The Paducah Sun from Paducah, Kentucky • 31

C4 ThePoducohSon S-mior, Mr 7, 1 989 Local I Clinton labor survey for plant hits ground running C6 Jakel gave us 250 applications during their last visit -we called the company and asked for 200 more. Greg Pruitt with the company again," Pruitt said. "Very possibly, we will be making the trip up there next week (after the last workshop) or at least very soon after that" Jakel said his first contact with Clinton was about 60 days ago, but that his search has been going on longer than that In addition to Jakel Pruitt said he and county economic development leaders are working with other businesses about locating in Clinton, including a clothing maker, and a supplier to Seaboard Farms, which is building a chicken processing plant in Mayfield. "Right now, we're working with a total of four prospects, two of which have shown an interest in that building, Brown Shoe Factory. We are further along with the Jakel potential than any of the other prospects; the others are in prelirninary Pruitt said.

Workshop sites and times for the week Monday, 7-9 p.m., Clinton Farm Bureau; Tuesday, 7-9 pjm. Columbus Community Center; Wednesday, 2-5 pjn. and 7-9 p.m. at the Office of Visions Development, in Hickman; Thursday, 6-8 Arlington City Hall, and Saturday, 8-11 a.m., Bardwell Courthouse. Applications for those who cannot attend a workshop are available at Pruitt's office.

The application workshop sites and times were set up so that everyone who is interested can attend, he added. "We set up times so that if you work during the day, you can come at night. And if you work at night, you can come during the day. And if you can't come then, you can come on the weekends." By KRETI BENGOA CLINTON, Ky. Abort job applications in 30 minutes that was the count for the first half-hour of Friday's labor application workshop, according to Judge-Executive Greg Pruitt.

The workshop was the first of seven scheduled this week by county officials to gauge people's interest in working for an electric motor manufacturing plant that is considering Clinton for a new facility. "In addition, we have about 73 applications already given to us. Right now we have over 100 applications," be said. If enough people respond to the survey, the county has a good chance of landing Jakel, a privately-owned electric motor manofacturing plant near St Louis, he said. "Based on the number of applications we have already taken, I feel good about the fact that we will illustrate for Jakel or any other potential prospects a sufficient labor force here to man an industrial force of this size.

At this point, that's all that we are trying to prove," Pruitt said. "They visited us two weeks ago and when they left here they said their primary concern was whether there was sufficient labor in the market At full production, the Jakel plant would employ 175 to 200 people if they move here, that's what they tell me." He added that company officials indicated they were interested in at least 200 viable applications. "Jakel gave us 250 applications during their last visit. We felt that there was a positive response to the plant (after word got out) and we called the company and asked for 200 more (applications), and that's our goal at this point, 450 applications." Jakel, is seriously interested in Clinton as the site for a fourth manufacturing facility, said President more specific date. "We had certain criteria which I don't want to get into, but Clinton satisfied a number of the criteria we were looking for," be said.

Pruitt noted jthat he believed chief among the company's criteria was a central location in a small town. "We are about half way in between their Illinois plants and Tennessee plant, and I think that is one of the factors they're considering. We're equi-distance from two existing plants and that would fit into their system I would think. Plus, we have a building here that fills their needs." Jakel's other plants are in relatively small towns, he noted. According to Pruitt, a site location consultant working with the engine-maker told him that the company had suspended examination of other sites until the Clinton labor survey was complete.

Jakel visited the Brown Shoe Factory building two weeks ago. Clinton officials have been invited to "check us out," Jakel said, referring to the Highland home office. "We have also invited other plant officials to look at our facilities," he said. "We're waiting on the results of the (Clinton labor) survey more than anything before we move ahead with our site choice, however." No time limit and no. date has beeri set for the plant site announcement, he added.

"As soon as we receive trie applications and complete the workshop process, we will probably plan a trip up there to deliver the applications and meet Bob Jakel on Friday. "We are seriously interested in Clinton, that's why we're putting on the (labor survey) workshops; we're just concerned that there's enough people to support the employment we're looking at." He added that his company was lotting "at many different sites; Clinton's just one of them." Pruitt said Jakel, wanted to do a survey on the kind and amount of labor in the county and jointly he and the company decided to survey the workforce. The company provided application forms and a videotape about the Dlant and its operations to be shown during the workshops. The suhfractional horsepower electric motors Jakel makes power such household items as can openers, microwave ovens and range hoods, Jakel said. The motors are sold nationally and internationally.

"Business is pretty good," he said. "That's why we're looking to expand." Jakel, headquartered in Highland, 111., also has plants in Palentine, Ramer, and Crawford, Ga. Jakel said his company is interested in opening a new plant sometime this year but declined to give a Florida arrest renews hope for missing Marlena By DENNIS HILL -and JOE WALKER Saa Staff Writera MAYFIELD, Ky. La Wade Strickland believes his missing 6-y ear-old granddaughter, Marlena Childress, is alive and probably was given away or sold by a roving family that witnesses say they saw her with last fall in Alabama. Strickland, a Mayfield shoe repairman, drove to Anniston, lak month to talk with neighbors of Oliver Childress no relation to Marlena who reportedly has been questioned as to her abouts.

