The Dyersburg / Dyer County Inquisitor

12/23/2024

Glad to see all these agencies working together for animal welfare! Good work y'all!

09/04/2024

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!

With a library card you can discover new and exciting worlds! From borrowing audiobooks to streaming movies to taking virtual Do It Yourself classes, there is so much you can access with a library card. Knowledge is power!

In Dyersburg, you can visit McIver's Grant Library at 410 W Court St, Dyersburg, TN 38024.
https://www.dyersburgdyercolibrary.com

In Newbern, the City Library is at 220 E Main St, Newbern, TN 38059.
https://newberncitylibrary.weebly.com

or visit Hamilton Parks Public Library in Trimble at 74 Parks Plaza Trimble, TN 38259
https://www.hppubliclibrary.org

07/30/2024

Christopher Milton is a 17-year-old white male, 5'7" tall, 126 lbs., with blonde hair and green eyes. Christopher may be in the area of Lake County, TN. If you have seen Christopher or have information regarding his whereabouts, please contact the Atoka Police Department at 901-475-4300 or TBI at 1-800- TBI-FIND.

Age: 17
S*x: Male
Race: White
Hair: Blonde Eyes: Green
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 126 lbs. NCIC: M207891557
Missing From: Atoka, TN Missing Since: 5/15/2024

For the full flyer see TBI website:https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tbi/USTN_MILTON_AtokaPD.pdf

06/13/2024

Gibson County Sheriff Paul Thomas used inmate labor to enrich himself and others, stole inmates' wages, and lied to the State about where inmates were housed in order to continue to receive over half a million dollars in taxpayer funds.

He should have learned from Tommy Cribbs that you can't get away with it.

Thomas set up a company to act as a staffing agency and used this agency to steal more than $1.4 million of inmates' wages, thus enriching himself and others, according to details released by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office.

The State reports Thomas had a 20% ownership stake in a group of three companies he and other investors founded, collectively called the Alliance Group. These companies provided labor from local and state inmates to businesses. At least 170 inmates were employed by these companies.

The inmates he was stealing from were unwittingly also helping him steal from the State of Tennessee. Thomas claimed these inmates were being housed at the jail, but were actually being kept at a private facility called Orchard House. Thomas lied to Tennessee Department of Corrections and received $507,000 in taxpayer funds through this scheme. The state said Alliance Group received $18 a day for transportation, and inmates at Orchard House were charged $40 a day. During this time he allegedly deposited nearly $450,000 in inmate wages into a private account owned and controlled by the Alliance Group.

He surrendered to authorities in Nashville on Wednesday.

This follows his indictment by a Gibson County grand jury and surrender there on Tuesday June 11, 2024.

As Sheriff, Thomas is prohibited by state law from profiting or benefiting from the labor of inmates. However he received $181,644.50 in compensation, payroll benefits, and legal representation services from Alliance, the state said. The money was derived from inmate labor.

The FBI raided his home and other locations in connection with this case in 2022.

05/29/2024

Hear David Swift's attorney's full opening statement

In opening statements, David Swift's attorney said that while Karen Swift was murdered, there is nothing that ties his client to her death.

05/29/2024

Watch District Attorney General Danny Goodman present opening statements in the David Swift trial

In opening statements, prosecutors described David Swift as controlling his wife, Karen, who had filed for divorce before her disappearance.

04/06/2024

STATE REP GIVES INTEREST-FREE LOAN TO FAMILY USING CAMPAIGN FUNDS

When looking for a loan one can find a variety of interest rates, but you cannot beat 0%. That's the interest rate on a loan State Representative Rusty Grills campaign gave to his father Jack Grills of Newbern, TN in 2019. According to campaign finance reports submitted to the State of Tennessee, since 2019 thru Feb 2024 (the date of the latest report) the Rep's balance books show an outstanding loan to Rep. Grills's father Jack. While other loans have appeared and been seemingly paid off, the loan to Rep. Grills' father has remained unchanged per the latest report.

If only I could find a five year, interest-free loan... wouldn't it be nice?

04/06/2024

DARK MONEY IN POLITICS, DYER COUNTY STYLE

According to the State of Tennessee's Campaign Finance site
From July 1, 2023 to Feb. 14, 2024
State Representative Rusty Grills received campaign donations from residents of West Tennessee, a total of $3,150.00

CHILDRESS, WALLY - $1,000.00
CONLEY, STEVE - $250.00
MORRIS FARMS AND SONS - $1,500.00
QUICK, DAVID - $300.00
ROBERTSON, DOUGLAS - $50.00
ROBERTSON, DOUG - $50.00

In comparison, during this same time, Mr. Grills received from Political Action Committees (PACs) aka Lobbyists and non-West Tennessee residents a total of $24,750.00

Here is a sample of the PACs/lobbyists financing Mr. Grills's campaign:

TENNESSEE APARTMENT PAC
TENNESSEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY PAC
TENNESSEE FIRST
TENNESSEE HIGHWAY CONTRACTORS PAC
TENNESSEE MANUFACTURED HOUSING ASSN PAC
TENNESSEE ORTHOPAEDIC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
TENNESSEE RPAC
TENNESSEE TELPAC
TENNESSEE VETERINARY PAC
TN FI****MS ASSN LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMM. (TFALAC)
TYSON FOODS, INC.
VALERO ENERGY CORP. PAC
VOGEL PAC

For more details see: https://apps.tn.gov/tncamp/public/replist.htm?id=7793&owner=GRILLS,%20RUSTY