After falling to Riverside by 10 the day before, Adamsville could not piece together enough hits to give itself a better result on April 24 when they took on the Panthers at home.

A red carpet event will celebrate the rerelease of the Walking Tall trilogy at the Marty in Adamsville Thursday.

Shout Factory will re-release Walking Tall, Walking Tall Part 2 and Final Chapter: Walking Tall.

The old Latta Motor Company, better known as “the Latta building” is now officially open to the public under its new title as the Latta Visitor’s and Cultural Center.

For the second consecutive season, the Adamsville High School Lady Cardinal Tennis Team advanced to the District 15 A-AA Championship with a 4-2-1 win in the semis over Madison Academic Magnet High School last Monday.

The Independent Appeal recently accompanied a tour of the Coon Creek Science Center. Sixth grade students from the Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis toured the site last Friday, taking part in an intro to Coon Creek tour.

Before last Thursday night, the Bobcats had not beaten the Cardinals on the baseball field since March 13, 2006.

After a controversial finish, McNairy Central tasted victory over its nemesis for the first time in over six years, and Head Coach Brian Franks was happy to have the proverbial monkey off his back.

“Finally got them,” Bobcat head coach Brain Franks said after the game. “Adamsville’s got a great ball team and it could have went either way.”

In recent weeks there have been several fundraising events which combined have raised more than $65,000 for the community.

The McNairy Central Lady Bobcats had a tough run last week in two games against the Adamsville Lady Cardinals and the Chester County Lady Eagles.

The dugout is crowded with injured players and has forced McNairy to make changes and overcome obstacles in one of school year’s busiest months.

The Tennessee River Old Iron Tractor Club held its O.F. Wagoner Memorial Tractor Show last Saturday at the Stantonville Community Center.

The event kicked of around 5 a.m. and featured more than 92 pieces including tractors, engines and miniatures as well as music and food.

Chester County players hoist the 28th Annual Independent Appeal Baseball Spectacular Championship Trophy after defeating McNairy Central 8-7 in the title game for the second straight year.

The Bobcats (18-7-1) may have been disappointed after losing to Chester County last Saturday, but they had no reason to hang their heads after a great run in the 28th Annual Independent Appeal Baseball Spectacular.

The Chester County Eagles came to McNairy County with every intention of defending their crown. The 2011 tournament champions did just that, defeating the Bobcats in the title game for the second consecutive year.

“They put us out of district last year, they beat us at their place earlier this year, and they beat us in the tournament championship last year,” Bobcat head coach Brian Franks said about Chester County after the loss. “We’ve just gotta find a way to hang on and beat those guys.”

A car crashed into a mobile home at Bethel Springs last Thursday, seriously injuring the driver.

According to the electronic crash report provided by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Ricky J. Kyle, 19, of Selmer, was eastbound on Murray School Road, in a gray 1994 Pontiac Firebird. As he was negotiating a right hand curve, he lost control, ran off the left side of the road and struck a house trailer, causing heavy damage to it.

In conjunction with the play, AiM hosted a Mad Hatter Tea Party on Saturday. More than 30 children attended the event at the Farmer’s Market and Rockabilly Park in Selmer.

An off-night last Monday cost Adamsville (13-10-1, 6-1) its position atop District 15-A when the Cardinal offense was shut down by the Scotts Hill Lions.

Last Thursday, the Civil War Trust joined with the National Park Service and State of Tennessee to make announcements regarding the permanent preservation of 925 acres on the Shiloh Battlefield. The achievements discussed were threefold and included the successful completion of efforts to purchase 267 acres at Fallen Timbers in McNariy County as well as the transfer of 167 acres from the Trust to the park and the launch of a $1.25 million campaign to preserve an additional 491 acres inside the park.

Undefeated and yet to be scored on, the McNairy Central Bobcats won another shutout game when they beat the Chester County Eagles 2-0 on April 3.

After experiencing rain delay due to a passing thunderstorm, the game resumed but the score was tied at zero at the end of regulation. To determine a winner, the game went into overtime.

Following a planned building inspection last Tuesday, the Latta Building located in downtown Selmer is nearing completion. Based on the findings of the inspection and completion of the final touches to the structure, the building could be ready for occupancy in the coming week. The Independent Appeal will provide a full update to this story following the county’s date of occupancy announcement.

