• Road Supervisor, District 1: Nolan Robinson.
• Road Supervisor, District 4: incumbent Ricky Scott.
• Register of Deeds: incumbent Judy Matheny Baker.
• County Trustee: Pat Rich.
• Sheriff: John Diddle Smith.

Republican candidates, seated, left to right: Judy Matheny Baker, incumbent Register of Deeds and Pat Rich, candidate for County Trustee. Standing: House of Representatives hopeful Tom "Redneck" Gardner; District 4 incumbent Ricky Scott; District 1 candidate Nolan Robinson, and Sheriff candidate John Diddle Smith.

All candidates were approved by acclamation with no rivals within the party for any office.

Those candidates opposed by Democratic candidates had these things to say concerning their qualifications:

District 1 road supervisor candidate Nolan Robinson said, "I consider it an honor to represent the Republican Party and the public as a candidate for road supervisor." Mr. Robinson is a lifelong resident of Carroll County who has spent many years involved in agriculture in Atwood.

Trustee hopeful Pat Rich has worked under the current trustee, Sue Smith, for eight years. During her tenure, the office became fully computerized under the Local Government network. "I am familiar with every aspect of the job," she says, "I thoroughly enjoy my job and enjoy working with the public and I will be available to assist anyone who has problems."

Sue Smith, who was present with Rich at the meeting, says, "Pat has always been a very dedicated employee who is always eager to work, very dependable and she has worked hard to learn all the aspects of the Trustee's Office. If she is elected, the Trustee's Office will go on as usual."

Candidate for Sheriff John Diddle Smith says he is "going to try to see everybody in Carroll County if possible" as he goes doors to door seeking support. A lifelong resident of Lavinia, Smith has five years of law enforcement experience with the State Department of Revenue/Motor Vehicle Enforcement Office. He has served two terms as a county commissioner and is a member of the Church of Christ. A single parent, he has one married son and another son who will be entering David Lipscomb University in August this year.

Democratic Caucus

The Democratic Caucus met on Saturday evening with a large showing of voting members. Democratic candidates approved in County elections are:

• Road Supervisor, District 1: Billy Coleman.
• Road Supervisor, District 2: Dennis Parker.
• Road Supervisor, District 3: Scotty Bailey.
• County Trustee: Charlie Beal.
• County Executive: incumbent Kenny McBride.
• Assessor of Property: incumbent Johnny Radford.
• Circuit Court Clerk: incumbent Paul Newmon.
• Sheriff: incumbent Bendell Bartholomew.

Democratic candidates, seated, left to right: incumbent Assessor of Property Johnny Radford; incumbent Sheriff Bendell Bartholomew; incumbent County Trustee Kenny McBride; and County Trustee hopeful Charlie Beal. Standing: incumbent Circuit Court Clerk Paul Newmon; incumbent District 3 Road District Supervisor Scotty Bailey; incumbent District 2 Road Supervisor Dennis Parker; and District 1 Road Supervisor hopeful Billy Coleman.

In the only contested race within the party, Barbara Moore opposed incumbent Paul Newmon for the nomination for Circuit Court Clerk. In accepting the nomination following a secret ballot in which 125 votes were cast for Newmon and 35 for Moore, Newmon said, "Y'all have been awfully good to me, and my hat's off to Barbara. I like her and her husband, Bob. She worked hard. Newmon has occupied the role of Circuit Court Clerk for the past 12 years.

Those candidates opposed by Democratic candidates voiced their qualifications as follows:
District 1 road supervisor candidate Billy Coleman stated he is "a hard worker who knows the roads in our area. I'll make one promise and that is I'll be on the job if I am elected." Mr. Coleman has worked for over five years with the Carroll County Highway Department.

Charlie Beal cites his financial background as his top qualifications for the office of County Trustee. Mr. Beal is a graduate of UTM with a degree in commercial and financial management; he has 23 years experience in the banking industry as Vice-President and Branch Manager of McKenzie Banking Company and Union Planters Bank; he is a graduate of the Tennessee School of Banking at Vanderbilt University and the MidSouth School of Banking in Memphis. He received his insurance license in 1995 in order to increase his investment abilities beyond bank products. He is a 1991 graduate of Leadership Carroll County.

