Road rules observed more in violations than compliance

By The Hindu

Road rules observed more in violations than compliance

Adhere to the road rules,' 'wear helmets while riding two-wheelers,' 'over speeding leads to fatal accidents,' 'avoid drunken driving,' 'violation of road rules will lead to loss of lives.'

These are some of the oft-repeated warnings issued by the police and transport department to members of the public at the Road Safety Week observed every year. Training programmes, awareness seminars and rallies, and honouring drivers for accident-free service, mark the yearly celebrations. The frequent violation of traffic rules by one and all , including the well educated and professionals, has been a cause of concern for law abiding citizens. What's more unsettling is the casual attitude exhibited by law enforcers towards serious traffic violations before their very eyes.

Over-speeding; footboard travelling; plying on the wrong side of the road; parking in no-parking areas; using mobile phones while driving; failure to use helmets; drunken driving; jumping traffic signals; and overloading of vehicles are some common violations. "Many precious lives are lost due to violations of road rules," point out police and traffic department officials.

Even on bandh days and holidays accidents are reported and this only showed the reckless attitude of road-users, they say.

A majority of drivers continue to flout traffic rules right under the nose of police personnel, complains K.Mani of Khajamalai, a driver. No one seems to stick to the maximum speed limit of 30 km within the city. Private buses are often found plying at a speed of more than 80 km / hour even in busy city roads, he laments.

Showing scant respect to warnings, drivers continue to park their buses on the middle of the roads or away from the stops, causing traffic congestion. The State Transport Department has planned to redesign the conventional bus stops, especially those located at the proximity of traffic signals, such as Mambala Salai in Srirangam, Puthur four-road junction, and head post office junction.

"We have sought Corporation's assistance in this regard," says S.Balasubramanian, Regional Transport Officer, Tiruchi.

Another common violation is jumping the signal, which can lead to major accidents. Frequent load shedding has rendered the electronic signals meaningless. The failure of the police to regulate traffic during power tripping at important points such as the Perumpidugi Mutharaiyar statue, district court and MGR statue junction, disquiets' law abiding citizens.

Of late, the three persons riding on one two-wheeler is on the increase. Driving of two-wheelers by school students is yet another serious rule violation.

A rally by police personnel to create awareness on using helmets was flagged off by K.Sokkalingam, IG of Police, on Friday in the city. People are of the view that law enforcers must set an example by using the helmets positively while riding two-wheelers. They are more duty bound to observe traffic rules , they say and complain that none of the policemen wear helmets.

The police, the State transport department and the transport corporation officials agree in one voice that there was growing awareness among the members of the public on road safety .

However, this should not lead to complacency, reckons N. Pasupathi, General Manager, TNSTC, Tiruchi Region. The corporation has taken up a series of programmes to create awareness among the bus crew of the safety aspects and they have evoked good response.

The ever-growing volume of vehicles has been posing a serious challenge to traffic regulators. An estimated 40,000 new vehicles have been added to the city's vehicular might in 2011.

The steps initiated to regulate the traffic, include a master plan for setting up closed circuit television at 25 select locations in the city at an estimate of Rs.1crore, Mr. Balasubramanian says.

For more information on criminal, DUI,  and traffic matters please, call our office at 305-548-5020.

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By ALEJANDRO CANO

Several new traffic laws go into effect this year in California

With the arrival of the New Year come new traffic laws that will affect drivers and passengers alike in the state of California.

In 2011, the California Legislature approved new laws relating to booster seats, drunk driving, vehicle fees and vehicle purchases that take effect in 2012, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

AS OF JAN. 1, young passengers ages six and seven are now required to ride in a booster seat in any vehicle unless they are at least 4-feet-9 inches tall, said AAA. Previously, only child passengers who were up to age six or weighing less than 60 pounds were required to ride in a booster seat, added AAA.

"Traffic safety research shows that children aged four to seven are 59 percent less likely to be injured in a vehicle crash if they are in a car seat or booster seat than if it they are wearing a seat belt. Adult-size seat belts do not properly protect young children because they don't fit them correctly," said Alice Bisno, senior vice president for public affairs at AAA in a press release. 

