City of Covington Newsletter

November 3 - 9 *

Thoughts and perceptions from

Mayor Justin Hanson

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Friends, we’ve experienced sadness with the death of long-time public servant Jere Hadley. For 43 years, Mr.

Hadley served the people of Covington either as Recorder-Treasurer or as Alderman representing District 2. He

was well known throughout Tipton County and across the State of Tennessee. There are so many wonderful

things we can say about Jere. He was the epitome of a public servant and was willing to give his time and talent

to our City, youth sports, his church, UT Vols, and especially his family and loved ones. He loved to tell the

history of his family in Covington – and those roots run deep. He purchased a crepe myrtle and had it placed

where his parents’ home used to be on West Pleasant Street. No matter where you’d see Jere, he’d have on a

UT hat and quite possibly matching shirt and jacket, as well. His mind was “sharp as a tack” and he could tell

you when the airport last blacktopped the runways, when and how the Tipton County Museum came to fruition,

and when the public works department bought new trucks – and that’s just the tip of his mental iceberg! Jere

served under six mayors and enjoyed reminiscing about events and milestones from all of those administrations

– many times including the month and year things took place. Through it all, he remained loyal and dedicated

to his job and could account for every penny. Even after he retired from the Recorder-Treasurer position in

Covington, he remained interested and available for support. He was always willing and eager to “lend an ear”

and “chew the fat” for new ideas and suggestions. For a couple of years, he and his wife Rosemary ran Hadley

House – an antique and furniture store on our square. He was a true public servant, a wonderful family man,

and just a good person. He was in his second term as alderman when he passed away. Until the end of his life

on this Earth, he remained engaged, professional, loyal, and trustworthy through everything life threw at him.

We could use more people like Jere. He got along with everybody, served people with integrity, and was

always willing to work through things for a win-win. We will miss him tremendously.

Even though I was busy at the polls Tuesday, I was eager to take time out to remember my good friend Jere. I

not only attended Jere’s memorial service, but was asked by his family to speak about his well-lived life. I

thought nothing could have been more coincidental and appropriate to remember Jere on Election Day, as that

process exemplifies his values, beliefs, and his service to all of us. In moving forward in my second term as

your Mayor with great gratitude and appreciation for your support, I want to become more like our friend and

colleague Jere Hadley. Jere deliberated on things. He remained calm, contemplated issues and ideas with deep

thoughts, was always solution-oriented with his ideas and suggestions, and was always willing to roll up his

sleeves and get to work. He enjoyed discussions and was able to bring a voice of reason and respectability into

every situation. I will never forget Jere, and am going to work especially hard to continue to make him proud

and become more like him as we work together over the next four years to do what’s right and best for everyone

in the City of Covington.

Justin

DEPARTMENTAL TIDBITS

“keeping you up-to-date with what’s going on in our city”

HUMAN RESOURCES & SPECIAL EVENTS:

The City of Covington Human Resource Department is responsible for the administration of all Personnel and

Purchasing activities for the city. The Human Resource Department is located on the 2nd floor of the

Covington Civic Center. They can be reached by phone (901) 475-7170. For reservations, scheduling, or

information about special events, please call 901-475-7139

Applications are accepted ONLY during the time of a posted vacancy.

You can complete an application and email it to our department through the Contact Us button on our website

or bring it by our office Monday through Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm.

Career Opportunities

GIS/IT Coordinator Lifeguard Police_Dept Brush_Loader_Asst_

Mayor Hanson judged Chili Cooking Contest at Charms

Charms Personnel Director Tracy Lavelle

welcomed Mayor Justin Hanson to the

Covington facility Thursday to be the

“official taste-tester” of the employee chili

cooking contest. Hanson said that this was

the most delicious job he’s been asked to do

and he is looking forward to doing this again!

PARKS AND RECREATION:

Enrollment is open for YOUTH BASKETBALL and ADULT BASKETBALL.