The Adamsville Lady Cardinals went head-to-head with two District 15-A competitors from Jackson, Tenn. last week and won one and lost one.

Area children participate in the Selmer Easter Egg Hunt located at Selmer City Park last Saturday. The event, hosted by the Selmer Parks Department, was one of many Easter themed events in the county last weekend. 

The Bobcats were just an inning away from advancing to the Sports Plus Tournament semifinals in Jackson, Tenn. last weekend but came up a run short after falling to Montgomery Central in their final game.

“We played really well as far as pitching and defense goes,” said Bobcat head coach Brian Franks. “We just didn’t hit. We had some base running errors, and didn’t hit it well at the plate...I sorta think we got tired as the week went on.”

Franks was not making excuses for his team. The Bobcats began their regular season play on March 12. Last Friday was March 30. In 18 days, the Cats played 19 games and amassed an impressive 13-5-1 record.

Despite some bad weather, initial celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Battle seem to have gone well.

Nita Rutledge, Hardin County Public Relations Coordinator, told the Independent Appeal last Monday that personnel from the Armies of Tennessee, who staged one of the two reenactments of the historic battle last Saturday and Sunday, were hard at work restoring, cleaning up and restoring the land upon which the reenactment occurred. This event occurred in Counce.

“We are working just as hard after the reenactment as before,” she said.

Randy and Michelle Gieger open the doors to Saw Meal Restaurant and Steakhouse’s new and beautiful location at 731 East Main Street in Adamsville last Monday morning. Saw Meal will now be serving breakfast six days a week, with the exception being Sunday, on top of their menu that’s bringing back all the old favorites. If that isn’t enough, the restaurant will soon be producing wonderful wooden furniture to sell in a showroom in the building adjacent to the restaurant that will available for the public to purchase and is on display inside and outside the restaurant, according to Mr. Gieger. They will be selling benches, chairs, tables, and lots of Cardinal, Bobcat, and Tiger merchandise for the sports fans. The restaurant opened its doors for the first time since the devastating fire on Nov. 29, 2011. Mr. Gieger said the restaurant has been rebuilt with as many local materials as they could find because he felt the amazing response and assistance from the community after the fire warranted Saw Meal giving back. “There’s no way I can put into words what the response has been from the community as far as the city and individuals doing things to help us get to where we are...I’m grateful for what the Lord has blessed us with. A lot of prayers made the difference, and the good Lord kicked the door open and let us find a way to do what we did.”

Children are very susceptible to falls, accidents, bruises, or injuries, especially as toddlers learning how to walk. Imagine developing through childhood with hemophilia when the slightest mishap could be permanently damaging or life-threatening to the body.

The line for lottery tickets stretches throughout the Eastview Chevron and Subway last Friday. The Mega Millions jackpot for that drawing was a record $640 million.

The Cardinal hitters were routinely dropping bombs, in the form of home runs and extra base hits, on the Middleton Tigers all afternoon last Monday at Adamsville High School.

According to a release provided by the Memphis Police Department, a 2004 Volvo tractor trailer leased to the ETC Elam Trucking Company in Stantonville was stopped in Memphis around noon last Friday carrying 920 pounds of marijuana.

Members of the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit intercepted the large load of marijuana after stopping the tractor trailer, driven by Rodriguez Eliseo of La Feria, Texas, while it was driving between lanes on I-240.

As with many other rural counties across the nation the production and use of methamphetamine or meth remains a growing problem. Last week, The McNairy County Sheriff’s Office released their meth related arrest numbers for 2010 and 2011.

Exchange Club-Carl Perkins Center 12th Annual Dinner & Auction will again showcase “Dancing with the McNairy Stars” on April 21. This year’s event will again feature prominent members of the community paired up to dance. This year’s competitors will be Kevin Lipford with Suzanne Henson, Brandon Burton with Tami Buck, Guy Buck with Melissa Stewart and Sam Vice with Marie Hurst.

McNairy Central’s baseball team is now 3-1 in the District 14-AA South after shutting out the Bolivar Tigers on the road last Monday in their first matchup of the year.

