The Leaf-Chronicle from Clarksville, Tennessee • 7

Inside Calendar, B2 Communities, B4 Military, B5 Obituaries, B2 REGIONAL ROUNDUP Events planned for MLK Day The following are community events planned to recognize Martin 1 Luther King Jr. Day: A worship service is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter's African Methodist Episcopal Church, 518 Franklin St. NAACP workshops and forums will start at 9 a.m.

Jan. 17 at Fifth Ward Missionary Baptist Church, 900 Franklin St. The annual march will begin at noon in the parking lot of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, 608 Main St. All events are free and open to the public. For information about NAACP events, call 552- 7170 or 551-3168.

Memorial fund established A memorial fund has been established for Debbie Hayes, 48, of Cunningham, who died Dec. 31 after falling from a moving tractor-trailer rig on state Highway Hayes is survived by an 8-year-old son, Levi. Donations may be sent to: Bank, Debbie Hayes fund, 1891 Madison Clarksville, TN 37043. County offers payment options for property taxes Montgomery County property taxes may be paid at any Bank location or online at www.tennesseetrustee.co m. County property tax payments may be paid at the Montgomery County Trustee's Office, 622 Madison Suite A.

Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. County property tax payments may also be mailed to the Montgomery County Trustee's Office, P.O. Box 1005, Clarksville, TN 37041- 1005.

The Trustee's Office will have personnel at the Ajax Turner Senior Citizens Center, 953 Clark on Friday and Jan. 28 from 8 a.m. to noon to accept county tax payments. The Montgomery County property tax rate is $3.10 per $100 of assessed value. Applications for county tax relief is available for those who qualify.

For information, call 648- 5717 or go to the Trustee's Office or the senior citizens center on days personnel will be available. Huffers Puffers to meet each month Gateway Medical Center's Huffers Puffers meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m. at Gateway Medical Center. The group is for people who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their family members. For more information, call 551-1711.

TO REACH US If you have news to submit, you may call the newsroom at 552- 1808, send e-mail to news fax us at 648- 8001, or contact us directly: Thomya Hogan city editor, (931) 245-0282 Mark Hicks assistant city editor, (931) 245-0720 Robert Smith photo editor, (931) 245-0243 Regan Loyola Connolly reporter, (931) 245-0719 Heather Donahoe reporter, (931) 245-0236 Chantal Escoto military affairs reporter, (931) 245-0216 Amy Ritchart enterprise reporter, (931) 245-0247 James Ritchie city government reporter, (931) 245-0262 April Rushing education reporter, (931) 245-0716 LOCAL Thursday, January 13, 2005 www.theleafchronicle.com Memorial service set for soldier Corporal struck by Humvee during training at Fort Campbell By CHANTAL ESCOTO signed to Company 2nd The Leaf-Chronicle A memorial service is planned today for a 4th Brigade soldier killed Monday when he was struck by a Humvee during training at Fort Campbell. Cpl. Daniel Castillo, 20, who served in Iraq, was as- bat Team, 101st Airborne Division. He was a native of Streator, Capt. James Lowe, 4th Brigade public information officer, said the accident happened at 11 a.m.

on Angels Road in the post's train- itary vehicle. Although officials are calling it an accident, Lowe said ing area. Castillo and other soldiers in his platoon were marching on both sides of the road and wearing combat gear hit by the mil- Officers try to battle countywide problem Animal Control Officer Scott Davidson pets a dog that lives in made several calls to this home with complaints of neglect and an investigation by the post's Army Criminal Investigation Division is ongoing, and i it could be two weeks or longer before the findings are complete. He added that no other soldiers were injured in the incident. Castillo was taken by ambulance to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and pronounced dead at about 12:25 p.m.

from internal injuries, Lowe said. Chantal Leaf-Chronicle the back yard of a North Clarksville home. The agency has abuse. Pit bull in attack euthanized By CHANTAL ESCOTO and HEATHER DONAHOE The Leaf-Chronicle One of the pit bull dogs involved in the Jan. 5 attack on two miniature horses at a farm on Sequoia Lane was euthanized Monday by Montgomery County Animal Control.

