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2001-2004 ARCHIVES
2005 ARCHIVES
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News Headlines
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
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Bruceton Couple survive devastating Tornado |
By Ernie Smothers
smothers@mckenziebanner.com |
Dwight and Keisha Bone's home on Bruceton-Vale Road was
destroyed by a Tuesday afternoon tornado in Carroll County.
BRUCETON - For Dwight and Keisha Bone, November 15 will
forever bear a distinct significance. It will be remembered
as the day the couple survived two separate tornado impacts
to their home and lived to tell about.
Mr. Bone, standing in the back yard of his heavily damaged
property located at 830 Bruceton-Vale Road, stated, "It's
one of those things you never expect to happen to you, but
my family is alright, and we're going to be okay." Several
friends, with tools in hand, were on site to begin the
arduous task of restoring large storage buildings that had
sustained major structural damage during the violent storm.
Bruceton Mayor Robert T. Keeton, arriving from surveying
storm damage to his family-owned rental property adjacent to
the Bone residence, offered assistance to the couple,
stating, "I'm sorry this happened, and if there's anything I
can do to help y'all, I will."
Inside her debris strewn home, Mrs. Bone stated sincerely,
"We were very blessed and looked over during this storm. We
are very fortunate."
Mrs. Bone, an employee of Dupont in New Johnsonville, stated
that Julie Higdon, a fellow employee who resides in Hollow
Rock, had received notification from her mother warning of
an impending storm approaching the Bruceton area. Mrs. Bone
informed that as she listened to Higdon tell about her plans
to go home, she felt compelled to do so as well. "I really
see Julie as being an angel to me and my family. Her
deciding to go home led me to do so as well," she noted.
Mrs. Bone continued, "I work a lot of hours, and I am never
home at three in the afternoon during the week. When I got
there, everything seemed fairly normal outside. My husband
was home, asleep in the recliner in the living room, unaware
that storms were approaching."
Mrs. Bone stated that upon waking her husband, he decided to
go out and feed the bulls, returning a few minutes later.
At approximately 3:35, Mrs. Bone called to check on her son,
Dakota, an eighth grader at Central Middle School. She was
informed that Central had locked down its school in order to
protect students from the storm that had arrived moments
before.
"As I hung up the phone, I looked out the front window and
saw this huge black cloud coming through the front yard. I
yelled for my husband, and we started down the stairs toward
the basement. Pictures from the basement began to rise up
and float past us in the stairwell. The house began to
breathe, with the walls going in and out. The roar was
unbelievable," she stated.
Mrs. Bone noted that the tornado first impacted the front of
the house. She explained, "I ran upstairs after it hit and
saw that the front wall was torn up, and immediately turned
and went back down to the basement. That's when the second
impact occurred." The second impact removed the living room,
where her husband had been sleeping, completely from the
house.
"I'm a sentimental person, and I'm thankful the tornado
didn't destroy the curio cabinet that contains so many
knick-knacks from my grandmother. You know, it's strange how
the suction could tear receptacles from the walls but leave
other things intact," she noted.
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Company A Soldiers Expected Home in December |
By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
IRAQ: McKenzie National Guard Company A, 230th Engineers,
who have been serving in the war in Iraq since January, are
readying for redeployment back to the United States, according
to word received from Lieutenant Colonel Lee E. Tafanelli,
commanding officer of 891st Battalion.
In an email sent to local members of the Family Readiness
Group, Tafanelli stated intentions are to depart Iraq sometime
during the first week of December. Although not allowed to
communicate specific dates in order to protect out-going and
in-coming soldiers, Tafanelli anticipates soldiers returning
to their home armories sometime during the third week in
December.
"We still have much work to do here and our soldiers are busy
conducting current operations, preparing for our transition
with out replacements and beginning the deployment process.
"Over the next few weeks, soldiers will be packing up
equipment, going through briefings and medical screenings as
well as a myriad of other redeployment tasks in preparation
for our return home," he wrote.
Upon leaving Iraq, soldier will travel to Ft. Sill, where they
will receive a very thorough medical check-up to ensure any
medical situations are documented, before returning to their
unit armories. Family members are discouraged from traveling
to Fort Sill.
