Speaks out against this at county commissioners' meeting

"Within our community," Sheriff Ferguson said, "are liars, gossips, rumormongers and just plain troublemakers who have nothing better to do than spin stories about community leaders and other citizens." Like many others, Sheriff Ferguson is fed up with the mounting falsehoods being spread throughout Macon County. In the path of the arrest on October 10th by Federal Marshals of Macon County Trustee, Donnie Morgan, for assault on a federal witness and misuse of his tobacco card, and an ongoing investigation by the FBI into tobacco fraud, money laundering and insurance fraud in Macon County, a number of rumors recently have circulated about elected officials and other Macon County citizens. "Unless these rumors are stopped," Sheriff Ferguson said, "we'll have to change our community web page to indicate that we are a community of liars and gossips instead of hard working, honest citizens in a pretty little rural community."

Members of the Macon County Commission applauded Sheriff Ferguson's remarks, adding that it was time to get past the gossip and the rumors and on to the business of being a community.

Directing their attention to new business, the Commissioners approved Resolutions proclaiming October as Domestic Violence Awareness month and the Greene County Government's proclamation supporting the recognition of God as the foundation of our national heritage. They voted to accept payment by the School Board of $6,565 for one of three portable buildings bought for the School Board. They accepted a bid from a local bank to refinance the county's school buses at 3.45% instead of the current 6.75 percent of interest. They also discussed bids for a $150,000 grant loan needed for use with a Homeland Security grant, given to Macon County by the federal government which requires that the county first buy the necessary equipment and supplies and then receive reimbursement from the federal government. Because the loan would be needed for only a couple of years, Commissioners were able to get bids from 2.45 % to 3.28%, which members agreed was hard to beat. Accepting the lowest bid, the Commissioners voted to set up a line item in the County's general fund budget for the Homeland Security grant monies.

Additionally, Commissioners discussed plans to add a list of rural roads to the list of county owned and maintained roads, but could not reach agreement on the proposal submitted by County Road Supervisor, Glen Ray, except to add Celina Road to the county road list. Celina Road is between Red Boiling Springs and Celina on Hwy 56 and old Hwy 52 north.

William P. Carter, A. Russell Brown, Melissa Dulworth and Jeff East were elected as notary public personnel.

The next meeting of the County Commission will be Monday, November 3 at 6:00 p.m.