THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014 ▪ A6 www.covingtonleader.com
Kelvin Moody September 7, 1954 – September 17, 2014 Kelvin Moody, 60, of Brighton, passed away on Wednesday, September 17, 2014. Memorial serviceswere held on Friday, September 19 at the Covington Funeral Home chapel. He is survived by his wife, Claudia Moody; two sons, Kevin Moody of Brighton and Daniel Moody of Covington; one sister, Bonnie Moody of Maine and five grandchildren. Friends may sign an online guestbook at www.covingtonfuneralhome.com. The Leader (Covington, Tenn.) Thursday, September 25, 2014
Robert Davie Peeler September 5, 1945 – September 18, 2014 Robert Davie Peeler, 69, passed away on the evening of September 18, 2014. Mr. Peeler was a member of the Covington First United Methodist Church and reitred Manager and Farmer at the Covington Airport and Ginner at Tennessee Gins, and served in the Tennessee National Guard. Mr. Peeler is survived by his children, James Drew (Susan) Peeler of Covington and Lauren Peeler (Zane) Bell of Franklin, TN; four grandchildren; his mother, Velma Peeler; his brothers, General Sessions Judge William “Bill” (Nancy) Peeler and their family and George H. (Molly) Peeler, Jr. and their family. Mr. Peeler was preceded in death by his father, George H. Peeler, Sr. The services for Mr. Peeler were held on Sunday, September 21, at the First United Methodist Church in Covington. Interment took place at Shiloh Cemetery with Rev. Wade Cox officiating. In lieu of flowers the family has requested that memorials be sent to the First United Methodist Church Samaritan Fund or the Bread of Life Fund. If you would like to sign the online obituary please visit www.maleyyarbrough.com. The Leader (Covington, Tenn.) Thursday, September 25, 2014
Samuel A. Kidd September 4, 1932 – September 21, 2014 Samuel A. Kidd, 82, of Ashland, Miss., died on September 21, 2014. Visitation will be held on Friday, Sept. 26, from 5-8
CHS
Continued from A2 available with the school’s highest-level teachers. “This is also a benefit for our Level 5 teachers because it provides them with extra compensation.” Additionally, to tie into the culture he hopes to nurture at the school, students have the oppotunity to use the fitness room, have what Heaston calls “Third Meal” (a federally-funded afterschool meal) and attend mentoring or life coaching. Another piece of the puzzle, he says, is letting students know how they benefit from everything going on around them. At Covington, students are not only receiving a great education, he says, they’re being held accountable for their actions and are learning character development. He calls it making an investment in the future, and it’s starting to pay off. “There’s tangible evidence and buy-in now because this has been
successful, so when I get out there and I fuss, they see it, their families see it, and they listen because they can see the results.” Partnerships Heaston says the school is both benefitted by and beneficial to the whole community. In the last two years, Covington has seen tremendous growth in its industrial sector and partnerships with local companies and colleges are another piece to the puzzle. Or perhaps, as Heaston would likely say, another slice of the pie. He began a collaboration between industry, post-secondary institutions and secondary schools called Partners in Education (PIE) to make success a cohesive effort. “We work with REDI, DSCC, Unilever and the others to bring the pieces together. We have countless people coming together for the same cause, and that excites me. Why didn’t we do this all along?” Heaston continues, still with a smile on his face,
TRENTON
Continued from A1 was checked into St. Jude. Ashley and Eric were signing paperwork consenting to blood work, chemotherapy, everything, at 2 a.m. “You get to St. Jude and they take over,” said Ashley. “They say, you want your kid to live, you do what we say. And we did, so we did.” That first week, Trenton received four bags of blood. Because the blood is stored ice cold and Trenton was receiving it through a pic line in his hand, the treatments were unbearable. “He would scream from the cold, but it got better when he got the porta-cath.” Trenton already doesn’t remember a great deal of his journey with leukemia, and has decided that he’s more interested in his promised burger, a double patty cheeseburger, plain, than to continue talking about what must be a boring topic of conversation. The steroid pack has made him hungry and he is ready to go. Burgers are a special treat these days for this family, as Trenton’s blood work dictates how much he can do, what he can eat, and how hard he can play. Today, he will get his burger, for today is a good day. Before leaving, Ashley says, how lucky people in the Mid-South are with two great hospitals. “People don’t realize what they have with the two children’s hospitals here, with St. Jude and LeBonheur. We are so lucky.”
p.m. at Maley-Yarbrough Funeral Home and Saturday, from 11 a.m. until the funeral begins at noon, at Ashland Church of Christ. Interment to follow in the Church of Christ Cemetery. If you would like to sign the online guestbook please visit www.maleyyarbrough.com.
