Funeral services for Russell H. Lovett, age 93, of Gleason, will be Saturday morning at 11:00 at McKenzie Church of Christ.
Burial will be in the Rushing Memorial Cemetery in Gleason.
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Russell H. Lovett, 93, Gleason
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Lorene Thomas – 93 – Union City
Funeral services will be held for Lorene Thomas, age 93, of Union City.
Services will take place Saturday at 11:00 at White Ranson Funeral Home.
Burial will follow in the Obion County Memorial Gardens.
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Crosswalk work downtown Martin ahead of milling and paving
Crews are working on the crosswalks in downtown Martin in preparation of milling and paving on Lindell Street.
Work is being done on the crosswalks at the corner of South Lindell and University Street by the police department, as well as the crosswalk at South Lindell and Oxford Streets, and at South Lindell and Frederick Streets.
Martin Mayor Randy Brundige says TDoT crews are getting the crosswalks ADA-compliant before crews begin milling and paving.
Milling is set to begin later this month on the north end at the Highway 22 bypass at Weakley County Motors and work south to downtown.
Mayor Brundige says work is beginning on the north end so it doesn’t interfere with the Tennessee Soybean Festival.
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Three charged with stealing stockpile of guns in Union City
Three people are being held in the Obion County Jail after being charged with stealing a stockpile of guns from a Union City storage unit.
Obion County Sheriff Jerry Vastbinder says the arrests were made late Thursday afternoon.
Arrested were 38-year-old Leigh Sergerson Courtright, of Rives; 44-year-old Kevin Ray Courtright of Union City; and 61-year-old Gary Allen Sergerson of Rives.
All three are charged with Theft over $1,000 and Burglary.
Bond for all three was not set Thursday.
All three will be arraigned Friday in Obion County General Sessions Court.
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Irick Executed
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee carried out the execution Thursday of a man condemned for the 1985 rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl, marking the first time the state has applied the death penalty in nearly a decade.
Inmate Billy Ray Irick, 59, received a three-drug injection at a maximum-security prison in Nashville and was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m., authorities said. He was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a Knoxville girl he was babysitting.
The blinds between a witness room and the execution chamber were opened at 7:26 p.m. Thursday and Irick could be seen through glass windows. Asked if he had any words before the lethal chemicals began flowing, Irick at first appeared to sigh and say “no.” But then he said, “I just want to say I’m really sorry and that, that’s it.”
Then the execution proceeded. A minute later, his eyes closed. Snoring and heavy breathing were heard. At 7:34 p.m., there was coughing, huffing and deep breaths. An attendant began yelling “Billy” and checked the inmate and grabbed his shoulder, but there didn’t seem to be any reaction. Two minutes later, Irick was not making any noise and he was soon after pronounced dead.
Hours earlier Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution, denying Irick’s request for a stay. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a blistering dissent, recounting details from a recent state court trial of a case brought by inmates contesting Tennessee’s execution drugs.
It was the first execution in Tennessee since December 2009, when inmate Cecil Johnson received a lethal injection for the 1980 killings of three people during a Nashville convenience store robbery. Since then, the state has endured legal challenges and difficulties finding execution chemicals such, including its previous drug pentobarbital.
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Tennessee carries out its first execution in nearly a decade
Tennessee carried out its first execution in nearly a decade Thursday night.
59-year-old Billy Ray Irick was put to death by lethal injection for the 1985 rape and murder of 7-year-old Paula Dyer, a girl he was babysitting in Knoxville.
Irick received a three-drug injection at a maximum-security prison in Nashville and was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m., authorities said.
Before the lethal chemicals began flowing, Irick was asked if he had anything to say. Irick at first appeared to sigh and say “no.” But then he said, “I just want to say I’m really sorry and that, that’s it.”
It was the first execution in Tennessee since December 2009, when inmate Cecil Johnson received a lethal injection for the 1980 killings of three people during a Nashville convenience store robbery.
The Tennessean newspaper reported death penalty opponents gathered around Tennessee in several churches and outside the prison before the execution. About 50 protesters were outside the prison, while others who support the death penalty also showed up as authorities kept the two groups apart.
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Section of Graves Co. highway closed Friday
A section of KY 944 in Graves County will be closed today to replace a cross drain.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd says KY 944 will be closed near the Brush Creek Bridge southwest of Wingo between US 45 and the Purchase Parkway Overpass.
The roadway is expected to be closed from 8:00 until 3:00.
Todd says there will be no marked detour, but motorists may self-detour via KY 339, KY 58 and KY 1283.
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Dresden, Martin Farmers Markets to celebrate Farmers Market Week
The Dresden and Martin Farmers Markets will have special events tomorrow to celebrate Farmers Market Week in Tennessee.
Extra vendors, special guests, food demonstrations, special activities, and even live music will be part of the celebrations tomorrow in Martin, Dresden, and other farmers markets in the area.
In Nashville, the Korean Veterans Bridge will lit green tonight and tomorrow night to recognize the impact of farmers markets across Tennessee.
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Crews setting up Soybean Festival stage area in downtown Martin
Workers are setting up the Soybean Festival stage area at Festival Park in downtown Martin.