COVINGTON AQUATIC CENTER:

The Covington Aquatic Center offers a six-lane 25 meter recreational and competition covered pool. The pool

depth is 3 feet in the shallow end and 12 feet at the deep end. The deep end of the pool houses 2 spring boards

for recreational use. We offer multiple levels of swim lessons for young children through adults. Water

aerobics and other fitness classes are also offered, and it is available for swim fitness. The pool is equipped for

those with mobility issues by way of an ADA-compliant fixed lift. This facility is covered, heated, and open

all year, and you can purchase just a pool membership for a substantial savings and receive access to all aquatic

classes. Our pool is available for private rentals for a variety of activities: such as, scout swim check, birthday

parties, company outings/parties, and church events. For more detailed rental information, contact Director

Mack at (901) 476-3734

The Pool is Warm and Water Aerobics is Going Strong – Come Join US!

COVINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

Keep up with CFD on our Facebook Page.

Please report ANY fire safety concerns you have to the Covington Fire Department at 901-476-2578.

For emergencies, dial 911. To learn more about CFD operations, click here.

COVINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

Covington Police Department urges all residents to report suspicious activity. Allow trained safety

personnel to decipher information and handle potentially dangerous situations – better yet, prevent them

from happening! HELP US HELP YOU! Here are contacts for your convenience:

o Covington Police Department – 901-475-1261 or 901-476-0243 blewis@covingtontn.com

o Tipton County Sherriff’s Dept. - 901-475-3300 sheriff@tiptonco.com

o Central Dispatch – 901-475-4300

TBI Tips:

We welcome tips about possible criminal activity in Tennessee. Our employees will review

tips as soon as possible and, if appropriate, forward them for further follow-up. Please include

your contact information in case we have questions or would like to contact you. Please

note: You may remain anonymous, but information received may be incomplete for follow-up

and investigative purposes. Tips that result in the capture of any of TBI's Top Ten Most

Wanted may be eligible for reward money. BY PHONE: 1-800-TBI-FIND. BY EMAIL: Click Here

CODES:

In the City of Covington, businesses operated from a home/residence are required to apply to the Board

of Zoning Appeals for review and approval. The applications are on the City website and also available

in the Department of Code Compliance office located on the second floor in Covington City Hall. You

may call 901-476-7191 ext. 146 or email planning.building@covingtontn.com to schedule an

appointment for assistance with this process. For additional information you may look in the Covington

Municipal Zoning Ordinance which is located on the City website. A City and County business license

may also be required – depends on the type of business.

If you know of any violations or what you think is a violation of the City of Covington

codes/ordinances, please contact the Department of Code Compliance at 901-476-7191 ext 146 or email.

WE NEED your assistance with ensuring our City is a safe, clean place to live, work and play and

greatly appreciate the input from our citizens.

The Dept. of Code Compliance has responsibility for enforcing all construction codes and zoning

regulations adopted by the City.

Phone: 901-476-7191 Ext. 146 Fax: 901-476-5056

Email: planning.building@covingtontn.com

MUSEUM:

Reception was held at Museum for Authors & Artisans

The reception was to honor all who have taught

classes, sold items in the gift store, and/or served

as presenters/guides for various events throughout

the year. The 2019 Artist in Residence, Debra

Howze (R), was also introduced and welcomed.

COVINGTON PUBLIC WORKS:

Leaves raked into piles and windrows will be picked up by the City using vacuum machines.

Please don’t place Yard waste in drainage ditches, on the street, or on a side walk.

Yard waste should be placed at least five feet away from potential obstacles such as mail boxes, fences,

walls, water meters, telephone connection boxes and parked cars so our machines can get to it.

Building debris, such as lumber, plaster, roofing, brickbats and other debris from construction, repair

remodeling or demolition of any building or appurtenance, will not be removed by the City. The owner

must cause such material to be privately moved.

Look for our new Please Don’t Litter signs and help us KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN and BEAUTIFUL!

The offices at Covington

City Hall will be closed

on November 12 in

observation of

Veterans Day

CONGRATULATIONS!

Covington High

School’s Katrisha Glass

has been named TSSAA

Female Coach of the

Year for District 8

A.F. Bridges Divisional Awards and State Awards of Excellence are given to coaches that have

had no reported unsportsmanlike conduct

incidents during the previous school year and have displayed

an overall positive effort to teach, expect, and demand a

positive atmosphere of sportsmanship at their particular

contests.

