MT 8-29-24

LACIE SILVA Editor B randen Dale, 26, has been arrested and charged with vandalism and theft in connection with the robbery at Hale- town Volunteer Fire De- partment. The HVFD experi- enced a theft on Friday, August 23, when a male suspect stole the light bar from their new brush truck at 3:30 a.m., an in- cident captured on the department’s security cameras. The suspect was driving a 2006-2008 sil- ver Honda Civic with a bungee cord securing the bumper and a donut tire on the front driver’s side. He was described as hav- ing black short hair, fa- cial hair, and a tattoo on his lower right leg. Thanks to the commu- nity’s diligence and sup- port, authorities identi- fi ed and apprehended the suspect, Dale, who has since been charged with vandalism and theft of property. The Haletown Fire Department ex- pressed their gratitude to the community for their assistance. The depart- ment also urges anyone with further information to contact the Marion County Sheri ff ’s Depart- ment at (423) 942-2525. Jasper • Kimball • Monteagle • New Hope • Orme • Powells Crossroads • South Pittsburg • Whitwell T ribune MARION August 29, 2024 Volume 2 - No. 5 $1.00 T MARION Lakeway Publishers Inc. 2023 c Support Local Community Journalism! $35 00 Charter Subscriber Offer arichards@mariontribune.com 100 Betsy Pack Dr. Suite 204, Jasper 423-590-6397 $37 Robbery at HVFD leads to arrest New Updates on Jasper Middle School LACIE SILVA Editor T he community re- ceived new updates on the eagerly antici- pated construction of Jasper Middle School through the recent Board of Education meeting and a Facebook Live event. The ongoing compli- cations surrounding the construction of the new Jasper Middle School have led to continued delays, with no de fi nitive move-in date set. Dr. Mark Gri ffi th, who provided an update via a Facebook Live event on August 23, addressed the public’s concerns regarding the project. Despite signi fi cant progress, including improve- ments to the heating system and reducing humid- ity levels, two compressors remain non-functional, with one not expected to be delivered until Novem- ber. Dr. Gri ffi th acknowledged the repeated delays, stating that while the initial “desired” move-in date was set for the beginning of the school year in Au- gust, no speci fi c deadline had ever been promised. He emphasized that the general contractor retains ownership of the building until the fi rst week of No- vember. LACIE SILVA Editor L ast week, the Marion County High School Interact Club donated Greg 02 anti-choking de- vices to Jasper Elemen- tary School, Jasper Mid- dle School, and their own high school to enhance student safety across these schools. These anti-choking devices were created as an initiative to save fu- ture lives. The initiative comes after a tragic event on August 28, 2022, when Greg Creswell lost his life after choking in a Hamilton County, TN, restaurant, where e ff orts to save him were un- successful. In response, Greg’s brother, Rob Cre- swell, established the GregO2 Foundation, aiming to prevent simi- lar tragedies. Partnering with the Founder and CEO of LifeVac, a com- pany that manufactures anti-choking devices, Rob’s initial goal was to equip every daycare, school cafeteria, nursing home, restaurant, and fi rst responder vehicle in their community with MCHS Interact Club donates anti-choking devices to local schools Labor Day Concert to support the Whitwell Education and Heritage Center LACIE SILVA Editor T he annual Labor Day Concert in Whitwell, set for Monday, September 2, will celebrate and support the Whitwell Education and Heritage Center (WEHC). The day’s festivities will kick o ff with the annual parade in the morn- ing, followed by an evening con- cert featuring two live acts: Jessie Black and a local group from Dun- lap called Silver Queen. Conces- sions will be provided by the city, along with various food trucks, though the complete list of ven- dors was unavailable at the time of the meeting. The concert will conclude at 9 p.m., followed by a fi reworks display. Gates will open at 5 p.m., with an entrance fee of $10, all of which will go toward funding WEHC. The WEHC is covering half of the event’s costs, while the city was asked to contribute up to $1,500 to cover the remaining expenses. Commissioner Mike Dillon sug- gested that the city allocate the full $1,500, with any surplus after ex- penses going to the WEHC. Com- missioner Will Adams con fi rmed that the funds were available in the budget, and the motion to approve the donation was passed unani- mously. See Donates, Page 4A See School, Page 4A Branden Dale