News
Party Planned in Jackson to Honor Casey Jones
JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) — Festivities are being planned to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of famed railroad engineer Casey Jones in Jackson on March 14.
Lawrence Taylor, director of the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum in Jackson, says Jones' 150th birthday presents a special opportunity for railroad buffs and fans of Tennessee folklore to honor him.
Jones, who lived in Jackson, became an internationally known hero after he slowed the Cannonball Express before it collided into a stalled freight train near Vaughan, Miss. His passengers survived but he was killed from the impact. A song titled "The Ballad of Casey Jones" has immortalized him.
The celebration at the museum will include educational activities, a presentation of proclamations in honor of Jones, and entertainment provided by an old-time music preservation club.
Congressman Stephen Fincher Speaks at First Friday Forum
(March 1, 2013) Jackson, Tenn- Representative Stephen Fincher (R-TN 8th District) spoke today at the First Friday Forum.
His presentation, "The Cost of Waiting," spoke about the debt that is currently facing the country and some solutions he believes can solve the problem.
In this presentation, he compared the spending and surplus or defecits from the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations.
He states that he "didn't care who gets the credit" as long as there can be a solution. He also said that the blame isn't solely on the Democrats.
Fincher answered questions from the audience on a variety of topics from the Affordable Care Act to the oil subsidies. Fincher says that oil companies say that "they don't need [the subsidies]."
He discussed the sequester, an automatic set of budget cuts that are set to take place today.
He also answered questions on what plans he had to get Americans back to work. (AUDIO)
The next First Friday Forum will be on April 5th at First United Methodist Church in Downtown Jackson.
Counterfeit Merchandise Bust
Recently, Jackson Police Investigators were contacted by a citizen about being sold counterfeit 
merchandise. He explained that he found an ad on Craigslist offering “beats by dr. dre” studio headphones for sale. He contacted the person who had them listed and purchased a set.
Afterwards, he observed they appeared cheaply made. Working with the manufacturer, they were determined to be counterfeit - cheaply made fakes made to resemble the real product Beats By Dre. The citizen agreed to set up another purchase. This time he was accompanied by Jackson-Area Law Enforcement Retailer Team (J-ALERT) Investigators.
When the seller showed up, he offered for sale the same product previously determined counterfeit. Investigators examined them and determined they were also counterfeit. Mr. Milliken was taken into custody.
Investigators found an additional eight (8) pairs of the counterfeit headphones in his vehicle.
Michael Milliken Jr., of Jackson, was charged with Use of a Counterfeit Mark or Logo over $1,000 (TCA 39-14-152). The code is graded the same as theft so over $1,000 is a felony charge. The value is determined as the retail value of the legitimate product or in this case, approximately $2,700.
Milliken was arraigned in Jackson City Court this morning where a $3,000 bond was set and an initial court date was set as March 21.
Michael Milliken JrThe Jackson Police Department urges our citizens to take care when purchasing or conducting business on internet bulletin boards
Children Discovered In The Trailer Of A Moving Truck
A Tennessee State Trooper discovered four children between the ages of 4 and 13 in the back of a moving truck he stopped for a traffic violation on Wednesday in Madison County and arrested two adults in the vehicle on child endangerment charges.
Trooper Baron Cooper charged Joseph Howarth, Jr., 47, and Tressa J. Morris, 35, both of Euless, Texas, each with two counts of Child Endangerment (above age 8, a class A misdemeanor) and two counts of Felony Child Endangerment (below age 8, a class D felony).
Jose Cecena Manuel, 22, also of Euless, Texas was wanted for a probation violation in Fort Worth, Texas and was held for extradition.
Trooper Cooper stopped a U-Haul truck traveling east on Interstate-40 near the 76 mile marker for a lane violation. The three adults in the cab of the vehicle indicated they were traveling from Texas to Ohio. After receiving permission to search the U-Hall, Trooper Cooper heard sounds coming from the back of the truck.
He requested Trooper Dwayne Stanford, who is assigned to the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Interdiction-Plus unit, to respond to the scene to assist. Inside the cargo area, Trooper Cooper found four children ages 4, 5, 9, and 13. The children were in the cargo area lying on foam bedding and surrounded by the property of the driver and the children’s mother.
Trooper Stanford secured the children in his patrol unit away from the cold temperatures. 
The District Attorney’s office was contacted and approved the criminal charges against the adults, who were booked into the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex. “A case like this emphasizes our ‘all crimes’ approach to traffic stops and illustrates how troopers are trained to look ‘beyond the ticket.
"Trooper Cooper’s instincts to search the vehicle possibly saved these children’s lives. He is to be commended on his actions,” said THP Colonel Tracy Trott.
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services responded and took custody of the four children. The case remains under investigation.
Photos from Lift Center Grand Opening
(February 28, 2013) Jackson, TN.- The Lift Center had their ribbon cutting ceremony today.
Onlookers assemble before the program began.
Bobby Arnold, President/CEO of West Tennessee Healthcare, addresses the crowd.
Miki Martin and Dr. Lisa Piercey cut the ribbon at the Lift Center.