McKENZIE — Students who bring electronic devices to school do so at their own risk, reads McKenzie High School’s Electronic Devices Policy. Administration made a few changes to the policy for the 2023-24 school year, adding more leniency to device usage while still protecting students from inappropriate use. more

McKENZIE — Technology is an ever-growing distraction, and schools must develop electronic device policies in an attempt to keep classrooms distraction-free. As the 2023-24 school year creeps up on families, it is important to know each school’s policy regarding technology and electronic devices. more

McKENZIE — McKenzie High School changed a few items in its dress code policy this year. more

HUNTINGDON — Oom Pah Pah, Oom Pah Pah, Mau Mau. While these words might not make much sense on their own, audiences sing right along when they’re placed deep within a song by The Oak Ridge Boys. West Tennessee fans are in for a very special event — The Oak Ridge Boys will perform a free concert during the Huntingdon Heritage Festival on Saturday, September 23 on the court square. more

TENNESSEE — Carroll, Henry and Weakley counties followed a national trend of increased unemployment rates in May 2023. Tennessee Labor Force Estimates report small percentage increases in the three counties and the United States, but Tennessee’s overall employment rate remained unchanged from April 2023. more

McKENZIE — Bethel Associate Athletic Director of Communications/Sports Information Director Dave McCulley announced popular McKenzie radio broadcaster Craig Lunn is joining the Wildcat broadcast team. Lunn will be the color analyst for Bethel football this fall and selected games during the basketball season. more

Bruceton’s First United Methodist Church and New Hope Methodist Church of Vale extend a heartfelt welcome to their new pastor, Brother James Ellington, a certified lay minister from Jackson, Tenn. Preaching full time since 2019, Brother James served as pastor of Lester’s Chapel Methodist Church and Mount Carmen United Methodist Church, both of Jackson, and the Montezuma United Methodist Church of Henderson. more

Beta Club members from across the nation have worked for months in preparation for the National Beta Convention this summer. West Carroll Elementary and West Carroll Junior/Senior High School won big this year, with Junior Beta member Aubrey Hammett making history as the first National Junior Beta Secretary-elect from West Carroll. more

McKENZIE (July 14) — As participants of the Last Annual Vol State Road Race pass through West Tennessee towns, Al Everett and The Refinery gym employees helped make McKenzie a refuge for walkers in need of rest. more

CHATTANOOGA — Chase Daffron, a 2019 McKenzie High School graduate, put the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) on the map recently by being named one of the best collegiate players in both Call of Duty and club baseball. more

McKENZIE (July 11) — Williams Furniture celebrated an employee’s milestone retirement last Tuesday, July 11. Peggy Hopper announced her well-deserved retirement after a 42-year long career at Williams Furniture in McKenzie. Williams Furniture owner Phil Williams threw a Hawaiian-themed retirement party for Hopper on Tuesday afternoon, complete with tropical leis and a cake congratulating Hopper on her retirement. more

The first day of school is quickly approaching for Carroll County students. With only three weeks until August 1, school staff work to prepare the schools for returning students. more

McKENZIE — McKenzie residents may have already noticed that Raymond James Financial Services has found a new home at 1966 Cedar Street. more

McKENZIE (July 11) — The 2023-24 school year is a year of change, according to McKenzie Special School District Career Technical Education (CTE) Director Susan Dyer. As career paths and opportunities change alongside vast technological advances, McKenzie schools will begin preparing students for a technologically-saturated world with the help of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s Innovative School Model (ISM) grant. more

NASHVILLE (July 7) — Leadership Tennessee, a collective with a mission to foster non-partisan dialogue on issues of state importance, has named Carroll County Mayor Joseph Butler to its 2023–2024 Signature Program Class X (class number 10). more

Clayhill Motorsports Park has new owners, and they’re returning racing to the famed Atwood track. In a press release, a spokesperson says the new racetrack (formerly known as the Atwood Speedway, then Clayhill, LLC.) returns with a new name, new owners, and a new purpose. The race track opens to the public for the first time in over two years on July 27 with a Thursday night “Test & Tune,” the first of many races under the new owners. August 5 is the first official race date. more

Jason R. Martin, manager of Tri-County Publishing / The McKenzie Banner, is the new president of the Rotary Club of McKenzie. Martin was installed by District 6760 Governor Eddie Allred at a banquet on June 27 at Hometown Hangout. more

Grape Salad 8 oz. sour cream 8 oz. cream cheese 1/2 cup sugar Red and green seedless grapes Pecans Brown sugar Mix sour cream, cream cheese and sugar together. Wash grapes and add to dressing. Add pecans. Place in bowl and sprinkle with brown sugar. more

PARIS — Sally Lane’s Candy Farm may have new owners and a new location, but its legacy is stronger than ever. more

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