Economic development and government officials took some time Friday to dispel some of the rumors floating around in the lead-up to Volkswagen deciding to build its assembly plant in Chattanooga.

First off, there was never talk of an engine plant, said Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield.

“We only read it in the paper,” he said. “That’s the only place it came up.”

Mike Randle of the auto industry Web site SouthernAutoCorridor.com told the Chattanooga Times Free Press earlier this month that Volkswagen possibly was looking at Enterprise South as the site of an engine and drive-train facility.

Hayes Ledford of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce also reiterated that the TVA megasite in Limestone County, Ala., was not a site Volkswagen was considering. Instead, the site under consideration was about five miles away, he said.

“The TVA site couldn’t really accommodate the needs of the company,” he said. “The site that ultimately was being touted down there was soybean fields.”

HOW MUCH IS THAT ANNUALLY

Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority Chairman Henry Hoss took a little jab Wednesday at former East Ridge City Commissioner Curtis Adams.

During the authority’s monthly meeting, while discussing a likely 3 percent increase in the amount Chattanooga charges the authority for treatment at the Moccasin Bend Treatment Plant with East Ridge board representative Tom Card, an East Ridge property tax increase proposed by Mr. Adams came up.

“I heard that tax increase over there amounted to about $10 a month,” joked Mr. Hoss, who went on to say that’s about $120 per year. The proposed tax increase was 47 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Mr. Adams, who is a Hamilton county commissioner, chastised authority officials at a commission meeting for saying their fee for an inspection and repair plan is $8 per month. Mr. Adams said the authority should say the fee was $96 per year.

Mr. Adams left his post as East Ridge City Manager Thursday.

BRANUM TO GET AWARD

Hamilton County Sheriff Allen Branum will accept an award from the Tennessee National Guard at 10 a.m. Monday in recognition of the department’s continued support for soldiers and their families, which included a dinner before their deployment.

Sheriff Branum will accept the award at the sheriff’s office downtown.

CANDIDATES ON A STUMP

VFW Post 4848 is hosting a candidate forum today at 2 p.m.

“Candidates on a Stump” will be held at the post at 1491 Riverside Drive, next to the Boathouse restaurant.

The organization is giving those running in the Aug. 7 elections “a chance to set up shop and present their case to the Hamilton County voters,” according to a flier.

The event will include barbecue and music.

NOW TAKING LIGHT BULBS

The city now is taking tubular and compact fluorescent light bulbs at three of its recycling drop-off centers.

The bulbs will be collected at Warner Park, the John A. Patten Recreation Center and the facility at Access Road at DuPont Parkway, according to a city news release. “More than 670 million mercury-containing bulbs are put in landfills across the country each year,” Mayor Ron Littlefield said in a news release.

“I encourage all citizens of Chattanooga to bring their fluorescent light bulbs to convenience centers so that they are kept out of our landfill and properly disposed,” he said.

For more information, check out www.recycleright.org.

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