JULY 2020
*In late June and early July, the sidewalk reconstruction phase on Navy Road began near the intersection of Highway 51. Now the project is extending down Navy Road in front of businesses like Spin City. This repair work on the sidewalks of Navy Road is a part of the Navy Road Streetscape Project approved by the Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
*A photo courtesy of the Millington Police Department drone illustrated the conscience and awareness of those who ventured out for the 2020 Flag City Freedom Celebration.
With those in attendance at the USA Stadium in Millington staying within the painted blocked provided by the City of Millington, the patrons who came out last Thursday night were from all towns and cities throughout West Tennessee.
Despite no Kid’s Play Zone, bounce houses and a few less food trucks, the dozens who came out July 2 enjoyed family, games they brought, a variety of music provided by Sherry Oke and the fireworks popping about 9:15 p.m.
*July it became official that all residents of Shelby County over the age of 2 are mandated to wear a mask or face covering when in public places.
Back on June 30, the Memphis City Council voted 9-4 to approve an ordinance that would require residents to wear a mask or facial covering in public. Shelby County followed suit the following day.
The reason for the decisions from Memphis and Shelby County has been the rising COVID-19 numbers. Medical experts recored a spike in COVID-19 cases in Memphis and Shelby County.
Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said the resurgence of the coronavirus in Southwest Tennessee has led to this measure to help slow down the spread.
Haushalter added future restrictions might be coming soon for bars, restaurants and other facilities.
*The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen has voted unanimously to accept the transfer of a portion of CARES Act funding that was awarded to Shelby County.
Board members took the action during a June 29 special called meeting on a motion offered by Alderman Don Lowry and seconded by Alderman Al Bell.
The CARES Act, passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law on March 27, makes funding available to qualifying local, state and federal agencies to cover costs related to unbudgeted expenditures incurred after March 1 because of COVID-19.
On May 4, the Shelby County Commission voted to accept funding it had applied for and was awarded.
The funds can also be used for necessary expenditures incurred from “second-order effects” of the pandemic, such as providing economic support to those suffering from employment or business interruptions in the county.
But not all of the county’s six municipalities qualified to apply for and receive funding directly from the U.S. Treasury.
So, to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, the county has agreed to provide a portion of the funds it received as aid to Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington.
The board voted to authorize Mayor Terry Jones to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the county for the transfer of $355,000.
The agreement is subject to review and approval by City Attorney Gerald Lawson.
City Finance Director John Trusty said that, under the provisions of the CARES Act, the funds must be obligated by Sept. 1 and disbursed by Dec. 30.
*Virtual Town Hall meeting was held July 7 about the future of the 2020-21 Millington Municipal School District year.
With a target of Aug. 10, Director of Schools James “Bo” Griffin sent out a survey to parents earlier this summer, had lengthy discussions with administrations of the schools and has been following guidelines of the Tennessee Department of Education among others.
Griffin addressed the topic of returning back to school in a video on the MMSD website millingtonschools.org. He outlined three plans that all depend on the rulings from intities like the Shelby County Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Also known as COVID-19, the global pandemic shut down schools across the nation in mid-March and has left the upcoming school year in limbo.
MMSD has committed to three plans for the reopening of school in 2020: Hybrid Plan, All-Virtual Plan and Traditional Plan. The enactment of these plans is predicated on the Shelby County Health Department and Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee.
*The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen has adopted a resolution to accept a company’s proposal to provide body cameras for the city’s police officers.
Board members took the action during their July 13 regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Alderman Thomas McGhee and seconded by Alderman Don Lowry.
The motion was passed by six affirmative votes, with Alderman Al Bell absent.
Pileum Corp. submitted a $178,500 proposal to provide body cameras for 28 officers who are certified by the Police Officer Standards and Training Commission.
The resolution states that, after “multiple months of review,” the city issued a Request for Proposals that established the “variables” most important to the Millington Police Department.
The RFP was designed to cover all costs associated with the use of the cameras, including related storage for a five-year period.
*The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen has unanimously approved a Subdivision Development Agreement for construction of a free-standing building to house the Margaritas restaurant.
