2012: The BUZZ Takes A Quick Look Back - Monroe County ...

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