The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • Page A2

A2 THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013 FROM PAGE AlNATION Tax Actor James Gandolfini dies in Italy at age 51 previous opposition to hiring 11 SROs for the elementary schools based on what happened at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting of children and adults in Newtown, Conn. "I hate to give that much credit to one idiot," said Jordan, who contends hiring 11 more SROs for the elementary schools is wasteful spending. "I think this is a knee-jerk reaction." Commissioner Robert Peay who is married to a teacher and has a daughter who is a teacher, repeated his call to staff each elementary school with a full-time SRO. "I'm not jerking my knee," said Peay, noting that an SRO at each campus can prevent children or adults from getting hurt by a gunman. "I don't want that on my conscience.

My constituents want them in their schools. The rapport these SROs have with children makes a difference." Peay noted that children hug and trust the SROs and will tell the deputies about threats. "It's going to cost us a penny per year on the tax rate," Peay said. "It's money well spent." Contact Scott Broden at 615-278-5158 or sbrodendnj.com. Follow him on Twitter ScottBroden.

Heather Dawbarn. "Excuse me," committee Chairwoman Joyce Ealy, who is usually soft-spoken, said back to Robinson. The mayor said the raises are needed to remain competitive with what other Middle Tennessee governments are paying. "We cannot continue to attract competent people," said Burgess, noting that it wouldn't be fair "to balance our budget off their backs," especially when the school board and County Road Board are offering good raises to cover 75 percent of the overall personnel. Robinson after the meeting disagreed.

"When you raise taxes, you are balancing on the backs of all the taxpayers," Robinson said. He was among the majority of the 23 speakers at Monday night's public hearing to voice opposition to a tax increase, and the budget committee members took notice. "I don't think there's support in the commission for a 10-cent increase," said Jordan, who is the vice chairman of the budget committee. "I don't think there are 11 votes for a 10-cent increase." "I'm not comfortable with 10 cents," Sandlin said. "Give us a little wig gle room." The committee members entertained Commissioner Charlie Baum's earlier proposal to reduce the budget to avoid a property tax increase, but none was willing to offer a motion to go with his plan.

Baum suggested giving government workers a flat $300 increase in pay for an overall $300,000 cost to cut back. He repeated his proposal to only buy 20 deputy patrol cars instead of 30 and hire only five school resource officers instead of 13. Baum said two SROs could still serve the new Stewarts Creek High while the other three could work at three elementary schools. The committee's current proposal calls for hiring 13, including 11 for $743,000 for pay, benefits and training to meet a goal of staffing each elementary school with a full-time SRO instead of a half-time one. Hiring the first three could be part of a phase in plan over a few years, he suggested.

Sheriff Robert Arnold told the committee members they could cover most of the cost of the 11 SROs by eliminating the $500,000 to cover crossing guards in the municipalities. Jordan repeated his Continued from Page A1 also plans to increase its pay-scale tables by 1.5 percent. The school district will need to build up money in reserve to cover an estimated $2.8 million for the health insurance premiums, the mayor added. The fast-growing county also needs to build up money in reserve to be in position to build more schools and a new judicial center needed for a population estimated to more than double to 592,812 people by 2040, according to a Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization consultant study, said the mayor, who serves on the MPO executive board. The mayor noted that the proposed tax rate of $2.5652 is still less than that of Wilson County, Montgomery County, and other Middle Tennessee counties.

"We are not out of line," Burgess said. One of the audience members spoke up against the plans despite the meeting not being a public hearing. "The elephant in the room is the pay raises," said Jake Robinson, who was seated by his wife, County Register of Deeds Letter Continued from Page A1 than ever as a delivery tool. Indeed, the media landscape is facing massive disruption and is changing quickly. These days, the large majority of readers of Name Anderson, Annie Ruth Bell, David Eugene Johnson, Evelyn Meredith, James Carious Parker, Edward "Eddie" Eugene Milton Pensacola The DNJ read the newspaper's online versions.

Web readership, tablet readership and mobile readership are increasing at a rapid pace each and every month, and the restructured newsroom will empower The DNJ to better serve those growing audiences. Taylor Loyal will serve Death per or becoming a bureau for any other news organization. We remain the largest news organization in Rutherford County and will continue seven-day delivery, right from downtown Murfreesboro. The Daily News Journal is the only daily newspaper based in Murfreesboro or Rutherford Coun- Funeral Home Phone City, State By Lynn Elber Associated Press LOS ANGELES James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's "The Sopranos" helped create one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died Wednesday in Italy. He was 51.

