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By Jan Anderson
You can find out local weather conditions for Paris and Henry County by going to the ATTIC page. Looking for Work? Check the Job Search page--NEW job listings for **** June ******* Senior Link ***upcoming events
4-H 7/24/08
Three Henry County 4-H members exhibited their horses at the State 4-H Horse Championships in June at The Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville. The State Show, in its 25th year, had over 386 4-H youth exhibiting 2,320 entries during the five-day, 165 class event. Megan Aiosa, a junior high 4-H member at Henry School, is the daughter of Vicky and Chris Aiosa. Megan showed two horses in the junior high level. Melanie Aiosa, a senior high 4-H member at Henry County High School, is also the daughter of Vicky and Chris Aiosa. Melanie showed two horses in the senior level, Bonnie Valentine and Sheza Movin’ Bug, in two different divisions: Hunter and English. Jessica Barker, a senior hgh 4-H member at Henry County High School, is the daughter of Donald and Brit Barker. Jessica showed in the senior level with Panama Page II, in the Hunter and English divisions. Points are earned in each grade level for each division, culminating in high point awards for exhibitor/horse combinations. Megan Aiosa and Running Fearless earned the English Division Junior High Point Award. Melanie Aiosa and Sheza Movin’ Bug earned the English Division Senior High. The three 4-H members have each earned enough points to be a part of the 42-member delegation of exhibitors representing Tennessee at the Southern Regional 4-H Horse Show. The Southern Regionals will take place July 29-August 3 in Lexington, Virginia. 4-H members from 13 Southern states from Virginia to Texas will be there to participate. Megan and Melanie Aiosa and Jessica Barker display their rosettes, medals and high point chairs they won at the State 4-H Horse Championships.
Fire 7/23/08 Paris Fire Fighters were called out early Tuesday morning to the scene of a fire. Trinity Funeral Home on Depot St. was fully involved at 4:18am when the first call came in. According to fire fighters the building is practically a total loss. 3 fire trucks were called out and then the ladder truck. The fire is being investigated by the state fire marshal and no further information is being released until the investigation is complete. BPU 7/23/08 The Paris Board of Public Utilities approved the purchase of a backhoe for the water department at a cost of $53,800 which includes the trade in. They also approved the purchase of a tractor for pulling wire, maintaining substation grounds and other uses at a cost of $12,999. Also approved by the board was the purchase of reclosers, electronically controlled , for $27,236. The board approved write offs in the amount of $40,384 for the last quarter of the fiscal year. "Write offs this time of the year are usually highest," General Manager John Etheridge told board members. He also stated that while TVA fuel costs were up the amount of hydro power they produce is down. Worker's comp claims have been going down yearly and sol far this year there are no claims. Etheridge pointed out to the board that this board meeting marked a year since he had become General Manager. In a review of the finances for the fiscal year Tuesday the GM stated "Weather has a great affect on sales. We didn't expect to grow much but we did grow a little in our number of residential customers. In a reorganization of the board all members retained their office. "We have good board members and I am glad to serve with them," stated Ralph Anderson. County Commission 7/22/08 A majority of Monday's County Commission meeting was spent discussing a mobile home park development on Hwy 69. Located in the 5th district, off of Jackson Dr., the land is often in water and will not allow more than 6 to 12 house trailers to be placed on it due to problems with sewage. Dr. Walter Griffey II told county commissioners that health issues such as standing water, mosquitoes and poor drainage should be taken into consideration before allowing the trailer park to be built. County Mayor Brent Greer explained to the packed courtroom that there was no zoning in the county and that county government could do very little at this point to regulate the development. According to Emergency Management Director Ron Watkins the land in question is in a flood plain and would qualify for flood insurance through FEMA. Greer also stated that electric service would not be installed by BPU until all licensees and regulations had been met. Anchorage for the trailers would also have to be approved due to the lay of the land. It was suggested that citizens develop a committee to further study the proposed development and county attorney Lee Greer stated that the health issues would seem to be the better alternative to stopping the development. In other business the John Hutcherson was appointed to the Airport committee and county attorney Lee Greer was appointed as interim Ethics Officer. Also approved was a 20 year growth plan for the portion of McKenzie in Henry County. A special called meeting of the commission will be held on Aug.4th at 4:30 to approve the 2008-09 budget, the Non-profit organizations request list and the tax rate. Honored with a proclamation at the commission meeting wee 11 boys and their coaches from the Henry County Youth Baseball who won the state championship and now move on to the National competition in North Carolina Golden Glove 7/21/08
