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Volume 111, Number 36, Wednesday, January 22, 2014
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Development soars in Pilot Pre-K By Christen Coulon Managing Editor
For the past 14 years, the McNairy County Pilot Pre-K program has offered its three and four-year-olds the gift of an early education. “Pilot Pre-K targets at-risk students and gives those children a good start before they start kindergarten,” said Cathy Taylor, Pre-K coordinator. “The goal is to have these children ready to start kindergarten and not be behind.” One of the unique parts of this program is that it allows for children to go through the program for two years. Unlike the other seven Pre-K 4 classes offered at the county elementary schools, the Pilot Pre-K program takes in three-year-olds and offers them the opportunity to stay for two years. “We begin with the basics, fine motor skills, large motor skills, letter recognition and sounds,” said Christy Perkins, Pilot Pre-K teacher. “I have even got a few reading.” Perkins said that the course also works with numbers and basic math. However, she said there is a constant focus on so-
INSIDE THIS WEEK
See PILOT PRE-K, 3A
Staff Photo by Christen Coulon
Cooper Hill and Luke Fowler race a truck through a tunnel on the Pilot Pre-K playground last Thursday. The unique educational program offers two years of Pre-K to students, giving them the skills needed to excel in kindergarten.
Board tries to cut Finger’s insurance costs By Christen Coulon
SELMER GETTING SPLASH PAD?
Managing Editor
MRA Leadership group plans water feature PAGE 4A
CARDS BEAT ROCKETS Adamsville completes the sweep on the road PAGE 4B
The Town of Finger discussed cutting insurance costs, the construction of a new fire department and their upcoming baseball season in an unusually busy monthly meeting last Monday night. The board began the meeting by passing their minutes and financial statements before diving right into the business around their baseball league. Sign-ups for their baseball season will be held Feb. 1 from 1-3 p.m. and on Feb. 7 from 7-9 p.m. Games are set to begin on March 31 and will run through May 19. During the meeting, the board discussed hiring umpires for the games and decided to hire a score keeper who will also serve as a stand-in
umpire if needed. The board also moved $300 in cash from the general fund to the baseball fund to get supplies to begin the season with the understanding that the money would be transferred to the general fund by the end of baseball season. Sponsorships are still needed for the league and are $150. The town is planning two barbeque chicken fundraisers at a future date to help fund the league. The board approved Mayor Robert Heathcock’s proposal to install a lock on the light on the baseball field to help curtail costs. In addition, Heathcock’s proposal called for a $25 fee for use of the field at night and a 10 p.m. closing time for the field. In other news, the town said it would look at fixing a pothole on Cox Street. During the meeting, the
Managing Editor
School board discusses proposal for new school PAGE 3A
cedures set in place, so it can begin construction of its Roadscapes grant sign. In a final piece of news, Heathcock asked the board and the town’s volunteer fire department to complete a detailed inventory of items the town owns in order to cut the town’s insurance. Currently, nearly 70 percent of the town’s budget leaves Finger to cover insurance costs, which total $18,000 annually. As an example, Heathcock brought up $154,000 in insurance coverage with a premium costing more than $100 per year on a disused repeater tower. Heathcock hopes that the inventory will identify additional items which are either disused, broken or non-existent in order for the town to cut its overall insurance costs before they inevitably rise to cover its new fire station.
Bud Light Burglar: Suspect canned after DNA leads to arrest By Christen Coulon
SELMER-ONLY PLAN DEBATED
town announced that a permit has been granted for the construction of its new fire department. Groundbreaking could begin as soon as Feb. 1. After a review of the construction bid, the town learned that the building came in under the $1 million grant to cover it, and the town may be able to add up to 25 percent of those funds for needed additions to the building. No additional spending was approved as the town still needed to determine the exact amount remaining in the grant and how it must be spent, but board members suggested installing a generator at the new station, purchasing a commercial washer and dryer and adding a metal roof to the new building. The town also announced that it was nearly finished with all of the administrative pro-
Everyone has heard the slogan, “This Bud’s for you.” However, one local man learned recently not to leave an extra can for the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department. On Jan. 6, 2013, two break-ins were reported miles apart near Milledgeville and Enville, Tenn. Little evidence was left to aid investigators to the culprits aside from a lone Bud Light can left at the scene of the Milledgeville incident. At the Enville burglary, thieves made off with thousands of dollars worth of electronics, farm equipment and other household goods. More than a year passed and little progress had been made in the case. It looked as if the burglars would get away scott free. But a major break in the case occurred last week when technicians at the state crime lab were able to get a DNA “hit” on the beer can left at the scene. The evidence directed McNairy County
deputies to Joseph Tyler Simp“For our burglary, he did not son in Savannah, Tenn. and deny being at the place, but he they brought him in for quesdid deny breaking into it,” Hitchtioning on the Milledgeville born said. “He said that he had break-in. stopped there and used the rest Aware of the possibilroom.” ity that the Enville incident, More and more DNA evidence which took place on the same is being used by local law enforceday, could be related to their ment agencies to solve property case, investigators pressed crimes. Hitchborn said that this Simpson for a confession. is the fourth or fifth time that McSIMPSON “He confessed to it,” InvesNairy County deputies have brotigator Robert Hitchborn said. ken a case using this evidence. “He said he was there with (another sus“It is more accurate to me than any other pect), and said that he knocked on the door forensic evidence you can get,” Hitchborn to see if anybody was home.” said. “DNA is the bomb...it’s the best.” Hitchborn said that his department then So far, no charges have been filed in Mccontacted Chester County authorities who Nairy County for the Milledgeville incident. picked up Simpson and took him into cus- However, investigators plan to interview a tody. second suspect who is currently jailed in Oddly enough, after Simpson confessed Crockett County to determine how to proto the Enville incident, he told McNairy ceed in that case. County investigators that he did not breakHitchborn said that Chester County in to the Milledgeville residence where the deputies would likely want to interview this beer can was found. suspect on their case as well.
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