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Archives
02-16-2000 News
Livingston Re-Certified As Three Star Community
Gov. Don Sunquist said, "I commend Livingston-Overton County's leaders and community volunteers whose collective investment of time, energy and resources earned this award for their community. They have demonstrated an outstanding level of cooperation, teamwork, and civic-mindedness that will ready them for future economic development opportunities." The goals of the Three-Star Program are to preserve existing employment, create new employment opportunities, improve family income and create a strong leadership base for economic development. Since its beginnings nearly two decades ago, the program has steadily grown each year as new communities work with the state to increase their appeal as locations for business and industry. Communities and counties earning the Three-Star Award undergo recertification yearly to assure that standards of preparedness for economic growth have been sustained locally. Certification under the program requires maintenance of a formal economic development organization with an annual work program, including community and business development, education improvement and leadership development. The program also calls for maintenance of adequate infrastructure capable of supporting economic development, as well as availability of developed industrial acreage. Jimmy Earle, assistant commissioner of Community Development,
said, "The Three-Star Program is a valuable and effective tool
to assist communities in developing the necessary leadership and
infrastructure to become vibrant business locations and to encourage
community prosperity." Man Indicted In Region's Bank Robbery A Sparta man has been indicted for the March 1998 robbery of Region's Bank in Livingston. According to reports, R.V. Young, 52, a horse trainer from Sparta, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Young was indicted on charges of bank robbery and using and carrying a gun while committing crimes of violence. Along with the charges in connection with the Region's Bank robbery, he was also indicted for four other armed robberies - the December 1997 robbery of Union Planter's Bank in Cookeville, the January 1998 robbery of the Bank of Putnam County in Monterey, the February 1998 robbery of First Tennessee Bank in Cookeville, and the March 1998 robbery of the Bank of Putnam County in Sparta. Young is currently in a state prison after pleading guilty to charges in connection with the September 1998 armed robbery of Cash Express in Sparta. He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment in that case. The Region's Bank robbery occurred around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 1998 when a masked man wearing a pantyhose mask, orange cap, brown coveralls, a plaid jacket, and gloves walked in and demanded money. The masked man had a revolver in his right hand. The robber ordered the four employees and three customers in the bank, including a small child, to get down to the floor, before taking $7,531 from the bank. Reagan Indicted
For Wife's Death An Allons man who was injured in an explosion in a car has been indicted for the death of his wife. The Overton County Grand Jury handed down a true bill for a 1st degree murder charge against Timmy Reagan on Monday, Feb. 14. Reagan was arrested at Vanderbilt Hospital and taken to a Tennessee Department of Corrections special needs facility in Nashville, according to Assistant District Attorney Owen Burnett. A $100,000 bond was set. The Valentine's Day indictment resulted from a car explosion around 11:45 p.m. January 16. According to reports, Timmy Reagan, 31, and Christy Reagan, 29, were sitting in a black 1995 Ford Contour in front of his parents' home on Tom Smith Lane when an explosive went off inside the car. The husband and wife were transported to Livingston Regional Hospital where Christy Reagan died approximately an hour after arriving. Tim Reagan suffered critical injuries and was flown to Vanderbilt Hospital. The preliminary investigation indicated the explosive was dynamite. The case was investigated by TBI Agent Russ Winkler, ATF Agent Michael Knight, and Capt. James D. Harris of the Overton County Sheriff's Department.
