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THE LEADER
COVINGTONLEADER.COM ▪ THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011 ▪ VO L . 1 2 6 , N O. 2 2 ▪ T H E VO I C E O F TIPTON COUNTY S I N C E 1 8 8 6 ▪
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Atoka to expand Adkison memorial Officials, organizers to sell bricks to complete forgotten memorial
By ECHO DAY eday@covigntonleader.com
C
entennial celebration organizers have announced plans to sell bricks in an effort to expand a memorial honoring the town’s only Medal of Honor recipient. Sgt. Joseph Bernard Adkison, who is buried in Salem Associated Reformed
Presbyterian Church, received the prestigious honor for bravery shown during World War I near Bellicourt, France on Sept. 29, 1918. Citation from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society state, “when murderous machinegun fire at a range of 50 yards had made it impossible for his platoon to advance, and had caused
the platoon to take cover, Adkison alone, with the greatest intrepidity, rushed across the 50 yards of open ground directly into the face of the hostile machinegun kicked the gun from the parapet into the enemy trench, and at the point of the bayonet captured the three men manning the gun. The gallantry and quick decision of this soldier enabled
the platoon to resume its advance.” The Medal of Honor began during the Civil War and was awarded to Adkison on Dec. 31, 1919. He is reportedly only one of six soldiers from Tennessee who have been awarded the highest military honor bestowed upon an individual by the United States SEE AOKA, PAGE A2
COMMUNITY
LWV trades leisure for civic duty By TYLER LINDSEY tlindsey@covingtonleader.com Outside of work and normal goings-on in daily life, most like to relax and enjoy a little bit of leisure. For the people in a certain group in Tipton County, their lives outside of work and family take on much more than just relaxation. They want to make a difference. Ladies With Vision, fondly referred to as LWV, seek to make the lives of others better in any way they can whether it’s working with children or visiting hospitals and nursing homes. SEE LWV, PAGE A2
Quito fire engine rolls over in ditch
DANGERS OF ‘INTEXTICATED’ DRIVING On March 24, students at Brighton High School learned of the dangers of texting while driving through a realistic dramatization of a car accident caused when a driver was sending multimedia messages instead of keeping his eyes on the road. Above, the Hospital Wing “airlifts” junior Ellery Cole after she was extricated from one of the vehicles (below). Photos by Tyler Lindsey
SCHOOLS
By ECHO DAY eday@covigntonleader.com The rush to an emergency situation also turned into an emergency for Quito firefighters Sunday. While driving down Herring Hill Road, near the bluff at Black Springs, firefighters found the brakes were having problems in Engine 2. “We lost brakes going down the hill,” said asst. fire chief Josh Miller. “We had to avoid colliding with another [fire] truck.” In doing so, the fire engine entered a ditch and rolled over. Two firefighters were inside the vehicle, but were not injured. The engine, which Miller said is a 1979 model, is a total loss. Shelby County firefighters were called in to assist in battling the blaze, which was located at a home on Monasco Road in the Millington area of Tipton County.
BHS studies the ‘no phone zone’ By TYLER LINDSEY tlindsey@covingtonleader.com Though the ban on texting while driving was signed into law last year, going into effect on July 1, 2010, many still witness drivers with their eyes to their cell phones. At Brighton High School, this reality has been recognized and two school organizations have found a highly effective way to raise awareness of the dangers of such behavior. On March 24, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) teamed up at BHS to perform a mock car crash involving texting while driving. The presentation amazingly mirrored the aftermath of a real-life collision. SADD president Brooke Bierdz said, “This is a huge problem among all young people including the ‘good kids.’ We thought that this message would be more resounding than the typical drunk driving message - especially in these technological times. In fact, we planned on having a ‘No Phone Zone’ campaign in October modeled after Oprah, but decided to combine the events instead.” SEE TEXT, PAGE A3
Reader’s Guide
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Merchants remember May 1 flood By TYLER LINDSEY tlindsey@covingtonleader.com MUNFORD - As April settles in, many in Tipton County look to the upcoming anniversary of the flood of May 1, 2010. While homes were flooded, roadways were destroyed and motorists were stranded, the citizens of Tipton County felt the damaging impact of the floodwaters twofold as businesses were flooded, contributing to the millions of dollars lost in damages. Now, nearly a year later, busi-
ness owners on Quinton Drive in Munford, who felt the heavy brunt of the storm, look back from a year later to see how far they’ve come. For Trey Watson of Watson’s Home Furnishings, May 1 is seen as a dark day indeed. Located at 42 Quinton Drive, Watson’s was flooded with six feet of water and all of the inventory was lost. “I was devastated,” said Watson. “Looking back, a lot of things happened that changed the way we do business. We’ve planned and prepared more for such disasters.”
After the flood, Watson’s was closed for a week, then began taking service calls again and selling appliances from a “gutted-out” warehouse. Thirty days after the flood, renovations began on his building and, he said, it has been completely remodeled. In October 2010, Watson’s reopened and now Trey Watson says they’re not only back to where they were, but they’re ahead. “These kind of things teach us what really matters,” he said. “When the flood happened, I thought, ‘I’m SEE FLOOD, PAGE A3
Area events
AREA EVENTS
Thisweek’s week’s Featured Church: This featured church: Covington • Barretville • Millington • Collierville South Tipton • South Covington Mortgage Offices: South Tipton • Millington • South Covington • Collierville
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Jones Grove Missionary Baptist Church TurntotoPage Page A7 details Turn A7forfor details
4/8/11 5-8 p.m. Habitat for Humanity Fish Fry Covington First United Methodist Church $6 donation
4/6/11 9:03:41 PM