MCT 8-22-24

10A —The Marion Tribune, Thursday, August 22, 2024 Coffee County Fair SPONSORS 2024 9LVLW WKH &RႇHH &RXQW\ )DLU $XJXVW WK 6HSWHPEHU WK PLATINUM GOLD SILVER BRONZE Thank You Sponsors Together, for generations to come. General Contractor C ONTRUCTION Pick up your Fair Book today! MANCHESTER TIMES THE and equipment used in methamphetamine pro- duction, as well as meth- amphetamine itself. Due to Stockwell’s history of creating homemade boo- by traps, the Chattanoo- ga Police Bomb Squad was called in to inspect the large metal pipe and clear the area of poten- tial explosives. The Bomb Squad identi fi ed and re- moved some homemade explosive material, which will undergo further test- ing. The Tennessee Dan- gerous Drugs Task Force also responded to the scene to safely package and dispose of the meth- amphetamine manufac- turing chemicals at a haz- ardous materials facility. Stockwell was sub- sequently arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail on charges including evading arrest, initiation of a process intended to result in the production of metham- phetamine, possession of methamphetamine for resale, and possession of a fi rearm by a convicted felon. Meth Continued from Page 1 ous events including career days, ribbon cut- tings, and a Santa Cause event, a 260% increase in social media presence, and $15,000 awarded in small business grants. Awards were given to stand out local busi- nesses and individuals. Yum Yum’s Takeout Café won Small Business of the Year, Wild Magnolia Tresses took home New Business of the Year, and Colonial Chemical was named Large Business of the Year for the second consecutive year. Em- ily Layne and Steve Kline were honored as Citizens of the Year, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace received the Community Impact Award. The MCCOC com- mends all the nominees for the Business of the Year award, which in- clude Builtwell Bank, Co- lonial Chemical, Lodge Cast Iron, Mueller Wa- ter Products, Shane’s Restaurant, Taste and See Takeout Cafe, Wild Magnolia Tresses, and Yum Yum’s Cafe, for their outstanding con- tributions to the local economy. Citizen of the Year nominees included Brittany Garrett, Bobbi Hubbard, Emily Layne, Jarvis Wooten, Paige Hill, Samantha Battaglia, Steve Kline, Steve Moss, Terrie Johnson, and Tra- vis Hickman—are hon- ored for their exceptional dedication to our com- munity. The chamber also recognizes the nomi- nees for the Community Impact Award, including Arts in the Burg, Blessed Inc., Quiet Closet, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, South Pittsburg Rotary, and Volunteer Behavioral Health, for their invalu- able work in making a positive di ff erence in Marion County. The event was made possible by contributions from The Hooch, Keith Smith, Marion 4-H Hon- or & Interact Clubs, Ruby Gail Photography, Ste- varino’s, Wood fi n Print- ing, and dedicated vol- unteers. The Chamber’s mission is to strengthen Marion County by foster- ing a vibrant economy and enhancing the qual- ity of life for residents and visitors. Banquet Continued from Page 1 see area, o ffi cers placed several decoy advertise- ments on websites known to be linked to prostitu- tion and commercial sex. The focus of the opera- tion was to identify indi- viduals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors. As a result, agents, deputies, and detectives arrested two men, who were booked into the Marion County Jail. Bryan Edward Law- son (DOB: 07/25/1988), Georgetown. Three counts of Sexual Exploi- tation of a Minor by Elec- tronic Means. No bond. Jeremiah James Mas- ters (DOB: 06/09/1997), Chattanooga. One count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by Electronic Means, $2,500 bond. In an e ff ort to identify human tra ffi cking vic- tims, law enforcement of- fi cials reached out to ads that had been placed on websites linked to pros- titution and commercial sex ads. As a result of this part of the operation, one person was arrested, and another individual was issued a citation. Both of those individuals were o ff ered and accepted ser- vices through a human tra ffi cking victim service organization. Information about human tra ffi cking and TBI’s e ff orts to address this type of crime can be found online at www. ITHasToStop.com. The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent un- less and until proven guilty beyond a reason- able doubt and convicted through due process of law. Arrest Continued from Page 1 you to a website to input your banking informa- tion. • Customs & Bor- der Patrol Scam: Scam- mers may call or leave a recorded message say- ing illegal items such as drugs were shipped in your name and have been intercepted. They may tell you a warrant is out for your arrest. They’ll demand that you pay for more information us- ing cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers, or tell you to give them your banking account or Social Security number. Consumers are urged to review the following tips from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to avoid losing money to one of these scams: • Don’t wire mon- ey or use