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TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2004
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A 15-year-old Huntingdon youth will face charges of
vehicular homicide during a hearing in Carroll County
Juvenile Court on July 29. Judge Larry Logan set the
date during a brief court appearance by the youth on
June 10. Attorney Ben Dempsey is representing the youth.
The unlicensed 15-year-old driver is accused of striking
and killing Audrey Phillips, age 52, while she was on
her way to her roadside mailbox at 12650 Highway 77,
Huntingdon. The car traveled 270 feet before overturning
in a ditch. The accident occurred on Saturday, May 15.
Medical, psychological and emotional analyses have been
conducted on the youth by Timber Springs Adolescent
Center in Bolivar. Drug screens and blood-alcohol tests
were conducted at the time of the accident.
Judge Logan has placed the youth on house arrest and
ordered him not to operate an automobile. |
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County Approves $1.4 Million Jail Improvement,
Expansion |
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By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
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Construction will begin soon on a new arraignment room
for the General Sessions Court, two jail cells for
high-risk female prisoners, a drunk tank for female
prisoners, and renovation of the existing jail
complex. Monday, a combined meeting of the Law
Enforcement Committee and the Budget Committee
approved the guaranteed maximum cost of $1,386,168
from Lashlee-Rich for the construction at the Law
Enforcement Complex at the intersection of Norandal
Drive and East Main Street, Huntingdon. The Humboldt
firm will serve as construction manager.
County Mayor Kenny McBride said the guaranteed maximum
amount is below the $1,532,400 originally estimated
for the project. But the savings came at the expense
of a smaller courtroom than originally planned. The
new arraignment room will eliminate the need to
transport prisoners to and from the courthouse for
certain hearings. Funds were borrowed for the project
at 1.9 percent for up to $2.2 million, including
another $600,000 for renovations to the downtown
Carroll County Courthouse. McBride said that a
construction superintendent might be on site at the
jail as early as this week. Construction is expected
to take one year.
Renovations to the existing jail will add new safety
standards. Changes include replacement of cell locks,
addition of a metal cap on the existing male dormitory
and sealing of the jail cell floor to prevent leakage
from the second floor jail to the ground floor
dispatch center.
The jail project is one of three slated to begin soon
for the county. Construction of a new county health
department might begin within weeks, according to
McBride. Watlington Brothers Construction of Jackson
was the successful bidder on the project with a total
cost of $671,200.
The new 6,400 square foot facility will be constructed
between the Carroll County Office Complex and
Huntingdon Health and Rehabilitation Center on High
Street, Huntingdon.
If all goes well, the Health Department can relocate
from its Paris Street location, built in 1957, to the
new facility in February 2005. The county hopes to
sell the current facility to the town of Huntingdon to
be used as a police station.
Funding for the facility will come from a $375,000
special needs grant from the state of Tennessee, a
$300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and
$57,400 in funds that the state owes the county for
operations of the county health department.
The county will soon start construction on a new
recycling center on State Route 22 north of Huntingdon
at the county's fuel depot. The recycling center is
now located in the former Cannon School building on
State Route 77. Grant funds will pay for the
construction.
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Street Projects Nearing Completion, Sidewalks
Undergoing Repairs |
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By Jim Steele
steele@mckenziebanner.com |
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With any luck and lots of cooperation from Mother
Nature, a variety of street work taking place around
McKenzie will be done by summer's end. Forrest Avenue and Main Street have been the targets
of the street department. Work on replacing
decades-old culverts under Forrest has been ongoing
since the initial dirt work in September. "We're finishing up driveway entrances and once we do
that, we'll start surfacing the street on Forrest
Avenue," said McKenzie city recorder Charlie Beal.
"We've picked up some speed over the last three weeks
and we're hoping to have it finished by the first of
August." An old metal culvert was the source of this
construction project. Workers removed the old culvert
and poured in a new, concrete box culvert. Meanwhile, Beal said Main Street will be resurfaced so
that water will run off of it properly. The road has
been torn up from Paris Ave. to just beyond Cherry St.
and Beal says at some point, all of Main from the bank
toward Bethel will be torn up and re-done.