Board members took the action during their Aug. 10 regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Alderman Don Lowry and seconded by Alderman Mike Caruthers.
The Margaritas restaurant in Millington is currently located in Suite 112 of the shopping center at 8507 Highway 51 North.
Its new building will be constructed on a 1.26-acre lot owned by Jose Flores in the southeast corner of the intersection of Copper Creek Drive and Creek Mill Road. The lot is zoned B-2, General Commercial.
At its July 20 meeting, the Millington Municipal Planning Commission unanimously approved a Site Plan submitted for the new building.
AUGUST 2020
*The ribbon was cut about 10:30 a.m.
But the official blessing for the grand opening of Millington’s Beckham Place took place about 20 minutes later when Flag City native Oma Jean Beckham Curlin arrived to tour the model home.
With her royal blue top and pearl white pants, Curlin drew the attention of present.
She removed her mask for photo opportunities and to share the story of Beckham Place’s legacy. Prior to Curlin’s arrival, Millington Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Terry Roland reflected on the history of the newest subdivision in Millington and what it means to the city to have the new homes being sold.
“It’s a heartfelt situation,” he said. “When you love something as much as I love this town, just being able to give back, watch it grow and watch it proposer. To even have a renaissance during a pandemic, that’s something special. It’s definitely God-sent as far as I am concern.”
Roland, also a Millington native, has seen Flag City highs and lows. His family’s business Roland’s Tires is celebrating 55 years in operation. It survived even after the Navy Base downsized several years ago.
Roland said the arrival of D R Horton with Beckham Place illustrates how a business is ready to invest into Millington and the Naval Support Activity Mid-South. Beckham Place is just part of 1,250 homes to be built in Millington, which could bring more tax dollars to the city and funding for Millington Municipal Schools.
*Millington Municipal Schools District Director of Schools James “Bo” Griffin has been busier this early August than in the previous two years.
Under the umbrella of a global pandemic, Griffin has been spotted on all four campuses of the school district in a shirt, tie and mask touching bases with administration and faculty before the Aug. 10 first day of school.
“Everyone had been great doing a tremendous job getting ready,” Griffin said. “The staff, all the faculty and administration and especially our parents have been fantastic in working with us to get ready for this school year.”
Griffin spoke these words as several parents drove through the Virtual Learning line set up at the Millington Performing Arts Center across the street from the Board of Education. Three stations were set up for parents to pick up information, devices and a hotspot for their student as apart of the Millington Virtual Learning plan.
Virtual School Orientation will be by grade band and the schools will send out Microsoft Teams/Google Meet information for orientation sessions. The orientation is for parents and students to attend virtually through the district issued devices.
The invites came through email and text messages beginning Aug. 7. Each school, Millington Central High School, Millington Middle School, Millington Elementary School and E.A. Harrold Elementary School had phone lines set up for parents to contact for more information.
*A contract employee that works with Millington Municipal Schools has tested positive for COVID-19.
This contracted employee has had minimal interaction with staff and students and there are no MMSD staff or students who have tested positive for COVID-19. Millington Municipal Schools has followed the COVID-19 contact tracing protocol as recommended by the Shelby County Health Department.
The two contacts identified during the trace have been notified. The Shelby County Health Department has been notified and MMSD plans to continue the COVID-19 cleaning protocols that were established in our Shelby County and Tennessee State Approved school reopening plan.
*The Millington Trojans had to move their Week 9 contest hosting Ripley to the August opener at Mooney Bosewell Field in Millington.
Originally the Liberty Tech Crusaders were scheduled to open the 2020 season in Millington taking on the Trojans. Then reports came out of Jackson this morning that the Jackson-Madison County School System announced that it was moving fall sports back to Phase One of the reopening process.
There will be no athletic competition for Jackson area high school teams until at least Sept. 4.
That decision had a ripple effect for football Week 1 eliminating Ripley @ South Side; North Side @ Beech; Liberty @ Millington.
The Trojans and Ripley Tigers have agreed to move their late season contest up to the Aug. 21 for a 7 p.m. kickoff in Millington.