The Lady Cardinals celebrate at home plate after Kristina Milford’s home run during Adamsville’s win over the Lady Patriots at the Camden Central Tournament last weekend. AHS was 3-2 in the tourney with a 6-1 win over the McEwen Lady Warriors, an 8-5 win over the Henry County Lady Patriots, a 2-1 win over Waverly Central, a 3-0 loss to Kenwood, and a 5-0 loss to the Camden Central Lady Lions. The Lady Cards will enjoy their Spring Break this week and hit the diamond again next Thursday with a big district road contest against the Trinity Christian Lady Lions.

After starting the season off with a bang, going 2-0 in their first two home games, the McNairy Central Bobcats went into the Mooreville Trooper Class in Mississippi last week with high hopes and walked out on top after winning three of their four games.

Opening the season on the road against stiff competition, Adamsville played five games in five days at the Tomahawk Classic in Jackson, Tenn. last week.

Aqua Glass announced last Monday that they would be cutting approximately one-third of their workforce at their Adamsville plant which employs more than 300
people.

Lt. Brad Wilbanks of the Tennessee Highway Patrol brought the Mobile Inspection Station to Spectrum last Friday. The station has several uses, according to Wilbanks.

“Of course, in the event of a natural disaster or emergency it could be used. What we are using it for right now is checking commercial vehicles,” Wilbanks said.

Two Lady Bobcats of McNairy Central High School have spent their lives in basketball and have carried on a legacy passed down from their parents.

A house on Bethel Purdy Road burned last Wednesday night. Fire departments from Bethel Springs, Lawton, Beauty Hill and McNairy County responded. The house was totally destroyed, according to Bethel Springs Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief David McCullar. The house was owned by Kennie Lamberth, but the occupant recently moved out. “It was burning pretty good. The wind was blowing and it was raining,” McCullar said.

A truck driver was killed last Wednesday on the Highway 45 Bypass near the University of Tennessee at Martin McNairy County Center/Selmer. 

According to an electronic traffic report provided by the Selmer Police Department, Ptl. Foy Huckabee was dispatched to Highway 45 North in front of the UTM Selmer center for a one vehicle accident.

When he arrived, he saw the semi truck upside down after it rolled over.

The driver, Nathan Johnson, 31, of Cullman, Ala. was trapped in the vehicle and extricated by emergency workers. However, he did not survive the crash.

It’s March and everyone knows what that means: madness is upon us.

The 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship tournament will begin on March 15 and run through April 2 when the national championship will be decided in New Orleans.

The Independent Appeal would like to know who McNairy County thinks will be the champion and how they will get there, so we’re welcoming all to compete in our 2012 Bracket Challenge.

Brian Tull, the artist responsible for Selmer’s Rockabilly Highway mural at the intersection of Court and Second Avenues started his second mural in the town last weekend on the side of the McMahan Law Firm building facing Rockabilly Park.

“I hope to have it completed by June,” Tull said. “All my paintings feature some sort of nostalgia; Eileen Rose and Rich Gilbert of The Silver Threads fit perfectly with their look and sound.” 

His new painting will fit in with the Rockabilly theme of the first and will feature imagery tying the sound to Selmer’s famous Highway 45.

McNairy County survived what is being called one of the most significant March tornado outbreaks in history last Friday with at least 74 confirmed tornadoes. The outbreak, which saw 279 tornado warnings issued nationwide, with at least two in McNairy County, claimed lives of at least 39 people from the gulf coast to the upper midwest.

A Selmer man was injured in an automobile accident last Friday on Highway 45 near the Industrial Park in Selmer. Earl W. Basinger, 49, of Selmer was transported by Emergency Medical Services ambulance to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. As of last Monday, Basinger was in critical condition, according to a spokesperson for the hospital.

Adamsville might have avoided the threat of severe weather Friday afternoon, but the Lady Cardinals were not so lucky when they traveled to Union City High School last Saturday night for their Class A Sectional (substate) game against the Lady Golden Tornadoes.

It’s March and everyone knows what that means; madness is upon us, and we’re offering a $750 for your unblemished bracket.

The tables are nearly set for the eighth annual Taste of McNairy, a major fundraiser for the McNairy County  Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

McNairy Central’s 6-foot-4 senior, powerhouse post player, Rameil Pollard finished the season with a bang. He led the Bobcat team through the postseason tournaments and ended as the leading scorer in McNairy County, finishing his senior season with an average of 18.9 points per game.

