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TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2003
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McKenzie Woman Answers Call To Serve God In German Mission
Field |
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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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Julie Bradfield is saying goodbye to
her family, church family, and hometown of McKenzie this
week to answer a call to serve as a Journeyman with the
International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist
Convention.
For the next two years, Julie will be living in Jena,
Germany, where she will be working among and with students
from colleges and universities in Jena and the nearby town
of Weimar. She will be working alongside her team leader,
career missionary Martha M.(for security reasons last name
has been abbreviated) and will be involved in evangelism
and outreach efforts, as well as in the discipleship and
mentoring of believers. The Journeyman program is a
two-year program for single college graduates under the
age of 30.
Julie, 24, is the daughter of Dan and Carrie Neal
Bradfield, owners of McKenzie Feed and Grain and residents
of Tower Road, McKenzie. She has two sisters, Lisa, 22 and
Jana, 19, both students at Bethel College. She is also the
granddaughter of Buddy and Bette Edwards, Aaron and Ruth
Bradfield, and Ken Mitchum, all of McKenzie.
She is a member of First Baptist Church in McKenzie, where
a Commissioning Service was held for her Sunday evening.
She is a 1997 graduate of McKenzie High School and a 2001
graduate of Union University, where she received a degree
in business administration.
Arriving in Germany on March 29, Julie will temporarily
room with her team leader in the town of Jena. Eventually
she will move into her own apartment, where she will
either reside alone or with another young woman in the
same program.
Her days will consist of going to language school for a
time each day or learning the German language through the
assistance of a tutor. However, most of the German
students learn the English language as part of their
school curriculum, so she will be able to communicate with
other students right away.
She will also "hang out" with other college students on a
daily basis, building relationships in order to minister
to them through a ministry program entitled "Connexxion."
Through the program, various activities will be sponsored,
such as bowling, going to movies, cooking American meals,
etc. She will be working alongside other Christian campus
organizations and local churches, as well as volunteer
teams arriving from the United States.
While in Europe, she plans to be joined by three other
friends in the same program serving in Africa and another
friend in Germany, who as a group plan to see some of the
sights of Europe together. She said she also hopes to
visit another friend in Romania while abroad.
Julie's mission abroad is fully funded by the
International Mission Board, whose funds are derived from
members of Baptist churches contributing to the Lottie
Moon Christmas offering and the Cooperative Program. She
will receive a base salary and a field parity supplement
for expenses such as housing, food, utilities, travel,
insurance, etc.
It was during her senior year at Union University that
Julie said God really began giving her a desire to work
with young adults and college students. The faculty and
programs at Union were also instrumental in helping her
make a decision to work in the mission field.
"They were very good about keeping us aware of the many
programs and opportunities available," she said.
She also learned how much she loved the work when she
joined a group from Union for a 10-day mission trip to
Israel in April, 2000.
"God was also at work in my life and heart through the
lives and ministries of several friends who had previously
served or were currently serving overseas," said Julie.
"In His sovereignty, God brought these things together and
opened the door for me to work with college students
overseas."
In preparation for her mission abroad, Julie has just
completed six weeks of orientation at the Missionary
Learning Center in Richmond, Virginia. There she joined
148 other adults, ranging in age from 21 to 74, and 52
children. Service of the adults ranged from one year to
career, she said.
She will be leaving Thursday for Oklahoma University,
where she will work with the Baptist Student Union for
three weeks, before flying to Germany. In Oklahoma, she
will meet with Team Leader Martha Moore and five German
students, who are in America for two weeks to see how
student ministry is conducted on an American campus.
The time in Oklahoma will also allow Julie to initially
view student ministry among English speaking students
before actually beginning her ministry in Germany.
As she leaves to fulfill her commitment to the people of
Germany, Julie asks readers to commit to pray for her and
her work in Germany over the next two years. Those wishing
to send greetings during Julie's stay in Germany may email
her at: juliebradfield@pobox.com or contact her parents
for specific prayer requests throughout the mission.
For those interested in serving as a Journeyman, Julie
noted that programs are available for all ages,
educational backgrounds and marital status. Various
websites offering information on the mission program
include: www.imb.org; www.go2years.com;
www.goconnexxion.com or www.thetask.org. (for students).
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Buena Vista Man Found Guilty In Dog Drowning Incident |
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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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A Buena Vista man was found guilty of cruelty to
animals in Carroll County General Sessions Court on
Thursday, February 27 in connection with a dog drowning
case in November, 2001.
Thomas Berry, 7340 Buena Vista Road, was ordered to pay
$484.50 restitution and received an 11 months 29 days
suspended sentence, as per a plea bargain agreement.
Supervised probation was ordered for 11 months 29 days,
according to court records.
According to Carroll County Humane Society, Mr. Berry
was convicted of throwing a mother dog and her six
puppies into the Big Sandy River, killing three of the
puppies, in November, 2001.
The mother dog was able to crawl out of the water and
made it back home. Two young boys found the puppies
struggling on a rock in the water and on the river bank.
Three of the puppies were already dead, according to
information from the Humane Society.