Police will not say if he is a suspect in the disappearance or speculate what happened to the Marlena disappeared from her i LAXMAIAH MANCHIKANTI, MD Union City, home on April 16, 1987. There have been no reliable sightings since the Oliver Childress family left Alabama in September, Strickland said. Childress is in the Bay County Jail in Panama City, on sex offense charges reportedly accusing him of crimes on two of 10 children living with him, his wife and daughter. Marlena was not among those children when they were subsequently placed in foster care. Strickland said he spoke with four of Childress' former Anniston neighbors, who said a child who looked just like Marlena lived in the Childress home late last summer.

One of the witnesses was next-door neighbor Dana Allen. "I showed her a full-length picture of Marlena," Strickland said. "She said, 'my God, this is the little girl I The same hair and facial features, but a lot taller." Allen also remembered Mar-lena's most unusual physical trait, silver capped teeth, said Jerry Howie, investigator for the Calhoun County District Attorney's Office in Anniston. "I'm convinced it was Marlena," Howie said, adding that he has other evidence to verify the claims of Allen and two others who made positive identifications from the the name on her Panama City driver's license is Rosetta Jane Childress. Howie said Allen and other neighbors described the family as much more protective of the girl identified as Marlena than any of the other children, some as old as 14.

"She (Allen) said they didn't let the little girl out of the house," Howie noted. "She was a take-charge type of kid who would strike up a conversation." Pam Bailey, Marlena's mother, said police told her the children recounted details only Marlena could have known. The little girl told the children about a tool box she played with in Strickland's cobbler shop. "Nobody else would've known about it," said Bailey. "Marlena spent a whole lot of time up here in Mayfield.

It's one of the places she remembers very well." Bailey first reported that Marlena was abducted from the front yard of her home in Union City. Later, police said Bailey confessed to accidentally killing her and throwing her body into the Obion River near Union City. Extensive dragging failed to uncover a body. Then Bailey recanted the confession, which her attorney said was made under duress. Bailey was charged with manslaughter, but the case is dormant because of lack of evidence.

Strickland has not relented in his search for his granddaughter. Many sightings and trips have turned into dead ends, but he says the Anniston case is the real thing. Two children of another neighbor of the Oliver Childress family also is pleased to announce the opening of PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER OF PADUCAH at 2850 Lone Oak Road Bayley Square, Suite 3 Paducah, Kentucky and relocation of the office of LONE OAK ANESTHESIOLOGY to 2850 Lone Oak Road' Telephone (502) 554-8373 identified Marlena from a picture, Strickland said. "What has been done with her since then, I don't know," he said. "We know for sure she was with them.

She was disposed of somehow traded, sold or something." Howie said Childress was wanted in Arkansas (he was uncertain of the charge) when the family moved to Athens, and then to Anniston, about 75 miles east of Birmingham. Childress was charged with cold-checking in Anniston, but moved in September to Oxford, and on to Florida, before warrants were served. "They maintained a post office box here and came back, possibly to pick up an SSI (Supplemental Security Income) check," Howie said. "But they quit coming after their address changed." Obion County Sheriff's investigator David Morris would not say if Childress is a suspect in the disappearance. He did say that he, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and other police are pursuing leads and talking with people in Florida and Alabama who claim to have seen Marlena last fall.

Childress was arrested Nov. 1 in Panama City, on the Anniston check charges, as he prepared to pick up a welfare check. Morris, who said TBI agents accompanied Florida police, said only two children were with Childress at the time. Neither of them, nor any of eight others found later at his home, was Marlena. Morris said Childress was released by authorities later that day.

The 10 weretumed over to state social workers for placement in foster homes. In January, Childress was arrested again, on felony charges of sexually molesting and abusing two children younger than 14. Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers have joined in the search and sex investigation. Agent Mike DeVaney refused to discuss any link between Childress and Marlena. "We are assisting Tennessee authorities with some aspects of the investigation," he said.

"Beyond that, I can't comment." MARLENA CHILDRESS Missing over two years child's picture. He would not discuss the evidence. Howie described the Oliver Childress family as being "like gypsies," moving from state to state, harboring children not their own and living off governmental assistance checks. A woman in her 20s now known as Oliver Childress' daughter applied for jobs at two businesses in Oxford, a town adjacent to Anniston, last September, he said. Witnesses at those businesses said they saw Marlena with the woman, Howie said.

On one occasion, Marlena was with one other child; on another, she was with several children. The woman has given four different names and three Social Security numbers, Howie said. He said SunW We'llprovide the boat provide the FISH STORY. 1 1 IBB 11 JB51 BftM 1 Rat poison available at local health center Rat poison is available as long as supplies last at the Paducah McCracken County Health Center, 916 Kentucky Ave. The poison will be distributed on a first-come basis between 8 a.m.

and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. More information can be obtained by phoning 444-9631. MEMBER FSLIC "if FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN mat -I'm i im mwni vrmm 630 Jefferson St.442-8204 Lone Oak Branch554-9813 Reidland Branch898-6218 Clinton Branch653-4007 Fulton Branch472-1062 Hickman Branch236-3914 Help Stop Muscular Dystrophy, The Great CripplerOf Young Adults One of the HCtatky Companies.