Brownsville Mayor Webb Banks administers the oath of office to Hunter Bryant.
Bryant, 10, is recovering from a form of leukemia.
Brownsville Police Chief Chris Lea and Mayor Banks granted Hunter's wish
to make him a police officer. In fact, Chief Lea stepped aside
December 29 to make Hunter chief for the day.

Large crowd interested in solar farm
November 20, 2009

A 20-acre field located at the southwest edge of Haywood County may have captured the attention and interest of more people here than any other subject in recent history. At a “scoping” session last night, the courthouse courtroom was overflowing with people trying to learn more and commenting on the proposed solar farm.

The $30 million solar installation will cover about 20 acres and provide power to an estimated 700 homes. A nearby visitor’s center will allow the public to learn more about the sun’s renewable and clean energy. All will be located within sight of I-40.

Presenters at the meeting included representatives from the US Department of Energy, Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Tennessee Department of Community Development.

Comments came from a wide range of participants including the Sierra Club and local residents.
Preliminary studies don’t indicate any environmental issues according to Ryan Gooch, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s director of energy.

Officials provided details of the proposed solar farm
at a meeting held November 20, 2009



The solar farm “scoping” session attracted a large crowd.
The courtroom overflowed with people interested in the $30 million installation


 

Stanton Mayor Allen Sterbinsky, Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist, Brownsville Mayor Webb Banks, Jackson Chamber of Commerce board member Kathy Watts, Haywood County Mayor Franklin Smith and Madison County Mayor Jimmy Wallace were among dignitaries touring the Haywood County Megasite November 18.

Chris Lea named new police chief
November 2, 2009

Haywood Countians have known Chris Lea by many titles — police officer, sheriff’s deputy, EMT, state trooper and even fire chief. Today, the Brownsville Board of Mayor and Aldermen gave him a new title; Chris Lea is the new police chief in Brownsville.

At a specially called noon meeting of the city board, Brownsville Mayor Webb Banks suggested to aldermen that Lea be the next police chief — and he got the nod.

Lea will replace Gill Kendrick who announced last week he was leaving to take the top spot at the Jackson Police Department.

Lea started his career as a Brownsville police officer in 1987. He worked as a sheriff’s deputy under Sheriff Raymond Russell and later for the Haywood County Ambulance Authority. Mayor Webb Banks eventually appointed him fire chief but he left that job to become a state trooper.

Lea is also a county commissioner and he chairs the county’s jail committee currently overseeing the construction of the new criminal justice complex.

Lea plans to be on the job as Brownsville’s top cop by November 16.

In addition to his emergency service experience, Lea holds a number of certifications — all current. He’s an IV trained emergency medial technician, POST certified police officer, a law enforcement instructor and a certified fire inspector.

Chamber holds annual Banquet

Brownsville Mayor Webb Banks (left) presents to Haywood County Mayor
Franklin Smith the Outstanding Progress Award for his work in the community and on the Megasite.)

It was a night of celebration and recognition at the Brownsville Country Club Thursday, October 22 as the Brownsville Haywood County Chamber of Commerce held it annual Membership Banquet and Awards Ceremony.

For Chamber Executive Director Joe Ing, the banquet not only served as a night for the organization to recognize its own members, but to also thank the community.

“There is no chamber without the people,” Ing said to the crowd. “We always appreciate it. We appreciate you more than you know and it is a pleasure to work for you everyday.”
Ing noted that it had certainly been a “crazy year” for Haywood County, with its share of ups and downs.

One of the major downs touched upon by Ing that evening was the closing of Cub Cadet.
Originally built inside the Brownsville Industrial Park in 1980, the plant closed in July, which eliminated 480 jobs, 200 of which were full-time with the rest of the job loss hitting 280 seasonal workers.

A business that dealt with lawn and garden products sales, it was the downturn in the nation’s housing market that fired the deadly unemployment bullet to the plant.
Still, while facing imminent shutdown, Ing noted that employees didn’t really take the situation without a spark.

“They exceeded their quotas to the day that they shut their doors,” Ing said. “That speaks volumes of people of Haywood County.”

Of course the major up that hit Haywood County - the West Tennessee Megasite - was talked about at the banquet, and also led to a special thanks and recognition award for Haywood County Mayor Franklin Smith.

“I want to assure you that if it hadn’t been for Franklin Smith, we wouldn’t have the Megasite,” Brownsville Mayor Webb Banks said before awarding Smith.

While accepting the Outstanding Progress Award, Smith touched on a few items himself, specifically his love for Haywood County.

“People ask me what is so special about Haywood County,” Smith said. “It’s the people in Haywood County that make it special.”

“The people that are elected to run Haywood County give you 100 percent 24/7,” Smith continued. “Never in my life have I seen so many elected officials work for the people like they do.”

“Work for the people” seemed to be the theme to remember that night as several well-known residents in the county were also awarded.

