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Volume 111, Number 27, Wednesday, November 20, 2013
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Jobs coming to Adamsville? By Jeff Whitten Head News Writer
Adamsville Grand Opening! Friday, November 22 3 - 5 pm
See page 3A for story
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The Adamsville City Commission approved a zoning change at its meeting last Monday that clears the way for a new industry to locate there. An effort is underway by the city to bring Magnum Press, an Illinois hydraulic press manufacturer to Adamsville. If the deal is concluded, the company could bring 30 jobs to the city. The plant would be located behind the present location of the Saw Meal Restaurant in the old IMI warehouse. Mayor David Leckner said he hopes a deal
will be concluded within a month. The zoning change was suggested by the legal team of Magnum’s owner, working with Codes Enforcement Officer Danny Daniels. It updates the definition of the manufacturing (M-1) zone. The prior language, “fabricated metal products manufacturing,” was updated by the commission to “machinery except electrical manufacturing.” Leckner said he is very happy about the prospect of bringing Magnum to Adamsville. In other news from the meeting, the family of Michael Steven Kennedy and Cheyenne Henderson presented the commission with a check to be used by the Parks and Recreation Department for football and cheerleading.
Cheyenne played football for the Green Gators football team and she was a cheerleader. The money was raised by Chey’s Ride, which has been conducted for the past two years in honor of Cheyenne, according to Chandra Henderson, Cheyenne’ s mother. The ride this year was conducted on Oct. 26. Cheyenne and Steve were killed in a Finger house fire in 2011. Steve lost his life when he went back in the house three times in an attempt to rescue Cheyenne, who was at the Kennedy house for a sleepover. The commission presented a plaque honoring Jimmy Max and Kay Pettigrew for being
See JOBS, 4A
Christmas Tree Farming
The perfect storm Why people don’t have jobs
INSIDE A Second Act for the Duncans THIS WEEK By Jeff Whitten Head News Writer
MAIN STREET CHRISTMAS Popular festival returns to downtown Selmer PAGE 2A
CARDINALS WIN Adamsville wins Round 2 travels to Eagleville next PAGE 1B
By Jeff Whitten Head News Writer
“We are in the midst of a storm in the United States...A storm is brewing. When you hear the words perfect storm, I am not talking about the George Clooney movie,” said Terri Messer, Dean of Business and Industry at Jackson State Community College. Messer spent the first half of her career in manufacturing. That movie was about the forces of nature coming together and so is the economic storm this country faces, Messer said. There are three forces hitting our economy simultaneously, Messer explained. One of these is globalization. Today’s high school graduates are not just competing with other graduates within a region but with those all over the world. “You are competing with folks all over,” Messer said. We have seen companies closing, but if you have the right skills, if you lose a job due to foreign competition, you can get another, Messer said. Globalization is also causing some companies that moved offshore to come back, Messer explained. “You’ve got companies that had gone out of the country about a decade ago—Guess what? They’re rolling back in,” Messer said. Messer said that American companies are realizing the advantages of producing in the United States. Locating in the United States can reduce production costs. One factor causing reshoring or onshoring is that transportation costs, driven by the rise in oil prices, have increased. Materials and distribution costs can be reduced by locating in our country. This is where the largest market is. Wages are rising in China and other developing countries. The productivity of American workers is higher than competitors. The second storm is in education and skills. Schools leave too many students behind, and workforce skills are declining. At one time, Tennessee ranked 46th in math, though it has risen to 37th out of the 50 states. Only 5 percent of applicants who apply at Toyota are qualified. Seventy percent of students at JSCC are not ready for college and test into some kind of learning support class, Messer said. Messer told a story of one of her students, who read on the fourthgrade level. The Student came into her office and said that the college knew her reading level when they admitted her. “It was heartbreaking,” Messer said. Messer said there were 600,000 positions for technicians that could not be filled because of lack of skilled workers. When companies can not find skilled American workers, they look overseas.
A
gritourism is a term I had not heard before I attended media day at Duncan’s Christmas Tree Farm last Tuesday in Selmer. Agritourism is anything that brings people to a working farm, such as pick-yourown fruits and vegetables, corn mazes, or farm bed and breakfasts, gift shops, wineries, Christmas tree farms, hayrides or wagon rides, on-farm vegetable or fruit stands, pumpkin patches and educational tours, according to Pamela Bartholomew, Agritourism and Farmers’ Market Specialist for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. “Farming is not just raising fruits and vegetables,” Bartholomew said. More than $34 million was spent by consumers on agritourism, doubling in the past seven years. Duncan’s Christmas Tree Farm on 186 Hester Rd. is a local example of agritourism. The tree farm was a second act for owners Charlie and Elizabeth Duncan. Charlie had retired from GE and Elizabeth from Walmart and they were looking for ways to supplement their income. A neighbor gave them white pine and Virginia pine, which they plant-
See DUNCAN’S FARM, 2A Staff Photos by Jeff Whitten
(Above) Charlie Duncan inspects a Leyland Cypress at the Duncan Christmas Tree Farm in Selmer. (Below) The Duncan’s gift shop is loaded with Christmas themed items. The Christmas tree farm is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m - 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
MRH WELCOMES NEWEST SURGEON Dr. Gorski brings unique skill set to McNairy County PAGE 4A
LETTERS TO SANTA GET YOUR PENCILS READY! We are collecting letters to Santa and Christmas artwork for publication on Dec. 18. Deadline for this issue is Friday Dec. 13. For more information contact (731) 645-5346 or editor@independentappeal.com
See PERFECT STORM, 4A
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