Safe
in Tennessee 9/2/05
Several families have found refuge from the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina in Henry County. The
children of the families have been enrolled in Lakewood Elementary and Henry
Elementary School. According to Jan
Mitchell of the Henry County School System the families are homeless and will be
seeking homes and employment in the community. Several agencies, such as Department of Human Services and he Family
Resource Center will be helping the families with school supplies and other
necessities.
City
Commission 9/2/05
The
Paris City Commission met Thursday evening and heard from some angry citizen on
Brooks Street about the flooding problems in their neighborhood after heavy
rains.
A petition, signed by approx. 80 citizens, was mailed to Commissioners
stating the groups concerns. “Water
has been diverted through our area causing flooding that has washed away
driveways, entered in and under our homes, backed up our plumbing and endangered
the heath and safety of our families,” read the petition. Group spokesman, Dave Clendenin told commissioners that the
holding ponds of Wal-Mart and Nissan had made the problem worse and offered to
pass around pictures of the area underwater last week. After Mayor David Travis refused to look at the pictures, the
unsympathetic Mayor stated, “We
can’t make water run uphill.” Vice Mayor Sam Tharpe asked to see the current
photos and City Manager Carl Holder was authorized to seek out an engineer to
study the problem and provide the commission with possible solutions to the
water drainage problem.
In other business Holder stated that the city owned ‘Revel’ building,
located on Tyson Ave.’ would be renovated and become the new home of the Ag.
Extension office and the Department of Safety’s licensing center. No time line for the project was given.
The utility extensions in the annexed area of the industrial Park and the
218 Bypass were described by the city manager to be “like everything in the
process, bad news.”
Commissioners spent a short time discussing 2 ordinance changes.
One for signs brought the suggestion of putting a time limit on the
length of time a sign can be posted and the animal control ordinance that would
be affective is still being considered.
An ordinance to amend zoning of floodplain areas was passed on 1st
reading. According to Holder the
city needed to adopt the amended ordinance in order to be eligible for federal
floodplain protection.
Back
to School
9/1/05
September is back to school for
adults with “Learning is a Lifetime Process”.
The Adult Learning Center is offering FREE day and night classes
in Job Readiness Skills, earning a diploma, improving academic skills and test
preparation for specialized training.
For more information call 642-8655.
The Adult Learning Center is located in the Central Community Center at
55 Jones Bend Rd.
According to Director of Adult Education in Henry County, “Success
begins with the first step.”
Amber
Alert 8/31/05
An Amber Alert has been issued for a little girl from Hohenwald TN. The white female is 2 years old, 34 inches high and weighs 33 lbs.
The child was last seen in her backyard wearing a tank top and shorts on
Sunday afternoon, Aug. 28th. If you
have any information about the little girl please contact the Lewis County
Sheriff’s Office.
Planning
commission 8/31/05
Paris
Municipal Regional Planning Commission met Monday night in a special called
meeting to consider two items of business.
One of those items was a building addition to J&K Rental at 1034
Mineral Wells Ave. By Joe and
Jerry’s the addition will give the former Nissan building over 2500 new square
feet.
The second item was a minor subdivision on Crutchfield Lane that would
allow the combination of 2 parcels of land.
The Planning Commission approved both items.
Stormy
Weather 8/31/05
The
sever weather that was predicted for Monday night never materialized.
Strong winds blew leaves and small branches on roadways but the worst of
the storm missed the Henry County area with only a few problems and some power
outages across the county that were clear up well before noon. But as Deputy Buford Taylor put it, “Nothing to write home about.”
School
Closing
8/30/05
In
anticipation of strong winds and heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane
Katrina Director of Schools Rick Kriesky has announced that Henry County Schools
will be closed Tuesday, August 30,2005.
