Brownsville Radio News Archives

Haywood County farmers to get additional help from government
June 29, 2011

Haywood County farmers may benefit from a recent federal disaster declaration.

Governor Bill Haslam announced that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has designated 15 counties a natural disaster. The declaration is a result of crop damage blamed on storms and flooding in April and May.

Counties designated as primary natural disaster areas include Dyer, Giles, Greene, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Henderson, Knox, Lake, Madison, Obion, Shelby, Tipton and Washington.

The disaster rules allows farmers in primary and adjoining counties to apply for payments to help recover lost income.

Adjoining counties where farmers can also apply for assistance include , in the brownsvilleradio.com immediate area include, Crockett Fayette, Gibson, Haywood and Lauderdale.


Workforce at Haywood County Jail to be assessed by CTAS
June 29, 2011

Sheriff Melvin Bond says he’s made a date with the County Technical Advisory Service to help him assess the number of workers he needs at the county jail. Bond sais CTAS told him their jail expert, Jim Hart, will conduct the survey July 12.

Bond and other county leaders, especially those trying to hold the line on the county’s 2011/2012 budget, are struggling with personnel issues at the new jail located in the Justice Complex. Bond has 21 workers — a state jail inspector says he should hire double that number.

Bond says the CTAS assessment may help him decide the proper workforce.


Sheriff Melvin Bond blames string or rural thefts on teens
June 27, 2011

The blame for a number of rural burglaries, Sheriff Melvin Bond says, goes to six teenagers. His department rounded the juveniles up late last week.
Bond says they’ll be charged in connection with two burglaries and an attempted burglary at Exit 47 Plaza, the burglary of a Highway 54 package store and the burglary of the Koko market. He says some of the suspects also participated in the theft of a truck from Robert Taylor Campbell’s farm.

Bond says not all six of the boys were involved in every burglary or theft, but one young man was the “ring leader.”

Jim Frazier steps down as Haywood athletic director
June 27, 2011

Director of Schools Marlon King says long-time Haywood County Schools athletic director Jim Frazier has asked that he be replaced. Frazier is also the principal of Anderson Early Childhood Center and will continue in that role.

Drayton Hawkins will replace Frazier.

King also said Rodney “Duke” Chatman, a HHS alumni and former Tomcat basketball player has been appointed assistant varsity boy’s coach and freshman boy’s coach.

Haywood County home heavily damaged by fire
June 26, 2011

Firemen say they’re not sure what set the fire that did extensive damage to Ellis Taylor’s home Sunday. Taylor’s house is on Landfill Road. Firemen were called mid-after Sunday.

No one was hurt. The house is likely a total loss.

Stanton area woman killed in Haywood County wreck
June 25, 2011

A head-on collision on Tennessee 70 East took the life of a Haywood County woman. Whitney N. Richmond, 23, died in the Saturday morning crash.
Traffic stopped both ways as emergency crews worked the scene about 8 a.m.

Richmond had a Douglass Loop address.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s report, Richmond was travelling east in a 2006 Saturn near Newbern Road and was in the correct lane of travel. The trooper said a 2007 Ford driven by Larry Comage, 54, crossed the centerline and hit Richmond head-on. Comage has a Jackson, Tennessee address and was injured in the crash.
 

Jail healthcare costs higher here than other counties
June 22, 2011

In focus for the last two week has been the cost for additional labor at the Haywood County Justice Complex. The new facility has already required hiring the equivalent of four people.

A jail inspector has now said the jail doesn’t employ enough workers. The inspector claims the jail needs 42 workers. Mayor Franklin Smith and Sheriff Melvin Bond are disputing his findings. Sheriff Bond has 21 people on the payroll at the jail.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Steve Sanders has 34 full time workers at the Lauderdale County Jail. In Hardeman County Sheriff John Doolen employs 31.

Should healthcare be in focus, too?

While researching the employee issue, brownsvilleradio.com asked the Lauderdale and Hardeman County sheriffs about how they manage healthcare. Both employ strategies significantly less expensive than that those used in Haywood County.

