VISITOR FROM ABROAD

Trek across America makes stop in Savannah

Read More, 9B

Lady Tigers begin to find their stride

Read More, 1C

BASKETBALL ACTION

the

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2012

COURIER
WWW.COURIERANYWHERE.COM
Ron Schaming News Editor The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security is weighing in on the controversy surrounding Hardin County Director of Schools John Thomas previously going armed while on the job. We do not believe that (state law) 39-17-1309 allows any exception for the Hardin County director of schools to carry a rearm on school property, said Commissioner Bill Gibbons in a Feb. 2 letter. It is my understanding that the prohibition set forth...has been communicated to the director of schools. The Safety commissioner was responding to an enquiry to the governor

VOL 127 NO. 6 75

A Free Press A Free People

Established -1884-

THREE SECTIONS 34 PAGES

No exception for school director carrying gun

from Savannah resident Jerry Fowler, who said Tuesday he intends to go before the Hardin County grand jury at its next quarterly session on March 19 in an attempt to have Thomas indicted on the charge. A violation of the law is a felony carrying a maximum penalty of six years imprisonment and a ne of not more than $3,000. The matter arose after a school resource ofcer saw a holstered pistol under Thomas jacket while he was at the middle school on Nov. 14, according to the Hardin County Sheriffs Department. No arrest was made and Hansel McCadams, district attorney for the

SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY WEIGH-IN

See Gun, page 2A

Lots of heart
Heart transplant recipient in love this Valentines season.

WILD WEATHER

Read More, 1B

Mild winter, record high

With temperatures reaching record highs in many parts of the nation last week, Savannah was no exception as roofers atop the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce building shed their shirts on a sunny 67-degree afternoon. The mercury has since returned to more seasonal norms, with highs near 50 and lows in the 30s forecast. The winter has been mostly as predicted by the Farmers Almanac. The popular weather prognosticator goes on to predict the possibility of wet, slushy snow as the area heads into the second half of February.

Dancing stars
Locals take to the dance oor to raise money for the Carl Perkins Center to help prevent child abuse.

Read More, 2B

NPLEx leads to four meth-related arrests

Thad Mitchell Staff writer The Hardin County Sheriffs Department arrested four suspects on meth-related charges after their pseudoephedrine purchases were tracked via the NPLEx logging system. NPLEx stands for National Precursor Log Exchange and is the latest tool in the war on meth. NPLEx provides law enforcement agencies with a real time tracking system of pseudoephedrine purchases on a national level. The Nplex system has really come in handy on tracking sales and making arrests of meth makers, said Hardin County Sheriff Sammy Davidson. We nabbed a few suspects in the last couple of weeks. He said on Jan. 16 deputies entered the home of Michael and Angela Payne, 400 Racoon Lane, to inquire about the illegal purchase of pseudoephedrine containing pills. Upon entering the house, deputies stated they smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. Michael Payne took the ofcers to where the marijuana was and gave them consent to search the house. Inside the house, deputies found active meth lab components including a bottle of camp fuel, a bottle of draino, muratic acid and several strips of foil with a white residue on them. Also found inside the house were three clear bags with a white powder substance believed to methamphetAlabama the day before. Upon searching a shop near Huttons residence, Amos discovered found two mason jars containing iodine and muratic acid. Inside a wood stove were torn open pseudoephedrine blister pack and boxes of torn lithium batteries in with two coffee lters. John Morris, 212 Buttercup Lane, also present in the shop, was asked by Amos about a similar purchase of pseudoephedrine pills the previous day along with Hutton, Davidson said. Hutton, 51, and Morris, 34, are charged with possession of a rearm during a dangerous felony, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and promotion of methamphetamine manufacture. Both remain held at the Hardin County jail, Hutton in lieu of $150,000 bond and Morris in lieu of $75,000.

Richard A. Hutton

John Davis Morris

Angela K. Payne

Michael Wayne Payne

Fun time learning

Students at Northside Elementary learn about sequencing by blowing up balloons.

Read More, 11A

AREA DEATHS
Tyler Head, 20, Springeld, Tenn. Bobby Irvin, 86, Savannah Donie Reaves, 87, Michie Jessica Sanders, 14, Bethel Springs Ray Snow, 74, Waverly, Tenn. Beverly White, 47, Savannah Joseph White, 39, Savannah

amine, eight long guns and a pistol, the sheriff continued Both Michael, 47, and Angela Payne, 38, are charged with possession of a rearm during a dangerous felony, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession of Schedule VI narcotics, promotion of meth manufacture, possession of Schedule II narcotics with intent to sale

and initiation of methamphetamine manufacture. Michaels bond is set at $75,000 while Angelas bond is $50,000. Both remain at the Hardin County jail. Davidson said that 10 Days later, Investigator Keith Amos went to the home of Richard A. Hutton, 5245 Tenn. 69, to inquire about large amounts of pseudoephedrine being purchased in

Early voting for primary begins next week

Early voting in Tennessees March 6 presidential primary election gets underway on Feb. 15 and runs through Feb. 28. Incumbent Barack Obama is unopposed on the Democrat ballot. There are nine candidates on the Republican ballotincluding Michelle Bachman, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry, who have all ofcially dropped out of the race. Also on the Republican ballot, voters will be selecting delegates at large. Hardin County Election Administrator Marilyn Adams noted that six of the 10 voting districts in the county have undergone some boundary changes as a result of the recent redistricting which takes place once a decade to reect shifts in population. Approximately 400 registered voters in Districts 1, 6, 8, 9 and 10 were affected by changes to the district boundary lines and will be voting at a different location if they do not cast their ballot during the early voting period at the Hardin County Election Commission ofce in Savannah. Voters that have been changed have already been notied. Weve already sent them a new registration card, Adams said. The local election commission ofce in the basement of the Hardin County Courthouse on Main Street will be open for early voting weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., including the lunch hour. Saturday early voting hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon. On Election Day, the polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

See Page 8A

ON THE INSIDE
CHURCHES ................................. PAGE 9C CLASSIFIEDS ......................... PAGE 7-10B EVENTS ....................................... PAGE 8A KID SCOOP ............................... PAGE 11C LETTERS ..................................... PAGE 7B OPINIONS .................................... PAGE 4A PUBLIC NOTICES.....................PAGES 6-7A SCHOOL MENU ........................... PAGES 3B SPORTS ....................................PAGES 1-5B

Local Weather

Jones Nissan

brought to you by

Friday
Rain High: 54 Low: 31 1260 WAYNE ROAD

Saturday
Partly Cloudy High: 45 Low: 29

Partly Cloudy High: 51 Low: 34

Sunday

Mostly Cloudy High: 50 Low: 39 www.myjonesnissan.com

Monday

SAVANNAH, TN 38372
STOCK NO. 18249

731-925-0367 or 866-874-0906

New 2011 Nissan Versa

AUTO AIR CD PLAYER POWER WINDOWS & LOCKS

FINAL REDUCTION
FACTORY MSRP .......$16,565 FACTORY REBATE ..........500 DEALER DISCOUNT .....1,290

*PRICE INCLUDES ALL FACTORY REBATES, DEALER DISCOUNTS AND $389.95 CSF, PLUS TT&L. PHOTOS FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY.

$14,775*