The fine for the first violation of the new booster seat law is $100 and $250 for the second offense, but penalty assessments will push the cost of that ticket to $446 for a first-time offense and more than $1,000 for a second offense, said AAA.

ANOTHER LAW taking effect on 2012 is AB 520, which allows a person convicted of alcohol-related reckless driving to apply for a restricted license after three months instead of a year as currently allowed. The law allows the offender to obtain a restricted license only if he or she complies with specific requirements, such as installing an ignition-interlock device in their cars.

MEANWHILE, AB 353, which prohibits law enforcement from impounding a vehicle at a sobriety checkpoint if the driver lacks a valid license, took effect Jan. 1. The new law was sponsored by Assemblyman Gilbert Cedillo from Los Angeles and Michael Allen from Santa Rosa and it gives unlicensed drivers enough time to find a legal driver to avoid vehicle impound.

The law, human rights activists said, will prevent economic hardships to families of unlicensed drivers who are often undocumented residents. In cities like Los Angeles and Oakland, police departments modified their impound policies even before the bill became law, allowing unlicensed drivers time to avoid impound.

The issue created some controversy in Fontana, which has a relatively high percentage of undocumented residents. Each year, the city conducts many DUI/driver's license checkpoints, which are funded by grants by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

ON JULY 1 of this year, AB 1215 will take effect. Under the new law, new-car dealers are required to electronically register a new vehicle with the Department of Motors and Vehicles (DMV) when it is sold. The new law allows dealers to charge up to $80 for electronic document processing and up to $65 for manual processing.

THAT SAME DAY, vehicle registration fees will rise by $12, from $31 to $43 per year, said AAA. This new fee will be charged along with the vehicle license fee. The new law will generate more than $360 million for the state to fund the DMV. The law does not apply to motorcycles, off-road vehicles or recreational vehicles. 

For more information on criminal, DUI,  and traffic matters please, call our office at 305-548-5020.

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Traffic Talk: When is it legal for drivers to use their horns?

Before digging through the wheelbarrow full of Traffic Talk questions from 2011, I want to address an email we received last week, since there appears to be some urgency to this particular reader's situation:

I would like to know what is the legal use of a car horn. I live in a neighborhood where the houses are close together. Everyday, several times a day, the same person in the same van drives past or pulls into the house across the street and starts honking the horn. It doesn't matter what time of day or night. People in the neighborhood have asked him to knock it off but it didn't deter him at all. Everyone around has different work hours so at any given time there's bound to be someone trying to sleep. Is what he doing legal or illegal? If it's illegal what can be done about this habitual honker?

First, a tip of the hat for the nice alliterative flourish at the end there. We'll get to "what can be done" in a minute, but for the rules regarding horns, Lt. Gary Megge of the Michigan State Police Traffic Services Section directed me to section 257.706 of the Michigan Vehicle Code:

A motor vehicle, including a motorcycle or moped, when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet but a horn or other warning device shall not emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation give audible warning with his horn but shall not otherwise use the horn when upon a highway.

The phrase to keep in mind is "when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation," which means the only legal use of a horn is for a purpose related to safety. Honking at another driver after they have cut you off, for example, is illegal, but using your horn to warn another driver who appears to be drifting into your lane is fine.

"If somebody starts to cut you off in your lane, you can give them a little honk to say 'I'm here, don't run into me'," Megge said. "But when you see and hear people honking their horn and waving at their buddy or just because they're upset with somebody...those are actions that are not necessary to ensure the safe operation of your vehicle. Yes, you can use your horn, but not whenever you want."

Megge offered an example from his patrol days. After he had stopped a man near Cheboygan, another driver went past and honked repeatedly. The person honking turned out to be one of the motorist's friends, who was having fun at the man's expense. Police pulled the other driver over for improper use of the horn, discovered he was drunk and arrested him.

"That's what got our attention – because he for no reason was just laying on his horn as he was driving by us," Megge said.

Probably a safe bet that guy uses his horn more carefully now. Or at least, hopefully, does not drive drunk.

Let's review – honking at somebody who is about to cut you off: legal. Honking at your buddy who's been pulled over: not legal. Honking to express anger at somebody for cutting you off, or anything else after the fact: sorry, not legal.

MSP First Lt. Thad Peterson, who also works in Traffic Services, offers a rule of thumb for horn use: "The horn cannot legally be used as a way to chastise."