Gandolfini died while on holiday in Rome, the cable channel and Gan-dolfini's managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said in a joint statement. No cause of death was given. "He was a genius," said "Sopranos" creator David Chase. "Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time.

A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes." Gandolfini, who won three Emmy Awards for ty. It has been in continuous operation since 1849. The DNJ Media Group publishes The Daily News Journal, Rutherford AM, Smyrna AM, Murfreesboro Magazine and a host of other digital and print products. We have a proud and long history of serving this community through Evelyn Ruth Hopkins "Polly" Johnson Evelyn Ruth Hopkins "Polly" Johnson, age 83, died Saturday, June 15, 2013. Born in Murfreesboro, TN, she was a daughter of the late George Washington Hopkins and Beulah Mae Gannaway Hopkins.

She was a member of Lascassas Baptist Church. Surviving are her husband of 64 years, Robert Henry Johnson; daughters, Carol Close (Rory) of Lugoff, SC and Pam Johnson of Lugoff, SC; son, R.W. Johnson (Darlene) of Murfreesboro; sister, Mary Parker of Murfreesboro. She was a loving "Goggy" to her grandchildren, Kim Lunsford, William Andrew Johnson and Robert Evan Johnson; and 5 greatgrandchildren. She was predeceased by grandchildren, Jason Todd Close and Pamela Suzanne Close; and brothers, Irvin Hopkins, Clarence Hopkins, George "Bud" Hopkins, John Hopkins and Thomas Hopkins; and sisters, Margaret Allen, Christine Adams, Gladys Puckett, Ruby Marie Hopkins, Cornelia Herrod, Sara Givens, Betty Jerni-gan and Jean Poteet.

Mrs. Johnson worked many years as a food service dietician in Tennessee and South Carolina. She enjoyed ceramics, gardening, cooking, and most of all her family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Harvest Hope Food Bank, 2220 Shop Road, Columbia, S.C. 29201.

Visitation will be from 1 until 2 p.m. Friday with a memorial service 2 p.m. Friday at Woodfin Memorial Chapel. Bob Bush will officiate. 615-893-5151, Generation Funeral Home Funeral Home Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Murfreesboro TN TN Murfreesboro TN Murfreesboro TN FL James Gandolfini was best known for his role as mob boss Tony Soprano, ap his role as Tony Soprano, worked steadily in film and on stage after the series ended.

He earned a 2009 Tony Award nomination for his role in the celebrated production of "God of Carnage." Gandolfini's performance in "The Sopranos" was indelible and career-making, but he refused to be stereotyped as the bulky mobster who was a therapy patient, family man and apparently effortless killer. advertising donated to local organizations, more local news coverage than any other local news organization can provide and volunteerism. Our commitment to this community is unwavering, and the reorganization positions us to be even better servants of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Clay Morgan Executive Editor and General Manager cmorgandnj.com Board Continued from Page A1 cussed but hasn't gotten around to doing, largely due to making sure the board is up to speed with directives from the state Department of Education.

"Developing the mission and the master plan will take a little while, but we purposely need to make time to do it," the chairwoman said. "That's going to take a little while because we'll have to take (schools Director Linda) Gilbert's vision and work it out with ours." Gilbert said a five-year plan is required as part of the district's accreditation process with AdvancED. "There's information about technology, professional development, teacher mentoring, the kinds of things you'd expect to see in a progressive school district. We've come a long way since I started, and this is just an extension of that," the director said. Also part of the process is self-reflection, which involves parent and teacher input.

The board's self-evaluation, she said, is also a part of that process. Gilbert expects the full five-year plan to be completed by early August. Contact Mealand Ragland-Hudgins at 615-278-5189 or Follow her on Twitter dnjmrhudgins. as news director, and San-dee Suitt will serve as content director. A search is beginning immediately to fill several new multimedia journalism positions.

Also, I'd like to address the rumor mill, which is working overtime at the moment. We are not being folded into any other pa Notices Day, Time Place of Service New Generation Funeral Home Jennings Ayers Funeral Home Woodfin Memorial Chapel Jennings Ayers Funeral Home Restoration Fellowship James Carious Meredith James Carious Meredith, age 58, of Murfreesboro, passed away on June 18, 2013. He was a lifelong resident of Murfreesboro. James was a Computer Programmer. He was preceded in death by his father, Doyle Meredith; and, brother, Michael Doyle Meredith.

