By David Fisher Staff Reporter

   

    During his appearance in Weakley County Circuit Court on Monday, January 28, former Dresden Attorney Harry Max Speight, plead guilty to several theft of property charges in a 12-count indictment as the result of a plea bargain agreement. However, sentencing will be carried out at an upcoming sentencing hearing.

    Since local court officials opted to recuse themselves from being involved in the case, because of their longtime professional relationship with Speight, Senior Judge Allen Wallace of Waverly, Tennessee, was appointed by the Administrative Office of Courts to hear the case. The Administrative Office of Courts also appointed District Attorney Joseph Baugh of Franklin, Tennessee to serve as prosecutor. Memphis Attorney Christopher Sullivan is representing Speight.

    During courtroom proceedings on Monday, Speight pled guilty to five counts of theft over $60,000, as well as to three counts of theft over $10,000.

    The five counts of theft over $60,000, which as a Class B felony, each carry a sentence range of eight to 12 years in prison, while the three counts of theft over $10,000, classified as a Class C felony, each carry a possible sentence of three to six years in prison.

    As prosecutor, Baugh recommended that the five counts of theft over $60,000 each carry an eight-year sentence, but that they run concurrently for a total of eight years in prison.

    Baugh also recommended that the three counts of theft over $10,000 carry a three-year sentence each and that they run concurrently, but that these counts be suspended, and once Speight is released from prison, he would be on probation for a period of three years.

    Additionally, the prosecutor recommended that the three Class C felony counts, in which the sentence was suspended, run consecutively to the Class B felony counts. This would theoretically result in a total sentence of eight years in prison, if the judge decides to impose the full sentence. At age 64, this would mean that if Speight were to be required to serve the entire sentence, he would be 72 years old when he got out of prison.

    Upon accepting Speight’s plea, Judge Wallace found Speight guilty of all of the above-mentioned charges under the terms suggested by the prosecution, as part of the plea bargain agreement.

(Read the rest of this story in the January 30th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

By David Fisher Staff Reporter

  

    Members of the Martin Police Department have been investigating various incidents during the past couple of weeks, including the unexplained death of a Martin man, the alleged sexual abuse of a child, auto theft, burglaries and other incidents.

 

Martin Man Found Dead

 

    At approximately 6:55 a.m. on Tuesday, January 15, Ptl. Michael C. Wenz was dispatched to 320 Woodland Street in Martin, in reference to a possible death at that location.

    Upon his arrival at the scene, Ptl. Wenz spoke with the complainant, Stacey Wright, 39, and observed a white male identified as Brent Melton, 37, who was lying on the couch unresponsive.

    At this time, members of the Martin Fire Department, Weakley County EMS, and Jack Glisson, attempted to resuscitate Mr. Melton. However they were unsuccessful.

Wright stated the last time she had seen Mr. Melton conscious was approximately 11 p.m. on Monday, January 14. Lt.

    According to Martin Police Chief David Moore, no signs of trauma existed in this case. Moore said that an autopsy would be performed to determine cause and manner of death.

 

Sex Abuse Case

 

    At approximately 6 p.m. on January 17, Investigator James Hatler was advised by The Tennessee Department of Children Services that they had received a referral pertaining to possible child sex abuse concerning a four-year-old, white male child.

    During the course of the investigation, Child Services personnel informed Inv. Hatler that an initial interview had been conducted with the child at the Carl Perkins Center at approximately 5 p.m. that same day. During the course of the interview, the child disclosed that the above defendant had inserted an object into the child’s rectum. The child had also disclosed that this occurred while he was in the custody and care of the defendant during an unknown time during the past six months.

    At approximately 1 p.m. on January 18, Inv. James Hatler conducted an interview with the defendant, Frankie L. Hicks, 19, of White Street in Sharon, at the Martin Police Department. After the defendant was advised of his Miranda rights, he agreed to waive his right to counsel and participate in the interview. During the course of the interview, the defendant freely admitted to Inv. Hatler that he exposed the child’s buttocks and inserted his finger into the child’s rectum. Hicks also freely admitted that this incident occurred in the past six months, while the child had been placed in his care. The defendant stated that he was babysitting the child at the child’s father’s residence on Manley Street.

    During his arraignment in Weakley County General Sessions Report on Monday, Hicks was given a February 27 preliminary hearing date and had his bond set at $50,000.

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

By David Fisher Staff Reporter

  

    The most recent addition to Dresden’s line up of professional healthcare providers is the husband and wife team of Dr. Jason M. Powers, DC and Dr. Lyndsey P. Powers, DC, who are both licensed chiropractic physicians.

    The Powers’ new chiropractic center, called the Back Pain Relief Clinic, is now open for business at 138 East Locust. The couple will be taking over the chiropractic and rehabilitation clinic previously operated by Dr. Doug Obetz, who is relocating his business to Gainsville, Virginia. Dr. Obetz will remain on site for the time being to help with the transition of all previous patients.

    The clinic’s business hours are from 8 a.m. until noon and from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The owner of the clinic is Dr. Shannon Bone, a former resident of Dresden, who now resides in Jackson where he operates his practice at another chiropractic clinic that he owns. Shannon says that he is very excited about the opening of the new chiropractic clinic in Dresden.

    Dr. Jason M. Powers graduated from Groves High School in Savannah, Georgia in June of 1998. Following high school, he attended Mercer University in Macon, Georgia and majored in finance, marketing and international business. While an undergraduate, he studied international business abroad in Australia and New Zealand. He graduated in May of 2002.

    Jason first attended Life University in Atlanta, Georgia for chiropractic school and then transferred to Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, where he met his future wife. He graduated in February of 2007. While in chiropractic school, he participated in a clinic abroad program in Brazil, where he and the members of his class offered complimentary chiropractic care to thousands of locals. Upon finishing his chiropractic requirements, but before graduating, he worked as a preceptor doctor in Union City, Tennessee.

 

(Read the rest of this story in this week's January 30th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)