Shooting 8/30/05
On
Saturday morning, August 27, 2005 just minutes after midnight the Henry County
Sheriff’s office received a 911 call from Peaceful Meadows Rd in Paris. The call was from an unknown person at the residence who stated that
someone was kicking the door, attempting to make entry and was making threats to
kill her and her husband. Before
officers could arrive dispatch advised the caller stated that shots had been
fired and one person was hit. When
officers arrived they found that the white, 59 year old male, James E Felock had
a gunshot wound to his left arm. While
checking the area officers spotted a van parked about 100 yards away from the
complainant’s house. As they
approached the van they found a white male lying on the ground, dead from what
appeared to be a gunshot wound to the mouth. The deceased was 44-year-old William D. Meadows, the son and stepson of the complaintant.
According to the Henry County Criminal Investigations Division Meadows
came to his parents
home around midnight, parked his van away from the house just minutes before
Felock got home from work. Mrs.
Felock stated that her son came to the door with a gun and pointed it at her
stating that he would kill both of them. She
closed and locked the door and called 911. At around the same time her husband got home and was net by Meadows in
the driveway. Shots were fired by
Meadows, which hit Felock’s vehicle as well as Felock’s left arm. Felock has a weapon in his vehicle and returned fire, telling officers
that he was unsure at the time, if he hit Meadows. Meadows retreated to where he had parked his van.
This is where it is believed that Meadows took his own life with a
shotgun. James Felock was
transported to Henry County Medical Center and later transferred to Vanderbilt
in Nashville. The matter is still
under investigation by Henry County CID. but no charges are expected.
Cookbook 8/29/05
The Charles Conger Senior Citizens Center is
working on a cookbook they hope to have ready for holiday giving and using.
The
center is looking for those favorite recipes that make your friends and family
keep asking for you to make it again.
The fundraising project will provide funds to pay for trips to
educational outings such as viewing the eagle’s nests at Reelfoot Lake or for
a Christmas shopping trip to Jackson.
“The County has purchased a reliable used van but the budget does not
provide for gas for the trips,” explained Director of the Henry County Office
on Aging Brenda Morris. Morris
added that the cookbook would be available in large print.
The deadline to turn in recipes is Sept. 5th.
The non-profit group hopes to have the recipes organized, published in
cookbook form and for sale in time for the holidays.
The recipes may be dropped off at the Senior Center at the Central
Community Service Center on Jones Bend Rd. For more information call the Charles Conger Senior Citizens Center at
642-2919.
At
K-PAC 8/27/05
This
Sunday afternoon, August 28 at 2:30 the Krider Performing Arts Center in Paris
will welcomed Ed Harrell, one of the survivors of the crew of the USS
Indianapolis that was torpedoed a few days after it delivered the components for
the first operational atomic bomb in July of 1945. He will tell of the ordeal of being adrift for days until they were
rescued. Signed copies of his best
selling book will also be on sale.
HCMC
8/26/05
“TennCare enrollees are now beginning to come off the rolls as the
program transitions to new benefit levels. It is probably to early to tell if any impact will be felt by the
hospital’” stated Henry County Medical Center Administrator Thomas Gee.
“We have had patients try to schedule surgery prior to losing their
benefits and we expect this type of thing will pick up in the next few weeks.”
Gee told board members Thursday evening that Gov. Bredesen had indicated
that 97,000 people would be retained on the program now that concessions have
been granted by the courts.
The board of
trustee’s spent quite a bit of time discussing the future of the Henry County
Health Care Center on Thursday. The
failing nursing home was bought by the medical center in the ‘9o’s and under
the administration of Sandra Ray is now showing a profit. With the aging of the ‘baby boomers’ additional facilities will be
needed and the discussion included offering assisted living facilities, more
private rooms and full care options. Gee
suggested that a financial plan be developed so the board would have a better
idea of the cost of offering the alternatives that were discussed.
The search for a new chief financial officer continues, as does physician
recruitment. Possible delays in
completing the unfinished portion of the new bed tower have been avoided. Gee stated that he has been informed that a ‘certificate of
need’ will not be required to add the additional beds to the facility.
