Family Shows Love to Life Care Resident on Her Birthday

VOLUME 139 • NUMBER 18 April 29, 2020 $1.00 Family shows love to Life Care COVID-19 testing resident on her birthday Beatrice “Bea” Colvett available May 2 turned 89 on Friday ronPARK at Civic Center Staff Writer The Tennessee Dept. of Health – West TN. Region will offer a local drive-through A glass barrier may keep out event this weekend to make viruses, but it definitely doesn’t COVID-19 testing available to stop love from coming through. residents who are concerned The family of Beatrice “Bea” about their health and the health Colvett proved that Friday after- of their family members. noon as they gathered outside her On Saturday, May 2, a window at Life Care Center in COVID-19 drive-through test- Bruceton to show their love and ing site will be open in Carroll wish her a happy birthday. County from noon until 3 p.m. A Huntingdon native and at the Carroll County Civic widow of the late Onnie Lee Center at 201 Mustang Drive in Colvett, Mrs. Bea, as many call Huntingdon. her, turned 89 on Friday. She has The testing will be provided lived at Life Care for the past five at no cost to participants. Those years. who come can remain in their At first, Mrs. Bea watched cu- vehicles throughout the process riously from her window as mem- of collecting their samples. bers of her large family started Nurses and or National Guard assembling in the parking lot, but medics at each site will collect once everyone had arrived, they nasal swabs from those who all went to stand outside her win- want to be tested, and test re- dow, some holding up signs and sults may be available within 72 some holding balloons. hours after the samples arrive at With the help of cellphones, the lab, depending on lab vol- the family sang a rousing chorus ume. of “Happy Birthday to You” as Photo by Ron Park Information will be provided THROUGH THE GLASS – Beatrice “Bea” Colvett watches with delight through her window at Life Care Center in Bruceton as members at the testing locations on what See BIRTHDAY, Page 2A of her family gather outside to show their love and wish her a happy 89th birthday Friday afternoon. participants can expect after being tested. This information is also available at: www.tn.gov/ content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/TestedGuidance.pdf. Local nursing homes say they are Tennessee’s Coronavirus Public information Lines are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT daily at 833-556-2476 or doing their best to protect residents 877-857-2945. ronPARK 10,378 deaths confirmed in 23 no deaths attributed to the virus. virus. Staff Writer reporting states. Administrators at these local If any staff members do re- As of April 22 in Tennessee, facilities say they and their staff port symptoms or contact with When it comes to infection, there were 375 total confirmed members are doing everything an infected person, they have to INSIDE ... sickness, and death resulting cases and 37 confirmed fatalities they can to protect the health get tested and receive a negative from the coronavirus, residents among the residents and staff and well-being of their residents. result before they can return to Since the start of the world- of long-term care facilities, of 22 long-term care facilities According to Allison Max- work. wide COVID-19 pandemic, including nursing homes and across the state, with the worst ey, administrator at Hunting- Maxey said they have cut off Mayor Jeff Washburn medical grade masks – par- assisted living facilities, are case by far being at the Galla- don Health & Rehab, they are all visitation inside the facility, ticularly N95 masks – have among the most vulnerable and tin Center for Rehabilitation and screening all staff daily before except in extreme life-and-death been a commodity that’s have been among the hardest hit Healing in Gallatin, which has they can enter the facility, which situations, and even then, vis- Mayor Washburn been widely sought after but by this pandemic. experienced 161 cases of coro- includes having their tempera- iting family members must go hard to find. As of last week, there were navirus and 19 deaths. ture taken and answering ques- through the same screening pro- to seek state Page 3A 50,775 confirmed cases of None of the long-term care tions regarding any symptoms cess as staff before entering the house seat COVID-19 nationally among facilities in Carroll County were they might be experiencing and building. long-term care residents in 29 reported as having any con- whether or not they have been in Washburn