Chattanooga Update - April 16, 2014

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• published: 16 Apr 2014
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A candlelight vigil will be held Saturday for the boy hit and killed by a bus at Chattanooga Valley Elementary School. Authorities say 6-year-old Zachary Bryant was killed almost immediately after his bus driver dropped him off and he somehow ended up in front of the bus as it began to move. The candlelight service will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at the baseball fields on Georgia Highway 95. Donations will be collected to raise money for Zachary's funeral. You can also donate at a Wells Fargo Bank or by clicking on the link in our story at Timesfreepress.com. _____ A Chattanooga police officer who was fired after he severely beat an inmate - has applied to work as a school resource officer in Hamilton County. In June 2012, Sean Emmer repeatedly struck Adam Tatum, causing numerous breaks in his legs. He and fellow officer Adam Cooley were later exonerated and rehired as part of a legal settlement, before resigning. Now Emmer is seeking a new start at the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Jim Hammond has until school starts in August to fill the SRO positions, but he says he probably won't hire Emmer. He says Emmer didn't make it to the list of the top candidates - for the job. _____ Police say two people have been killed after chewing on pain patches to get high. WRCB reports authorities were called Friday to a home in Athens, Tennessee. That's where they found Harold Coleman lying unresponsive in his driveway. And inside his mouth, police allegedly found a Fentanyl patch. Once they entered the house they found another man, Donald Sturdivant, who was taken to the hospital but also died from an overdose of the patch. Authorities say Coleman did have a prescription for the patch, which is meant to be used over time on the skin. ____ A man out on bond faces more charges after allegedly running over a Chattanooga police officer. WRCB reports a police bicycle officer was on MLK Boulevard April 5th when he saw Timothy Shropshire - run a red light. The officer then pedaled up to the vehicle and asked Shropshire to turn the car off. That's when the driver allegedly swerved into the officer's bike, and drove away, dragging him along the road for several feet. Shropshire was out on bond on charges of attempted murder. He now faces charges of running over a city police officer. ____ Principal Sharon Vaughn is leaving Ringgold High School this fall after 10 years there. She'll be taking a similar post at the Performance Learning Center in Fort Oglethorpe. The PLC serves high school students who have trouble in a traditional school setting or are at high risk of dropping out. WRCB reports the former assistant principal, J.R. Jones, will step up to become principal - at Ringgold High. ____ Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam says he doesn't plan to attend the National Labor Relations Board hearing on the VW union vote. The meeting is scheduled for Monday at the Hamilton County Courthouse. The governor and 23 others were subpoenaed by the United Auto Workers to attend the hearing. The UAW wants them to being documents and communications related to the union, VW, and government incentives. Haslam is the first to say he doesn't plan to attend - the hearing. _____ Tennessee ranks near the bottom in the nation when it comes to caring for the disabled. That's according to a new survey that rates care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Tennessee placed 47th on the list. Factors studied included quality of life, health and safety issues, the state's efforts to promote independence, and even the waiting list for services. In Tennessee, there are currently more than 7,000 people with intellectual disabilities - still waiting for services. _____ Finally, early voting starts today for the May 6th primary election. You'll be able to vote Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at these four locations: The Brainerd Rec Center, Eastwood Church, Northgate Mall or the election commission headquarters. Early voting continues through May 1st, but all locations will be closed April 18th - for Good Friday.