H^e Htws record
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY^ ^ J
Marshall , KC 23753
80th Year NO. 51 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N.C. 15c Per Copy
Suicide Suspect Found
. ' ?' '? ?' "? '? ' ' r ' ? .
. .. : v. ? '\'t ? I . I .... ? ' V
In Tennessee Monday
A Goodlettesville, Tenn. man who abandoned
his truck on Hot Springs Mountain sometime
Saturday, and was the object of a Sunday
manhunt, was picked up by Tennessee authorities
near Nashville early Monday morning, according
to Madison County Sheriff E.Y. Ponder.
Randall Lee Jones, 20, abandoned his 1977
Ford pickup in a turnoff on Highway 25-70 and ap
parently left a suicide note in the vehicle. The
truck was discovered by deer hunters who notified
the Hot Springs Police Department about 5 p.m.
Saturday.
The sheriff's department was contacted by
the HSPD, and a full-scale search began at
daylight Sunday morning. Ponder said the search
through the rough, wooded terrain near where the
vehicle was found was hampered by the large tur
nout of hunters for the last day of deer hunting
season.
Assisting the sheriff's department in the
search were personnel from the Hot Springs
police and fire departments and the Marshall Fire
Department. Close to 75 people combed the woods
within a mile radius of the vehicle and found no
body or clues, Ponder said.
Jones' father came from Tennessee to join the
search and retained possession of the truck which
was out of gas and oil, according to Hot Springs
Officer Joe Griffey.
Ponder said he suspected late Sunday that
Jones had abandoned the truck and began hitch
hiking from the area. A woman who had been
shown a photograph of Jones said she saw a man
of that description hitch-hiking in the area Sun
day.
Jones was last seen in Goodlettesville Thurs
day night where he reportedly had had a domestic
argument with his wife. Ponder said Jones was to
begin serving weekends in the Goodlettesville jail
on Friday for DUI charges.
Mayor Proposes Change
In Town Police Protection
By NICHOLAS HANCOCK
and CAROLE HANNA
Marshall citizens and town officials
are divided over a proposal suggested -
at the December board of aldermen
meeting, a proposal which calls for the ?
town to contract with the county
sheriff's department- to provide police
protection for the municipality.
Some of the 30 or more residents at
the meeting voiced growing concern
over "lack of in-town police
protection," but an immediate outcry
arose in opposition to turning police
duties over to the sheriff's department.
Mayor Lawrence Ponder said he's
been considering a contractual agree
ment with the county "for a long time"
as an effort to save the town several
thousand dollars in expenditures.
Ponder pointed out that Marshall's
tax base had not kept pace with the
town's financial needs and steps would
have to be taken to collect debts owed ?
such as water bill delinquencies ? or
reduce some services.
The service expenditure targeted by
Ponder was the police department for
which the town has budgeted $49,400 for
fiscal year 1861-42.
"If we could save money and have a
better situation for all concerned, then
we ought to consider it," Ponder said.
But he noted that the idea is just in the
talking stage and that "the mechanics
have to be worked out first" before any
action would be taken by town officials.
Jennifer Hunter told the meeting she
fears the police department would be
aboUshed without the knowledge or con
sent of Marshall residents "It's a great
comfort to me when I see the police car
go by my house," she said.
But Ponder assured her that nothing
would be done without the knowledge
and consent of town residents.
He said he didn't know when town of
ficials would meet with the sheriff and
county officials on the matter, and that
it would "take a lot of talking and plan
tar, but he said the town "would have to
have a man on duty around the clock" if
the change were made In the police pro
tection system.
"If they'll tell me what tbey want to
spend, I'll tell them what I can do for
that amount of money," Sheriff Ponder
said.
Mayor Ponder said he hadn't planned
to hold a public hearing on the matter
but he and aldermen would talk to
members of the Marshall Merchants
Association before any step6 would be
taken toward turning police duties over
to the sheriffs department.
Several merchants, interviewed Mon
day, said they didn't favor contracting
with the county for police protection,
but they were quick to say they thought
the present police department neede
closer supervision, leadership and
guidance.
"I personally think it would be a
mistake to turn it over to the county,"
said Ed Niles, pharmacist and
drugstore operator. He said it was the
consensus of most merchants that the
town should keep the police force but
"we think they need some leadership
and guidance."
Niles said a common complaint
among several merchants was that on
duty police personnel travel to the Mar
shall bypass to provide an escort for In
gles bank deposits while leaving two
banks unprotected on Main Street.
That complaint was echoed by auto
dealer Chick Murray who said, "We
doot have any police protection."
Murray, whose Chevrolet dealership
Is located less than 200 feet from police
headquarters, said he is constantly
plagued by thefts on his premises
"We're having to take hubcaps and '
spare wheels and lock them up," he
said. "Two months ago we loat four
spare tires and wheels. People are con
tinuing to get batteries, generators ?
anything that's looae."
"You report the thefts and that's the
end of it. The police say they can't
patrol the bypass and the downtown at
the same time," Murray added. Asked
what he thought about contracting with
the county, he replied, Y don't thin)* if
will make a hell of a lot of difference
But Kermit Cody, a car dealer at the
opposite of Main Street, said he has
usually obtained good results whenever
he's called the sheriff's department to
investigate a major theft.
