Vansant Lumber Files $15.3 Million Lawsuit Against KVAT
Company Seeks Possession of Property

by Scotty Wampler
News Editor
  Vansant Lumber Company has filed suit against KVAT Food Stores, Inc., seeking over $15.3 million in damages and possession of a portion of property the company believes it owns a chain of title for.
   The property in question -- the former Vansant Elementary School site -- was sold to KVAT by the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors in April 2005 for $625,000. The company constructed a new Food City grocery store on the 4.28-acre tract later that same year.
   However, Vansant Lumber attorney Wayne T. Horne notified Food City and county officials in June 2005 that the lumber company allegedly has a chain of title for a portion of the same property. The letter, Horne noted at the time, served as notice of Vansant Lumber’s claim to the property.
   Frank Kilgore, who at the time served as Assistant County Attorney, said surveys of the property were completed by Food City officials and the portion of the property claimed by Vansant Lumber had been in the exclusive use and control of the county school system and the county for some 50 years.
   Horne’s letter, however, stated that ownership of the land in question belonged to Vansant Lumber.
   “After an exhausting search,” he wrote at the time, “it appears that when the partition of lands was derived, more was listed as road frontage than could have possibly existed to partition,” adding he had been able to locate two sycamore trees from the railroad plats which are tied into calls in the property line.

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School Board Approves Teacher Transfers

by JoBeth  Wampler
Staff Reporter  
   The Buchanan County School Board approved four new teachers, nine teacher transfers and three classified personnel for the 2007-2008 school year last week.
   In a continued meeting of the School Board, Hurricane board member Willie Sullivan, who was asked to report on a meeting of the Personnel Committee earlier that day, made a motion to enter closed session to discuss personnel.
   North Grundy board member Don Newberry made the second, and the motion passed unanimously.
   Approximately one hour later, the board resumed open session and Sullivan made the recommendation to approve teacher transfers, the hiring of new personnel and a motion to extend contracts to teacher aides with five or more years of experience.
   The motion was approved unanimously.
   Teacher transfers for the 2007-2008 school year include the following:
   Susan Skeens, transferring from Riverview Elementary/Middle to Grundy High
   Patrick Wade, transferring from Grundy High to Twin Valley High
   Dianne McCowan, transferring from Twin Valley Elementary/Middle to Grundy High
    Michelle Talbott, transferring from BCTCC — ISAP Program to Hurley High
    Katie Daniels, transferring from Riverview Elementary/Middle to BCTCC as a Counselor and J.M Bevins as a Testing Coordinator
    Kathy Witt, transferring from Twin Valley Elementary/Middle to Russell Prater as an Academic Pass Coach and Counselor
    Loretta Ratliff, transferring from Hurley Elementary/Middle to Riverview Elementary/Middle
    Benjamin Jackson, transferring from Russell Prater Elementary/Middle to Council Elementary and Council High
    Jennifer Crumpton, transferring from Twin Valley to Riverview Elementary/Middle
    New teachers hired with the approval of the Personnel Committee's recommendation include:
  Christopher Cooke, Hurley High; Melissa Vandyke, Russell Prater Elementary/Middle; Dora Meadows, Twin Valley Elementary/Middle; and Peter Lundy, full-time substitute.
   There were three classified personnel hired for the 2007-2008 school year, which include: Custodial personnel Teresa Keen, Twin Valley Elementary/Middle; Cafeteria/Cook personnel Sandra Dotson, Riverview Elementary/Middle, and Thelma Johnson, Council High School.
    It was also reported prior to closed session that Prater School Board member Bill Crigger is expected at the next monthly meeting.
    The next regularly scheduled Buchanan County School Board meeting will be held Thursday, August 30 at 5:30 p.m.

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