July 28, 2008 Director of Cherokee Park/Deputy Sheriff Frank Parker Gets Diversion; Lebel Says School Board Spends Money Like a "Drunken Sailor"

I've been busy lately, sorry for letting so much time go by between posts. Lots of happenings on the local front in the last few weeks...Here are two...more to come...

Judge approves judicial diversion for former Commissioner Parker. Trib front-page headline on July 25, 2008.

Frank Parker, currently Director of Cherokee Park and a sworn Deputy Sheriff, was indicted by a local grand jury for felony theft and felony official misconduct in May 2008. D. A. General Berkeley Bell's recommendation of pre-trial diversion for Parker was approved by Judge John Dugger on July 25.

Parker admitted criminal responsibility for taking $750 from Albert Walker for getting Walker's car out of the Hamblen County Sheriff's Department impound lot---when no money was due.

The article adds that Parker will make restitution of $500 to Walker. Parker's Co-Defendant Cherokee Park Manager/Constable Paul King was also indicted in May 2008 for theft over $500 in this matter.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I represent Mr. Walker. A letter in opposition to diversion was submitted to D.A. Berkeley Bell on July 2, 2008. This letter is a public record. Although opposed to diversion, Mr. Walker's position was that IF diversion were granted, then Mr. Parker should be required to tell the truth about what happened, should make restitution, and should be removed as a deputy sheriff.

Lebel: county needs to focus on education. That was the bland headline for an article buried on page 6 of the July 27, 2008, Trib.

According to the Trib, Lebel made a comment at the end of the commission's July 24 meeting that Director of Schools Dale Lynch is spending money like a "drunken sailor."

I'm glad I never made a comment like that---it would have been a front-page special Trib banner headline Noe attacks Lynch--says he spends money like a "drunken sailor." It sure wouldn't have been under a sweet headline saying Noe: county needs to focus on education.

Lebel's pointed comments were generated by the school board spending tens of thousands on a new scoreboard while only giving a 1% raise to employees.

While Lebel referred only to the fancy scoreboard, the real issue is spending priorities within the education budget.

This is the second time Lebel has very openly criticized the school board and Dr. Lynch in particular.

The first criticism came during recent budget hearings when Lebel coupled criticism of Dr. Lynch's failure to push for a sales tax increase with criticism of the county commission for approving the mega-million dollar school budget WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT WHERE THE MONEY WAS GOING.

The county commission rubber-stamped the school board spending plan as soon as it was received--without looking. Lebel was on target with his criticism of county commission's "no-look" budget approval.

The school budget could have had hundreds of thousands of dollars for new layers of administration---and the county commission would blithely have given its OK.

Watch for updates and follow-ups on the above...