Martin Director of Community Development Brad Thompson says crews have to begin setting up the area as soon as possible to remain organized and prepared.
Thompson says things are taking shape with the wall structure set to be constructed soon.
Crews are currently working on the seating platform for the chairs and bleachers will be brought in later this month which will help create the amphitheater atmosphere.
Thompson says tickets for the festival’s concerts are selling well, with tickets for the .38 Special and Foreigner show over 50% sold out.
Tickets are available at tnsoybeanfestival.org.
The Soybean Festival runs September 1st through the 8th.
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Sports for Friday, Aug. 10
Cardinals @ Kansas City Royals 6:20 on 104.9 KYTN
Henry County Jamboree at 5:30
West Carroll vs. Murray
Westview vs. Stewart County
Dresden vs. Hickman County, TN
Henry County vs. Waverly
McKenzie vs. Milan
Dyer County Jamboree
Greenfield vs. Gibson County
Dyer County vs. First Assembly Christian School
Dyersburg Jamboree
Munford vs. Crockett County
Obion Central vs. Brighton
Union City vs. Haywood
Covington vs. Dyersburg
Other Scrimmages:
Fulton County at Humboldt
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UPDATE: Three people facing gun theft, drug charges in Union City
In a joint investigation with the TBI, 27th Judicial Drug Task Force, and Obion County Sheriff’s Department, the Union City Police Department has arrested a Rives couple in connection with the theft of firearms from a storage unit in Union City in June of this year.
Investigator Derrick O’Dell says 43-year-old Kevin Courtright and 38-year-old Leigh Courtright, of Pleasant Hill Road in Rives, are charged with theft over $10,000.
During a search of the couple’s home on Pleasant Hill Road, investigators found a gun safe behind a shed on the property, and multiple stolen guns inside the home.
Miss Courtright is also charged with possession of Schedule Two meth with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Investigator O’Dell says the drug charges stem from a search warrant that was executed at the home of her father, 61-year-old Gary Sergerson, of Pleasant Hill Road.
Sergerson was also arrested for accessory after the fact, possession of Schedule Two meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Sergerson’s charge of accessory after the fact is due to his participation in the concealment of Leigh and Kevin Courtright inside his home.
O’Dell says the investigation is ongoing.
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West TN man convicted on meth charges
A West Tennessee man has been convicted of possessiong 98 grams of pure meth.
U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant says agents with the McNairy County Narcotics Unit, Selmer Police Department, and McNairy County Sheriff’s Department were serving an arrest warrant on 46-year-old Michael Jay Harris of Finger, and found him in possession of a bag containing three and a half ounces of ice methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as digital scales, and drug paraphernalia.
A chemist with the DEA stated the methamphetamine was more than 97 percent pure, and an agent with the FBI testified it could have been distributed to more than a thousand drug users, based on its purity.
Sentencing for Harris is set for November 9 before U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen.
Harris has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for trafficking in cocaine and morphine, and assault charges.
Attorney Dunavant says based on his prior convictions, Harris faces up to life imprisonment.
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Warlick receives contract extension to coach Lady Vols
Tennessee Lady Vols basketball coach Holly Warlick has received a three-year contract extension as well as a $25,000 raise.
Athletic director Phillip Fulmer announced Friday that Warlick’s contract now runs through the 2021-22 season. Warlick’s deal was set to expire at the end of the 2018-19 season.
Her annual pay increased from $665,000 to $690,000.
Tennessee has gone 153-54 with three regional final appearances in Warlick’s six seasons, though the Lady Vols have lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament the last two years. Tennessee finished 25-8 last season after racing to a 15-0 start.
The Lady Vols haven’t reached a Final Four since their 2008 national championship.
Warlick, a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, was an assistant on former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt’s staff for 27 seasons. She is a former Tennessee player whose No. 22 jersey hangs from the Thompson-Boling Arena rafters.
Under terms of the deal announced Friday, if Tennessee fires Warlick without cause any time before March 31, 2020, the school would owe her one-third of the money she would have earned up until the contract’s April 30, 2022, expiration date.
If Warlick is fired without cause from April 2020 through March 2021, the school would owe her $690,000.
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THP Trooper injured in motorcyle/vehicle crash near Sharon
A Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle/vehicle crash Friday afternoon on Highway 45 near Sharon.
According to emergency personnel on the scene, Trooper Clint Todd was traveling on a patrol motorcycle when a vehicle pulled onto the highway from Mt. Vernon Road. Trooper Todd struck the vehicle in the driver’s side door and was ejected from the motorcycle.
Todd sustained broken limbs, but injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Eye-witnesses say it appeared Todd was thrown about 40-feet from the motorcycle.
The accident is still under investigation. Thunderbolt Radio News will have more information when it becomes available.
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South Fulton Athletic Booster Club to meet
The South Fulton Middle School and High School Athletic Booster Club meets Monday night at 6:30 in the school library.
All interested members, prospective members, parents, coaches, administrators, and supporters of South Fulton Middle School and High School Athletes, Cheerleaders and Athletic Programs are urged to attend.
