Lynn Watkins

Lynn Watkins of McKenzie is returning to his former position as McKenzie Middle School principal for the 2007-08 school year. He was recently selected from a field of eight applicants for the position, according to Superintendent Jim Ward.

“I am excited to be back and look forward to the students returning on the first day of school,” said Watkins. “I look forward to a good working relationship with the teachers.”

Ward stated, “I am pleased and confident that he will do a good job. Our philosophy is to hire the best people available. We believe that people make the difference. I think he will better the school system.”

Watkins is replacing Jon Frye, who resigned to accept a position at Dyersburg High School, where he will serve as assistant principal and work with the vocational school. He served as principal at McKenzie for two years.

Watkins is an alumnus of McKenzie High School, graduating in 1982. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1987 and a master’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville in 1994.

He began his career in education as an eighth grade science teacher at McKenzie Middle School, working in that capacity from 1988 to 1996. In 1996, he was named assistant principal at McKenzie High School and later served as McKenzie Middle School principal from 2000-2004.

He left the education field for a brief time from 2004-2007, when he was employed by Stambaugh Roofing and Kirks Roofing, both of McKenzie.

He and his wife Molly, reside on Carroll Lake Road with their children, Rebekah, 11 and Paul 8. They also have another son, Mitchell, 23, of Nashville.

He is the son of Larry and Paula Watkins of McKenzie.
 

Dixie Carter

Actress’ “Desperate Housewives” Role Garners Top TV Honor

(LOS ANGELES, CA) July 19, 2007 – Veteran television actress Dixie Carter has garnered an Emmy nomination for her “killer” role of Gloria Hodge on ABC’s Desperate Housewives. This is her first nomination. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced nominations today for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards naming Carter a nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Guest Actress-Comedy.

Carter is best known to television audiences for her portrayal of beautiful, smart, strong Southern female characters like Julia Sugarbaker from the hit series Designing Women. For her role on Desperate Housewives, the actress went against type, donning a gray wig and sporting a cane. It was a daring and delicious move that took Wisteria Lane by storm and held audiences spellbound.

Carter received the Emmy news from the Beverly Hills home she shares with her husband and Emmy Award-winning actor Hal Holbrook. Carter says, “It is such a surreal experience. It took several hours for it to actually sink in. I am so thankful.”

The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced from the Shrine Auditorium on Sunday, September 16, 2007.

Carter is a McLemoresville, Tenn. native and a graduate of Huntingdon High School. Huntingdon’s Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center and the Hal Holbrook Theater are named for Dixie and her husband. The famed husband and wife often frequent their McLemoresville home, where Dixie was reared.

Denies Sheriff’s Request for $1.16 Million Increase

HUNTINGDON (July 19) – Carroll County Budget Committee approved the final budget last Thursday to be presented to the Carroll County Commission during its August 13 meeting. The budget includes a three-percent raise for all county employees, three capital projects, and nine new sheriff’s deputies’ cars to replace the existing fleet.

At a previous meeting, the Budget Committee agreed to set the tax rate at $1.00 per $100 assessed value, an increase of eight cents over the certified rate.

Sheriff Bendell Bartholomew, who attended the Thursday meeting, asked why his budgetary requests were denied. Bartholomew requested 14 new patrol cars, nine of which to replace the three-year old fleet of Crown Victorias, a four-wheel drive Explorer for him to drive, nine additional deputies, and significant pay raises for all personnel. He said his department’s personnel were already behind other departments in pay grade. He noted that other departments were suing the legislative body to receive additional pay for their personnel.

County Mayor Kenny McBride said the sheriff’s budget includes the standard three-percent personnel raises, an increase in the gasoline budget, and all the sheriff’s budgetary requests except the increase in the number of deputies, additional cars, major pay increases.

Budget Chairman John Mann said taxes would have to be raised 43 cents to fund the sheriff’s requests. Bartholomew believes the tax increase would not nearly be as much as the Budget Committee claims. He told Mann that “we’ll discuss” where the funds would come from. “The people of Carroll County want good law enforcement,” said Bartholomew, who noted that Carroll County has some of the highest taxes, yet are still behind in the law enforcement area.

Following the meeting, Bartholomew did not rule out the possibility of taking the matter to litigation for the Circuit Court judge to decide.

