Icy road conditions Monday evening through Tuesday resulted in hazardous driving conditions and school closings across the region.

    A winter storm warning covering several West Tennessee counties north of Interstate-40 was issued by the National Weather Service office in Memphis. The forecast calling for a chance of sleet with freezing rain Monday through Tuesday proved accurate, with icy road conditions developing overnight. The resulting hazardous driving conditions gave area motorists reason for caution as they made their way to work Tuesday.

    Schools in Weakley County were closed Tuesday, December 16, due to dangerous driving conditions. Although local schools were not dismissed early Monday, before the end of the day, school officials announced classes would be cancelled Tuesday.

    However, several other schools across the region dismissed early Monday afternoon. West Tennessee schools closed Tuesday were: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Gibson, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Madison, McNairy, and Obion counties.

    The Weakley County Courthouse was also closed. However, the city halls in all Weakley County municipalities were open, as were all county and municipal emergency services.

    Tuesday morning, Weakley County Highway Director Kermit Hopper stated rural roads are slick. He said Tennessee Department of Transportation crews salt state roads, “but the county doesn’t do any salting.” Hopper stated drivers could “get around on all of our roads,” but added they need to drive with caution and use common sense. “They are slick, but they are negotiable.” However, Hopper said, “I wouldn’t want school buses on them.” Hopper stated the icy conditions did not cause any trees or limbs to fall across roadways and block traffic, as is sometimes the case in heavier icing conditions. “We’ve been blessed,” Hopper said. “We dodged a pretty big bullet. It’s not over yet. But, if it warms up, we’ll be in pretty good shape. Otherwise, it’s just going to get slicker and slicker.”

    Weakley County Emergency Management Director Jamison Peevyhouse states, surprisingly, he has received no reports of weather-related accidents in Weakley County as a result of the ice storm. “We’ve had about two-inches of sleet on the west side of the county, and about an inch on the east side,” Jamison said. “They’re clearing state highways, but we don’t expect the secondary roads to be cleared up before tomorrow.”

 

(Read the rest of this story in the December 17th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

   

    Members of the Gleason Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the sale of surplus equipment, confirmed committee appointments and discussed other city business, during their regular monthly meeting Thursday, December 11, 2008. This was also the first official meeting for newly elected Alderman Jerry H. Dunn, Jr.

 

Surplus Equipment Sale

 

    One of the top items on the agenda was a resolution authorizing the mayor to sell surplus components and machinery off of two old wastewater lift stations, which are obsolete. The resolution stipulates the machinery will be sold by either sealed bids or at public auction as directed by the mayor, after being announced in a suitable public advertisement.

    During discussion, Gleason Mayor Jack Dunning stated the city owns and operates two wastewater lift stations. He also said the town has secured grant financing to replace the two lift stations, and there is no practical use for the older lift stations once they are replaced with more modern equipment. The old lift stations will be sold after the new equipment is up and running.

    Mayor Dunning explained the grant would reimburse the city once the new lift stations are installed.

    The funds raised from the sale of the surplus equipment will go back into the water department fund.

    When the resolution came to a vote, it passed unanimously with all board members present.

(Read the rest of this story in the December 17th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

   Martin police arrested a local man over the weekend on drug-related charges and other offenses at a Martin motel.

    Daniel Young, 39, of 122 Lincoln Street in Martin was arrested Saturday, December 13 on charges of possession of schedule II drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and on an outstanding warrants.

    According to a Martin police report, at approximately 1:55 p.m., Lt. Jason W. Arant and Ptl. Aaron Carter were dispatched to Econo Lodge, located at 853 University Street in reference to a complaint a customer had overstayed the checkout time and was not answering the door.

    A motel employee told the officers he was unable to make contact with the occupant, Daniel Young, who was the person who paid for a room, and could not enter the room because the door was chained.

    Lt. Arant knew that Young had outstanding warrants for his arrest. One warrant was from the Board of Probation and Parole signed May 15, 2008, and the other warrant was from Obion County for probation violation, signed October 8, 2008.

    The officers accompanied the complainant to the room in an attempt to make contact with Young. The motel employee knocked on the door but received no response. The motel employee then used his passkey in an attempt to gain entry, but the chain lock prevented the door from being opened.

    The report states Lt. Arant and Ptl. Carter were able to see into the room from the partially opened door and observed Young lying in the bed. When Lt. Arant instructed Young to open the door, he did so, and was taken into custody without incident.

    Officers searched a black backpack, from which Young had been removing clothes. Prior to Lt. Arant searching the backpack, the officer states he saw a small, clear bottle inside the bag, which appeared to contain a powder residue. Upon searching the backpack, Lt. Arant found a black, hard plastic container which contained five plastic baggies, butane lighter, glass smoking pipe, three coffee filters and a plastic baggy containing approximately 6.8 grams of a white powder believed to be methamphetamine.  The white powder was sent to the TBI crime lab for analysis.

 

(Read the rest of this story in the December 17th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)