The Northwest TN Economic Development Council will be distributing commodity foods on Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. of this week at the Central Community Building, located at 55 Jones Bend Road in Paris. Citizens whose last name begins with the letters A thru K will come on Wednesday and if your last name begins with L thru Z you will come on Thursday to pick up your commodities.

Everyone picking up commodities must have a yellow card. For more information call April Perry at 642-3132. The last day applications will be taken will Tuesday at 3pm.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site will open this year starting today, February 7, 2012, and will be in operation every Tuesday during February and March. The VITA volunteers provide a real service for Henry Countians by preparing tax returns for free and offering e-filing as well. The site will again be open at Atkins-Porter Recreation Center on Highland St. in Paris.

Appointments are now being accepted for the hours of 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. each Tuesday. You can make your appointment by calling Carole Walsh at 731-642-4178.

The service is open to all senior citizens, 55 years and older and for anyone whose income is less than $50,000 a year. The site filed over 500 tax returns in 2010 for people. Walsh asked that people not call on Tuesdays, as the volunteers will be busy all day on those days.

At the city of Henry Mayor and Board of Alderman meeting on Tuesday night, a new full time and part time police officer were hired, after it was learned that full time officer and acting chief Nick Oatsvall would be leaving for a job with the city of Paris later this month. The board approved William Mellon for the part time position at thirty hours per week, ten dollars per hour, and David Andrews, Jr. for the full time position, at 40 hours per week, $11 dollars per hour.

Mellon comes to Henry with 14 years of experience with the Henry County Sheriff’s office and Andrews has 12 years of law enforcement experience, with the cities of Gleason and Dresden.

It is less than a week until Christmas!! Hopefully you all have finished up your shopping and won’t be fighting the crowds later this week to finish up.

Below is a list of this year’s Christmas closings & schedules:

• The Henry County School System and Paris Special School District will have an abbreviated day on Wednesday, then be closed the remainder of the year.

In the county school system, elementary and middle schools will close at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Grove School will close at 11:30 a.m. and Henry County High School will close at 11:40 a.m. Students will return to class on Jan. 4. The system plans an administrative day on Jan. 3.

• In PSSD, Rhea Elementary School will close at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Paris Elementary School will close at 10:35 a.m., and Inman Middle School will close at 10:45 a.m. There will be no afternoon kids club on Wednesday.

Students in PSSD will return to school on Jan. 4. The district has scheduled an administrative day on Jan. 3.

• The Tennessee Technology Center will be closed for classes Wednesday December 21st through Jan. 2.

• The Paris Public Works, Street and Sanitation departments will close at noon Friday and remain closed on Dec. 26. Garbage should be out by 7 a.m. Friday. The Dec. 26 and Dec. 27 garbage routes will be run on Dec. 27.

• The Paris-Henry County Landfill will be closed Saturday, Sunday and Dec. 26. The Paris-Henry County Animal Shelter will be closing at noon Friday and remain closed on Monday.

Closed Friday Dec. 23 and Monday Dec. 26:

• The Henry County Courthouse and Courthouse Annex.

• Henry County Health Department.

• The West Tennessee Career Center.

• The Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council Service Center.

• The Northwest Tennessee Human Resources Agency Nutrition Center.

• The Paris Housing Authority office.

• The Henry County Office on Aging.

• The Henry County Recycling Center.

• Henry City Hall.

• The Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce office.

Closed Dec. 26:

• Offices at Paris City Hall.

• Windows at the Paris Post Office. The Post Office will be open on its regular schedule Friday and Saturday.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture office.

• Puryear City Hall.

Other schedules:

• Rhea Public Library will be closed Friday, Saturday and Monday, Dec. 26.

• The Henry County Extension Service office will be closed Dec. 26 through Jan. 2.

• The Sanders Senior Citizens Center will be closed Friday through Jan. 2.

Have a fun and safe Christmas holiday!!

We would like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all readers! As we know, holidays bring the closure of many businesses. Below is a list of the closures happening this holiday weekend.

Closed Wednesday-Friday:

• Schools in the Paris Special School District and Henry County School System.

• The Tennessee Technology Center.

Closed Thursday-Friday:

• The Paris Public Works, Street and Sanitation departments. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s garbage routes will be run on Tuesday and Thursday’s and Friday’s routes will be run on Wednesday.

• Offices at Paris City Hall.

• The Henry County Courthouse and courthouse annex.