BPU
8/24/05
The Paris Board of Public Utilities approved a rate increase for
residential customers to offset the TVA wholesale rate increase. According to BPU General Manager Charles Perry the rate increase of
6.98%for customers would be about $7 on each $100 of electric power used.
“Our
rates are still considerably lower that most rates across the country,” stated
Perry. The new rates will go into
effect October 1st.
The board approved 2 low bids on Tuesday.
One bid was on a bucket truck for the electric department. The low bid was from Terex Utilities out of White House TN for $125,5 34
after trade-in. The 2nd
bid approved was for a trencher/backhoe from Ditch Witch in Memphis. The cost was $53,399.
The board approved a change in policy concerning developers who install
water and sewer lines. The current
policy for lines installed within the city limit states that developers pay for
the installation and BPU has ownership of the lines once they are connected to
the system. The new policy will
give the developer the right to charge customers a connection fee for up to one
year after lines are installed.
Official
Visit
8/22/05
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will be meeting with regional city and
county mayors in Paris today. The
event is sponsored by the Northwest Economic Development District and is by
invitation only.
Historic
Zoning 8/19/05
Two
applications were approved Thursday evening’s meeting of the Paris Historical
Zoning Board, one for a porch addition to 502 Hudson Ave in Paris and the second
for a free standing garage at the rear of the property on N. Poplar St. In both cases the additions will be built to blend with the architecture
of the original structure. “These
additions will make the neighborhood look much better,” stated Linda Holder,
Community Development Director
Beer
Board 8/19/05
The
Paris Alcoholic Beverage Control Board approved 2 separate licenses’ on
Thursday evening. A
request for a class B beer permit was granted to Brenda Lowe. The on premises permit is for Bottoms Up on W Wood St, presently known as
Papa J’s. She has leased the
building and assured the beer board, after extensive questioning, that no one
with a felony charge would be serving beer.
Also granted a class B permit was Evana Davis for Toy’s Tavern on Depot
St. Davis has many years experience
tending bar in Paris, including the Elk’s Lodge. The current owner for whom she works is terminally ill and wishes to have
the business licensing settled.
Fair
Results
Once
again the Henry County Fair is nothing but a memory for student to daydream of
as they sit in class.
This year’s fair was a record breaker with a record size crowd Saturday
evening. According to Fair Board
Director Jerry Bomar, 2500 plus filled the grandstands for the cash give away
that evening. This year
also featured the largest open beef cattle show ever in Henry County. Bomar also said that all of the exhibit precipitations were up.
The good weather was a factor in attendance and Bomar believes that if there was enough made to cover expenses such as
the gravel for the additional parking then this year was a success.
PSSD 8/17/05
The Paris Special School Districts Board of Education met Tuesday evening
for their first meeting since school has started this year.
Once again discussed by board members was the tuition charged to
non-resident students. The
board wanted to clarify that the $100 tuition fee would be charged to anyone who
did not reside within the boundaries of the special school district.
Landowners or business owners would not qualify for the exemption.
Out of district students number 132 at Rhea, 154 at PES and 89 at Inman.
Director of Schools Dr. Paul Doyle stated that so far this year tuition
collection was up from last year.
The board approved extended contrasts to teacher’s that help with such
things as before and after school remediation, preK summer school, after school
enrichment and other special programs.
The board also discussed the Kids Club, a before and after school program
that is provided at the school for a fee. That
fee went up to $20 a day this year, which has upset many.
The board will look into the matter although technically they are not
involved in the non-profit day care service.
The board members approved a contract with Henry County Medical Center
for Physical, occupational Speech Therapy services.
The board members received the good news of the test results.
The district met or surpassed all of the mandated scores for No Child
Left behind and surpassed even some of the higher standards that PSSD had set
for its self.
911 8/16/05
The
Henry County Enhanced 911 board held their meeting on Monday and quickly
reviewed June and July finances then moved to a review of year-end standings.