*With 11 candidates seeking eight positions on the ballot, the Nov. 3 Millington city elections will feature only three contested races.
The candidates filed their qualifying petitions before the deadline at noon last Thursday in the Shelby County Election Commission Office.
Mayor Terry Jones is unopposed for re-election to a fourth term.
Aldermen Thomas McGhee and Don Lowry are unopposed for re-election to Positions 5 and 6, respectively.
Position 7 Alderman Mike Caruthers is being challenged by Tom Stephens.
With Position 1 School Board member Roger Christopher not seeking re-election, Marlon D. Evans and Gregory L. Ritter are competing for the open seat.
Position 3 member Mark Coulter is being challenged by Deanna Speight.
Barbara Halliburton and Chris Denson are unopposed for re-election to Positions 5 and 7, respectively.
*Kathryn Rebich Tickle, known in her younger days to family and friends as Katy, died August 25, 2020 peacefully at her home in Atoka, Tennessee. Visitation is scheduled for 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. with Memorial Service following at 1:00 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home, Memphis Tennessee, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday, September 5, 2020. Internment next to her beloved husband, Jack, of sixty-seven years immediately following service.
SEPTEMBER 2020
*Lucy Baptist Church celebrates our 150th anniversary on Sept. 19-20. God has graciously blessed our church and we rejoice in His goodness and faithfulness.
We are planning a celebration to commemorate this milestone in our church’s history.
*Memphis police arrested a man in an overnight shooting that left one person dead over the weekend.
The shooting took place in the 8900 block of Bass Road in Northwest Shelby County, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Posted on the SCSO social media page Saturday night was the scene of the shooting on Bass Road leaving a person shot and pronounced dead on arrival. Immediately a homicide investigation was underway.
Later, SCSO detectives arrested Dustin Good, 32. Good was charged with Voluntary Manslaughter and Employing a Firearm during the Commission of a Violent Felony, according to SCSO.
*Tragedy struck early Friday morning when a local doctor died in a plane crash while attempting to make an emergency landing in Jackson, according to Madison County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Tom Mapes.
Bryan Jackson, of Bartlett, a surgeon at Memphis Surgical Specialists, reportedly died on impact when the single-engine six-passenger plane he was piloting, experienced a mechanical malfunction around 2:30 a.m. Mapes said the doctor crashed in a wooded area about a mile from the McKeller Sipes Airport in Jackson.
Jackson had departed Dickson County Municipal Airport a few minutes earlier and was heading to Charles W. Baker Airport located at 3870 Fite Road in Millington when the accident occurred. He was the only one on board.
*In late September at the intersection of Highway 51 and Wilkinsville Road Millington Police, Fire and Rescue responded to a motor vehicle crash.
Upon arrival, one of the two vehicles that were involved was engulfed in flames with the driver and passenger unable to exit the vehicle. Medical personnel later pronounced the driver and passenger deceased on the scene.
The driver of the other vehicle was transported to Regional One Trauma Center in Memphis and identified as Ethan Wells.
Wells, 20, from Munford is currently in the Millington Jail facing charges for DUI, reckless driving, failure to exercise due care, leaving the scene of a crash, motor vehicle theft, and two counts of vehicular homicide.
*On Sept. 23, the special agents of the CN Police joined forces with members of the Millington Police Department to bring awareness to safety around railroad tracks throughout the Mid-South.
The city of Millington has seen it’s share of tragedy near tracks with cars and people being hit by trains as recent as 2017. MPD Chief Mark Dunbar joined his officers Inspectors Rita Stanback and Reggie Fields, Sgt. Bryan Childress, Lt. Chris Stokes and Patrolman Wayne Williams alongside CN Police Services’ Inspector Monica Carson, Risk Mitigation Officer Antony Dale and Special Agents Brad Wetzel and Steven Solomon for a road sign dedication.
The portion of the railroad on Easley Street in Millington has a warning sign painted on the road to give pedestrians and motorists a reminder of safety precautions.
OCTOBER 2020
*The longest running business in the city of Millington is spread throughout Flag City to the tune of 600 acres.