"I know I cannot tell our family members what they can and
cannot do," wrote Tafanelli. "However, I would ask that
(family members) please consider this request as you make your
plans. If our situation or schedule can accommodate time with
families we will do our best to make that happen.
"Trying to manage the briefing schedule, medical, dental,
benefits validation, certificates of discharge requirements
for almost 600 soldiers will be challenging enough without
having the complication associated with soldiers eager to
spend time with their family.
Tafanelli continued, "Our soldiers have done a tremendous job
and everyone can be very proud of their accomplishments." |
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Inaugural "Huntingdon Hayride" Delights
Audience |
By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
We've got photos!
Click Here to view our photo album
of the opening weekend at The Dixie
Square dancers kick up the fun
at Huntingdon Hayride Saturday.
HUNTINGDON - Elvis Presley once performed at the Louisiana
Hayride. Chris Lash hopes to find the next Jessica Andrews
at the Huntingdon Hayride. Saturday's premier event of the
variety show at the Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center
provided an ensemble of performers who provided an eclectic
variety of styles and talents.
Kellye Cash Sheppard, former Miss Tennessee and Miss
America, performs during The Huntingdon Hayride.
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The Hal Holbrook Theatre, inside the new Dixie Carter
Performing Arts Center, was decorated with bales of straw
situated in front of a painted background of an old barn and
shotgun-style frame home. The event, to be staged monthly,
is the brainchild of Chris Lash, manager of WDAP radio
station in Huntingdon. Lash served as emcee for the event.The inaugural event included the Music Highway Band, Andy
Williams, The Tennesseans, Catherine Ritter, Megan Taylor
and Richard Anderson, the legendary Carl Mann, Mean Mary and
Jamestown, Laura Salazar, Amy Pierce, Linda Hollowell, The
Gospel Edition, Kellye Cash, and center namesake, Dixie
Carter.
The Tennesseans from Bruceton provided gospel entertainment.
The two-hour show began with Andy Williams performing
"Matchbox" in memory of Val and Carl Perkins. The
Tennesseans, minus the ailing Wayne Hodge, performed second;
Catherine Ritter, a finalist in the Colgate Country
Showdown, performed third; Megan Taylor and Richard Anderson
performed fourth; and Carl Mann closed out the first half.
Mann, a longtime resident of Huntingdon, performed Mona
Lisa, his million-selling 1950s hit. Mann and Lash recently
visited Sun Studios in Memphis, where Mann has been contracted
to record a new album. He also performed "Long Black Train" in
memory of Johnny Cash.
Carl Mann performs his
1950s hit, Mona Lisa. Mann is a regular on the
Hayride.
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During intermission, Hal Holbrook delighted the audience by
signing autographs and posing for photographs in the lobby.
He joined the audience in the auditorium for the second half
of the show.
Opening the second half were Mean Mary and Jamestown
performing "Sugartree Mountain" and the "Orange Blossom
Special". Amy Pierce delighted the audience with "Me and
Bobby McGee" and "Say You Will". Linda Hollowell, who serves
as producer for the Hayride, performed one vocal number,
followed by The Gospel Edition, Laura Salazar, former Miss
America Kellye Cash, and Dixie Carter.
Laura Salazar performs "Danny Boy".
An emotional Dixie Carter formed "Old Friends" during the
Hayride.
Amy Pierce performs "Me and Bobby McGee".
Dixie's sister Melba Helen of California and aunt Helen
Hillsman of McLemoresville attended the Hayride.
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Cash had just returned from the premier of the movie "Walk
the Line", which details the life and times of her uncle,
Johnny Cash. She said the movie is a tremendous portrayal of
the late singer. Cash performed "(I) Still Miss Someone", a
hit performed by Johnny Cash and written by Kellye's father. Dixie Carter closed the show with songs from her cabaret
act. An emotional Dixie performed "Old Friends" as her
opening number then, weepy-eyed, generated several rounds of
applause with the lyrics "Old Friends are There for Sad
Times, Not Just the Glad Times." |
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