911came in under budget for June and July and $12,000 under budget for
fiscal year 2004/05. The budget
surplus will mean that 911 rates will remain the same. “We have managed our resources very well,” stated Chairman John
Ethrige, “and it is reflected in the good year we have had.”
911 Director Mark Archer told the board that the grant money for another
dispatcher has been received and the new dispatcher should be trained and ready
to begin in 2 weeks.
Mapping in the county continues. According
to Archer 12,777 structures have been entered into the computer with their
longitude and latitude coordinates. He
also reported that ‘GPS’ mapping down by the lake includes not only houses
but also boat docks and boat slips as well as R.V.s. Archer plans to move to the Cottage Grove area next and to be finished
mapping the county by the end of the year. He will then move to the city of Paris and begin mapping that area.
County
Commission
8/16/05
After
some debate and much amending the county commissioners gave the OK for the
Sheriff to have a credit card issued by the county. According to Faye Scott of the Sheriff’s Office a credit card would
allow the department to receive discounts by using the county’s card, would
make tracking expenditures for inmate travel easier, such as when an airfare
must be arranged. Ms. Scott had
patterned the resolution on the advise from the state’s comp-troller’s
office. The amended resolution will
be retyped and presented to the commissioners next month.
Jerry Bomar offered exciting news to the commissioners at Monday’s
meeting. Commissioner Tom More of
the Department of Transportation will be in Paris to establish a driver’s
licenses testing site for Henry County. According
to Bomar the governor as well as Rep. Tanner helped to make the new facility a
possibility.
The County Highway Department has once again received a Litter grant. The grant is for $35,281.
Henry
Co. Litter Program is considered on of the better ones in the state. The county was given permission to sell the old Office on Aging van.
Betty Cleaver, who lives on Guthrie Rd. asked the commissioner to
consider a way to control the animal problem in the county. “One of these days the animals that run unleashed are going to hurt a
child or an elderly person,” stated Ms. Cleaver. The commissioners agreed that a solution was needed and will look into
the problem once again.
Henry
County Fair 8/12/05
Fun at the fair continues this
weekend. Friday the River Roads
Band plays at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion at 6pm.
At 6:30 the doll tea party begins and at
7:00 the Combine Demolition will be held. At
8pm the Car/Truck/Tractor Give-Away will
be held at the Grandstands.
Saturday the Farmer’s Market opens at 6:30 AM. At 10 is the Beef Cattle Show and the Midway opens at 5:00.
Saturday evening all the fun of the Demolition Derby can be seen in the
arena at 7pm for only $8.00.
Celebration
8/12/05
At Thursday evening Henry County Board of Education meeting, David Webb,
who besides being a History teacher at Henry County High, is the County
Historian stated that the 100th anniversary of Grove Tower is coming.
“I’ve become somewhat of a Paul Revere shouting “The anniversary is
coming,” to anyone who will listen,” he said. According to Webb the
building of Grove Tower byE.W. Grove for a high school marked the beginning of
free public secondary education in Henry County. The anniversary is in 2006 and Webb made several suggestions on how to
celebrate the occasion, all of which were approved by the board of education.
June 26th of 2006 is the actual date but Saturday, June 24th
has been proposed as the kick off date for the celebration, a celebration which
100 years ago included a parade through downtown Paris.
Webb is seeking a state historical marker to be placed at Grove, the
building to be open for public viewing on that Saturday and for a historical
display to be allowed in the halls of the building.
Webb stated that he hopes to speak to as many civic groups and
organizations before the celebration as possible.
Henry
Co. School Board
8/11/05
The
school attendance for the 1st 3 days of school in the county was up
by 87 students from last year. Most
of the county schools had an increase of a few students. Exceptions were at the High School were there were 82 more
students and at Henry Elementary were they were down by 36 students. The decrease is blamed on industry closings in that part of the county.
Adequate Yearly Progress scores were reviewed Thursday evening with all
of the schools in all test areas showing achievement scores at proficient or
advanced and above the scores necessary to meet No Child Left Behind guidelines.