• The Henry County Health Department.

• The West Tennessee Career Center.

• The Paris Housing Authority office.

• The Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council service center.

• The Northwest Tennessee Nutrition Center.

• The Henry County Office on Aging.

• The Henry County Recycling Center.

• The Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce office.

• The Henry County Extension Service office.

• Henry City Hall.

• Puryear City Hall.

Closed Thursday:

• The Post-Intelligencer office will be closed. The office will re-open and publication will resume on Friday.

• Windows at the Paris Post Office. Windows at the Post Office will be open 8 a.m.-noon Friday and Saturday.

• The Paris Civic Center. The center will be open for regular hours Friday-Sunday.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture office. The office will be open on Friday.

Closed Thursday-Saturday:

• Rhea Public Library.

• The Paris-Henry County Landfill and the Paris-Henry County Animal Shelter.

Have a happy and safe holiday!!

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served our country and risk their lives to keep us safe! Thanks for all you have done and all you continue to do. Several offices / places will be closed today in observance of the holiday.

Closed Friday:

• The Henry County Courthouse.

• The Henry County Courthouse annex.

• The Paris Housing Authority office.

• The Northwest Tennessee Economic Development service center.

• The Northwest Tennessee Nutrition Center.

• The Henry County Health Department.

• The Henry County Office on Aging.

• The Henry County Recycling Center.

• Windows at the Paris post office. There will be no residential mail delivery on Friday.

• The West Tennessee Career Center.

• Puryear City Hall.

Open Friday:

• Schools in the Paris Special School District and Henry County School System.

• Offices at Paris City Hall.

• The Paris Public Works, Street and Sanitation departments, Paris-Henry County Landfill and Paris-Henry County Animal Shelter.

• Henry City Hall.

• The Henry County Adult Learning Center.

• Paris Civic Center.

No Veterans Day program is planned this year at the Henry County Courthouse, however schools in Paris and Henry County have various programs slated for today.

If you haven’t received it yet, you will be soon! Henry County property tax notices have begun being delivered to residents. Payment of your county property tax is due by February 29, 2012. Citizens have several options for paying their taxes. They may pay in person at the trustee’s office located in the courthouse annex, or by mail by sending payment to P.O. Box 776, Paris. They may also pay through the after-hours depository located on the front of the courthouse annex building or they may pay by credit card at www.henry.tennesseetrustee.com. And, now citizens can take advantage of a monthly bank draft option. This is a free service to the property owners and to the county. Please see your notice for further details.

The City of Henry has also begun mailing out their tax notices to city residents. Payment is due prior to February 28, 2012.

The Henry County High School Patriots have won their second season football game against Hendersonville Beech Buccaneers!! Way to go Big Red! The Patriots defeated Beech by a final score of 37 to 17. They will return to play at home next Friday night and hope to score another win as they face off against Clarksville Kenwood at 7:30 p.m. on September 2nd.

Mark your calendars for the Friday, August 19th.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Department will be giving out free produce from its inmate garden program on Friday. The give away will begin at 8 a.m. at the Sheriff’s Department at 210 Forrest Heights off West Wood Street, and will continue until all produce is gone. The free produce includes tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and peppers.

Come out and get some tasty fresh veggies!!

Wednesday July 27, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. is the Blast Day for the Henry County School System Family Resource Center sponsored service for income eligible families who need free school supplies. Information booths and developmental screenings will be on hand that day, too. To qualify families must meet eligibility requirements.

You must have proof of income. The Family Resource Center, located at the Central Community Service Center at 55 Jones Bend Rd, will be accepting applications at the following times:

July 11, Monday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
July 12, Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
July 13, Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The 2011-2012 Henry County Public School calendar is available here. The first day of school is August 8, 2011, which will be a full day.

The Mobile Pantry from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee will be at the Henry County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, June 19, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. to distribute free groceries to individuals and families in need. The program is looking for volunteers to help unload a truck, hand out food to clients, carry food to the clients’ cars and give a hand. The goal is to feed at least 250 families in the county. If you would like to volunteer, check in at the volunteer table at the fairgrounds that morning. Call Donna at 615-305-8719 for information.

The Henry County Farmer’s Market is open Tuesday mornings starting at 6:30 a.m. at the pavilion at the Fairgrounds and at 3 p.m. Friday afternoons, and stay open on these days while supplies last. Come out and support local farmers!!