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Tompkinsville Council votes for salary raises

Salaries of Tompkinsville’s mayor and Council members were raised,
effective at the beginning of their next term of office, during the Council’s regular meeting last Thursday night, Feb. 24. Councilman Rickie Hagan brought up the subject of pay raises for the next city administration. He pointed out that the job of mayor and council member should be “attractive ... something that you will put your heart into” and added that the mayor position should pay well enough that it could be a full-time position. Councilman Billy Joe Williams agreed that “a lot of time and effort go into doing that job.” The council voted to raise the mayor salary from the current $200 a month to $25,000 per year, with the council members to receive $50 per meeting, up from the $15 per meeting they receive now. The council emphasized that they aren’t raising their own salaries and that this change will not take effect until the next administration takes office. This means the Council salary raise will take effect at the beginning of 2001, since the present council’s two-year term of office will be ending this year and a Council election held this fall. The mayor’s term of office is four years, so the change in the mayor’s salary will not be effective until 2003. Council members and other concerned citizens were told during the meeting that local customers of Mediacom may be eligible to receive a credit, due to the outages, poor quality of reception, and the loss of Nashville’s Channel 4 during the system updates recently. Randy Hollis, with Mediacom’s Government Community Relations department, was on hand at the meeting to discuss cable service. Councilman Hagan stated that he had called himself and received a credit and asked if the company could credit the customers ”across the board,” but was told by Hollis that each person must call individually. These comments arose from a lengthy discussion between Hollis and James Honaker, who lives in Clark Estates and came before the council to ask questions about cable service. Honaker stated that ”many are unhappy with the programming and reception” and that, over the past few months, his cable bill “has gone up 18.6% and the reception has gone down.” Honaker specifically asked about Channel 4 (which Hollis told him had been “turned off” by the company) which is still being added to his bill. Hollis also told the council that close to $700,000 in the Tompkinsville area, along with $850,000 in the Metcalfe County Edmonton area, has been spent to “tie it all together” into one system, which also should be capable of handling high speed data transmissions.
Hollis went on to say that, after reviewing the system in Tompkinsville,
he agrees there are indeed “two or three stations ... with electrical interference.” He explained that, due to the county and the sending stations’ locations, high volume electrical transmission lines must be crossed whichleads to electrical interference and reduces the quality of the television picture. ”There is new technology out now that is being tested that might be able to ‘mask’ that interference,” Hollis told the group. Honaker continued to question how long it will be before the system here will be update with this technology, and Hollis this will be done as soon as possible after the test completion,if the equipment proves useful. He went on to say that, at the present time, he didn’t see this affecting the billing. He further explained that, when the digital service and internet connections become available, these will be treated as a
“premium” package and only those interested in using the service will be charged.

*-Local youth, burned when his car caught fire, sues manufacturer
(The following story is reprinted by permission from the Citizen-Statesman, Celina, Tenn. The subject of the story, Charlton Cropper, is the son of  Jackie and Martha Cropper, Tompkinsville.)

A Clay County teen who was severely burned when his 1992 Plymouth
Acclaim caught fire last February is seeking $14 million in damages from the vehicle’s manufacturer. Charlton Cropper, 18, was traveling south on Clementsville Road at approximately 8 p.m. on Feb. 20, 1999, when his car allegedly filled with smoke, blinding him and causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and strike a tree. Cropper was subsequently trapped in the vehicle and suffered second- and third-degree burns on his right side and minor burns on his left side before a nearby neighbor, Maggie Allen, pulled Cropper out of the burning vehicle. According to a complaint filed in Clay County Circuit Court on Friday, Feb. 4, Cropper “suffered severe injuries from the fire, from the molten plastic and other molten material from the dash, seats, and airbags.” The complaint alleges that the fire was caused by “defects in the design, engineering and/or location of the vehicle’s wiring between the middle of  the car and the steering column, where, due to the deterioration of the wiring the fire ... originated.” In addition, the complaint alleges that Daimler Chrysler Corporation “failed to utilize economical and technically available safety design alternatives insofar as the configuration of the vehicle’s wiring system.”

Groundbreaking held for economic development building

A ground-breaking ceremony was held last Friday for an economic
development building in Tompkinsville. The building will be funded by a grant obtained through the efforts of First District Congressman Ed Whitfield. Site of the building is between City Hall and Deckard’s Florist on Magnolia Street, across from the courthouse. The brick 30’x70’
structure will share parking with City Hall. The building is to be used for Chamber of Commerce and Industrial  Board office space as well as a central area to welcome visitors to the community. Future plans call for a “Centernet” site to be located at the building, offering long-distance training and conferencing capabilities for various types of business and educational purposes, as well as four to six computer work stations connected to the internet. A meeting room is planned at the rear of the building to be used for various purposes, including the “Centernet” and community meetings. This building is a combined effort of the Monroe County Fiscal Court, City of Tompkinsville, Tompkinsville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, Tompkinsville Industrial Development Board and other interested citizens. Representatives of Michael’s Quality Construction said completion of the building could be as soon as 60 days, depending on weather.
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Basketball
Monroe teams face Allen in final regular-season games