“Although the scores are good and we are proud of hem, they are not yet
where we want them to be,” stated Director of Schools Rick Kriesky.
Henry County Schools received an $80,000 grant for pre-school classes and
the school system will provide $25,000 in kind, such as land and labor. “Data shows that pre-school does have a very positive effect,” stated
Kriesky.
The board approved the annual Director’s evaluation and Kriesky was
praised for his dealings with board members, staff and faculty as well as his
dealings with the public and community leaders. Board member Dr. Dunkerson said that the improvements to the school
system were the result of Kriesky’s efforts. “We should be extremely proud of the education provided in Henry
County,” he stated.
Mandy Wofford will fill a non-faculty soccer coach position and a band
trip to Florida was approved at the meeting.
The trip will occur in May and will include the 102 members of the
Marching Patriots and Color guard.
Henry Town Meeting 8/10/05
Reported by Henry
correspondent Larissa Boyd
The Henry Mayor and Board of Alderman met Tuesday
for the monthly Board meeting where the most anticipated topic of the
evening concerned a comptroller’s report regarding allegations brought against
Mayor Faye Lowery, Alderman Gordon Ray McFadden, and Police Chief Tim Reeves.
These allegations were reported to the State of Tennessee Comptroller’s office by Alderman George Owens.
Mayor Lowery
started by explaining that Alderman Owens had contacted the comptroller’s
office with certain allegations, and the comptroller’s office then contact
Mayor Lowery. Comptroller, Phillip Job, explained to Mayor Lowery that the
comptroller’s office specifically investigates wrongdoing or illegal activity
made by municipal officers. She
said Mr. Job was not certain as to whether there would be an investigation.
Mayor Lowery then wrote a letter to the office requesting and welcoming
the investigation into the charges.
Mayor Lowery then
reminded the board and the public of the allegations that Alderman Owens had
reported. The allegations brought
against Mayor Lowery included abuse of authority, citizens patrolling school
traffic in a city police car, ordering an officer to drop a ticket, working
police officers out of compliance, and illegal water bills.
The allegations
against Alderman Gordon Ray McFadden included conflict of interest and ordering
an officer to drop a ticket.
The allegations
against Police Chief Tim Reeves was abuse of a city credit card.
There were no
charges made by the comptroller’s office. Mr. Job found a number of weaknesses, and reported on these.
Mayor Lowery read the report aloud.
On the allegation
of conflict of interest against Alderman McFadden, the office reported that
there was a conflict between his official duties and his personal interest.
Alderman McFadden has done mechanical work on city vehicles for a number
of years. The comptroller stated
that the city must first request services of other licensed mechanics in the
area. If those mechanics cannot
perform the services, Alderman McFadden may be allowed to do such work.
Later, Alderman Cindy Rainey suggested that any instance in which
Alderman McFadden had done any work for the city on a professional level, and
any bills must be paid to Alderman McFadden, that he refrain from voting so as
not to cause a conflict of interest. Mayor
Lowery and Alderman McFadden agreed to this suggestion.
Mayor Lowery
explained the situation, which prompted the allegations against Chief Reeves.
Many years ago, under another administration, credit cards were issued to
the city. At that time, no policies
or procedures were established on the usage of the cards.
Chief Reeves recently made a personal charge on the city credit card, and
immediately notified Mayor Lowery. He
then repaid the debt through a payroll deduction.
The report stated that the city must establish a policy on the usage of
credit cards. Mayor Lowery
explained that this had actually been done before the report had been received.
Mr. Job also found
that there was a lack of policies and procedures handbooks, and specifically
stated that there must be a utility meter policy established.
Mayor Lowery stated that a City Recorder manual is also currently being
written.
The allegations of
abuse of authority by the mayor, working police officers out of compliance,
citizens patrolling school traffic, illegal water bills, and dropped tickets had
no merit to require an investigation, as stated by Mr. Job to Mayor Lowery.
