A Dresden man was ordered bound over to the January term of the Weakley County Grand Jury, following a two-hour preliminary hearing Friday, November 7, 2008.

    Phillip M. Hutcherson of 483 East Main Street, Dresden, who is charged with aggravated domestic assault and especially aggravated kidnapping, sat quietly as ex-girlfriend 21-year-old Whitney Bowls, and other witnesses offered testimony during the hearing, which was held in the courtroom at the Weakley County Detention Center.

    Carroll County General Sessions Judge Larry Logan heard the case, due to Weakley County General Sessions Judge Moore recusing himself, because of his personal relationship with the Hutcherson family.

    Retired 24^th Judicial District Attorney Gus Radford of Carroll County is prosecuting the case, because Weakley County District Attorney Tommy Thomas recused himself.

    Public Defender Joe Atnip was appointed to represent Hutcherson.

    During questioning by the prosecution, Bowls testified she left Hutcherson several times during the two years of their relationship because he verbally and physically abused her, but she always went back to him, because he would tell her things would be different, and also because she hoped to work things out between them. However, she stated this was the first time Hutcherson had inflicted serious physical injury on her during an argument.

    During questioning by both prosecution and defense, Bowls recounted how Hutcherson beat her at various times during a domestic dispute beginning Tuesday, September 23, 2008 and continuing until the evening of the following day. Bowls stated Hutcherson struck her with his fists; hit her in the leg, abdomen and arm, with a baseball bat; struck her with a broken guitar; shot her with a BB gun; cut her lip with broken glass; hit her in the arm with a wine bottle; threw a drink in her face; and burned her face with a lit cigarette - all because he mistakenly thought she was having an affair with her ex-boyfriend.

    She testified before Hutcherson began beating her, he took away her car keys and cell phone, so she could not leave or call anyone.

    Additionally, the victim stated Hutcherson held her against her will for several hours before allowing her to seek medical attention. Bowls said she was afraid if she attempted to leave, it would anger Hutcherson and make things worse for her.

    Bowls stated she woke around 4-5 a.m. Wednesday, September 24, and told Hutcherson she wanted to go to a doctor. But he told her to get in a tub of warm water and the swelling would go down. While she was soaking, Hutcherson went out to get something to eat and brought it back to the house. Bowls told Hutcherson she thought she had a broken leg and needed to see a doctor. But Hutcherson told her the only way he would let her out to see a doctor would be if she did not tell the police what he did.

    Bowls stated Hutcherson called his friend, Matt Mangum, to come over. When Mangum arrived, Hutcherson asked him if he would wreck Bowl’s Jeep and put her inside, so it would look like she had an accident, but Mangum refused.

    Bowls stated, after Mangum left, Hutcherson hatched a scheme that involved making her injuries look like she fell off a ladder. The victim told Hutcherson she would go along with the plan so she could get medical help. Bowls said her eyes were swollen shut and she couldn’t see very well, and she could barely walk because of her injured leg, so Hutcherson helped her outside and had her to lie down under the ladder. He also placed paint on her hands to add to the effect.

 

(Read the rest of this story in the November 12th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

    A Dresden woman faces numerous criminal charges after allegedly ramming her car into the vehicle of a Martin woman as the result of a domestic dispute.

    Christina Kay Barner, 18, of 402 West Park Street, Dresden, is charged with: aggravated domestic assault, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, vandalism, leaving the scene of an accident with damage to a vehicle involved, and failure to comply with the financial responsibility law (no auto insurance).

    According to an incident report, at approximately 11:23 a.m. Tuesday, November 4, the Martin Police Department received a phone call regarding two reckless vehicles on University Street in the area of the UT Martin campus. When officers arrived in the area, they were unable to locate the two vehicles. However, at approximately 11:26 a.m., Ptl. Jennifer M. Owens was dispatched to the scene of a hit and run accident, which involved the two vehicles police were searching for.

    The victim, Candice Kirby, 18, told Ptl. Owens that Barner followed her down University Street and continued to follow her to her residence at 147 East Heights Drive. Kirby stated during this time, Barner intentionally struck her 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, several times in an attempt to run her off the road.

