COUNTRY CHEVROLET $12,988
READY TO DEAL!
DEAL OF THE WEEK! www.tryuschevy.com 476-2277
THE LEADER
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2013 ▪ VO L . 1 2 9 , N O. 3 3 ▪ T H E VO I C E O F TIPTON COUNTY S I N C E 1 8 8 6 ▪
$1
Sirens an issue in south end
By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com When a severe thunderstorm warning is issued, fire chief Alan Barkelew has to make a decision: send someone up a pole to activate a siren or let it remain silent. "I just can't send someone up there during a storm," he said Tuesday night. "I just can't do it." For months, he has been working to have more than half of the tornado sirens in South TipCHIEF ALAN ton County BARKELEW repaired. Munford/Atoka Fire Of the Department nine in Munford in Atoka, only three are fully operational and can be remotely activated with a radio signal: those at Atoka Town Hall, Rosemark Road and the House of Hope on Drummonds Road. The others – the sirens at Poplar and Valentine parks, Hwy. 51 at Tipton Road, Tracy Road, Kearns Circle and Inman Trucking – can
Don't depend on the sirens.
A HELPING HAND Family, friends and neighbors help remove fallen trees from Tony and Connie Cromwell's Mt. Lebanon Road home Friday morning after an EF-1 tornado touched down in the community four miles west of Covington. Photos by Echo Day
Tornado touches down By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com
SEE SIRENS, PAGE A3
The National Weather Service has determined an EF-1 tornado was the source of damage at two Mt. Lebanon Road homes last week. With approximate wind speeds of 95 miles per hour, the tornado is believed to have touched down at 6:05 a.m. It was on the ground for only four minutes, but the tornado caused significant damage. Tony Cromwell learned early Friday morning how quickly life can change. “I guess it was a tornado or straightline winds,” he said Friday morning. “It all happened within about five minutes.” A farmer, Cromwell was up by 5 a.m. to prepare for work. His wife, Connie, was asleep on the couch then, but she woke up and moved into the bedroom. An hour later, their home and the home of their neighbor, James “Bo” McClain, had been damaged beyond repair. “It sounded like hail hit the house, then it just exploded,” Cromwell said. “I run in the den and I could see the sky through the roof.” The roof had been ripped off, the ceilings had fallen in. Trees all around his property had fallen down, taking power lines with them, and now stood twisted and splintered. Three of the four grain bins across the street had been moved by winds: two were smashed into pine trees, the top of one of them was in the lake behind Cromwell’s house. Another bin was reportedly in a field a mile away. MemphisWeather.net reported the tornado’s path length was 1.3 miles. “It’s devastation,” he said. “It scared Connie to death. She was laying in the floor, screaming and hollering. It was loud, but I never really heard the wind.” Phones weren’t working and trees were blocking the doors and windows of Cromwell’s home. His daughter and her family, including her two children,
live in a trailer across the field. He climbed over the trees and borrowed his brother’s four-wheeler to check on them. “All I was concerned about was these kids, I was trying to get to them.” Thankfully, there were no injuries and only minor damage to his daughter’s home. “It didn’t hurt the trailer, but it moved her car. The wind also totaled my SUV and damaged my truck.” Within minutes family members, friends and neighboring farmers were at Cromwell’s home helping cleanup the damage. Outside, chainsaws buzzed for hours to remove the trees from atop the Cromwells’ house. Inside, dozens of other people were wiping down framed family photos, moving furniture out of the house and using shovels to scrape soggy insulation from the floors. It was an amazing show of support, the Cromwells said, and they would like to express their sincere thanks for the help and support they received on Friday. “Special thanks to Cromwell & Scott, LLC and crew, TC Vinyl & Crew, Sheri Richardson and Lynette DeGrazia for their long hours of hard work,” Cromwell said. “And to Teri Turner who provided breakfast to everyone that morning and to all others, too many to list, thank you. We are so blessed to live in such a wonderful community.” North of the Cromwell property, the tornado moved the McClain home off of its foundation. Dr. Jesse Can-
THE AMERICAN DREAM
One family, three grads By FRANCE GASQUET fgasquet@covingtonleader.com
TOP: Two of four grain bins across the road from Tony Cromwell's house ended up in a grove of pine trees near his home, a result of the tornado that hit at 6:05 a.m. Friday morning. ABOVE: A map shows the Cromwell property prior to the tornado.
SEE TORNADO, PAGE A3
When Ignacio Espinoza moved to Covington in 1995, he wanted to achieve the American dream. Working at a friend’s restaurant in Jackson, one afternoon Espinoza happened upon Covington and so he began working to meet his goals. “I wanted to open a restaurant of my own.” he said. “I thought Covington was a good-sized place to start since there were no other Mexican restaurants here.” Soon he opened La Pachanga and, later, Perico’s. During the early years of Espinoza’s restaurant business, his wife and three young children were still in Mexico. He was determined to create a better life for them in the United States. In 1999, his wife, Rosa, and
SEE GRADS, PAGE A3
SALUTING THE CLASS OF 2013
MARYVILLE STOPS MHS Lady Cougars win one of three at Spring Fling, A11 INSIDE: Terry finishes second in two events, A11
www.patriot-bank.com Like us on
Reader's Guide Opinion Obituaries Community Property Transfers Correspondents
A4 A6 A7 A7 A8
Puzzles Sports Faith Classifieds Legals
A10 A11 A12 A15 A16
We would like to wish you all a safe and happy summer! “Downhome Banking the Way It Should Be”
Our annual graduation section is inside today's edition.
www.patriotbankmortgage.com