"We are going to work on Main Street right now and a
few other projects if we have the funds for it," Beal
said. "We're hoping to have all of our construction
done in the next six or eight weeks." It is possible that Main Street could be finished by
mid-August. "Main Street has been resurfaced so often that water
wasn't draining properly," Beal said. "It was running
into people's yards so we are resurfacing it." Separate from these street projects, the city is
replacing sidewalks that are in disrepair. Sidewalks
on Forrest are new. "They really look nice through there," said Beal. Sidewalk work continues on Stonewall Street, where
some of the concrete slabs have buckled. "We are taking sidewalks that are bucked up and
hazardous," Beal said. "There are a lot of people
walking now and we are making sure that safety is
there." Other sidewalks around town will be reworked as well. |
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Tornado Hits East Carroll County Sunday |
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By Linda Bolton
lindabolton@mckenziebanner.com |
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The National Weather Service in Memphis has determined
that a tornado passed through the Hollow Rock-Bruceton
area on the east side toward Benton County Sunday,
according to Janice Newman, Director of Carroll County
Emergency Management Agency.
The storm was part of a wide-range electrical storm
that swept through all of Carroll County, causing
downed trees and power lines, flooding, and some
property damage.
The force of Sunday's tornado has not been
established. Ms. Newman explained that crews from the
weather service would have to come to the site to
determine the Fujita Intensity (F Scale). She said
representatives have not yet visited the area, but
might come later to survey damage.
Fourteen homes in Carroll County sustained minor
damage, according to Ms. Newman, who noted seven homes
in Bruceton, three homes in McLemoresville, and three
homes in Hollow Rock were affected. The winds in
McLemoresville were determined to be straight line
winds, she said.
The weather service measured three inches of rain in
Carroll County when the storms moved through around
2:30 p.m. The rainfall caused flash flooding problems
throughout the county, according to authorities.
Approximately ten percent of the county's households
lost electrical power during the storm and flooding
closed several roadways, said Ms. Newman.
Hollow Rock Town Recorder Vivian Grooms said trees
fell on two homes on Mill Street. One property was
owned by Marty Grooms and the other was owned by
Frances Stockdale.
Three roadways were closed in that city after flooding
undermined culverts and bridges. Oak and Main streets
were closed Sunday afternoon and Kee Street was closed
Monday morning because of flooding, said Mrs. Grooms.
The home of Florence Jenkins on Cole Circle sustained
damage when flooding washed underpinning away from her
mobile home and burst water lines.
Hollow Rock Fire Department personnel and city workers
assisted street crews Sunday night and Monday as clean
up efforts were underway.
"One man described the wind as white and fish tailing
back and forth," said Vivian. "Others reported seeing
limbs driven several inches into the ground."
Brian Edwards, Director of Public Works in Bruceton,
said several large trees were down in that area. A
large tree damaged the home of Oneal Douglas when it
crashed into the carport of the home, causing major
damage. Trees also caused damage at a vacant house at
121 Lexington Street, owned by Adrian Chandler of
Huntingdon and Danny Kenneda's house on College Street
sustained considerable roof and interior water damage
when it was struck by a large pecan tree. The
scoreboard at Templeton Park was also damaged during
the storm, he said.
Joe Curtis, Director of Public Works in McKenzie, said
flooding was evident throughout the city Sunday
afternoon and night. However, high waters closed only
Main Street near E.W. James Supermarket. The high
water there was attributed to a continuing problem
caused by a collapsed culvert under the block plant
property. The culvert was dug out last fall, but
occasionally the dirt banks cave off and cover the
mouth of an existing culvert, causing the water to
back up on Main, he said.
Enon Church road near McKenzie was also temporarily
closed because of flooding.
Major Walpole, Trezevant Water Department
Superintendent, said lightning struck a well at the
water plant there and burned up the motor.
The town of Atwood reported several power lines down.
Lynn Compton, manager of Carroll County Electric
Department, said power outages began occurring at
approximately 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Sunday in the Bruceton
- Hollow Rock area, where approximately 1600 customers
were affected. The outages were caused primarily by
high winds and lightning toppling lines and utility
poles. Power restoration and cleanup continued Monday
morning.
Several Carroll County Electric Department employees
were dispatched to Benton County Monday to assist in
restoration effects after that county was especially
hit hard during Sunday's storm.
Carroll County Highway Department said no major
problems were experienced by their staff. A
spokesperson said there were reports of trees down,
but none caused problems on the roadways they oversee. |
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These stories and more exclusively
in the print edition: |
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- Wreck Victims Expect Compensation Following Police
Pursuit
- Property Tax Rates Set to Increase 31.25 Percent
- McKenzie Water/Sewer Rates to Rise in July
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731)
352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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