Dancer speaks on Parks and REc, 1B
A rare sight to see: Mother-in-Laws Tongue, 3A
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Independent Appeal Making McNairy County headlines for more than 111 years
Volume 111, Number 12, Wednesday, August 7, 2013
www.independentappeal.com 50¢
Sunshine brings jobs
McNAIRY COUNTY
40-megawatt solar farms could mean 400 local jobs By Christen Coulon
20 50
Managing Editor
Two planned solar farms south of Selmer could bring as many as 400 new jobs to the area. Strata Solar will build the two farms, which will include more than 160,000 solar panels on more than 300 acres of land. At maximum capacity, the farms will produce more than 4 megawatts of electricity per day. This is approximately enough to power the entire city of Selmer. Strata will be working in partnership with Pickwick Electric Cooperative and the Tennessee Valley Authority to distribute the electricity produced at the farms into the local grid. “This project will add a tremendous amount of solar power
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Inside this week
to our already strong renewable lineup,” said Patty West, TVA director of Renewable Energy Programs. “Because TVA is purchasing the output at market rates, the electricity will also be among our cheapest solar power, moving us toward our vision of being a national leader in providing low-cost and cleaner energy.” To put the importance of this new project into perspective, each of the two planned Selmer farms will be four times larger than any existing TVA solar farm. Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of the year following an environmental review and interconnection studies on each of the sites. Strata Solar plans to bring in a handful of seasoned workers to train a staff of local construction workers numbering between 300 to 400 people to complete the project, said Blair Schooff, COO of Strata Solar. The current project is scheduled to take 4-6 months to complete. However, Schooff
said that Strata would like to use this workforce to build additional local farms in the future. “Right now we have two (more) under development, and the hope is that we will do another two after that, and another two after that,” Schooff said. “Strategically it makes more sense to develop a workforce and have jobs for them down the road.” Schooff said that Strata is planning to build most of these additional farms in the McNairy County area as well, which could transform the county into a sort of renewable energy Mecca and mean long term jobs for the construction staff and additional jobs for the maintenance staff at each farm. “If all things go well, then it will mean long-term jobs for these 300 or 400 people,” Schooff said. Strata, a Chapel Hill, N.C. company, chose Selmer after a lengthy procurement process where staff searched for the ideal location for the new project. “We are thrilled to be working with TVA and PEC on these pioneering solar projects,” said Markus Wilhelm,
See solar farms, 4A
Five injured in wrecks
Two car accidents this week send five to hospital PAGE 3A
Photo Courtesy of USDA
Pictured above is depiction of panels in a solar farm similar to the panels that will be placed in two planned solar farms in Selmer.
Will you be the next Spectrum dedicates new building reality television star? By Christen Coulon and Jeff Whitten IA Staff
By Christen Coulon Managing Editor
Odom Named All-State
A New York based television production company is searching for the next reality TV stars right here in McNairy County. The production company, Al Roker Entertainment Inc., is casting for three upcoming shows and is looking for subjects with unique family and professional situations. “We are currently in the process of casting a few new reality TV shows, and we were hoping to reach
See Reality television shows, 4A
Adamsville athlete looks to take talents to next level PAGE 1B
On July 31, Spectrum and Mercury Marine company leaders met to dedicate a new building at Spectrum headquarters in Selmer. The dedication marked the completion of the $1.8 million construction and remodeling phase at the building which will house a lubricant packaging plant and warehouse for their Mercury Marine products. In a prepared statement to the Independent Appeal, Spectrum said that the event marked the beginning of a long term
business partnership between Spectrum and Mercury Marine. Last year, Spectrum announced that it would be adding approximately 25 new jobs due to the expansion. With the purchase of the adjunct building, formerly known as Selmer Apparel, Spectrum added more than 10 acres and 55,000 square feet of space solely to support their business partnership with Mercury Marine. With the new hires, Spectrum now employs approximately 220 people at its Selmer facility.
See spectrum dedication, 4A
The indispensable intern: Emily Pitts Staff Report
Independent Appeal
Bobcat Band performs
Emily Pitts stands in front of the Independent Appeal offices during her last week as the publication’s long-time summer intern. Pitts finished her final summer with the paper last Tuesday.
Exhibition amazes band parents and supporters PAGE 2A
When the word intern is mentioned, most people think of a college-aged student who fetches coffee and donuts, types memos and answers a few calls, all the while playing Solitaire on an oft minimized desktop window. While Emily Pitts is collegeaged, that is the only part about her that would fit into the standard intern mould. Pitts finished her third summer with the Independent Appeal (IA) last Tuesday and to put it mildly, she will be missed. “Emily amazed me three years ago when she mastered skills in the newspaper industry it takes most many years to acquire. She was an exceptional employee and a great person who we wish all the best and will miss tremendously,” said Janet Rail, IA publisher. In her first two months, Pitts had
managed to become proficient in news and feature writing, newspaper layout, photography and photo editing, and she had even learned some of the basics of web design. “I started out as a freelance writer, and I expected to write one or two stories per week,” Pitts said. “After a few weeks, our editor at the time, John Philleo, asked me if I would be willing to do some design work and layout.” Pitts said she declined at first but then decided to accept in order to make more money for school in the fall. “I ended up doing a lot more than I ever thought I would,” Pitts said. While she said that the additional responsibilities made her nervous at first, her English background and on-the-job training made the job easy. Pitts’ repeated ability to make
See indispensable intern, 4A
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