The Leader

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The Leader Thursday, December 27, 2012 ▪ v o l . 1 2 9 , n o . 8 ▪ T h e v o i c e o f Tipton County s i n c e 1 8 8 6 ▪

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White Christmas

New coalition focuses on drugs By JESSICA COOKE jcooke@covingtonleader.com

The Tipton County Anti-Drug Coalition, which is still in the early stages of its development, held their monthly meeting on Thursday, Dec. 20 at 9 a.m. at the Covington PCS. Various members from the community were in attendance, including coalition officers as well as representatives from law enforcement, education and legislative institutions across the county. The coalition is a state-funded entity and is currently working on meeting contractual requirements as such. Due to an upcoming audit in January, last week’s meeting served to tie up several loose ends concerning the coalition’s formation, including the bylaws that had been drafted earlier this year and tabled for further discussion. Also discussed in the meeting were the Title IV policy and a member involvement agreement. The meeting also served to discuss the coalition’s immediate focus in terms of anti-drug efforts around the community. At present, they wish to focus on the abuse of prescription drugs, consistent with the Tennessee Prescription Safety Act of 2012. Coordinator Robin Racine presented an See drugs, page A2

brighton

Brighton aldermen sworn in By JESSICA COOKE jcooke@covingtonleader.com

The Brighton Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting on Dec. 12 began with newly-elected aldermen Melissa Sartain and Sarah Crocker being sworn into office. Aldermen Jim Wyatt and Philip Mathis, along with mayor Jeff Scott, were also sworn in at this time, having won re-election. Attending the meeting as guests were representatives from the local Eagle Scouts, who presented the board with a request to build 13 birdhouses in the park. The scouts presented the mayor with a diagram as to the location and specifics of the birdhouses, and quoted the cost of materials in the amount of approximately $300. The scouts wish to begin the project in February. A motion was made to approve the request for the project and its funding, which passed without opposition. Discussion was held concerning setting up a Facebook page for the Town of Brighton. Aldermen Sartain and Crocker reported that other cities in the area have presences on Facebook which have proven useful for publicizing events, fostering community involvement and serving many other positive roles. After some discussion, a motion was made and passed for aldermen Sartain and Crocker to set

A lot of people got their wish for a white Christmas when Tipton County was hit with three inches of the white stuff Christmas night. By Wednesday afternoon, local roads like Maple Drive (above) in Covington were mostly clear. Photo by Jeff Ireland

A look back at the news of 2012 By LEADER STAFF As we do at the end of each year, this week we’re reflecting on the year’s biggest stories. Following is a list of the stories that made 2012 memorable. We hope you enjoy this feature and welcome any comments you might have about the list. January: Jacob Brown sentenced to life without parole One day after he was convicted in the brutal murders of James “Ed” and Bertha “Bea” Walker, Jacob Brown took the stand, apologizing to the Walkers’ family members while his own father sobbed loudly in the hallway of the justice complex. The Walkers were found dead inside their Wiley Drive home in Munford on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. The couple was beaten so badly with an aluminum baseball bat – more than 40 times combined – police initially believed they’d been shot to death. Brown was questioned the following day and arrested after confessing to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Mark Reynolds. Though he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in September 2010, in March 2011 he was ruled competent to stand trial and was tried as an adult. The state charged him with two counts each of first-degree murder, felony murder and especially aggravated burglary. After deliberating for an estimated hour and a half Thursday night, a jury returned a verdict of guilty on all six counts. Charged with determining his sentence on the first-degree murder charges, the jury decided he should serve life without See year, page A2

See brighton, page A2

INSIDE

The murder trial of Jacob Brown, above, and the retirement of Jimmy Naifeh were among the top local stories in 2012. File photos

Rose parade

The top 10 sports stories of the year. A17

Reader's Guide Opinion A4 Obituaries A6 Community A7 Education A15 Sports A17

Puzzles A8 Faith A9 Classifieds A11 Legals A12

CHS band member plays in Rose Parade. A16

Start the New Year Right

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