Updated Sept. 2, 2010
Pick up a copy of this week's MJN for more stories, tribute to a long time Wilson County music teacher, locally written columns, and much more.
Photo courtesy of THP/This vehicle may have a connection to the victim.
THP seeks possible witness in apparent hit and run pedestrian fatality On line only breaking news update
Investigators have identified the man who was the victim of last Wednesday's apparent hit and run fatality on Interstate 40 and said they have developed a possible witness who they believe may have pertinent information about the incident.
LAURIE EVERETT/Managing Editor
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SCAN/SCAN recipient Thomas Harper at this summer's inaugural concert. He's accompanied by SCAN volunteer Bob Rorick. Second photo: SCAN recipient Jerry Duffel's eyes light up and she's sings along while visiting musician Shawn Pody.
LAURIE EVERETT • MT. JULIET NEWS/Child abuse survivor Charlotte Hunt, middle, describes how she's managed to overcome horrendous abuse at the hands of her parents. She's flanked by Deb Daugherty, executive director, 15th Judicial District Child Advocacy
Beginning a new journey With every turned shovel of dirt, cheers and applause erupted from the gathered sea of blue.
HILARY TRENDA/Staff writer
Durham, Neal both take oaths of offices The results of Wilson County's elections began to go affect Monday, as a number of elected officials were sworn into their offices.
HILARY TRENDA/Staff writer
LAURIE EVERETT • MT. JULIET NEWS/Michael Strange, Adam Thomas and Kevin Burns became "brothers" while serving as Marines in the 1st Battalion 6th for seven months in Afghanistan. They all graduated from Wilson Central High School in 2008
Part 2 in a series
Coming next week: What is the Wilson County School system doing to keep students in school? An investigation of the measures the system has implemented to keep students from falling between the cracks.
GED worth more than music awards to Wilson
Mega country music star and ninth grade dropout Gretchen Wilson catapulted to superstar status with her “Redneck Woman” hit. She lives in Lebanon and attained fame and fortune with her popular albums.
Financially, she was rock solid and knew she could provide well for her little girl Grace. However, even with the awards and adulation, Gretchen was missing something.
Story 2 Adult High School can provide redemption
Brittney Simmons is a very pretty young woman. On this day she was warmly dressed in a sweatshirt, but there was no denying she was very much pregnant. She attended Lebanon High School, and when she was a senior, she switched to a home school program.
LAURIE EVERETT / Managing Editor
Wilson County Adult High School student Juan Rosas will graduate this spring and hopes to go on to college and become an air traffic controller.
Independence cost Rosas chance at high school graduation
Juan Rosas is a bright young man who dropped out of high school years ago.
Now 28 years old, he’s married with a nearly 6 month old daughter. He’s trying to raise a family as a dropout and he’s fed up.
Editor's Blog / It just ain't right There is something insanely wrong with this picture; careening down hills, barely hugging curves while gripping the side of the door and stomping on a non-existent brake. My right thigh is super toned these days.
In early high school, Lyndsay Cline was in the gifted program. One day in the middle of her senior year at Lebanon High School she woke up, but didn’t go to class.
She never went to high school again.
LAURIE EVERETT / Managing Editor
LAURIE EVERETT • MT. JUILET NEWS / Everett Hurd works at Sally's Beauty Supply in Lebanon, a job he got after he obtained his GED. He's also enrolled in cosmetology school.
Nearly every day Everette Hurd can be found working at Sally's Beauty Supply in Lebanon.
LAURIE EVERETT / Managing Editor
Editor's blog / Sometimes it just takes an image I was eager to hear about the stock market, if any news from Mt. Juliet beat me on the newscast and the latest on the Metro school’s director search. So when I glanced at my flickering mini-television stuck on a shelf in my bedroom – while searching for my daughter’s sweatshirt at the bottom of my closet and trying to figure out how a Velcro curler works without getting stuck – I was taken aback. L. Everett - 3 opinions posted
August 4 Blog update to Vestiges of a vanishing nature blog For those of you who managed to slog through the below blog I penned some time around October, you eventually read about the bedraggled turkey hen that appeared out of nowhere on my place. L. Everett - 1 opinion posted
Part 1 of 4 Fire Alarm: Clearing the smoke on MJ fire protection/Evolution of fire service in MJ Next week: How do comprarable cities provide fire service to citizens and another Firefighter Focus
Mt. Juliet's swelling population caused by unprecedented retail and residential growth has fanned the flames of debate regarding whom should provide the city's fire protection.
