The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 17

DE 0 SUBS News roundup 2B in Page Substitute high 4B demand teacher LOCAL NEWS Weather Deaths 8B 7B THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1999 Man arrested I on molestation ion charges Day-care worker 'impressed' Metro Center, The police's said charges rape and four many prior to abuse claims time battery for between Towery worked BY BETH WARREN "This is a shock!" his younger brother, Towery buried his head Staff Writer Edward Towery, said last night from South reporters while appearing "Mr. Dan" had "a knack" with children, Carolina. "He's always been a real good terday afternoon. stooping down to their eye level, speaking church member, has never had any legal Hours earlier, police with a gentle tone, assuring them when they trouble. Donelson apartment he were troubled that everything would be OK.

"He's supposed to sing in my wedding mate at Lebanon But yesterday, Daniel Robert Towery, 30, here in four weeks." Apartments. was arrested on charges of sexually molest- A Davidson County grand jury returned a "There were statements ing six girls at a Donelson child-care center. 15-count indictment Tuesday charging Mr. Towery implicating And, police said, there could be more Towery with molesting six girls, ages 4-6, ear- not discuss the content of charges involving more victims in the future. lier this year at Children's World Learning this time," Carter said.

DOWNTOWN The sky's the limit Interviews, being conducted by the state Department of Children's Services and police, are continuing. About 100 children attend the Medical Drive center, part of a national chain. The center, which has nearly 600 childcare centers in 24 states, also has locations in Antioch, Hermitage and Hendersonville. While the state doesn't require criminal background checks for child care center workers, this group of centers does, Lisa Jacobs said from the center's headquarters in Colorado. Towery's references were impressive he worked in a school, at church, at a clown club and day-care centers in two states and there were no signs of a criminal Turn to PAGE 3B, Column 1 P.

CASEY DALEY STAFF Danny Taylor gets lost in the clouds Tuesday as he washes the windows at Major Discount Furniture on Woodland Street in east Nashville. DEATHS Original owner of Sounds Marcella Smith dies at 74 Tennessean Staff Reports Marcella Vivrette Smith, original owner of the Nashville Sounds baseball team, died yesterday at her home, Ravenswood Farm, after a lengthy illness. She was 74. Mrs. Smith's love of sports was well-known.

She also owned 15 other minor league clubs. Mrs. Smith was born on April 13, 1925, the only child of Buford and Chloe Vivrette. She was preceded in death by her husband, Reese L. Smith, who died Aug.

18, 1991. A graduate of Donelson High School, she went on to attend WardBelmont College. She was also a member of numerous organizations, including the Lebanon Road Garden Club, the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, the Ladies Hermitage Association, the Heritage Foundation, the Tennessee Republican Women's Club, and others supporting historic preservation. EDITORS City Editor: Gail Kerr, 259-8085 Regional Editors: Frank Gibson, 726-5907 Laird MacGregor, 259-8095 Ellen Margulies, 726-5977 Robert Sherborne, 259-8080 Mike Sherman, 259-8899 Margaret Sizemore, 726-5941 Wendi C. Thomas, 664-2194 ABL THE TENNESSEAN detective Youth Services include 11 counts of incidents that January at the center Ron Carter, with Division.

counts of child aggravated sexual occurred some and July, when as a teacher. sheepishly from in night court yes- arrested him at the shared with a roomRoad's Sycamore made to me by but I canstatements at Animal-rights rally still on ditioning. "You couldn't do anything with it, really," she said. "The best thing to do with it was to demolish it." That's one reason, said animal advocate Cindy Hancock, why the rally Saturday will go on as scheduled. The rally will begin at 1 p.m.

in Smyrna at the vehicle inspection center at 271 Weakley Lane. Organizers say they expect it to draw animal advocates from all over the globe. "The rally's still on for the reason that they had to tear that one down because of the TVA power lines," she said. "It wasn't really anything to do with them thinking it was inhumane." Animal advocates also say they're still concerned about Rutherford County's other animal drop facility. Allen said the county has plans to renovate the Smyrna facility while it prepares to build a bigger, permanent animal shelter.

Hancock, however, said she's not convinced that will actually happen. "It's hard to believe that they're going to do that. I don't know if they mean it or not," Hancock said. "I'm getting the feeling that this is something to keep people from making a big deal out of it." Activists say drop box RUTHERFORD the agreement while researching ways to renovate destroyed for wrong reasons the building, which is unheated and without air con- By KNIGHT STIVENDER Staff Writer Despite the demolition of a controversial animal drop box in Murfreesboro, a group of animal rights activists is still planning a rally Saturday to protest what they feel to be Rutherford County's dismal treatment of stray cats and dogs. The drop-box facility had drawn heavy criticism for months from animal rights advocates who said it was inhumane.

