entrepreneurship

MUCH FOR JOINING US. IM GLADYS BAUTISTA THE BLOUNT COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING TODAY FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING TO ADDRESS THE RAPID SPREAD OF THE FLU IN THE AREA. WVTM 13 ZOE BLAIR JOINS US LIVE NOW IN THE STUDIO AFTER GOING TO THAT MEETING, ZOE GLADYS, AS OF 1:00 TODAY, THE BLOUNT COUNTY COURTHOUSE IS CLOSED THROUGH WEDNESDAY BECAUSE OF AN INCREASE IN FLU CASES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. ITS BEEN HITTING THIS COMMUNITY PRETTY HARD. EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE TOLD YOU THAT TWO SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED BECAUSE SO MANY STUDENTS WERE GETTING SICK. NOW, THE COURTHOUSE CLOSURE SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY MAJOR EFFECTS. IT WAS ALREADY SET TO BE CLOSED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS, AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE COURT CASE SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW. ITS BEEN MOVED TO LATER IN THE WEEK. IF YOU WERE PLANNING ON GETTING YOUR CAR TAG OR PAYING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES TOMORROW, YOURE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT OR SEE IF ITS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO ONLINE. NOW, AFTER THAT MEETING, I SPOKE WITH COMMISSION CHAIRMAN BRADLEY HARVEY. HE SAYS THAT ANY OTHER WEEK THEY PROBABLY COULD HAVE KEPT THE COURTHOUSE OPEN. THEY WERE ALREADY SHORT STAFFED BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS. AND NOW THE STAFF THEY DO HAVE IS GETTING SICK. ITS CUTTING INTO WHAT WHAT STAFF THAT WE HAD. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TWO SCHOOLS THAT HAD CLOSED OUT PRIOR DURING THE WEEK. AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT JUST OVER THE WEEKEND. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ALREADY STARTING THE CHRISTMAS TRAVEL. THE BEST TIME, YOU KNOW, MAYBE JUST GO AHEAD AND CLOSE OUT MONDAY AND THEN PICK UP BUSINESS THURSDAY. AS OF NOW, THE COURTHOUSE IS SET TO REOPEN ON THURSDAY. BUT IF THE FLU NUMBERS CONTINUE TO RISE, THEY MAY HAVE TO KEEP IT CLOSED THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. WERE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW T