Thousands of unemployed still waiting on TN Labor Department for help

Stephanie Ramirez

Stephanie Ramirez was prepared to dig into her retirement plan.

After 10 weeks without a job and no help from the state Labor Department, her 401(k) was a potential life preserver to keep her family afloat.

She was laid off in August and her husband, too, was about to join the unemployment line.

“I got really nervous because . . .  we are looking for employment but that assistance is there to help families just pay the bills and get along and find work,” Ramirez said.

As a last ditch effort, she reached out to her state representative, Roger Kane.

Two hours later, someone from the labor department got back to her. A day after that, her first unemployment insurance payment was deposited into her bank account.

“I believe I would not have received any benefits and so does Roger Kane’s office,” said Ramirez, whose family moved to Knoxville from San Diego 11 years ago. “But if (they) didn’t put a fire under them I probably really wouldn’t have a deposit today. I firmly believe that. That’s total speculation but no one was getting back to me about my claim. The timing is odd.”

Ramirez isn’t alone. She’s one of about a dozen people in the past few months to reach out to WBIR as part of its 10Listens program.

All say the same thing: They lost their job months ago and can’t reach anyone at the unemployment office. The department’s computer system isn’t that good and nor are the call centers. They haven’t received any money and they’re at wits end.

Check out the rest of our story RIGHT HERE.

Community service plan for indigent defendants launches October 3

Starting Oct. 3, a new pilot program will give local judges the power to offer community service - rather than issue stiff fines and fines - to thousands of poor defendants.

On Monday, Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond joined with three local partners to unveil details regarding the program, described essentially as "hours per pay." It gives those unable to make any payments the option to repay their debts to society by performing community service.

WBIR 10News addressed the problem last summer in its "Fines, Fees and a Flawed System" investigation of Knox County court operations.

The review, in part, found that a handful of homeless, indigent defendants were responsible for court debts of more than $750,000 - a figure that court officials readily admit the men could never pay.

The state legislature approved the plan, which is unique to Knox County, earlier this year. It is set to sunset July 1, 2018.

10News Investigates: Handful of Knox convicts owe hundreds of thousands to court system

At that point, lawmakers will decide if it was successful and whether to implement it statewide.

The legislation allowed Hammond the opportunity to implement a community service program for those defendants who are truly unable to pay their court costs, yet able to do work.

The amount of community service a person would need to work depends on how much they owe. A program chart showed a gradual scale ranging from 8 hours for those facing up to $100 in fines and court costs to 88 hours of required service for those facing $3,000 - $4,000 in costs.

The approved partners include Knox County Engineering and Public Works, Knox Area Rescue Ministries, and Lending Angels.

The program recognizes that many of the offenders unable to pay also receive services from KARM. So a partnership with KARM could benefit the community and offender.

Lending Angels will be looking for individuals with skills and experience to help with home repairs and improvements for those with disabilities or older adults.

But not every defendant can take part. Hammond said there will be background checks on potential participants and those convicted of violent crimes, sexual offenses, and animal abuse won't be eligible.

Additional info and forms for those who are interested will be posted Oct. 3 on the Knox County Criminal Court's website.

Officials: Despite deaths, crashes, school buses safer than cars

(Monday and Tuesday on 10News at 6, why despite school bus safety problems, experts say children are safer on their way to school when riding the bus.)

 Parents of roughly 21,000 Knox County school students rely every day on bus drivers to safely get their children to and from school.

But a recent study commissioned by Knox County Schools found in the last half decade the school district has double the number of crashes it should for a district of its size.

And in the past three years alone, more than 60 bus drivers were to blame for some 120 wrecks.

That includes the three lives lost in the December 2014 accident that killed two elementary students and a teacher’s aide.

As a result, some officials believe, ridership has dropped.

Still, local, state and federal leaders also maintain that the bus – not a parent’s car – is the safest route to school.

“They’re bright yellow, they have a known route, a trained driver, you have side wall strength, you have roof strength, there are flashing lights, they are designed to be observed,” said Kris Poland, a senior biomechanical engineer who investigates crashes for the National Transportation Safety Board, including the one in Knoxville. “People know how to act around them in most cases.”

About five children die every year inside a school bus compared to 37,000 deaths inside cars, according to federal reports.

Still, school officials, investigators and those whose family members died on the afternoon of Dec. 2, 2014, say buses can be safer.

For rest of story and video, click HERE.

KCS improves playground standards

If you saw our critical investigation in 2014 on lagging school playground safety standards, Knox County Schools has made a lot of positive progress in the last year. 