Animal Control Director David Selby contacted the dog's owner, Jennifer Lemoine, Monday and "strongly recommended" she surrender the animal because of the severity of the attack. "The community was really up in arms over the situation," Selby said Wednesday. "For the safety of her family and the people who live near the dogs, we felt like that was the appropriate response." While Lemoine was not legally required to relinquish the dog, Justice, she made the decision to comply with Selby's request. "I agree with where they're coming Justice from," said Lemoine, who is four months pregnant with her second child. "But it was hard -I'm still sad about it." She admitted she did not have the "money or the means" to properly restrain the dog as Selby had advised after the attack.

Selby said he did not recommend Lemoine's other pit bull, Zoe, a younger female that also escaped her restraint be euthanized. "From everything we can tell, it doesn't appear the smaller dog was directly involved (in the attack)," he said. "The older dog was the primary aggressor." County wide problem Castillo when he was North Liberty Church Road resident Molly Cook said last week's pit bull attack resonated with her since she believes a pit bull running loose in the neighborhood killed her gold tabby cat, Sidney, on New Year's Eve. "He had been chomped all the way down his spine," Cook said about her cat's injuries. When the same dog came sniffing around her house Saturday and wouldn't let her out of her car, she called the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

A deputy came out to assess the situation, but he could do nothing because the dog did not appear to be vicious, the deputy wrote in Workers recognized for service By JAMES RITCHIE The Leaf-Chronicle The city honored longterm employees Wednesday, including one who retired from the Gas, Water and Sewer Department last month after 55 years of service. Clarksville Mayor Don Trotter said he realized that working for the public is not always easy, especially in situations like recent ice storm. "But I know overall we can all say it's a rewarding experience to serve the city of Clarksville," he said. At a breakfast reception at Swan Lake Golf Course, the mayor recognized current and retiring employees who had completed five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service as well as Richard Kraeske, who just finished 55 years with the city. "Along life's way we all get many blessings," Kraeske said.

"To work for Gas and Water for so many years has been one of them." When he started, the city hardly had much in the way of resources equipment and personnel. "Back years ago, we didn't In Business today No frills computer, flashiPod unveiled by Apple's Steve Jobs. Page C6 A longtime friend of the Castillo family, Mary Franco, said Cpl. Castillo was like a son to her. "He was a good friend of my son, Felix," said Franco from her Streator, home.

"They lived two houses away from us, and he and the others would play Nintendo. "He drove home every weekend to be here with us. He was a great guy. There wasn't a bad bone in his body." Castillo arrived at Fort Campbell in 2003 and joined his unit 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Battalion in Mosul, Iraq. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for his support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Chantal Escoto covers military affairs and can be reached at 245-0216 or by e-mail at chantalescoto AI CONTROL. NO County OKs overtime to cover patrol By REGAN LOYOLA CONNOLLY The Leaf-Chronicle The Montgomery County Commission approved a COUNTY $50,000 Norman Lewis request to from cover Sheriff over- UPDATE time for deputies patrolling county roads. The money is man said. "She has brought so expected to allow deputies to much for tourism to this work an additional 86 hours county." of overtime each week in an District 12 Commissioner effort to prevent fatal wrecks. Lewis Baggett, one of two Lewis said the overtime commissioners who voted hours will be divided into against the resolution, said it four-hour shifts and will be wasn't a smart move.

assigned in accordance with "I am concerned with wreck statistics. changing, the agreement," he Most of the overtime hours county already will be worked on weekend provides law enforcement evenings, when more than and emergency management half of 27 fatal wrecks in the services for events run by the occurred last year. Tourist Commission, and I county doubt this change will even cover those expenses." CVB to get more cash District 20 Commissioner to promote tourism Pat Vaden also voted against the resolution. Pending approval from the Clarksville City Council, the Convention and Visitor's Bu- State Highway 112 reau will be allocated a larg- to be widened er portion of the local tax in an effort to Work will start soon to widen state Highway 112 from attract tourists to the area. McAdoo Creek Road to state The County Commission approved a resolution Mon- County.