Monroe County High School’s varsity basketball teams ended their
regular season last Friday night, Feb. 25, as they traveled to Scottsville to
take on Allen County. Both teams were hoping to finish the season on a winning note, but only the Lady Falcons were successful, defeating the Lady Patriots by 9 points, while the Falcons fell to Allen by 15.
Lady Falcons
The Lady Falcons’s regular season began with the Lady Patriots, and
in that matchup, Monroe escaped with an overtime 65-63 victory. Things didn’t look good early, as Monroe was outscored by 5 in the first period, and although the Lady Falcons made a slight comeback in the second quarter, they still trailed by 3 at halftime. The third period changed the game around as Monroe defensively put the clamps on the Lady Patriots and jumped all over their hosts, outscoring them 17 points. The Lady Patriots fought back in the fourth but the Lady Falcons held on for the win, 61-52. This win gave Monroe a regular season record of 20-5. “We had balanced scoring with good bench play,” said head coach Tony
Harlan.
Scoring by quarters: 1st — Monroe 9, Allen 14; 2nd — Monroe 12, Allen 10; 3rd — Monroe 22, Allen 5; 4th — Monroe 18, Allen 23.
Stats: Renea Proffitt, 15 points; Kari Brown, 12; Brittany Geralds, 12;
Lindsey Berry, 6; Stinson, 6; Leslie McAlpin, 5; Graves, 4; and Kelli Baxter, 1.

Falcons
The Falcons second game of the season, back in December, was against
the Allen County Patriots, and, at that time, Monroe fell short by just 2
points, 78-76. The Falcons hoped to get a little revenge, but it was not to
be. The first period had both teams evenly matched, but the second quarter was Monroe’s undoing as the Patriots outscored them by 7, and third period wasn’t much better. Monroe scored more points in the final period, but once again, the Patriots scored just a few more, and went on to take the win, 66-51. This gave the Falcons a regular- season record of 3-21.
Scoring by quarters: 1st — Monroe 18, Allen 18; 2nd — Monroe 7, Allen 14; 3rd — Monroe 10, Allen 15; 4th — Monroe 16, Allen 19.
Stats: Zack Grace, 17 points; Chris Pitcock, 8; Radford Graves, 7;
Casey Kirk, 5; Josh Turner, 3; Chase Moore, 3; Cory Netherton, 2; Eric Davis, 2; Jessie England, 2; and Jordan Headrick, 2.

Both Monroe teams qualify for regional play

Monroe County High School is hosting the 16th District Tournament
this week, and both the Lady Falcons and Falcons won their opening-round games, thus qualifying for the Regional Tournament. Whether each team goes to the regional as winner or runner-up will be
determined in the finals, when both the boys’ and girls’ teams play   Clinton County, the boys Thursday night, March 2, and the girls Friday night, March 3.

Lady Falcons
The Lady Falcons played Cumberland County (a team they had already
defeated twice this season, 62-20 and 53-23) in the first game of the
district tourney. Coach Tony Harlan’s team made quick work of the Lady Panthers, winning by 47 points! Even with Monroe’s starters on the bench most of the fourth quarter,  the Lady Falcons coasted to a 83-37 win. “Every player scored,” said Harlan. “We did a good job of making our shots and free throws. A complete effort and victory from all the players.”
Scoring by quarters: 1st — Monroe 18, Cumberland 5; 2nd — Monroe 24, Cumberland 13; 3rd — Monroe 26, Cumberland 9; 4th — Monroe 15, Cumberland 10.
Stats: Lindsey Berry, 17 points; Leslie McAlpin, 14; Renea Proffitt,
14; Brittany Geralds, 7; Kari Brown, 6; Samantha Graves, 6; Jill Stinson,
6; Tracy Hays, 5; Kelli Emberton, 2; Becky Pedigo, 2; Kelli Baxter, 2; and Jessica Ritter, 2.
Friday night’s championship game will be between Monroe and Clinton
County (who defeated Metcalfe on Monday night). These teams split their contests in the regular season and Clinton is ranked slightly higher than Monroe in most polls.