The surviving puppies and Dixie were brought to the
shelter by their distraught caregiver who asked the
Carroll County Humane Society to take them in and keep
them safe. Fortunately, the foster caregiver was at the
shelter and agreed to take Dixie and the surviving
puppies.
"The guilty verdict and the fine show offenders that it
just may not be worth it to abuse animals in Carroll
County," said Kathy Sumpter, Secretary/Treasurer of
Carroll County Humane Society. |
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McKenzie Man Captured Following High Speed Chase;
Carjacking Incident |
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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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A 27-year-old McKenzie man is being held in McNairy
County Jail on numerous charges after stealing a car in
McKenzie last Wednesday, leading officers on a
high-speed chase through four counties, including an icy
stretch of U.S. Highway 45 between Jackson and Selmer,
before trying to carjack a vehicle from two undercover
agents.
Sabin Curtis Suggs, pursued by the Tennessee Highway
Patrol, police units, and Madison, Chester and McNairy
County Sheriff's deputies, reached speeds in excess of
100 miles per hour before he was apprehended.
After being caught, Suggs told McNairy County and Selmer
authorities that his last name was "Whitsell," a name
McKenzie police said Suggs had used as an alias in the
past.
The incident began at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday when Suggs
stole a parked 1994 Pontiac Grand Am belonging to Danny
Allen, 27, of McKenzie at the local E.W. James
Supermarket, according to Sgt. Ricky Sawyers of the
McKenzie Police Department. After gaining a description
of the man, a BOLO (Be on the lookout) was issued.
Trooper Chad Cox, who was patrolling in Carroll County,
spotted the vehicle on Highway 22 between McKenzie and
Huntingdon, said Sgt. Sawyers. The trooper pursued the
vehicle as the car turned onto Highway 70 and the chase
eventually crossed into Madison County. Lawmen lost
sight of the stolen vehicle for a period of time in the
Jackson area, but they spotted it again and the chase
resumed on Highway 45.
At first, authorities believed Suggs might have been one
of the two men who escaped from Benton County jail last
week, however it was later determined that he was not an
escapee.
Suggs was arrested when he allegedly tried to carjack an
unmarked police car near the Highway 45-64 junction in
Selmer, after the Grand Am he was driving ran out of
gas. The unmarked SUV he attempted to carjack was a Ford
Expedition occupied by two Selmer Police Department
special agents.
"We received a call they were chasing a car out of
Chester County that was stolen with a possible escapee
in it," said Lt. Kim Holley, Selmer Police Department
investigator.
Holley and Special Agent Robert Heathcock, a member of
the Selmer Drug Task Force, turned around on the Highway
45 bypass and drove toward the Highway 64 intersection,
where other police units and the Highway Patrol had set
up spike strips to cause flat tires on the fleeing car.
As the police officers headed south, the vehicle raced
up behind them in the right lane. The officers pulled
onto the road shoulder to allow it to pass, realizing
the red Pontiac was the object of the chase. Instead of
passing the officers, the suspect vehicle pulled up
beside Holley's door on the driver's side so he couldn't
exit.
"He (Suggs) was yelling, and we could read his lips. He
was hollering for us to get out of the truck, and he had
a hand in his jacket like he had a gun," Holley said.
Suggs drove the stolen car back far enough for Holley to
open the door.
"I got out with my pistol drawn. As soon as he saw who I
was, he started going backward with his hands in the
air."
Holley and Heathcock pursued the vehicle on foot. It
went approximately 150 feet in reverse before the
suspect stopped and surrendered. Holley said, when the
two officers approached, Suggs started yelling that he
did not have a gun.
The events happened quickly, and other units involved in
the chase arrived as Holley and Heathcock were pulling
the suspect out of the vehicle.
"The first thing he said was, "I can't believe I tried
to carjack a police car," Heathcock said.
That's when Chester County Sheriff's Department Drug
Investigator Mark Griffin and Henderson Police
Department's Gary Davidson arrived on the scene. They
had been part of the chase since the stolen car raced
through Chester County. Griffin said they were surprised
to see the suspect car backing up in their direction.
"He just picked the wrong car to hijack," Griffin said.
Suggs was subdued, handcuffed, and transported to the
McNairy County Criminal Justice Center for booking by
sheriff's deputies. He appeared to be proud of his feat,
having eluded lawmen in Jackson and Madison County.
"He was bragging about how far he got before being
caught," said Griffin.
Griffin and Davidson described the pursuit through
Chester and McNairy counties.
"The road was in bad condition. It was around 9 a.m.,
and we'd had freezing rain and sleet all morning. There
were definitely icy patches on the bridges and
overpasses. What he (Suggs) did was very dangerous,"
Griffin said.
Suggs was charged with carjacking, evading arrest,
reckless driving, driving on a revoked/suspended
license, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, and
aggravated assault. He was also held on warrants from
other jurisdictions, including McKenzie Police
Department and Louisville, Kentucky.
Sgt. Sawyers said McKenzie Police Department has charged
Suggs with theft over $500. Bond was set at $50,000. He
is also wanted in Louisville, KY on a larceny charge and
apparently has prior arrests for auto theft. |
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731)
352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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