Several local citizens turned out at Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting of the Gleason Board of Mayor and Aldermen to voice their opposition to converting Huggins Park to a senior citizens retirement village.

    Although the possibility of installing a retirement village at Huggins Park was only mentioned as a possible future use for the park at last month’s meeting, as the board explored ways to make efficient use of the property, and had not yet been formally proposed to take place, homeowners in the vicinity of Huggins Park made it clear they were unequivocally opposed to such a move.

    Gleason resident Jimmy Glenn presented the board with a petition signed by approximately 50-60 local citizens opposing the retirement village at that location.

    “I’d like to talk to you about the proposal of the senior citizens housing project over in Huggins Park,” Glenn said. “We’ve went around and talked to several people, and I have talked to most of you all. And you have told me that you understand where I’m coming from. The first thing, I’d like to make it clear, we are not against senior citizens, because most of us (in that vicinity) are (seniors). But we are against the project in Huggins Park. We are not against the project somewhere else.”

    Glenn then read the petition, which states:

    “We the property owners, neighbors and the residents of the Huggins Park area are respectfully submitting this petition to the city of Gleason in regard to a retirement village being constructed in Huggins Park. We the undersigned are strongly opposed to the retirement village for the following reasons:

    • Houses are completely circled around the park, and this is a small area of land, which is much too small to have 20 rental units constructed in the middle of all of our properties.

    • This would not only involve 20 renters, but also their extended families. The crowds, the noise, and the traffic would be paramount.

    • This would affect all park neighbors and also all surrounding streets.

(Read the rest of this story in the April 16th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

    The theft of copper wire has been on the rise lately in the county and region, due in part to the increase in price of the metal.

    Members of the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department and Martin Police Department have been called out recently to investigate the theft of copper wire, as well as numerous other burglaries.

    Weakley County deputies are investigating the theft of copper wire and a well pump from Seminary Road near McKenzie. Additionally, copper wiring was also reported stolen from two unoccupied apartments on Highway 431 in the Gardner community.

    Another incident of copper wire theft was reported by the Martin Police Department this past week.

    According to a report filed by Ptl. Larry D. Baker, at approximately 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, the officer spoke with the complainant, Steven Blake, who informed him of the crime. Blake stated that someone had entered the house that he was wiring for the victim, Larry Butler, between the hours of 3 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on that date and had taken some electrical wires and cut several others at the junction boxes throughout the house.

    The value of the stolen wiring is estimated to be approximately $250.

(Read the rest of this story in the April 16th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

    A Sidonia man was arrested over the weekend on a domestic assault charge involving an altercation with his wife, who was seriously injured.

    According to a news release, Investigator Randall McGowan of the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department arrested 32-year-old Jason Kayser of 1518 Gaylord Road near the Sidonia Community, on Friday, April 11 at Volunteer Community Hospital in Martin.

    Kayser was charged with aggravated domestic assault, after the defendant drove his wife, 30-year-old April Kayser, to the emergency room in an unresponsive state.

    The Sheriff’s Department was notified of the assault at approximately 8:46 p.m. on that date.

    Investigator McGowan states that Kayser admitted to investigators that he struck his wife several times during a fight at the couple’s residence, which allegedly took place approximately 18 hours earlier.

    April Kayser was transferred by helicopter to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville for treatment of serious closed head injuries, where she remains hospitalized.

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