will be on reporting states combined and firmed cases of COVID-19 and contact with someone with the See NURSING HOMES, Page 2A the ballot in November Dresden Mayor Jeff Wash- burn has announced his deci- Obituaries, 5A sion to run for State House of County Register of Deeds Representatives in District 76. Kirk Maddox This district includes Weakley Barbara Mullins County and parts of Carroll and Justin Frizzell is Sterling Award winner Obion counties. Joe Hendrix Gray Lemus of Mercer. Lemus chelle Sanders, who submitted “This is a critical time for Billy Brandon Former countian is the assistant professor of mu- her name for this honor. “The Northwest Tennessee, and I will also a winner sic at Jackson State Community Carroll County office is online work tirelessly with local lead- College. She will be remem- with US Title Search so attor- ers to increase industrial devel- Index: A Carroll County woman has bered for singing at different neys and abstractors are able to opment, ensure we have quality Church Directory8A been recognized with the Ster- events in the county in the past. get online, research records, and and affordable hospitals, and Classifieds 10A ling Award 2020 that was creat- Porter began her career in lo- not have to travel to the office improve our infrastructure. I am Editorial2A ed by the Jackson Area Business cal government in 1989 working to look up documents which has a fiscal conservative who knows how to manage budgets while KidScoop 7A and Professional Women and as a deputy clerk under Register been a tremendous benefit to ev- The Jackson Sun to honor those of Deeds Judy Baker. In 2006, eryone due to this service.” also helping create progress,” Obituaries ��5A women in the West Tennessee Baker retired and Porter became She is a member of the Ten- said Washburn. Public Notices 9A area who have achieved a sig- a candidate for the office and nessee Registers Association Washburn was born in McK- Records 5A nificant level of success. was elected to the position. and the County Official Associ- enzie and graduated from McK- Society 4A Carroll County Register of “She has worked tirelessly ation of Tennessee (COAT). She enzie High School in 1972. He Sports 7A Deeds Natalie McCullough since being elected in keeping has held the offices of secretary, graduated from Bethel Univer- Porter is one of the 20 recipients her office up to date within the vice-president and president of sity before receiving his law de- as well as a former countian, latest laws and regulations deal- gree from Nashville School of Esther Gray who is now Esther ing with this office,” wrote Mi- See AWARD, Page 3A Natalie McCullough Porter See WASHBURN, Page 3A Visit us online: NewsLeaderOnline.com Page 2A Carroll County NEWS-LEADER, Wednesday, April 29, 2020 OPINION What Will the New Norm Be Like? BIRTHDAY FROM PAGE 1A As the world turns and time had been laid off. I can’t imag- passes, it seems there is uncer- ine the ghost town appearance Mrs. Bea held the phone to her tainty all about us. in the towns of Gatlinburg and ear. It’s like our normal lifestyle is Pigeon Forge where it is de- One by one, her children, no more and each day brings us pendent mostly upon tourism. grandchildren, and great-grand- face to face with a new situation I have never been there that the children each told her “happy and challenge. streets and sidewalks weren’t birthday” and that they loved her The first two lined with cars and people. over the phone, and she said “I months of the My new norm here at the love you” right back. year went well newspaper is to unlock the And, truth be told, Mrs. Bea and everything front door and instead of my got a little teary-eyed as she seemed fine. usual walking straight back to looked at her family’s faces and And then… my office, I stop and lock the listened to their voices. the unexpect- door back. I go for lunch and But like so many residents of ed happened – instead of going inside and sit- nursing home and assisted living this coronavi- ting down, I drive through for a facilities across the country, di- rus came along meal or go inside to pick one up. rect physical contact with loved and our lives I then generally find a parking ones has been cut off for the time have not been the same since. spot to sit and eat. I would like being due to the dangers posed You hope and pray as each to go to a park and sit and eat for by the coronavirus pandemic, day passes that we have lived a change. But they are closed. particularly when it comes to the through the worst of it.

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