But what about other horn hypotheticals? Say a pedestrian is talking on a cell phone and looks as if he or she might step in front of your car before you're able to stop. Do you honk? Seems that would be an obvious yes, but as with so many road rules, there is nuance involved.

I asked Peterson about the case of a man in Britain who received a fine after slamming on his brakes and honking at a pedestrian who stepped in front of his vehicle. Police there said he used the horn excessively and violated the law by honking from a stationary position. The laws are different here, but the incident raises an interesting question about horns: Are they only for communication between moving vehicles, or isany safety-related use OK in Michigan?

"I think if there is a safety component to it, it's going to be technically legal," Peterson said.

He said if a pedestrian is going to step out in front of your car, it's legal to honk because the alternative could involve slamming on the brakes, which might interfere with "safe operation" by disrupting the flow of traffic on a busy street and putting the vehicle itself in danger. So yes, by all means honk at that distracted walker because it keeps both driver and pedestrian safe.

"That's exactly what a horn is for," Peterson said. "If you believe somebody is not aware of your presence and they're about to step off the curb in front of you, it's perfectly appropriate to sound your horn so they don't do something that creates a dangerous situation."

Now, say you're stopped at a red light behind another vehicle. The light turns green, but the person in front of you is not paying attention and remains stopped, and you'd like to politely remind him or her to get a move on. Since the safety imperative is less obvious here, can you honk?

This gave Peterson some pause. On the one hand, not accelerating at a green light could create a hazard for vehicles in the rear, he said, "because other people have the expectation that traffic will begin to move when the light turns green." However, the person behind the distracted driver is more likely honking to chastise the other motorist than out of concern for safety. But in this case, since a net safety gain is a byproduct of the chastisement, honking probably is legal.

We've digressed. What all this means for the reader who has been tormented by the "habitual honker" is...well, that's still not entirely clear.

Since the van in question is honking at someone in the house, there's nothing safety-related about this particular horn use, so it would appear illegal.

But the reader says this person "drives past OR pulls into the house across the street and starts honking the horn" (emphasis added). If the vehicle pulls into a driveway, it's off the road and on private property, so traffic laws regarding horn use do not apply to it. It may, however, be subject to city noise or peace-disturbance ordinances.

The Michigan Vehicle Code governs roads that are not private, so if the van is honking from the street, it's breaking the law and the operator can be cited. As for what can be done about this "habitual honker," the unfortunate (for the reader) answer is not much. Since improper use of a horn is a minor violation of state law, police are unlikely to respond to a call about it or launch an investigation. Local police could investigate and make an arrest in the event of a criminal violation of a local ordinance, which, again, is unlikely.

So let's recap. Honking to warn a pedestrian who may step in front of you: legal. Honking to say hello to a friend: not legal. Honking to warn another driver who appears to be cutting you off: legal. Honking to express anger after another driver cuts you off: not legal. Honking at a distracted driver in front of you who does not move when a light turns green: most likely legal. Honking at a friend being subjected to a roadside sobriety test while you drive past: not legal. Honking at a pedestrian to indicate that you find him or her physically attractive: not legal. Honking at roadside demonstrators: not legal. Honking at spectators if you're driving an historic vehicle in a parade: legal.

Also, putting a bumper sticker on your car asking other motorists to honk if they love Elvis, Snooki, the Detroit Lions, etc.: lame, but not illegal. Actually honking in response to those instructions: also lame, definitely illegal.

For more information on these matters, please call our office at 305 548 5020.

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Drivers Beware New Traffic Laws Abound

By Charlotte Sanchez-Kosa 

With the arrival of the new year, we say goodbye to things that transpired in 2011 and hopefully gain a brighter outlook for 2012. But, changes do come with new years including several new laws that citizens might want to pay attention to.

Effective immediately, for example, new legislation regulating booster seats and drunk drivers go into effect.

The first law AB520, focuses on those convicted of alcohol-related reckless driving in that it allows offenders to apply for a restricted drive'rs license three months after the conviction as long as they meet certain criteria like adhearing to the guidelines of the suspension and installing an ignition interlock device in the vehicle.

If the guidelines are not met, then they will be back in court.