"We are here this evening to celebrate the athletic successes of the Henry County Boxing Club," stated the proclamation read at the Saturday evening fish fry to benefit the team that will go to the state finals in Kansas City. The fish , provided by Rep. Borchert and served up by volunteers, drew a large crowd to help the young men pay for their trip to Kansas City for the National Championship. Dejuan Vaughn, Clinton Phifer, Tyler Harper and Alex Ballestores, the 4 Golden Glove winners will be representing Henry County and the state of Tennessee . Reunion 7/21/08 THE HENRY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 1978 IS HAVING THEIR 30
YEAR Boxing Grant Cut 7/19/08 FUND RAISER SATURDAY AT ENOCH BUILDING ** 5 to 7** With Federal budget cuts causing state budget cuts, one of the things cut was Department of Children Services funding. Locally that affected the Sporting Chance Grant used for the Paris Henry County Boxing Club, a program supported by Juvenile Judge Vicki Snyder. There recent success has given the 4 young men boxers, coached by Neely Owens, the opportunity to participate in national competition. Although the teams funding has been cut their coach has carried on with the teams training. Because of the loss of the grant the group will be having a fish fry Saturday July 19, at the Enoch Building to raise funds to attend the competition. The All You Can Eat Fish Fry event will be provided by Butch Borchert along with community service volunteers. "This is an example of the community coming together to support its youth," stated Judge Snyder, "and so far donations have been gotten off to a good start." Liquor Store 7/19/08 In a special called meeting the Paris City Commission approved a certificate of Compliance for a Retail Liquor store application. Paris Liquor & Wines LLC, located on E. Wood St. , will be owned by Jayanti and Kalpesh Patel who also own Fuel Pro. No comment were mqe3 by the public during the meeting and the store will be open by September.
Summer Fun 7/19/08
What better way to spend a summer afternoon, epically if you are retired like David Newman and Charles Perry, driving around with the top down, enjoying the summer sun in Charlie's new toy. Annual Picnic 7/18/08
Henry County Democrats, including county commissioners, elected officials and those seeking offices were on hand at the annual Democratic picnic at the Hampton Inn Thursday. Democrats from surrounding counties also came out to support their favorite candidates such ad Butch Borchert who is running for state representative and Bob Tuck, who is running for U.S. Senate.
Last Blast 7/17/08
The W.G. Rhea Public Library was the place to enjoy the last day of the Summer Reading program "Starship Adventure Summer Reading Program 2008 Wednesday where children could jump in a castle, eat snow cones, cotton candy and pizza, draw pictures on the sidewalk and much more with the help of many volunteers including Mary Lacey and Beth Pafford. Stars who read 100 books or more or who had over 100 books read to them were Anna Divito,7, who read 110 books, Addy Parker, 2, 110 books , Savannah Parker, 7, 110 books. According to Library Director Connie McSwain 81 children met or exceeded their reading goals. Also part of the festivities was local author Dick Levesque was on hand to sign copies of his new children's book "Norman the Little Red Sedan".
Think Green 7/`7/08
WITH GAS PRICES STILL ON THE RISE,
WINTERIZE YOUR HOME NOW! Some
Tips to Consider: *Seal leaks around doors, windows, etc. with caulking or weather-stripping *Set water heater temperature to 120 degrees *Check your attic and basement to see if they have recommended level of insulation *Examine heating ducts for leaks *If possible replace screen windows with storm windows *Use a programmable digital thermostat to set thermostat back when gone or sleeping. *Ask about Budget Billing!
Paris-Henry County Public Utility
District Your Natural Gas Distributor 215 West Wood Street - Paris, TN 38242 Phone: 731-642-5635 24-Hour Emergency Number
Gas Co. 7/16/08 The Paris Henry County Public Utility District board members Dr. Tom Wood and Attorney Steve Greer took the oath of office at Tuesday's meeting once again reinstating them on the board. General Manager Don Green told board members that "gas is going up. We are trying to buy gas any time it goes down." Green added, "The only cost increase we have is in the cost of gas. " Every one is trying to save gas and all the utilities will be going up." PHCPUD is currently at 44.8% of their storage capacity, serving 5,987 customers. " The gas utility will once again be joining in the 4-H Livestock sale in August by purchasing livestock.
PSSD 7/16/08 The Paris Special School District will hold off adopting the 2008-09 budget. The new budget will come before the board at their August meeting. The new budget will include a 2% across the board pay increase for all PSSD employees. This years school budget will be coming in as budgeted and in the black. The PSSD Board of Education voted to accept the state approved bonus of $380, which were based on the BEP formula. They also decided to raise the bonus to an even $400 making up the additional $10,000 difference with local money.