The small building featured bins that opened to the outside for people to drop off stray dogs and cats. Critics claimed the facility mixed sick and healthy animals and was inadequately monitored. County officials said they didn't demolish the building Tuesday as a result of the protesters' concerns. It was because the building fell within the right-of-way of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which had power lines close by. Rutherford County Executive Nancy Allen said TVA had an agreement with the county dating from the 1950s that any buildings near power lines could not contain combustible materials.

Allen said county officials recently came across Deadline approaching for Fairview fest booths The deadline for food vendors, arts and crafts exhibitors, businesses and nonprofit organizations to submit applications for booth space at the 15th Annual Fairview Nature Fest is Tuesday. For an application or for more information, call Jeffrey Cassman at 369-0646. www.tennessean.com NINA LONG STAFF Day care worker Daniel Robert Towery, 30, appears in night court. He was arrested on charges of sexually molesting six girls. WILSON Racetrack foes add to lawsuit Groundbreaking stays on schedule By WARREN DUZAK Staff Writer LEBANON On the eve of today's groundbreaking ceremony, racetrack opponents reinforced their efforts to block the construction of Dover Downs Entertainment Nashville Superspeedway.

Leaders of County Residents Against Racetrack Havoc (CRASH) and their attorney, on the steps of the Wilson County Courthouse yesterday, announced they were adding new points to their lawsuit, which alleges wrongdoing by county officials in connection with the racing complex project. The new allegations will be added to CRASH's original lawsuit, filed in February against the proposed track, said Frank Fly, the group's attorney. "They have violated their own law," Fly said. "What is wrong here is that democracy is failing in Wilson County." County officials have denied they violated any ordinance requirements. Racetrack spokesman John Van Moll said the groundbreaking ceremony will proceed, despite Turn to PAGE 3B, Column 1 DEATHS Golf liaison Joe Hampton dies at 79 By ANTHONY COLEMAN and JOE BIDDLE She was known as a gracious host and entertained local, state and national politicians at Ravenswood.

In 1971, her active involvement in their activities earned her the first Letter of Achievement awarded to a woman by Battle Ground Academy while the school was an all-male institution. Mrs. Smith was a lifelong member of Andrew Price Memorial United Methodist Church and Forest Hills United Methodist Church. Mrs. Smith was the mother of three sons, Reese L.

Smith III, Stephen B. Smith, and Mark W. Smith. In addition to her sons, she is survived by her daughters-in-law, Emily, Denise and Debbie, and eight grandchildren. Visitation will be held tomorrow at Ravenswood from 1-6 p.m.

Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 10 a.m. at Forest Hills United Methodist Church in Brentwood, followed by a private Editors: Dwight Lewis, 726-5928 George Zepp, 259-8091 To reach our newsroom: Phone: 259-8095 Fax: 259-8093 E-mail: Sports Writers Joe Hampton, longtime head professional at Ted Rhodes Golf Course and a liaison between Nashville's black and white golf communities, died yesterday after a HAMPTON lengthy battle with cancer. Hampton, 79, worked at Rhodes Golf Course for four decades dating back to when it was known as Cumberland Golf Course. "He will be missed and never replaced," Metro Councilman Ludye Wallace said of Hampton. "He gave me my first lesson many, many years ago.

No one ever worked harder, stayed later and arrived earlier to work than Joe Hampton." Hampton is survived by his wife Hazel, sons Joe Michael and Rickey, and daughters Karen, Vivian Turn to PAGE 3B, Column 1 SUMNER County Red Cross celebrates its 50th The American Red Cross will be at Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin to celebrate its 50th anniversary from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. today. Grundy established foundation in politics Felix Grundy (1777-1840) was only 20 when he joined the state's COUNT bar in Kentucky and was that state's chief justice at 29. It wasn't DOWN enough to satisfy the ambitious Grundy, who packed up and moved to Nashville in 1807. He quickly established himself as a 2000 and criminal served lawyer as a and began Congressman a highly and successful senator from political his adopted career, state.

He was U.S. attorney general under President Van Buren. PRESENTED BY Source: Tennessee Encyclopedia of History Culture. Watson's.