Haywood County
The Haywood County Commission agreed to a contract with prison healthcare provider Conmed. Conmed is a correctional facility healthcare provider located in Maryland. Signed in January, the contract requires the company to keep a healthcare professional in the Haywood County Jail 16 hours everyday. County government pays Conmed $30,000 monthly. Conmend doesn’t provide drugs or pay for healthcare outside of the jail.
The county’s budget makers are considering a total budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 of $435,000 for inmate healthcare.

Lauderdale County
In Lauderdale County the jail system has a full time nurse on its payroll and funds a part time nurse about 20 hours weekly. A doctor also visits the jail regularly. Sheriff Sanders says Lauderdale County’s healthcare budget is a little more than $210,000 annually — that includes medicines and healthcare outside of the jail.

Hardeman County
Hardeman County has a contract with Southern Healthcare Partners. Sheriff Doolen says Lauderdale County pays them $120,000 annually. The care provided includes employment of a nurse for the jail 40 hours weekly and routine visits from a nurse practitioner. He says the contract also includes medicines for the inmates and a “$15,000 buffer” if a prisoner requires outside medical attention. Doolen says the company negotiates the cost of outside healthcare for the county and pays the first $15,000 of outside healthcare costs. Doolen says “we hardly every send anyone to the hospital anymore.”

Size about the same
In Haywood County we house between 100 and 115 prisoners. Lauderdale County typically has at least 135 incarcerated. Hardeman County hosts an average of about 105 inmates.

Quick read on inmate healthcare

• Healthcare costs in Haywood County predicted $435,000.
• Healthcare costs in Lauderdale County about $210,000.
• Healthcare cost in Hardeman County about $120,000.
• Inmate populations about the same all three counties

Governments trudging along in budget process
June 22, 2011

So where are we in local government’s budget process? The year ends for Brownsville and Haywood County governments June 30.
Number crunchers in both governments have been hard at work.

Brownsville making progress

Brownsville’s budget is a little easier to assemble. First, the budget isn’t nearly as large as Haywood County’s. And Brownsville’s leaders don’t have nearly as many departments or any other elected officials to deal with. Brownsville has passed on first reading their new budget. The budget is balanced except for deficit spending in the sanitation department. Mayor Jo Matherne says there will be no property tax increases.

The city has only to consider the budget on second reading to complete the process for the year.

The news from the county is similar to years past. County government will likely go several more weeks before its budget is decided. The county’s budget committee has been meeting for weeks with elected officials and department heads. Some budget requests are more than last year — others less.
The big budget issue is the operational cost of the justice center and the county jail. The primary focus is labor but there will be other issues including managing the shear size of the building.

Sheriff Melvin Bond hasn’t yet said exactly how many workers he’ll need for the new jail but it has become more and more clear county commissioners will be voting on significant operational increases related to the jail and justice center.

The county’s budget will end this year in the red — spending more money than was taken in. Budget makers know they’ll have to spend even more next year, and since the county hasn’t grown in the last year there will be no new money.

Nobody in county government has said “tax increase” — yet.


Relay for Life rescheduled
June 20, 2011

Relay for Life organizer Carolyn Flagg had a tough call to make last Friday. Late morning she decided it just wasn’t safe for Friday night’s Relay for Life event. It’s the second year in a row the event was delayed by bad weather.

Four inches of rain fell Friday morning and late in the morning skies still threatened.

Flagg said the rain that had already fallen had as much to do with the decision as the threatening skies. Utilities — electrical power — is required all over the football field to accommodate events and teams and Flagg said utility experts said the soaked ground made it too dangerous.

Flagg said some teams had also decided not to set up because of the weather.

Relay has been rescheduled for July 22.



Sexual harassment victim gets additional settlement
June 20, 2011

Haywood County taxpayers will pay the victim of a sheriff’s deputy’s improper conduct even more money than the settlement she won in her successful lawsuit brought against the county.

Tawanna Currie will be paid $6,308.83. The money is interest on the $50,000 settlement. Deputy Tim Rogers’ actions during an investigation near Stanton led to the payment of damages. The incident occurred in February of 2002.


TBI investigating missing “sensitive” items from BPD
June 22, 2011

Mum is the word from Brownsville City Hall. Nobody will say more than what’s in an official press release published Wednesday by Brownsville Police Chief Chris Lea.

In a written statement Lea says he has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate “the improper disposal of sensitive items from within the department.”