The new pre-school classroom is on scheduled with completion aimed for the
beginning of the next school year. The Paris Parks and Recreation Department will be receiving new score boards from Pepsi after the board voted to accept their offer at Monday evenings meeting. Pepsi has agreed to provide score boards at McNeil Park and other locations that currently have score boards. The Pepsi agreement also includes a few portable soccer boards that will be used at soccer games. The Paris Soccer Club also requested that all their games be played at McNeil Park soccer fields this fall. Road Board 7/15/08 The Henry County Highway Commission has been approved to borrow approx. $3,500,000 by the county commission and now the highway board must decide how best to spend the money to maintain the county roads. Discussion on the topic was the main agenda item Monday night. The money will be paid back from the wheel tax collections over the next 10 to 15 years. The cost of materials has risen sharply like everything else due to rising fuel prices. According to board members the money will be used to simply maintain current road conditions. Early Voting 7/14/08 Early voting for the August 7th General Election begins Friday at the courthouse annex on Washington St. Voting can be done from 8:30am to 4pm, MONDAY thru FRIDAY, 9 t0 noon SATURDAY. Grant Request 7/14/08 The Paris City Commission approved a resolution that will allow the Paris Parks and Recreation department to apply to TML's Risk Management Pool for a Safety Partners Grant The city of Paris is eligible for a $2,000 grant with a $2,000 match. Tony Lawrence of the Parks Department told the commission that the grant would be used to purchase automated external defibrillators that could be used by the parks department at such places as Memorial Park swimming pool and all major park functions in case of cardiac arrest. Arts Round the Square 7/12/08 Arts ‘Round the Square (ARTS), the centerpiece of Eye Full of Paris Weekend has issued a call for artists to show, sell and demonstrate their wares during the September 27 event. Held from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm on the historic courthouse lawn, the event is co- sponsored by the Downtown Paris Association. Registration forms are available on the Council’s web site, www.phcarts.com , according to Arts Council Executive Director Mary Lodge. The $25 early bird deadline is August 1, 2008. The application fee after this date is $75. “We like to give participating artists as much advanced publicity as possible in our printed materials, interviews and online information,” said Lodge. “That’s why we like to know who’s coming as early as possible.” ARTS draws a number of local and regional artists from a variety of genres. “Last year we hosted almost three dozen artisan vendors, most of whom reported enthusiastic buyers throughout the day. We hope to double our number of artists this year,” said Lodge, noting that the event’s promotional budget had been increased to make more art lovers aware of the event. “One of our requirements is that everyone demonstrates his or her work,” said Lodge who attributes last year’s swift sales to that unique condition. “People love to purchase items that they’ve watched being made. They feel like they are part of the process. Indeed there is ample opportunity for everyone to feel a part of the process as the artists interact with the crowds. Potters invite onlookers to sit down at the wheel and try their hand at throwing a pot; quilters offer up needle and thread to those interested in sewing a few stitches. Other artisans who have traditionally shown, sold and demonstrated during ARTS include painters, jewelers, stain glass and fabric artists and photographers. While those artists are busy creating visual arts, a number of performing artists will take the stage throughout the day. Eye Full of Paris Weekend kicks off on Friday, September 26 beginning with Commercial Bank’s Noon on the Square, followed that evening by the Wild for Life Art Show and Sale at Lee Academy for the Arts. The event is sponsored by Friends of the Refuge. After ARTS on Saturday, the Refuge Friends invite music enthusiasts back down to Lee Academy for a live concert in the new performance hall. Sunday caps off Eye Full of Paris Weekend with more live music, this time on the stage at Paris Winery. For more information on participating in Arts ‘Round the Square contact Arts Council Executive Director Mary Lodge at 731-642-3955 or phcarts@gmail.com . For information on Eye Full of Paris Weekend, contact Susan Jones, president of the Downtown Paris Association (DPA) at njpr@bellsouth.net or call 731-693-2696. The mission of the DPA is to promote prosperous business activity and community involvement while encouraging preservation of the downtown area.
