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TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2004
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McKenzie, McLemoresville "Freedom" Celebrations
Saturday July 3 |
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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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The cities of McKenzie and McLemoresville are making
final plans for their annual Independence Day
celebrations in commemoration of the signing of the
Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The
celebrations will take place at each location on
Saturday, July 3 and promises fun, food, and
entertainment for all ages. Everyone is asked to bring
their own lawn chairs for a comfortable afternoon and
evening.
McKenzie's celebration will be held at McKenzie
Recreation Park. Mayor Walter Winchester said the
fireworks display will be set up behind the Senior
Babe Ruth ball field this year, therefore spectators
will be allowed to drive into the park area.
An added event in McKenzie this year is the BBQ
cook-off with the top team taking home $75.00 in prize
money, said Mayor Walter Winchester. Teams must cook
their food at the park and have it ready to be judged
at 4:30 p.m. The categories for grilling at chicken,
ribs, and backyard, which consists of hamburgers, hot
dogs and/or bologna, etc. The entry fee is $25.00 per
category. There must be a minimum of three entries per
category for the event to occur. Once judging is
completed, any extra food may be sold to spectators.
"Cruise Control" of McKenzie featuring Kimberly Faye,
Larry Logan, Argel Reynolds, and Patrick Steele will
provide entertainment from 5:00 until 8:30 p.m. at the
The Barn area. The group will provide a variety of new
and old songs, focusing on hits of the 60s and 70s.
The Bethel College Chorus, under the direction of Alan
Cross, will perform a program of patriotic music from
8:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Reed's Concessions will be selling refreshments
throughout the night.
One of the highlights of the evening, a dazzling
fireworks show is set to get underway at approximately
9:00 p.m. This year, Melrose Display Company will be
providing the aerial display, which features a
fireworks spectacular valued at $6,000, the mayor
said.
The opening barrage will feature a 100-shot assorted
palm tree with red tail, multi-color crossette,
powerball white flitter and red comets with white
tail, silver crown and blue stars, gold flitter with
purple pistil and gold tail, tourbillion with red
stars, blue dahlia with blue tail, red five point star
with blue and white ring, thousands of purple, lemon,
green comets, sunflower pattern with rising comets,
cluster of stars and a red and blue dahlia with
salute.
Followed by hundreds of assorted aerial shells
lighting the sky with a variety of colors, the closing
finale will include 28 fireball presentations,
including a 100-shot assorted color peony and a
36-shot color-n-salute with tail. There will also be
special effects thoughout the program.
"We would like to invite the community and those from
out-of-town to join us for our annual freedom festival
celebration," said Mayor Winchester.
In McLemoresville, festivities will begin at 6 p.m.
with a grand parade in the downtown area. Parade
participants are asked to line up at 5:30 p.m.
Individuals and businesses are invited to participate
with floats, decorated cars, marching troops, horses,
bicycles and pets. There will be judging in all
classes with ribbons and cash awards.
Immediately after the parade, a cake walk will be held
followed by a street dance, which will continue until
dark. Lloyd Lewis and his "Tennessee Pride" band from
Henry will provide music for the dance.
McLemoresville Fire Department will be serving up
hamburgers and the Community Services Group will be
serving homemade ice cream.
"We will have a gigantic fireworks display at dark,"
said Mayor Phil Williams, who invited everyone to
gather up their lawn chairs, the kids, and the in-laws
and come to McLemoresville for an evening of fun.
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Fewer Persons Unemployed than Same Time Last Year |
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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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Carroll and Henry counties each reported increased
employment during the May reporting period, according
to latest statistics released by the Tennessee
Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Weakley
County showed no significant changes in employment.
Carroll County's May unemployment rate decreased to
8.3 percent, down from 9.9 percent the previous month.
From a labor force of 12,070, a total of 11,070 were
employed, leaving 1,000 unemployed.
"Carroll showed small increases in manufacturing and
financial activities," said Judith Bradberry, Labor
Market Analyst.
At this same period last year, Carroll County reported
a rate of 10.5 percent, with 1,240 persons unemployed.