Neither Chief Lea nor Brownsville Mayor Jo Matherne will make additional comment. Lea referred Brownsville Radio to Brownsville City Attorney Michael Banks, but Banks is out of town.

Mayor Matherne said, “This is all we can say.” Matherne would not say what the “sensitive items” are.

In his news release Lea says the “department follows strict protocol in such matters and allows for an outside agency to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation.”

What’s it all about?

We’ll have to wait.

The mayor says the investigation has been going on for several weeks and she expects it to conclude “soon.”


Young Haywood Anglers take home trophies

Ethan Eubanks and Wyatt Young, members of the Haywood County Junior B.A.S.S. Club won their respective divisions at the Tennessee Federation Nation Junior B.A.S.S. State Championship Tournament held at Douglas Lake in East Tennessee. Ethan won first place in the15-18 age group, while Wyatt was first in the 14 and younger category.

Both young anglers will represent the State of Tennessee in the Southern Regional to be held in central Florida next spring. These guys make the 8th and 9th members of the Haywood County Junior B.A.S.S. Club, established in 2002, to win this honor.

County amending this year’s budget for escalating jail costs
June 14, 2011

The Haywood County Commission Budget Committee met Monday, primarily to take care of housekeeping budget amendments prior to next week’s county commission meeting. The largest of the amendments by far was $160,800 for the jail. Overtime pay, health insurance costs, and contracts with agencies made up $20,000 of that sum, but $140,000 of the total budget overrun was for medical and dental services for inmates — $90,000 of that $140,000 went to Conmed, the company charging the County $30,000 every month to provide on site nursing care to inmates sixteen hours a day, seven days a week.

Part of Conmed's responsibility is to administer prescription drugs to inmates. Budget makers heard that there have been complaints already about inefficiencies.

With budget amendments approved by the Committee through June, and assuming passage by the Commission, the Haywood County General Fund Balance will be reduced to approximately $1.5 million.

Though no action was taken, budget committee members expressed concerns over Tennessee Corrections Institute inspector William Kane's recent letters. (See additional new stories posted on this site.)

Kane claims the new facility needs more than 40 workers, and failure to abide by his recommendations puts the facility at risk of failure to achieve certification by the state corrections institute. There are 21 people working at the jail. That means budget makers would have to find money to double the number of workers.

Budget committee members said they’re looking for a staffing recommendation from Sheriff Melvin Bond. Sheriff Bond wasn’t on the agenda and didn’t attend Monday’s meeting. Attorney and Budget Committee member Bob Hooper noted that the Obion County correctional facility near Union City is servicing an inmate population of around 130 with approximately 25 officers.


Haywood County target shooters score high
June 14, 2011

Haywood County’s crack target shooting team, The Young Guns, have been at it again.

The varsity and jr varsity teams are again the state’s regional skeet shooting champs. The shotgunners have been competing in the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Scholastic Shooting Competition.

The varsity team scored 279 (hit 279 targets out of 300). The junior varsity shot 269.

Will Taylor of Brownsville was the region’s top shooter, breaking 98 out of 100 targets. Hayden Combs was second, scoring 97 out of 100.

This is the third year in a row the two teams have won the regional tournament. They will advance to statewide competition.


Brownsville’s budget balanced — no property tax increase
June 15, 2011

Brownsville Mayor Jo Matherne and the Board of Aldermen met in regular session Tuesday afternoon at City Hall. Before dealing with next year's budget, the Board first passed first reading on two ordinances. The first allows Brownsville to recoup expenses on impounded vehicles prior to forwarding the proceeds from their sale to the state of Tennessee. The expenses will be recouped by charging an impound fee of $25 per day until the vehicle is sold. The second ordinance sets the fee for annual permits for soliciting and peddling at $75.

Aldermen and the mayor passed first reading on the proposed 2011 - 2012 Brownsville budget. The proposed budget represents a very slight spending increase from the previous year, but it includes no property tax increase.

Notable budget provisions for the new year include the reestablishment of a revolving loan fund for small businesses.

Fuel cost increases of over 32 % will affect every department with vehicles, including police, fire, sanitation, and public works. There is a significant projected deficit in the sanitation department of over $200,000, with spending projected at over $1.3 million and revenues near $1.1 million. The City will draw monies from the fund balance (savings) to cover the anticipated $200,000 shortfall.