"That's actually driving outside of their provision and they are actually suspended at that point," said California Highway Patrol Officer Adrian Quintero. "So if they're not going to and from treatments or if they are not going to their job- remember, each suspension is a little bit different. If they are violating any portions of that suspension or if they have alcohol in their system, all bets are off."

He said at that point they become suspended and that's when the vehicle is towed and they will get sighted for driving outside their provision.

"They'll have to go before the judge again and at that point the judge can make it a full blown DUI," he said.

Quintero also said that the in vehicle ignition interlock is being being tested in Sacramento, Alameda, Los Angeles and Tulare counties

Another law dealing with drunk drivers, AB353, prevents police at checkpoints from impounding a vehicle if its driver does not have a valid driver's license.

"We've been taking care of business like that for years," he said. "So if somebody was driving without a license and they were near a residence and they had a passenger that had a valid license we weren't supposed to take their vehicle. Nothing is going to change as far as the way we have been doing business. They are still going to get cited. They will still have to go through the entire process of the courts. The only difference is now we are not going to take the vehicle."

Quintero added, officers also have to allow those people the opportunit--and give them adequate time--to have the registered owner or someone with the owner's permission show up to retrieve the vehicle. If they can't find anybody, the vehicle can then be towed.

For those with children, a new booster seat law has been put into effect. Law SB949 requires children under the age of eight to use a booster seat in the backseat of vehicles.

"I believe we are the 38th or 39^th state to actually pass a booster seat law," Quintero said. "The way seat belts are made, they are made to be worn by people who are 4'9" or taller if they are going to be worn properly. That's why the main law says basically anyone under the age of eight needs to be in a car seat or a booster seat."

He added, the only exemption to that rule is if the child is 4'9". It is all about where the chlld receives most protection from where the seatbelt crosses his pelvic bones and receives most protection from an air bag.

"We understand that parents may have a hard time with it especially those who have children who have been out of car seats already," Quintero said. "But there are a lot of options out there as well. There's the backless booster. Parents are just going to have to educate their children on the importance of it. In the end it's all about safety for the children."

The original booster/car seat law required that children be up to six years old and weigh less than 60 pounds.

Later this year and on July 1, vehicle registration costs will rise from $31 to $43 per year. The higher fee will be used to fund Department of Motor Vehicles operations. Not only do drivers pay the registration fee but they also pay vehicle license fees which are based on the vehicle assessment value and contains other state and local charges.

Another new law just for Car Dealers, that will go into effect July 1, will make it mandatory to electronically register all new cars sold with DMV for up to $80. If a dealer manually processes the registrations, they could charge up to $65. The law also requires used car dealers to provide a history of the vehicle from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information Service before selling a car. The law does not apply to off-road vehicles, motorcycles or recreational vehicles.

For more information on criminal, DUI,  and traffic matters please, call our office at 305-548-5020.

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Drivers Beware New Traffic Laws Abound

By Charlotte Sanchez-Kosa 

With the arrival of the new year, we say goodbye to things that transpired in 2011 and hopefully gain a brighter outlook for 2012. But, changes do come with new years including several new laws that citizens might want to pay attention to.

Effective immediately, for example, new legislation regulating booster seats and drunk drivers go into effect.

The first law AB520, focuses on those convicted of alcohol-related reckless driving in that it allows offenders to apply for a restricted drive'rs license three months after the conviction as long as they meet certain criteria like adhearing to the guidelines of the suspension and installing an ignition interlock device in the vehicle.

If the guidelines are not met, then they will be back in court.

"That's actually driving outside of their provision and they are actually suspended at that point," said California Highway Patrol Officer Adrian Quintero. "So if they're not going to and from treatments or if they are not going to their job- remember, each suspension is a little bit different. If they are violating any portions of that suspension or if they have alcohol in their system, all bets are off."

He said at that point they become suspended and that's when the vehicle is towed and they will get sighted for driving outside their provision.

"They'll have to go before the judge again and at that point the judge can make it a full blown DUI," he said.

Quintero also said that the in vehicle ignition interlock is being being tested in Sacramento, Alameda, Los Angeles and Tulare counties

Another law dealing with drunk drivers, AB353, prevents police at checkpoints from impounding a vehicle if its driver does not have a valid driver's license.