Current Sheriff Bendell Bartholomew states, "I've really enjoyed working for and serving the people of Carroll County for the past eight years and look forward to another four years. A resident of Clarksburg, Me. Bartholomew has almost 20 years of law enforcement experience: six with the Carroll County Sheriff's Department and six with the Huntingdon Police Department as an investigator, and almost eight as the Sheriff of Carroll County.

Other Local Election Hopefuls

Local Republican Tom "Redneck" Gardner is vying for the 76th District House of Representatives seat currently occupied by Democrat Mark Maddox of Dresden.

Mr. Gardner, a resident of Huntingdon, bases his campaign on individual rights. "If it concerns individual liberties, I'll vote for it; if it is a liberal agenda that takes away the rights of the individual, I'm against it; and if it's a state income tax I'll fight it till I die," he proclaimed. "The only place the democrats can look (to solve the current financial crisis at the state level) is in the billfolds of the people. I will not ever support a state income tax." Gardner proposes instead to increase taxes on items such as alcohol and the cigarettes "that kill our people". He also sees the possibility of a state lottery as a potentially viable solution.

Democratic incumbent Mark Maddox, during the Democratic Caucus meeting, stated, "For the last six years I have been nominated to represent you in state government... I'm still listening to the people who sent me to Nashville six years ago; I still care about quality schools, I sill care about good roads, I still care about good health care, I still care about the quality of life (of my constituents.)

Democrat Tim Tucker of Huntingdon, in his bid for State Executive Committeeman, says, "I'm running for the job to get involved and serve the people; I'm ready to get involved and make a difference."
  

Behlen Country in Huntingdon announced an expansion of its workforce with the addition of a new molding machine. The company is presently employing 200 persons and expects to hire an additional 25 with the addition of the Rotational Molding Machine, moved to the Huntingdon facility from a sister plant in Indiana.

Behlen Country, formerly known as Behlen Livestock Equipment Division, manufactures, stocks and distributes product from plant locations in Baker City, Oregon; Goshen, Indiana; Huntingdon, Tennessee, and Columbus, Nebraska. Behlen Country markets its products under several of the most recognized and respected brand names in the industry. The include: Farmaster(r), Big Valley(r), Ranch Master(r), PolyTuff(r), and Horseman's Choice(tm).

Speaking from the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce board room on Wednesday, May 8, Behlen President Bob Stachura said "It has been a wonderful two years." Behlen located in the vacant Tennessee Metals building approximately 28 months ago. Stachura complimented the local workforce by saying "the people are quick to learn and know how to work." The Huntingdon plant has produced over $26 million worth of product since opening some two years earlier. The local plant has set two record shipping months in a row-$2.46 million and $2.683 million, said Stachura.

Brad Yancey, Plant Manager, said the associates at Huntingdon will exceed $3 million in shipments during May. "The people here have been outstanding. We feel like we have been here for years," said Yancey. One advantage to the Huntingdon plant is the convenience of the Carroll County Airport, which allows the company to bring customers to the plant.

County Executive Kenny McBride thanked the Behlen representatives for adding the new jobs. Every expansion creates a ripple effect in the economy and is a benefit to many others, noted McBride. Behlen has greatly benefited the local airport by purchasing 11,000 gallons of jet fuel and helping to fill the void created when HIS quit using the airport.

Thanks to the cooperative community, great workforce, and great trucking provided by Dean Kelly Trucking of Cedar Grove, the company has started a new service called Behlen Express, which guarantees quick delivery to customers in the eastern U.S. Mr. Stachura said the convenience of Interstate 40 within 12 miles and the central location of Tennessee has allowed the company to offer better delivery times than afforded by their other plants.

Dean Kelly said his trucking company now has 35 trucks, 28 of which serve Behlen. The local trucking company serves all the east coast and portions of Canada. The company has 40 employees and "is growing quickly", said Kelly. Kelly Trucking has two offices -one in Cedar Grove and the other at Behlen.

Behlen has surpassed the 175 jobs they promised when they located here, said Brad Hurley, President of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. He said the employees at Behlen are eager to tell about the great Behlen company. "We are very pleased," said Hurley of Behlen.

Huntingdon Mayor Dale Kelley called Behlen "a great corporate citizen." A trip to the Behlen company in Nebraska was proof that the company treats its employees well, said Kelley of his initial visit with Behlen officials two years earlier.


Luke Sanders, who served on the search team that recommended the Huntingdon site, said the new machine produces a variety of plastic products such as water tanks. Of the move to Huntingdon, Sanders said the company has surpassed its original growth expectations and provided growth to local companies such as Kelly Trucking and Fence Master of Jackson. Behlen was recently honored to be listed as one of the top 100 companies in training of employees, said Sanders. He praised the State of Tennessee for assisting with the cost of training new employees.