The proposed budget will reappear at next month’s meeting for a second reading and passage into law.

Much of the remainder of the Board meeting concerned complaints the Mayor and each alderman have received about the city’s curbside trash pickup policies.

According to Mayor Matherne and Public Works Director Bobby Mayer, there were three severe storms in Brownsville during May, which substantially increased the volume of tree limbs, and debris placed curbside by city residents. During the same period the City implemented a new policy whereby city equipment and personnel service only one ward per week per month. Motivation for the new program was to cut back on overtime and reduce a trend over several years of deficit spending for the service. Mayor Matherne noted that the program of curbside pickup " is not sustainable over time as we were running it."

Nonetheless, she also stated "the citizens of Brownsville have spoken loud and clear." She recognized the result has been a severe backlog of uncleaned streets with piles of storm debris and other trash resting curbside in various areas around town. Public Works Director Bobby Mayer had 13 men work 9 hours of overtime last weekend and haul 40 tons of trash to the landfill. According to the mayor, the situation is improving and she pledged to do a better job of communicating with people about the city's policies in this area in the future.

The next regular City Board meeting will be on Tuesday, July 12.

Sheriff says he’s working to determine right number of workers
June 15, 2011

During a joint meeting of the county commission’s jail and public safety committees Monday afternoon, Sheriff Melvin Bond laid out his plan to determine how many workers the new jail requires. The issue has arisen, in part, because of a now controversial letter written by a state jail inspector.

The committees also heard the budgetary plans of the county fire department and the ambulance service in a meeting that lasted more than two hours.

Healthcare at the jail
The sheriff has submitted a budget for his department that is about $23,000 less than last year and a jail budget that’s $215,000 more.

The jail budget is up not because of plans for more workers but because of a medical plan county commissioners hope will, eventually, save taxpayers money. In the budget year that ends June 30, budget makers planned for $151,000 in medical cost. The actual costs are likely to be far more than the annual budget when they are calculated June 30. With the county’s new inmate healthcare contract with health provider Conmed, that number has turned into a proposed $435,000 for 2011/2012.

Jail workers
How many workers does it take to run the jail? Indications are that it is more than the 21 now on the payroll and included in the new budgets but probably far less than the 42 predicted by Tennessee Corrections Institute inspector William Kane.

County Mayor Franklin Smith said Kane “overstepped his bounds” with his letter.

Sheriff Bond says he has asked the County Technical Advisory Service’s Jim Hart to help him determine the right number of workers. Hart is CTAS’s jail expert. Hart has previously opined that it will take 31 employees while the county’s original consultant put the number at 25.

Bond told committee members that the jail is currently certified by the state. But inspector Kane’s letter stated certification is not “achievable” with current staffing.

Utilities and other security costs for the new justice complex are included in the County Buildings budget. Right now, budget makers are considering an increase of over quarter million dollars in that budget.

Ambulance service budget up slightly
June 15, 2011

The county’s ambulance service has run 700 calls more so far this year than last, and the service is likely to require $1,344,000 to operate next year. That’s slightly more than the current year, but a new ambulance was included in last year’s budget. The only significant capital costs in the budget proposal is for new stretchers.

Ambulance Director Jimmy Studdard agreed to take about $25,000 out of his proposed 11/12 budget that was earmarked for laptop computers. The computers would be mounted in each ambulance and help workers track important data like EKGs. Studdard says there is proposed Medicare legislation that may make the computers mandatory but Congressional consideration won’t come until next spring.

The ambulance service will likely contribute about $800,000 in income to county government, offsetting at least some of its expense.
Studdard said a new contract to transport dialysis patients has brought in $90,000 since last fall. The county commission agreed to fund an additional employee for the service so that they might fulfill the profitable arrangement.

Grant could provide new rural fire equipment and budget relief
June 15, 2011

Brownsville’s Fire Chief Mark Foster, who also, under contract with Brownsville, serves as county government’s fire chief, told county commission committee members his department will need $13,658 less in fiscal 2011/12 than was budgeted this year.

Foster is also hopeful a pending $750,000 grant resulting from severe weather will fund brand new equipment, including several fire trucks, for the county. Foster says the rural fleet of aging trucks will have to be replaced soon. The current budget includes money to buy some used trucks, but Foster has delayed those purchases hoping for the grant funds.

