FRANKLIN, Tenn. [No-vember 2, 2020] –AHCWestwood, a senior livingand rehabilitation com-munity in Decaturville,Tennessee, announcedthat Laura Alexander, di-etary manager, and Victo-ria Yager, certified nursingassistant, were recentlyhonored by the TennesseeHealth Care Association(THCA) for making a dif-ference in nursing homecare.

Alexander was namedDietary Supervisors Asso-ciation Member of theYear, and Yager wasawarded Jackson DistrictCaregiver of the Year.These recognitions aregiven to outstanding em-ployees in long-term carefacilities across the stateby the THCA. Each year,the association gives out10 awards for excellenceand five awards for dis-trict caregivers.

“Laura and Victoria arevery deserving of theseawards,” said Melinda

Wade, administrator atAHC Westwood. “Theyroutinely go the extra mileensure our residents arewell taken care off. Thathasn’t been easy this pastyear, but they haveadapted to our new nor-mal with grace and com-passion. We couldn’t beprouder of them.”

Alexander startedworking at AHC West-wood as a cook 21 yearsago. Just over five yearslater, she was promoted todietary manager and hasbeen active in the Ten-nessee Dietary Supervi-sors Association,including serving a presi-dent for two years. Shewas nominated for theTHCA award based inpart on her achievementsin helping residents meetand maintain weight-lossgoals.

“Laura leads by exam-ple,” Wade says. “She en-courages staff to befriendly and courteous atall times. She’s also is in-

volved in community ac-tivities like Relay for Lifeand helps out with all ourfacility events.

Yager is has alsoworked at AHC West-wood for 21 years. As acertified nursing assistant,she has a passion forworking with older peo-ple. She spends her dayshelping resident withbathing and dressing, aswell as assisting themwith meals and other ac-tivities of daily living.

“During our recentCOVID-19 situation, Vic-toria was the first to step

up and volunteer to takecare of new and returningresidents,” Wade says.“She treats each residentlike her own family mem-ber. She’s the textbookdefinition of ‘caregiver.’”

In addition to theseAHC Westwood employ-ees, THCA also recog-nized Dorothy Goodrumas the Directors of Nurs-ing Association (DONA)Member of the Year.Goodrum was the assis-tant director of nursing atAHC McNairy Countyuntil her recent retire-ment.

Page A6 The News Leader, November 4, 2020

By Gail Olsen

This has been a badweek. It is difficult to driveanywhere in the countywithout coming acrosspitiful, hungry, stray dogs.Two stray dogs off High-way 412 have been aban-doned and are loyallyawaiting the return of theirowner. They leave theporch in search of food,only to be shooed away byscared, thoughtless orbusy neighbors. A home-less dog by the riversearches for food at camp-sites only to be shot at andrun off by campers. Itseems that while we all arescratching our heads overwhat to do with these poordefenseless creatures, theyare multiplying in ourcounty. Should we take

one more dog home?Should we leave him somefood to help get himthrough one more night?One thing is for sure wecan’t just stand back andlet this cruelty happen. Ifwe see this happening wemust speak up for thestray dogs, as they can’tspeak up for themselves.As Martin Luther King, Jr.said, “Our lives begin toend the day we becomesilent about things thatmatter.”

We firmly believe thatfocusing our efforts on alow-cost spay/neuter pro-gram is the only long termsolution to the widespreadpet overpopulation prob-lem. We also believe thatpet owners should be re-sponsible enough to carefor their pets throughout

their lifetime. If you arecommitted enough tobring home a pet today,you need to be committedenough to care for him to-morrow. A dog or cat is amember of your family. It’sthat simple. They are notalarm systems, temporaryentertainment, or lawn or-naments. It’s your respon-sibility to provide for themas such. We, as humans,caused the over popula-tion of dogs and cats eitherby not having our petsneutered and spayed or bytossing our pets out ontothe street for a life ofhomelessness, after thenovelty of owning onewore off. That said, wealso know that life is un-predictable. Stuff hap-pens. We all need helpfrom time to time.

So what is the answer?In the meantime, if you seea stray dog or cat in yourneighborhood, be kind. Ifyou should decide to keephim or her or try to findloving homes, please re-member the most lovingthing you can do forhomeless dogs and catseverywhere is to get themspayed or neutered. It is agood person and a gooddeed to help out a stray.

To contact us, you haveseveral options, via mail;Decatur County HumaneAssociation, P.O. Box 514,Parsons, TN 38363; or viae-mail at:dchatn@live.com. Keepupdated by checking ourFacebook page: DecaturCounty (TN) Humane As-sociation.

Decatur County Humane Assoc.

Jonathan RebelBalderas - Theft (up to$1000); reset 11-30-20

-Aggravated Assault;reset 11-30-20

-Aggravated Assault;reset 11-30-20

-Assault-physical con-tact; reset 11-30-20

-Assault-physical con-tact; reset 11-30-20

William E. Brown - Do-mestic assault; reset 12-7-20

Shannon Michael Cole-Aggravated assault-do-mestic; reset 12-14-20

Steve Dora - Leavescene of accident-propertydamage; reset 12-7-20

Anthony Arlon Funder-burk - Interference withemergency calls; reset 11-9-20

-Domestic assault; reset11-9-20

Brandon Kyle Gate-wood - Speeding; reset-12-7-20

-Poss unlaw drug para-phernalia uses & activities;reset 12-7-20

-Driving while licenserevoked; reset 12-7-20

-Schedule VI drugs:mfg, del, sell, poss; reset12-7-20

-Display/possess can-cel/revoke/susp or alteredDL; reset 12-7-20

Kevin Andrew Sage -Vandalism (up to $1,000);reset 11-9-20

-Domestic assault; reset11-9-20

-Violation of order ofprotection/restraining

order; reset 11-9-20Johnnie Danielle Stiles

Sippel - Simple poss/ca-sual exchange (marj <1/2oz or 14.175 grams); reset1-11-20