Back in 1940, a man moved from Lexington and set up roots, stems and seeds in Millington creating Jones Orchard. The creation of HL “Peach Orchard” Jones has grown into a staple in Southwest Tennessee.
Three generations later, Jones Orchard is still a destination for fresh produce, photo shoots, a taste of classic America and a display of traditional family values. Sales manager “Taco” Henry Jones took a break from organizing the 15th Annual Jones Orchard Haunted Maze to reflect on 80 years of history.
“We have love what we do,” he said. “You’ve got to have a lot of love for what you’re doing to last this long. You also have to adapt and change to the changing taste of the consumer.
“The consumer today is very discerning and more savvy than they used to be,” Henry added. “That’s why we provide the best high quality local produce. They won’t accept any less. They keep us on our Ps and Qs.”
Jones Orchard keeps up with the Joneses through social media via Instagram, Facebook and www.jonesorchard.com.
*Millington Central High School senior Bronwen Davis is not too sure she wants to be a writer despite doing an internship at Cypress Magazine.
Although she’s a part of the thespian club, Davis is not seeking an acting career. With uncertainty about her professional future, the daughter of Scott Davis and Sheila Tagavilla said she wants to pursue nursing.
But the one certainty in the 17-year-old life of Bronwen is the good news delivered to her by Principal Mark Neal and Senior Counselor Ashleigh Currie last week. Davis received her official National Merit Scholarship letter.
“It’s surreal,” she said. “I just really didn’t see myself getting this because of how little amount of people who receive it. It’s very prestigious.”
Davis was shocked to earn the honor. The faculty and administration at MCHS are not surprised Davis is a National Merit Scholar with a 4.3 grade point average and top 5 ranking in the Class of 2021.
“All of the AP classes I can take besides Computer Science,” Davis noted. “Last year I took there and sophomore year I took one. This year right I am in three and next semester I’ll be in five. Any class I can’t take AP, I take honors.”
Davis said she knows her academics are solid, but she has tried to branch out in other ways like participating in Knowledge Bowl.
*After weeks on road closures from 385 to Veterans Parkway for the bridge on Raleigh-Millington Road, crews have finally removed the old structure. The Raleigh-Millington Bridge construction is a design and environmental project that was approved by TDOT and is currently underway.
*The Millington Municipal Planning Commission approved a Site Plan this week that was submitted for construction of a new asphalt batch plant on Veterans Parkway.
Commission members took the action Monday night during their regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Mike Caruthers and seconded by Curtis Park.
The motion was passed by six affirmative votes, with Brenda Barber absent.
Charles Goforth, planning consultant for the city, said Standard Construction Co. owns 16 acres now on Veterans Parkway that were originally on Raleigh-Millington Road and zoned M-1, Light Industrial.
He noted that, in the 1980s, the company operated an asphalt batch plant there, which it closed in 2006.
Goforth said Standard has a contract with the Millington Memphis Airport to repave the runway and desires to open a new plant at its previous location.
He noted that, when Veterans Parkway was constructed, that area was re-zoned P-C, Planned Commercial, which normally does not allow such a plant.
But the Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen recently passed an ordinance on two readings that allows asphalt or concrete batch plants to be constructed in certain zoning districts.
*Kristen Zumwalt has visited her parents AJ “Bud” and Kathy Taylor from Florida on many occasions.
Normally she leaves them with smiles, grandchildren moments and precious updates about her teaching career. But when she departs this Saturday for Jacksonville, Zumwalt will have left her father Bud with the gift of life.
Back on Oct. 15, Zumwalt donated a kidney to her father. The procedure was successful and both father and daughter shared laughs in his living room Wednesday afternoon.
“Near the end of July I called Michelle at University Methodist about seeing if I was a match,” Zumwalt recalled. “It was that simple.”
The Millington area heard of Taylor’s dilemma back in the summer. The United States Marine Corps veteran soldiered through everyday life without a kidney and the support of his wife Kathy.
Bud made a public plea and one of the first phone calls he received to save his life was from his daughter.
“When she first told me, I was doubtful about it,” Taylor acknowledged. “The reason was because I don’t have any kidneys. And I didn’t want her to be in the same boat I was and having two kids to raise.