"We've been taking care of business like that for years," he said. "So if somebody was driving without a license and they were near a residence and they had a passenger that had a valid license we weren't supposed to take their vehicle. Nothing is going to change as far as the way we have been doing business. They are still going to get cited. They will still have to go through the entire process of the courts. The only difference is now we are not going to take the vehicle."

Quintero added, officers also have to allow those people the opportunit--and give them adequate time--to have the registered owner or someone with the owner's permission show up to retrieve the vehicle. If they can't find anybody, the vehicle can then be towed.

For those with children, a new booster seat law has been put into effect. Law SB949 requires children under the age of eight to use a booster seat in the backseat of vehicles.

"I believe we are the 38th or 39^th state to actually pass a booster seat law," Quintero said. "The way seat belts are made, they are made to be worn by people who are 4'9" or taller if they are going to be worn properly. That's why the main law says basically anyone under the age of eight needs to be in a car seat or a booster seat."

He added, the only exemption to that rule is if the child is 4'9". It is all about where the chlld receives most protection from where the seatbelt crosses his pelvic bones and receives most protection from an air bag.

"We understand that parents may have a hard time with it especially those who have children who have been out of car seats already," Quintero said. "But there are a lot of options out there as well. There's the backless booster. Parents are just going to have to educate their children on the importance of it. In the end it's all about safety for the children."

The original booster/car seat law required that children be up to six years old and weigh less than 60 pounds.

Later this year and on July 1, vehicle registration costs will rise from $31 to $43 per year. The higher fee will be used to fund Department of Motor Vehicles operations. Not only do drivers pay the registration fee but they also pay vehicle license fees which are based on the vehicle assessment value and contains other state and local charges.

Another new law just for Car Dealers, that will go into effect July 1, will make it mandatory to electronically register all new cars sold with DMV for up to $80. If a dealer manually processes the registrations, they could charge up to $65. The law also requires used car dealers to provide a history of the vehicle from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information Service before selling a car. The law does not apply to off-road vehicles, motorcycles or recreational vehicles.

For more information on criminal, DUI,  and traffic matters please, call our office at 305-548-5020.

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City police eye a safer Guwahati

By Google

GUWAHATI: With a promise of swifter detection, prevention and disposal of criminal cases here, the city police are hoping to give the city a new lift in 2012. Vowing to put traffic snarls in order in the coming days, the cops called for a joint effort with the traffic department and Guwahati Municipal Corporation to sort public woes.

Addressing the media on Saturday, city SP Apurba Jiban Baruah said police would strengthen the crime branch here to combat criminal activities and to make the city a safer place in the coming years. "Criminal activities in the city are more or less static in the last few years. The city recorded 61 murder cases in 2011 whereas the figure was 52 in 2010. Our main motto in New Year is to speed up the entire process of detecting and preventing a criminal case. We will also take steps to reduce investigation time and emphasize faster disposal of cases," said the SP.

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Fires, homicides dominated 2011 crime

by GREG KAYLOR 

LAW ENFORCEMENT personnel were out in numbers during the 2012 New Year's weekend, performing DUI Checkpoints around the county. Tennessee Highway Patrol and Bradley County Sheriff's Office Traffic Unit personnel performed stops at a number of locations. Information will be released later this week as to how many people failed to heed warnings about impaired driving. Banner photo, GREG KAYLOR

A number of crime and fire stories made the news this year including two homicides which are continuing in the court system. 

According to detective Steve Ross of Cleveland Police Department, five male students, ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old, broke in to the Cleveland High School Science Wing and destroyed property. After a thorough investigation which went on for several days in early February, officials made arrests and filed charges.

Ross confirmed three of the students attended CHS, one was a Walker Valley High School student and the fifth was a student of Teen Learning Center.

Also in February, an alleged burglary-in-progress call led to the discovery of 195 suspected marijuana plants at a home on Mount Bethel Road.

Mark Daniel Bowman was arrested by U.S. Customs agents at a Miami, Fla. airport prior to boarding a flight to Ecuador, according to officials.

Bowman faced charges of possession of Schedule VI drugs for resale, possession of Schedule I drugs for resale, cultivating marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The suspected marijuana plants were approximately 4-feet tall and different varieties of the illegal drug were being grown under controlled lighting and feeding conditions.

