McKENZIE (July 6) — Ice bucket challenges were really popular a few years ago. The concept was to fill a five-gallon bucket with iced water and dump that water on someone’s head as a fundraiser. A recent fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital took the concept to the extreme: ice water from the bucket of a front-end loader. That followed a pie in the face by Johnathan St. Clair. Will Walker had the pleasure of operating the bucket as he eased the levers forward to dump the water on Trent Johnson and Trent’s granddaughter, Lila Colvin. more

McKENZIE (JULY 4) — Meet Toby, McKenzie Police Department’s new canine officer. more

Michael Schaffer, a student at Tennessee College of Applied Technology-McKenzie, received a Skill Point Certificate in the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) 5-Axis Milling Programmer program during the 2023 SkillsUSA Championships. The CNC 5-Axis Milling Programmer is a cutting machine that is moved in five different directions and monitored by a numerical computer control rather than by hand. more

Paige Costello, a rising tenth grade homeschooler and member of Carroll County 4-H, is the national winner of the 4-H Beekeeping Essay contest. The contest is sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of Honeybees, Inc. more

Kameshia Moxley was new to the pageant scene when she was crowned Miss Bethel University Volunteer in November 2022. When she moved to Tennessee to attend college, walking on the Miss Tennessee Volunteer stage one day did not even cross her mind. more

Addi Poole watched the Miss Tennessee pageants every year. She looked forward to the days when Miss Tennessee visited her school. Miss Tennessee was someone she could look up to and someone who made her feel seen. When Poole attended the Miss Tennessee pageant 2015 to support Paris native Hannah Robison, her entire perspective of the contest changed. Seeing someone from just across the road win the pageant proved she also had a chance to win one day and represent her community and state. more

Emma Martin is no stranger to the Miss Tennessee Volunteer stage, but the beauty queen said this year’s pageant might be her last. more

McKENZIE — After 10 years as President of Bethel University, Dr. Walter Butler announced his plans to retire on December 31, 2023 shortly after turning 70. more

Come on down to Liquorland, McKenzie’s newest liquor store. The store is owned by Peter Patel, who also owns Paris Westwood Wines & Liquor, and is next to McKenzie’s BP gas station, at 15984 Highland Dr., McKenzie. more

MARTIN — Effective leaders look beyond their immediate surroundings to identify growth opportunities and ways to improve life for others. McKenzie resident Christy Williams, branch manager and vice president of Regions Bank, valued the class sessions, and the people she met established connections that will help turn ideas into action. more

Welding is often considered a man’s trade, but Lillian Ninness is here to change that. The 2023 Huntingdon High School graduate is one of two women in her welding class at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology-McKenzie (TCAT), but she won’t let that stop her from chasing her passion. more

BRENTWOOD (June 19) — Derek Carr was named to the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) 75th Anniversary Team on Monday, June 19. Carr, a 2008 graduate from McKenzie High School and a 2012 graduate from the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM), was one of eight Skyhawk honorees and one of 135 football players chosen for the team. more

OXFORD, Miss. — Loral Winn, of Dresden, was among more than 3,100 students invited to walk across the stage at the University of Mississippi’s 170th Commencement exercises. The university’s individual colleges and schools held the commencement ceremonies during May 10-14. more

TCAT McKenzie students Eric Flores of Henry and Ryan Chaney of Huntingdon recently earned certifications in Information Technology Systems Management (ITSM). more

Lex Suite is the new principal at Riverside High School, according to Decatur County Director of Schools Chris Villaflor. Suite has 30-plus years experience in education with three of those as assistant principal at Riverside High School. more

GERMANTOWN (May 5) — Kallie Berry, a nurse at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County was nominated for the 2023 University of Tennessee Health Science Center Nurse Hero Award at the 2023 NightinGala. Berry was one of 60 nurses in the midsouth to be nominated for the Florence Nightingale award. more

Tera Townsend was born to shine on the pageant stage. The Huntingdon native began competing in pageants at as early as six months old, and now she is traveling to Memphis to represent West Tennessee in the Miss Tennessee Pageant June 29-July 1. more

NASHVILLE (June 19) — Allie Chappell placed second in the women’s group and eighth overall in the Music City Juneteenth Freedom Day 5K in Nashville. 160 runners participated in Nashville’s inaugural Juneteenth 5K walk/run, and 111 were women. The event began at Nashville’s historic Shelby Park. more

McKenzie High School alum Amber Wright earned the Best Sports Play-By-Play Award during February’s Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards in New York. Wright and her broadcasting partner, Davis Gregory, broadcast through the University of Tennessee at Martin’s (UTM) radio station, WUTM, and won the award for their play-by-play from night 3 of the 2022 UTM college rodeo. more

Team Butler was the champion of the 2023 Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament. The team had a score of 17 under par. The team was comprised of Joseph Butler, Brandon Kilburn, Blake Fawcett, and Evan Jarrett. The event was held at the Carroll Lake Golf Course in McKenzie. more