McNairy Central’s 6-foot-4 senior, powerhouse post player, Rameil Pollard finished the season with a bang. He led the Bobcat team through the postseason tournaments and ended as the leading scorer in McNairy County, finishing his senior season with an average of 18.9 points per game.

McNairy Central’s 6-foot-4 senior, powerhouse post player, Rameil Pollard finished the season with a bang. He led the Bobcat team through the postseason tournaments and ended as the leading scorer in McNairy County, finishing his senior season with an average of 18.9 points per game.

A pair of former McNairy Central basketball standouts has been honored by the TranSouth Athletic Conference by being named scholar athletes. The Blue Mountain College players are Samantha Burns and Jermael Bingham.

Investigators with from the Selmer Police Department and the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department assigned to the McNairy County Narcotics Unit arrested a man and woman on meth charges after serving a search warrant on a Bethel Springs home Feb. 20.

So far, the Region 8-A Tournament has been a roller-coaster ride for the Lady Cardinals. They dominated their quarterfinal matchup with Westwood but had to rally from nine down in the fourth quarter to defeat Middleton in the semis. 

The semifinal win earned Adamsville a substate berth and advanced the girls to the Region 8-A Championship where they will attempt to corral the Lady Mustangs of Madison for a second time in a championship game this postseason. The game will be hosted by Trinity Christian Academy in Jackson, Tenn, and tip-off is tonight at 7 p.m.

Win or lose, the Lady Cards are guaranteed one more game. A loss would mean they will travel to play the winner of Lake County and Union City on Saturday, but a win would bring the substate game to Adamsville.

The winter of 2011-12 may end up being known as the winter that never was. With temps as high as 80 (two degrees shy of an all-time monthly record) last week, and more than 10 days of tree pollen alerts from the local weather service, spring is officially in full swing. This week, local residents (like it or not) can expect to start seeing spring foliage in full force with forecasted highs above 60 predicted for all but one of the next 10 days, and a predicted high for Friday at 75.

This month’s warmer than average temperatures punctuated an already warm winter in Tennessee  as January and December were listed as the fourth warmest on record for the contiguous United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center. 

The 12-month period, ending in January, was the sixth-warmest on record for the lower 48 states.

For Tennessee, it was the 20th warmest January on record since 1895. December, 2011 was also 2.5 degrees warmer than average.

January was 6.4 degrees warmer than average in Jackson, the nearest city for which figures are available, and was the tenth warmest January on record.

December was 1.76 degrees warmer, the 26th warmest December on record.

There were six days in February above 60 in Selmer and all but seven days of the month were above 50, according to the Weather Channel. 

Eleven days have been above 60 degrees in January. Only five days failed to get to 50 degrees. The highest temperature for this month was 70, which was reached on two different days.

This winter has not only been warm but has recorded the smallest January snow cover in the 46-year period on record, according to the NCDC. 

There was a fire last Thursday at a Ramer house on 138 Chewalla Rd. The house, which is probably going to end up a total loss, according to Ramer Fire Chief Jamie Robertson, was owned by Andrew Parrish. The  historic house was built in 1906. “The fire was contained to the east end of the house, but there was smoke and water damage throughout,” Robertson said. Firefighters from Ramer, Eastview and Chewalla responded to the fire. According to Robertson the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Falling short in the Quarterfinal Round of the Boys 7-AA Region Tournament by seven points to the No. 1-seeded Covington Chargers 75-68, the McNairy Central Bobcats ended their 2011-12 season in Covington last Saturday night.

U. S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn presents Adamsville Junior/Senior High School Band Director Frankie Congiardo with a statement from the Congressional Record honoring the band for its seventh Division One State Championship since 1999. Congiardo and the AHS band capped their amazing record with another state championship in 2011.

A home Region 8-A Tournament game is Adamsville High School’s reward for the girls’ performance in the District 15-A Tournament, but the Lady Mustangs of Madison Academic Magnet kept them from hoisting the championship plaque in the end.

The defensive minded No. 3 Lady Cardinals earned another home game with a win in the first round over No. 6 Trinity Christian on Feb. 14 and followed it up with an upset over No. 2 Middleton in the semifinals last Friday.

AHS will play host to either Memphis Westwood or Memphis Business Academy out of District 16-A on Friday. For updates on tournament action, check the Independent Appeal Facebook page.

