|
Weather |
|
|
|
Local
News |
|
|
|
___________
|
|
___________
AD RATES
___________
|
|
|
|
National
News |
|
|
|
TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2003
 |
Injured Man Survives Week in Woods,
Eating Berries and Crab Apples |
|
| |
| |
By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
| |
A Big Sandy man, who was injured in a wooded area of
Benton County and survived for a week on rain water,
berries, and crab apples, was the subject of a massive
manhunt that resulted in his rescue Friday, according to
authorities.
Tommy Parker, 59, was discovered by his brother after he
climbed from a ravine to the top of a hill, where he
used a stick to beat against a tree to make noise and
also called out for help.
Harry Peplinski of Benton County Sheriff Department said
the man was reported missing by his son, Tony on Monday,
July 28, after he went to his home and found no one
home. The son was suspicious because an uneaten pizza
was found on the table that had been left there by a
friend Saturday evening, along with vegetables that a
neighbor had later brought over and left on the porch
after being unable to get anyone to the door. Tony
called 911 and the Benton County Rescue Squad was
immediately called out to begin the search for the
missing man.
Peplinski said Parker was last seen about 6 p.m.
Saturday riding a four-wheeler.
Another source placed the man at a boat ramp on Point
Mason Road (east of Big Sandy).
The search intensified and included rescue squads from
Henry and Benton counties, Benton and Henry County
Sheriff's Department, volunteer firefighters, as well as
approximately 50 volunteer searchers that included
friends and relatives, who used four-wheelers each day
to search for Parker.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol brought in their helicopter
to aid in the search and the Tennessee Bureau of
Investigation's fixed wing aircraft spent four hours
directing the search Wednesday using airborne
heat-seeking equipment.
Peplinski said Parker apparently was injured when he
wrecked his four-wheeler in a ravine. He told rescuers
he burned his red Honda Fourtrax in an attempt to gain
attention from anyone who might be in the area. However,
it is believed he may have burned the vehicle before the
search was begun. The charred vehicle was found at the
bottom of the ravine, after the man was rescued.
Parker, who sustained fractures to a vertebrae in his
back, ribs and shoulder was airlifted from the scene by
Air Evac Life Team of Jackson and transported to
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, where he
remained hospitalized Monday.
He told rescuers he survived his eight-day ordeal by
drinking rainwater and eating wild berries and crab
apples. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Huntingdon School Approves Budget
Including Construction - Twin
students to be placed in separate
Kindergarten rooms |
|
| |
| |
By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
| |
Huntingdon Special School District Board of Education
approved a $7.77 million 2003-2004 budget, which
includes some $1.64 million for new construction and
renovations at Huntingdon High School. The new budget
will be funded with a tax rate of $1.65 per $100
assessed value, which is equal to the $1.73 per $100
rate last year prior to property reappraisal. Director
of Schools Danny Truett said the budget reflects a $1.64
million deficit requiring a dip into reserve funds. That
amount is equal to the expected construction costs.
Construction plans include a new cafeteria,
multi-purpose room, new administrative wing, and the
remodeling of several classrooms. Truett said
construction will not be completed in the fiscal year
although the project is budgeted for the 2003-2004
fiscal year.
During the Thursday, July 31 meeting, school board
members again heard from Stephanie Smith, who wanted the
Board to override a decision by teachers and
administrators who wish to place her twins in separate
Kindergarten classrooms. Attorney Matt Maddox, who
attended the meeting on behalf of the Smiths, requested
the Board have a recorded vote on the matter. Tony
Tucker, chairman, stated the Board did not have to vote
on the issue.
Mrs. Smith has talked to primary school administrators
and teachers, school board members, and Director of
Schools Truett in an effort to have the two placed in
the same classroom.
"As a parent, in order for me to feel that I have not
failed my children, I need to know that I have done
everything within my power to do what I and my
children's pediatrician feel is in my children's best
interest, which is to keep them in the same classroom
for Kindergarten," said Mrs. Smith. "I have not been
given any documentation supporting separation of
multiples by the school system. I don't understand why
there are so many other school systems in our immediate
area that would keep multiples together in Kindergarten
if it were not in the children's best interest. Given
our past situation with one of our children (being so
upset in preschool during the discussion of Kindergarten
and separation) I don't understand why it is in their
best interest to separate them in Kindergarten in order
to wait and see if they experience any kind of
separation anxiety."
After the Board declined to vote on the issue, Mrs.
Smith stated she was concerned that if the separation
did not work, she would have no recourse. Mr. Tucker
noted that the decision to separate the twins was made
by professionals who "have been in place for years."
Since school has not yet started, Tucker said, "We don't
know this isn't going to work."
At the conclusion of the meeting, Mark Dillahunty said,
"I hope we didn't make a wrong decision" concerning the
twins. "I don't have a clear conscious about it."
A salary equity distribution formula was approved. The
school will receive $131,000 from the State to "equal"
pay between the rural and urban school systems. HSSD
will distribute the funds by granting each certified
person $800 plus $25.35 for each year of service. The
distribution is for the year 2003-2004 only.
Truett said the 2002-2003FY ended with a budget surplus
of $74,391, which will be applied to fund balance.
