Dixie Youth season opens
The Dixie Youth season officially opened at the ball park in Chester County Saturday. This No Xcuse player took the day in stride as she awaited her turn at bat. This photo and caption appeared in the April 14, 2022 edition of the Chester County Independent. Read on for more stories from 2022.
Jan. 6 - Bruno crowned cutest in calendar contest
Bruno knows how to make an entrance. He danced into the newspaper office Tuesday afternoon, excited to meet everyone and claim his prize as Top Dog in the Chester County Independent annual pet calendar contest.
Of 45 entries and 3,208 votes, Bruno lead the pack with a total of 400 votes. It was a close race, with the second and third place entries just 15 and 61 votes behind him, respectively.
Jan. 13 - Teachers of the Year recognized
Last week, Chester County Schools and Director of Schools Troy Kilzer II awarded the 2021-22 Teachers of the Year. They were given Chamber Bucks and goodies. Pictured are the Teachers of the Year. Back row, left to right: Abbie Brown – West Chester Elementary third grade teacher; Kady Mitchell-Powers – Jacks Creek Elementary first grade teacher; Andrew Johnson – Chester County High School chemistry teacher; Leah Shull – Chester County Junior High eighth grade English language arts teacher and Jill Bland – Chester County Middle School fifth grade teacher. Sitting are, from left, Ashley Fletcher – East Chester Elementary first grade teacher and Megan Brasfield – Chester County Middle school fourth grade teacher.
Jan. 20 - Finding her way home: Azzurra’s story
After five, long years, Jen Costa of Queens Village, New York was able to reunite with her dog daughter, Azzurra Diamanté.
Not long after she came home from having surgery in 2017 for tongue cancer, Costa’s life changed when Azzurra, less than two years old at the time, jumped out of her car and ran away. Costa was living in Long Island New York at the time.
While Costa had Azzurra, she had a microchip put into Azzurra in case situations like this were to occur.
She searched every where for her. She called the police. She called all the animal shelters in the vicinity. She even called the microchip company to see if they had found her Azzurra, but hit a dead end.
Recently, Henderson animal control officer Bobby Gary, received a call from a lady in Henderson about a dog that had shown up on her doorstep.
The dog was taken into the City of Henderson Animal Control facility where she was checked for microchips. A chip was found, and they had a match – it was Azzurra.
Jan. 27 – Sweet Lips Store is now closed
December 31, 2021 marked the closing of a special place for the people of Sweet Lips, Chester County. That day was when the Sweet Lips Store closed its doors.
Some remember the building being Sweet Lips School before it closed in the 1960s.
After the closing of the schoolhouse, it was used as a community center.
Most people today will remember it as a convenience store that the community loved.
Feb 3 - Led by Enthusiastic Principal, Chester County Junior High School Achieves Turnaround Success
Feb 3 - Led by Enthusiastic Principal, Chester County Junior High School Achieves Turnaround Success
Dr. Belinda Anderson of Chester County Junior High has turned her school into one of the best schools in Tennessee.
Her efforts recently had her recognized by Summit Learning which is a research–based education program provided by Gradient Learning.
In her years at CCJHS, it has gone from the state’s lowest level (1) to the highest level (5) – and two years of that growth was during the pandemic. Summit Learning said that “the most impactful part of her work is how she has been able to deeply connect with her community.”
Feb. 10 – Chester County Survey says…
January 31 was the last day for Chester County residents to complete the survey on options of how Chester County should spend their ARPA funds (COVID-19 relief).
Options on the survey included: broadband for the entire county, library space additions, remodeling the old medical building, a new location for the county election commission office, additions to the Tennessee College of Applied Technology building, a holding area for the Chester County Recycling Hub, an agricenter for the Chester County University of Tennessee Extension Center, a transfer station for the Solid Waste Department, Dixie Youth upgrades, a water well to be built in the Jacks Creek area, donations to various nonprofits, more space for the Chester County Carl Perkins Center, childcare, essential county employee bonus pay and purchasing the Regions building.
Of the 369 residents who did the survey, the top five options were:
Feb. 17 – TJ Kirk named FHU vice president
Chester County Middle School Principal TJ Kirk has been named vice president for student services at Freed-Hardeman University, according to an announcement by FHU President David R. Shannon, Wednesday, Feb. 9.
An FHU alumnus, Kirk earned two degrees from the university, a Bachelor of Science in education in 2006 and a Master of Education in administration and supervision in 2009. He has been employed by the Chester County School System since 2006. He was named an assistant principal in 2012 and principal in 2017.
