Gleason businessman Gene Spain is recuperating in a Jackson hospital after he was thrown from his motorcycle on April 22.

     The Sunday afternoon crash took place when a vehicle pulled into the side of his bike near Skunk Hollow in Henry County.

     Spain was traveling south on U.S. 79 at the intersection of Old State Route 76 when a northbound vehicle, driven by Holly A. Mullins of McKenzie, pulled through a crossover of the divided highway to make a U-turn and head south. Investigating Trooper Adam Killion, said the view of the driver of the vehicle was obstructed by a southbound SUV attempting to turn left into the road where the car was situated. The SUV driver, not realizing the motorcycle was in the right lane beside him, motioned for the other driver to pull onto U.S. 79. The driver pulled into the rightmost southbound lane striking the side of Spain’s motorcycle.

     Spain was transported to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, where he underwent surgery Sunday evening. According to his daughter-in-law, Stephanie Spain, he sustained a fractured left ankle, fractures to all five toes on the left foot, and various abrasions. The most serious injury was a compound facture of the big toe, she said.

     Spain was the front cyclist of three – including Leslie Putman and Rex Brown, both of McKenzie – all traveling together. Neither Putman nor Brown was involved in the accident.

(Read the rest of this story in the May 2nd print edition of the Dresden Enterprise!)

By David Fisher Staff Reporter

    

     Members of the Dresden Fire Department Advisory Committee discussed the possibility of increasing the salary of Dresden Fire Chief Dickie Hart, during a meeting at Dresden City Hall last Thursday evening.

     As the meeting opened, Dresden Mayor Danny Forrester said, “First of all, I’d like to say how proud I am of the fire department and the great job they’re doing and the way the chief handles his situations. He’s done an outstanding job. There is excellent camaraderie in the fire department.

     “Dickie came to us about three weeks ago and stated that he needed a pay raise,” Forrester continued. “We looked at it and tried to see how it was set up and where it was going. I told him I’d review that. I would get with (fire consultant) Ray Crouch of MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service) to see if he was being paid like other fire chiefs are in the area, and that’s what this meeting’s about.” He added that another reason for the meeting is for committee members to begin thinking about what the city’s short-term goals, medium term goals and long term goals should be for the fire department.

     “Dickie was hired back in 1995 as a part-time fire chief for the City of Dresden,” Forrester said. “He works 20 hours and was hired at $12,000 per year as a building inspector and also codes enforcement officer. We went back to research to see how it was set up and the records are incomplete about how he was hired, and what his job description was going to be. He doesn’t have a working job description. Dickie understands that and we’ve talked about that. We have got to develop a job description for the fire chief.

(Read the rest of this story in this week's print edition of the Dresden Enterprise!)

By David Fisher Staff Reporter

    

     Members of the Everett Stewart Regional Airport Board’s budget committee met last Tuesday evening at the Reed Center in Martin to review the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2007-08. The committee also briefly discussed the status of the search for a new airport manager to replace Alfred “Al” Howell, who retired in February.

 

2007-08 Budget

 

     A preliminary budget, which is far from settled due to uncertainties about revenues and expenditures, was ironed out as best as it could be with the limited information available at the present time. The budget shows total revenues of $1,003,883, and total expenditures balancing out at the same amount.

     Revenue sources include: $250 from airport applicator fees; $2,100 from earned interest; $100,000 from rent and lease income; $500 from miscellaneous refunds; $38,600 in contributions and gifts; $13,500 provided by the airport maintenance program; $50,000 from federal USDA funds; $632,166 from federal through state monies; $150,000 from contributions from Obion and Weakley Counties; and another $100 in donations.

     Some of the top expenditure items listed in the budget include: an estimated $45,000 for the airport manager’s salary package; $16,250 in the “other contracted services” line item (including mowing, etc.), $12,600 for electricity; $5,000 for “other supplies and materials”; $38,552 for environmental assessment; $73,612 for the taxiway overlay, lighting and drain project; $4,875 for the runway justification study; $667,666 for the tee hanger project; $49,400 for the airport layout plan; and $55,000 for the security improvement project.

 

(Read the rest of this story in the May 2nd print edition of the Dresden Enterprise!)