CHS FFA wins at West Tennessee Competition

Ladies and Gentlemen – THIS is your 2018 West

Tennessee Poultry Judging Champion Team!

Poultry Judging Champs are Leanna Gray, Bobbie

Sue Wilson, Wesley Morris (in the tree), John

Travis Turner, and Madison Rowland,

Way to go CHS FFA!

The Livestock Judging Team finished 5th in the District

and 16th overall in West TN. Congrats to John

Hartsfield, Mitch Hopkins, Thorne Turner, Mike

Hopkins, Jackson McBride, Clay Hartsfield, Jake

Fletcher, Allan Turner, Damon Boddie, &

Samantha Smith

Chargers Cross-Country Track Team represented us at State

Cross Country had a great day at state with 6

runners who performed new personal-best

records, and the team finished 21st while

competing against some schools three

times our size.

Dyersburg extends MTSU Promise to DCSS Students Middle Tennessee State University signed an agreement Wednesday, Nov. 7, to extend the MTSU Promise to

Dyersburg State Community College, the fourth such pathway established for students with associate degrees

to move seamlessly to the four-year university.

Click on the picture above to watch the signing

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and

Dyersburg State President Karen A. Bowyer

signed the documents in Dyersburg State’s

Learning Resource Center Sells Family Lobby as

MTSU continued its West Tennessee leg of its

True Blue Tour - a 14-city, four-state caravan to

recruit prospective students. DSCC is the fourth

community college to join the MTSU Promise

program, in which MTSU pledges support to

help students at partner schools complete their

associate degree, then move forward in seeking a

four-year degree.

“I am very pleased to strengthen our already strong relationship with Dyersburg State,” McPhee said. “And we

want to take the hassle out of the student transfer process.”

Bowyer said she looks forward to renewing the partnership with MTSU, saying “it can help many students

transferring from Dyersburg to Middle Tennessee State. We look forward to continuing these services to

students here and get them prepared for Murfreesboro.” “This agreement will enable DSCC students to transfer

to MTSU knowing that all courses will apply to the degree they intend to complete at the university,” Bowyer

added.

The agreement calls for Dyersburg State to share with MTSU directory information of the college’s students so

they are included in tailored communications of emails and hard-copy mailings that support the process of

planning for the bachelor’s degree after successful completion of the associate degree.

Also, the agreement says Dyersburg State students who agree to participate in the MTSU Promise will sign a

“reverse transfer” agreement, meaning if they fail to complete their associate degrees prior to transfer, they

would automatically receive their associate degree from Dyersburg once sufficient credits have been completed

at MTSU. MTSU is No. 1 in the state in transfer students and is the top institution using the reverse transfer

process.

Through its existing Guaranteed Transfer Scholarship Program, MTSU will provide aid for Dyersburg State

students who transfer to MTSU in the amount of $3,000 per year for two years, or a maximum of four

semesters, based on achievement of a 3.0 GPA. Students transferring to MTSU will not be eligible to apply to

receive the Guaranteed Transfer Scholarship until after completing 45 credit hours at Dyersburg.

Deb Sells, MTSU’s vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment services, said the

application deadline annually is Feb. 15, which means the majority of participating Dyersburg State students

will have completed 60 credits before transfer.

http://www.covingtontn.com/parks--recreation.html

Join our Community Choir!

Join the Community Choir and Lift up Your Voice! Rehearsals are at 7:00 on Mondays at St. Matthew’s

Church on Munford Street in Covington.

For more information, please call Barbara McBride at 901-237-4006 or Sharon Stubblefield at 901-476-3985

Ribbon Cuttings Celebrate New Businesses in Covington

The Covington-Tipton County Chamber of Commerce welcomes Afterburn Performance &

Automotive and Theo and Roe’s Ice Cream Parlor

DID YOU KNOW?

You can use paper lawn bags

instead of plastic!

Find out where plastic goes and

how to help reduce its use. Click

here

You can Recycle plastic, glass,

and cardboard right here in

Covington!