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UTM alumni helping build new Martin Public Library
UT Martin alumni are giving back to the community through the funding and design of the new Martin Public Library.
UTM alum Langdon Unger was the first president of the Martin Public Library Foundation, an organization established to receive charitable donations towards the funding of the new building and its services.
UTM chancellor emeritus Dr. Nick Dunagan is the current foundation president and says the city has received a $5.5 million dollar USDA Rural Development grant, but still needs $1.5 million dollars to complete the necessary funds.
The new two-story library will feature a large children’s area and a teen zone, community meeting spaces, a dedicated genealogy research room, and workshop areas where community classes in skills such as cooking, sewing and painting can be taught.
The new library building will anchor the downtown Martin area on the corner of Lindell Street and University Street, where the Martin Police Department and UT Martin REED Center currently sit.
Fellow alum, David Warren, has designed libraries all over the world, and is working with the Jackson-based architectural firm TLM Associates Inc. to make the new Martin library a modern, state-of-the-art facility.
Construction on the new building is anticipated in begin in mid-2019 with hopes that the facility will open to the public in 2020.
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100% of UT Martin nursing students pass NCLEX
One hundred percent of nursing graduates from UT Martin’s 2018 class passed their National Council Licensing Examinations this year as first-time test-takers.
The NCLEX is a mandatory examination to receive licensure as a registered nurse, and this total includes students from both the UT Martin main campus and the Parsons Center.
UT Martin has educated nurses for more than 45 years, and program graduates hold many positions in the health-care field to make a difference in the lives of their patients.
Students can earn a UT Martin nursing degree on the main campus in Martin and at the UT Martin Parsons Center. The RN-BSN bridge program for currently licensed nurses is available online.
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THP trooper remains hospitalized following Friday crash near Sharon
A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper is still being treated in Nashville for injuries he sustained in an accident near Sharon Friday afternoon.
According to THP Lieutenant Brad Wilbanks, just after 5:00 Friday afternoon, 29-year-old Albert Ray Simpson of Kenton was attempting to cross Highway 45 from Mt. Vernon Road in a 2006 Ford F-250 and pulled out in front of 38-year-old THP Trooper Clint Steven Todd of Huntingdon, who was traveling north on Highway 45 on his patrol motorcycle.
Trooper Todd’s motorcycle struck Simpson’s truck in the right rear side, spinning both vehicles.
Trooper Todd was thrown from his motorcycle and suffered serious injuries, including broken limbs. He was airlifted to Vanderbilt Medical Center.
Simpson was not injured in the accident.
Lt. Wilbanks says charges are pending against Simpson.
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Skyhawks football finds growth in first scrimmage of fall camp
The UT Martin football team held its first of two scheduled scrimmages during fall camp on Saturday night in front of a steady contingent of fans at Hardy Graham Stadium.
The Skyhawks held their eighth practice of the 20-practice camp segment on Saturday, capitalizing on the team’s variety of periods before holding their first scrimmage.
The team eclipsed the 100-play mark before closing the practice while both sides of the ball found success.
Skyhawks head coach Jason Simpson said, “It was good because everyone got to play, ones, twos and threes all got to play while we even got our specialist some work. I tell the guys that the ones are about who we are in a three-week span. The twos and threes are where you look for individual success of guys winning their reps to see if they can get reps in the games. Offensively, we saw some plays tonight that were nice. The backs made some good runs and it was a good day.”
The Skyhawk offense tallied 15 combined first downs on the evening while the play calling was nearly mirrored with 44 run calls and 42 pass plays. As a whole, the offense scored six touchdowns on the night.
The Skyhawk defense posted a big day, forcing a pair of turnovers while notching one touchdown. David Little thwarted a potential scoring drive by intercepting a ball in the endzone for the team’s first forced turnover. The defense would nearly get another when Anthony Brown tallied a strip sack which the offense later recovered. The squad then notched their final forced turnover when James Gilleylen recovered a fumble and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.
In addition to the team’s turnovers, Brown led the team with two sacks while Loren Young and Porter Streator III also notched sacks.
On special teams, Ryan Courtright and newcomer Ryan Clark shared kicking duties. Courtright tallied field goal attempts from 37 yards on a pair of instances along with a 41-yard attempt and a pair of PATs. Clark attempted a 37-yard field goal along with a PAT.
The Skyhawks return to the practice field Monday, with six consecutive practices before the final scrimmage of camp on Saturday, August 18.
Practices and scrimmages are open to the public.
The Skyhawks open their season September 1 at Missouri.
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Dickson man wanted for Henry County embezzlement charges
A Dickson man is wanted on embezzlement charges involving a Paris business.
Paris Police Chief Chuck Elizondo says warrants have been issued for 31-year-old Daniel Perez.
The charges stem from the Game Stop on Mineral Wells Avenue where the branch manager is accused of embezzling cash and gift cards on 18 separate occasions starting in April.
The manager show Paris officers where the man cashed out false transactions and pocketed the cash or placed the balance on other gift cards at the store.
Chief Elizondo says the embezzlement totaled over $1,700.
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