Haywood’s neighbor jail operations – how many workers does it take?
June 17, 2011

How many workers will the new jail require? That’s been the lead story here for the week. We thought looking around at the experience of similarly sized jails might be interesting.

At least two neighboring counties have struggled with the same issue.

Lauderdale County
In Lauderdale County Sheriff Steve Sanders operates his jail under the jurisdiction of federal court. The court has been overseeing Lauderdale County jail management since a 1990 lawsuit. The lawsuit resulted in an order to build a new jail in Lauderdale County, which has been under the court’s constant monitoring for more than twenty years.

The Lauderdale County Jail can house 144 inmates. Sheriff Sanders says the jail requires 34 workers.
Sanders says he usually has at least 135 prisoners incarcerated.

Hardeman County
Hardeman County’s jail is also similarly sized and usually houses about the same number of inmates as Haywood County. The Hardeman County Jail can house 177 people but typically hosts about 105 prisoners.

Sheriff John Doolen says 31 workers are on his payroll — 28 of those are correctional officers.

State thinks we need even more
This story stems, of course, from a recent “mock” inspection of the Haywood County Jail. Tennessee Correction’s Institute Inspector William Kane wrote Sheriff Melvin Bond saying he thinks Bond needs 42 workers.

Commissioners knew they’d need more
In his initial report before the jail was built, the county hired jail consultant told county commissioners they’d have to add workers. He suggested the new jail would require the equivalent of between 25 and 26 workers.

There are 21 people on Haywood County’s jail payroll.

Separate from the jail, the justice complex has already required the addition of the equivalent of four new workers.


Quick read and summary of jail employee question
June 17, 2011

• County hired jail consultant predicted jail would require slightly more than 25 full time employees. The consultant filed the report with the county commission before the jail was built.
• Sheriff Melvin Bond currently has 21 people on the jail payroll.
• In recent letters, Tennessee Corrections Institute Jail Inspector tells Sheriff Melvin Bond he needs 42 workers.
• County Technical Advisory Service jail expert suggests the Haywood County Jail may need 34 employees.
• The Hardeman County Jail employs 31 people.
• The Lauderdale County Jail works 34 full time employs.
• Sheriff Melvin Bond is asking CTAS for further evaluation.
• County leaders have already hired the equivalent of four additional workers as a result of the opening of the new justice complex.

Most Brownsville store’s booze compliant
June 17, 2011

The Brownsville Police Department conducted alcohol compliance checks this week. Police using undercover personnel checked 15 stores that have licenses to sell alcohol.

Police Chief Chris Lea says only two failed the compliance checks. The two failed to check for ID and age.

Police cited Discount Tobacco and More on North Washington Avenue and Wings and Things on Anderson Aenue.


Storms cause Haywood County Deputy wreck
June 17, 2011

A sheriff’s department patrol car is probably a total loss after a wreck Thursday night. The accident was the result of the overnight storms.

Deputy Larry Bushart hit a tree that had blown down across Highway 222. The accident, Sheriff Melvin Bond said, occurred about 10:30 p.m.

Deputy Bushart had travelled the highway shortly before the wreck — answering a burglary call in Stanton. He was leaving the scene when the accident occurred. Sheriff Melvin Bond said the tree was apparently blown down during a storm that raked the area while Bushart was on the scene conducting his investigation in Stanton.

The sheriff said Bushart took a report at Debra Yancy’s home at 105 Main Street in Stanton. Yancy lost a window air conditioner and a refrigerator to the burglar.

Bushart wasn’t hurt in the accident.

June “Concert on the Porch” to feature Company, Jupiter Stone

BROWNSVILLE, TN (June 12, 2011): The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, Tenn., will present the second in its summer concert series "Concert on the Porch" Saturday, June 25, at 7 p.m.. The free concert will feature two bands with Brownsville ties, Hannah Company and Jupiter Stone.

Hannah Company made its musical debut at this year’s Cinco de Mayo Heritage Celebration. Members of the group include Hannah Baynes, Andrew Cooper and Amy and Joe Mallette. Since May, the rock group has enjoyed playing at private parties and other local events.

