Hawkins Ready to Serve, Grant Won’t Appeal

Algood’s newest council member is ready to serve her community after the Grant v. Steidl election case was dismissed in Chancery Court Wednesday morning.

Ruby Hawkins said she thanks everyone who has supported her from the beginning 55 days after the August election.

“For one thing, I’m proud it’s over,” Hawkins said. “I would just like to thank all of the people who voted and stood with me and supported me. I look forward to working with all of the citizens in Algood. I’m just glad it’s over. It’s been a long drawn out thing and I’m ready to get to work now.”

Justin Grant, who contested the election after falling one vote short of the final council position, spoke with Hawkins following Wednesday’s hearing in Crossville.

“He congratulated me and I told him I had no problem with him contesting the election,” Hawkins said. “He had every right for that. But the part I had was where he got a restraining order keeping me from being sworn in. But that’s water under the bridge and I’m ready to forget about it.”

Grant congratulated Hawkins immediately after the hearing and said he will continue to support her as she takes over on Algood’s city council.

“My goal in all of this was to not keep [Hawkins] from any duly-elected position,” Grant said, “it was just to make sure the election was done correctly. I don’t have one ill thought about Miss Hawkins. She has been incredibly kind and compassionate through this whole thing.”

Grant said although he didn’t get the outcome he would have liked, he will continue serving the community outside council.

“I would prefer it have happened different, but at the same time, the defendants of the case (Hawkins) and everybody involved has always been incredibly kind to me,” Grant said. “I didn’t have one ill thought towards all of them. My whole stance on all of this has always been we need to make sure everyone does the best job they possibly can to make sure that our margin of error is an acceptable level.”

Grant said he has no intentions of appealing the Chancellor’s decision.