By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer A Blue Creek home suffered more smoke and water damage than fire damage last week from a blaze, prompting residents to move in with neighbors while the house is repaired. No one was hurt, but the Jan. 2 chimney fire at Patsy and John David Hamlett's home serves as a reminder that chimneys must be inspected and cleaned annually, South Marshall Volunteer Fire Chief Phil Dyer said Monday... more

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer Relatives' health problems were mentioned by some of the people applying for work during a recent job fair at Goodwill's Career Solutions office at The Acres shopping center. Shelby Harvey, 19, of Lewisburg has been unemployed for nearly seven months, although she almost landed a regular, full-time job in Spring Hill, she said while waiting to be interviewed Dec. 27... more

In the early hours of Jan. 5, a 20-year-old Lewisburg man's jaw was broken during an assault outside the Northgate Apartments, where he was visiting a friend. The victim told Lewisburg Police Officer Mike Davis his attackers were two white men and one African-American. The young man was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital from Marshall Medical Center for further treatment, according to Davis' report... more

Funeral services for Mary Virginia Scott, 83, of Fayetteville, will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, at Higgins Funeral Home with Bro. Tom Smith and Bro. Todd Gaskill officiating. Burial will follow in Unity Cemetery beside her husband Wilson Scott. Mrs. Scott passed away Wednesday... more

By Karen Hall Staff Writer A tip about children possibly living in a house where methamphetamine was being manufactured led to three arrests on the last day of the year. Marshall County Sheriff's Deputy Mauro Edwards, Child Protective Services Agent Debra Transue, Marshall County Sheriff's Detectives Tony Nichols and Chad Bass went to the home on Sam Simpson Road on Dec. 31... more

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer The Dixie Theatre opened 100 years ago on a now-forgotten date in 1913. Silent films flickered on the movie screen, then east of Marshall County's Courthouse. Established by M.P. Boyd, the theater was below his second story photography studio. Now, the theater is on the north side of the public square... more

Thefts and vandalism reported On Dec. 20, a man cashed a cashier's check for $4,895 at the customer service desk at Kroger. The check was made out to Adam Short, and the man had identification with the same name. First Farmers Bank later informed the store the check was counterfeit. Surveillance video has been handed over to Lewisburg Police Detective Santiago McKlean for further investigation... more

By Karen Hall Staff Writer On the last Circuit Court day of the year, a Petersburg man pleaded guilty in two cases and received an effective sentence of six years. Kevin Lee Johnson, 30, of Bert Watt Road, pleaded guilty to theft between $1,000 and $10,000. ... more

By Susan Ragsdale Special to the Tribune A Christmas miracle happened just after Saturday's "Home for the Howlidays" event at the Lewisburg Animal Shelter. Shelter volunteers were notified that Colonel, an adopted shelter dog, was missing and his owners were upset that their beloved pup, now named Brownie, wouldn't be home for his first Christmas in a real home... more

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer County Mayor Joe Boyd Liggett says the latest audit of county finances is "boring," but parts of the 170-page report might be described as the tip of the iceberg. "Certain employees of the school department allegedly received supplemental funds," the audit states. "The state Comptroller's Division of Investigations is currently reviewing this matter and their findings, if any, will be reported in subsequent communications."... more

Mario C. Martin, 25, of Columbia, and Brett G. Atwell, 26, of Culleoka, admitted to Marshall County Sheriff's Department Detective Capt. Bob Johnson and Detective Jimmy Oliver they committed a burglary at a home on Kenny Nelson Road between Dec. 10 and 13. Guns, electronics, and a guitar, worth a total of $4,450, were taken. Martin and Atwell were found in possession of the stolen guns, and are currently being held in Maury County Jail... more

By Karen Hall Staff Writer It was on sale everywhere last Christmas, catching shoppers' attention both with the author's name - Stephen King - and the title, which is numbers instead of words: "11/22/63." Looking closer, you could see the front cover reproduced a newspaper with the headline, "JFK slain in Dallas, LBJ takes oath." The back cover showed a similar paper, but the headline is "JFK escapes assassination, first lady also OK!"... more

The Lewisburg City Council, Mayor Barbara Woods, City Manager Tommy Engram, and Police Chief Chuck Forbis have been very supportive of all of the work at the Lewisburg Animal Shelter, from initiating the volunteer program, to working with PAWS Now on the renovations, to implementing many of the standards and procedures required in operating a facility like the Shelter. ... more

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer A Marshall County Jail corrections officer has been dismissed after being seen on security video that showed her giving an inmate a paper bag that she and the inmate say contained food and books, officials said Wednesday... more

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer BELFAST - Residents here agree on at least one thing. The Tennessee Department of Transportation shouldn't take property when installing traffic islands. Construction of concrete traffic islands here came this fall under an experimental program to control motorists' speed and direction. However, residents say it's wrong if TDOT built them on property owned by Peggy Orr Mason of Murfreesboro... more

By Chuck Forbis Lewisburg Police Chief We have all been shocked by the recent event at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Perhaps many of us remember simpler times when our greatest concerns regarding violence in our children's school was whether they would become involved in a fight on the playground or at the football game. ... more

A man accused of distributing crack cocaine in Marshall County was sentenced in federal court in Nashville. On Dec. 19, Jikinte Lashane Morris, 34, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of federal probation. He was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.


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From Staff Reports Factory managers, school administrators, businessmen and women toured Marshall County's Spot Lowe Technology Center last week in a continuing effort to match training with what employers need from new hires. "They come to see what we have," Technology Center Director Lyn Stacey said of visitors from businesses small and large, including Industrial Steel & Supply, Marshall Medical Center, Teledyne, ABECO Die Casting, CKNA, hair salons and retail stores... more

By Karen Hall Staff Writer One of Santa's helpers was directing traffic on Franklin Pike, outside Oak Grove Elementary School, on Friday afternoon. Drivers waved and children stared at the man with the Santa hat, white beard, and long white hair. "One child watched me as long as he could," said Harvey Holton, 65, of Lewisburg. "It made me feel 300 percent happy. It's been fun to see their faces."... more

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer In the wake of another mass murder at a public school - this time at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. - officials here are reviewing their preparedness keeping in mind something that happened in Giles County 17 years ago... more