After the reading
of the report, Alderman Owens asked the mayor to explain why Police Chief Reeves
had not been terminated for misuse and abuse of city property.
Mayor Lowery stated that since a policy had not been instituted at that
time, Chief Reeves was not found to be abusing city property.
A disagreement ensued between Alderman Owens and Mayor Lowery.
Chief Reeves stated that he had no comment at that time due to the HIPAA
Law.
Mayor Lowery
stated that at one time, she could not comment on the allegations made against
her due to council’s advice.
In
other business…….
At Tuesday’s Henry Town Meeting there was also a discussion concerning
a $500,000 housing grant that the city had applied for. Mayor Lowery stated that the grant had been approved, but that the state
of Tennessee had spent all the allotted money before Henry could be given the
grant. This should put Henry closer
to the top of the list to receive money next year.
During Chief
Reeves’s staff report of the police department business, Mayor Lowery
commented that she had ridden with Chief Reeves on a drug raid. She commended Chief Reeves and the police department for their good work.
Fire Department
Chief Keith Qualls was asked about the progress of the Pioneer Day preparations.
Chief Qualls stated that there were many volunteers so far, and he was
thankful for them, but that more would be needed. Chief Qualls also stated that the fire department had
discussed and voted in favor of having the annual gunfight this year despite
last year’s accident. The police
department will be supervising and assisting the fire department during the
festivities.
Following the
meeting, Mayor Lowery announced that she had recently learned that she and her
husband, Gerald, were named Mr. and Mrs. Pioneer by the Fire Department for the
Pioneer Day festivities this year.
Mayor Lowery
brought up the topic of Henry’s annual Clean-Up Day. The clean-up had been delayed due to issues that the city had with Barker
Brothers Waste Management. These
issues have been resolved. The
mayor called for vote on the matter, and it passed 3 – 2, with Mayor Lowery
breaking the tie. Clean-Up Day is
scheduled for August 27th. Henry’s
Public Works Department will be picking up trash from the homes of senior
citizens in the area.
Public Works
Director Ed Bush reported on a number of topics.
He asked the Board for a vote on resealing and painting lines on Main
Street in downtown Henry. He stated
that many citizens and Main Street store owners have complained that the poor
condition of the street and the lack of lines are causing traffic hazards.
The Board voted in favor of his request.
Mr. Bush also
reported on the sewer project. He
stated that the project is moving along, and reminded the Board that there would
be a meeting this Friday at 10 am with the sewer contractors.
The
water budget was read by Alderman Bo Walker, who served as Chairman for the
water budget committee. After
discussion, Alderman Walker recommended that the water rate remain the same for
the 2005 – 2006 budget year. The
motion was passed unanimously.
Library
Board 8/10/05
The W.G. Rhea Library Board met Monday afternoon where Library Director
Connie McSwain told board members that the city and the county had given the
library a 3% increase this year and the Friends of The Library bookstore
continued to be very successful, providing the extra funds that the library used
to fund special programs and projects. One of those projects was a booth at the ‘Back to School Bash’
sponsored by the Family Resource Center at the Central Community Service Center.
The event allowed McSwain to hand out books, tattoos, balloons and
t-shirts to Henry County students.
Another special event at the library will be this Saturday, Aug. 13th
. They
will hold “Dog Days of Summer”, from 10 to 11am. A dog shows with small dog –under 20 lbs., medium dogs –under 40 lbs.
and large dos- over 40 lbs. will be held. There will also be a Winn Dixie look a like contest for those who have
dogs that look like the dog from the movie of the same name. A best-dressed category for all dogs will be held and according to
McSwaine, cash prizes will be awarded. If you don’t own a dog, then Saturday will be your chance to adopt a
lovable best friend from the Humane Society. All animals are required to be on a leash and owners are asked to bring
their pet’s water bowls.
Fair Opening
8/8/05
The Henry County Fair kicked off
Monday night with an opening ceremony attended by City and County officials,
state representatives, former representatives as well as Fair Board members.