    While Kirby was speaking with Ptl. Owens concerning the incident, Barner drove by in a 1994 Toyota Camry, which matched the description given by the victim. When Barner turned her vehicle around and made her way back toward the residence, the officer instructed the driver to stop.

    The report states, as Ptl. Owens was questioning Barner about the damage to Kirby’s vehicle, Barner admitted she intentionally struck Kirby’s vehicle several times because she was angry at her baby’s father, Richard McClure, 19, of 402 West Park Street, Dresden, who was a passenger in Kirby’s vehicle.

    The report states Barner’s actions placed Kirby, McClure and the infant child in immediate danger.

    Barner’s infant son, who was secured in a child restraint device in the back seat of Barner’s vehicle, was released to Barner’s mother for care.

(Read the rest of this story in the November 12th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

  

    “Selfless” is perhaps the one word which best describes William Howard “Bill” McClain, who died Sunday, November 9, at Weakley County Rehab and Nursing Center in Dresden.

Family members and many friends in the community mourned the passing of the 85-year-old retired military man, who was without a doubt a true war hero of the highest caliber.

Considering his many years of military service, it is only fitting that the local veteran was buried on Veterans’ Day.

    The Weakley County native, who was born in 1923 to Arden and Mamie Kimbro McClain, attended school in the Ralston Community from 1929-1934.

    When his father accepted employment in Martin as a firefighter, Bill continued his education in the Martin schools until 1942, when he left high school to volunteer for the U.S. Army.

    He completed basic training at Fort Ord, California (near Monterrey) and remained there while his unit – the 7^th Infantry Division – underwent desert training in anticipation of deployment to Africa. Instead, the unit was issued fur-lined cold weather gear and deployed to the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea off Alaska’s coast, where he participated in the Battle for the Aleutian Islands.

    Bill later took part in a series of battles in Admiral Nimitz’s Island Hopping Campaign, which included the invasion of the Marshall Islands, the invasion of the Philippine Islands (when General Douglas McArthur made good on his famous “I shall return” promise), and the invasion of Okinawa on Easter Sunday 1945. During the invasion of Okinawa, Sgt. McClain was wounded and air evacuated to the Island of Guam, and then moved to San Francisco, where he recuperated from his injuries.

    In November of 1945, Bill was released from the U.S. Army and returned to Weakley County, where he completed high school at Martin.

    Shortly after his graduation, Bill moved to Memphis, where he worked for the railroad for several years. When railroads began experiencing cutbacks, he decided to join the U.S. Air Force. Over the next 17 years, he served at military installations in the United States, England, Japan, Okinawa, and Vietnam.

    Bill was in England during the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, and during November of 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

    Bill’s favorite assignment was when he was assigned to the ultra-secret “Blackbird” project. He was the autopilot and navigation systems engineer on the project and was constantly shuttling from Washington D.C. to Okinawa to Vietnam and back to Washington on SR-71 operations.

During his Air Force career, he was able to earn an associates degree in science from Yuba College, California, and attended Oxford University in England for a brief time.

A few of his many decorations include: two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

    After a 28 year military career spanning four decades and three major wars, McClain retired from the U.S. Air Force in October of 1973 and returned to his native Weakley County, where he entered public service for a second service career – this time as a public servant in Weakley County government.

    McClain’s extensive background in military planning and leadership were to serve him well in his joint position as Weakley County Veterans Affairs Administrator and Weakley County’s Emergency Management Director – a position he held for 16 years, until his retirement in 1989.

    McClain was a member of several military and community service organizations including: the Masons (he was a 32^nd degree Mason), Disabled American Veterans (9^th District Commander), American Legion, Eastern Star, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Weakley County Lions Club Chairman, Shriner of the Al Chemia Temple in Memphis, and the Purple Hearts Association.

    As for his religious affiliation, he was a member of Ralston Baptist Church.

    Before entering into the nursing home, Bill and his late wife, Dorothy Evalou Bowlin McClain, resided on Morrow Street in Dresden.

    Bowlin Funeral Home in Dresden was in charge of services for McClain, who was laid to rest in the Public Wells Cemetery Tuesday, with Bro. Bob Conley officiating. (See obituary in next week’s Dresden Enterprise for additional information.)