Highway The County Montgomery Com76 in day increasing to percent mission approved a resolu60 the portion of the tax set aside for the Convention and Visi- Monday from the approving a tion proposal Tennessee tor's Bureau, which promotes Department of tourism for Clarksville and tion for widening the road. TransportaCurrently, half of the The widening is necessary Montgomery County. mon- to better accommodate trafey collected in fic. taxes is given to the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and the other half is divided Building permits equally between the city a and The county's Building and county governments. Codes Department issued 28 The City Council will con- building permits in Decemsider the resolution in Febru- ber, according to a report reary.

leased Jan. 1. Total construcDistrict 19 Commissioner tion was valued at $2.69 milSuzanne Uffelman said she lion, and revenue from buildtrusted Theresa Harrington, ing permits totaled $14,081, the Convention and Visitor's the report shows. Bureau executive director, to Total December revenue, use the money wisely. which includes building worked with mits and other fees, was Theresa Harrington for the $17,759.

last three years, I am very familiar with her budget, and I Regan Loyola Connolly covers courts and county government and know her to be a very tight can be reached at 245-0719 or at person with money," Uffel- an incident report. He also wrote that Montgomery County Animal Control will only come out after hours if the dog bites someone and the owner of the dog could not be found. Cook said she later saw the dog chained at a Dover Road home. Cook said she would like to see laws passed that would require dogs to be put in a kennel or a fenced yard instead of being chained up because it makes them aggressive. "I live across the street from Liberty Elementary School," she said.

"The dog got my kitty cat this time, but it could get a kid next." Sheriff's spokesman Ted Denny said he sympathizes with Cook and others who have been victims of animal attacks, but usually the problem lies with the owners. See Pit bull, B3 Lawmakers re- secretary of state, comptroller, treasurer Sen. Rosalind Kurita wants us portunity an opvoters to decide post holders to forward move and do the By LUCAS L. JOHNSON II those jobs. things that Associated Press "Tennessee is one of on- people exNASHVILLE The ly four states in the entire pect us to 104th General Assembly on country that internally do." Kurita Wednesday re-elected Sec- elects the constitutional of- Morgan, retary of State Riley Darnell ficers," Kurita said.

"In every formerly of Clarksville, and of Clarksville to another other state, they're elected Sims, who both have twoterm, as well as Comptrol- by people or appointed by year terms, said they also ler John Morgan and State the governor. It's my belief appreciate the bipartisan Treasurer Dale Sims. that the public is always bet- support they've received "I think that we have ter served when they're al- and are grateful for the opthree of the finest constitu- lowed to participate in the portunity to serve again. tional officers in the entire process." "I do not take this reUnited States," House Regardless of how they're sponsibility lightly," Sims Speaker Jimmy Naifeh said elected, the officers said told legislators. "Thank you of the men, who were re- they're focused on their for this great honor." elected without opposition jobs.

Darnell, who now en- Gov. Phil Bredesen apby voice vote. "They work ters his 13th year, said this pointed Sims acting treasurwell with the Legislature will probably be his last er in October 2003 followand they are professionals in four-year term as Secretary ing the retirement of Steve what they do." of State. Adams. In March 2004, the However, Sen.

Rosalind "The Legislature has 103rd General Assembly Kurita, D-Clarksville, is been very kind to me," he unanimously elected Sims proposing legislation for the said. "They elected me and to serve the remainder of second consecutive year the other two constitutional the term. that voters instead of law- officers without opposition makers decide who holds by acclamation, which gives See Re-election, B3 Greg Leaf-Chronicle Clarksville Gas, Water and Sewer General Manager Dwight Luton, left, and Clarksville Mayor Don Trotter visit with Gas and Water Project Manager Richard Kraeske during a city employee reception at Swan Lake Golf Course Wednesday. Kraeske has worked for the city for 55 years. have a lot to work with, but you at the drop of a hat." we got the job done," said The mayor recognized 124 Kraeske, who most recently employees in all.

was a program manager. "Five years is a milestone," The customers were a lit- Trotter joked. "If you can tle different, too. make it five years, you can "I think I worked 10 years pretty well make it." at the water plant before I complaint about James Ritchie covers city governever got a ment and can be reached at 245-0262 the water tasting bad," he said or by e-mail at jamesritchie thewith a laugh. "Now they call leafchronicle.com..