The members of Jupiter Stone consider themselves “students of music.” Each member brings a different musical style to the group and they mesh to form a modern appeal, bridging generations with their rock and rhythm and blues mix. The band spends its weekends playing in and around Jackson and Memphis and has released a CD, simply titled “Jupiter Stone.” Band members are Josh and Steven Stewart of Brownsville, David Aplin and Kenny Napper.

Concert on the Porch is a family-friendly event and both groups promise something for all ages. You are invited to bring your lawn chairs and enjoy this free evening concert. Grilled hot dogs, drinks and popcorn will be available. You may also pack a picnic or visit one of the nearby restaurants.

Concert on the Porch is a free summer concert series featuring guest artists performing from the porch of Blues legend Sleepy John Estes, located on the grounds of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center. The Center is located behind McDonald’s off of Hwy. 76 South and Interstate 40 at Exit 56. For a complete list of summer concerts and more information, visit www.westtnheritage.com, or call 731-779-9000.
 

Solar Farm connection hearing
June 13, 2011

Interested in how the solar farm will eventually be connected to the power grid?

There’s a public hearing on the subject set for Thursday.

Representatives of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation and Chickasaw Electric Cooperative are hosting a public hearing Thursday morning. The meeting is at 9am in the old Circuit Court Room on the second floor of the Haywood County Courthouse.

The interconnection route of lines will take the power along Albright Road to Yum Yum Road to Joyner Campground Road and along Highway 76 South to the Dancyville substation.

The solar far is located on Albright Road near Interstate 40 in Haywood County.

Letters from state indicate new jail woefully understaffed
June 10, 2011

Two letters, one dated April 11 and the other dated May 31, raise concerns about the security staff at the county jail. The jail is in the new justice complex and occupies about 36,000 of the 80,000-foot facility.

William R. Kane, a Tennessee Corrections Institute jail inspector, wrote the letters to Sheriff Melvin Bond and says TCI won’t certify the jail with the present staffing.

Kane is the same inspector whose reports led local leaders to decide to abandon the old jail for the new multi-million dollar justice center.
Sheriff Bond provided Brownsville Radio with a copy of the letters Friday.

April letter

Kane writes congratulations for, with the new jail, fixing many of the problems of the old county jail but says “there is another issue at hand that has not been addressed…From my first meeting with then interim Mayor Franklin Smith and the County Commission to the soon after formation of the Jail Committee…I have stressed the need for all of these issues to be resolved. In fact on the last inspection (October 14, 2010), I again recommended the hiring of additional officers…”

Kane points out, among other things, that the new jail has 194 beds — the old jail 134. “The low staffing numbers put the officers, inmates and community at serious…risk,” Kane writes.

May letter

On May 31, Kane conducted a “mock” inspection and reported the results to Sheriff Bond in a letter written the same day.

While Kane found several things wrong, his emphasis was on staffing. He said supervisors aren’t able to “adequately” supervise other workers because they are working several “posts” though out the day.

Some medicines weren’t delivered to inmates in a timely manner, according to Kane, because of the inadequate staff. Staffing issues have caused troubles with meals. “According to the logs, the meal times can vary up to an hour which may cause problems with serving food at improper temperatures.” He said “religious groups” are visiting inmates with out officer supervision.

Kane said he had to “escort myself through half of the inspection due to the staff going in ten different directions at one time trying to get everything done.”
Kane concludes the letter by saying that, “If the present staffing issues do not change TCI certification will not be achievable.”

TCI’s Kane says the jail needs to employ at least 42 people. Right now there are 21 people on the jail’s payroll.

What the sheriff says

Commenting on the employee issues Sheriff Bond says TCI’s letter “speaks for itself.” But, the sheriff says, there are other studies that conflict with TCI’s assessment.

According to the sheriff the consultant originally advising the county on the justice center project suggested 26 workers would be needed to run the jail. He says the County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS) has recommended 31.

The sheriff says so far he is working the same number of people employed at the old jail and he’s trying to make that work. “We’ll do what we can to run the jail with what we have,” Bond told Brownsville Radio.

The budget committee may meet with the sheriff as early as this week. The committee is busy drafting a recommended 2011/2012 budget for the county commission’s consideration. In the budget are increased costs already attributed to the justice complex including four additional employees not related to the jail and increased costs for maintenance, insurance and utilities.