Feb. 24 Pipkin and Lemmings duo won TN Songwriters Qualifying Round - Jackson
The Tennessee Legends of Music Museum at the Carnegie and Jackson: Hidden Tracks hosted an official TN Songwriters Week Qualifying Round on Saturday, February 12, 2022. Judges Larry Rogers, of Studio 19, and LOLO, also known as Lauren Pritchard, artist, songwriter, actress, composer and activist – cast the votes.
The duo of Hunt Pipkin and Lakelin Lemmings won first prize in the competition with “Every Love Song.” Pipkin is a student at Chester County Schools and Lemmings is a home-schooled student that lives in Chester County.
March 3 - Chick-fil-Yay coming to Freed-Hardeman University
Met with thunderous applause following a surprise presentation Thursday, Feb. 24, Freed-Hardeman University President David R. Shannon announced that Chick-fil-A will be coming to the FHU campus in Henderson.
Under the guise of celebrating the president’s 55th birthday, staff members rolled a giant cake onto the Loyd Auditorium stage following chapel. The president addressed students, faculty and staff in attendance and made the announcement while one of the Eat Mor Chikin Cows jumped out of the cake.
“We are thrilled to share this news with our student body!” Shannon said. “Serving Chick-fil-A’s beloved chicken, drinks and sides here will mean a great deal to students, faculty, staff and area residents, and we know that Chick-fil-A will be welcomed with open arms by our incredible community.
March 10 - Bolton and Smith are Top 2 at CCHS
Last Thursday, Chester County High School announced the Class of 2022 Valedictorian, Zane Bolton and Salutatorian, Hayleigh Smith.
Bolton is the son of Joy and Barry Bolton. Zane has a 4.0 GPA, a 100 cumulative percentage and has 18 college credit hours. By graduation, Bolton will have earned 28 college hours.
Smith is the daughter Christy and Jeremy Smith. Smith has a 4.0 GPA, a 99 cumulative percentage and has 48 college credit hours. By graduation, Smith will have 61 college hours and an associates degree.
March 17 – City approves zoning for wineries
During the City of Henderson Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting last Thursday, the city approved to amend the Regional Zoning Ordinance to allow “Wineries” as a use permitted on appeal in the FAR (Forestry, Agriculture, Residential) District unanimously on the first and second reading.
The city’s role in this is more for safety and zoning, not regulation. It was said that in regard to licensing, quantity sold, wine records where the wine went and etc. will be handled by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
March 24 - Chester County Schools recognized as Reading 360 District
During spotlights, Director of Schools, Troy Kilzer II, announced that the Chester County School District earned the honor of being a Tennessee Reading 360 District. Kilzer said that this recognition proves the attention to literacy in all the Chester County Schools, but primarily the elementary schools.
March 31 - Mullins found guilty in Melendez murder
Jerry Ray Mullins, 49, of Henderson, was found guilty of second degree murder last week by the Chester County Grand Jury.
On October 25, 2019, the Chester County Sheriff’s Department was called to the residence at 4680 Old Friendship Road in Finger. Upon arrival deputies found Samantha Melendez dead from a gunshot wound. The victim’s fiancée, Mullins, was at the scene and later claimed that he shot the victim after she attacked him with a box cutter. Mullins was interviewed by Investigator Seth Preslar with the Chester County Sheriff’s Department and Agents Michael Parson and Celinda Davidson both of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The crime scene was processed, and it was determined that Mullins’ statements were inconsistent with physical evidence and photographs obtained from the scene. Cuts that Mullins claimed were inflicted upon him by the victim were believed by law enforcement and a medical expert to be self-inflicted in an effort to claim self-defense.
After proceeding through Chester County General Sessions Court, Mullins was indicted on June 4, 2020, for first degree murder.
April 7 - Yard sale raises funds for Loving Paws vet bills
The “Decluttering for the Dogs” yard sale held last weekend to benefit Loving Paws Rescue was reportedly a success, raising more than $3,500. According to organizer Sharon Thomas, funds raised during the rummage sale put a dent in vet and feed bills the nonprofit rescue organization accrues during routine and emergency care of local rescued dogs. “We’re just trying to help the dogs, (and help Mrs. Carole),” Thomas said. The first-ever yard sale was a joint effort by the community, and included items from more than 50 families. “We couldn’t have been as successful if the community hadn’t donated so much,” Thomas continued.
April 14 - Xi Chi Delta takes Makin’ Music sweepstakes trophy
Xi Chi Delta’s “The Spirit of the Samurai” took home the sweepstakes trophy Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Freed-Hardeman’s annual Makin’ Music production. Sigma Rho’s “Rumble at the Raceway” claimed the runner-up spot, while FHU Variants finished third with “The Sound of Sirens.”