-Driving while licensesuspended; reset 11-11-20

Sheila Graves Adkins-Accessory after the fact;reset 11-23-20

-False reports to officer;reset 11-23-20

Karina Yolanda Antel -Statutory rape by author-ity figure-fac; Bound overto Grand Jury

-Statutory rape by au-thority figure; Bound overto Grand Jury

Dessa Rene Bates -Schedule VI drugs: mfg,del, sell, poss; reset 12-7-20

-Speeding; reset 12-7-20Corey Ray Borron -

simple poss/casual ex-change (marj <1/2 oz or14.175 grams); reset 1-4-20

-Implied consent-misd;reset 1-4-20

-DUI: Second offense;reset 1-4-20

-Registration expired;reset 1-4-20

-Open container; reset1-4-20

Jonathan Ryan Chan-dler - Seat belt-18 andolder; reset 1-4-20

-Financial responsibilitylaw; reset 1-4-20

-Registration expired;reset 1-4-20

-Light law-motor vehi-cle; reset 1-4-20

-DUI: First offense;reset 1-4-20

-Poss unlaw drug para-phernalia uses & activities;reset 1-4-20

Teresa Ann CapillaDerryberry - Aggravatedassault-use or displaydeadly weapon; dismissed

Nicholas Lynn Ernest -Open container; reset 1-4-21

-Simple poss/casual ex-change (marj <1/2 oz or14.175 grams); reset 1-4-21

-Poss unlaw drug para-phernalia uses & activities;reset 1-4-21

-DUI: Second offense;reset 1-4-21

Jeffery Dean Hayes -Financial responsibilitylaw; reset 12-21-20

-Driving while licenserevoked; reset 12-21-20

-Driving unregisteredvehicle on highway; reset12-21-20

Tracy Lane Jones -Abuse of vulnerable adult;Bound over to Grand Jury

Thomas Anthony Jor-dan - DUI: First offens;reset 1-4-21

-Seat belt-18 and older;reset 1-4-21

-Financial responsibilitylaw; reset 1-4-21

-Unlawful removal/al-teration of registration;reset 1-4-21

-Unlawful use oftelecommunication devicewhile driving; reset 1-4-21

Tiffany Renne Kent -Domestic assault-physicalcontact; not guilty

Marcus M. Kinnon -Public intox; reset 1-4-21

-Obedience to police of-ficers; reset 1-4-21

-Domestic assault; reset1-4-21

Chas Dylan Lomax -Meth-possess or casual ex-change; sentenced to11/29 to serve 30 days with$750 fine and cost

-Simple poss/casual ex-change (marj ,1/2 oz or14.175 grams); dismissed

-Poss unlaw drug para-phernalia uses & activities;sentenced to 11/29 to serve0 with $150 fine and cost

-Light law-motor vehi-cle; dismissed

-Meth-possess or casualexchange; dismissed

-Registration expired;dismissed

Jamie Lynn Mays - DUIby allowing; dismissed

Allen Austin Rice -Child abuse/neglect/en-dangerment 8 yrs or less;reset 11-9-20

James S. Scott - Crimi-nal trespass; reset 11-16-20

-Violation of order ofprotection/restrainingorder; reset 11-16-20

Marlene MichelleStout -Financial exploita-tion elderly/vulnerableperson; reset 11-16-20

Dusty D. Warren - Sex-ual battery; Bound over toGrand Jury

-Rape; Bound over toGrand Jury

Troy Lynn Williams -Driving while license re-voked (2nd or sub)-due toconviction of DUI: reset11-9-20

General Sessions

Health care heroes at AHCWestwood receive awards

Laura Alexander and Victoria Yager recognized forexcellence by the Tennessee Health Care Association

Alexander Yager

“Don’t be Ridiculous: Vote for Nick-olas” was the campaign messageNicolas Long promoted when heran for a position on the WesternRegion 4-H All-Star Council. He waselected as the Western Region 4-HAll Star Scout. His responsibilitiesinclude serving as a Sargent ofArms during business meetings, preparing pro-motional materials, and assisting with servicelearning project reports. Nickolas is the WesternRegion 4-H All Star Southeast Area Representa-tive and is currently the Decatur County 4-HHonor Club Treasurer. Please help us in congrat-ulating Nickolas in being elected as the 4-H Scoutfor the Western Region All Star Council.

Congratulations to Millie Jo Eng-land for winning Top Scoring Indi-vidual at the Regional 4-H LifeSkills Virtual Judging Competi-tion. LifeSkills is a Family and Con-sumer Sciences program for juniorhigh youth that involves learningfrom online resources and compet-ing in regional events. At the competitions, par-ticipants will apply skills and knowledge inFamily and Consumer Sciences subject mattersuch as counting change; child discipline, foodsafety and health.

Long elected 4-H Scout for theWestern Region All Star Council

England is Top Scoring Individual atRegional 4-H Life Skills Competition

Breanna Mills recently ran for Sen-ior Representative for the TN 4-HState Council. Her campaign sloganof, “Beef it up with Bree” helped herland the position on the state coun-cil. Her responsibilities include––but are not limited to––preparingand planning Tennessee 4-H activi-ties and conferences. Bree recently served asJunior Representative for TN State 4-H Counciland is currently serving as Decatur County 4-HHonor Club President. Please help us in congrat-ulating Breanna in being elected as a Senior Rep-resentative for the Tennessee 4-H State Council.

Mills named to State Council