“When I was in the hospital, the nurses told me to look at it this way,” he continued, “’You had two good kidneys and they both went out. She can live off of one. But if one of hers goes out, both will go out. Same as you. She can be healthy with one and you can be healthy with one.’”
*The final named called out during halftime of the Dyer County vs. Millington football game Thursday night was Ann Howard.
The senior student/athlete was crowned the 2020 Millington Central High School Homecoming Queen by Millington Municipal School District Superintendent Bo Griffin.
“It feels great,” she said. “I am kind of surprised. There are a bunch of beautiful girls out there and I love them all. They deserve the crown too. And they’re all smart and very athletic. Some of them have the best grades and they’re the sweetest people I know. It’s really shocking but it’s heartfelt I was voted Homecoming Queen.”
Howard was escorted by her father Billy and became the official queen of the court featuring Allyson Marona, Alexis Jordan, Naomi Bosworth, Angelica Alaniz, Vanessa Turner, Bella Lambert, Abbie Gallo, Kalia Duckworth, Lauren Mayze and Kaira Lopez.
Howard currently has a 4.1 weighted grade point average and is a key member of the Lady Trojan Softball team. She also stars on a traveling softball squad.
*The Millington Board of Aldermen, Mayor Terry Jones, City Manager Ed Haley and other community leaders joined Millington Public Library Director Stephanie Kinsler for a special presentation Friday morning.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett arrived to 4558 Navy Road with a pair of oversized checks in hand. One board read CARES Act for $744 for the Millington Public Library. The other check came courtesy of the State of Tennessee for $6,963.
“This is not only almost $7,000 from the state,” Kinsler said. “This check is going to be match. It’s a match-grant and it’s almost $14,000 we’re getting for a tech lab in this room over here. We want to prepare people to go out in the workplace teaching them how to use Power-point, Excel, Word. People need the most basic skills and will learn them here like how to email, apply for jobs.”
The MPL Boosters and Board agreed to match the Tennessee Technology Grant helping the facility with resources to assist the public.
“The library is more relevant than ever,” Kinsler said. “ We do all sorts things besides having great book collections. We have the popular fiction over there. We have the newest and most awesome children’s collection. We have a six-week summer reading program that we saw an increase of 250 more books. That’s a growing program and obviously we represent literacy. We also do printing and faxing.”
*MEMPHIS — As the black paper was ripped away from the front entrance of the newly named Otis Faulk Griffin Memorial Library, his widow Glenda Griffin was overcome by emotion.
The man she called her husband for decades and still pumps love into her heart was on display on the front doors of the Shrine School Memphis Library. Pictures she supplied to the project were formed into a wall-sized collage illustrating the late Griffin’s love of reading, writing, children, basketball, family, the Shriners and the school.
“I know how much Otis loved all of you Shriners,” Glenda said. “You all were so special to him and the wives of the Shriners too. Nancy he thought so much of you and Dr. Reese you too. I can’t all of your names. I know the love he had for all of y’all. This is beautiful. This couldn’t be any better. God bless you all and I hope the school continues to grow. I don’t think you could have a better place.”
Shrine School Principal Dr. Charlie Reese welcomed all the invited guests to enter through the newly painted doors to the new-look library. Work from Redmond Designs created two areas featuring reading trees from books — Dr. Seuss’ lorax trees and the tree from Winnie the Pooh.
“As we gather together today for the dedication ceremony of our beloved friend, we have the opportunity to recall and honor a person,” Reese said, “who’s personality is deeply engraved in this institution called the Shrine School.”
Griffin alongside his fellow Shriners spent several days at 4259 Forest View Drive in Memphis. On the Board, Griffin helped usher in many policies and measures to benefit the children, faculty and staff.
*The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen has unanimously adopted a resolution to purchase land for construction of a new water treatment plant.
Board members took the action during their Oct. 12 regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Alderman Thomas McGhee and seconded by Alderman Jon Crisp.
The resolution states that Millington’s north water plant has “far exceeded” its life expectancy, and that a new plant is needed north of Big Creek to provide necessary water pressure and flow for development.