FHU Variants, comprised of students not affiliated with a particular social club, also won the Spirit of Makin’ Music Award presented Friday evening.
This year marked the 45th anniversary of Makin’ Music. However, the previous two years were presented online because of COVID-19. The 2022 presentation was a return to normalcy and a packed house. In addition to Friday and Saturday shows, local elementary schools were once again treated to a free performance on Thursday, a tradition that had been discontinued in 2020 and 2021. The theme of this year’s production, “No Turning Back,” evidenced a clear determination to continue Makin’ Music for a live audience.
April 21 - Commission votes against bank building
The Chester County Mayor and Commissioners met in a special called meeting Tuesday, April 12 concerning the proposed purchase of the former Regions bank building on N. Church Ave., in Henderson, for the relocation of the Chester County Library. All commissioners were in attendance. The motion ultimately failed in a 10-7 vote.
As Chester County Mayor Barry Hutcherson turned attention to discussion of the bank building, he expressed appreciation at the community’s input and participation. “Thank you for all the ones that wrote your comments and your letters to the commissioners and for the ones that called and voiced your opinion as constituents.”
April 28 - SWHRA 12th Annual Golf Tournament raises $21k for those in need
After not having their annual golf tournament since 2019 due to the Coronavirus, Southwest Human Resource Agency rebounds with their largest tournament yet.
On April 20, 144 golfers and 36 teams participated in SWHRA’s 12th Annual Golf Tournament at the Chickasaw Golf Course to support the organization’s mission – “to meet the needs of families and individuals in our service area by delivering social services and resources. Through effective collaboration with federal, state and community partners, we are dedicated to enhancing quality of life, promoting self-sufficiency, and alleviating the effects of poverty.”
After all the calculations of all the funds were made, the total amount raised ended up being about $21,000 according to SWHRA Director Mike Smith.
“We’ve had more donations this year than we’ve ever had in the past,” said Nicki Hancock, SWHRA Golf Tournament Director. “The community has just really supported Southwest.
May 5 - Mullins sentenced to 22 years
Jerry Ray Mullins, 49, of Henderson, was found guilty by jury verdict of second degree murder in the October 25, 2019 shooting death of Samantha Melendez. He was sentenced to 22 years in a Tennessee Department of Corrections facility, to serve at 100%. He will receive credit for time served pretrial. In addition, he was ordered to pay court costs plus $5,000 in fines, and is to have no contact of any kind with the victim’s family or with witnesses.
May 12 - Hutcherson, Beshires take Republican Primary
Local voters went to the polls last week for the first ever Republican Primary in Chester County. A total of 2,382 voters participated, 22.22% of the 10,718 registered voters in the county. The majority of the races were uncontested, and those candidates will go on to run in the General Election in August. For two candidates, however, the primary results meant the end of the race.
In the mayoral race, Chester County Mayor Barry Hutcherson, incumbent, emerged the victor, with total 1,465 votes to vying candidate Beverly Morton’s 877.
Chester County Trustee Lance Beshires, incumbent, garnered a total of 1,533 votes in the Chester County Trustee race, to take the win over challenger Sharon Stovall’s 807.
May 19 – Recommendation to use private bus service passes
In last week’s Chester County Board of Education meeting, Director of Schools Troy Kilzer II and the board of education discussed using a private bus contractor for student transportation to and from school.
Options were Ecco Ride and Durham School Services. Kilzer said Ecco Ride was the selected option of the two because of significant savings choosing Ecco Ride would mean for the school.
At the end of discussion, the recommendation to use Ecco Ride for student transportation passed with a vote of 4-1 with board member Jeff Harris (District 4) absent and board member Mark Griffin (District 1) voting no.
May 26 - Late Dr. Johnson recognized with Chamber’s highest honor
During the Henderson|Chester County Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 Banquet six awards were given to community members and businesses.
Emily Johnson was awarded the Ryan Parnell award.
Chester County Retired Teachers Association was awarded the Neal Smith Imagination Library Award.
First Farmers Co-Op was awarded the Excellence in Agriculture Award.
Henderson Tropics was awarded the Emerging Business Award.
Besso’s was awarded the Business of the Year Award.
Beth Everett was awarded the Volunteer of the year Award.
NEO Products was awarded the Industry of the Year Award.
Courtney Insell was awarded the Presidential Plaque award and the Board Member of the Year Award.
The Outstanding Citizen Award, the chamber’s highest honor, went to the late Dr. Ronald Johnson. He is remembered from many facets of the community from Lions Club, the Chester County Board of Education, Hee Haw Hootenanny and more. Johnson passed away on April 15, 2022 at the age of 77.