Thanks to Deneicia Gregson Snow Bird made his 2nd appearance
in 2 years at the fair.
A large crowd once again filled the
community building for the Royalty Reviews, which was standing room only. This years winners were Junior Queen- Olivia Davis, 1st Maid
– Olivia Harber, 2nd Maid-
Anna Divito
Junior King –
Will Smith, 1st page- Trent Ray, 2nd Page – Jay Treese.
Little Miss –
Ali Davis, 1st Maid – Ashton Thompson, 2nd Maid –Torie
Bullington
Miss Pre-Teen-
Sharah Webb, 1st Maid –Marissa Wilson, 2nd Maid –Katlynn
Drummond
Miss Teen-Sloan
Baker, 1st Maid – Nisha Middleton, 2nd Maid –Lauren
Stamps
Tuesday the fun continues with a talent show at 6pm, Master of Ceremonies
will be Bill McCutcheon.
Baby Barnyard Contest
This years winners were in the 0 to 6 month category Bryleigh Cate, Queen
and King, Christopher Luci.
7 to 11 month old winners were Queen Kori Lynn Parker and Jackson Charles
Ridgeway, King.
12 to 17 month Queen was Victoria Fletcher with Noah Barnhart as King.
Carley Brook Jackson was selected as Queen and Hunter Levi Prince as King
of the 18 to 23 month olds.
2 year old Queen was Anna Minor and 2 year old King was Hunter Lawrence.
Crowned Queen of the 3 year olds was Whitney Sanders and Nathan Kane
Owens as 3 year old King.
A
ribbon cutting will be held at 5:30 Monday afternoon to mark the official
opening of the Henry County Fair. The
Royalty Reviews begin at 6pm.
Henry
County Fair 8/5/05
The Henry County Fair, Keeping Ag Alive in 2005 gets under way this week
starting Saturday with the Cattle Show at 10am.
Sunday is a big day for beauty Queens with the Baby Barnyard contest for
boys and girls from 0 to 3 years. The
event will be in the community building at the fairgrounds beginning at 1:30.
Rehearsals for the Royal Revue begin at 5pm Sunday.
The Midway opens at 5pm Monday, the Royal Revues at 6 in the community
building and the $500 cash give-away to follow at 8pm in the Community Building.
Tuesday The Farmer’s Market opens at 6:30am and the Commercial Heifer
Show is at 10am.
City
Bond Issue
At
Thursday’s city commission meeting the commissioners passed a resolution which
would allow the city to issue bonds that would be used to cover the expenses of
sewer lines, water lines and roadways in the recently annexed area along hwy 77,
79, and the 218 by –pass.
City Manager Carl Holder stated that the city would probably need around
3 to 3 ˝ million dollars to make the planned improvements. The bonds would be used over a 3 or 4-year period during the
construction and work of the improvements.
County
Budget 8/4/05
The
Henry County Commission was 4 members short at their special called meeting
Thursday night but those present voted unanimously to approve the budget as
presented on second reading.
Questions on the school budget from the public were answered when George
Sukovich asked for an explanation in the difference of funds.
Director of schools, Rick Kriesky stated that funds from federal and
state were just pass through funding and were not included in the school general
fund. This years school budget is
approx. 2million 500 thousand dollars.
The commissioners approved the certified tax rate of $2.30 on each
$100.00 of taxable property in Henry County.
Approx. $393,000 was taken from the General Fund balance to prevent a tax
increase this year. County
Mayor Brent Greer told commissioners that the general fund balance was healthy
and could afford that amount.
With the budget approval, approval for Office on Aging, Highway, solid
waste and general government budgets were also approved.
City
Commission 8/4/05
The Paris City Commission held their August meeting Thursday evening
where the commission discussed several topics but made no decisions.