We followed up with a trip to several schools and found improvements. As we said last year, there are lots of things schools should do that are already done at most public parks. 

 It's good to see KCS responded to the report by making some changes for the better.

The story RIGHT HERE.

Elections and Campaign Cash: Cost to run creeping up even in local races

Madeline Rogero needed about $6,800 in campaign cash when she successfully unseated then-2nd District Knox County Commissioner Jesse Cawood in 1990.

More than two decades later, she’d end of spending 70 times that amount to win the city’s mayoral seat.

When her current term is up in four years, local experts expect that race to cost even more.

It’s a trend, they said, and one that isn’t going away.

“Yes, it’s an unfortunate one and I don’t see it tapering off,” said Victor Ashe, who served as Knoxville’s mayor for 16 years and is now a local political columnist. “Certainly someone with the shoe leather can still prevail even if you’re outspent three-to-one, but in a larger race for city or county it becomes more difficult. You can’t meet all the voters.”

Ashe knows a thing or two about raising money.

Mark O'Gorman

As a state representative and state senator in the 1970s and 1980s, he routinely brought in $30,000 to $40,000 per campaign. But it wasn’t until 1987 when he decided to run for mayor that he truly needed the big bucks: at least $350,000.

“The money was no guarantee to win, but it sure helped,” Ashe said. “It gets you an ability to communicate directly to potential voters. It certainly enables you to be front and center in the voter’s mind.”

Mark O’Gorman, a political science professor at Maryville College, agreed.

“Money does two or three things,” he said. “It’s a strong indicator in terms of support of candidates. It shows that you can get money (and) it shows you have people who are willing to put their money where their mouth is. It’s a good pre-voting indicator.”

Experts note that each race is different and the amount raised is tied to the number of candidates and just how much effort those running put into the race. Those who spoke with WBIR 10News said there is no average amount or threshold per contest that someone seeking office needs to hit, and that money is certainly no guarantee to win. But, they said it’s getting more and more expensive to seek office, even in smaller contests like school board seats.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

As judges waive $1.2M in fines/fees, officials look at other punishments

Knox County’s five sessions court judges have waived a little more than a combined $1.2 million in court costs, fines and fees assigned to local offenders since last September when they started their new terms in office.

And, Knox County’s three criminal court’s judges – who hear fewer cases than their peers in sessions court – have waived a little more than a combined $60,100 during the same time period.

That means a not only are lot of local defendants not paying for their crimes, but the county and state are also losing out on much-needed revenue. Local leaders, however, noted that many of the defendants probably cannot afford the costs.

"We see an awful lot of people who are chronically addicted, homeless, mentally ill," said Sessions Court judge Check Cerny.

The judges are tasked not only with handing down punishments, but also deciding who can and cannot pay court fines and fees.

"We're very, very careful," Cerny said. "we receive testimony in open court and often, we actually require affidavits (which detail a defendant's finances)." We scrutinize the evidence and make a decision based on, not sympathy, but rather whether or not it's financially prudent to continue trying to collect something that would be impossible to collect."

But, there might be something they can do about it.

When the state General Assembly meets again in January, officials are expected to talk about a proposal that would let judges waive the costs, yet subject the defendants to some sort of community service, possibly picking up trash on the side of the road, cleaning up the Tennessee River or volunteering at a non-profit.

Rest of the story RIGHT HERE.

Bonding companies owe state $141K

More than a dozen East Tennessee bail bonding agencies owe the state a total of almost $141,000 because their Knox County defendants failed to show up for court, records show.

Knoxville-based Unchained is on the hook for the most at $54,500, and AA Bonding, which has regional offices, owes $32,550, according to records provided by the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's Office.

In addition, the state is due $24,500 from the locally operated Southern Bail and another $10,150 from A and A.

Another 10 companies each were in debt to the state as of Sept. 15 for between $500 and $4,500.

Some bonding companies counter, however, that the figures do not tell the whole story.

Sean Sanford manages Sanford & Son, which dates to the 1930s. He said only a few companies owe much of the money. Sanford, who learned Friday the clerk's list showed him owing $2,000, said he quickly paid what he owed.

He also said one notice from the clerk's office was in error and that he owes nothing for the defendant.

The three companies identified as the top offenders either declined comment or could not be reached.

Rest of the story RIGHT HERE.

Report: Former KCS employee used taxpayer dollars for gambling

Roger Underwood

Really appreciate it, man. Seriously, you made good coin ($95,700 annually) and you got to (allegedly) steal, too? Nice.