Sheriff says two men responsible for many rural thefts
June 10, 2011

The arrest of George Whittemore and Steve Hall may have solved a number of recent rural thefts in Haywood County. Sheriff Melvin Bond says Whittemore and Hall are part of a “theft ring” and predicts there may be more arrests. Bond says the FBI and TBI have joined the investigation.
Whittemore and Hall were arrested in Fayette County last week. The sheriff says he is charging the two with stealing items from Greg Morris, Kelly Broadway, Ricky Sweat, Amanda Goodrich, Dale Black, James Webb and Paul Norris. Bond said he has also linked the duo to a theft at the Hutchison residence on Woodlawn road. All of the victims reported outdoor equipment including ATVs and lawnmowers stolen. Other stolen items include tools, trailers and other yard equipment.
Fayette County authorities arrested Whittemore and Hall, who are from Somerville, last week. Deputies stopped the two men because the truck they were driving had been described as being seen in the area of some of the crimes. Hall and Whittemore, according to Sheriff Bond, have been linked to thefts in several West Tennessee Counties and in North Mississippi.
Bond said Whittemore led investigators to a cache of stolen merchandise and a number of items have been recovered.

Area chambers set to recruit
June 13, 2011

The Jackson-Madison County Chamber of Commerce has organized a multi-county initiative designed to help grow business in rural West Tennessee.
In a column published in the Jackson Sun, Jackson-Madison County Chamber of Commerce President Kyle Spurgeon says the group effort to promote the territory is modeled after other similar initiatives.
The Haywood County Megasite is central to the effort.
Counties included in the plan are Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Gibson, Hardeman, Haywood, Henderson, McNairy and Madison.
Taking first steps, the coalition is organizing an advisory panel. Brownsville Mayor Jo Matherne, Carroll County Mayor Kenny McBride and Jackson Energy Authority’s Jim Ferrell make up the nominating committee for the committee.



 

Arrest in rural thefts leads to some recovery
June 8, 2011

It looks like William Philips will be getting his Kobota tractor and disc back. It was stolen from his Vildo Road home May 20 and is counted among a string of thefts puzzling law enforcement departments over much of West Tennessee and North Mississippi.

The recovery of the tractor is the result of the arrest of George Whittemore. Sheriff Melvin Bond said Whittemore was arrested by Fayette County authorities a few days ago and has admitted to some of the thefts — but not all. Bond said a man arrested along with Whittemore has admitted to thefts in Shelby County and other areas — but none in Haywood County.

Officers all over the area had been looking for a vehicle described as being seen in the areas of the stealings. They saw Whittemore driving a similar truck and stopped him.

Sheriff Bond said Whittemore claims loss of memory in many of the cases but has implicated himself to more than just the theft of the tractor. Bond said Whittemore took investigators to Madison County where they found the Kobota.

Brownsville poised to approve new budget
No new taxes
June 10, 2011

The city board met in special session “budget workshop” session Wednesday. The four aldermen and the Mayor met for over an hour to discuss the proposed budget that will be presented for first reading at the regular June meeting of the City Board on June14.

Highlights on the budget include:

• No property tax increase
• A 2% raise for Brownsville employees and a potential additional 1% merit raise at the discretion of department heads, as well as a Christmas bonus
• A projected 32% increase in gasoline costs for city government for the upcoming year
• Reestablishment of the restricted revolving loan fund
• The replacement of 3 police cars with new vehicles
• City utilities expansion across interstate 40
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster mitigation funding for
• Completion of the roadscape and court square landscaping projects.

Most city departments are projected to be funded at very close to previous year levels.

Property tax revenues are projected to be slightly above the 2010 budget, whereas sales tax revenues are projected to be somewhat lower in the upcoming 2011 -12 budget.

The public is invited to attend the June 14 City Board Meeting on Tuesday of next week when the proposed budget will be presented and discussed in detail.

Teen with gun arrested
June 10, 2011

Late Thursday night a gun-toting teenager shut down part of North Dupree.

Police answered the call about 11:30 p.m.

Witnesses said they saw one man chasing another and one of them had a gun.

Investigating officers said that a 17-year-old boy threatened his mother with a gun — putting the weapon to her head.

