Air Evac Helicopter hits powerline near Reliance Rd. in Polk County TN

Fire Chief: it was an unusual takeoff "he was actually flying into that draw"

When interviewed a couple of hours later by Chattanooga News Channel 9 Lindsay Jackson,, he colors some of the details, suggesting the mishap on how the sun was shining.

Chief Stephen "lofty goals" Lofty says: "I actually looked, and because of the way the sun was shining back this way you could not see those cables..."

The power line cables were very close to the ground, at a considerable distance from the landing zone, in airspace that the pilot should not have been flying in...see how far and how close to ground the power lines were in this wide angle and zoom VIDEO.

Chief Deputy Bryan Graves recovers after deer vs. motorcycle accident

Monroe County Sheriff Chief Deputy Bryan Graves is recovering from what could have been, and (statistically) is a much more serious accident; which often times results in a fatality or spinal cord injury.

On Sunday night, while driving his motorcycle to a National Guard Armory drill to prepare for what would have been his 3rd deployment overseas, Bryan says he was--"less than 300' feet from the driveway, a deer jumped out beside me, and ran beside me for just a minute, and then it jumped in front of me and swept the front wheel out."

The community sends thoughts and prayers to Chief Deputy Graves for a safe recovery. Chief Deputy Graves is one of the greatest assets in the Monroe County Sheriff's Dept.

Defense Attorney Shari T. Young 'Jumps Ship'-takes job with D.A.

As per TBPR: Attorney Young was not a Public Defender

Attorney Shari Tayloe Young

Defense Attorney Shari Tayloe Young, now a partner in the Cleveland Law firm of Crump, Richardson, and Young was appointed and accepted the task of representing Jessica Powers last March.

'Special judge' Walter C. Kurtz who was brought in from Nashville to preside over the trial, appointed Shari Young when the initial attorney from the public defender's Office, Jeanne Wiggins, asked to be allowed to step down due to a conflict of interest.

The Jim Miller murder case is arguably one of the most high-profile court cases in the history of Monroe County-- it can be in many ways, a 'career-making case.' When a local newspaper on 6/27/2011 described Attorney Young as a 'public defender' from Cleveland, who asked to be released from the case after she took a job in the Fifth Judicial District with the District Attorney's Office--it undoubtedly 'stirred the rumor mill' with questions of legal ethics. 

The 'spin on the facts' as to why Attorney Young asked to be removed as defense attorney is still unraveling, particularly when it has been learned Attorney Young is not stepping down from any other ongoing legal cases at Crump, Richardson, and Young.

If the Fifth Judicial District is not associated with the 10th Judicial District, and there is no conflict of interest--why step down as Powers' defense attorney? Why did she accept the case in the first place?....and then quit 4 months later while the case was still in the pre-trial stage?....

An email received today from the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility has helped to clarify at least one of the questions raised: ......"What the newspaper labeled a public defender, and who is really a public defender are two different things. There is the Public Defender's Office and the attorneys that work there. When there is a conflict, the judge appoints a private attorney who is not from the public defender's office, but who is paid by the administrative office of the courts to represent a defendant who cannot afford legal counsel. If the attorney was working at a private law firm and was appointed, she was not really a public defender and does not work there." --end quote.

The defendant in the Jim Miller murder case is now on her 3rd court-appointed defense attorney. Knoxville-based Attorney John Eldridge is Jessica Power's new defense attorney--the case is still only in the pre-trial motions stage.

Bill Isbell's wife sues Monroe County in Federal Court

The ex-Tellico Plains Chief of Police's wife, Marie Anne Isbell, filed a federal lawsuit which names Monroe County, and the newly appointed EMS Director Randy White as defendants.

The plaintiff (Isbell), alleges she was not re-hired by Monroe County EMS after the new EMS Director was appointed,....in part because her husband (Bill Isbell), did not support Randy White for Sheriff in the general election last year.

The lawsuit does not state any specific monetary amount--although it seeks compensation due to lost wages, pain, suffering, humiliation, and embarrassment.
You can view the entire complaint in the Justia website link below.
Isbell vs. Monroe County TN et al