Whatever.

A former Knox County Schools employee, fired in October for misuse of a school credit card, used public funds for gambling and "inappropriate alcohol purposes", according to a report from the Tennessee Comptroller's Office.

Roger Underwood, 61, who was the accounts payable supervisor, was charged last week with felony theft.

His dismissal helped prompt an internal audit of school system finances including its credit card program. In November, KCS did away with six credit cards it previously had issued to high-ranking officials including Underwood, switching instead to the county's electronic purchase card, or e-card, program and travel card system.

A report issued by the state comptroller's has revealed new details about the extent of Underwood's alleged theft.

The investigation found that Underwood made personal charges totaling at least $10,445 on a Knox County Schools credit card. He admitted that many of these charges were for online gambling, and that he lost $1800 betting in a single day.

He also received duplicate reimbursement of $1,544 for lodging and meal expenses for at least three school system related trips. he charged the expenses to a school credit card, and also requested and received reimbursement from the system for those trips.

Investigators noted that several of the meals Underwood charged to the school credit card appeared excessive.

They also questioned $731 in charges to Underwood's KCS credit card for a retirement reception in Biloxi, Mississippi. The reception charges included hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer, but the party was not for a KCS employee.

Outstanding Debt: fines, fees Part 3

Offenders owe $16.2 million in restitution

Susan Lynn Hoard pleaded guilty in 2000 for stealing almost $1 million in client trust accounts held by a Knoxville law firm where she worked. She spent the money on elaborate dresses, a swimming pool and a convertible.

Then-Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz sentenced the former secretary to 18 months in prison and ordered her to pay back more than $600,000.

Records, however, show that she’s returned about $14,500 – only 2.4 percent of the overall bill since then – and hasn’t cut a check to the victims in almost two years.

And, she’s not the only one who has fallen behind – or not made – restitution payments.

There are hundreds and hundreds of criminals convicted in the Knox County court system that owe some amount of compensation. In fact, records show that victims are due a combined $16.2 million in restitution, a figure that dates back to 1998.

Sometimes the offenders have ripped off their own company. Other times, they’ve stolen from strangers, even family and friends. They might have written a check that bounced or burglarized a house.

In some cases, the criminals have taken cars, clothes, jewelry or cash. Often times, they’ve vandalized someone’s property.

Either way, there’s roughly a hundred convicted criminals alone that owe tens of thousands of dollars each to area residents and businesses, and local leaders are growing concerned that the money – as the debts get older and older – is getting harder and harder to collect.

So concerned are they, that the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office is looking to hire a new debt collector, which officials in the office hope to have in place by Nov. 1.

What happens next is anyone’s guess.

For the rest of the story, including lists of those who owe, slideshows and more, click RIGHT HERE.

Outstanding Debt: fines, fees Part 2

The second part of our 3-day series:

Mindful of the defendants in the Knox County General Sessions Court system who have accrued years of costs and fees they cannot possibly pay, Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond is preparing a plan.

He said he wants to identify the people who have no hope of paying what they owe, such as the handful of homeless, indigent defendants 10News reported Monday in its investigative series "Fines, Fees and a Flawed System. " The men collectively owe more than $750,000.

Hammond also wants to single out those who have simply fallen behind or neglected what they owe and really can pay at least something. And the clerk wants to offer possible ways a defendant could work off his bill, perhaps some kind of community service.

It's all still in the "idea" stage, said Hammond, a former county commissioner who took office in September, and he first needs to come up with a detailed, specific proposal to present to Knox County General Sessions Court judges.

Knox County defendants owe millions of dollars of unpaid court costs and fees, figures show. It's not unusual for one person to owe $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000. Many defendants who are charged with a crime are already poor and rely on a court-appointed attorney for representation.

The five men profiled by 10News on Monday owe more, judges, clerks and lawyers concede, than they could ever pay. One defendant, Anthony Joe Mason, died in April, and last week a General Sessions Court judge abated his costs in a case.

"We'll go to the judges and say, We're not going to collect this. Our recommendation to you is that we forgive this debt. Let's not have it on our books. It's kinda like a bad debt in business," Hammond said.

He's also is in the process of looking for a new collection agency that can help with collections and hopes to have that firm in place in November.

Hammond oversees clerical operations for the General Sessions, Criminal and Fourth Circuit courts.

All told there's about $159 million on the books waiting to be collected in those courts, the vast amount in General Sessions and Criminal courts.