June 2 – Memorial Day – Honoring those who served with love for freedom
This past Monday, May 30, the Chester County community gathered together for Memorial Day to remember and honor those who gave their lives in service to the people of the United States of America. The Henderson, TN American Legion Post 157 hosted a Memorial Day ceremony at Henderson City Hall to honor the fallen heroes of the nation.
The ceremony included a Memorial Day Tribute video, proclamations from the city and county mayors, the narration of the poem “It is the Solider” and videos about the overseas United States cemeteries. Additionally, Stark Davis, LTC, U.S. Air Force (retired), gave remarks about why we have this national holiday.
“These we honor had a love for others. Had a love for the United States. Had a love for us. And they died so that we may live in freedom from tyrants who would deny our core freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Davis said.
June 9 - Two findings reported from Chester County Audit
Recently, the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office released the audit reports for the majority of counties in Tennessee.
Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Jason Mumpower, announced 12 of the 91 counties that were audited by the Comptroller’s Division of Local Government each received a clean audit report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.
The 91 Tennessee counties audited by the Comptroller’s Office received a total of 278 findings in fiscal year 2021.
This represents an average of 3.05 findings per county. In fiscal year 2020, Tennessee counties received an average of 2.97 findings in their annual audit reports.
Chester County government had two findings in their audit.
The first finding was “appropriations exceeded estimated available funding in the solid waste/sanitation fund.”
The second finding was “the office had deficiencies in purchasing procedures.”
June 16 - SWHRA provides 7,500 meals a day to children
Thousands of children in the region are impacted by the service of Southwest Human Resource Agency over the course of the summer.
The organization provides about 7,500 meals a day to make sure children are fed during the months they do not get meals from school while school is out.
“Most of the children get fed in the school system with breakfast and lunch, and then when summer comes they’re not being fed at home. You don’t know what their home situation is. So the summer meals are so important. It does a lot,” said Amie Croom who is the nutrition coordinator at SWHRA.
Children across 10 counties in West Tennessee that are at summer camps, athletic camps, vacation bible schools, Boys and Girls Clubs and more are nourished by breakfast and lunch packages that they receive.
June 23 - Tennessee State Parks honor Joe Armour - Bridge over Lake Placid dedicated to Armour
After over 50 years of waiting, the Armour family finally was able to see the bridge across Lake Placid at Chickasaw State Park dedicated to Joe Armour.
On Friday, June 17, Tennessee State Parks officials named it the Joe Armour Memorial Bridge honoring the former park superintendent.
Naming the bridge honors his contributions to the continued management, improvement and enjoyment of the park.
“Chickasaw State Park owes a lot of its appeal to Joe Armour,” said Park Manager Ron Elder. “He loved the park and its many visitors, and he was committed to making the park experience the best it could be. We are very proud to have the bridge named for him.”
Armour, the superintendent from 1963 until his death in 1969 at the age of 38, had the original idea to build a foot bridge across the lake connecting the recreation area and the camping area. Other amenities added to the park during Armour’s time as superintendent included the lighted baseball field and a restaurant.
June 30 - Chester Co. 2022-23 Budget passes with 13-3 vote
The Chester County Commission had a special-called meeting in order to discuss the approval of the 2022-2023 proposed county budget and approve the county’s new budget director.
Before the budget could be approved, the approval for the use of the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to be transferred into the general fund to pay expenses for the General Government Services dating back to March 3, 2021 had to be approved first.
Kelsey Schweitzer of CTAS, County Technical Assistance Service, explained to the commission and the audience how any small governments that were to receive under $10 million could claim their entire amount as loss of revenue even if there was not really a loss of revenue. It was the county’s decision.
Schweitzer and Commissioner Tim Crowe explained how essentially it gets rid of the “red-tape of the federal government” which includes the paperwork and criteria of using the funds for different projects and the timeline having the money obligated by 2024 and spent by 2026.
Commissioner Terry Bell motioned to transfer the funds and that the funds be placed in a reserve account in the general fund. Commissioner Diane Jordan seconded the motion. All commissioners who were present voted in favor. The two commissioners who were absent were Russell Clayton and Joseph Melaro.
All of the budgets were approved but not all of the commissioners voted to approve the county general budget and the Solid Waste Budget.
Commissioner Ann Moore motioned to approve the county general budget and it was seconded by Diane Jordan. The motion passed with a vote of 13-3 with Commissioners Kevin Faulkner, Jackie Butler and Barry Smith voting against it.
(See next week’s Independent for second half of 2022).