The first major trial of the year came to a close after two men were convicted of the shooting death of Aston Smith.

Darius Twitty, 19, and Terrance Armstrong, 18, guilty in the shooting death of Aston Smith, 17. Twitty was initially charged with first-degree murder, and Armstrong with facilitation to commit murder. The two were convicted of voluntary manslaughter in February. The shooting occurred in August 2009 at Mosby Park. 

In March, Juan Antonio Hernandez, 43, was indicted along with Manolo Mendez Escobar (aka Johnny Ayala Garcia), 27, of Guatemala, Pascual Ramirez-Ramirez, 35, also of Guatemala, James Darrell Ward, 48, of Chattanooga, Francisco Baltazar Pedro, 45, of Monterey and Amilcar Lerdo of Gainesville, Georgia.

All were charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee with conspiring to unlawfully produce Tennessee drivers licenses.

According to the indictment, between July 2009 and January, "the individuals agreed with one another to transport intelligible applicant to the Tennessee Drivers License Testing Site located on Bonny Oaks Drive in Chattanooga. The applicants presented counterfeit documents to a Department of Motor Vehicles employee, who in exchange for cash, unlawfully produced Tennessee drivers licenses."

Weather-related lootings were also evident after the April 27 tornadoes.

Eight people were arrested during the months after the tornadoes struck the community. They were charged after taking air units, refrigerators and other items from property owned by victims of the storms.

In June, a local couple was charged with alleged animal neglect.

Deputy Joe Renner of the Bradley County Sheriff's Office responded to an Ellis Drive residence and discovered 20 canines, two horses, 16 birds and one cat were "without food and clean drinking water." 

According to his affidavit, "A passerby stopped to advise deputy Johnny Stokes and I about some animals located at 1080 Ellis Drive, that appeared to be neglected. Upon my arrival, no one was home," noted Renner.

Patricia and James Freeman were charged but charges were later dropped.

Jamie S. Johnson, 46, of Compton, Calif. traveled across country and was stopped on I-75 northbound by 10th Judicial District DTF agents after he was noticed driving without headlights. Johnson reportedly admitted to have been consuming drugs prior to the traffic stop, according to Steve Lawson, Drug Task Force director.

Johnson was arrested and charged after it was discovered he was transporting PCP, or Phencyclidine, an old and banned recreational disassociative anesthetic.

Johnson was arrested and booked on both state and federal charges. State charges include warrants for reckless endangerment and possession of PCP for resale, according to Lawson.

Tiffany Isaza will spend 10 years behind bars after entering a guilty plea to vehicular homicide charges earlier this year in the 2009 death of Dustin Ledford. Isaza was reportedly traveling in the wrong direction on APD 40 when she struck Ledford's vehicle. Laboratory reports on Isaza's blood-alcohol content registered a .24, three times the legal limit of .08, according to information from the investigation. Methamphetamine was also found in Isaza's system.

Aaron Lawson still faces aggravated assault and murder charges in two separate cases. A trial for the assault is scheduled for Jan. 4, while officials continue with a case where he was alleged to have killed Charles "Eddie" and Debbie Phillips on April 19. Lawson is the father of the couple's granddaughter. The Phillips' had been shot several times outside of their Leatha Lane home, according to reports.

Lawson fled Bradley County and was found by law enforcement hiding out at a relative's business near the Meigs/Hamilton County border.

Midyear, Bradley County deputy Dustin Patrick shot and killed a woman who reportedly attacked him with a knife, then jumped in his patrol car and drove away on Interstate 75.

Armetta Foster, 30, was traveling with her two small children from Florida to Kentucky for a funeral. She abandoned the vehicle she had been driving and began walking on Interstate 75, according to initial reports. 

A 911 call sent the Bradley County deputy to the area for a welfare check. Upon the officer's arrival, Foster reportedly produced a knife and slashed the deputy, then continued to do so as she commandeered his patrol car. Shots were fired and according to reports, Foster was struck a number of times before she drove the vehicle away, eventually crashing off the interstate into a residential area off Harrison Pike. 

An autopsy revealed a number of drugs in Foster's system. The deputy was eventually cleared after a TBI investigation.

