicted and booked into the Monroe County Jail on 7/11/2019-- Back in February Parks' daughter had access to his phone, she read revealing text messages, then tells her step-mother who called Mayor Patrick Hawkins, who then called District Attorney Stephen Crump and the TBI began an investigation.

A surprising turn of events since Parks booked numerous people in the same jail where his mugshot was taken.
He was charged with a Class E Felony since the value of the property or services obtained was more than ($500) dollars--the indictment includes missing funds in the amount of ($840) dollars which was allegedly used for sexual favors from a confidential informant. 

A couple of weeks after his arrest, he pleaded 'not guilty' at the first court hearing--if found guilty, he may be classified as a 'convicted felon' for the rest of his life.
In the TPPD general information-page it was stated that "Understanding that the laws have a spirit, as well as a letter, thus giving our officers latitude." It's unclear as to whether this meant that Parks felt he could interpret the law to justify his actions.

Eyewitnesses report that upon learning of what had transpired back in February, Parks' wife became enraged, dragged him out of his patrol car in the Police Dept. parking lot, and gave him a 'bare knuckle ass-whoopin'...

Initially, Parks' quick departure raised eyebrows: we now know his actions created a crisis and even the possibility of a lawsuit--it's not uncommon for confidential informants in similar circumstances to sue a police department claiming 'abuse of power'... 

A well-placed local resident said back when the scandal first broke, "there are more serious allegations involved and added, he's done as a police officer, and lucky if he doesn't wind up in jail." 

Parks' second in command, former TPPD Lt. Jason Crowder is out as well--he has taken a 'rent-a-cop' (security guard) job in a residential community.

If Federal funds or 'instruments used in interstate commerce' (a cell phone or computer), are used in a crime, the FBI usually gets involved--last March, a Virginia State Trooper was found guilty on several federal charges including soliciting sex from an informant, bribery, theft of federal funds, lying to the FBI, and destroying evidence. More from WVVA.

This is Tellico Plains' second police chief scandal: in 2012 there was a state comptroller investigation on former police chief Bill Isbell, a 'darling' of the private Coker Creek facebook users group: Where Did The Money Go?

The Tellico Plains city council advertised for a 'new police chief' and within a few days, four applied for the job. The unanimous choice was to get back former chief of police Jeb Brown in the chief's position, he was the clear favorite...many see it as step in the right direction for the city moving forward, one city local resident said-- "it's like Sheriff Taylor is back in town."

Chief Brown was recently asked, did Parks pass on any pertinent information about mass casualty threats with a deadly weapon by a recent move/in drifter who is a frequent flea market vendor? Brown said no he wasn't informed, and said, " Parks had been charmed and had become friends with the guy." ...a clear lapse of judgement, considering the guy had initially bragged that he owned a 'Thompson' sub-machine gun... Information by a credible witness in the Tellico Plains Flea Market portrays the drifter as a malcontent and prone to violence...This is the sort of person Parks 'cozied' up to?

We Buy Land and Homes-Scam Alert

We Buy Land and Homes posters have recently sprung up in the south end of the county--here's what to keep in mind to avoid getting ripped off or worse. In the video below, a lien or 'caveat' against property is shown to be like an expensive 'virus' which must be removed before a sale to a 'real' buyer can be finalized. 
The 'seller' failed to read a 'subject-to' clause in the contract--watch the video.

• An average individual in desperate need of cash may become a target of recent move-in smooth talking 'predators'... who are thrilled to profit from anyone's 'down and out' financial situation.
•  'Equity Skimming' is one of the most common ways used to rip you off -- it starts by the seller transferring the deed to the 'buyer'.
• At times, all the victim needs is a 'short term' loan leaving the original mortgage intact--after you receive a quick 'payment'...you may be notified to make payments to the alleged 'buyer' instead of the mortgage company you were formerly making payments to--the buyer who now has the deed to the property, may rent out the property instead of moving in--and now is getting money from you and the renter.
• The equity in your home can now be used to get 'home equity' loans or other forms of financing--or they can re-sell the property without paying off the outstanding mortgage.
• The scammer ultimately stops making payments on the mortgage, and allows the property to go into foreclosure since they never assumed liability for the mortgage.
• Another version of the scam is the buyer makes a verbal offer for your property and you accept it--a few days later you get a formal written contract--because you believe it is the same offer you agreed to, you simply sign on the dotted line without reading the 'fine print'--eventually you discover that the written contract is not the same as the verbal agreement--now you are entangled in a legal battle for months or years.
• There are several other ways 'fly by night' scammers use to cheat victims--a scammer in 2008 posed as an heir to a fortune and even convinced some area cops to 'retire' because he had promised them high paying security guard jobs--as it turned out, the 'smooth talking' drifter was a prison escapee from Michigan...who had used several 'promise to purchase' land agreements during a cross-country escapade, until he was finally captured in Arizona.

