THE LEADER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 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 ▪
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Atoka gets $1.1M safe room grant By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com City leaders made a big announcement on Tuesday – Atoka has received a $1.1 million grant to build a safe room. The 9,000 square foot facility will be able to house more than 1,300 people in an emergency and will be the new home of the Atoka Police Department, said Town Administrator Brian Koral. "It's one of the first safe rooms in the state to be ap-
proved as a multi-use facility," he said. "It's a building that will be in use every day." The facility, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and a local cash match, will be designed to withstand an earthquake and the 250 miles per hour wind speeds of an F-4 tornado. "It will be able to stand up to almost anything we'll see here," Koral said.
He also said the city will be required to pay some of the cost because the entire facility – such as HVAC areas and the server room – cannot be used to house residents during an emergency. Final details of its planned use are still undecided, but Koral said city leaders plan to open it up in the event of a tornado or severe storm warning. "You really don't want people driving for 30 minutes if they're in imminent danger
of a tornado." The facility will not be used for long-term housing in the event of a disaster, but will only be for short-term use. Koral said five square feet of space is allocated per person and the safe room will also accommodate people in wheelchairs and those who are bedridden. The building will be part of the town's master plan for municipal offices, a plan that includes a possible move for the public works facilities and
a facelift for the existing Town Hall structure. "This is just a piece of the larger project," he said. The safe room will likely be located behind Town Hall on Atoka-McLaughlin. "We have a three-year time limit, which isn't a tight timeline itself, but there are other factors involved in the master plan." City leaders formally accepted the grant in Nashville Monday.
DECISION 2012
Early voting begins in Covington, Munford By JEFF IRELAND jireland@covingtonleader.com
At the Field of Flags event Friday, members of the military, as well as retired servicemembers, posted flags prior to the annual event that raises funds for the Exchange Club-Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Above, Sgt. Matt Caldwell (130th MP Company, Army National Guard) represented Operation Enduring Freedom. Photos by Jessica Cooke
Ceremony plants colors for event By JEFF IRELAND jireland@covingtonleader.com Several local veterans were honored last Friday at Patriot Park in Covington as the Covington Exchange Club kicked of its “A Field of Flags” program with a ceremony. “Overall, the response was tremendous,” said Jeff Phillips, the Exchange Club's secretary and organizer of the event. “We learned some things we'll do different next year, but it was a great event.” Lt. Commander Bill Jim Davis, retired from the U.S. Navy, planted in a flag in honor of World War II veterans. Lt. Junior Grade Frank McBride (U.S. Navy, retired) represented the Korean War and Master Sgt. Kelly Hanson (U.S. Air Force, retired) represented the Vietnam War. Yoeman Senior Chief Patsy Moore (U.S. Navy, retired) and Interior Communications Electrician Chief Richard Moore (U.S. Navy, retired) planted flags in honor of veterans from Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Specialist Cody Irwin (U.S. Army National Guard) represented Operation Iraqi Freedom and Sgt. Matt Caldwell (130th MP Company, Army National Guard) represented Opera-
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tion Enduring Freedom. Samara Tate of Scout Troop 43009 in Ripley and Staff Sgt. Shane Perry placed flags in honor of all veterans. A display of American flags with each flag representing the life of a patriot will be presented, whether it be a war veteran, active military personnel, National Guard member, reservist, firefighter or law enforcement officer who serves in our community today, or in memory of those who have served in the military of their country, or someone who has lost their life in the line of duty. For each person honored or remembered, an American flag will be placed bearing the honoree’s name and the donor’s name. Each flag will be three by five feet in size and attached to an eight-foot flag pole. Flags will fly Nov.1-14 to celebrate the Veteran’s Day holiday at the following locations: Atoka, Brighton, Covington, and Munford. The flag will be the property of the donor after Nov. 14. The cost of the flag will be $25. For more information, contact any Exchange Club member or the Carl Perkins Center at 476-1515. The deadline is Oct. 26.
Above, Samara Tate helps place a flag during the Field of Flags ceremony at Patriot Park Friday in Covington. ► HONOR YOUR VETERAN The Leader is currently accepting photo submissions for its annual "Salute to Veterans" section. See more details on page A3.
Early voting in the November general election started yesterday in Tipton County and will continue until Nov. 1. The Tipton County Election Commission Office, located at 113 East Church St. in Covington, and the Munford Municipal Board Room at 70 College St., will be open for voters Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Tuesdays and Thursdays (8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Saturdays (8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Neil Bell, Tipton County's administrator of elections, said early voting is becoming more and more popular. “We do encourage people to vote early,” Bell said. “Frankly, it relieves a lot of stress on us on election day … On election day, there are usually long lines in the morning, at noon and about 5 or 5:30 when people get off work. Those are the busiest times.” Several district lines were redrawn recently, which could be another reason for people to take advantage of early voting. “You know, some people don't like the redrawn district lines,” Bell said, noting that the percentage of people who vote earlier increases every election. “You can go to Covington or Muford and it's easier on everybody.” The race for president is of course garnering the most attention as the Nov. 6 election nears. But there are also a lot of local races on the ballot for Tipton County voters to consider. Incumbent Brighton Mayor Jeff Scott is being challenged by Earl Kinney Bridges. Five people – Sarah Crocker, Phillip Mathis, Melissa Sartain, George Smith and James Wyatt – are running for four Brighton alderman slots in Brighton. In Covington, there will be a contested race for District 1 alderman between incumbent Shelvie Rose and Minnie Bommer, who ran for mayor several years ago. Down in Atoka, Walker Adams, Brett Giannini, Bobby Hutchison, Richard Kiphut, Chris McConnell and Bradley Ross are running for three alderman seats. SEE VOTING, PAGE A3
ALL-AMERICAN BAND
INSIDE
Our annual "Fall Frenzy" guide to Tipton County's autumn events is in today's edition as well as our October 2012 voter's guide, just in time for early voting!
Reader's Guide Opinion A4 Obituaries A6 Community A7 Correspondents A8 Sports A11
Puzzles Faith Classifieds Legals Business
A13 A14 A16 A17 A19
MHS Band member Rebecca Carpenter honored by Army. A10
Early Voting!
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October 17, 2012 - November 1, 2012
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