Falcons
To make the Fourth Region Tournament, Monroe had to beat Metcalfe
County, a team that defeated the Falcons 95-57 and 78-69 during the regular season. Another negative for the Falcons was the fact they had not won on their home floor this season. But the home-standing Falcons came alive Tuesday night, Feb. 29, and downed Metcalfe 65-57, guaranteeing them a berth in regional play next week. Monroe led by a point at the end of the first quarter, but Metcalfe took a 2-point lead to the the dressing room at halftime. That slight Hornet lead evaporated in the third and the score was tied going into the final period. Monroe has had some trouble with the final quarter during the regular season, but not this time. In the last period, Metcalfe put Monroe on the free-throw line 19 times, where the Falcons hit 13, helping them to an 8-point win!
“We played an excellent game on both ends of the floor,” said Falcon
Head Coach Brian Carter. “I thought our defense was the best it has been all year.” Carter felt his team’s improved play on the boards paid off, saying: “Rebounding won us this game. In the two previous games with Metcalfe, we gave up about 15 offensive rebounds per game.
“In this game we gave up just seven offensive rebounds. Everyone on
the team went to the boards, especially Josh Turner, Cory Netherton and
Jonathan Hamilton,” said Carter. “I thought Zack Grace and Radford Graves played with great patience in the fourth quarter,” said the coach. “They handled the ball without turnovers and were able to penetrate and get to the free- throw line, where they hit a combined 11-12.”
Scoring by quarters: 1st — Monroe 16, Metcalfe 15; 2nd — Monroe 15, Metcalfe 18; 3rd — Monroe 15, Metcalfe 13; 4th — Monroe 19, Metcalfe 11.
Stats: Grace, 22 points; Graves, 18; Hamilton, 6; Turner, 5;
Netherton, 4; Chris Pitcock, 4; Chase Moore, 3; and Jessie England, 3.
In the district finals on March 2, Monroe will face a very tough  Clinton
County that defeated Cumberland County in opening round action. The Bulldogs feature one of the better players in the state, Daniel Latham.
Latham either leads the state or is in second place in the categories of rebounds per game (14.1, as of last week) and points scored per game
(27.6, as of last week), depending on the updated stats of his nearest
competitors in these categories.
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Announcements
60th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Mr. and Mrs. Travis Hamilton of the Sulphur Lick community will
celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Sunday, March 12, at home with their family. Travis Hamilton and Runell McPherson were married in Monroe County by Bro. Tom Clemons on March 9, 1940. They have two daughters and a son-in-law and a son and daughter-in-law —
Lillian and Avalon Russell, Eighty Eight; Judy Dubree, Summer Shade;
and Ronnie and Debbie Hamilton, Sulphur Lick. They also have nine
grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Two great-grandchildren are deceased. For those wishing to send them a card, their address is 539 White Rd.,  Summer Shade, Ky. 42166.

BIRTH

Alexis Grace Rich, the daughter of Barry and Suzannah Rich, Bardstown, was born Feb. 5, 2000, at the Norton Spring View Hospital. She is the granddaughter of Bill and Judy Rowland, Gamaliel, and of Becky Rich, Tompkinsville, and the late Joe Rich.

BIRTHDAYS

Elvie Ferguson, 242 Tim Poland Rd., Tompkinsville, Ky. 42167, will
celebrate her 84th birthday on March 4.
Theodore Copass, 117 Theo Copass Rd., Gamaliel Ky. 42140, will
celebrate his 80th birthday on March 6.
Lauren Deanne Hammer, daughter of Duane and Dana Hammer,
Tompkinsville, celebrated her first birthday on Oct. 9.

COLLEGE GRADUATION

John Anthony Lawrence Pitcock received a Bachelor of Science degree
in organizational leadership from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.,
on Dec. 19. He is the son of Roger and Ann Pitcock, Indianapolis, Ind. He is the grandson of Velma Pitcock, Burkesville, and the late Lawrence Pitcock. The Pitcocks formerly lived at Tompkinsville.
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Deaths
Nine deaths were reported to the Tompkinsville News this past week.
Local deaths were:
— Lennis Elizabeth (Wright) Bybee, 83, Edmonton Rd., Tompkinsville,
who died Feb. 27 (she was the widow of Cleo Bybee), and
— Rose M. (Schaller) Widman, 93, Earlie Burks Rd., Tompkinsville, who died Feb. 22 (she was the widow of Charles H. Widman).
Deaths reported from other areas were:
— Alma (Steenbergen) Jones, 78, Glasgow, who died Feb. 28 (she was
the widow of Standley Jones);
— Garnel Wakefield Reecer, 88, Celina, Tenn., who died Feb. 26 (he
was the husband of the late Oralee [Blakely] Reecer);
— Jackie Lynn McLerran, 36, Celina, a Tompkinsville native who also
died Feb. 26 (he was the husband of Tina [Pennington] McLerran);
— Bonnie Ruth (Terry) Sain, 87, Celina, who died Feb. 25 (she was the
widow of Frank Sain):
— Ethel (Wilburn) Bellamy, 74, Peru, Ind., who also died Feb. 25 (she
was the widow of Charles Eugene Bellamy);
— Estel Carter, 83, Genoa, Ohio, who died Feb. 23 (he was the
husband of Velma [Payne] Carter); and
— Emogene (Taylor) Massey, 75, Lafayette, Tenn., who also died Feb.
23 (she was the widow of Jesse B. Massey, Jr.).
Details about their backgrounds, survivors and funeral arrangements can be found by clicking here.
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