School Board Meeting
Held Thursday By Dewain E. Peek The Overton County Board of Education held the regular monthly meeting Thursday, Feb. 10. Lunchroom bids for the building program were approved with the low bid of Tennessee Restaurant Equipment Co. of Nashville approved pending the completion of verification that the equipment is in compliance with the bid specifications. If the equipment does not comply to the specifications, the bid of the next lowest bidder in compliance would be accepted. The following teachers were approved to receive professional licenses: Stephanie West at A.H. Roberts School; Amellia Melton at Allons Elementary School; Melissa Savage at Allons Elementary; and Julia Poston at Rickman Elementary School. The Board approved bids for school buses from Blue Bird of Tennessee at $53,997 for a 72-passenger, and $52,715 for a 48-passenger. Using the old bids as approved in last month's meeting was not possible and the buses had to be rebid. The new 72-passenger buses will have Allison transmissions and a few extra items such as a camera box and radio, according to transportation supervisor Terry Melton. The Board approved a co-op soccer program between Livingston Academy and Celina High School to allow Peter Beasley to play soccer this year at Livingston Academy. Bids were approved for sewing machines from County Patchworks as follows: quantity of one - $425 each; quantity of four - $410 each; quantity of six - $395 each; and quantity of eight - $388 each. The resignation of Lesley Wilborn, educational assistant at Livingston Middle School, was approved. Cindy Robbins was approved to replace Lesley Wilborn at LMS. Kim Cantrell was approved to replace Cindy Robbins at A.H. Roberts Elementary School. Maternity leave was approved for Christy Qualls, beginning March 15 and ending May 1. The school calendar was corrected to show the election day as March 14 instead of March 7. Quarterly reports were approved for the quarter ending December
31, 1999 for General Purpose, Education, Capital Projects, Federal
Projects, and Central Cafeteria Funds. Amendment #2 for the 1999-2000 General Purpose Budget was approved. Local Amendment #14 IDEA Part B 2000-01 State Amendment #2 was approved. Local Amendment #15 Title II 2000-01 Original Budget was approved. Local Amendment #16 Title VI 2000-01 Original Budget was approved. Director of Schools Eldon Davis presented the Director's Report to the Board. Actions taken by the school director are as follows: Goals for the Livingston Academy soccer field have been ordered. First National Bank has purchased bleachers through the Adopt-A-School Program. Water wells have been completed at the maintenance shop as required by the Department of Environment and Conservation. Application has been made to the state of Tennessee to join the underground storage fund to assist in paying for the drilling and testing. A response should come in a few weeks. Hilham Principal Shirley Myers addressed the Board. She said the school has 253 students and has Internet connection to every room. Director Davis said Hilham Elementary has received an incentive award from the Tennessee Department of Education, the only school in the county to meet the criteria and one of only a few schools in the state to qualify. The award is based on promotion, achievement, retention, and attendance. School Board Chairman Donald Brown announced that Rickman Elementary School second grade teacher Patsy Cumby has been selected to receive an Apple Award from television station WSMV Channel 4 in Nashville. Cumby will be featured on the 5 p.m. newscast on March 15. The meeting adjourned. Immigrant Deported
In Stabbing Case A Mexican immigrant, charged with stabbing a man in a late night altercation, was deported to Mexico after pleading guilty Wednesday, Feb. 2 in Overton County Criminal Court, Judge Lillie Ann Sells presiding. Aniceto Delasancha, 41, was arrested and charged with attempted 1st degree murder on November 14, 1999 after reportedly stabbing Ivan Morallis at an Overton County residence. Morallis was transported to a hospital and later recovered. Described by authorities as an illegal alien, Delasancha entered a guilty plea to aggravated assault causing bodily injury. According to the plea agreement, Delasancha was sentenced to "three years suspended to time served and an additional seven days to serve." A deportation order was included in the plea agreement. After serving the additional seven days, Delasancha, who has been in the Overton County Jail since his arrest, was transferred to the custody of Immigration Naturalization Service agents for deportation. The transport of Delasancha to Mexico has reportedly been completed. According to the plea agreement, if Delasancha reenters the United States, he will be subject to serving the three-year prison sentence that was suspended.
Overton County News |
Community
leaders accept the Governor's Three-Star Community Award presented
Monday, Feb. 7 at the annual ceremony held in Nashville. Livinston-Overton
County successfully completed criteria to be re-certified for the
fourth year under the Governor's Three-Star Community Economic Preparedness
Program.