David Keith Daugherty made his first appearance in July in a Bradley County courtroom and was served with a violation of probation warrant and is still held without a bond for the alleged murder of his wife, Elizabeth Annette Carney.

Daugherty was alleged to have killed Carney at their 6th Street home, then fled the area, eventually being arrested in North Carolina.

Carney had not been seen for several days, according to reports.

Family members became concerned and contacted authorities who were enroute to the couple's home when they were told by 911 dispatchers they had found her body.

Carney's body was wrapped and tied in blankets and stuffed into a closet. Preliminary examination and a following autopsy has initially concluded Carney had been strangled to death.

An April 3, 2012 trial date has been set.

Donald E. Hallmark was found guilty of a lesser offense in the shooting of his stepson in March 2010. He was sentenced this week after having a jury trial earlier this year.

According to information from the initial investigation by the Bradley County Sheriff's Office, Hallmark, 65, and his stepson, Richard Lee, 57, were involved in a "domestic confrontation" when Hallmark shot Lee three times.

The two were at their 3rd Street N.W. home at the time of the shooting, reports said.

Hallmark was originally charged with aggravated assault (domestic) and held without bond pending arraignment in Bradley County General Sessions Court.

A jury trial held in Bradley County Criminal Court was held March 1 and a jury found Hallmark guilty of a lesser offense of attempt to commit voluntary manslaughter. Bradley County Criminal Court Judge Carroll Ross sentenced Hallmark to 90 days in the Bradley County Jail and three years' probation.

Several bank robbers also made getaways after pulling off the daring daylight robberies at area banks. In October, a lone robber entered the Athens Federal Community Bank on 25th Street and left with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to officials. Just a few days later, another robber entered Southeast Bank and Trust and took money.

A robber also entered First Volunteer Bank in Polk County in August and fled the scene. Various law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigations.

Several families and local law enforcement continue to search for clues into the disappearance of loved ones.

A number of missing persons cases remain on Bradley County's list of active investigations including that of Marsha Ellen Rader Brantley, who disappeared in June 2009.

Brantley's extended family has been in Cleveland and Bradley County several times during the year to place posters seeking information regarding her whereabouts.

Her husband Donnie Brantley, told investigators she had left him and was planning a divorce.

Donnie Payne disappeared in Sept. 2008. Investigators have followed numerous leads with no luck. Payne was 73 years-old when he was last seen.

Patricia Louise Kelley was last seen in August 1983, after she was believed to have left a night spot in the area of Dalton Pike/Wildwood Avenue, according to initial reporting.

Kelley was 25 years-old at the time of her disappearance.

Sandra Plumley (Hale), 40, disappeared in May 2005. Family members indicated she was traveling to the Chattanooga area; however, "no one has provided details of any contact with her after that." She reportedly lived in Perry, Ga.

The oldest missing persons case is 27 years old. Heller Sample was last seen in February 1983, at her residence on Peach Orchard Hill Road. 

No other information has been released regarding her disappearance.

Cleveland Fire Department was involved in several fire investigations throughout 2011. 

In early December, CFD and Bradley County Fire Rescue responded with law enforcement regarding an alleged anthrax scare which turned out to be a hoax.

The Bradley County Courthouse and surrounding area was shut down while investigators worked to assess and decontaminate court clerks who had been present when mail was opened and one letter in particular had a strange white powder inside. U.S. Postal Service and the FBI are currently investigating the incident.

The most recent investigation was the largest fire in a number of years, which destroyed the old Cleveland Chair Co., located on 9th Street.

No arrests have been made but the fire was determined to be set, whether intentionally or by accident and possibly by homeless people who had sought shelter from the cold.

The century old building was totally destroyed and valued at $1.2 million.

In March, David Knoop was rescued by Cleveland firefighters after he became entrapped in his burning home located on Windsor Court. Knoop spent several days in an Augusta, Ga. hospital recovering from burns.

April tornadoes left tons of brush and downed trees. In August, Bradley County Fire Rescue was in command of controlling a fire which got out of hand and burned several acres of storm damaged trees in the Chatata Valley. The fire rekindled during the next several days prompting return visits by firefighters to the area.

For more information on criminal, DUI,  and traffic matters please, call our office at 305-548-5020.

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