Going into the District 14-AA Tournament, McNairy Central’s girls held the number one seed, but a semifinal loss to the Lexington Lady Tigers knocked the Lady Bobcats out of the Championship and Runner-up positions.

“This is not exactly where we wanted to be,” said Lady Bobcat head coach Jerry Lott. “I would rather be playing a home game Friday night, but we are still playing and we are still in the Region Tournament.”

Nevertheless, the team has done well after starting the season 0-3 and winning 24 out of 26 games following the rough beginning.

Monday night, McNairy Central defeated the Chester County Lady Eagles in the Consolation Game to attain the third place position in the district tournament.

Mayor David Robinson of Selmer sat down with the Independent Appeal this week to discuss the past, present and future of the historic city as well as his role and future plans as the city’s leader.

During the meeting, Robinson said, that despite rumors to the contrary, he does plan to run for a third term of office in the 2013 election.

Miss Tennessee (also former Miss Walking Tall) Erin Hatley and Miss Walking Tall 2011 Sarah Stonier, crown Ivy Depew (formerly Miss Memphis) as Miss Walking Tall 2012. Depew beat out 14 other competitors for the title in Adamsville last Sunday night. She charmed the crowd with her flute rendition of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” earlier that night in the talent competition. Depew will next compete as Miss Walking Tall in the Miss Tennessee Competition in June at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson.

Selmer Alderman John Preston Smith was allegedly assaulted on Jan. 31 by Eric Holcombe, truancy officer for the McNairy County School District.

According to the incident report provided by the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, Smith told Deputy Amy Ballard, that it was not his week to have his kids but since it was his birthday he wanted to spend a few hours with them.

Along with friend Brian Dickey, who is McNairy County Registrar of Deeds, Smith went to the Guys home of his estranged wife, Rebecca, to pick up the kids.

An escaped criminal was captured last Friday by the Selmer Police Department behind the strip of fast food restaurants and gas stations along Highway 45 in Selmer. 

Following the incident, Robert Bryant faces escape charges and Elizabeth Foster, who stands accused of aiding Bryant, faces a charge of accessory after the fact on an escape.

Photo by Ashley Moore

The T-N-T State Tournament held in Springfield, Tenn. was not a dynamite experience for County Champions Michie and Bethel Springs last Saturday. The Michie Lady Blue Devils, who were riding an 18-game winning streak, and the Bethel Springs Rebels, who ran their county schedule unblemished at 10-0, both saw their dream seasons come to an end at the hands of Ezell-Harding Christian School in the 2A bracket. No matter how they finished at state, their seasons will be remembered in McNairy County forever.

Gaining two more district wins last week and moving to 13-0 in District 14-AA, the McNairy Central Lady Bobcats have earned the number one seed in tournament play.

The drive from this MCHS team has kept them with a winning record as the Lady Cats have strung together 22 wins in their last 23 games. They are also the No. 10 ranked team in Class AA.

The Bethel Springs Board of Aldermen reinstated part-time night police officer Bandy Burney after Police Chief T. E. “Pee Wee” Sowell had suspended him.

A suspect is still at large following domestic dispute in Selmer last Monday night.

The sheriff’s department answered the call on a domestic dispute last Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Bendall Trailer Park on Ramer Selmer Road in Selmer. 

The suspect was a black male approximately 45, driving a 2001 4-door gray Oldsmobile with Alcorn County tags.

The suspect left the scene at the trailer park and headed south.  Authorities stated the suspect was armed and dangerous.

A suspect is in custody following the discovery of several counterfeit bills passed at three Selmer businesses over a three-day period, according to reports from the Selmer Police Department.

Steven J. Kiestler was arrested by Sgt. Ted Roberts on state charges of criminal simulation, according to Lt. Roger Rickman.

The Michie Lady Blue Devils finished their season undefeated at 18-0 after a 38-15 victory over the Selmer Lady Lions in the championship game of the 2012 McNairy County Junior High Basketball Tournament held at McNairy Central High School last Monday night.

The Bethel Springs Rebels won their first county title ever last Monday night and
finished their season 16-2 after defeating the Selmer Lions 44-39 in the championship game of the 2012 McNairy County Junior High Basketball Tournament held at McNairy Central High School.

Mark and Deb Harris are on a journey for Jesus. What makes their journey unique is their preferred mode of transportation.

