2008 may be marked by many as the year of the economic downturn in the U.S. In Cumberland County the year was marked with shocking tragedy, financial battles between the county and the school system culminating with a lawsuit between the two and a Flying Spaghetti Monster which took up residency on the courthouse lawn for a few weeks. The school system delayed opening and was ultimately forced to make budget cuts to various programs.

We asked the Crossville Chronicle readers to vote for the top 10 stories of 2008 on an online poll on the Chronicle Web site and the readers have cast their votes.

The top 10 news stories are as follows in order:



Carol and Darrell Darling tragedy

What began as a dense, foggy March morning quickly became a tragic day in Cumberland County after the home of Carol and Darrell Darling was discovered burning and two bodies were later found among the ashes.

Discovering Carol's car in the garage made firefighters, family and friends fear the worst — that Carol and her husband, Darrell Darling, were inside the home as it burned. Darrell Darling's Tahoe was also parked at the home just outside of the garage. Their fears became reality after two victims were discovered.

Investigators with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department informed the family early that afternoon that two bodies had been discovered in the rubble of what was left of the home. The bodies were to be transported to Nashville for an autopsy to make a positive identification.

As firefighters battled the blaze in the fog, an outpouring of friends and community members arrived at the scene and choked back tears, embracing each other with hugs, comforting one and another.

Although the two were presumed dead that day, months later the bodies were positively identified as the Darlings through DNA testing.

The home, which was totally destroyed, was fully engulfed in flames when Cumberland County Firefighters arrived on the scene around 9 a.m.

The next day, a letter, allegedly written by Darrell Darling, but unsigned, was received by the Knoxville News Sentinel and stated Carol Darling was having an affair and that their marriage was over.

Cumberland County Sheriff Butch Burgess said, "Once we found out about the letter we immediately approached the family to warn them about it and let them know this was coming ... We didn't want them finding out about it by someone calling them or hearing it on the news."

Although he would not elaborate, he said the letter was shocking to the family and hard for them to believe. The news of the tragic situation sent a shock wave throughout Cumberland County.

Carol Darling's passion was the Art Circle Public Library and she was heavily involved in the negotiations that brought the new library project to a reality. Darrell Darling was serving a county appointment to the Industrial Development Bond Board of Cumberland County. He previously was chairman of the board of the Crossville/Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce.

Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill said, "Carol and Darrell Darling worked hard to make Cumberland County a better community for all of us. Now it's time for us to step up and be that better community by providing emotional support for the daughters, Diana and Rebecca, and Carol's parents, Jay and Diane Brown ... This will be difficult for a long time. We continue to pray for the family."

Gary Nelson



County Mayor files lawsuit against school system

After nearly two weeks of the beginning of public school being postponed due to budget problems, Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill filed a lawsuit in Chancery Court and a motion for injunction against the Cumberland County Board of Education.

Hill alleged that the special-called meeting the Cumberland County Board of Education held August 8, 2008 was in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 8-44-101 et. seq. (The Sunshine Law) and is therefore improper and illegal without adequate public notice, according to the suit that was filed Thursday, Aug. 14, at 2:20 p.m. by county attorney James E. Thompson.

The suit alleged the special-called meeting was called by the Cumberland County Director of Schools and not the chairman of the BOE. This meeting was the meeting in which the BOE made the decision to postpone the opening of Cumberland County schools for the 2008-'09 school year.

The Cumberland County Board of Education's attorney, Earl Patton, filed a response in Chancery Court to County Mayor Brock Hill's lawsuit against the school board.

"There is a $3,521,246 shortfall between monies obligated in the 2007-'08 budget year, and the projected revenues for the 2008-'09 budget year ... (BOE) avers that due to these circumstances, and the fact that neither the commission, nor the Cumberland County Budget Committee has given any assurance to the (BOE) that these shortfalls will be remedied in any way, that the (BOE) has no choice but to postpone the opening of school until it is clear whether or not the (BOE) will be able to complete the 2008-'09 school year, conducting the same curricular and extracurricular programs it did in the 2007-'08 school year," the BOE's response read.

The BOE also denied that inadequate notice was given for the Aug. 8 meeting in which the BOE decided to postponed the opening of schools, or that it violated the Open Meetings Act.

The suit was filed Aug. 14 and seeks the chancellor to rule the BOE's Aug. 8 meeting illegal and order the opening of Cumberland County schools immediately.

A motion for an injunction was heard by Chancellor Ron Thurman in Chancery Court in Crossville Friday, Aug. 22 at the Cumberland County Justice Center.

Thurman ruled in favor of County Mayor Brock Hill's complaint against the Cumberland County Board of Education.

Along with Thurman's ruling, a court order was issued stating that Cumberland County schools be opened on or by Wednesday, Aug. 27. If the schools were not opened by this date the director of schools was required to appear in Chancery Court in Cookeville at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 29, in order to show cause as to why they were not opened. The hearing lasted nearly four hours and testimony was heard from three witnesses.

In a special-called meeting later that night, the BOE decided to open the school system Monday and begin the 2008-'09 school year. The meeting was also to discuss and pass an amended budget for the 2008-'09 school year.

