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2001-2004 ARCHIVES
2005 ARCHIVES
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News Headlines
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
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Joyful Homecoming |
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A giant flag flies
above buses entering the campus of the McKenzie High School
where loved ones anxiously waited.
Click here for many more homecoming photos.
More photos will be added to the album Wednesday.
Three busloads of McKenzie's Company A soldiers pulled into
town Tuesday afternoon, marking the end of a long year away
from home, most of which was spent in Iraq. They were
greeted with shouts of joy and tears flowed freely as wives,
children, mothers, fathers and siblings were reunited with
the returning soldiers.
Arriving in their hometown, the soldiers were greeted by
"Welcome Home 230th Engineers" signs and well-wishers lining
the highways.
Two special greetings heralded the troops' homecoming: Fire
trucks stationed at Dollar General Store on Highland Drive
sprayed the buses with water as a mark of respect, a
tradition typically employed as a sign of reverence at a
aircraft's final flight and now as a homecoming hallelujah;
and a giant, 20-by-30-foot American flag, borrowed from
Advance Specialties in Gleason, was hoisted from a boom to
greet soldiers at McKenzie High School.
The drive to the school was lined with American flags,
yellow ribbons around each tree, and signs reading "Way to
go guys, you got r done", ""We love you", "We missed you",
"Thank you", "We're proud of you", You are our heroes", "God
bless America", "Home Sweet Home", and "230th Rocks".
The soldiers' homecoming was delayed about an hour, leaving
family members waiting anxiously in the gym and rear lobby
of the high school, and on the rear lawn. Many carried signs
of welcome and love.
The wait was made easy on a cold day by the warmth afforded
by the school, where a giant inflatable kept younger
children occupied. Two long tables of cookies and drinks
provided by the Family Readiness Group also added comfort to
the homecoming.
The soldiers were welcomed with open arms by joyous family
members during the brief layover before spending several
more hours at the local National Guard Armory for reverse
SRP, a process of updating military records and return of
duty. Company commander, Captain John Leonard said taking
care of the business then meant family members could have
their soldier to themselves without them having to leave the
next day.
Company A's tenure in Iraq was not without consequence, as
McKenzie continues to mourn the loss of Sgt. Dusty Carroll,
who was killed in an explosion near Baghdad on July 31. Also
injured in the blast were local soldiers Timmy Dyal and
Bobby Gulledge, and Milan soldier Chris Lewis.
Soldiers from the Milan and McKenzie units make up the
Tennessee Army National Guard's 230th Engineer Battalion.
They traveled from Ft. Sill, Oklahoma Tuesday morning, where
they had spent the last week conducting redeployment tasks.
Arriving at Memphis International Airport, the soldiers were
escorted by Tennessee State Troopers to their respective
cities, where local law officials provided additional escort
to the schools.
A community-wide celebration for the soldiers has been set
for Saturday, January 7, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the
McKenzie High School gymnasium. The soldiers will celebrate
after noon that day in Milan, according to Leonard.
Click here for many more homecoming photos. More
photos will be added to the album Wednesday.
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Huntingdon Officials Honor Carl Powell |
Huntingdon Mayor Dale Kelley commends Sgt. Carl Powell for
his contributions in Iraq. Alongside Powell is his wife,
Melissa Powell, who is a member of the Huntingdon Town
Council.
A seasonal plaque depicting the true meaning of Christmas
and a message of heartfelt thanks was presented to Sgt. Carl
Powell Tuesday evening, December 13, by Huntingdon Mayor
Dale Kelley. The presentation took place during a Christmas
evening celebration at Mallard's attended by department
heads and members of the Huntingdon Town Council. Powell's
wife, Melissa, is a member of the council.
The card, bound under a clear covering attached to a walnut
plaque, was signed by all the members of the council other
than Melissa, who was unaware the presentation would be
made. It thanked Carl, during a season of peace, for the
peace he was helping to promote in Iraq.
Powell is stationed in Ramadi with the 779th Maintenance Co.
in Centerville and Parsons, providing mechanical support to
the 2nd Marine Division. His two-week leave last until the
day after Christmas, when he will make the long journey back
to Iraq. Melissa said it took five days of travel for him to
arrive home. Luckily, travel time is not considered part of
his leave.
Powell spoke of intense heat, sand storms, and biting sand
fleas as among the most annoying aspects of life in the
desert. The troops are housed in former Republican Guard
barracks with walls that are some four feet thick. They were
previously housed in tents.
"Most of us in America don't realize the freedom and liberty
we have," said his wife. "Going through this experience
makes you appreciate it so much more."
He will have six more months to endure before he is able to
return home for good. The white haired soldier laughingly
said that many of his fellow soldiers call him Grandpa. The
majority of them, he suspects, will serve two tours of duty
in the country as many re-enlist during their first tour.
In other remarks, Kelly said 2005 marked a turning point for
the town of Huntingdon, when even those who thought big
projects might not succeed saw firsthand that they could. He
welcomed the only new department head, Mrs. Lee Warren, who
is in charge of the Dixie Carter Performing Arts and
Academic Enrichment Center. The center opened in November to
rave reviews and sold-out audiences.
The newest addition in the town's beautification efforts was
the completion of the log cabin on Main Street in the
extended Thomas Park. The park was enlarged when the High
Street and Main Street connection abbreviated Northwood
Drive, making the former extension available for other use.
Kelley expressed hope that he would, in 20 years, be able to
view additional changes in the blossoming town. Kelley has
been mayor for 14 years during which time the town has
expanded and enhanced its park system, installed the Carroll
County War Memorial, and built the Dale Kelley Sports
Complex as well as initiating downtown renovation and
founding The Dixie. Kelley is also active in promoting the
impending 1000-acre Carroll County lake.