They have been on their journey in a covered wagon from Michigan since September, 2011.

The Saw Meal will be re-opening in a couple of months in the Old Butcher Shop location in Adamsville, according to co-owner Michelle Geiger.

Geiger told the Independent Appeal last Monday they closed on the property last Thursday. She said that they had a lot of work to do, but hope to reopen the restaurant by April.

Last Saturday night was a night for basketball in McNairy County with two incredible basketball games played between two heated rivals, Adamsville High School and McNairy Central High School. MCHS came out on top in both contests with the girls winning 39-31 and the boys pulling out a thrilling 53-49 victory.

The McNairy County Sheriff’s Department recovered four guns from a previous robbery. 

The three shotguns and one rifle were found in 2 ponds in the Mt. Vinson community, according to Investigator Robert Hitchborn.

Last Saturday, the Adamsville Lady Cardinal bowling team was defeated by Collierville High School at Sub-State held in Memphis.

“Congratulations go to the AHS Girls Bowling Team for progressing to Sub-State play against Collierville in Memphis,” said head coach Ron Christopher. “It was a very good game and as their coach I was proud of each and everyone for how they represented our school and the bowling program.”

Fire fighting equipment doesn’t come cheap, and to two local fire chiefs, it’s essential.

Stantonville Fire Chief Larry Russell and Michie Fire Chief Shirley Clark have two different approaches to this issue.

McNairy County’s Robert Sibley Airport is hoping to begin a long overdue airport repaving project sometime in the near future. The project’s cost is estimated at $1.3 million by the engineering firm Askew Hargraves Harcourt and Associates, Inc.

There is state and federal money available to cover 90 percent of the cost and the remaining $130,000 of the funding will have to be matched locally. 

The McNairy Regional Alliance and Economic Development Commission, MRA,  are busy planning their annual banquet and awards ceremony to honor the progress and success of area businesses, community leaders and volunteers.

McNairy County has much to celebrate being the state’s longest running Three Star Award recipient, 31 consecutive years.

“It has been a slow economy, but there are a lot of positives to celebrate,” stated MRA Director of Chamber Programs Russell Ingle. “Many of our businesses, large and small, should be recognized and honored for their progress and efforts to improve our community. In that regard, 2011 was a successful year.”

This year’s event, which is themed “A Night of Excellence & Laughter”, will feature an elegant dinner, awards ceremony and nationally renowned comedian Jeff Allen. State and regional dignitaries have also been invited to take part in the event.

“MRA leadership felt scheduling a comedian would be a little change of pace from years past,” stated Ingle. “Jeff Allen will provide a lot of laughs. Celebrating a ‘Night of Excellence & Laughter’, I think is a perfect way to begin the New Year.”

“With broad appeal to cross-generational audiences, Jeff’s comedy captures the humor in everyday life,” Ingle continued.

“Jeff has performed on every cable comedy network, including Comedy Central, Showtime and HBO. He has starred in projects with Castle Rock Television, First Look Studios and Warner Brothers.

He has performed for General Mills, Sams Club, Presidential Inaugurals, Congressional galas and for US troops on aircraft carriers and battle ships in the Middle East.”

The McNairy Regional Alliance Annual Banquet & Awards Ceremony will be held Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Pickwick Inn. Tickets are $30 each or a table of eight for $240. Sponsorship packages are available that feature a wide variety of benefits. Non-members are invited to take part in the event.

This banquet offers a wonderful opportunity to network and honor the contributions of individuals and businesses having a positive impact on our community.

For more information or to make a reservation call McNairy Regional Alliance at (731) 645-6360.

After recognizing McNairy Central Homecoming Queen Kindra Brown and Sweetheart Raven Gudino, the Bobcats battled the top ranked Bolivar Tigers in a district matchup.

The Lady Bobcats stand tall at number one in the district after a two point win over the Lady Tigers generating five consecutive wins. The Tigers, who are number two in the state, defeated the Bobcats after a tough, hard fought game 55-50.

The Pickwick New Years Tournament held at Pickwick Southside featured McNairy County’s Ramer Eagles in the tournament play.

The round robin brackets included games with Savannah Christian, Clifton, Ramer, and the hosting team, Pickwick Southside. Games were spread out to three days last week and girls and boys competed for the first place trophies.