The City of Covington has two recycle bins in the parking lot just west of City Hall. One was donated

by Unilever and it is used for newspaper, cardboard and aluminum. It is emptied every Tuesday. The

second bin was donated by Republic and it is “plastic only”. That one is emptied as needed. Both bins

are carried to the Brighton landfill which is owned and operated by Tipton County Public Works and

unloaded by hand. The county partners with Fayette County’s recyclables in order to generate a larger

quantity for better resale in order to help with operational costs.

Join Mayor Hanson for coffee, goodies, and lively conversations… Tuesday November 13 Little Jimmy’s 511 E. Liberty Tuesday December 11 Little Jimmy’s 511 E. Liberty Tuesday, January 8 Pappy & Jimmy’s 749 N Main St Tuesday, January 22 Pappy & Jimmy’s 749 N Main St Tuesday, February 5 Pappy & Jimmy’s 749 N Main St Tuesday, February 19 Pappy & Jimmy’s 749 N Main St Tuesday, March 5 Pappy & Jimmy’s 749 N Main St Tuesday, March 19 Pappy & Jimmy’s 749 N Main St

7:30 am - 9:00 am come and go as you please

DSCC set to host ‘The Art of Wine’

– a Wine Making Seminar for

Those Interested in the Growing

Viticulture Industry in Tennessee

Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) will host

"The Art of Wine" Nov. 10 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. inside

the Security Bank Community Learning Center Terrace

Room on the Dyersburg campus. This educational

seminar is designed for those interested in the

opportunity of growing grapes for the flourishing

viticulture industry in Tennessee, and for those interested

in learning the art of making small batch wines at home.

Guest speakers will include Bill Sanderson, owner of the

White Squirrel Winery and Vineyard in Kenton, and Jeff

Popick, program developer and retired instructor for the

Viticulture and Enology Programs at Walla Walla

Community College in Washington.

Sanderson will share his experiences on his journey as a

grape grower and wine maker including site selection

and preparation for the vineyard, varietal decision-

making, and the marketing and business aspects of

producing and selling grapes and wine.

Popick will lead aspiring wine makers through various

methods of making wine from scratch on a smaller scale

at home.

The cost to attend is $50 per person. To register for the

seminar, please contact Dr. Emily Pope at 731-286-3210

or pope@dscc.edu. Participants may also register and

pay online at https://registration.xenegrade.com/dscc.

Advising and Registration Open for Spring 2019 at Dyersburg State Registration for spring 2019 classes at Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) will open for all current,

new, and readmitting students Nov. 12 and will last through Jan. 9. Students are encouraged to register for

classes as soon as possible to ensure best class selection and meet with their advisor to discuss their educational

and career goals. Classes will begin Jan. 14 with fees due before midnight Jan. 7 or at the time of registration

for those registering after that date.

Students may apply online with no application fee at www.dscc.edu. Here they can also find information on

courses available and programs of study including Computer Information Systems, Health Information

Management, Early Childhood, Engineering Systems Technology, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician

(AEMT), Nursing and Paramedic. More programs of study can be found at www.dscc.edu. Also available are

27 Tennessee Transfer Pathways (TTP) programs such as Agriculture, Business, History, Criminal Justice,

Psychology, Pre-Physical Therapy and Pre-Occupational Therapy. TTP programs allow students to save money

on tuition by taking the first two years at DSCC and then easily transferring to a four-year university or college

in Tennessee to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

DSCC offers programs of study at three convenient locations in West Tennessee: Dyersburg, Covington and

Trenton. For more information, or to make an appointment with an advisor, contact a One Stop Center at the

Dyersburg campus at 731-286-3350, the Gibson County Center in Trenton at 731-855-1419, or the Jimmy

Naifeh Center at Tipton County at 901-475-3100.

Covington Welcomes American Job Center The staffing agency for Unilever (Randstad) is looking to fill over 100 positions. Randstad comes to the AJC in Covington

every Monday from 8:00 – 4:00 p.m. for interviews and applications.

Unilever currently has quite a few positions open – American Job Centers can assist you with this:

Click here for details.

Get Help with your Medicare Part D during Open Enrollment at

Tipton County Commission on Aging call 901-476-3333 for more information

Covington Christmas Parade

December 4, 2018 – 7pm

If you would like to get in the Christmas Spirit, participate in the Christmas Parade with a parade entry or be a “Candy Walker” and walk the parade route and distribute candy.

