2012: The BUZZ Takes A Quick Look Back - Monroe County ...
2012: The BUZZ Takes A Quick Look Back - Monroe County ...
2012: The BUZZ Takes A Quick Look Back - Monroe County ...
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December 31, <strong>2012</strong> Page 3 - <strong>The</strong> <strong>BUZZ</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> month also<br />
recorded a fire that destroyed<br />
Beck’s Florist in<br />
Madisonville, a passing of<br />
a longtime business that<br />
most of the county’s residents<br />
had at one time or<br />
another done business<br />
with. A second passing<br />
was that of longtime<br />
sports writer John Taylor,<br />
whose noted vocation as a<br />
mail deliveryman was as<br />
lengthy as his local high<br />
school sports coverage.<br />
February ended fairly<br />
quietly, but the month of<br />
March came in like a lion,<br />
unleashing a vicious and<br />
devastating tornado that<br />
ripped through Tellico<br />
Plains, tearing a path of<br />
destruction and destroy-<br />
442-3200<br />
ing numerous homes and<br />
businesses in and around<br />
the mountain town.<br />
In nearby Citico, where<br />
the twister played out,<br />
homicide investigators<br />
found a few days later the<br />
body of Luther “Lukey”<br />
Vineyard of Smokey<br />
Branch Road and after a<br />
four-day examination of<br />
the evidence in Vineyard’s<br />
home, charged four<br />
Madisonville and Vonore<br />
persons with first degree<br />
murder: Jessica Renee<br />
Payne, 20, Lorenz James<br />
Freeman Jr., 24, Coty<br />
Shane Smith, 26, and<br />
Joshua Lee Steele, 24.<br />
And then, in the middle<br />
of the month, a runaway<br />
tractor-trailer with a<br />
driver asleep at the wheel<br />
slammed into Tennessee<br />
Highway Patrol Sergeant<br />
Lowell Russell’s parked<br />
cruiser on Interstate 40 in<br />
Knoxville, critically injuring<br />
the well-known seasoned<br />
law enforcement<br />
officer. Russell underwent<br />
a lengthy recovery in and<br />
out of the hospital that<br />
still continues to this day.<br />
He was honored in the<br />
state’s general assembly<br />
and received numerous<br />
visits and accolades by<br />
state and national officials,<br />
including Governor Bill<br />
Haslam.<br />
Tellico Plains resident<br />
Mary Shaw passed away<br />
from injuries in March and<br />
only days later were Kimberly<br />
Sue Ricker and<br />
Wayne Clarence Jones<br />
charged with inflicting the<br />
injuries to Shaw and ar-<br />
Mount Vernon<br />
General Store<br />
Towels<br />
Comforter<br />
Sheet Sets<br />
New Shipment<br />
rested on second-degree<br />
murder counts. <strong>The</strong> two<br />
still await trial.<br />
Three intentionally set<br />
fires consumed 1,400<br />
bales of switchgrass in Tellico<br />
Plains in mid-month.<br />
Weeks later, Damon Shaw<br />
of McJunkin Road and<br />
Brian McJunkin of Pond<br />
Ridge Road were charged<br />
with arson in the late night<br />
antics.<br />
As the month ended,<br />
dead-eye drop-dead<br />
shooter and lifelong law-<br />
(See <strong>2012</strong> pg 8)<br />
Gun Cases for Pistols,<br />
Rifles & Shotguns<br />
Camo &<br />
Orange Hats<br />
Robes<br />
$6.99<br />
various colors<br />
Large Selection of Cleaning Supplies Eggs $1.29<br />
Laundry Detergent, Clorox Milk $3.89<br />
Leather Purses, Wallets<br />
Large Selection of Jewelry & Knives Infrared<br />
Xbox, Playstation 3 Heaters<br />
All sales are final $149<br />
In the old Midway Market Building<br />
7805 New Highway 68, Tellico Plains