In the past 36 years, since the city was incorporated in 1972, Mt. Juliet leaders have juggled to accommodate a swelling population brought about by this growth. LAURIE EVERETT / Managing Editor - 2 opinions posted
GEORGE PAGE • Mt. Juliet News / WEMA Director John Jewell works with the new Mt. Juliet volunteer firefighters at one of multiple meetings orchestrated by Mt. Juliet resident and firefighter Shawn Donovan.
Part 3 of 4/Fire Alarm: Clearing smoke on MJ fire protection/At the scene: The real deal on fire protection,Volunteer Fire Force born out of necessity Lt. David Cross has been a firefighter and emergency medical technician for 32 years. He’s been fighting fires in Wilson County for 20 of those years. He’s seen it all. When he started at Station 3 in Mt. Juliet two decades ago, there were four WEMA personnel working at the station.
“We were short handed then and we are short handed today, still with four people, with the only difference is that we have three other stations west of Highway 109 that would respond to us if needed,” Cross said. LAURIE EVERETT / Managing Editor - 1 opinion posted
DALLUS WHITFIELD • A WEMA firefighter continues to fight the flames at a house fire on Belinda Parkway in Mt. Julet.
Last in the series/Fire Alarm: Clearing the smoke on fire protection/What now? An analysis of - and officials weigh in - on fire protection December 31, 2008 - Two days ago there was a kitchen fire in an upscale home on Noel Drive in Mt. Juliet off Saundersville Ferry Road near the city limits.
The homeowner later reported she left the residence, was concerned she may have left the oven on and went back. She arrived back home to face flames in her kitchen. (The probable cause of the fire was later determined to be from a candle left lit and not the oven.) She called 911 and tried to put the fire out with a garden hose while she waited for help to arrive. LAURIE EVERETT / Managing Editor - 1 opinion posted
December 17 In-house editorial / Now is time to reevaluate need for city property tax for fire protection This week we present the second installment of our investigative series titled Fire Alarm: Clearing the smoke on MJ fire protection. Five peer cities, similar in size and population to Mt. Juliet were contacted and their city officials interviewed about how they provide fire service to their citizens. Four of the five provide their own fire service and the fifth contracts with a private company to provide this service.
4 opinions posted
LAURIE EVERETT • Mt. Juliet News / WEMA firefighter Jamie Luffman takes a breather after fighting a massive two residence fire for about five hours in Mt. Juliet off Saundersville Ferry Road.
FIREFIGHTER FOCUS: In their own words My name is Jamie Luffman and I am a 44 year old husband, father, son, brother, friend, and Sunday school teacher.
I am also a firefighter and an emergency medical technician. I have lived in Mt. Juliet all of my life and truly enjoy raising my family here and providing life safety services for my friends and neighbors.
SUMBMITTED • WEMA paramedic/firefighter Brent Dyer and son Nate.
Firefighter Focus: In their own words My name is Brent Dyer, I am a Paramedic/Firefighter in Wilson County. I began serving Wilson County in June of 2000. Over the past eight years, I have lived in Wilson County for five of them. My wife is a nurse. Fourteen months ago, we were blessed with our son.
High school soccer/Lady Saints shut out Ezell-Harding September 1, 2010 MT. JULIET — Freshman Allison Mahabir began and ended the scoring in a 4-0 Mt. Juliet Christian win over Ezell-Harding Tuesday at Suey Field.