Henry County's May unemployment rate decreased to 7.2
percent down from 8.2 percent the previous month. From
an available work force of 14,400, a total of 13,370
were employed, leaving 1,030 unemployed.
"There were some increases in manufacturing, as well
as in trade/transportation/utilities," said Ms.
Bradberry.
For the same period last year, Henry County reported
8.6 percent unemployment with 1,220 unemployed.
Weakley County's jobless rate decreased to 5.5 percent
in May, down from 6.0 percent in April. From a labor
force of 16,380 in that county, 900 were listed as
jobless. One year ago, Weakley had 1,200 persons
without jobs.
Tennessee's unemployment rate also continued to
decline slightly, registering 4.8 percent for May,
down from 4.9 percent in April, according to
Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development James
Neeley. The national rate is 5.6 percent for May, the
same as it was in April.
"We're seeing normal seasonal patterns in the May
figures as businesses get ready for summer," said
Neeley. "Construction added 2,400 jobs over the month,
and food services/drinking places increased by 2,500.
State government educational services declined by
2,800 as schools began closing for the summer."
Neeley noted that the slight increase in durable goods
manufacturing over the year continues, as that sector
added 700 jobs from May 2003 to May 2004. Other yearly
gains were in trade/transportation/utilities, up
7,100; educational/health services, up 6,600; and
leisure/hospitality, up 5,900. Decreases from May 2003
to May 2004 were in state government, down 1,000;
nondurable goods manufacturing, down 800; and
electrical equipment/appliances manufacturing, down
800.
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Additional Deputy Approved for Sheriff -
Jail Addition Scrapped |
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By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
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Carroll County Sheriff Bendell Bartholomew will get
one additional road deputy for FY2004-2005. A joint
meeting of the Budget and Law Enforcement committees
approved the position Monday night as 20 personnel
from the sheriff's department looked on.
Budget framers approved a budgetary shift after County
Mayor Kenny McBride discovered the highly restrictive
"drug fund" could pay the salary of the drug
enforcement officer, whose salary now comes from the
sheriff's general account. A request for a second
additional deputy was postponed after the committee
requested information about overtime pay and the
number of part-time deputies.
A proposed jail expansion and the addition of a small
courtroom at the jail was scrapped after Chief Deputy,
speaking for the absent Bartholomew, indicated jail
populations had declined because the state had
implemented "good time" sentence reductions. Dickey
said the population dropped 20 in a single day.
Populations are not expected to reach the 150 that
once were housed at the facility, said Dickey.
County Mayor Kenny McBride said eliminating planned
additions would reduce construction costs by $800,000
to $1 million. Construction plans will be submitted to
the architect and construction manager to proceed with
renovations to the existing jail. Those plans include
replacing cell locks, a security cap on the men's
dormitory, and the application of a water sealant on
the floors of the second floor cells.
In a cordial exchange, Chief Deputy Dickey and other
law enforcement officers cited their need for the
additional manpower. A growing methamphetamine problem
and the hazards of removing the toxic materials was
one example of the growing problems. Officer Tim Meggs
said the county is supposed to have four trained
officers and a site safety supervisor to dismantle a
meth lab. Clean-up time is two to six hours at the
clandestine labs, said Meggs, who is the lone trained
officer. Carroll had 30 labs last year.
Commissioner Virgil Coleman said he was the victim of
theft of anhydrous ammonium from two tankers. The
toxic fumes were fortunately blown away from a
residence, said Coleman.
Budget Chairman Billy Smith said the department's
budget will increase by $68,675 this year, but Janice
Moon, bookkeeper at the sheriff's department, reminded
Smith $43,000 will come from a grant to purchase
computer software. Ms. Moon also requested that
holiday pay be included in the budget for the
personnel who must work on holidays.
One commissioner said the sheriff's department only
serves the people in the rural areas since the
municipalities have their own police force. Officers
and Commissioner Wayne Kirk were quick to rebut that
statement by saying the sheriff's department often
backs up city officers and patrols municipalities who
otherwise do not have a police department or the
officers are off duty.
