The Jackson Sun from Jackson, Tennessee • Page B1

CHIEF CONTENT EDITOR: AMY MCDANIEL, 73 1 -425-9638 LOCAL NEWS PAGE1B FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016 THE JACKSON SUN JACKSONSUN.COM Psalm 5:11: Let all those who take refuge in you rejoice! Let hem shout for joy forever, and may you protect them. Let those ho love your name exult in you. Daily Bible verse Old wiring sparks Huntingdon fire On Wednesday at approximately 4:29 p.m. the Huntingdon Fire Rescue was notified that there was a house fire at 125 Murray Lane. Members of the department responded and found smoke coming from the attic.

The fire was quickly extinguished. I is believed that the fire started in the attic underneath a heating unit, likely from old wiring. The fire report indicates the residence is owned by Peggy Ball; losses ere estimated at approximately $6000, according to a press release. Time to in Humboldt Adults can come and enjoy coloring, soft music and hot chocolate at 2p.m. today in the Jeanne Jones Little Conference Room at the Humboldt Public Library.

Adults are also encour- a ged to bring a friend. Congressional candidate update Brad Greer and Shelby David Kustoff became the wo most recent candidates to file a ompleted petition for the 8th Cong ressional District this week making their candidacy legitimate. Stephen Fincher, R-Frog Jump, announced in January that he would not seek re- lection. reer is the president of the Lamb uth Area Neighborhood Association and has been active in West Tennessee politics, most recently with Jackson Mayor Jerry 2015 re-election ampaign. Kustoff is a former U.S.

A ttorney and the former chairman of he Shelby County Republican Party. State Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, and Fayette Ken Atkins have already filed their petitions. At least five other candidates have icked up a petition to run for the soon to be open seat. They include David ault, Adrian Montague, George Flinn, Kurt Budke and Patrick Hopper.

Early voting continues According to the Madison County lection Commission, 229 voters cast ballots on Thursday during the second day of early voting for the March 1 Presidential Preference Primary. Of hose votes cast, 158 were cast in the Republican Primary while 71votes ere cast in the Democratic primary. Agrand total of 594 ballots have ow been cast. Of those, 348 votes were cast in the Republican primary and 246 in the Democratic primary. Early voting will continue through Feb.

23. Weekday hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to noon. Early voting will be closed on Monday in observance of Day.

Early voting is taking place at the Agriculture Complex Auditorium at 3 11North Parkway. War Shiloh National Military Park is inviting children to participate in a ivil War Day program at 2p.m. Saturday. This unique hourlong program will introduce young people how Day was celebrated during the Civil War. Children will gain insight into the istory of Day, Valentine cards, and how soldiers celebrated the holiday during the Civil War.

In the arly 1800s, most Valentine cards and keepsakes were handmade and had become the most popular way to express feelings of love. During the Civil War, Valentine cards combined sentiments of patriotism, love, duty and loss. The keepsakes appealed to soldiers who were away from loved ones, and were cherished when received in camp. Each child will construct a Civil War Valentine card to give to someone special. To register, contact Heather enson at (731) 689-5696.

Briefly SUBMITTED Members of the Huntingdon Fire Rescue Department carry fans to pull smoke out a nd tarps to cover furniture to help lessen ater damage at a Murray Lane residence. Decatur County has the audit been released so far or fiscal year 2015 by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, according a news release Thursday. A ccording to the report, for the third ear in a row the audit of Decatur County government revealed accounts that had to be readjusted. The general, works and general debt service funds required adjustments totaling $552,087, $162,307 and $201,437, respectively, according to the report. adjustments are often a trong indicator of a inability to maintain its accounting the ews release from the state office said.

The audit covers the period from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015. The audit found 19 items that needed to be corrected. ight of those items were noted in the previous report but were not cor- ected, according to the release. ecatur County Mayor Mike Creasy, ho took office on Sept. 1, 2014, released the following statement regarding the audit: the County Mayor, I strive, in all things, for the highest standards.

The office, though, has found that, in the past, our County office achieved those highest standards. Indeed, the vast majority of the is- ues that the office cited happened under the previous County administration, I assure Decatur Countians and the office that my office will take immediate steps to correct every issue. In fact, my office has already fixed most of the prob- ems, and the remaining ones will be fixed as quickly as possible. And so, even hough my office create most of he problems, I will fix A ccording to the report, the state found issues with a failure to maintain current accounting records, purchasing procedures, expenditures exceeding appropriations and inadequate documentation to support $65,242 in accrued leave and compensatory time payments. The audit also questioned Decatur Comptroller finds roblems in Decatur County TYLER WHETSTONE SeeAudit, Page2B The Exchange Club-Carl Perkins Cent er for the Prevention of Child Abuse celebrated a milestone Thursday with the pening of a new facility in Milan.

Donated by BR Supply this is the third facility in Gibson County and the first in Milan. was a long-range goal from back in the early to have a location in Pam Nash, president of the center, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the child advocacy center. is just a she said. wish that there were not any need for our services here. I wish we have to have buildings to bring children to be in- erviewed, but the reality is that child abuse affects a lot of children right here in Gibson he center now has a complete presence in Gibson County with the addition of the Milan facility, Nash said.

The way that Gibson County is structured, there are three large communities, and about one third of our kids come from each respective she said. When we have children who have been severely physically or sexually abused, rather than have to transport them for 20 30 minutes, they can bring them here and the police department will come to the child so much better for the The new facility comes equipped with aspecialized forensic interview room, which includes a camera and audiovisual ink to an external observation room. The setup allows interviewers to assist while ostering an atmosphere of security and trust. According to Leah Blackburn, Gibson County director of the center, this kind of afe environment is important for children. When been an allegation of abuse or a child discloses abuse, they meet in our interview room with a highly trained and qualified forensic interviewer.

They tell their story to the interviewer, and in our observation room, law enforcement, the Department of Services and the (district office can sit and observe the interview through closed-circuit Blackburn said. The facility in Milan was only made possible because of the donation of property from BR Supply Blackburn said. Having this new facility is a big deal for Blackburn said. served close to 900 individuals last year and a third that number, on average, comes from Now families have to travel to umboldt or Trenton to access the services, she said. ADVOCATING FOR CHILDREN IN MILAN PHOTOS BY KENNETH JACKSON SUN Aribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the Exchange Club-Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse on Thursday in Milan.

Carl Perkins Center opens third facility in Gibson Co. AJ MORRIS Milan City Mayor Billy Beasley presents am Nash with a certificate of appreciation to the Milan child advocacy center on Thursday. Alyssa Love, a student at North Side High School, remembers sitting in dis- elief at a statistic flashing on a screen a the first Jackson-Madison County Youth Advisory Banquet. percent of 10th grade students have smoked at least once in their the Power- Point slide read. I just thought, a he said.

there enough opt ions here, besides going out to eat or oing to the movies. People get So Love decided to spend her senior ear helping change that. She was part a group of 27 students selected by guidance counselors among five schools to be part of the Youth Advisory Coun- il, a new initiative, now in its second year, coordinated by the Community A nti-Drug Coalition of Jackson-Madison ounty. On Thursday night as she stood in the Carl Grant Event Center at Union Univ ersity holding the door for prospective ouncil members and their parents, Love said proud of her decision to participate. Youth group says no to substance abuse EMILY LITTLETON SeeYouth, Page2B EMILY JACKSON SUN Students pose with Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist and Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris at the outh Advisory Council Banquet on Thursday night..