Road Closed 7/11/08 The Henry County Highway Department has closed Henry Midway Rd. for bridge work. The portion closed will be 2 miles south of Hwy 54 to 4 tenths of a mile west of Herrondale Rd. For an alternant route take West Herrondale Rd and Hwy 140. The road will be closed until further notice. Airport Committee 7/11/08 The members of the Henry County Airport Committee met with Eric Giles, owner of Skykit , and informally discussed the light weight airplane assembly operation that he is moving to Paris. Currently soil analysis and land surveys are being done on the area that will house the building where the assembly plant will be located . 15 jobs will be created the first year and a total of 40 when the full operation is moved down from Canada. TRRA 7/10/08 The Tennessee River Resort Act Committee approved a request to once again help fund the 2009 Triton Fishing Tournament at Paris Landing. The tournament, that was held in May, brought record economic success to the county. The tournament will be back next year at a cost of $55,000 to the county and $63,000 to the county for the year 2010. The 2010 tournament has not been officially set to be held in Henry County by the committee. Also approved was a request from the Down Town Paris Association's Eye Full of Paris. According to President Susan Jones the event has been changed to a 3 day event to bring in more business to the county and city with the hopes of drawing in over night guests. The event will be held in September begging with Noon On the Square on Sept. 26th and end Sunday with a concert. The annual Truck and Tractor Pull sponsored by the Cottage Grove Fire Department was also approved for funding The event, scheduled for Saturday July 12 at the Henry County Fair Grounds is always a big draw, attracting a large crowd. Cottage Grove 7/10/08 At Tuesday evening's meeting of the Cottage Grove Legislative Council it was announced that the city wide trash pick up had been cancelled. According to city recorder Paul Schueler work on the sirens to alert residents to emergency weather conditions is a work still in progress while the problem of truck parking in Cottage Grove "is being taken care of." Technology 7/9/08 The Henry County News Digest suffered some technical difficulties over the holiday weekend but according to my technician (Jimmy) they are now fixed and we are good to go!!!!!! Puryear 7/9/08 At the Puryear Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting a request for a Quick Claim Deed was granted to Tony Sykes for an alleyway. The 10 foot ally runs south from Main St. and is shared with Sykes by John Childers. Since the city has no use for the land and Childers did not want it the request was granted. Band Director 7/9/08 Director of Henry County Schools Rick Kriesky along with HCHS principal Lennis McFarren announced the name of the new band director at the High School this week. Named was Mark Andrews who will be coming to Henry County from Russellville City Schools in Russellville Alabama. He has a B.S. in music Education and also went to UT Knoxville for 3 years. Andrews will be replacing former band director Eric Majors. City Commission 7/9/08 The Paris City Commissioners heard comments from citizens at Tuesday evening's meeting about the fire subscription fee that the city will be charging for fire protection coverage in he ESN122 area. Currently the ordinance calls for the fee to be based on property value. The area under discussion does not receive fire protection from the county volunteer fire departments and has received coverage from the city at no extra cost. "We are tweaking the issues with the ordinance and ask you to bare with us. We are doing this for the benefit of the community," stated Vice Mayor Sam Tharpe. In other business Commissioners agreed to move the city elections from Feb 2009 to Nov. 2008. The combination of the city and general election will save the city a substantial amount of money. The two spots open will be Gayle Griffith and David Travis. Honored at the commission was Paris Fire Chief Don Cox who retired last week after 30 years of service. Cox started with the fire department in 1979 and has been Chief since 2000. Commodities 7/8/08 The Henry County Northwest Economic Development Council is currently taking applications for USDA Commodity food distribution thru July 11. All applicants must sign up and be issued a card. . They must also have proof of current income. For more information contact Ms Olee Lewis at 642-3132 at the Central Community Service Center on Jones Bend Rd. Fire 7/7/08 A small fire was reported in the trash bin behind Morgan's Furniture. The fire was started by fireworks. Smoke entered the business causing approx. $5,000 in damage. Fun Run 7/7/08 "Water Run in Paradise” is the theme of the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Water Fun Run, scheduled for July 19th on Kentucky Lake. Sponsoring resorts include Fat Daddy’s, Breakers Marina, Mansard Island Resort, Buchanan Resort, Paris Landing State Park Marina, Paris Landing Inn Restaurant Dock and Cypress Bay Resort. Registration packets are available now at the Chamber office, 2508 East Wood Street, Paris.
The
“Party Pontoon,” will be traveling the water during the day. Look for it and
collect an extra stamp. All watercraft are invited to
participate. All players must be checked in the dock at Buchanan Resort by 4 pm
on July 19th. For more info call 6423431. Freedom Fest 7/5/08
Freedom Fest 2008 drew the small community of Cottage Grove out into the July 4th steamy weather Friday morning for the parade that was in honor of the memory of Joel Pennington. Pennington was killed in a plane crash when he was crop dusting behind the Yoder's, Meat Pacing building, . Pennington was an employee of the county airport and a member of the Cottage Grove Volunteer Fire Department. "We wanted to honor him so we are dedicating the parade to him posthumously," explained Cottage Grove Mayor John Weiher. Among those participating in the 33rd annual celebration and parade were the Henry County Sheriff's Office, who led the parade. TN State Representative Butch Borchert rode in the parade, waving at the crowds . Also out talking to the crowd was Tim Wirgau who is in the race for State Representative in August. Fire engines from many of the county fire departments were also in the parade with local church groups. Due to the high humid temperatures the Fist United Methodist Church of Cottage Grove was handing out free water. After the parade festival goers joined in cake walks, getting wet in the dunking booth and hay rides. A couple of dozen motorcycles also participated in a bike ride.
