Mayor Edwards Swears in Huntingdon Firefighters

HUNTINGDON (July 28) — The Huntingdon Fire Department reached a historic milestone Tuesday night as five of the town’s six full-time firefighters were sworn into service during the Town of Huntingdon's July meeting.

Huntingdon Mayor Chad Edwards administered the oath to firefighters Tim Walton, Brad Hampton, Brett Hampton, Noah Maxwell and Brian McDowell.

"The men standing before us have demonstrated dedication and accepted a call that few are willing to answer," Mayor Edwards said of the men.

Tuesday marked the first time any firefighter for the Town of Huntingdon had been officially sworn into service, an initiative led by Huntingdon Fire Chief John Fordon. Following the ceremony, Chief Fordon presented each firefighter with a badge.

That night, the Huntingdon Town Council also voted on second reading to replace a section of the Huntingdon Municipal Code relating to Fire Protection and Fireworks, at the recommendation of Chief Fordon.

There were several gray areas in the previous section that required updating, Fordon said. In the new section, the town clarifies that fireworks can be stored, used and expended within town limits for personal use from June 20–July 5 and from December 10–January 2 of each year and can only be used during the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The updated code in its entirety is available for viewing at Huntingdon City Hall.

The council also agreed to amend sections from the Huntingdon Municipal Code's Beautification Committee regarding membership, terms and administration. They appointed the following Huntingdon Beautification Members (three-year terms): Lori Dillahunty, Starr Rawls, Trudy Able, Jess Moss, Kristen Dillahunty, Dixie Atkinson, Peggy Allen, Hilda Wallace, Mary Glenys Espey and Josh Todd. Councilperson Kelly Eubanks was appointed to the board as a non-voting liaison.

Donna Butler was appointed to the Board of Zoning Appeals as Huntingdon's municipal planning commission representative for a three-year term. Butler replaces Carl Nolen, who recently resigned from Huntingdon's planning commission.

After receiving notification that the town's Oak Hill & Clark Cemetery Trust at First Bank would soon be managed by a company in Middle Tennessee, the board authorized Mayor Edwards and Town Recorder Kim Carter to open a new trust account at Carroll Bank & Trust and transfer funds from the old trust into it.

In the council's last order of business, it was voted to amend the definition of "concessions" in the town's memorandum of understanding with The Friends of The Dixie Inc.

The amendment defines concessions as food and non-alcoholic drinks that are not regulated by the state Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The town and The Friends of The Dixie split profits from concession sales.

The change follows a survey released by The Dixie, which asked if the community was interested in purchasing alcoholic beverages at shows.

The Huntingdon Beer Board convened after the regular council meeting. Following a public hearing that yielded no response, the board voted to grant a permit to sell beer at retail for off-premise consumption to Martin & Bayley Inc., doing business as Huck’s #385, at 23 Veterans Drive N.

The council’s next meeting is at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, August 25 at Huntingdon City Hall.