Attending the announcement were representatives from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development including Robert Parsons, Caroline Young, Amy Buntin and Joe Fortner. Gubernatorial candidate Jim Henry also attended the news conference.
 

Members of the McKenzie City Council were stunned on Thursday, May 9 when McKenzie Memorial Library Board representative Sybil King addressed the body in strident tones: "We are here to ask the city to finance a new library building. We need more reading room, more space for books and more computers."

"That's not true; that's just a dream," she continued, prompting tensed board members to laugh with relief.

Backed by other members of the library board as well as members of the McKenzie Business and Professional Women's Club (the entity from which the library originated and that is charged with ensuring the support of the library) Mrs. King revealed the true purpose of the board's visit was to request that the city assume responsibility for the salary of Librarian Glenda Chambers.

Ms. Chambers currently works 35 hours per week at minimum wage. Mrs. King offered several comparison salaries from across the state to illustrate the discrepancy suffered by Mrs. Chambers and borne by the BPW with the help of other organizations including the McKenzie Rotary Club.

"Reading a book is to the brain what exercise is to the body," Mrs. King asserted in describing the importance a library is to a community. Mrs. Chambers outlined the many services performed by the McKenzie Memorial Library on behalf of the community.

Vice-Mayor Gene Hale agreed, saying, "One of the first things a new business asks (in researching a community to move into) is, 'Do you have a library?'"

Mr. Hale asked Mrs. King to appoint a committee to meet jointly with a committee he then appointed consisting of council members Willie Huffman, Jerry Arthur, himself and City Clerk Dana Deem, to study the feasibility of assuming the responsibility for the salary.

"We'll look at what we can do and possibly what we can't do; I think probably we can work something out," he said.

City Presents Resolution to Anderson Family

In a follow-up from last session when the Mayor and Council approved a resolution honoring the late Gene Anderson, a framed and matted copy of the resolution was presented to the Anderson family in grateful appreciation of the former Mayor and Chairman of the Board of Water Commissioners as well as role model and leading citizen.

Mulberry Park Lighting Project Underway

The Board approved the low bid of Jones Electric Company in McKenzie to perform repairs in lighting systems at the Mulberry Street Park. Jones' bid was nearly $3,000 less than the next lowest bid as reported in the last meeting of the City Council. The repairs are expected to be made within approximately 10 days of notification of the award.

Tennis Court Reports

Councilmember James Knolton reported the results of the soil sample taken from beneath the tennis courts had been returned with the finding that unstable earth beneath the courts' surface must be removed in order to provide a stable foundation to prevent continued recurrence of cracks in the courts surface. The letter advised four to five feet of soil must be removed. City workers are anticipated to be able to perform the work at considerable savings to the City.

In another matter, Vice-Mayor Hale appointed a committee composed of council members Willie Huffman and Wade Allen along with City Clerk Dana Deem to begin work on the Fiscal Year 2003 budget.

Bills approved for payment were: Barker Brothers Waste - $18,799.51; Morrissett Tire Company - $1,078.28; Wyrick's Fire Extinguisher Company - $874.00; McKinney Hardware - $1,172.76; and B & E Electronics - $558.92, for a total of $22, 483.47.

Beer Board Convenes

After a short recess following the Council meeting, the Beer Board was convened in order to address the application of Best Wade Petroleum, d/b/a Mega Mart #4, for the off-premises sale of beer. The business will occupy the premises presently known as SCS Convenience Store on Highway 79.

Vice-Mayor Gene Hale advised Store Manager Maretta Collins the drive-in window of the establishment was previously allowed to be used in the sale of beer as the store had been grandfathered in when the policy against drive-in windows was enacted; however, the new owners under the permit currently being sought would not be able to use the window for beer sales.

Mrs. Collins stated 90% of sales at the store, including gasoline sales, were made through the drive-in window, and that if they had to make a choice they would like to continue use of the window.

Hale explained the window was permissible for use in all sales except the sale of alcoholic beverages, and was conscientious in explaining other regulations regarding the sale of beer, including the fact that minor employees were prohibited from any activity in the sale or stocking of the beverages.

The permit was granted in a five to one vote, with James Knolton opposing the action.

Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731) 352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com