Gary Nelson



Flying Spaghetti Monster sparks policy change

Among the county's historic directional sign post, farm equipment and gazebo stood several monuments and expressions of free speech on the Cumberland County Courthouse lawn. The displays included an Iraq and Afghanistan Soldier's Memorial, Statue of Liberty, chainsaw-carved monkeys and bears, Jesus carrying a cross, but the day a statue of a Flying Spaghetti Monster came to the lawn, a sense of change was definitely in the air.

Several onlookers and tourists stopped to take pictures of the sculptures.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster was one of a slew of others that were erected on the lawn over the past few years. Several marches and demonstrations had also taken place on the courthouse grounds.

Crossville artist Ariel Safdie stated, "The Flying Spaghetti Monster is a pile of noodles and meatballs, but it is meant to open up discussion and provoke thought. Being able to put up a statue is a celebration of our freedom as Americans; a freedom to be different, to express those differences, and to do it amongst neighbors — even if it is in a noodley way."

When asked about the display Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill said, "We are basically operating it as a freedom of speech venue. We don't deny the constitutional rights of anyone, but we certainly don't endorse all the displays ... "

The free speech zone began in 2006 after the American Civil Liberties Union in Nashville sent the county a letter asking if the display of a Moses statue meant the county was creating a free speech zone.

After discussing phone calls in response to the variety of displays on the Cumberland County Courthouse grounds, commissioners on the buildings and grounds committee decided to remove all the displays stating the situation was out of hand.

The reaction by the county came only a couple weeks after the Flying Spaghetti Monster was placed on the courthouse grounds. The display sparked national interest on blogs and news sites all over the Internet. It even appeared in an issue of the Rolling Stone Magazine. All of the displays were removed from the courthouse by April 30.

The committee members agreed that no long-term displays would be allowed. Group assemblies by local nonprofit agencies for an event kickoff would be acceptable or weddings would also be allowed at the gazebo on the courthouse grounds. However, any display would have to be removed at the end of the event.

Gary Nelson



Board of Education delays start of school year

The disagreement between the Cumberland County Board of Education and the Cumberland County Commission over funding reached a dramatic climax in 2008, becoming a newsworthy story throughout Tennessee.

It all started when the BOE decided to delay the opening of school indefinitely until its 2008-'09 budget was resolved. After choosing to use $2 million of its fund balance for the operation of the schools, the board expected the commission to provide the remaining $3 million needed to ensure that education continued "as is."

Instead, the county budget committee recommended the BOE cut millions from its budget. Balking at the idea, the board made the decision to initiate the delay just days before the school year was scheduled to begin in August.

The decision upset several Cumberland County residents, particularly student athletes who were unable to practice sports and school personnel who were prevented from working. As a result, a protest ensued on the courthouse lawn and many expressed their disgust during meetings for the BOE and county commission.

Missy Wattenbarger



JROTC, drivers' education programs cut by BOE

Another drastic decision made by the school board regarding its 2008-'09 budget was to cut the second semester of the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) and drivers' education programs in order to comply with the amount of funding allotted by the county.

While other cuts eliminated 19 staff positions, the BOE was mostly bombarded with requests from members of the community to keep the JROTC program. Several attempts were made to save the program, including a resolution for the county commission to use $65,000 from the county drug fund and delinquent property taxes for the program. Ultimately, the county designated $15,000 for the program, and the BOE was granted permission from the U.S. Army to continue the program for the second semester as long as certain requirements were met.

The drivers' education courses were also able to continue for the second semester because of the resignation of two certified personnel.

Missy Wattenbarger



Rounding out the list of Top Ten stories in 2008 are:

Liqour referendum — Cumberland County voters, in what was a record turnout during a presidential election year, voted overwhelmingly to allow liquor package store sales in the city of Crossville. City officials are in the process of establishing franchises and rules that govern the sales. Three franchises will be awarded by drawing in January.

Double homicide — Four persons were arrested and have been charged with murder and conspiracy in the killing of two Cumberland County residents in early November. The shootings took place at the Hwy. 70 E home of Keith Patton, who along with Robert Asher, were shot multiple times. Investigators said the shootings grew out of a home invasion and robbery attempt. The four suspects are scheduled to have preliminary hearings in early January.

Tanker crash — A tanker hauling a chemical with the potential of delivering a deadly triple blow to the Crab Orchard area community overturned in a chain-reaction crash on rain-slickened I-40 in July, causing the evacuation of 164 homes and businesses and creating a traffic nightmare for thousands of motorists and law enforcement alike. I-40 and U.S. 70 in Cumberland County were closed for over 31 hours.

The accident happened at the end of a pop-up rain shower in the west lane of I-40, east of the 331 mile marker and about two miles east of the Crab Orchard exit at 2:30 p.m. The wreck involved two tractor-trailer rigs and three cars and resulted in seven people being taken to area hospitals — two children to Knoxville and the rest to Cumberland Medical Center.

No candy thrown at parade — Organizers of the annual Christmas parade in Crossville opted to ban the tossing of candy from parade floats in the interest of safety. Many viewed the decision as an end of a holiday tradition. Parade participants were allowed to hand candy out if they were on foot.

Randy York appointed — Crossville attorney Randy York became the first Cumberland Countian to hold the office of District Attorney General. York was appointed in November to head up the state prosecution office for the 13th Judicial Circuit, replacing former DA Bill Gibson. Gibson became the subject of action by the Tennessee Supreme Court's Board of Professional Responsibility during which his license to practice law was suspended.