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WEAKLEY COUNTY INFORMATION

By David Fisher david@dresdenenterprise.com

    

     Members of the Weakley County Commission gave final approval of a private act combining the Weakley County General Sessions and Juvenile judgeships, during Monday night’s regular monthly meeting. Commissioners also approved a measure allowing county departments to continue operating at a monthly rate of 15 percent of their total budgets for fiscal year 2005-2006, until final approval of the budget for fiscal year 2006-2007 is given in July.

 

Judgeships Combined

 

     One of the top items on the agenda was the ratification of Private Charter No. 110, Senate Bill No. 4039, as approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. This measure calls for the enactment of this private act placing the jurisdiction of the Weakley County Juvenile Court in the Weakley County General Sessions Court upon vacancy of the office of Juvenile Court Judge through death, resignation or retirement.

     “It has been approved in Nashville and has been sent back to us for ratification,” said Weakley County Commission Chairman Richard Phebus.

     In order for a private act to go into effect, a two-thirds approval by the Weakley County Commission is required. When it came to a vote, it was unanimously approved.

The private act stipulates that when current Juvenile Judge James Bradberry leaves office, his duties will be assumed by the General Sessions Court Judge, a post currently held by Tommy Moore. To compensate the General Sessions Judge for the additional responsibilities, he would receive an increase in salary of $20,000 annually. However, the act would prohibit the person holding this post from practicing private law, since the judgeship is considered a full-time job. The end result is that, by combining the two positions, the county would save several thousand dollars each year in salary costs.

 

Budget Extended

 

      Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the approval of a tentative budget for the Weakley County General Fund, Weakley County Highway Fund, Weakley County Debt Service Fund, Weakley County Department of Education Fund, and Solid Waste Fund for fiscal year 2006-2007. This resolution will allow county government to continue operating, with the stipulation that no more than 15 percent of any item be expended per calendar month by each department without approval of the County Commission’s Finance, Ways and Means Committee, until the final 2006-2007 budget is approved.

     One reason for setting the percentage at 15 percent instead of 12 percent is due to the fact that the Weakley County Highway Department spends more money in the early part of the fiscal year doing road work than during other months, and a percentage of 15 percent will allow them to operate efficiently.

 

Other Resolutions

 

     Members of the Weakley County Commission also approved several year-end budget resolutions dealing with realignment of county funds to reflect estimated local revenues for the current fiscal year.

     These measures include a resolution authorizing budget amendments to the General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006. Overall, the General Fund budget shows an increase of $190,844 in revenues for fiscal year 2005-2006. It also indicates expenditures increasing by $21,355. This will leave $169,489 in additional revenue to go into fund balance, which will increase from $235,154 to $404,643.

 

(Read the rest of the story in the June 28th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise!)

  

     A University of Tennessee at Martin student died Saturday morning at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Jackson, after being diagnosed with a probable case of bacterial meningitis earlier in the week. 

     The student, Jodi Woods, a senior special education major from Lawrenceburg, who resided off campus, was taken to the emergency room at Volunteer Community Hospital in Martin Tuesday afternoon after becoming ill and later was transferred to Jackson.

     As soon as university officials learned of Wood's diagnosis Wednesday, the student health center began working with state and local agencies to make sure all appropriate actions were taken to ensure other students, faculty, staff and the community were protected.

     Shannon Deal, director of student health services, was notified of the student's condition Wednesday morning by the Weakley County Health Department. She immediately met with approximately half a dozen persons identified as direct contacts, providing information about the infection and its treatment.

     The campus community and city officials were alerted about the case as a precautionary measure.

(Read the rest of the story in the June 28th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise!)

     Folks in Northwest Tennessee have been on the lookout for a couple of animals not normally found in this part of the state, following the recent news that two black bears have been spotted in the region.

     The first report came last week when a black bear wearing a collar was sighted in Dyer County near Newbern. A second sighting of the same bear was also reported in Obion County near the Obion River.

     The third bear sighting a little closer to home is thought to be a different bear than the one seen in Dyer and Obion counties. This bear, which is described as smaller but not wearing a collar, was sighted in a rural part of Weakley County located northwest of Martin in the Ralston area.

Wildlife biologist Alan Peterson has issued a news release stating that he is not sure if these are two different bears, but thinks it may be a good possibility, saying it could be a female with a yearling cub.

     While black bears have been living in the wild in East Tennessee from prehistoric times until the present, West Tennessee has not had an active bear population in many years.

     Some speculate that these bears may have migrated from the White River area of Central Arkansas, where officials are releasing them with collars fitted with radio transmitters. In fact, wildlife officials from Arkansas have confirmed that four bears from that area have gone missing.

     So far, none of the sightings have indicated that the bears are aggressive. And, for the most part, they are staying in unpopulated areas.