THE LEADER THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 ▪ VO L . 1 2 8 , N O. 3 8 ▪ T H E VO I C E O F TIPTON COUNTY S I N C E 1 8 8 6 ▪
$1
TCSO searching for missing teen By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com
CHARLESTON – Detectives are searching for an 18-year-old missing from Covington, and they say they suspect foul play in his disappearance. James Jones Jr. was last seen at approximately 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the C-Town Market at the corner of Hwy. 51 and Ripley Ave. His vehicle was found at 6
a.m. at an abandoned storage building in the 6400 block of Hwy. 179. His family members reported him missing and deputies have been searching the area to find any sign of Jones. Detectives suspect foul play in Jones' disappearance after blood was found inside his Nissan Altima. "We have been searching for Mr. Jones since we received the call," said Sheriff Pancho
Chumley. "I will use every resource available to help locate this young man." Family members were on the scene Wednesday, parked and waiting in a grassy lot next to the building where Jones' car was located, but declined commenting on the case. Assisting in the search for Jones are agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the District Attorney General's Office Investigator Tommy
White, canines from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and an aerial search unit from the Memphis Police Department. "We are trying to locate anyone who has talked to or see Mr. Jones to help detectives and agents in this case." James E. Jones Jr. is 5'8", 230 pounds, has "chin strap" facial hair and may be wearing glasses. He was last seen wearing black pants, a black t-shirt style
SEE JONES, PAGE A3
Wounded warrior to be honored Friday By JEFF IRELAND jireland@covingtonleader.com Christian Brown hasn't been home to Munford since he was severely injured last December while on a Marine mission in Afghanistan. He's coming home tomorrow night, and there will be quite a reception waiting for him. The annual Munford-Brighton football game will be known as the Christian Brown Bowl this year. At 6:30, 30 minutes before game time at Dr. Sid Witherington Stadium in Munford, Brown will be escorted into the stadium by the Munford Police department and a motorcycle group consisting of area veterans. Brown will be presented with money raised through various fundraising efforts and honored with a ceremony. Todd Winfield, the president of the Munford High School booster club and a military veteran, organized the event. “I was thinking about it a while back and nothing brings the community together like football,” Winfield said. “So why not use that avenue to show support for our local wounded warrior.” Brown, who was awarded the Purple Heart, has been with his mother, Lynn Braden-Reed, at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Bethesda, Md., since his injury. Braden-Reed was approached about the idea for the Christian Brown Bowl several weeks ago. “He never played football, but he was always at football games,” Braden-Reed said. “They said they wanted to do a benefit in honor of him, and I'm thankful. I'm just so thankful for the whole community from Covington to Collierville.” After the game there will be a concert at Wyatt Earp's in Munford, which will also benefit Brown and his family. While he was recovering from his injury, Brown got a tattoo that reads “Break my body, not my spirit.” Over the past few weeks, more than 300 white shirts with Brown's motto printed on them have been sold. Winfield said people are being encouraged to wear them to the game.
HERITAGE DAY 2012 There were plenty of fun surprises in store at this year's Heritage Day festival on Saturday. Clockwise from top: A flash mob organized by the Junior Auxiliary put some excitement in the air; bottom right, the Simonton Wilcox Camp re-enacted the Yankees' visit to Covington 150 years ago; bottom left, sisters Nan Lindsey, left, and Kyle Witherington enjoyed dressing up in costumes for the Mother Goose parade Saturday morning. Photos by Echo Day and Laura Drew Holmes.
EVENT
Group organizing 5K for injured Drummonds woman By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com Tony and Lenore Torres' life changed forever last September when an accident left their daughter Jessica with a traumatic brain injury and in a minimally conscious state. "This could happen to me or you," Lenore said. "Even though there wasn't anything negative - drinking or texting - it could still happen at any time. People need to be aware that it can." Jessie was on a first date when the tire in her date's ve-
hicle blew, throwing Jessie from truck. She was airlifted to The MED and her parents didn't learn of the accident until seven hours later because she didn't have any emergency contact information with her. "That's the biggest thing I've learned from the accident," Tony said. "Paramedics want you to carry a card with your emergency contact information on it behind your driver's license." In the year since, Jessie, the vibrant young surgical tech who'd been in her best friend's wedding just days before the
accident, has undergone numerous surgeries, spent nearly two months in the trauma unit at The MED and 48 days at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Being in a minimally conscious state, Jessie shows little repeated reaction to stimuli. MCS is similar to a persistent vegetative state, however MCS patients have partial preservation of awareness. It is unknown whether Tony and Lenore – and their son Derrick – will ever have the old Jessie back, but they're hopeful one day the daughter they once knew will return.
"I see Tony and Derrick sitting outside, just talking," Lenore said with tears in her eyes. "And I can't have that with my daughter." In the meantime, Jessie's medical bills are mounting and her social security only covers half of the cost of the care she needs. To help offset the cost of her medical bills, a group of friends has organized the first 5K 4 Jessie. "Originally we wanted to get them a (wheelchair-accessible) van, but now we're raising money to help with expenses,"
HIGH HONORS
INSIDE The Cougars host in-county rivals, Brighton Cardinals, Friday night at Dr. Sid Witherington Stadium in the Christian Brown Bowl. A11
www.patriot-bank.com Like us on
said Mickey Cochran, Lenore's business associate who, along with Michele Stanford, Wendy Sims, Floyd Garrett and Darin Day, helped plan the event. The group hopes the event's contributions will help heal Jessie. "Their lives have really altered so drastically," Cochran said. The 5K 4 Jessie will take place at 1000 Ridgeway Loop in Germantown at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6. For more information and to sign up or donate, see www.5k4jessie.com.
Reader's Guide Opinion Obituaries Community Education Correspondents
A4 A6 A7 A8 A9
Sports Puzzles Faith Classifieds Legals
A11 A13 A14 A16 A17
Make your plans to attend the 40th annual BBQ Festival October 4, 5 and 6 at Cobb Parr Park.
Lt. Col. Bommer wins prestigious Air Force award. A7
www.patriotbankmortgage.com