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Holbrook Tickets Sell Out in First Day of Spring Ticket Sales |
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 Those hoping to attend Hal Holbrook's "Mark Twain Tonight"
performance, scheduled in Huntingdon's Dixie Carter Performing
Arts Center and Academic Enrichment Center for Tuesday, March
23, will have to wait. Spring ticket sales opened Sunday at 1
p.m. and by 4 p.m. every seat in the house was sold, said
Belinda Popplewell, administrative assistant to Director Lee
Warren. Ticket sales were brisk at the box office and on the
center's Web site (www.dixiepac.net) where 119 visits were
logged.
The $75 ticket price for the Mark Twain special marks the
center's first, quickly successful fundraiser. The Dixie
contains 471 seats.
"Today is the sixth anniversary of the December 20, 1999
announcement that The Dixie would be built," reported Warren
Monday, "and here we are spending our first Christmas in it."
She said normal ticket prices generally contribute only 40
percent of the costs incidental to putting on a performance
and that corporate sponsorships and grants from the Tennessee
Arts Commission supply the balance of operating funds.
"Bethel College stepped forward to be the official sponsor for
the Hal Holbrook performance. We hope the Tennessee Arts
Commission will soon be helping us as well," said Warren,
noting the town had made application for grants through the
commission.
Warren said spring season passes were also selling well at
$150 for a regular season pass, $60 for the Huntingdon Hayride
only and $20 for the children's package. Adults accompanying
children would also need to purchase a $25 pass good for the
two children's offerings: Tennessee Childrens' Dance Ensemble
on January 14 and 15 and The Alloy Orchestra Silent Films -
Comedy Shorts on April 30.
"That doesn't mean that anyone who wants to laugh can't come
that day," said Warren, noting adults would also enjoy the The
Alloy Orchestra, which is also performing the silent film "The
Phantom of the Opera" on April 29.
A third children's attraction is the Children's Art Festival,
an all-day event scheduled for May 13. Adults and children
will pay $7.50 each at the door.
Other spring events include: 2 Mule Plow (bluegrass music) on
January 21; Quilt Symposium on February 4; Quilters, a
co-production with Bethel College, February 16-19; The Mike
Snider String Band on February 25; Tricia Walker: "The Heart
of Dixie" Premier on March 10; Always... Patsy Cline
(featuring Kellye Cash) March 24-26; Writer's Conference on
April 8; King David, by Authur Honegger, on May 6; and Smoke
on the Mountain June 2-4. Huntingdon Hayride takes place the
third Saturday of each month with a special guest each month.
January's special guest is Elvis impersonator Travis Ledoyt.
For more information, visit The Dixie online at
www.dixiepac.net. |
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Banner to Launch Full Online Newspaper |
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Readers will soon be able to access the entire print
edition of The McKenzie Banner online. Joel Washburn, managing
editor of the newspaper, said an Internet-based electronic
edition, or e-edition, will be available worldwide each
Tuesday night beginning January 11.
The dateline on the newspaper will also change from Wednesday
to Tuesday, beginning with the new year, with no change in
press days or times, or delivery dates. The change reflects
the actual publishing date of the newspaper, which for many
years has been available as early as 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays.
The decision to offer the e-edition was made after years of
looking for the appropriate online model. In addition to an
attractive, easily navigable format, offering a full online
edition will eliminate problems some customers have reported
with the untimely receipt of newspapers delivered by the U.S.
Postal Service.
Recently, The Banner sustained pockets of poor delivery
service in the 383xx zip codes, said Washburn, who noted,
"Subscribers in the 382xx area codes have been getting great
service." Newspapers delivered to 383xx zip codes are routed
through the Jackson distribution center and experienced delays
of at least a day or two.
"The problem is not with the individual post offices but in
the delivery methodology used by the postal service," said
Washburn. "All newspapers, regardless of their destination,
are entered into the postal system Tuesday at 4:00 p.m." He
said The Banner has twice phoned the Jackson postal office in
hopes of resolving the issue and returning to "the great
delivery service everyone has become accustomed to."
Online readers will experience prompt delivery of news and
advertising via the redundant delivery systems, according to
Washburn. Local subscribers will receive the print product
through the mail plus a free e-edition subscription. User
names and passwords will be issued through the Banner Web site
at www.mckenziebanner.com, once the e-edition is launched.
The e-edition will be free for an introductory period of one
month, after which only registered subscribers will be able to
access the online version.
Once the e-edition is launched, the Web site will offer both
free and paid content. The free site will still contain
limited news stories, breaking news stories, and obituaries
updated each weekday. New to the free offerings each week will
be a complete catalog of display ads previously available only
in the print edition. Essentially, all print ads will appear
on paper with exact replica copies free on the Web.
The full contents of the print edition will be replicated in
the subscriber-based e-edition of the newspaper. No special
software is needed and no downloads will be required. Up to 30
weeks of The Banner will be archived. Subscribers will be able
to print the contents as needed.
With the advent of the e-edition, subscribers may choose to
receive e-mail alerts when updated e-edition content is
posted.
The local subscription rate of $22 annually (print and Web
edition) applies to the areas of Carroll, Weakley and Henry
counties plus the newly added areas of Benton and Gibson
counties.
Elsewhere in the United States, the annual subscription rate
is $36 (print edition only.) Persons outside the "local"
geographic area may choose to receive only the e-edition for
$22 annually.
Subscriptions may be purchased online, through the mail, or at
The McKenzie Banner.
The Banner maintains one of the lowest subscription rates in
the area. Compare The Banner's $22 local rate to $25 to $35
for other weekly newspapers, and the $36 "elsewhere" rate to
$35 to $55 for other newspapers. |
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Banner Photos |
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