Kirk, who worked as a part-time deputy, said the
department "has done a good job" with few complaints
from the citizenry. |
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McKenzie Budget, Tax Hike Sail Through Hearing |
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It took less than ten minutes Thursday, June 24, to
hike property tax rates a quarter. Mayor Walter
Winchester told the handful in attendance during the
public hearing they would have "three minutes to talk
and two minutes to tell how to resolve" the problem they
presented. No one took the mayor up on his offer, which
went somewhat beyond the usual realm of a public hearing
as residents are not normally required to present
solutions to problems that elected officials must
address.
The tongue-in-cheek suggestion likely indicated the
mayor's resignation with the $2,665,300 2004-2005 FY
city budget, which, with no further discussion among
council members, passed on second and final reading
following a second public hearing which also passed
without public input.
Attendance was expected by many to be high because of
the 25-cent tax increase and the recently announced 75
percent increase in water and sewer rates, however, only
one couple was in attendance at the outset. Jim and Kate
Mercer left before the meeting, commenting, "They're
going to do what they want to do anyway."
Also in attendance was James Hall, who was present on
another concern, and Larry Webb, a member of the
Planning Commission who frequently attends the meetings,
as well as city department heads. Charles Ramey appeared
as the meeting adjourned not ten minutes after its
conception.
Projects identified during the budget's first reading on
June 10 as "badly needed" but not funded include
approximately $200,000 in new street paving, not
including the Forrest Avenue and Main Street projects
currently in progress; the estimated $250,000 cost of
repairs to the storm water drain behind Midway
Materials, the cause of frequent flooding on South Main
Street by E.W. James; and the city's $50,000 share of
the recently applied for parks and recreation grant
which would fund upgrades to the city's recreational
parks on Como and Mulberry streets.
Not mentioned in either budget reading was the $1
million former indigency care fund that remains in
investments. City Clerk Charlie Beal stated Monday the
money would be added to the general fund when the
investment account was closed and that a portion of the
funds are targeted to provide funding for Forrest
Avenue/Main Street road projects. The fund previously
provided financial support for hospital bills incurred
by indigent patients of the McKenzie hospital prior to
its January 2003 purchase by a for-profit company.
In other business, the council approved the $14,125
audit contract with Dunn, Creswell, Sparks, Smith, Horne
and Downing, PLLC for 2005. The cost was said to be
within the range of similar services provided to
surrounding cities.
Vice Mayor Gene Hale advised a citizen had complained
about "the absence of city stickers" on some vehicles in
town. He assured Hall remedies for the situation were
"in process", stating he had informed the Police
Department of the discrepancy. He advised offenders are
subject to fine and the higher cost of city stickers
following the March 31 deadline for purchase. The
current price of the stickers is $15.
Winchester advised potential employees of the new
Department of Human Services service center, "If anybody
is interested they need to be in a little bit of a hurry
to get their applications in." Deadline for application
is July 7, according to the mayor, who said some 80
employees would serve the center when it is fully
operational with a $1.5 million projected payroll. The
center is located in the old E.W. James Supermarket
building on South Main Street.
McKenzie is one of three cities in the state in which
the service centers will be located, said the mayor,
stating, "We're glad to have that here." He further
advised building owners (Barbara and Greg Blackburn)
said renovations of the interior are in progress.
The mayor invited "all" to attend the Fourth of July
Freedom Festival to be held at the Como Street Park
beginning at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, July 3. Entertainment
begins at 5:00 p.m. with concessions available prior to
the traditional fireworks display.
The parking lots at the park will be accessible this
year as the fireworks display area has been moved behind
the Senior Babe Ruth Park. Typically, cars are parked on
every road leading to the park and at parking lots on
the Bethel College Campus, the length of College Drive
and along Highway 22.
Concerning street improvements, Public Works Department
liaison Jerry Arthur stated, "Forrest Avenue looks real
good... Main Street is looking good; everything is
coming together."
Fire Department liaison Darra Adkins advised the
department had logged 106 calls for the year as of that
evening, putting them two months ahead as compared to
calls last year. "So they've been busy," she said. |
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These stories and more exclusively
in the print edition: |
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- Coroner, Budget Committee Clash Over Compensation
- Banner Scribe Named Sports Writer of the Year
- South Carroll Cancer Survivors Feted with Banquet
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731)
352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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