ington, TN. 38019. Online condolences may be offered at www.ssmfuneralhomes.com. Smith-Steele-Meadows Funeral Home, Manchester, Ga. was in charge of arrangements. The Leader (Covington, Tenn.) Thursday, September 25, 2014
The Leader (Covington, Tenn.) Thursday, September 25, 2014
Judie Whiteaker
Emmett Eugene McDaniel
Date of Death – September 21, 2014
November 9, 1926 – September 20, 2014 Emmett Eugene McDaniel, age 87 passed away Saturday, September 20, 2014 at Taylor County Healthand Rehab Center in Butler, Ga. Funeral services were held 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23 at First Baptist Church of Warm Springs in Warm Springs, Ga., with Dr. Bob Patterson officiating. Interment with military honors followed in the Warm Springs City Cemetery. Mr. McDaniel was born Nov. 9, 1926 in Mauk, Ga., the son of Emmitt Jackson McDaniel and Lilly Mae Pike McDaniel. He was raised in Marion County, Ga., and was a U. S. Army veteran of World War II, where he served in the Pacific Theater of Operations and also participated in the Occupation of Japan. He worked for Consolidated Gas Company in Warm Springs, and General Gas Company until founding and operating McDaniel Propane Company in Covington. During his residency in Warm Springs he was a very active member of First Baptist Church of Warm Springs, where he held many positions, including deacon. He was also an early member and past president of the Meriwether County Rotary Club. Mr. McDaniel was a very active member of First Baptist Church of Covington, was a past president of the Rotary Club there, and also was a past president of the Tennessee Propane Gas Association. Survivors include his wife, Jimmie Lou McDaniel of Riverside Nursing Home in Thomaston, Ga.; two sons, Larry Eugene McDaniel and his wife May of Manchester, Ga., and James Randall McDaniel and his wife Martha of Covington; three grandchildren, Samantha Hinz and her husband Keith of Decatur, Ga., Matt McDaniel and his wife Amanda of Mason, and Ross McDaniel of Covington; eight great-grandchildren; two sisters, Hazel Ramsey of Warm Springs, Ga. and Louise Vura of Florida; and a brother, Roy Talmadge McDaniel, and his wife, Jerri, of Warm Springs. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Warm Springs, P. O. Box 383, Warm Springs, Ga. 31830 or C.A.R.E. (Covington Animal Rescue Effort), P. O. Box 415, Cov-
to explain unification helps prepare the workforce of the future, the type of workforce future industries will require before locating their factories in Tipton County. “I have kids here that, really, statistically, had no chance of even graduating and they’re not only graduating, we have them lined up for college, we have them lined up for employment, we have them lined up for tech school. That’s awesome.” Last summer, Unilever hired 17 graduates, he says, and Charms hired some Covington graduates as well. Dual enrollment, where students who are still in high school can take college courses and earn college credit, is up this year, too. “My vision is that the selection of workers should get better. Now that we’re doing training for with the dual enrollment option for high school, that’s better pre-
paring those students for those jobs and students are working with industry,” he says. “They’re going to school, they’re working, they’re they’re paying taxes, they’re doing something productive.” Barriers Heaston and his staff have set goals and mapped out a strategy for success, but success, for them, isn’t only in the form of the SCORE prize. “We set high standards. I expect every kid up here to graduate from high school.” Competing this year against two other schools – one with only a four percent povery rate – is going to be difficult, but Heaston and his team never let difficult hold them back. Some students come from households where their parents and caregivers are not high school graduates, but they’re encouraged to break the
Judie Whiteaker, 63, of Smyrna died Sunday. She was a native of Covington and was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Beatrice Warren Nason; brothers, Bernard, and Ronald Nason and sister, Gloria Dryer. Mrs. Whiteaker was retired from banking and management with Kmart. She is survived by her husband of 22 years, Danny Whiteaker; children, Adam Wesley Holland of Cape Coral, Fla., Kristy Phelan and husband John of College Grove, Daniel Jason Whiteaker and wife Amanda of Smyrna; grandchildren, Jordan, Tabetha, Makala, Shania, Danielle, Emma, Reagan, Aubrey, Amber, Cameron, Hannah and Haven; brothers, Leonard Nason and wife Faye, Willard Nason and wife Judy, Phil Nason and wife Julie, Samuel Nason and wife Glenda, all of Covington; sisters Joyce Smith of Covington, Mary Finch of Lebanon, Dian Dunlap of Covington; special nephews, Dustin and Shane Dryer; special niece, Nichole Dryer; mother-in-law, Alice Whiteaker and brother-in-law, Ricky Whiteaker of McMinnville. Memorial service will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Woodfin Chapel, Smyrna. Visitation will be after noon on Thursday at Woodfin Chapel, Smyrna www.woodfinchapel.com. The Leader (Covington, Tenn.) Thursday, September 25, 2014
Jessie “Wayne” Ware Date of Death – September 22, 2014 Wayne Ware, 71, of Covington, TN, passed away September 22, 2014 and retired from GNB Battery. He is survived by daughter, Angela King; sons, Kenny Ware, Mike Ware; sisters, Shirley Agee, JoAnn Cash; eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Visitation was held Wednesday, Sept. 24 and service will be 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 25 at Forest Hill East Funeral Home with interment following. The Leader (Covington, Tenn.) Thursday, September 25, 2014
cycle. “I tell them, ‘And? You be the first!’ he says. “I look at those barriers as opportunities to say, ‘You know what, look, let’s be that place that takes gang elements, poverty, single-parent homes, first generation high school graduates … let’s bring that together and do something great.’ The cool thing about this place is that there
are children who truly would not make it had it not been for their journey here in this building. I have frank conversations with them and tell them, ‘If you trust me, we can make it happen.’” On Oct. 27, the SCORE prize recipients – one each from elementary, middle and high schools and one district winner – will be announced in Nashville.
