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TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2002
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Proposed 977-Acre Lake Receives Regulatory Approval |
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By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
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Thanksgiving came early in Carroll County, Tennessee.
After 18 years of trials, failures, and new attempts, the
977-acre lake in the Leach Community has been approved by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Eleven sites in the
county were evaluated before one final site on Reedy Creek
in the Leach Community was determined to be permit-able. A
formal announcement was made Monday at the Carroll County
Civic Center during a press conference.
Larry Watson, Chief of the regulatory branch of the
Memphis district of the U.S. Corps of Engineers presented
the signed 404 permit to Tommy Surber, Chairman of the
Carroll County Watershed Authority.
A new sign along U.S. 70 will soon mark the location of
the lake. It reads, "The Dream becomes reality...Carroll
County Lake, 977 acres, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404
Permit, issued November 20, 2002." The new sign served as
the backdrop for the news conference Monday. Smaller
drawings of the lake flanked the stage. Details of where
the boat dock and roads will be situated have not been
decided, said Surber.
Construction time depends on many factors, including the
weather. An estimated completion date is between the years
of 2007 and 2009. Kevin Young told the attending third
graders that they will be sophomores when the lake is
ready for use.
"This is truly a moment that Carroll County has been
waiting for, for a long time," said Surber. He recalled
the arduous task of obtaining a permit, initially thinking
that it would be a quick process. That was in the year
1985. However, the original authority, chartered as the
Beaver Creek Watershed Authority, could not obtain a
permit to build on that body of water. The authority was
later expanded by the Carroll County Commission and the
Tennessee General Assembly to include the entire county in
the search for a suitable location for a lake. The name
was changed to the Carroll County Watershed Authority.
Some $230,000 was spent to acquire the permit to build a
$10 million lake that will be the model environmental
project in the nation, said Kevin Young, senior VP of J.R.
Wauford and Company, an engineering company that was the
consultant for the project. The lake will be 50 feet deep
at the dam, 20 feet deep over 75 percent of the lake, and
one-third of the waters will be reserved for fishing.
Additionally, 300 acres of former wetlands - now being
farmed - will be converted to wetlands, 81 acres of
existing wetlands will be purchased and preserved by CCWA,
and two miles of Crooked Creek will be restored to its
original meandering channel to help mitigate the impact of
the lake construction. Young said many West Tennessee
creeks and tributaries were channelized in the 1920s, a
move that proved to be unwise environmentally. The yet
unnamed lake will impound Reedy Creek at a location on the
south side of U.S. 70 between Leach Road and Baker Road.
To fund the local costs of the lake, Carroll Countians
will be paying $10 additional wheel tax beginning in
December. Voters approved the wheel tax in the November
2000 referendum by a 53 percent margin. The referendum
read, "When the (404) permit is granted, said ($10)
increase would go into effect on the first day of the
following month and will end on the 31st day of December
following the retirement of the indebtedness of Carroll
County for its share. Two-thirds of the costs of the lake
is expected to be paid by state and federal agencies.
County Executive Kenny McBride said the lake would have a
major economic impact once it's completed. During the
construction, the county will experience a $16 million
influx of new monies. Once completed, additional sales tax
collected from visitors to the lake will positively
influence the budgets of all the schools in the county.
The lake will not be part of any municipality nor is it in
any municipality's growth plan, said McBride.
"Lots of work" is still to be done, said Dale Kelley,
secretary of the Carroll County Watershed Authority.
Kelley was a state representative when he introduced
legislation to create the Beaver Creek Watershed
Authority. The planning of the lake was introduced during
the Lamar Alexander administration and has been supported
by the McWherter and Sundquist administrations. Kelley
thanked the state and local governments for supporting the
project. He noted that the Authority would be working
closely with Executive McBride and the county commission
to complete the project. He said "major decisions" would
be made in the next few years.
A total of 46 landowners presently own the proposed lake
site. Basically, the land for the lakebed and a 50-foot
shoreline will be purchased by the CCWA. Current owners
will have the right to sell any remaining land. |
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Carroll County Electric Meter Reader Charged In Animal
Poisoning Cases |
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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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A meter reader with the Carroll County Electric Department
was arrested Wednesday evening at his home at 4075
Hinkledale Road, McKenzie on charges that he poisoned
sixteen dogs throughout the county, according to Carroll
County Sheriff Bendell Bartholomew.
Dwayne Montgomery has been charged with eight counts of
intentionally killing of an animal. The number of counts
represents the number of animal owners, said the sheriff,
who declined to name the owners involved.
If convicted of the Class A Misdemeanors, he could face a
maximum sentence of 11 months, 29 days on each count, as
well as a maximum fine of $2,500 on each count.
Montgomery was taken into custody at his home at 4075
Hinkledale Road, McKenzie, at which time Deputy Jackie
Wallace removed evidence from his truck, the sheriff said.
That evidence has been sent to the Tennessee Department of
Agriculture lab. Results are expected within two weeks,
the sheriff noted.
Some of the dogs were running free and some were in pens
at the time they became ill, he noted.
The defendant posted $4,000 bond on the day of his arrest
and was arraigned on the following day. He remains free
until a January 16 preliminary hearing in Carroll County
General Sessions Court.
The accused was permanently dismissed from his employment
at the electric department at 9:30 a.m. Thursday for
"being charged with unlawful destruction of domestic
animals while on duty with the Carroll County Electric
Department," said Lynn Compton, manager of the local
utility department.
