THE LEADER THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 ▪ VO L . 1 2 9 , N O. 8 ▪ T H E VO I C E O F TIPTON COUNTY S I N C E 1 8 8 6 ▪
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Fugitives captured in Covington By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com Two men who escaped from the West Tennessee State Penitentiary earlier this week now face an additional five years in prison. Minimum custody inmates Ashton Siler, 21, and Dustin Wayman, 20, were captured early Wednesday morning north of Covington by Tipton County deputies. "At about 2:30 a.m., we received information regarding the escapees," said Sheriff Pancho Chumley.
"We combined efforts with the Tennessee Department of Corrections and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. I am pleased that the escapees are back in custody for the safety of the community." The pair was found near a pond north of Leigh's Chapel on the west side of Hwy. 51, just inside of Tipton County. The multijurisdictional search for Siler and Wayman began after the pair fled from custody. "Both were close to being released from prison when
they left," said Tennessee Department of Correction spokesperson Dorinda Carter. Siler was serving an eight-year prison sentence for drug convictions out of Madison County and would have been eligible for parole next year. Wayman was serving a two-year sentence for auto burglary out of Knox County. His sentence was due to expire in January. Siler and Wayman were on the run for two days before being apprehended, but
other escapees have never been found. According to the TDOC website, Chester Manis, who was born in 1926, escaped from the same prison in 1946. If he's still alive, Manis is the fugitive who has been on the run the longest of any other in Tennessee history. He would be 87 years old today. SILER WAYMAN Clifton Carter, who Fugitives Ashton Siler and Dustin Wayman were escaped from Ft. Pillow in apprehended north of Covington early Wednesday 1965, and Edward Gray, morning. who escaped in 1980, are also still missing.
CRIME
Tonight is opening night for "You Can't Take it with You" at The Ruffin. Photo by Jeannie Nelson
‘You Can't Take it with You’ to open By FRANCE GASQUET fgasquet@covingtonleader.com Following a successful run of "The Hobbit," the Ruffin Theater committee is pleased to announce their next big production, "You Can’t Take It With You." Lorraine Birchfield, past director of such favorites as "Miss Minerva and William Green Hill" and "Clue," is directing "You Can’t Take It With You." The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on Dec. 14, 1936, and ran for 837 performances, winning the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The comedy has three acts and was written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. In 1938, Jean Arthur, Jimmy Stewart and Lionel Barrymore starred in the movie version; and the film won the Oscar for Best Picture. The play tells the story of a man from a family of rich snobs who becomes engaged to a woman from a good-natured, but decidedly eccentric, family. Performances of this romantic comedy are April 4-6 at 7 p.m. and April 7 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ruffintheater.org or at the box office. Prices are $10 for adults, $6 for students, military, and senior citizens.
Sheriff Pancho Chumley, center, joined U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton III and District Attorney General Mike Dunavant for a press conference announcing federal drug indictments Wednesday morning. Photo by Justin Hanson
Federal charges announced Six people from Tipton and Lauderdale counties have been indicted by a federal grand jury on a range of federal drug offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and Attorney General Mike Dunavant of the 25th Judicial District. “When we announced this collaboration between federal and state prosecutors last year, I made a promise to the citizens of West Tennessee that drug felons will be held accountable and face
federal prosecutor,” said General Dunavant. “This office and our law enforcement partners in each county will use every resource at our disposal to remove drug felons from our communities and bring them to justice.” Those indicted from Tipton County are: • Anthony Alston, 34, of Covington, TN. Alston is charged with two counts of possession of less than 500 grams of a mixture
stiff and severe consequences for their criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “The federal indictments we are announcing today are a clear reminder that we are remaining true to that promise and vigilant in keeping our communities safe.” “With these latest federal indictments, the citizens of Fayette, Lauderdale, and Tipton counties are seeing the tangible results from my decision to assign Jennifer Gillis as a special
SEE CHARGES, PAGE A3
THINGS TO DO
Events: Eggs, Expo and barbecue set for this weekend By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com This weekend the county will be abuzz with activity, from barbecueing to gardening and storytelling. On Friday, the inaugural Atoka BBQ Festival kicks off
in Nancy Lane Park. Teams will begin cooking and rocker Tori Tollison will take the stage at 8 p.m., followed by the band Section 8 at 9:30 p.m. The event continues Saturday morning with turn-ins, arts and crafts vendors and a performance by Emma Webb at GOOOOOOAL! Soccer season has kicked off in Tipton County, B1
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4:30 p.m. (See insert in today's issue for more information.) On Saturday morning, the City of Munford will host its Easter Egg Drop at Valentine Park. The weather has postponed this event twice, but sunny skies make Saturday look promising for a belated
Easter egg hunt. More than 20,000 eggs will be dropped by a helicopter at 10 a.m. The Tipton County Master Gardeners' annual Lawn and Garden Expo will begin at 8 a.m. at Brighton Middle School. This year's speakers include UT Extension Horti-
culture Specialist Carol Reese, Shelby County Master Gardeners Director and host of the PBS program "The Family Plot" Chris Cooper and University of Arkansas Horticulture Specialist Janet Carson. Admission is free and the
SEE EVENTS, PAGE A2
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Reader's Guide Opinion Obituaries Community Correspondents Sports
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Puzzles Faith Classifieds Yard Sales Legals
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Patriot Bank Mortgage is now offering down payment assistance of up to $5,000 for qualified homebuyers. Please call us at 901-840-1911 or 901-475-6680 today for more details.
This week a proclamation was signed, designating April Child Abuse Prevention Month, B10
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