Bartholomew’s attorney Matt Maddox was expected to attend the Budget Committee meeting. However, Jean Newsome with the law firm of Maddox, Maddox, and Maddox who attended, said her brother was sitting in as Clarksburg city judge for his vacationing brother, Butch. Matt convened Clarksburg City Court at 4:00 p.m. and was expected to attend the 5:00 p.m. Budget Committee meeting. Committee members conducted other business while awaiting Maddox’s arrival.

The Budget Committee was originally scheduled to convene on Monday. Budget Committee members rescheduled it for Thursday because of the death of the sheriff’s mother.

WELCOMING NEW DOCTOR - Left to right: Baptist Memorial Hospital-Huntingdon Administrator Susan Breeden, Dr. J.R. Allison and wife, Susan; Dr. Borders and wife Kim (holding Davis Wade), and Borders’ parents, Sherry and Carl Borders (holding Emma).

Baptist Memorial Hospital–Huntingdon welcomes Dr. Trent Wade Borders to the medical staff. He will join Dr. J.R. Allison, who has practiced radiology at the hospital for the past 16 years.

Dr. Allison commented, “I truly believe that Dr. Borders’ decision to join me in practice will be as much a blessing to the patient community as it will be to me personally, and I look forward to many long years of association with him and his family.”

Dr. Borders is a native of Union City and the son of Carl and Sherry Borders. Mr. Carl Borders has been the nuclear medicine technologist at Baptist-Union City for about 25 years.

Dr. Borders graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1998 and received a number of additional honors including Outstanding Student in Arts and Sciences, the Chancellor’s Scholarship, and a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

He completed his medical education at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis where he received the Hardy Graham Memorial Scholarship and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Medical Society.

Dr. Borders returned to his home part of the state from Knoxville where he just completed the required five year residency training program in radiology. While in radiology training, he was a member of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine’s Resident Council, conducted lectures at the monthly multi-disciplinary tumor conferences, and attended the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Just before finishing his radiology training, he passed the final formal exam for physicians, specializing in this particular discipline of medicine and is certified by the American Board of Radiology.

Dr. Borders resides in Jackson with his wife, Kim, and their two children, Emma, two and Davis Wade, 11 months.

 
NASHVILLE – The McKenzie Banner won two state press awards among all Tennessee non-daily newspapers. The awards were announced Friday in Nashville and the event was judged by the Hoosier State Press Association.

The Banner earned fourth in two categories - “Promotion of Newspapers” and “Best Single Advertisement” it the non-daily competition. Both winning entries were designed by graphics artist Wayne Bannister.

The Banner competes in the largest circulation class of non-daily newspapers and competes against newspapers that publish as often as three times weekly. In West Tennessee, only Memphis Business Journal, Covington, Savannah, Lexington, Germantown, Dresden Enterprise, and The Banner compete in the largest non-daily class. All other weeklies and non-dailies compete in the smallest circulation category.

 

Several staff changes at McKenzie Special School System will be effective with the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, according to Superintendent Jim Ward.

Jill Wilson has been hired as kindergarten teacher at McKenzie Elementary School, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Marlene Kreuter.

Principal Richard Davy has also hired Nicole Cross to fill a spot vacated by Debra Frye, who resigned after her husband, Middle School Principal Jon Frye accepted another position in Dyersburg.

Ward explained the system is “moving people around.” While Debra Frye held a first grade position, Ms. Cross will fill the vacancy created by Frye, but not necessarily in the same position.

David Duncan Jr. of McKenzie has been hired as a physical education teacher at the elementary school. Duncan is replacing Jeremy Maddox, who resigned to accept a position at Union City, said Ward.

Lynn Yarbro of Pimascott, Missouri has been employed by Principal Terry Howell to coach men’s basketball and baseball at McKenzie High School. Yarbro will also assume Wade Comer’s position as teacher of wellness and physical education. Comer will be filling in for David Duncan, who is on military leave for one year, serving on the U.S./Mexican border.

Former Middle School teacher William Hardy is also on military leave, serving in Iraq. He will return to the classroom for the second semester of the 2007-08 school year, where he will teach world geography at McKenzie High School.

Shelia McCaslin of Dyer has been hired as special education teacher at McKenzie High.

Pat Sawyers has submitted her resignation as teacher in the sixth grade science department because of health reasons. Janet Esch of Gleason has been employed by Principal Lynn Watkins to fill that position.