In case you missed it, here’s a look at news highlights from this past week from NEWS/TALK 101.5 FM & WNWS.COM.
Early Voting continues in Madison County
Early voting will continue through August 1. The voting location in Madison County is at the Madison County Agriculture Complex auditorium located at 311 North Parkway in Jackson.
Voting hours are from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., on weekdays, and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays.
731 Day Water Balloon Fight scheduled for Casey Jones Village – July 31
Sponsored by Town & Country REALTORS – #731Day Water Balloon Fight will be held at the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum at 3 p.m., Friday, July 31.
The free event will consist of 7,310 water balloons, and occurs during the day of celebration.
Before and after the event, there will be sweet treats from the Old Country Store Ice Cream Parlor and the Snow Cone Hut.
Activities also include a water slide, jumper, and foam gun.
Sex offenders sentenced in Henderson County
From the office of District Attorney General Jody Pickens, 26th Judicial District –
Recently, in Henderson County, Tennessee, two individuals were convicted of criminal offenses involving minors.
On January 31, 2020, 33-year-old Nathaniel Steven Wells was convicted of one (1) count Sexual exploitation of a Minor (greater than 100 images) and two (2) counts of Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The trial court ordered him to serve ten (10) years in the Tennessee Department of Correction without the possibility of parole. The case was the result of a joint investigation by Lexington Police Department Investigators Wendy Nichols and Brad Wilson, together with Jackson Police Department Investigator Karrie Hart.
On February 13, 2020, a jury convicted 73-year-old Anthony Skelton of five (5) counts of Rape of a Child and one (1) count of Aggravated Sexual Battery. On April 7, 2020, the trial court sentenced Skelton to twenty-five (25) years in the Tennessee Department of Correction without the possibility of parole. Investigator Crystal Duke and Investigator Jeremiah Adams, both of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, investigated the case.
Assistant District Attorney General Angela Scott represente the State in both cases. Upon release from incarceration, both defendants will be subject to lifetime community supervision.
General Pickens stated, “These sentences should serve to send the message that sex offenses involving minors are aggessively investigated and prosecuted in Henderson County, Tennessee. All citizens, not just law enforcement, bear the responsibility of protecting the children in our community and that is why is imperative that people report suspected child sexual abuse. The people of Henderson County have nothing to fear from these two offenders as they have been removed from society for a long period of time. I am grateful for the hard work of law enforcement in working with my office to achieve justice for the victims in these two cases.”
UTM seeks ‘stop-out’ students to complete degrees
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin has partnered with ReUp Education Network to identify students across the globe who have “stopped out,” or temporarily withdrawn from college, to enroll at UT Martin and complete their degree.
ReUp Education is a research organization that locates stop-out students for higher education institutions and provides assistance and resources, such as personal success coaches, for students to reenroll at a partnering university. According to the ReUp Education website, in the past 20 years, 36 million Americans, including over 800,000 Tennesseans, have received some college education but did not earn a degree.
“The completion crisis facing higher education requires an innovative response that breaks down barriers to help students reenroll in college. Stop-out students have historically been left behind, and we want to change that,” said Dr. Philip Acree Cavalier, the university’s chief academic officer, in a previous release from ReUp Education. “This is about fulfilling our mission to serve West Tennessee by educating and engaging its citizens.”
Dr. Mark McCloud named interim chief diversity inclusion officer at UTM
MARTIN, Tenn. – Dr. Mark McCloud has been named interim chief diversity and inclusion officer at the University of Tennessee at Martin and will assume duties Aug. 1. In this new role, McCloud will be responsible for developing a comprehensive cultural competency plan for faculty, staff and students in order to promote institutional diversity and inclusion.
“As a proud UTM alumnus and change agent, I am honored to serve in this crucial role at this time in our university’s history,” McCloud said. “I want UT Martin to reflect diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in everything we do. As an institution, we should be leaders in creating a welcoming and supportive community for all, while learning and respecting the unique individual cultures that make us one.”
McCloud will also be responsible for providing oversight to the Chancellor’s Cabinet concerning campus issues related to diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging, as well as partnering with the university community to implement programs, like the Multicultural Center for underrepresented student groups, to foster diversity and increase minority retention rates.
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