By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–Hearing impassioned pleas for action at the intersection of Highways 218 and 69N to eliminate the number of accidents there, Henry County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway announced that the state of Tennessee “is aware of the problem” and has applied for a safety grant.
At Monday evening’s busy Commission meeting, Ridgeway said the intersection produces accidents at a three-time higher rate than any other rural intersection in this part of the state. Ridgeway and County Highway Supervisor Richie Chilcutt met with state officials in the spring about the problem “and they’ve been doing a due diligence survey” to accelerate a remedy.
Chilcutt said, “TDOT seems to be optimistic that they will get funded” for the safety grant.
Carolyn Kaminski of Cottage Grove, who is the victim of a serious wreck at the intersection, recounted how her life has changed since the May 3 accident. The accident, she said, “changed my life”, recalling how her vehicle was T-boned causing it to roll over three times.
She was flown to a trauma center, spent 29 days at the hospital, after which she underwent therapy, and after 52 days finally came back home. She is still undergoing physical therapy at home three times a week and is limited in what she can do even now and is in pain much of the time.
She said by her count, there have been six more wrecks at that intersection since hers. Ridgeway asked her for a copy of her statement so he could send it to TDOT.
Dorothy Miller, also of Cottage Grove, said she wanted to make the commission aware of the number of accidents there and said currently, with the unkempt right-of-way and corn growing at the intersection, “there’s no way you can see” other vehicles coming. “Something needs to be done”, she said.
Also at the meeting, a representative of Republic Trash Services fielded questions from commissioners following last week’s announcement that Republic would be enforcing its exclusive right to the county’s trash pickups, leaving some 200 customers of another trash company without pickup service.
In a press release late last week, Ridgeway and County Solid Waste Management Director Ron Watkins said they learned Wednesday of a letter that had been sent to Halls Waste Management customers in Henry County, saying their service would end on October 31. The letter added that Halls had been notified of the Henry County contract which gives Republic Services the exclusive rights to be the sole provider of residential waste management services in the unincorporated areas of Henry County.
Ridgeway said that last Wednesday cease and desist orders were sent to Halls to stop them from picking up Henry County waste. He noted, “We’re required by the state to have a contract for all of the county.”
Republic General Manager Bobby Stewart provided phone numbers for local residents to call with questions about their waste pickup. “We’re passionate about service. We have some of the lowest rates of missed pickups”, he said.
Republic has a McKenzie office at 21686 Hwy. 22. Phone numbers are 731 352 0401 or 731 600 9060.
In other business:
–Ridgeway announced a joint hospital board-county commission meeting has been scheduled for 5 p.m. October 30 at the hospital to discuss changes to the Private Act. Ridgeway distributed copies of the Private Act to commissioners to study and noticed since it was set up in 1953, there have only two amendments. “We’ll have a dialogue about the sections that need to be changed,” he said.
–The commission approved the appointment of Dr. Andrew Lundberg to replace Dr. Scott Whitby on the hospital board. Dr. Whitby announced last month he was quitting the board. Dr. Lundberg will fill the unexpired four-year term which expires November 2025. Commissioner David Webb said, “it was difficult to find someone to serve” on the hospital board, referring to the physician’s position on the panel. Another candidate for the position withdrew his name.
–The commission authorized the issuance of capital outlay notes not to exceed $691,007.
The capital products are: building improvements, $45,000; communication equipment, $100,000; data processing, $38,000; law enforcement equipment, $65,000; motor vehicles, $125,000; voting machines, $289,707; and other equipment, $27,500.
Photo: Republic General Manager Bobby Stewart answers commissioners’ questions.