Henry County Beer Board 7/4/08 The Henry County Beer Board approved a beer permit for off premises consumption for Patricia Close at 'Had A Call' grocery. Cops Camp 7/4/08 The Henry County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency will be conducting a 'Cops Camp' July 14 through July 17 for children age 10 through 15. The camp consists of a Hunter's Safety Class, fishing tournament, pontoon boat rides, drug education and a basic working knowledge of law enforcement. Instructors for the camp will be Henry County Sheriff's deputies and Wildlife Resource Officers. The fee is $25 per child which includes lunch and is limited to the first 20 applicants. You must pre-register at the Henry County Sheriff's office. The fee can be paid with a personal check or a cashiers check. The camp will be 8am to 4pm. Participants need to be picked up and dropped off at the front door of the Henry County Sheriff's Department. Participants will receive a Hunters Safety Certificate and a T-shirt.
Freedom Fest 7/3/08 The annual July 4th celebration will be held in Cottage Grove on Friday. Sponsored by the Cottage Grove Fire Department, the grand parade will begin at 10 am and will be dedicated to the memory of Joel Pennington. Days activities include a motorcycle rally and ride at 10:30, concessions, hayrides, cakewalk antique tractor display a dunking booth and a greased pig catching contest in the morning with BBQ , live blue grass music and a pet pageant with live music and dancing in the evening. The fire works display is scheduled to begin at 9pm. See you there. Sunday Funnies 7/2/08 The Commercial Appeal and the Tennessean will no longer be delivered to Henry county or Paris. According to the Tennessean, higher fuel prices are only partially to be blamed for the decision. Delivery to Henry County along with 8 other counties will stop July 27 and ill affect over a thousand customers. Fire 7/1/08 A house on fire on Atchison Rd. was fully engulfed and required firefighters from Springville, Oakland and Big Sandy to extinguish. The owner stated that she had been gone from the house since early in the day. Gun Control 6/31/08 Rep.
JOHN TANNER OF
IN
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday,
June 26, 2008 Mr.
TANNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to
offer my support for the decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold an
individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Today, the Court rightly struck down
the ban on handguns in the In
issuing its decree, the Court protected the right of a sportsman to have a
shotgun in his home and affirmed the right of a homeowner to keep a handgun to
protect his family and property from intruders. Our Founding Fathers fought and
died for the individual liberties we all enjoy – among them, the right of the
citizens of this country to possess firearms. We
are not given the latitude to pick which of those liberties we choose to follow
or enforce, be it the freedom to speak or the freedom to worship. Like those
fundamental freedoms, we cannot dismiss or dilute the right to keep and bear
arms. As
an avid hunter and strong gun rights advocate, I applaud the Court for its
decision. I look forward to continuing our work in Congress to protect the
integrity of the Second Amendment. Tanner
represents Fireworks 6/27/08 State
Fire Marshal Leslie A. Newman wants to remind Tennesseans that while fireworks
are a traditional part of Fourth of July celebrations, many people are seriously
injured each year by their careless use. The
State Fire Marshal’s Office encourages you to leave fireworks to the
professionals. If they are legal where
you live and you decide to set them off on your own, be sure to follow these
important safety tips: ·
Never
allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. ·
Read and follow all warnings and
instructions. ·
Be sure other people are out of
range before lighting fireworks. ·
Only light fireworks on a smooth,
flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials. ·
Never try to relight fireworks
that have not fully functioned. ·
Keep a bucket of water and a
garden hose nearby in case of a malfunction or fire. Like
matches and lighters, sparklers are not toys and cause hundreds of injuries
every year. Sparklers burn hot, can reach temperatures as high as 1200 F, and
stay hot long after they’ve burned out. You wouldn’t hand a matchbook or
lighter to a child to wave around
or play with, so
don’t give a child a sparkler.
Fireworks
can be dangerous, causing serious burn and eye injuries.
A new law effective in 2007 prevents children under the age of 16 from
purchasing fireworks and those that are age 16 or 17 must have a photo ID to
purchase them. “Please
enjoy the holiday at a public display presented by trained professionals, where
compliance with state-of-the-art fire codes offers a safer way to celebrate our
nation’s independence, and avoid consumer fireworks to keep festivities from
turning into tragedies,” Newman said. For
more information on firework safety, visitwww.tennessee.gov/sfm.
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