"Badge Bunnies" Target Cops and Firefighters

One of the most important duties of a training officer is to remind new recruits that engaging in certain activities can cost them their careers.

Former Tellico Plains Police Chief Arlie French (R.I.P) was clear in his warning: 'aberrant behavior can get your badge.'
He actually said "your badge can get you P_ _ _ _ but P_ _ _ _ can get your badge."

The badge bunny waitress in this picture caused a Texas trooper to get fired, after letting her sit on the patrol car while holding his assault rifle.

A Bronx fire station was known as "Animal House" because of its wild sex parties--the regular escapades caused two members to get suspended and fourteen others to get 're-assigned' after a group party with a known 'fireman groupie.' 
The woman initially told police she had been raped, but later admitted to having consensual sex with four firefighters...she also admitted to having sex with 200 to 300 firefighters since 9/11, and that she had herpes, and suffered from bi-polar disorder.

If you think this will never happen to you, think again--A 'cop groupie' in Chicago described her reasons for playful encounters with cops, she said:

• All the cops were married.
• The 'power' that cops had was a 'turn on' and she believed that the association could buy her favors.
• She also had a strange fascination with guns as 'sex objects.'
• New encounters often occurred at a public park frequented by cops.

Attempt to Destroy Judge Kavanaugh Fails

False accusations are nothing new: since the beginning of time, people have been incarcerated and at times, put to death by being falsely accused.

After the preliminary confirmation vote on Friday, Senator Susan Collins stood up and explained why she was voting in favor of the Judge Kavanaugh nomination: rule of law, presumption of innocence, and no credible supporting evidence in the outlandish allegations made by Blasey-Ford. After a 50 to 48 vote in favor of now Justice Brett Kavanaugh,
he was sworn in as the 114th US Supreme Court Justice.

Rule of law and due process is alive and well in Monroe County--professional law enforcement guidelines have at times, exposed false allegations by 911 callers. New guidelines are a stark contrast to numerous mysterious incidents and shoddy investigations during the previous administration--see "Equal Opportunity Incompetency" 

The sheriff's incident reports now go through a 'chain of command' review to weed out false claims, bias, and possible field-officer misconduct.

A brief description of 2 recent incident reports described below:

A woman accused her male companion of improperly touching her daughter, the male denied the accusation. During questioning by the responding officer, the female admitted to using meth earlier in the day, and produced two baggies containing meth, needles, and other illegal drugs. After transporting the female's two daughter to the hospital, a medical evaluation concluded there was no abuse detected.

During a property line dispute, a recent-move in from Florida walked up to his neighbor and made threats of bodily injury--then called 911 to report he had been 'assaulted.' 

Video evidence showed what really happened, and he was charged with simple assault.

A further investigation showed the false accuser had engaged in similar activities in Florida, and had resigned from his position as a school maintenance supervisor after being accused of theft.

Former Sheriff Bill Bivens' 3rd Strike Out

Sheriff Bill Bivens

Part history and perhaps a political obituary: remembered as a life-long public servant

Although he said in 2016 he was out of politics forever, in 2018 he tried for the third, and perhaps the last time to get back in the Sheriff's seat.

To anyone that has met him, he is like-able and has a generational history in Monroe County--his father was a former MCSD Sheriff--Bill also served as a county commissioner. After serving as Tellico Plains Police Chief, he decided to run against the 3 term sheriff Doug Watson in 2006, and he won.


Complaints against Watson had escalated to the point that even his supporters felt it was time for a change--two incidents, one in Madisonville and the other in *Coker Creek swung the balance in Bivens' favor--well-connected actors, in criminology known as the 'criminal elite', were getting away with a 'slap in the hand'...county wide corruption affected every aspect of society, and led to the change of the guard 2006-2014 Bivens' tenure as Sheriff.
There's no doubt, Bill will be remembered as a good man, who tried to make a positive difference in Monroe County.

There is more detail in the Coker Creek incident, but the one in Madisonville had similar components.

*March of 2006, a mid-twenties white male, son of a 'crony' of then sheriff Watson rolls his truck off the bank on Hwy 68 near what at the time was, the  'Davis Store'--flees the scene and runs home to hide-out...during the next hour, the cops try to flush the suspect out and arrest him. It escalates to the suspect shooting at a combined force of 4 police agencies (THP, MCSD, TPPD, even a cruiser from Vonore PD showed up and a WATE news crew.) 

Watson forbids the officers to shoot back, even though the officers said some of the shots 'whizzed by close to their heads'. The suspect finally passes out/faints, but was never injured and gets taken into custody by Sgt. Mike Morgan. 

It was the only time that a crew from Knoxville based WATE-TV showed up during an active crime scene in Coker Creek...
the shooter was only charged with 'reckless endangerment' and received a $100 fine from Judge Reed Dixon...(that's less than the average speeding ticket.)