SUBMITTING AN OBITUARY Obituaries are accepted from licensed funeral homes or from family members providing proof of death through a crematorium or medical research facility. Prices range from $30-100; free death notices may also be published Obituaries submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday will be guaranteed inclusion in that week’s edition. Obituaries may be submitted in person, via email (news@covingtonleader.com) or via fax (901-4760373).
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The biggest legal myth
When I speak to various groups and churches, I will sometimes ask what is, “one thing that we can all agree that we know for sure is true about law?” The most common response is the often repeated belief that, “If someone is hurt on your property then you are automatically at fault.” I have heard this so many times, but the truth of the matter is that this is a myth and it is not true. And it’s not that it was true and then somehow changed and you just didn’t hear about it. It’s never been true. In any state. At any time. Because it’s been repeated like the gospel so many times it has a belief so deeply entrenched that some people won’t believe me when I tell them the truth. Keep in mind; I do these kinds of cases. They are known in the business as “premises liability” cases. Also they are sometimes just called “slip and fall” or “trip and fall” cases. That usually happens when a store has a hazard, like a leak, and fails to either properly warn or address the problem. Then, when some unsuspecting customer falls, the
David Peel Peel Law Firm customer actually has to prove that the business owner knew or should have known of the problem. But that’s only half the battle. Customers must also effectively show that they could not have known about it or else they would be just as much at fault as the owner of the store. Thus, the argument goes, if the condition is so obvious that the store should’ve seen it and fixed it, then the problem is so obvious the customer should’ve seen it and avoided it. This is essentially why so few lawyers take slip and fall cases anymore. They are extremely difficult and fact
specific. However, I have had cases against almost every department store and kind of store I can think of, as well as other types of buildings and malls and developments. The wet floor signs that you tend to see everywhere are meant to try to stop slip and fall cases. They work in at least two ways. Firstly, they tend to alert the customer to a hazardous condition where the customer is able to avoid falling. Secondly, if the customer still manages to fall, the storeowner argues that the customer knew about the condition just like he did because of the sign’s presence. Keep in mind, there’s no rule against is blind people or people who don’t speak English going to stores so it is not a perfect solution. But it certainly helps the stores. And what helps the stores more is to have people roving around looking for hazards and quickly having access to signs and mops without having to leave the area of the spill. Other ways business owners can keep the customer safe, and thereby cut down on lawsuits is to check their ramps,
their parking lots, their sidewalks, and the rugs in front of their doors. Any significant unevenness in any surface can trip someone and, upturned rugs or water-saturated mats can actually make the solution the problem. The danger of falling is even greater for those who are handicapped or have issues walking. The stores would like your money just as much as any able-bodied person, so they certainly don’t have a sign restricting who can come in. But those on walkers, crutches, or on some type of mobility scooter, are clearly at a greater risk for falling. When the storeowner takes the advice of Philippians Chapter 4 and looks out not only for his own interests but also the interest of others, then fewer injuries occur, and fewer lawsuits are filed and that is good news for everyone. Mr. Peel seeks justice for those injured in car accidents, work place incidents, medical malpractice, and nursing homes. He often addresses churches, clubs and groups without charge. Mr. Peel may be reached through PeelLawFirm.comwherein other articles