Huntingdon Primary School received an Incentive Award
from the Tennessee Department of Education. The award
was based on attendance and promotion. Truett said the
$5,145 award will go for programs at HPS.
Refinancing of school bonds saved the system some
$317,414 over the life of the bonds. Truett said the
refinancing hit "just right" when rates were at their
lowest. Some $6,965,000 was refinanced at an average
interest rate of 3.65 percent. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Hollow Rock, Bruceton Officials
Consider Merging Water Systems |
|
| |
| |
By Ernie Smothers
Staff Reporter |
| |
Hollow Rock-Bruceton officials met Tuesday, July 29
to explore several possible solutions to water problems
facing the adjoining towns. The two councils, police
chiefs, city recorders and other employees and
interested persons met at the Carroll County Chamber of
Commerce building with Municipal Technical Advisory
Service (MTAS) personnel to discuss the possible merging
of the two systems in some fashion.
The meeting follows informal talks by Hollow Rock
Interim Mayor Tim Runions and Bruceton Mayor Robert T.
Keeton III, as well as one combined meeting between the
mayors and their respective councils concerning the
towns' need to address their water situation.
Bruceton's Mayor Keeton spoke of Bruceton's loss of the
Henry I. Siegel Company and the abundance of water the
town is capable of pumping and storing while Interim
Mayor Runions of Hollow Rock noted his town is at a
crossroads. Hollow Rock has been awarded a Delta
Regional Grant for $297,792 with the town paying an
additional $40,000 which will provide water usage
meters, some new pipe and valve replacement for the
town, constituting phase one of a three-phase water
improvement project in Hollow Rock. Phase two would
provide a new water treatment plant through a CDBG
(Community Development Block Grant) and the town's
matching share would be $88,000. The third phase would
provide for razing the old water tank, constructing a
new one and digging a new water well (the town presently
has three wells, but has had various problems through
the years on each one).
Mayor Runions noted that it was his desire to see if the
citizens of Hollow Rock would be better served by
purchasing water from Bruceton rather than to become
involved in phases two and three. He noted however, the
town was under time restraints and would probably need
to begin application for the grant for phase two in
January. He told MTAS representatives that grant monies
were now available to assist small towns like Hollow
Rock to improve their water systems and might not be
there in four or five years.
Mayor Keeton told representatives that since the loss
of HIS, his town had been forced to increase rates to
its citizens and while they (Town of Bruceton)
definitely would like to sell water to Hollow Rock, he
did not wish to hinder the neighboring community in
improvement of their own system.
Both mayors agreed they would like to know what would
be the most cost effective for their towns down the
road.
MTAS Consultant David Angerer praised both towns and
their leaders for their willingness to meet in an effort
to explore solutions for problems inherent to both
communities. He gave an hour-long presentation which
provided insight into ways in which the two towns could
resolve their problems and noted that MTAS was there to
help both towns as equal clients, with the needs of
neither outweighing the other. He noted that citizens of
both towns might be needed to meet with town officials
and MTAS representatives in town meetings and that
consistent dialogue between the town leaders and their
citizens is vital to any merger between them.
After learning that time was a major factor, Angerer
distributed surveys and requested both towns provide the
needed information to MTAS. Both towns must also approve
resolutions to grant permission to MTAS to conduct the
study and develop a possible solution. The list of
needed documents and information listed items such as:
three of the most recent municipal audits, most recent
budgets, itemized payroll for all water employees and
employees paid from water/sewer funds, itemized list of
all water-related bonded indebtedness, remaining
principal values and terms, list of all water-related
grants which have been secured, etc. In all there were
21 items listed which were needed to conduct a feasible
survey and provide possible solutions equitable to both
towns.
Representatives from both towns agreed to quickly
approve the authorizing resolution and MTAS agreed to
provide preliminary data to the towns by October 15. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Father Shoots Son during Argument
over Skil Saw |
|
| |
| |
By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
| |
Local and state authorities are investigating an incident
last week in which an elderly Clarksburg man reportedly
shot his 42-year-old son during a domestic argument that
erupted into violence over a Skil saw.
According to Carroll County Sheriff Bendell Bartholomew,
deputies responded to a call at 1560 Enoch Cemetery Road
at approximately 1 p.m. and discovered that Kimmy Kee
Johnson had been shot by his 78-year-old father, Johnny
Johnson, inside the older man's residence. A bullet, fired
from a .22 caliber rifle, struck the younger man in the
face.
Kimmy Johnson was transported to Baptist Memorial
Hospital-Huntingdon by private vehicle prior to officers'
arrival on the scene and was later airlifted to Vanderbilt
Medical Center in Nashville.
Sheriff Bartholomew said family members stated the man was
in fair condition Sunday at the Nashville medical
facility.
The older Johnson man's wife reportedly witnessed the
shooting, along with two juveniles. All have been
questioned in the case, he said.
No charges have yet been filed in the case, according to
Sheriff Bartholomew. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
has been called in to assist in the ongoing investigation. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
These
stories and more exclusively in the
print edition: |
|
| |
|
|
| |
- Students Anticipate Beginning New School Year
- Friends of Tommy Ellis Benefit Supper Planned
- County to Consider Increasing Authority to
Regulates Nuisances, Other
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731)
352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
|
|
Advertisements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