The chase witnesses saw was allegedly the young man chasing his step-dad down the street.

Police arrested the teen but said they have not found a gun.

Tomato eating Zebras in Haywood County? Uh-huh
June 10, 2011

There’s a zebra in my tomatoes! Now that’s just not something you’d expect a Haywood Countian to be worried about — let alone reporting to the sheriff’s office. But Sheriff Melvin Bond said he can’t believe how many calls his deputies are making because of ranging zebras in North Haywood County.

There were about a dozen of them — now there are eight. They are part of a menagerie of animals owned by a woman who lives on Woodville Road.
Sheriff Bond says he has placed charges against the animal owner as a result of the calls.

The zebras are just some of the problem animals that authorities have been dealing with for months. Animal control authorities seized several dozen dogs and placed them in adoptive care. The sheriff said there are other unusual animals, including monkeys on the Woodville Road property.

The zebras are being adopted — the sheriff says — by a zoo. So far the zookeepers have been able to take four of them — but the other eight have been difficult to catch. He says there is an on-going effort to do so.

The sheriff’s department has charged Nancy Baynes with allowing livestock to run at large.

Lagoon Creek power — enough for 320,000 homes
June 10, 2011

X literally marked the spot. The spot where gas lines and high capacity electric power lines crossed in Haywood County. The intersecting power supplies are near Nutbush and Lagoon Creek in Northwest Haywood County.

Just a few years ago it became the spot where power-generating companies, both public and private, came to look — searching for an efficient place to locate their electricity generators that would be run by natural gas.

Thursday TVA dedicated its $440 million combined cycle generating facility. Touted as highly efficient —the Lagoon Creek power plant sits across the field from another, older TVA facility.

TVA officials said the new Haywood County generator is the “most efficient in the TVA fleet.”

What makes it special? Heat from the natural gas driven turbines is recycled to drive secondary turbines. The result, TVA says, is enough power for 320,000 homes.

Mayor Franklin Smith says TVA is Haywood County’s largest taxpayer. In addition to the two plants in northwest Haywood County, TVA also operates a third facility near I-40’s Exit 60. TVA pays over $300,000 annually in property taxes, having agreed to pay the same amount as private industry for the south-county power producer.

Smith said TVA has paid more than a half-million dollars in “impact fees” to county government while the plant was under construction.
Some other facts:

• Construction started in September 2007.
• Completion required more than 1000 construction employees that worked for more than 2 years.
• Bad weather and the discovery of a very old cemetery containing 27 graves slowed construction by about 100 days.
• More than 30,000 yards of concrete and 3,000 tons of reinforcing rods were used during construction.
• There is an estimated 1.5 million feet of electrical cable at the site.
• The plant is 50% more efficient than a “simple cycle” plant that does not recycle heat.
• TVA’s other plant at the Lagoon Creek site includes 12 “simple cycle” gas fired turbines.
• The new has been in operation since last fall and has run “twice” as much as TVA expected.
• TVA employs approximately forty people to operate the two plants at Lagoon Creek.
• A second combined cycle plant is being built in East Tennessee.

Haywood Element closed
June 7, 2011

Another Haywood County Industrial Park manufacturer has closed. The shuttering of Haywood Element means about 30 people have lost their jobs.
John Finn, who has managed the plant for decades and whose family owns four other factories, said production ceased Monday. Most of the workers were released immediately.

A note distributed to vendors Monday said, “We are sorry to report that we are unable to continue our business and have stopped operations as of today.”
Finn said the factory manufactures several lines of heating elements, some of which are for specialty devices. The “tooling and know-how” for some of the lines are unique and Finn expressed optimism that another manufacturer might become interested in the facility, though he said there were no immediate prospects.

Glenn Electric owns Haywood Element. The plant manufactured industrial electrical heating equipment.
In 2009 Cub Cadet, also located in the Industrial Park, closed leaving 500 workers jobless.

Long time coming — downtown renovations finally start
June 7, 2011

City street workers were busy closing lanes of traffic and workers were marking underground utilities Tuesday in preparation for downtown Brownsville’s makeover.

Grants totaling about $750,000 will be spent to improve traffic flow, parking and aesthetics.
Mayor Jo Matherne said the work would take 90 to 12 days to complete.