— An Athens school board member and Athens State University administrator has been charged with driving drunk after allegedly running over a stop sign about 3:30 Tuesday afternoon in Athens, records show.

Larry Joe Keenum, 56, of 17729 Jeffery St. was arrested without incident at home and charged with driving under the influence, Athens Police Lt. Trevor Harris said.

He was arrested after a woman reported to police that a man driving a white van had knocked over a stop sign at Lucas Ferry Road and Jeffery Street. The caller, who followed the motorist until he stopped in a driveway, then waited for police to respond, Harris said.

Records show Keenum’s blood-alcohol level was 0.21 — more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.

“Since he could not satisfactorily complete the standardized field-sobriety test, Mr. Keenum was arrested and brought to Athens Police Department, where a chemical breath test was administered,” Harris said. “That test found Keenum’s blood alcohol content (BAC) to be 0.21 percent.”

He was booked at the city jail and transferred to the Limestone County Jail about 5 p.m. Tuesday. He was released Wednesday after posting a $1,000 bail, records show.

Keenum, who is director of career services and cooperative education at ASU, did not return telephone calls for comment on the charge.

Athens State University President Bob Glenn issued a statement Wednesday afternoon.

“We learned of Mr. Keenum’s arrest this morning,” he said. “We are beginning to collect the facts and circumstances regarding the arrest. The university will begin it’s own internal investigation immediately.”

Athens City Schools Superintendent Dr. Orman Bridges Jr. had not yet returned a call for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Keenum, an accomplished baseball player, is a volunteer coach for local youth baseball. In 2006, the City Council appointed him to the school board, and he has served as board president in the past. His seat on the board expires this year, and he was seeking re-appointment along with another board member, whose seat also expires this year and who is seeking reappointment. Seventeen others have applied for the two appointments.

At native of Trinity, Keenum was named a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American while playing baseball at Calhoun Community College in 1974. He played with the Baton Rouge Cougars and the Birmingham Barons professional baseballs teams, then went on to become a successful ASU softball coach.

More recently, Keenum has elicited criticism, and some support, for the blunt guest columns and letters to the editor he has submitted to The News Courier on various topics. He has also been trying to recruit players for a woman’s softball club team at ASU.