THE LEADER THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012 ▪ VO L . 1 2 9 , N O. 6 ▪ T H E VO I C E O F TIPTON COUNTY S I N C E 1 8 8 6 ▪
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Atoka calls for increased fire safety Alderman says Munford needs to ‘pony up’ and increase staffing By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com
Atoka aldermen are making it clear: they are not happy with their fire service. After a heated discussion, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen decided to table the renewal its fire services contract with Munford until an escape clause could be better defined. “If you want to maintain the status quo, this is adequate,” said town attorney Lyle Jones. “If you need an escape hatch, this needs to be tightened up.” An escape hatch is just what officials seemed to want, even going so far as to agree to ex-
plore creating an independent fire department. The town currently shares a fire department with Munford, and both cities contribute to its budget, but officials in Atoka are fed up with how little their fire station is actually manned. “Munford’s never been unattended,” said alderman Mike Joyner. “It’s like we’re just giving them a gift, just giving them money.” ‘ Atoka’s fees contribute $310,000 of the fire department’s $676,000 budget. Though a plan has been put
in place to man the Walker Parkway station every night this month, it is not usually staffed overnight. On average, the station has manned less than 50 percent of the time for the last five years, a figure Fire Chief Alan Barkelew reports during monthly meetings. Barkelew said it is difficult to man both stations, covering both cities, with only two full-time firefighters on duty at a time. The fire department also has volunteers to help supplement staffing. "We're making all of our calls,
though," said Barkelew. "We're doing the best we can." The lack of adequate staffing has been a concern for the south cities for many years, but has been more of a hot topic lately when Munford did not budget funds for additional firefighters this year. Aldermen said a “handshake agreement” to increase staffing was made when the Atoka fire station was constructed, but there’s no documentation to support this. In Munford’s defense, Barkelew reported the mayor SEE ATOKA, PAGE A3
EVENTS
SPORTS
Dickens Christmas ‘will not disappoint’
Chargers are runners-up By JEFF IRELAND jireland@covingtonleader.com
Saturday night Covington's record-breaking football season officially ended as the team captains, arms linked together, accepted the second place trophy in the Class 4A BlueCross Bowl state title game (above). The Chargers led 14-0 in the first quarter, but Fulton denied Covington's state title bid with a big second half and went on to win 39-14. It was the Chargers' first loss. See Section B for stories and more photos on the game.
Pictured at right, Covington junior Daiquon Norfork slams Knoxville Fulton quarterback Penny Smith to the turf during first quarter action. Photos by Phil Ramsey/www.covingtonchargerfootball.com
Police: Loud music leads to fugitive arrest By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com Kevin Grandberry probably should have turned down his music. On Monday, Nov. 26, the 35-year-old was stopped on Simonton Street because his music could be heard more than 50 feet away from the
vehicle he was driving. Noises complaints are not uncommon in Covington, but they don’t usually land the offenders in jail. Dispatchers advised officers James Baugues and Greg Templeton that Grandberry didn’t have a valid driver’s license. In fact, Grandberry’s li-
cense hasn’t been valid since it was suspended by Lauderdale County in April 1996 because he didn’t pay a traffic ticket. Since that time, Grandberry has served a lengthy prison sentence for stealing nearly two dozen cars. “I remember him from when I was a young cop,”
said Allen Wilson, now the assistant police chief. “He had us, and the county too, running back then.” And Grandberry had Covington officers running again on Monday. He led officers on a foot pursuit after they were advised he had an active warrant out of Hardeman County for a burglary
SEE MUSIC, PAGE A3
The Covington-Tipton County Chamber of Commerce is transforming the Historic Square in Covington to mid19th Century Victorian England, bringing Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to life this Christmas season. “This is our second year to host this Dickens’ Celebration, as last year’s event was an amazing success,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lee Johnston. “We are expecting this year’s event will not disappoint… we have a grand community here in Covington and want to share our treasures and blessings all around.” This holiday celebration will be held on Dec. 8-9 and will feature many special events. On Saturday at 5 p.m. the community will gather around the courthouse lawn for the second annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Later that evening, the Germantown Symphony will be performing at the Historic Ruffin Theater. In addition to these scheduled events, carriage rides will be available for community members to enjoy for a small fee, and various choirs will gather in the Covington Square Park throughout the weekend. There will also be some new activities this year, including Tiny Tim’s Attic with crafts for children, Bishop’s Ballroom Dancing Demonstration and Lessons, and a Christmas Tour of Homes. Shops and eateries open year-round will be participating in the event as well. Volunteers from the community will be mingling around the Square dressed as well-known Dickens characters such as Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Marley’s Ghost and the Ghost of Christmas Past. The public is invited to join them in period costume. A WHOLE NEW WORLD
BRIGHTON FFA SELLING TREES Brighton's FFA is once again selling Fraser Fir trees to help fundraising efforts. A11
Reader's Guide Opinion A4 Obituaries A6 Community A7 Correspondents A8 A10 Puzzles
Education Sports Faith Classifieds Legals
A11 B1 B4 B6 B7
CIAA presents Aladdin Dec. 11-13. A12