One of the subject’s discussed was strengthening the vicious animal
ordinance. Suggestions included
making stipulations about pit bulls due to the increase in the number of attacks
over the last few years. City
Manager Carl Holder felt that a ruling against the specific breed might not be
the answer although he did state that the dogs had been bred for aggression and
were often used by drug traffickers as sentries. City Attorney Fred McClean believes it is a public safety issue and will
study other cities to see what their policies are.
The commission agreed to approve L.I.Smith and Gresham Smith Partners to
move forward on engineering studies for sewer lines in the industrial park and
the new annex area of Hwy 77,79, and 218 By-pass.
Proposed sign ordinance modifications were also discussed.
The Commissioners agreed that the number of business signs was increasing
and they were not kept out of the city right away, which caused a littered look
to the sides of the streets.
The city will begin filling out the necessary paperwork to establish a
‘Courthouse Square Revitalization zone’. The zone would allow all the sales tax generated in the zone to be used
for improvement to that area for a year.
The year ending budget was presented to the commission. Although the city had a $364 thousand dollar deficit for the
year, Holder stated, “We didn’t do as badly as we expected.”
Special
Session 8/3/05
The
Henry County Commission will meet in a special called meeting Thursday evening
where the commissioners will have the opportunity to approve or deny the county
budget for the fiscal year 2005-06. “I
don’t expect any problems in passing the budget,” stated County Mayor Brent
Greer. The commissioners, as a
group, have been on board from the beginning, working together on the budget.”
This year’s budget, as presented, will require around $393,000 from the
fund balance to keep from raising taxes. “We
are borrowing from the county’s savings account. It’s a good thing we have a healthy savings,” stated Greer.
The county certified rate will be 2.30, which is down from last year. According to Greer all the department heads turned in balance budgets,
the Henry County School system presented a balanced budget and the non-profit
organizations requests were about the same as last year. Employees will receive a 3% cost of living increase with the proposed
budget.
Although this year will require no tax increase
Greer
did predict that a moderate tax raise would be required in the next 3 to 4
years. The commission is scheduled
to meet at 7pm in the courthouse Thursday.
The meeting is open to the public.
Tried and True Recipes 8/2/05
The Charles Conger Senior
Citizens Center is collecting recipes for a cookbook they are preparing,
hopefully in time for Thanksgiving. “The
books will be filled with recipes from not only senior citizens but anyone who
would like to contribute” explained Office on Aging Director Brenda Morris.
“They will also make great Christmas presents for those hard to buy for
people on your list,” she added. The
book will contain appetizers, main dishes, desserts, drinks and a special
section featuring ‘Meals for Two’.
If you would like to contribute mail your recipes to P.O. Box 591, Paris
or drop them off at the center located in the Central Community Service Center
on Jones Bend Rd.
School
days
Both school systems, Henry County
and Paris Special School District will begin full days of classes on Aug. 8th.
Aug. 4th will be an abbreviated day for all the schools.
Heritage
Center Auction 8/1/05
The Heritage Center’s Estate and Collectable Auction will be held at
the Heritage Center on Saturday, Aug.20th starting at 9am.
According to the director of the center, Heather Bailey, donations of
items will be accepted on Aug. 10th.
“If you are downsizing, moving or want to cleanout storage units this
is the perfect time.
We will auction your items for a good price to help the Heritage Center
and you receive a specific amount to use as a tax deduction.
If you need someone to pick up the donated items let us know.”
You can call the Heritage Center at 642-1030.
Highway Funding
8/1/05
Frist stated, “After a long hard fought process, I an pleased that
we’ve been able to secure a highway bill that funds Tennessee’s
transportation priorities.” “Better
roads mean better jobs,” stated Alexander.
The bill will provide funding to improve the highway infrastructure,
which is critical to the economic development of West Tennessee. The bill will provide federal assistance for the projects.
“These projects will help boost the economic development of West
Tennessee which will make it a better place to work and live.
The development of I-69 and the Slack Water Port in Lake County will help
us improve transportation through both roadways and waterways,” Tanner said.
The legislation will mean that Tennessee will receive an extra $168
million each year.
