Pody Assigned to Three Senate Committees

January 12, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) has three new committee appointments in the Senate, including a leadership role as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Today, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) announced this vice-chairmanship appointment, in addition to his appointment to the Transportation and Safety Committee, and the Government Operations Committee.

“Senator Pody has significant legislative experience from his time in the House,” said McNally. “I look forward to him hitting the ground running with these new assignments.”

The Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee’s scope includes review of legislation pertaining to Tennessee’s hunting and fishing laws, state parks, energy conservation, agriculture, preservation of natural resources and fostering the state’s tourism industry.

The Senate Transportation and Safety Committee is responsible for highways, roads and bridges; railroads; air, bus and vehicular transportation; rules and regulations for highways, and facilities in connection with and navigation of waterways, lakes and streams; and the Department of Safety.

The Senate Government Operations Committee is generally perceived as one of the most powerful in the General Assembly as it oversees legislation to create, reauthorize, reorganize or sunset departments, commissions, boards, agencies or councils of state government. The Committee also hears bills regarding licensing and/or certification of occupational and/or professional groups and reviews regulations promulgated by all Tennessee departments, commissions, boards or agencies.

“I am honored to serve on these Senate committees this session,” said Sen. Pody. “The committee process is an important part in passing legislation, and I will work to represent the counties of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith and Wilson well in these committees.”

January 11, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The search is over for a Putnam County man who went missing Wednesday afternoon on Center Hill Lake.

The body of 66 year old Scott Northrup of Silver Point was recovered at around 11:35 a.m. today (Thursday) about 100 yards from where his fishing boat was found Wednesday night in the Florida branch area of the lake about a mile across from Floating Mill Access.

TWRA Officer Tony Cross told WJLE that Northrup’s body was found in about 34 feet of water. Sonar and an underwater camera aided TWRA officers and members of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad in the search.

Northrup. a Tennessee Tech University professor emeritus of chemistry and faculty advisor to the Tech bass fishing team was reported missing Wednesday evening after he failed to return home by 3:00 p.m.from a fishing trip to the lake.

“We received the call around 5:00 p.m. Wednesday of the missing boater and found his vehicle and trailer at the Hurricane Bridge boat ramp. We then went out on the lake and at approximately 7:30 p.m. located the fishing boat that he was in. There was no one on board. There were no signs of foul play. We searched until around 2:00 a.m. (Thursday) in the Florida branch area of Center Hill Lake where the boat was found, ” said Officer Cross.

TWRA was assisted in the search Wednesday night by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad joined the search later this morning (Thursday).

January 11, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Clark Boyd, a Lebanon insurance agent who unsuccessfully challenged State Senator Mae Beavers in the 2014 Republican primary, has won the vacant District House 46 seat to finish out the unexpired term of Mark Pody.

The Wilson County Commission Wednesday night chose Boyd over two others to fill the vacancy. Boyd received 16 votes of the 22 county commissioners present for the meeting in Lebanon. The other candidates, Bob Haley got five votes and Kevin Mack received one vote.

Each candidate had a chance to speak briefly about himself before the paper ballots were collected, counted, and announced.

Boyd will serve until the November General Election but he plans to seek a full two year term, though he will have opposition in the GOP Primary in August.

Pody resigned his position in the State House after being elected State Senator last month to fill the remainder of Mae Beavers’ term. She is now running full time for Governor.

District 46 includes Cannon and portions of Wilson and DeKalb Counties.
Boyd, a conservative army veteran and small business owner, announced in September his plans to enter the race for the District House 46 seat.

“I have had a heart for service since I joined the military when I was 18 years old. That same desire to serve and make a difference is why I am stepping up to this opportunity,” said Boyd. “I intend to fight for the conservative values and ideals that our country was founded upon and work to make Tennessee the freest state in the nation.”

Boyd said he is an NRA member, pro life and an advocate for the Second Amendment. As a small business owner, Boyd said he is also aware of the challenges that big government can create for business. He said he will work to reduce red tape and keep taxes low for Tennesseans. Boyd said he will work with other legislators to curtail illegal immigration, and he opposes the establishment of any sanctuary cities within Tennessee.

Boyd is the owner of an insurance agency in Lebanon. He and his wife, Jada, have two children, Wilson, 9, and Blair Ellen, 6. They are members of Immanuel Baptist Church, where they teach Sunday school together and he serves as a deacon.

Boyd is involved in the community in Wilson County, where he has previously served as president of the Rotary Club of Lebanon, men’s ministry chairman at Immanuel Baptist Church, Habitat for Humanity president and chairman of the Wilson County Republican Party.

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