The Ramer Eagles finished in first place position with a 3-0 record and the Lady Eagles took second place in the tournament at 2-1.

As reported earlier in the Independent Appeal, the Bethel Springs Board of Aldermen elected Lew Perrigo to fill the term of Sherri Payne, who resigned two months ago.

Perrigo is 53 and was raised in the grocery store business. He served three years in the Army. Soon after leaving the armed forces, he met and married Wanda Agnew, the daughter of Jack and Rachel Agnew, of Bethel Springs.

A Bethel Springs woman faces aggravated assault and reckless endangerment with a firearm charges following a shooting incident on Fred Johnson Road at approximately 11:40 a.m. last Wednesday morning.

Naomah Amanda Barclay was charged after allegedly taking a shot at Ethan King as he was walking his dogs near Barclay’s home at the end of Fred Johnson Road.

While the initiation to manufacture meth is a serious charge, it has sadly become common place in McNairy County as it has nationwide. On Jan. 2, members of the McNairy County Drug Task Force arrested two individuals, Jason W. Brown and Pamela Denise Smith of Overshot Rd. in
Adamsville on meth charges. However, during the search of their residence, DTF agents made a very unusual discovery...a large collection of illegal animal parts. 

The search by DTF agents Jamie Lowrance, David Johnson and James Frazier uncovered meth manufacturing items such as one-pot shake bottles, drain opener, drain cleaner and striped lithium which netted the suspects charges of initiation to manufacture meth, promotion of meth manufacture and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

However, searchers also began finding items such as raptor talons, hawk and owl talons, numerous protected turtles, hawk and owl feathers, a cottonmouth snake skin, wings and tails from hawks and owls, bags of protected bird feathers, various snake skins, an alligator head, numerous cottonmouth and copperhead snakes, an alligator tail, a bluejay, a pileated woodpecker, three snipes and a collection of frozen snake heads.

Charlie Dampeer was chosen Friday as the new McNairy Central High School Bobcat Football Coach by the McNairy County Board of Education from seven different applicants.

“We had seven team applicants and we had seven interviews,” said Superintendent Charlie Miskelly. “After the process, we felt that Mr. Dampeer was the best fit for our program.”

Dampeer will meet and begin coaching the Bobcats during spring football practice to help turn around their previous 2-8 season.

For the second time, the Adamsville Lady Cardinal bowling team was crowned Region 7 Runner-Up after the conclusion of the region tournament played at the Savannah Bowling Center last weekend.

The second place finish advances the girls to Sectionals (Sub-State) where they will face the undetermined champions of Region 8, which includes Memphis area schools, on Jan. 21.

A single vehicle accident on Purdy Rd. near the intersection of Armor Dr. outside of Selmer Sunday afternoon left at least two injured.

The vehicle, a black Ford Explorer, appeared to have overturned near a curve in the road, ejecting the contents of the truck across a 150 ft swath of road. 

The Lady Blue Devils' hot streak continued in Adamsville last Thursday when Michie's girls picked up their 12th straight win with a 21-point victory over the Junior Lady Cardinals.

A fire that destroyed a vacant home at 3059 Hubert Manuel Road, Michie, TN on last Monday is being investigated as suspected arson according to McNairy County Sheriff’s Deputy Amy Ballard.

Michie, Guys and Eastview volunteer fire departments were dispatched at 9:10 a.m. last Monday to the structure fire.

Jennifer Sisk and her husband, Rodney, of Adamsville, sat in the doctor’s office at Jennifer’s 21-week checkup.  

Jennifer had been through this process twice before when she had her two sons, so she thought she knew what to expect.

Neither Jennifer nor her husband could have guessed what the doctor would say next though.

Casey Lynn Redmon of 164 Walker St. in Bethel Springs, was arrested on Dec. 29 in connection with a series of burglaries according to incident reports provided by the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department.

Redmon was charged with one count of burglary, one count of theft over $500 and vandalism under $500 in connection with a break-in at Price Saw Mill in Selmer sometime between Dec. 10 and Dec. 11.,  one count of each of these charges in connection with a break-in at Mast Tires in Bethel Springs on Dec. 2, one count of each of these of charges in connection with a break-in at an out building on Masseyville Rd. in Selmer on Dec. 29 and one count of each for a break-in at the Finger Service Station. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 26.