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Bethel Reduces Staff, Budget, Sports Programs

McKENZIE (June 27) — Bethel University has slightly reduced the number of faculty and staff during the past week in an effort to balance the budget. more

7/2/24

Jason Compton, Dr. Jonathan Kee, and Dr. Kenneth Newman. Both Compton and Newman serve as members of the Jackson-Madison County Board of Education. Both had a significant influence on the life of Dr. Kee.

Huntingdon to Provide Free Student Lunches

HUNTINGDON (June 19) — Students at Huntingdon Special School District will have free breakfast and lunches beginning with the 2024-25 school year. more

By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com | 6/26/24

Principal Kelly Spivey (MHS Class of 1989) and MHSAA Treasurer Lauren Hickman (MHS Class of 2007), who presented a donation on April 24, 2024.

Alumni Association Makes Donation to MHS

The McKenzie High School Alumni Association made $500 in total donations during the 2023-24 school year to the McKenzie Elementary, Middle, and High schools. more

6/25/24

Paris and Henry County Healthcare Foundation President, James Smith and Scholarship winner, Brett Toombs.

McKenzie’s Brett Toombs Awarded McLean-Pedersen Scholarship

PARIS (June 17) — The Paris and Henry County Healthcare Foundation announced Brett Toombs, 2024 graduate of McKenzie High School, as the recipient of the 2024 McLean-Pedersen Endowment Scholarship. Toombs will attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the fall, where she plans to major in Physical Therapy. more

6/25/24

Pictured with Ava Mae is MHSAA Vice President Drew Beeler (MHS Class of 2020), who presented her with the award during Awards Day at MHS on May 10.

Warman Receives Alumni Association Scholarship

The McKenzie High School Alumni Association (MHSAA) presented senior Ava Mae Warman, MHS Class of 2024, with a scholarship in the amount of $1000. This is the first year for the scholarship to be awarded. more

6/18/24

Sherri Brawner with Lee Lawrence, School Principal when she earned Teacher of the Year for Weakley County in December 2023. She is now a finalist for Teacher of the Year for the West Tennessee division of Tennessee.

Sherri Brawner is Finalist For Teacher of the Year

GLEASON — Sherri Brawner, third grade teacher at Gleason Schools, is one of nine teachers in Tennessee vying for the distinction of Teacher of the Year. There are three finalist from each grand division of the state — West, Middle and East. Each now advances to the interview portion of competition in mid-June. more

6/18/24

Daniel Capua Welcomed As New MHS Band Director

McKENZIE (June 14) —Daniel Capua is the new band director for the McKenzie Middle School and McKenzie High School band programs. Capua is a 2024 graduate of UT-Martin, where he was in the marching band and served as field commander. He is a graduate of Westview High School. more

6/18/24

Willie Huffman is Retiring from TCAT-McKenzie, Paris

Two retirement receptions are scheduled for Willie Huffman, who is retiring as President of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll. The receptions are 2-4 p.m. Monday, June 17, at the TCAT in Paris and from 2-4 p.m. Thursday, June 20 at the TCAT in McKenzie. more

6/11/24

The tuition and fee proposals to be considered by the Board of Regents June 13.

Tennessee Board of Regents to Consider Tuition, Fee Increases

NASHVILLE (May 29, 2024) — At its June 13 quarterly meeting, the Tennessee Board of Regents will consider tuition and mandatory fee increases totaling 4.88 percent at the state’s technical colleges and from 4.58 to 5.37 percent (an average of 5.2 percent) at the community colleges, under recommendations approved today by the board’s Finance and Business Operations Committee. more

6/4/24

Jacob Sullivan is pictured with Rodney Freed, instructor of mass media and strategic communication.

Local Students Receive Mass Media, Strategic Communication Award

MARTIN (May 29) — Aubrey Abbott and Jacob Sullivan, both of Huntingdon, received awards from the University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Mass Media and Strategic Communication during a ceremony April 11. more

6/4/24

Three Bethel Alumni Receive Research Awards

McKENZIE — Bethel University announces three of its distinguished alumni, Dr. Mark Bell (MBA ’12), Dr. Lisa Tyler (MBA ’11), and Dr. Tiffany McCutcheon (MBA ’09), were awarded the prestigious Martin S. Bressler Distinguished Researcher Award by the Institute for Global Business Research. more

5/28/24

Bethel’s Gaines Pool to Close

McKENZIE — Bethel University’s Gaines Pool is slated to close because of the maintenance cost of the indoor swimming pool. more

5/28/24

TCAT-McKenzie to Break Ground on New Administrative Offices, Classrooms

McKENZIE — Construction will begin later this year on a new administrative and classroom complex at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at McKenzie. Construction is slated to begin in the fall of 2024 and take more than one year to complete. Bell and Associates is the general contractor. more

5/28/24

Five Retirees from McKenzie Special School District — Beth Bailey, Amy Wilkes, Tiffany Smith, Vera Shipp, and Keith Breeden.

McKenzie Special School District Hosts Year-End Banquet

McKENZIE (MAY 13) — Associates of the McKenzie Special School District were honored for their service during a year-end dinner held in the National Guard Armory on Monday, May 13. more

By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com | 5/21/24

SCOPE ATTENDEES — Tate Surber, Carter Kee, Emma Smith and Rachel Essary.

McKenzie Schools Hear About Possibility of Free Meals for Students

McKENZIE (May 7) — Could free school lunches for students be in the offing at McKenzie? That’s what is being explored in an effort to boost the number of students eating the school-provided lunches. more

5/14/24

McKenzie 2024 graduates toss their mortarboards in the air in celebration.

Hats Off to Class of 2024

CARROLL COUNTY — The weekend was filled with high school graduations in Carroll County from the five county high schools. The events began Friday, May 10 with graduations at Clarksburg and West Carroll, Saturday at Huntingdon, and Sunday at McKenzie and Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central. more

5/14/24

Mackenzie Morgan drop kicks Raven Black.

Memphis Wrestling Entertains at West Carroll High School

ATWOOD — Memphis Wrestling delighted fans at West Carroll High School with an outstanding show in the school’s gymnasium. The event was fundraiser for the War Eagle football team. more

5/7/24

Celebration of the Arts

Carroll Arts sponsored an important event on April 27 with the assistance of the Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center. more

5/7/24

Sherry Cockrill was honored for 39 years of teaching at West Carroll. Preston Caldwell, director of schools, is pictured with her.

West Carroll School Retirees Honored

ATWOOD (May 2) — West Carroll School District Board of Education bid farewell to two retirees on Thursday, May 2. more

5/7/24

The Hudson Family: The long tradition of Bethel students continues since 2006. (L to R): Ellen Hudson Clark — BS in Biology ‘12; Michael Hudson — BS in Biology ‘18; Trent Hudson (dad)- BS in Psychology ‘13; Alyssa Hudson — BS in Biology ‘24; Sherrye Hudson — MSCJ ‘13; Kelsey Hudson (daughter-in-law) — BS in Psychology ‘20; Matthew Hudson — BS in Biology ‘19; Trent’s sister — Jill Hudson Scott — BS in Biology ‘96 and MAT ‘03, and her son, Hansford, a current Bethel student. Not pictured: Jacob Hudson — BS in Computer Information Systems ‘11. Several years, there were at least three Hudsons enrolled at the same time.

Bethel University Confers 347 Degrees During Spring Commencement Ceremony

McKENZIE (May 4) — Bethel University conferred 347 degrees in associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s levels. more

5/7/24