GUIDELINES FOR THE COVINGTON

CHRISTMAS PARADE

Covington Christmas Parade participant forms must be completed and

received by the City of Covington no later than noon, December 3rd. Each

participant will be given a registration tag that must be visibly displayed on the left front side of the

parade entry. Parade night check in begins at 5:30 pm on South College in front of the Covington High

School Athletic Field. Further directions will be given after check in. Everyone must be lined up and

ready to go by 6:45pm.

All parade entries must be Christmas related and decorated with a Christmas theme.

All participants must keep moving at a slow pace. Marching bands will be placed throughout the

parade line up and will be allowed to stop moving during the parade to perform.

Absolutely NO horses or horse drawn wagons will be allowed.

Absolutely NO offensive music. All music must be Christmas music.

The City of Covington Santa will ride atop a Covington Fire Department ladder truck and will be the

only Santa allowed to ride in the parade.

Due to safety issues, no candy will be allowed to be thrown from parade entries. If you wish to

distribute candy, each entry is responsible for providing the candy and each entry MUST provide an

adult “WALKER” that will travel the parade route and distribute (hand) the candy.

PARADE ROUTE

Parade night check in begins at 5:30pm on South College Street in front of the Covington High School

Athletic Field. The Parade will begin headed North on College Street to Sherrod, at the 4-Way Stop, turn

East on Sherrod to Main, North on Main to Court Square, around Square to Liberty, West on Liberty to

College, South on College and will disband from Covington High School.

COVINGTON CHRISTMAS PARADE

DECEMBER 4, 2018

PARTICIPANT FORM

(Please Print)

Name of Organization or Business: __________________________________________________________

Mailing Address of Parade Participant: ______________________________________________________

City: ______________________________ State: __________ Zip: _______________________

Contact Person: _________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________________________________________

Email Address Necessary for Registration Tag: ____________________________________________

(If no email is provided, tag must be picked up at the Covington Civic Center, 100 West Washington

Avenue, Human Resource Office, by noon, December 3rd.)

Type of Entry:

Float: _________________________________________________________________________________

Walking Group: ________________________________________________________________________

Band: _________________________________________________________________________________

Other: ________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Will your entry provide an adult “Walker” with candy to distribute? Yes ____ No_____

This form must be returned by noon, December 3rd. Return to:

Karen Griffin

City of Covington

100 West Washington Avenue

Covington TN 38019

901-475-7139

Fax: 901-475-0213

Email: kgriffin@covingtontn.com

November 9 – Tipton County Museum Celebrates 20 years! Please join us at the museum for the reception.

November 10 – Princess Breakfast – 8:30 – 11:00 – Munford High School. click here for details

November 10 – FREE Legal Clinic – First Presbyterian Church in Covington. click here for details

November 10 – Viticulture class offered by DSCC. Click here for more info.

November 12 – VETERANS DAY observed. Offices at Covington City Hall will be closed. Sportsplex and pool will be open.

November 12 – Veteran’s Day Parade on the Covington Square – 10:00 am

November 13 – Coffee with the Mayor – Little Jimmy’s – 511 East Liberty

November 13 – Veteran of the Month reception at the Tipton County Museum – 6:30 pm

November 15 – Third Thursday at Liberty Hall Event Center – 5:30

November 17-18 – Adult Basketball Bash at Covington Sportsplex

November 27 – Medicare Part D Enrollment Assistance – Tipton County Commission on Aging Office in Covington. Call 901-476-3333 or click here for more information

Nov 30 – Dec 9 – It’s a Wonderful Life – Ruffin Theater. Click here for details.

December 01 – Christmas Tour of Homes to Support The Carl Perkins Center. 1:00 – 5:00. Click here for details

December 04 –Covington Christmas Parade – 7:00 pm. Click here for details and registration form.