Submitted
Wilson Central claws win over Rhea County GEORGE PAGE • MT. JULIET NEWS
Wilson Central's defense bent, but as head Coach Brad Dedman said afterward, "We didn't break", as the Wildcats squeaked out a 16-12 win over Rhea County to improve to 2-0 on the season. Quarterback Hunter Cranford and the Wildcats will travel to Beech on Friday night for a big District 9-AAA contest beginning at 7 p.m.
SUBMITTED/MJCA's 5th/6th Grade Head Coach Mike Kittrell huddles with his team before Thursday's game against Providence Christian.
Inaugural season of MJCA Saints 5th and 6th grade football begins with win The Mt. Juliet Christian Academy Saints' 5th/6th grade football team started its inaugural season with a 22-8 win over Providence Christian Academy on Thursday night in Murfreesboro. The Saints scored three touchdowns on 39 carries for 224 yards of offense in their win.
SUBMITTED
MJHS shuts out McGavock GEORGE PAGE • MT. JULIET NEWS
Mt. Juliet High opened the 2010 football season with a 27-0 shutout of McGavock. Team captains were Colt Carver (10), Corderius Burns (20), AJ Alejo (4) and Grejarian Butler (69). The Bears travel to Gallatin on Friday night beginning at 7 p.m.
Saints 5th/6th grade football off to 2-0 start with win over DCA September 1, 2010 - The Mt. Juliet Christian Academy Saints' 5th/6th Grade football team improved to 2-0 with a 14-0 win over DCA on Tuesday night at home. The Saints scored two touchdowns on 33 carries for 147 yards of offense on the ground and completed two passes for 19 yards in the win.
Brayden Cox led the team with eight carries for 37 yards which included seven backs accumulating positive yardage. Quarterback Connor Pressley went 2-for-3 for 19 yards with one interception. Scoring for the Saints was Pressley and Jacob Neely. Tight End Alex Pitman caught two passes for 19 yards.
MJCA was led on defense by Defensive End Matthew Davids with seven tackles and one sack, Linebacker Lawson Rich with six tackles and an interception, Defensive End Dalton King with four tackles including two sacks and Defensive Tackle Preston Sloan with one sack. The Saints have now held opponents scoreless for seven quarters.
Head Coach Mike Kittrell said following the game, “I am one proud coach right now. Our boys really stepped it up in the second half in order to beat DCA and claim the first home victory of the season for the 5th/6th grade team.”
The Saints' 5th/6th Grade boys played Southside at MJCA yesterday.
Submitted
WCHS prevails 14-13 GEORGE PAGE * MT. JULIET NEWS
Wilson Central runningback D.J. Majors (20) takes a pitch from quarterback Hunter Cranford and runs to the end as Lebanon Blue Devils Dre Smith (78) pursues him. The Wildcats prevailed 14-13 and will host Rhea County on Friday night beginning at 7 p.m.
Part 1: School bullying not a ‘rite of passage’ to be endured “Sue” spent more time in the bathroom at school than in class. Almost overnight the friends she had since kindergarten had turned on her. They excluded her, talked behind her back, made up rumors and called her names. By LAURIE EVERETT - 6 opinions posted
Part 2: ‘Never confuse meekness with weakness' Bill Bond said the murderous episode took only 12 seconds. Three young lives snuffed, five others injured in a brief blip of time at Heath High School in Paducah, Ky., where Bond was principal. By LAURIE EVERETT
Part 3: Bullying in school can lead to life behind bars Lebanon resident James Keeley wore a bright orange jumpsuit when he shuffled into the office of Wilson County Sheriff Terry Ashe. He stuck out his hand for a shake then settled uncomfortably in a chair. A warden stood discreetly in the corner of the room.
By LAURIE EVERETT
Part 4: Cyber bullying emerges as deadly new rage All of the West Wilson Middle School students (who wished to remain anonymous) interviewed by the Mt. Juliet News said the newest rage of bullying is cyber bullying.
Sept. 1 Obituaries Waldo E. Calhoun,
Nancy Flannery,
Ann Claire Taylor Hackett,
Deborah Jennings,
Stephen Johnson,
George Liddle,
Kenneth L. "Mac" McKinney