It notes that the city has identified a “preferred” site northeast of the automobile dealership on Highway 51 that has 54.05 acres of undeveloped land, including approximately 135 feet of frontage on the highway.
With City Attorney Gerald Lawson’s approval, the resolution authorizes Mayor Terry Jones to execute a purchase contract with the landowner at a cost of $5,000 an acre.
*About 99 percent of the Millington Fire Station 2 located at 7245 Raleigh-Millington Road is brand new.
Last Tuesday several invited guest made their way to the new facility with Millington Fire Chief Gary Graves acting as host for the Hose Uncoupling Ceremony. Graves quickly pointed out the 1 percent that features the storied history of the Millington Fire Department founded in 1903.
“We’re opening up our new Station 2 that’s replacing the Station 2 that’s next door,” he noted. “It was built in 1974. So for the last 45 years we’ve outgrown it and we’re glad to move here into this new station that is almost twice as big as the other station.
“We can house all of our equipment in here,” Graves continued. “We had some things out in the parking lot so now everything is under the roof and protected. We’ve got room to grow. We have four firefighter and our battalion chief housed here. We can extended that. We’ve got room for additional personnel down the line at some point. We have new equipment if needed.”
Among the new equipment in Fire Station 2 are relics and artifacts paying tribute to the previous Fire Station 2, those who made that location possible and the history of the MFD.
Back in 1975 the original Millington Fire Station 2 was named in honor of Thomas L. Goin in recognition of faithful service, outstanding civic leadership and devotion to the city of Millington. Not far away is a photo of the Millington Fire Station that was located on B Street in 1940.
*On Halloween, Millington’s first COVID-19 testing site will be Crosspointe Baptist Church located at 8850 Highway 51 North. The COVID-19 Community Testing Event will take place form 9 a.m. to noon. Pre-registration is recommended to limit delays. This event is presented by the Memphis Health Center located at 360 E. EH Crump Blvd in Memphis.
NOVEMBER 2020
*Alderman Mike Caruthers and School Board member Mark Coulter won new terms, while Marlon Evans defeated former member Greg Ritter in the Nov. 3 Millington city elections.
Caruthers was re-elected to a fourth term in Alderman Position 7 and Coulter to a second term in School Board Position 3.
With Position 1 School Board member Roger Christopher not seeking a second term, Evans was elected to the open seat.
Caruthers received 2,428 votes, and his challenger Tom Stephens got 981. Fourteen voters cast write-in ballots in that race.
Coulter received 2,021 votes, and his challenger Deanna Speight got 1,501. Eight voters cast write-in ballots.
Evans received 1,937 votes, and Ritter got 1,610, while 10 voters cast write-in ballots.
Caruthers thanked the voters for continuing to place their confidence in him as an alderman. He said he is “sincerely honored” and will continue to defend the “best interests” of all the city’s residents.
*Ideal conditions and the sun shined a spotlight on the bright smiles in attendance for the 2020 City of Millington Veteran’s Day Parade.
Millington Elementary School second grader Elizabeth Brown was joined by her mother Jennifer along the parade route just in front of the Plaza Shopping Center. With several portions of Navy Road sidewalks still under construction, many spectators gathered toward the area near Roland’s Tire.
Also in that area were Paityn and Hayden Lee of Millington. Nearby them were the aunt and nephew duo of Taylor Curtis and Waylon Hill.
As more accumulated on the sidewalks along Navy Road, the flags started waving as Millington Police Department Inspector Reggie Fields sounded the siren to start the parade. He was followed by the Millington Fire Department.
Then there were appearances by the American Legion 252 and VFW Post 7175 of Millington. Several businesses, the Shriners and Millington Central High School Band were a part of the festivities expressing gratitude to the men and women who have served and currently serving the United States.
*For the past eight years, SOUL OUT Ministries founder Carol Jenkins has spent her Thanksgiving at the Millington Baker Community Center located at 7942 Church Street.
This year because of the global pandemic, SOUL OUT Ministries could not do its traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the community at the community center. The organization decided to give out Thanksgiving boxes with all the trimmings.