Carolyn Flagg was awarded Volunteer of the year for her work in numerous organizations and events, most known among them perhaps being Relay For Life.
Albert Campbell, who is also the current Chamber president-elect, received the award for Ambassador of the Year.

The award for Educator of the Year went to Toni Eubanks, who was described as a “person who serves with a loving heart.”

CEO David Rasmussen accepted the award for Business/Industry of the Year for Haywood Park Community Hospital.

The Woman of the Year award went to Cynthia Rawls-Bond, who was noted for her long list of service and work with a plethora of organizations throughout Haywood County.
“This is really something else,’’ Rawls-Bond said after receiving the award. “I’ve always been an ambassador for Brownsville and Haywood County. It has always been and is a wonderful place.”

And the Man of the Year award went Attorney Michael Banks, who some noted as not only doing a lot of work for the city and county, but also being instrumental in bringing the Megasite to the County.

“It’s more than an honor to receive this award,” Banks said. “It honestly takes an entire community for things to turn out well. I hope I’m a reflection of the good that comes out of Haywood County.”

Chamber announces outstanding citizens and business at banquet



At the 2009 Annual Brownsville-Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Banquet on October 22, five individuals and one business were honored for their service to the community. Albert Campbell (from left) was named the Ambassador of the Year, Cynthia Rawls Bond was named Woman of the Year, Haywood Park Community Hospital was selected as Business/Industry of the Year (accepting was David Rasmussen, CEO), Carolyn Flagg was named Volunteer of the Year, Toni Eubanks was selected as Educator of the Year, and Michael Banks was named Man of the Year.

September 30, 2009

Megasite passes final state vote

Joe Ing’s text message sent to the local media was simple. It stated, “We win”.
Enough said, really.

Ing, Executive Director of the Brownsville/Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, was one of many attendees at Tuesday’s meeting of the executive subcommittee of the state building commission. The commission, after delaying their vote twice, voted to approve the megasite plan.

Tuesday’s vote means some Haywood County landowners will likely start receiving their part of $40 million the state legislature appropriated for the purchase of nearly 4000 acres. The purchase options on the land expire at the end of October. The sales are likely to be closed quickly.

The vote was snarled in red tape delaying it twice but the commission voted unanimously to approve the site.

County Mayor Franklin Smith, Brownsville Mayor Webb Banks, Stanton Mayor Allen Sterbinsky and dozens of others were on hand to speak for the project.

The megasite is located near Exit 42 on I-40. The super sized industrial site will be home, proponent’s hope to an industry hiring thousands of workers. Tennessee has already filled two megasite, one in Chattanooga where Volkswagen will build cars and another near Clarksville where Hemlock Semiconductor will produce high-tech parts.

A 22,000 panel solar farm has already been approved and will be located near the megasite. Federal funds made the $30 million solar far possible.

See additional stories this page.
 

September 16, 2009

Solar Farm wins federal approval

When Brownsville/Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Director Joe Ing attended yesterday’s annual economic conference in Nashville the keynote speaker had a welcome surprise. In an unexpected announcement, Governor Phil Bredesen said the U.S. Department of Energy had approved the solar farm to be located near the Haywood County industrial megasite.

Bredesen announced plans for the park, which is to be funded in part by a $62 million stimulus grant months ago, but the plan had been snarled in questions that seemed to threaten the program. The problem has been that Tennessee’s ideas are far different from other states’ more conventional plans. The forward-thinking ideas forced the energy department to ask questions.

The governor said environmental impact questions still must be answered but he believes the project will go forward and may even be operating before he leaves office early in 2011. The solar farm will be near but separate from the megasite. Yesterday the governor also said he believes the megasite will be approved shortly and called questions being raised by some in Nashville “legitimate.”

The solar farm will occupy 20 acres and include a visitors and education center. More than 22,000 solar panels are expected to generate about 500 megawatts of power — enough —some say — to power 700 homes. The governor hopes the solar farm will attract more so-called green businesses to the 1700-acre megasite.

Haywood County selected for high-tech solar farm
May 14, 2009

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen announced this week that state government would build Tennessee’s largest solar power farm in Haywood County. Bredesen surprised even local officials with the announcement at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to the governor’s office, the $30-million-plus solar power installation will be built at the megasite and will cover about 20 acres. Though it is unclear exactly where the power production facility will be located at the site, Bredesen said it would be visible from I-40. The megasite tracts are all located near Exit 42.

Capable of producing 5 megawatts of power, the facility will produce enough electricity to power 700 homes. Tennessee is home to a number of new industries that produce components used in producing solar power. TVA has agreed to buy the electricity the plant generates, and Bredesen says profits will be plowed back into growing the infrastructure at the power plant.

Leaders say the plant is also likely to attract additional green power industry to Tennessee and make the megasite even more attractive to prospects.

The governor did not say when he thought construction might begin but did say the project must be approved by the Department of Energy and the state legislature. Funding for the project comes from federal stimulus legislation earmarked for Tennessee and green energy production.

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