Hammond said he would be happy if he could bring in a fraction of that - $15 million or $20 million.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Outstanding debt: fines, fees Part I

We started a 3-part investigation last night looking at the money owed from criminals to the county and their victims.

In the Knox County General Sessions Court system, four men notorious for having been arrested thousands of times collectively owe more than $600,000 in fines and court costs.

That's money they'll never pay back. Never.

If the amount were 10 percent of that they couldn't afford it. If it were only 1 percent - $6,000 - the public would never see a dime.

Michael Pierce, Harvey Alley, Donald Street and Aubrey McGill are the four worst offenders when it comes to people who owe the court system money, according to figures given to 10News by Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond's office.

A fifth man, Anthony Joe Mason, also appears on the Clerk's Office's list of worst offenders, but 10News has determined he died in April.

The defendants' bills never go down. They have been growing since the 1980s when the names of many of the five first were typed into the county's computer system.

Within all of his purview, Sessions Court, Criminal Court and Fourth Circuit Court, Mike Hammond said he faces $159 million in uncollected costs and fees. He said it's not realistic to think his office actually could collect all that money.

Rest of the story RIGHT HERE.

Playground problems: Recalls issued, schools unaware, lawsuit possible

Photo by Jim Matheny

In February 2009, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of a popular Playland brand swing set, telling customers to "immediately stop" using it.

Knox County Schools never got the letter.

In late August – more than five years after the announcement – a recalled "arch" set at Lonsdale Elementary School snapped while fourth grader Ronnivea Wilson swung from it.

She crashed to the ground and suffered minor bruises to her left side, records show.

Her family hired a local attorney, Linda Betz, who told officials in October that "this matter could end up in litigation," according to a letter her office sent to Knox County's Risk Management Department.

Officials have since said little about the accident.

But, a WBIR 10News investigation shows that KCS doesn't have mechanisms in place to quickly identify problems on its playgrounds and quickly fix them.

KCS – unlike the county's Parks and Recreation Department and other school systems in the state – also doesn't have a central database that details what type of equipment and materials it has on each of its more than 50 playgrounds.

That means county and school inspectors don't have easy access to information. Instead, they have to go through the individual schools, which often don't have records. Or, they have to personally visit each playground to determine what is there.

Problems that affect multiple school playgrounds aren't discovered sometimes until weeks, months and years later, according to records. Fixing them, too, can take KCS time.

The full story is RIGHT HERE.

Playground problems: injuries,costs

Emergency crews and rescue personnel needed hours to free two of young Ashlyn's fingers when they got trapped in a piece of playground equipment last March at Mount Olive Elementary School in March.

The county's Risk Management Department then came up with a way to prevent a similar situation from happening again.

But Knox County Schools declined to act on the recommendation.
That's not the first time school officials have opted not to fix a potential problem on school playgrounds.

PREVIOUS STORY: Part 1 - School Playground Safety Inspection Inconsistencies

Parents said officials promised to address safety issues on some playgrounds, but have failed to deliver.

"It's one thing to fall and get hurt, but if you have something that poses a risk that could be fixed, then that's different," said Ashyln's mother Micki Morris. "Kids are going to fall – you can't change that. But if you have something that is a known hazard now, I think it's wrong not to fix it."
Barbara Kistler-Martin, whose son was injured in May when a piece of mulch pierced his shoe and foot, agreed.

"It is correctable," she said, noting that the mulch at Cedar Bluff Elementary where her son was injured this summer looks the same today. "This just bothers me."

The rest of the story RIGHT HERE.

School playground safety standards

Photo by Jim Mathey

Jim Matheny and I worked on a four-month investigation into playground safety standards at dozens of school districts in East Tennessee that revealed a variety of problems and inconsistencies.

From a shortage of inspections to failures to receive notice of safety recalls, the issues have resulted in children being sent to the hospital and taxpayer dollars spent to cover medical bills.

In this first of three stories, we examine how frequently schools are conducting safety inspections, certification requirements for inspectors, and a failure to repair problems that are identified.

A WBIR 10News investigation found many of these problems at Knox County Schools, the area's largest school district:

• KCS does not inspect its playgrounds according to industry standards
• KCS sometimes takes months to correct a problem – if it even does fix it
• KCS still hasn't inspected all of its playgrounds for the current school year
• KCS does not have a certified playground inspector

These issues are not entirely unique to Knox County Schools. Our investigation over the next few days reveals how school systems across the area stack up on safety compared to industry standards.

The full story is RIGHT HERE.