By Deborah Turner

Dixie Carter thanks guests for their attendance in the center that is named in her honor.

McKenzie native Mark Oakley is pictured second right of Carrie Underwood at American Idol performance.

Former McKenzie Musician Mark Oakley appeared with country songbird Carrie Underwood on the hit television show "American Idol" Wednesday night, May 24. Oakley serves as band leader and guitarist for Underwood, who performed on the show as last year's American Idol winner.

Underwood, Oakley and other members of the band are touring throughout the United States as the opening act for a portion of Country Music Star Kenny Chesney's summer tour.

Underwood and her band recently performed during the Academy of Country Music Awards televised show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, May 17, where Carrie took home two awards, Top Female Vocalist and Single of the Year for her hit, "Jesus Take the Wheel."

In recent years, Oakley has put to use his exceptional musical talent by performing in the bands of several top name stars, including Martina McBride, Jewel, LeAnn Rimes, Amy Grant, and Michael W. Smith.

A 1987 graduate of McKenzie High School, Oakley is the son of Thomas and Patty Oakley of McKenzie. He and his wife, Kristi (Barlow) reside in Kingston Springs with their three sons, Chandler, Carter and Henry.

Laken Comer presents the groups finding to members of the McKenzie City Council.
 

McKenzie's Freedom Festival will be held Monday, July 3 rather than the 4th dues to an inadvertent mix-up in dates. Mayor Walter Winchester announced the change during the Thursday, May 25 regular meeting of the McKenzie Board of Mayor and Council.

Also announced was a list of festivities that will precede the 9 p.m. fireworks display. From 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. the Turkey Creek bluegrass gospel group will perform after which Cruise Control will perform until 9:00 p.m. Concessions, a parade sponsored by the Morning Glory Garden Club, and other attractions are in the planning stages.

Council member Darra Adkins advised community members to come early, eat supper at the park and enjoy the entertainment.

Council member, who arranged the Turkey Creek performance touted the group as a talented bunch of young people. See www.turkeycreekbluegrass.com for more information.

McKenzie Youth Present Community Improvement Project

MHS outgoing juniors Samantha Doster, Laken Comer, and Lauren Hickman were among two teams of students who undertook a project to review McKenzie's good and not-so-good points.

The youth of McKenzie have no entertainment resources, said McKenzie High School outgoing juniors who participated in an Industrial Board Project in which the board armed the teens with cameras and charged them to report back on what was good--and what was bad--about McKenzie. Present were former juniors Lauren Hickman, Laken Comer, and Samantha Doster.

Samantha Doster, Laken Comer, and Lauren Hickman address council members.

"Our entertainment is driving from McDonald's to the Sonic," said spokesman Laken Comer, prompting laughter from council members who recalled their drive was from the Polar Bar to the Dairy Queen.

Collectively the junior and senior teams identified strengths as Factory Connection (the only clothing store in town), College Drive (convenient access to downtown), Bethel College (brings diversity and allows people to attend college locally), new sidewalks (convenient access for Bethel students, attractive, safe), Mulberry Park (renovated for school and community use), YMCA (provides activities for all ages), Carroll Lake (recreation and fishing), Mi Pueblito restaurant (represents all growing businesses), Carroll Lake Golf Course (recreational entertainment for all ages), Mega-Mart (located at an intersection between two highways and provides diesel for truckers), Webb Center (provides community-based programs), City Park (recreational area for families and community); Presbyterian Church conversion to performance hall, Rural King, Republic Builders, and Carroll County Airport.

Improvements needed were resurfacing the tennis courts, additional improvements needed at Mulberry to basketball courts and the addition of sidewalks, removing piles of city-dumped asphalt and other materials near Mulberry Park, a more active downtown merchants association, housing developments to draw young people, abandoned buildings, need for theater renovation, attention to odor from sewer system in region of Dairy Queen and Save-A-Lot.

Also mentioned was the rundown condition of the old skating rink on Highway 79 towards Trezevant, which is used for indoor practice by several girls softball teams, and that the YMCA needed to be expanded.

City Clerk Charlie Beal suggested the team be incorporated as a youth advisory council to the mayor and council.

IDB Director Billy Barksdale said the purpose of the groups was to see McKenzie through a "different set of eyes."

"In order to grow we need to have a vision," he said, "and these young people--we need to keep them in our community."

Holland said the youth's input was a great idea to provide fresh inspiration. "These are our future leaders," she said. Adkins suggested the displays be saved for future comparisons as improvements are made within the city. Winchester also thanked the team for their presentation.

In other business the council:

Approved the proposal of certified public accountant John Poole of Hendersonville to perform the city's annual audit. The firm agreed to perform the service for $8900 guaranteed over four years. Also bidding for the contract was the John R. Reese CPA firm of Martin, with a bid of $11,000 based on 150 hours.

Approved on second and final reading an ordinance to annex three small regions on the city's northern border as well as zoning for the region. Holland registered her displeasure with the action, saying it should be postponed until the city is also able to annex the PawPaw Road region that was excised by the planning commission from the proposal because (1) providing services would be prohibitively expensive at this time, and (2) in order to provide police and fire protection city vehicles would have to travel outside the city limits in order to access the region. Holland voted no to the annexation issue. Voting for the measure was Arthur, Willie Huffman, Adkins, and Wade Allen. Vive-Mayor Gene Hale was absent.

Approved on second reading an ordinance to provide zoning services to the annexed regions, which were classified as urban agricultural;

Jerry Arthur said paving should be completed next week. "I've had more compliments on this that anything we've done," he said regarding sidewalk and street renovations.

 

Area unemployment figures remained stable during the April reporting period, according to latest statistics released by the Tennessee Department of Employment Security.

Carroll County unemployment rate for April is 6.2 percent, down from 6.7 percent in March. From a labor force of 13,370, a total of 12,540 were employed, leaving 830 unemployed.

"There were some very small increases throughout the service producing areas (in Carroll County)," said Judith Bradberry, state labor market analyst.

Henry County's jobless rate for April is 7.3 percent, down from 7.9 percent in March. From an available work force of 13,700, a total of 12,700 were employed, leaving 1,000 jobless.

Dawson stated slight increases occurred in most of the service producing sectors in that county.

Weakley County's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.8 percent in April and no significant changes occurred in the job market. From a labor force of 15,520, a total of 14,610 were employed, leaving 900 jobless.

Tennessee's unemployment rate for the month of April is 5.4 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from the seasonally adjusted March rate of 5.1 percent, according to Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development James Neeley. The national unemployment rate for April is 4.7 percent, the same as the March rate.

"Tennessee economy continues to create significantly more jobs, close to 30,000 from March to April according to the business survey," said Commissioner Neeley. "The month to month increase in the unemployment rate is largely due to the increase in the number of people looking for work in Tennessee. That number, according to the household survey, grew by 18,800 since March. A large number of new people entering the labor force is a positive sign Tennessee is experiencing a healthy economy."

March-to-April figures show increases in leisure and hospitality, up 11,800 jobs. Employment in professional and business services increased by 3,600. Federal, state and local government employment increased by 3,400 jobs. Month-to-month employment decreases took place in local government educational services with 700 jobs lost. Clothing and clothing accessories store employment dropped by 500 jobs, and primary mental manufacturing lost 300 jobs.

From April 2005 to April 2006, trade, transportation and utilities increase by 10,400. Jobs in leisure and hospitality rose by 9,200 and educational and health services jobs increased by 6,600. Employment decreased in manufacturing by 5,700, food and beverage stores by 1,200 and federal government jobs by 800.