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THE LEADER THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 ! VO L . 1 2 6 , N O. 4 3 ! T H E VO I C E O F TIPTON COUNTY S I N C E 1 8 8 6 !
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Deputy honored for heroic rescue Flood rescue earns deputy recognition from state
By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com
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ast Friday a Tipton County deputy was honored for an act of heroism after saving a Gilt Edge woman from floodwaters last May. “If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be here today,” Jackeline Frasure said Tuesday. During the historic flooding event in early May, the vehicle Frasure was driving was overtaken by swift-moving waters
during a thunderstorm. Unable to swim, Frasure moved to the top of her vehicle and waited for help to arrive. Deputy John Lemley answered the call on Gilt Edge Gin Road, in the western part of Tipton County. Deputy Chief Donna Turner, spokesperson for the Tipton County’s Sheriff’s Office, said Lemley quickly assessed the
deteriorating condition; the water, she said, was rising above the vehicle’s headlights. Frasure said she didn’t remember much about the incident, other than praying while waiting on deputies to arrive. “I think I panicked; I remember getting on top of the truck and getting up there and that’s about it,” she said. “When you say you talk to the Lord, let me
SEPTEMBER 11 OBSERVANCES
tell you, you scream at him, you make deals with him.” With backup still several minutes away, Lemley disregarded his own safety, retrieved a life jacket from his patrol car and waded into the chest high flood waters. Dashcam video of the rescue shows Lemley leading Frasure to safety to await her husband’s arrival. SEE RESCUE, PAGE A3
COMMUNITY
Benefit will honor two girls By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com
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nspired by the community’s show of support for Lucy Krull, the five-year-old Covington girl currently battling brain cancer, one church will be holding a benefit for two children this weekend. “It’s very well-needed and they deserve it,” said Odessa Bernard, a member of St. Luke’s Missionary Baptist Church in Covington who has organized the event. “I’ve seen the conditions of the children, both of whom have been in the hospital with extensive surgeries, and I wanted to reach out and do something for the families.” Raising children with serious medical conditions is expensive and the families could use help paying the medical bills, she said. Ashley’s story Fourteen-year-old Ashley Ballard has been battling brain cancer for most of her life. She was initially diagnosed with cancer at 18 months old and her mother said the past few years have been a roller coaster ride and, though she had already gone through remission, her cancer returned in April. On April 1 she had a spine fusion surgery and on April 24, she went into cardiac arrest. “We don’t know the cause, just that when
SEE BENEFIT, PAGE A3
Lawler to wrestle in Covington By JEFF IRELAND jireland@covingtonleader.com
Tipton County marked the decade anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with several services. Top, students at Austin Peay Elementary sing during an event Monday to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks as well as local heroes. MIddle right, the Munford/ Atoka Fire Department’s large ceremonial flag flies over Crosstown Sunday (photo courtesy firefighter Jeremy Reeves). Middle left, Cody Strickland, who was born on Sept. 11, 2001, reads the poem “The Eleventh of September” during the observance at First Baptist Church in Atoka Sunday (photo courtesy Sara Honeycutt). Bottom, the SWAT Team honors the fallen with a 21-gun salute as part of a program at First Baptist Church in Atoka (photo courtesy Tipton County Sheriff’s Office)
Local fans of professional wrestling will get a chance to see one of the sport’s biggest stars perform Saturday night in Covington. Jerry “The King” Lawler of Monday Night RAW fame and several other well-known wrestlers will take part in a show at the Crestview Middle School Gym that starts at 7:30 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for the Crestview athletic program. Lawler, a Memphis native who has been involved in wrestling for decades, will take on Michael Cole’s Bounty Hunter in the main event. Lawler recently wrestled in front of 71,000 people at the Georgia Dome. “I enjoy wrestling in places like Covington, maybe even more than in bigger venues,” SEE LAWLER, PAGE A3
ONE GOOD TURN
Reader’s Guide
Team Depot volunteers help fire station By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com You can do it, they can help. Or, they can pitch in and do it for you. Last week, several Home Depot associates spent time at the Covington Fire Department’s Station 2 to complete a service project as part of a company-wide effort to assist non-profit
organizations. “We chose the fire department because we wanted to honor them for the things they do in our communities,” said Dennis Patrick, manager of Home Depot #779 in Covington. Team Depot, the associate-led volunteer program, provides opportunities for associates and suppliers to contribute home improve-
ment know-how to create meaningful impact in communities. The company reports associates across the country work on community projects every day. In 2010, Team Depot completed 1,600 projects across the country. Last Thursday, the Covington team, led by Floyd Sellers, tore down a fence around the patio
SCHOOL OF THE WEEK
Austin Peay Elementary Covington • Barretville • Millington • Collierville South Tipton • South Covington Mortgage Ofces in South Tipton • South Covington • Collierville • Millington
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474 Academic Drive " Covington, Tennessee 38019 Phone: 901-475-5121 " Web: www.tipton-county.com/aes ! At right, students at Austin Peay participate in an event and honoring local heroes on Monday, Sept. 13.
and generator, rebuilt the fences and donated a Stok grill to each Covington station. “With it being so close to 9/11, we called (fire chief) Jerry Craig to see what the department needed,” Sellers said. “We supplied all of the products and volunteered our time to come out and help.” SEE TURN, PAGE A3
TODAY’S WEATHER Breezy. Partly sunny. High, 70. Low, 50. INSIDE Opinion Faith Obituaries Education Lifestyles
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Sports Correspondence Classifieds Puzzles Legals
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CELEBRATE! Festival season has begun in Tipton County! Don’t miss our Celebrate Munford 2011 special section in this issue or the festival on Saturday. HOW TO REACH US Call 901.476.7116 Fax 901.476.0373 Email news@covingtonleader.com Visit us at 2001 Hwy. 51 South, Covington, TN 38019 or online at covingtonleader.com
LOCAL EVENTS SEPT. 17 Celebrate Munford, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Downtown Munford SEPT. 17-18 Mid-South Air Show featuring Blue Angels, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Millington Jetport
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