CONGRATULATIONS CARDINALS: CLASS 2A STATE FINALISTS COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE ADAMSVILLE CARDINALS’ RUN FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE, 1B
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Reported victims charged in vehicle fire
CLASS 2A STATE FINALS
By Christen Coulon and Jeff Whitten Staff Writers
The owners of a vehicle found burned in mid-October, Garrett and Whitney Bradley of Selmer, were arrested on Nov. 20 for filing a false report and a false or fraudulent insurance claim. Following an initial investigation, McNairy County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Steven Jay Kiestler and Dennis Alan Martin in the case, charging them with arson and vandalism. However, Investigator Robert Hitchborn said that after talking with the suspects in the case, he continued the investigation focusing on the vehicle owners. Stolen and burned were a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe and, in a separate incident, a Mack log truck. The Tahoe was taken from the Bradley’s residence on High School Road in Selmer on the night of Oct. 14 or the morning of Oct. 15. At the time, Whitney Bradley told Deputy Johnny Deloit, who responded to the call, that the vehicle was locked but there was a spare key under the firewall of the left front tire, according to an incident report provided by the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department. The logging truck was taken from the site of Three Hollows Logging near Beauty Hill and Hill Road in Bethel Springs, also on the
TCHS 21 - AHS 12 Community celebrates historic AHS season PAGE 6-7B
Staff Photo by Jeff Whitten
A 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe belonging to Garrett and Whitney Bradley was reported stolen in October and found burned shortly after. Deputies continued the investigation after arresting two suspects in the theft. On Nov. 20, the Bradley’s were charged in the case. night of Oct. 14 or the morning of Oct. 15. ing down a dirt road. The Tahoe was found a Deputy Danny Pinson responded to a call by few miles down the road, and the Mack was foreman Daniel Letson. found farther down the road. Later in the day, Letson was riding Anyone having any information about around with a resident who knows the area these crimes should call the Sheriff’s Departwhen they spotted semi-truck tracks lead- ment at (731) 645-1004.
Knife wielding woman robs Bethel store
INSIDE THIS WEEK
By Jeff Whitten
herself, leaving some blood on the door and drops on the floor. Investigator Robert Hitchborn took There was an attempted rob- the blood into evidence for DNA bery at a Bethel Springs store analysis. A second theft complaint was owned by Gary Bizzell, Sr. Dec. 3. According to a report by In- lodged against Butler the same vestigator James Frazier, provided day. Deputy Buddy Fuller was called to the Strandz by the McNairy County Salon in Bethel Springs. Sheriff’s Department, Kimberly Mullins Bizzell told Frazier that said that a tall white a woman came into female wearing a blue the store and told him hoodie came into the she needed money for salon, looked around her kids, and she had and went into the reto rob him. She pulled stroom. She said Butout a knife and said she ler came out of the would stab him if he did restroom, spoke with not give her money. She BUTLER owner Amanda Smith stabbed at him, grabbed and then left. This is the cash register and ran for the door. A man held the door when Mullins noticed her purse shut from the outside and she hit was missing. Smith said that when Butthe door with the register, busting the glass. She attempted to stab ler came out of the restroom she the man through the crack in the said she wanted to make a hair doors, and the man backed up. appointment, and her name was She dropped the register and ran Jennifer. Butler then left in a maout to a maroon Ford Expedition roon SUV with a white decal on the back window. Both Smith and left. Bizzell said she was about six- and Mullins identified Butler by a feet tall and weighed about three photograph. Butler was in custody at the hundred pounds. After the attempted robbery, he was shown McNairy County Jail, as of last some photos of some women and Monday, and her bond has been identified the robber as Jennifer set at $100,000, according to Stacy Marie Butler, 38, of 1900 Nelson Huggins of the Sheriff’s DepartStore Road, in Selmer. Butler cut ment. Head News Writer
MCNAIRY COUNTY CHRISTMAS Residents celebrate season despite winter weather PAGE 2-3A
Staff Photo by Christen Coulon
This glass door sustained damage during an attempted robbery at a Bethel Springs store owned by Gary Bizzell, Sr. Dec. 3. Bizzell told deputies that a woman who was six feet tall and weighed more than 300 pounds robbed him at knife point, then grabbed his register and threw it into his glass door when a bystander tried to block her exit.
Update in Bethel Truck theft
FORD PLACES IN NATIONAL PAGEANT 2nd Runner Up honors for MCHS grad in competition 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
Horse story refuses to go to pasture
(IA Staff ) – There is an update to a breaking story we ran last week involving a truck theft in Bethel Springs. Richard Lee Learn of Bethel Springs who was arrested on an unrelated vehicle theft charge in Chester County has been charged in the theft of James Hipps’ 1998 Dodge Ram work truck and tools which were stolen from his Bethel Springs residence on or about Nov. 26. The truck and most of the missing property have been recovered according to an incident report provided by the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department. In addition, it should be noted that the sheriff’s department has said that the victim’s girlfriend, who was not previously mentioned by name in last week’s article, is not considered to have ever been a suspect in this case.
By Christen Coulon Managing Editor
There have been new developments in the continuing saga over a misdemeanor animal cruelty case involving horses which were allegedly starved at the farm of Anthony Westbrooks. Last Thursday, the daughter of the accused, Mariah Westbrooks, was charged with coercion of a witness after Cheryl Dawson, the volunteer who has been charged with caring for one of the seized horses in the case, alleged that Westbrooks made threats against her on Facebook. According to the incident report, Investigator Danny Pinson of the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department received a copy of Dawson’s Facebook page showing a message, purported to be from Westbrooks, which referenced the horse in the case. The report said that Westbrooks made allegations of racism against Dawson and that she should worry about her house
See MORE CHARGES IN HORSE CASE, 4A
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