A Weakley County family of six is left homeless after a mid-morning fire Monday, December 29.

    Gleason Fire Department responded to the Tumbling Creek Road home near McKenzie and found the two-story frame structure heavily involved. McKenzie responded as mutual aid. Both departments shuttled water to the scene to fight the fire and protect adjacent homes.

    Felix Solano, owner of the home, said he had just left to visit with his father at Oak Manor Health Care in McKenzie when his mother phoned to report his house was on fire. She lives next door.

    He rushed back to the scene to see the devastation. He said he was uncertain how the fire started.

    A total of six persons resided in the home including Solano and his wife, sons, and two grandchildren.

 

   

    The City of Dresden Planning Commission will meet in special session on Monday, January 5, 2009 at 12-noon at Dresden City Hall.

    The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed annexation of four parcels, which currently lie just outside the city limits but have access to all city services.  These parcels are:

    Tax Map 102, Parcel 49.02

    Tax Map 102 G, Group B, Parcel 22.01

    Tax Map 102 G, Group B, Parcel 25.01

    Tax Map 102 G, Group C, Parcel 11.01

   The Commission will discuss plan of services and zoning for these parcels.  Copies of the annexation and zoning ordinances and the plan of services resolution may be obtained at Dresden City Hall.

    Members of the Dresden Board of Mayor and Aldermen will be on hand for a public hearing at 5:45 p.m. January 5, during which time, local citizens will be given the opportunity to address the proposed annexation plan.

    The annexation involving properties in Area 1 was approved during the December 1, 2008 meeting of the Dresden board, and will be considered for second and final reading during the upcoming meeting Monday, January 5.

    The annexation ordinance outlines the areas to be annexed as follows:

    “Area 1 (Gaylord Road Area) – Water is available in the entire area.  The sewer line stops at Thomas Street, which is the end of the current city limits.  The recommendation for this area is to annex only the areas that currently lie just outside the city limits but have access to both city water and city sewer.  Some of these properties would include Judge Bradberry (Parkway Street), Dr. Glisson (120 Woodside Circle) and Sam Bone (118 Woodside Circle). 

(Read the rest of this story in the December 31st print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

  

    After weeks of negotiation, a land purchase agreement between the Everett-Stewart Regional Airport Board in Obion County and a local landowner to procure property essential for the completion of a $4.1 million airport improvement and runway extension project is in the works and may be close to being finalized.

    In an email the Dresden Enterprise received from Airport Manager Jo Ann Speer dated Monday, December 29, 2008, Speer says, “We have just received a verbal acceptance to the offer to purchase the land.”

    The land deal she is referring to is the latest offer made by members of the Everett-Stewart Regional Airport Board during their last meeting on Thursday, December 18.

    At that time, the board rejected an offer from landowners Bill and Gail Latimer to sell 65.15 acres for $595,000. But after much discussion, board members agreed to make an offer of $537,700.50, plus Mrs. Latimer would continue to receive the farming income from the property for the remainder of her life. This amounts to $57,299.50 above the airport board’s previous offer of $480,400, which was rejected by the landowner.

    However, before the land purchase can be finalized, commissioners in Obion and Weakley counties must approve it. This means each county would have to come up with $76,037.75 for the local match of the state grant funding the project.

    The Latimer’s land is needed by the airport to extend its runway 1,500 feet in order to accommodate the largest corporate jets.

    From the standpoint of officials in Obion and Weakley counties, the ultimate purpose of the airport improvements is to attract industrial prospects to the region in an effort to create jobs.

 

(Read the rest of this story in the December 31st print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)