Dwight, Myretta no longer "acting"

Knox County Public Works and Engineering Director Dwight Van de Vate and county Director of Library Services Myretta Black can finally drop “interim” from their titles.

Brief history lesson: When county Mayor Tim Burchett took office last September there was a big ol' mess about severance packages, and who knew what and when, and whatever. In the end, Bruce Wuethrich (public works and engineering), Larry Frank (top dog librarian) and Susanne Dupes (communications director) quit.

The mayor then put Black in charge of the library system as acting director, and Van de Vate (former county Mayor Mike Ragsdale's chief administrative officer or something like that) over public works.

Somehow Michael “Spin Doc” Grider got Dupes' old job, but it has a different title and pay and he has to carry the chief of staff Dean “the Emperor” Rice's bags wherever he goes. (Rice also requires him to walk three steps behind him wherever they go. Kidding. Not really.)

Anyhoo, I think they mayor this afternoon finally got sick of me asking him when he'd make permanent appointments. He then said he'd call Black and Van de Vate today and let them know they could drop the “interim” label from their business cards.

Course the mayor is so cheap, I mean frugal, that he'll probably just tell them to grab a pen and cross out the title rather than order new cards.

And no, they don't get a pay raise.