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THE LEADER SERVING TIPTON COUNTY SINCE 1886 | COVINGTONLEADER.COM | VOL. 124, NO. 50 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010
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County to see $100M in funding By TIFFANY HOLLAND tholland@covingtonleader.com Nashville — On Friday, Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh (D-Haywood & Tipton Counties) and Senator Mark Norris announced that during the current 2010-2011 fiscal year, approximately $100,781,300 in state appropriated expenditures will flow into Tipton County through various state agencies and programs.
Tipton County will also receive a portion of the $12.4 billion in federal funds that are included in Tennessee’s $29.9 billion budget as adopted by the 106th General Assembly. This included budgeted state appropriations benefiting Tipton County in the following general categories: $58,127,500 (Kindergarten through 12th grade); $5,454,500 state shared tax collections; $23,609,500 for health and social services; $4,297,600 for justice and pub-
lic safety; $1,776,000 for recreation and resources development; $5,901,200 for Economic Development and Higher Education; and $1,615,000 for state highway projects. “Difficult decisions had to be made in order to produce a balanced budget with no new taxes, but even with the tough decisions we were able to maintain the programs that matter most like Tennessee’s BEP 2.0 program,” said Naifeh. Norris agreed. “This is
particularly good news because the budget reflects an overall reduction in state government,” said Norris. “Over the last three years, we have cut the state budget by over $1.5 billion.” This also included the Health and Social Services’ appropriations benefiting Tipton County residents include $1,302,000 for Children’s Services; $79,500 for Community Intellectual Disability Programs; and $1,164,400 for Health services,
with $17,772,100 of the Health funds for TennCare. “In the coming years, as our economy continues to grow, we must not forget the lessons we’ve learned over these past few years,” said Naifeh. “By keeping a sizeable Rainy Day Fund, cutting inefficient programs, and tightening our belts, state government can run on the resources it has and not have to shift the burden onto the shoulders of working Tennesseans.”
Polls now open for early birds By TIFFANY HOLLAND tholland@covingtonleader.com Early voting has begun for this election season. Voting kicked-off on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the early voting sites. There are several statewide and county seats up for reelection. The official election day is Nov. 2. In the town Atoka, one of the most attention-grabbing races is for Atoka mayor, with Tommy Rogers and W. Daryl Walker running for the position. There are also three spots open for Atoka aldermen In Covington all incumbents are running unopposed including positions for city mayor and aldermen. There are also local races in the Cities of Munford, Garland, Gilt Edge and Burlison. Aside from the municipal elections there is a race for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 81 between incumbent Democratic nominee and former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh and Republican nominee Jim Hardin. In the House race for the 94th District , incumbent Republican Barrett Rich is running for reelection against Democratic nominee Stephanie NailsColbeck. In the U.S. House of Representatives District Eight, which covers 19 counties, the candidates are SEE POLLS, PAGE A3
Pitcher arrested in Brighton By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com BRIGHTON – Suspicious activity led to the arrest of a former minor league pitcher wanted in three states, the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office announced last week. Just after midnight on Thursday, Oct. 7, deputies were on patrol in the 200 block of McCain Road in Brighton and observed a man urinating near his parked vehicle. The man, identified as 35-yearold Jason A. Anderson of Clarklake, Mich., told deputies he was lost. During the traffic stop, deputies confirmed Anderson’s drivers ANDERSON license was suspended in Michigan for driving while impaired by liquor. Additionally, Anderson had multiple active warrants in Michigan, South Dakota and Florida for an alleged nationwide scam. In Michigan, Anderson has active warrants for failure to appear on a charge of obstruction of justice SEE PITCHER, PAGE A3
Covington Fire Chief Jerry Craig surveys a wooded area on Millstone Mountain for hot spots Tuesday afternoon. His department, along with six others, battled an overnight blaze that took 13 hours to extinguish and destroyed 20 acres of forest. Photos by Echo Day
Fire on the mountain By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com COVINGTON – Firefighters battled what has been called the worst forest fire in recent history earlier this week after smoke was reported on Millstone Mountain. The blaze, said fire chief Jerry Craig, was slow-burning and started in the middle of a heavily wooded area on the mountain summit. Craig said residents in the area reported smelling smoke for two days before the fire was seen. “People said they smelled it for a couple of days, but yesterday a boy was out in the woods running his squirrel dogs and saw it,” Craig said Tuesday. Just before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, sheriff’s deputies reported the fire and Covington firefighters were dispatched to the 1400 block of Millstone Mountain Road in the northern part of Tipton County. Over the course of the evening and into the next morning, fire-
Above, Jerry Craig and firefighter Dan Ruffin smother a small fire in the woods on Millstone Mountain.
fighters from seven Tipton County agencies – Covington, Brighton, Garland, Three Star, Quito, Munford and Charleston – worked together to extinguish the blaze. The terrain, said Craig, made
fighting the blaze difficult. “This was probably the worst place in the county you could have a forest fire,” he said. “Usually forest fires are on the side of the road or something easy to get to, but this one started in the middle and it was hard to get to it.” Officials with the Tennessee Department of Forestry cut a fire line, clearing trees and brush away from the slow-burning fire in the forest in hopes of keeping the fire contained. Additionally, the Tipton County Public Works Department cleared a roadway for the tanker and brush trucks. “There was already a road here, but they had to make it wide enough and smooth enough to get back there,” Craig said. Once the brush trucks were able to reach the fiery parts of the forest, crews had to carry thousands of feet of fire hose on their backs while navigating the hilly forest in SEE FIRE, PAGE A3
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For information leading to the arrest and conviction of person or persons responsible for the October 8, 2010 burglary at Baskin Truck Parts. Area EVENTS events AREA This week’s week’s Featured This featuredChurch: church: Covington • Barretville • Millington • Collierville South Tipton • South Covington Morgage Offices: South Tipton • Millington • Arlington • Collierville
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Hopewell United Methodist Church Turn A7for fordetails details Turn to to Page Page A7
10/14/10 2-6 p.m. Senior Kaleidoscope Brighton High School Gymnasium Sponsored by Tipton County Commission on Aging
10/13/10 6:15:41 PM