He is survived by his mother, Joan Meredith; wife, Maggie Rachel Meredith; sons, Carious Meredith; step-sons, Ronald Joseph Wilson and Jeremy Jake Wilson; sisters, Beverly Ann Newman and Brenda Jo Shumate; and grandchildren, Lane Meredith and Makayla Meredith. Chapel service will be held at 12 p.m. on Friday, June 21, 2013 with Elbert Willis officiating. Burial will be at Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery, Humboldt, Tennessee at 12 p.m., Saturday, June 22, 2013. Visitation will be Friday, June 21, 2013 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

at Jennings Ayers Funeral Home, 820 South Church Murfreesboro, TN 37130. 615-893-2422. Please leave condolences at www.jenningsandayers. com 39 New Jennings Woodfin Jennings Age 85 0613 93 0619 83 0615 58 0618 64 0609 0621 12 p.m. 0621 10 a.m.

0621 2 p.m. 0621 12 p.m. 0622 3 p.m. Edward "Eddie" Eugene Parker Edward Eugene Parker, 64 years, June 9, 2013. Mr.

Parker passed away at his home in Pensacola, Florida after a long illness. Edward (Eddie) was born December 3, 1948 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by parents, Richard Eugene Parker and Betty Louise Toombs and brother, John Michael Payne. Survivors include loving companion, Tannis Chaney of Florida; daughters Marcie Davenport of LaVergne and Christina Roberts of Florida, sons Donald Parker of Murfreesboro, Will Parker and his wife Amy of Murfreesboro, Clint Parker of Nashville and Brian French of Flordia; sisters Patricia Martin and her husband Greg of Clarksville, Diane White of Clarksville, and Teresa Plair of Smyrna; 15 grandchildren and 3 greatgrandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held at 3 p.m.

Saturday, June 22, 2013 at Restoration Fellowship, 675 Dejar-nette Lane, Murfreesboro, TN. Mr. Parker was a person who cared about people and the future cures for cancer. Mr. Parker donated his remains to GenLife 615-3657105 615-893-2422 615-893-5151 615-893-2422 Annie Ruth Mitchell Atwaters Anderson Annie Ruth Mitchell Atwaters Anderson, age 85 of Murfreesboro.

June 13, 2013. Survived by daughter, Estella Crawford Smith; brother, Joseph "Bud" Mitchell; grandchildren, Shervella Ingram, Donald (Tina) Smith, and Attorney Bryant Smith; great-grandchildren, The-odoria Ingram and Alexander Smith. Visitation 11 a.m., funeral 12 p.m., Friday, June 21st at New Generation Funeral Home, 615-365-7105. search Find the most up-to-date and complete obituary information in the US, including uneral home info and directions connect Sign Guest Books, light a Candle' and receive grief support remember Send flowers, gifts and charitable donations, or create a memorial website with photos, music and video David Eugene Bell David Eugene Bell, age 93 of Milton, passed away on June 19, 2013 at Tennessee State Veterans Home. He was a native of Cannon County and a lifelong resident of Milton.

Eugene was a Sheet Metal Worker with United Services Corporation. He was a World War II Veteran and a member of the Milton Church of Christ. Eugene was preceded in death by his parents, Homer and Bonnie Bell; and wife, Bessie Jones Bell; and brother, Forrest Bell; sisters, Leona Melton, Vivian Wilson and Quida Cooper. He is survived by his son, Charles (Sarah) Bell of Milton; grandchildren, Charles J. (LaDonna) Bell of Milton, Dawn "Missy" (Chris) Hatfield of Ready-ville; and great-grandchildren, Will Bell, C.J.

Hatfield, Walker Hatfield, and Patty Hatfield. Visitation will be on Friday, June 21, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. Chapel service will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 21, 2013 with Teb Batey, officiating at Jennings Ayers.

Burial will be at Milton Cemetery with friends and family serving as Pallbearers. Jennings Ayers Funeral Home, 820 South Church Murfreesboro, TN 37130. 615-893-2422. Please leave condolences at www. jenningsandayers.com A' 'J- Mini Implants Dr.

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