"I am certainly sorry that this occurred," said Mr.
Compton. "I apologize to our customers. It was a situation
beyond our control. I sympathize with the persons who lost
animals. It was a terrible thing to have happen."
Compton said he first became aware of the situation when
he was notified by the sheriff's department at 10 a.m.
Tuesday morning.
"We handled it through legal authorities," he noted.
Mr. Compton noted the department had four meter readers,
including Mr. Montgomery's position.
Sheriff Bartholomew said his department has been
investigating the deaths of animals for the last two
months, adding that he had received "numerous calls" from
complainants throughout the county.
"We are still getting reports," said Sheriff Bartholomew.
He declined to give a number, but stated it involved "a
large number of dogs." He also indicated that the
involvement of many more dogs cannot be determined because
they were not treated or tested.
In examining several of the deceased or ill animals it was
determined that they had been poisoned with a federally
controlled insecticide known as "Phorate." It is a
restricted use pesticide because of its high dermal, oral
and inhalation toxicity. The chemical is available in
granule form and is restricted for use primarily by
cotton, corn, and potato growers.
Animals digesting the substance quickly experience
symptoms including vomiting, foaming at the mouth, and
disorientation. In small animals death can occur within a
few minutes and most dogs of any size will not recover
unless they are treated within the first hour after
ingesting the poison. |
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Rebels Do It Again, Head For Semifinals |
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By Jim Steele
steele@mckenziebanner.com |
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For the second straight year, McKenzie advances to the
Class 2A state football semifinals.For the second
straight year, McKenzie advances to the semifinals at
the expense of Region 5-2A champion Lewis County. The
Rebels defeated the visiting Panthers 16-13 in another
come-from-behind playoff victory.
Freshman quarterback Drew Hayes engineered a
game-winning 87-yard TD drive, ending with a 12-yard
hook-up to senior Jay Taylor with :24.2 remaining in the
game. John Kermit Laughery broke the tie, giving the
Rebels a 14-13 advantage. Six seconds later, MHS
defenders Randy Lacey and Demerick Diggs trapped Lewis
County's kick returner in the end zone for a cake-icing
safety.
"There is no quit in these kids," said elated MHS
coach Wade Comer. "I've never seen an effort put forth
like I have with these kids."
The Rebels, 9-4, travel to Memphis-Mitchell for a
state semifinal showdown this Friday night. The game
will likely be played at Memphis-Whitehaven. Kickoff is
7 p.m. Mitchell defeated Milan 20-14 in the other
quarterfinal.
Much like last year, the Rebels jumped on top of the
Panthers, thanks to a turnover on the opening kickoff.
Hayes found a wide-open David Duncan for a 5-yard TD
completion with 9:10 to play in the first frame.
Lewis County rebounded, scoring early and late in the
second frame. LC quarterback David Sharp hit Miles
Staggs on a 58-yard TD pass. Sharp added the kick to tie
the game. With 35 seconds to play in the half, Ellis
Dailey sprinted 62 yards for a touchdown to give the
Panthers a 13-7 lead at the break. But Sharp's kick
missed wide left.
The Rebels were without senior Mr. Football finalist
Ricky Mathis in the second half after he sustained a
knee injury. Cody Cook, who had 111 yards, suffered a
groin injury. But both are expected to play in the
semifinals.
Hayes finished with 10-23 passing for 123 yards and
two TDs. Taylor had five catches for 48 yards and Lacey
had three catches for 55 yards.
Tickets to Mitchell (11-2) are $7 and will be on sale
at McKenzie High School. |
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TDOT Employee Critically Injured |
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A Tennessee Department of Transportation employee is
listed in critical but stable condition Monday at The
Medical Center in Memphis after she was airlifted there
Friday following an accident involving a track hoe.
According to a report by Patrolman Ricky Wade of
McKenzie Police Department, Denise Guillory, a resident
of Huntingdon and a maintenance worker for the state
highway department, was injured when she was
accidentally backed over by a track hoe driver at a work
site at 16100 North Highland.
The officer spoke with Mary Hendrix, who told the
officer that she and Ms. Guillory were sweeping dirt off
the pavement when the accident occurred. She stated she
was in front of the track hoe and Ms. Guillory was at
the rear of the machinery. The operator started to back
up to help them move the dirt off the pavement, the
report stated.
Ray Woodard, another Department of Transportation
employee, stated he heard Ms. Guillory scream and he ran
to the front of the track hoe to tell the operator to
pull forward. The operator stated that he never saw Ms.
Guillory behind the track hoe.
The victim was transported by ambulance to Methodist
Hospital of McKenzie emergency room, where she was
stabilized and airlifted to the Memphis facility.
Winston Gaffron, regional director for TDOT, said the
crew was working on a drainage structure when the
accident occurred. He stated that the work was almost
completed and employees were filling the hole and
cleaning up an adjacent parking lot.
Gaffron said the track hoe ran over one of Ms.
Guillory's legs, crushing it and resulting in partial
amputation.
"We have a lot of employees that work in dangerous
situations at construction sites and around traffic,"
said Mr. Gaffron. "We value our employees and don't want
to see any of them hurt, but they are out there doing a
good job to keep our roads safe."
He noted the department conducts an investigation
anytime anyone gets injured on the job.
"We're in the process of doing that now," he added. |
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731)
352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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