The Lafayette Fleetwood manufactured housing plant will re-open by mid-December, putting a minimum of 120 people to work in a large manufacturing facility which has stood idle since October 2006.

Fleetwood personnel will be conducting a "job fair" at the Hwy. 52-west plant location all day on Saturday, November 3, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Former "associates" who have previously worked for Fleetwood, and other interested potential employees are invited to attend and fill out job applications.

It is the first really positive economic news for the county in more than a year. The Lafayette Industrial Development Board met at city hall Thursday afternoon, November 1 and approved an arrangement whereby Fleetwood deeds over the 43.25 acre industrial site and buildings to the Industrial Board, and will make modest but gradually increasing "payments in lieu of taxes" over a ten year period, instead of paying county and city property taxes.

Fleetwood will still be responsible for maintenance of the buildings and insurance, even though ownership of the property is being transfered to the Industrial Board.

"We're not 'giving away the farm' in making this arrangement," asserted County Mayor Shelvy Linville, who noted that while the city and county will not get tax payments on the property, they will now get tangible personal property taxes on the real assets of the manufacturing facility.

"We give up some tax property revenue, but recover much of that in the tangible personal property taxes that they would not be paying if the plant remained idle," Linville said.

Fleetwood Operations vice-president Bill Graves attended the meeting and told the board that his company had decided to re-open the Lafayette facility because of the good, available workforce, the condition and lay-out of the manufacturing buildings, and improvements in demand for their products.

Fleetwood will be closing its Gallatin plant, which is currently working approximately 160 people.

Some of those employees are expected to follow their jobs to Macon County, but many will not, opening up an unknown but considerable number of jobs for Macon countians.

UPDATES ON THREE BOYS INJURED IN HEAD-ON COLLISION

The three teenage boys who were injured in the head-on collision between and a Toyota Camry and a dump truck on Oct. 29 are said to be doing good.

Jared Sullivan, 15, has been moved to a regular room in the children's hospital. He suffered face lacerations, his spleen has been bleeding in his stomach resulting in some nausea, and he has many broken ribs and a broken wrist.

Kyle Hall, 16, is awake and recovering well. Both of his legs were broken as well as nine ribs, hip, wrist, and hand. He also has a bruised lung and lacerated liver.

Thomas Wilson, 16, is awake and had his tube removed on Nov. 1. Doctors have fixed his hip and he will undergo face surgery on Nov. 2. He has many broken bones in his face such as nose, jaw, etc.

Hall and Wilson are said to not be walking for three months.

"POT CAVE" TO AUCTIONED

Tennessee's infamous "pot cave" in Hartsville will be auctioned by the 15th Judicial District Drug Task Force on Dec. 8.

In addition, on Nov. 8 and Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, the cave will be open to the public for inspection.

The cave, found by authorities in 2005, is located in northwest Trousdale County in Cato Cave off Dixon Creek Rd. and is about 2 miles long with 20-foot high ceiling.

At the time the cave was discovered, there was an A-frame house which sat on top of the cave's entrance. However, the house was burned about a year ago under suspicious circumstances.

According to The Tennessean, reportedly it's owner, Fred Strunk, had made millions over several years. Strunk is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence after he plead guilty to three counts of manufacturing over five hundred marijuana plants, money laundering, and theft.

Two tracts of the property will be sold. One tract contains the former house site and a larger part of the cave (about 360 feet). The other tract has the cave running beneath it, but it has no ground access to it, ninety feet below the surface.

Media tours of the facility were given on Nov. 1 by the J.T. Shrum Auction Co. in Lafayette.

Proceeds of the sale will go to the Drug Task Force to help support drug enforcement activities.