CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The contractors' licensing board of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance has ordered the storm debris company operating in Bradley County to stop work.

The cease-and-desist letter is the result of some local contractors questioning if Unified Recovery Group legally can work in Tennessee. Unified has a Tennessee business license but not a contractor's license.

However, a contractor's license is not required, County Mayor D. Gary Davis' spokesman Dan Howell said. Unified gave the lowest quote among qualified companies, he said, in response to a formal request for proposals. It was not a bid request for a contract, Howell said.

The licensing board met in Memphis recently for its regular meeting, and the question was on the agenda. The board's director, in the letter, says Unified's use of heavy equipment qualifies the work as a contract.

In a statement today, Davis said the county has been assured by Unified Recovery Group that the storm-related debris cleanup work will continue.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Chattanooga Times Free Press.