Displaying a rather nonchalant at
titude about thefts on his property,
Cody said, "I've been hit ever since I've
been in Marshall (20 some years). A lot
of it I don't even go to the trouble to call
in."
Cody said he thinks the police depart
ment, with the help of the sheriff's
department, is "doing a pretty good job
under the circumstances," and added,
"I don't think we could do with any less
protection than we now have."
"I think everybody in town would be
satisfied with the police department if
they would convince us that they are
giving us protection and service," he
said.
Town alderman Jackie Davis, who
oversees the operation of the police
department, said Monday night he
thinks the entire matter "has been
blown out of proportion," that contrac
ting with the county "his only been
mentioned once or twice."
Davis said he knows that some mer
chants feel "there is not enough police
protection right now," but that he
would have to talk with merchants and
residents before he made any definite
moves on the proposal.
"I'm for the people 100 percent," he
said, "whatever they want, I'll try to
help them get it."
Alderman John Dodson followed one
theme of complying with townspeople's
wishes, saying, the town should have a
public meeting "to find out what they
think about it."
"I would like to get officials and -
townspeople together on it to And out
what it's going to cost And what the
benefits will be," Dodson said.
R.L. Edwards, Dr. Betty Wallace, Dr. Craig Phillips and Bob Boyd
State Superintendent Visits County
Dr. Craig Phillips, State Superintendent of Public In
struction. visited the Madison County school system Mon
day accompanied by Bob Boyd, assistant state
superintendent for personnel relations, and Dr. Betty
Wallace, director of the Western Regional Educational
Center in Canton.
Phillips ' tour conducted by county superintendent
Robert L. Edwards, began with a 7:3* a.m. brettrait at
Madison High School with the local board of education,
principals, other school officials.
Speaking before the group. Phillips stressed the im
portance of the new personnel evaluation procedures pro
posed by the state and the need for a one cent state sales
tax increase to provide revenues for school buildings con
struction and community water and sewerage im
provements.
Phillips visited classrooms at Madison High aad at
Mars Hill Elementary where he had lunch. He visited
sckuoih In V iMff) wwil iVIitfhyit t omtii k Into in iht fhj- , &***
Phillips told local educators he believed they were
teaching children "better than ever" despite federal fan
ding cuts, and he warned of further cuts in the future.
Greater Ivy Wins National Award
The Greater Ivy Community
of Madison County received
the second place national
award of Keep American
Beautiful at the national
Awards Luncheon Thursday
in the Mayflower Hotel,
Washington, D.C.
Patsy Maynard, beautifica
tion chairman of the com
munity which is adjacent to
Mars Hill, received the award.
She was accompanied to the
nation's capital by Ruth
Gregory, community develop
ment program chairman of
the Western North Carolina
Development Association.
Miss Maynard and her
beautification committee had
as their major projects in
Greater Ivy the establishment
of regular collection of road
side debris and junk cars, and
broad education programs for
citizens emphasizing the need
of individual participation in
beautification efforts
Improvement of residences,
beautification of farm
buildings, church beautifica
tion projects and others were
stressed in the sprawling com
munity which has earned
many hooore for its communi
ty development projects over
the years.
Guidelines for home im
provement were given to
residents of the area Public
places were beautified with
plantings of shrubs, trees, and
flowers. Contests in schools,
including elementary, secon
dary and Mars Hill College
were sponsored and proved to
be effective in getting
volunteer participation from
students.
Education of school children
about litter resulted in in
creased awareness of the need
for individual responsibility in
litter control and overall im
proved waste handling. Pupils
have taken this information
home to their families and
neighbors.
Keep America Beautiful
sponsors its awards program
to recognize superior achieve
ment in community improve
ment carried out by a broad
range of groups and in
dividuals ? including
businesses, civic and social
groups, churches, schools,
government agencies and the
media.
KAB President Roger W.
Powers hailed Greater Ivy's
program as one of the finest in
the nation. "They are the ex
ample to be emulated by
groups' throughout the coun
try, and indicative of the
renewed interest of
Americans in doing for
themselves, making their
community a better place to
live through their personal in:
volvement."
KAB, founded in 1953, is a
national, non-profit service
organization which en
courages responsible citizen
involvement in environmental
improvements.
Iron Eyes Cody, the "crying '
Indian," symbolizes KAB in
the national news media.
^Incredible (De)Feat-,
At haw
wflt b- M
1982 but ssloaei
AJao. during the somewhat
ibort meeting, Dr Owen Piah
SS -'A TIOp 1 far th<
;ount3 and Mr? Mari?
'ondar v re approved as .
tottu
i pout i- '
health departed"
tor Ed Mi toi
rflah ai id wll
ton md he
h a state I
rmmPM > . ?'23m m
operate the facility. ? ?
? LXZZXZX
at the Hot Springs Day C*K
Md opom..
to the
as a repreaentative
ract will
bounty Health Department (or
laboratory aervioM.
+ Approved a