gift cards, cryp- tocurrency, or a payment app to pay someone who says they’re with the government. Scammers insist you can only pay these ways because it’s hard to track that money, and just as hard to get it back. They’ll take your money and disappear. • Don’t give your fi nancial or personal in- formation to someone who calls, texts, emails, or messages you on social media and says they’re with the government. If you think a call or mes- sage could be real, stop. Hang up the phone and call the government agency directly at a num- ber you know is correct. If the call is a robocall, don’t press any numbers. Pressing numbers could lead to more calls. • Don’t trust your caller ID. Your caller ID might show the govern- ment agency’s real phone number or name, but caller ID can be faked. It could be anyone call- ing from anywhere in the world. • Don’t click on links in unexpected emails, texts, or social media messages. Scam- mers send emails and messages that look like they’re from a govern- ment agency but are designed to steal your money and personal in- formation. Don’t click on any link, and don’t pass it on to others. Just delete the message. If you encounter a scam, report your is- sue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam: • Local Law En- forcement: Consumers may report scams to their local police department or sheri ff ’s o ffi ce, espe- cially if the issue involves theft. • Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): Scams that involve an Internet component can be reported to the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/. The IC3 is run by the FBI and is the nation’s central hub for reporting cyber- crime. • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commis- sion at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382- 4357) or use www.reportfraud.ftc.gov to report various types of fraud, including coun- terfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more. • I d en t i t y t he f t . gov: If someone is us- ing your personal infor- mation to open new ac- counts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft. gov.This federal govern- ment site will also help you create your Iden- tity Theft Report, and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. • Tennessee Divi- sion of Consumer A ff airs: Scam complaints can be reported to the Consum- er A ff airs Division of the Tennessee Attorney Gen- eral’s O ffi ce. Consumers can fi nd more resources, including how to fi le a complaint regarding a business transaction, by visiting www.tn.gov/con- sumer. • Better Business Bureau (BBB): Reporting to the BBB Scam Tracker can help others become aware of scams that may be circulating in your lo- cal area. Scam Continued from Page 1 coming from Kimball and questioned the feasibil- ity of routing from South Pittsburg instead. Com- missioner Blansett re- sponded that such a route would be challenging and costly due to the need to lay pipes between a rail- road track and the exist- ing road, an area without housing to o ff set costs. Mayor Jackson ex- plained the past consider- ations of an interconnect system between Kimball, Jasper, and South Pitts- burg, including the high fees charged by local rail- roads for laying pipes on their property. Commis- sioner Brandt asked if these fees were included in the study, to which Mayor Jackson clari fi ed that they were not. Commissioner Frank- lin raised concerns about the cost, emphasizing the need to complete exist- ing projects before start- ing new ones, though he was not opposed to con- ducting the study in the future. Commissioner Hargis clari fi ed that his intention was to prepare for future opportunities when state and federal funds become available, rather than immediate action. Mayor Jackson high- lighted the di ffi culty of se- curing a Community De- velopment Block Grant (CDBG) for the area due to the lack of low to mod- erate income residents. Commissioner Blansett suggested delaying the study until there was a se- rious commitment to the project, noting that costs would likely change over time. A motion to proceed with the feasibility study was made by Commis- sioner Hargis and sec- onded by Commissioner Cantrell. The roll call vote resulted in nine votes against and four in favor, with Commissioner Rol- lins absent. The votes were as fol- lows: Commissioners Atkins, Blansett, Brandt, Campbell, Franklin, Chairperson Mason, Schafer, Thompson, and VanAllman voted “no”. Commissioners Cantrell, Hargis, Morrison, and Nunley voted to proceed with the feasibility study. Commissioner Brandt inquired about the avail- ability of grants for such water projects. Mayor Jackson explained that state CDBG grants for water and sewer projects had been cut o ff due to federal ARP money and that current grants were insu ffi cient for large- scale projects. He also noted the requirement for low to moderate in- come residents to qualify for these grants. With the roll call vote con fi rming the outcome, the feasibility study for the water service to the Highway 156/Nickajack Landing area will not proceed at this time. Water Continued from Page 1