Jenkins started her journey addressing hunger in the Millington community July 28, 2013 in Oak Park. She went from feeding the homeless men in the park to feeding the needy and anyone who were facing food insecurities inside Baker Community Center.
It started with delivering meals to the sick and shut in and hosting an annual Thanksgiving dinner.
In the past eight years, Jenkins Ministries, non-profit, has fed thousands of people in the Millington community using her personal funds and donations from others.
Jenkins gives honor to her mother Catherine C. Williams and Godmother Mary P. Montgomery. Both are now deceased. They helped Jenkins start this journey of feeding people in need. I am so thankful and grateful for the Memphis Omega Psi Phi Sigma Lambda Lambda Chapter Fraternity Inc., for supporting the feeding ministry in Millington since the beginning.
*Day by day, the development of the new Millington Kentucky Fried Chicken is coming along smoothly. Located where Veterans Parkway turns into West Union Road across Highway 51, the new eatery will mark the return of the fast food chain to Flag City.
The Millington Municipal Planning Commission has unanimously approved engineering and final plats submitted for construction of a new KFC restaurant on Highway 51more than a year ago. Charles Goforth, planning consultant for the city, said the property will consist of three lots totaling approximately 3.6 acres in the southwest corner of the intersection of Highway 51 and West Union Road.
*Earlier this month, crews began the process of chopping up the old asphalt on Navy Road to continue Phase 2 of the Navy Road Streetscape Project. From Highway 51 to Church Street, Navy Road is an obstacle course of orange construction cones. The project has been going on for years including the installation of black mast-arm traffic signals, as well as construction of sidewalks, curbs, gutters, driveway aprons and handicapped ramps. Navy will be “milled” and re-paved to tie into all the side streets and make them ADA-compliant.
*Originally scheduled to run through Nov. 21, the organizers at the Millington Public Library reached their quota of donations for the 2020 Thanksgiving Canned Food Drive.
MPL Director Stephanie Kinsler was joined by Sara Mautino and other staff members in loading up a truck to deliver the food two days early to the Millington Food Pantry. The overwhelming contributions were not done just because the Library was ready to drive over to the Food Pantry.
During the loading process, a MPL faithful was bringing up another donation. Of course that was package was added to the final tally.
“We just wrapped up a successful food drive,” Kinsler said. “We only ran it for two weeks. The Thanksgiving holiday is coming and of course we have a lot of people in Millington that definitely wonder where the next meal is coming from.
“We basically just made a delivery of over 800 pounds of food,” she added. “We just took it over to the Millington Food Pantry located at the First United Methodist Church. Gail and Jim over there were happy to see a variety of food.”
The Millington Public Library located at 4858 Navy Road was the place since Nov. 7 taking in donations for the annual food drive to help with the need at Thanksgiving.
The donations from the MPL were in need for the relief effort for the Mid-South Food Bank and First United Methodist Church Food Pantry.
DECEMBER 2020
*This year’s City of Millington Christmas Parade took less than 30 minutes.
With one-third of the traditional floats, the Millington Fire and Police departments served as the grand marshals for the 2020 Parade.
The first performance coming down Navy Road was the Millington Central High School Marching Band under the direction of drum major Gena Ann Parker.
Then there was representation from the United States military, local civic groups, area businesses and a few private citizens.
The cloud of a global pandemic didn’t stop dozens of Millington residents from making the trip out to Navy Road to watch the floats. Ms. Wright from Northaven Elementary gathered up her family to check out the action.
Another tradition at the parade is the appearance of K-9 Ziggy. Ziggy made his route along the sidewalk with children petting him.
