Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

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Shooting Birds

Lisa Starbuck, president of the North East Knox Preservation Association, came to County Commission early Monday in preparation to fight General Shale's request for a permit to expand its strip mining operation in a residential neighborhood on Millertown Pike. She wasn't feeling good about NEKPA's chances, even before she witnessed Commissioner Mike Arms' outburst.

Arms, who represents West Knox County, lashed out after being interrupted by a wise-cracking

John Mills, who represents the Eighth District, where General Shale's mining operation is located. Mills has been a champion of the neighborhood in its struggle against the Austrian-owned corporation. Arms, who had the floor when Mills butted in with a sarcastic quip, lost his composure: "I'll deal with you later, on General Shale," Arms said, brandishing his middle finger and muttering an obscenity. Starbuck was flabbergasted. "It was the most unprofessional behavior I've ever seen from a public official," she said. "It was very disheartening to hear him talk that way about something so important to my community."

Arms, who later issued an apology to Mills for his statement, voted to grant General Shale the permit, but said he'd been planning to vote that way anyhow. His behavior had his colleagues buzzing for the rest of the evening. Arms is lobbying in behalf of David Collins' candidacy for Commission chair, and is considered Collins' "running mate" for vice-chair.

Counting Chickens

Democratic sheriff candidate Jim Andrews is running a smooth media campaign with a heavy, well-produced rotation of TV and radio ads. His on-air persona is attractive and articulate. His up-close-and-personal tactics with his would-be employees, however, are causing tongues to wag around the courthouse. A number of deputies say they have had encounters with Andrews, whom they say has been approaching them to tell them to learn how to spell his name and to advise them of how life is going to be after he is elected. One of them, juvenile corrections officer Allen "Wolfie" May, says he was at a breakfast meeting when Andrews introduced himself:

"He said 'I'm Jim Andrews and I'm running for sheriff of Knox County.' I said 'I'm Wolfie, and I work for the sheriff of Knox County.' He looked at me and said 'You're not a helicopter pilot, are you?' I said 'No sir,' and he said 'Well, then you'll still have a job.'"

Todd Cook, a sergeant with Internal Affairs, says he was lunching in a Mexican restaurant on Cedar Lane when Andrews came in. After he finished eating, Cook, who was active in the primary election campaign of County Commissioner-elect Scott "Scooby" Moore, says he was standing outside in the parking lot talking to his friends when Andrews "...walked up to me, pointed at his watch and said 'I sure hope you're not on the county's time because you've been here a long time.'" Cook was not amused.

"All he did was motivate me. He just caused me to kick it up into high gear. I've lived in Halls all my life, and I'm going to talk to everybody I know. He's fixing to get taken to school in politics."

Andrews says he did not make these remarks: "That's absolutely untrue. What I have said is there's only one person getting fired and it's the top guy...I know the helicopter pilots are not happy..." He says the court officers are unhappy because he has said that "seven people manning a metal detector is too many...That's not threatening anyone's job." Should Andrews be elected, he says Cook's political activities will not be counted against him. "He can put up a thousand yard signs. This is America."

Blessed are the Spectators

One county commissioner told us he was grateful he wasn't asked to weigh in on the J. Allen Smith house controversy, saying that any opinion on the matter is likely to alienate someone influential. "It's a struggle between the Haves and the Have Mores," he says.