Weakley County Family Given Their Land Back In Eminent Domain Case
Well, the court of public outrage won in Weakley County last night.
We've spoke about the issue
dominating the county's local news regarding the Adams Family, who did not want to
sell their land to Weakley County Municipal Electric Service. The family put huge signs in their front yard and lost in a hearing in Weakley County Circuit Court when they tried to put a halt to the utilities company buying 66 acres their family had owned for five generations.
This family did not want to sell, and things looked mighty shady because the location of the farm they own is prime real estate property and is considered some of the finest land for development in the county. The Adams didn't care, they wanted to keep their farm. It meant too much to their family and future generations to let it to build headquarters for WCMES.
Last night, WCMES backed out of the deal and voted unanimously to give the family back the condemned land. They are going to buy land in the general vicinity from Weakley County Farmer's Co-op.
Why didn't they do this earlier?
I have no idea.
I mentioned before that I thought there was some last minute wheeling and dealing on this, and yesterday I wrote that a ton of lawmakers where making this their issue du jour up in Nashville (actually nation wide.) The reality is this is an election year, and this could have been the defining issue in regards to the local race.
People were furious. You have no idea.
At the newspaper, we received tons of letters about the issue, and not one of them came out in support of WCMES.
Not one.
So the public's outcry and tenacity in supporting the Adams finally made WCMES back up and realize they might have the property, but they were losing public support and trust.
Batesville USA was at the meeting last night and has some i
nteresting observations on the Adam's case. She has followed this case for the past five months, and is pleased to see a positive conclusion to a very trying situation.
Now, we wait. The laws haven't changed, and the eminent domain issue will no doubtedly be put to the test again
The time, however, local citizens won.