*Helen Faye Ellis Osteen, 85, of Millington, died on December 7. Faye was born October 25, 1935 in Kerrville, to Leland and Ethel Ellis and spent her whole life living in Shelby County. She was the Valedictorian of Millington Central High School class of 1953 and graduated from Memphis State where she earned both her BA and MA degrees in Education. She was a long-time Teacher, Guidance Counselor and Assistant Principal with the Shelby County Board of Education almost all of which was at Millington Central High School. She and her husband William L. ‘Mr. Bill’ Osteen married in 1971 and loved to travel. They visited as many states and countries as they could. She accompanied ‘Mr. Bill’ on many fishing trips at Pickwick where she stitched a number of needlework projects while keeping him company on the boat. Faye is the author of the book “Millington, The First Hundred Years” in 2002 for the Millington Centennial Committee. Faye was an avid Bridge Player and reader and spent many hours supporting the MCHS Football and Basketball programs. She was inducted into the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2010 as a contributor for beginning a fund 2000 to both honor members of the TSSAA Hall of Fame and to emphasize the development of TSSAA as the governing body of high school athletics in the state of Tennessee.
*The Millington School Board has voted unanimously to rename three schools for reassignment of students during the 2021-22 academic year after E. A. Harrold Elementary is closed.
Board members took the action during their Dec. 7 regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Mark Coulter and seconded by Barbara Halliburton.
Beginning in August 2021, the Millington Elementary, Middle and Central High schools will be renamed Millington Primary, Intermediate and Central Middle/High, respectively.
During discussion shortly before the vote, board member C. J. Haley asked about the “thought process” employed in the renaming.
James “Bo” Griffin, superintendent of Millington Municipal Schools, said the names “Primary” and “Intermediate” were chosen because other school districts have done the same when they had to combine schools or close one.
Board member Marlon Evans asked about the new name for the high school.
Griffin said that, because it has always been called Millington Central High, the district does not want to “take away” from its past while looking toward its future.
*Ritter Communications, a regional telecommunications provider, is donating $5,000 to the Millington Crisis Center in lieu of the company’s annual Santa Connection event.
The event will not be held this year due to pandemic safety concerns.
The $5,000 donation from Ritter Communications will be used to buy toys for local children this Christmas and help Millington residents registered with the Crisis Center pay for rent and utilities.
“Ritter Communications is proud to make this contribution to the Millington Crisis Center. While we are certainly saddened to miss our visit with Santa this year, we know this is the safest option for the children and their families,” said Ritter Communications Vice President of Marketing Susan Christian. “We are pleased to partner with the Crisis Center in helping the Millington community this Christmas.”
The Millington Crisis Center also received a generous gift from Ingram Micro this holiday season. Ingram Micro’s Charlie Jakoby got in touch with the leadership at the Crisis Center and donated thousands of dollars worth of new toys featuring bikes, action figures, baby dolls and barking dogs to the Crisis Center.
Ingram Micro and Ritter are two local businesses trying to help the Crisis Center make the holidays special for area families.
“We are so grateful to have Ritter Communications as a community partner this year,” said Executive Director of Millington Crisis Center Debra Sigee. “The holidays can be tough for many families here in the City of Millington and Unincorporated North Shelby County 38053 zip code area, their generous donation will help our community this holiday season.
“The Santa Connection event is a long-standing tradition,” she continued. “Each year, Santa sets up his Santa House for a series of evening visits and keepsake photos outside the Millington office. The elves assist Santa and bring the Christmas magic to life for both the children and their families, making this a yearly holiday tradition for many that the company hopes to continue next year.”
*Millington Municipal Schools is proud to announce the Principals for the 2021-2022 school year. Director James “Bo” Griffin announced today that he has chosen the next wave of leadership for Millington Municipal Schools. With the decommissioning of E.A. Harrold Elementary in the 2021-2022 school year, MMSD will restructure their grade banding to include three buildings:
Millington Primary School: which will serve grades PreK-third, Millington Intermediate School: which will serve grades fourth–sixth, and Millington Central Middle-High School: which will serve grades seventh – 12th. With the new grade banding will come a few new leaders.
Michael Perry: Millington Central Middle-High Principal
Patricia Speight: Millington Intermediate Principal
Christina Wilkerson: Millington Primary Principal
*Gov. Bill Lee- Good evening Tennesseans. It’s Christmas week, ordinarily a time when families across the state are gathering to celebrate. Unfortunately, these are not ordinary times. We are in a global pandemic that’s been crippling our country for months and now Tennessee is ground zero for a surge in sickness. I am speaking with you tonight because I want to be clear with where we are and what we need to do together to get through this.