December 11 – Coffee with the Mayor – Little Jimmy’s – 511 East Liberty

December 17 – LifeBlood at Covington City Hall – 9:00 – 1:00

City of Covington Covington-Tipton County Chamber of Commerce Tipton County Covington Sportsplex Drug Free Tipton

Tipton County Schools South Tipton Chamber of Commerce Boys and Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region Covington Aquatic Center Tipton County Museum

*Information in this newsletter is an overview of events. All official minutes and documents can be viewed at

Covington City Hall at 200 West Washington Street, Covington, or on our website at www.covingtontn.com The City of Covington is an Equal Opportunity Employer

REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING

Keep up with News, Events, and Information in

Covington and Tipton County

Tipton County Public Library News

Check out what's in store for you at our local Library this month!

News from the Tipton County

Museum, Nature Trail, and

Veteran’s Memorial

Pay Tribute to your personal hero,

remember your loved ones, and honor

those special people in your life by

purchasing bricks for the museum

addition. Go visit the museum to see the

memorial bricks or call 901-476-0242 for

more information.

From Director Barrie Foster:

Thank you for your continued support of the Tipton County Museum. Please join us for these exciting events:

2018 Artist in Residence Richard Reed taught

his last art class for this season at the Tipton

County Museum this week. He was presented a

plaque of appreciation from Museum Director

Barrie Foster (R)

Tipton County Museum, Veterans Memorial & Nature Center

Veteran of the Month

November 2018

James Russell Clark

Born on July 22, 1949 in Tipton County, James Russell Clark received his draft notice on February 9, 1968, as

he was preparing for high school graduation. Not only did he receive his draft notice that day, but his family

also received notice that his older brother, Thedward, had been wounded and was listed as missing in action in

Vietnam. Thankfully his brother was found and able to recover from his wounds. Thedward encouraged him

not to join the Army; therefore James enlisted in the Marine Corps on February 12, 1968. After graduating

from Munford High School on May 26, 1968, he arrived at Paris Island for basic training on June 9th. After

basic training he volunteered for Vietnam; however, his request was denied as his brother was again serving in

Vietnam, and the Department of Defense would not allow them both in a combat at the same time. Thedward

served three tours in Vietnam and was wounded twice before being honorably discharged in 1976 after nine

years of service. A few years later, he died the day before Thanksgiving due to complications from his injuries

and exposure to the chemical Agent Orange. Had it not been for Thedward’s service and desire to protect his

little brother, James’ life may have turned out very differently.

James was assigned to the Aviation Ordinance section of the Marine Corps and spent thirty years

working on and teaching others about the operational procedures of various aircraft platforms: Cobra/Huey/Sea

Knight (floating banana) helicopters, F-4/RF4B Phantoms, A-4 Skyhawk, EA6B Intruders, AV-8B Harrier, and

C-130 Hercules. He attended several military schools and was a qualified Instructor. During his first 21 years

in the Marine Corps, he rose from the lowest enlisted level of Private/E1 to the highest enlisted level of Master

Gunnery Sergeant/E9. He was a well-known and respected Aviation Ordinance Chief. After serving 30 years

of active duty, he retired on June 30, 1998. For his service to our country he was awarded the Meritorious

Service Medal, 2 Navy Commendation Medals, Navy Achievement Medal, 8 Good Conduct Medals, National

Defense Service Medal w/one star, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/one star, a Letter of Appreciation, and 2

Meritorious Masts. Retiring allowed him the opportunity to pursue his initial calling - the ministry. He entered

the seminary in 2001; and in January 2007, he was ordained as an Original Free Will Baptist Minister. He

served as a minister in various churches in North Carolina before he and his wife Mary Sue returned to Tipton

County in 2015 to live on her family’s farm, a 184-year family owned estate. James continues to serve as a lay

minister locally under the direction of the West Tennessee Presbytery.

In 1971 James married the love of his life, Mary Sue Clifton; and she still puts up with him 47 years

later. God blessed them with two beautiful daughters, Tracy Dianne Clark Sanderson (Kevin) and Jennifer

Renae Clark Rahilly (Christopher). Tracy owns a small digital marketing business, and Jennifer is a traveling

trauma nurse. James and Mary Sue also have two beautiful grandchildren, Samuel (14) and Ellie Gray (6).

James was nominated by August 2018 Veteran of the Month, Charles McCorkle.