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Unique Facts About Martin                                                                                            *  Esquire Magazine named Martin as one of the "Nine Happiest Towns" in America.                  * The official flower of Martin is the crape myrtle.

City Services
Martin has a Mayor and Alderman type of government. The mayor and aldermen are elected by the qualified voters of Martin. The mayor position is a full-time position, and is elected to a four year term. The alderman position is a four year term.  An alderman election is held every two years, with three alderman being voted on.  This means that three experienced aldermen are on the board at all times.

Board of Mayor and Alderman:
Mayor Randy Brundige
Alderman Randy Edwards

Alderman Danny Nanney
Alderman Johnny Tuck
Alderman Terry Hankins
Alderman David Belote
Alderman Bill Harrison


Police Department (City):
*28 officers, 22 radio cars
*2 drug dogs, 1 bomb dog
*Ratio of police offers to citizens: 1 per 450

The Citizens Police Academy began in 1993. Each class has approximately 25 members.  The Citizens Police Academy is a great way for community members to learn about what the Martin Police Department does and how it operates.


Fire Department: 2 fire stations
Martin has the only full time fire department in the county.

*21 full time firemen
*9 volunteers
*1 Full Time Chief                                        *21 of the total 31 firefighters are trained in Emergency Medical Services, with 1 paramedic, 8 EMT’s, and 12 first responders *3 Class A Pumpers
*1 105' Aerial Quint
*1 Utility/Brush
*1 Rescue/ Extrication
*1 4X6 Utility
*2 Command Vehicles                                *In 2005, the Martin Fire Department responded to 1,120 calls for emergency service, of which 65% were EMS related.

Class 4 insurance rating.


Street Cleaning: Regular schedules by city workers and sweepers.

Garbage Disposal:
Contracted Service
Residential - once weekly
Commercial - 5 days per week

Parking Facilities

Eight municipal off street parking lots adjacent to the business section have been built and hard surfaced by the city. For present and future construction, city zoning regulations require a sufficient number of off street parking spaces to accommodate employees and customers.

Postal Facilities

Martin is served by a first class post office with 16 full-time employees.

Financial Institutions

Martin has 5 strong financial institutions. They are: First State Bank, First Citizens National Bank, Reelfoot Bank, Regions Bank, and UT Federal Credit Union.

Telephone and Telegraph

Frontier provides service to 13,000+ customer access lines in the cities of Martin, Dresden, Latham, Palmersville, Sharon and Sidonia in Weakley County.

One hundred percent of Frontier areas in Weakley County are served by digital switching technology, providing the latest in telecommunications services to both residential and business customers.

Frontier customers have available SmartCall features of Call Waiting, Caller ID, Call Forwarding, Three-Way-Calling and Speed Calling. Also available for business customers in CentraNet service. CentraNet provides multi-line key and PABX features without the hassle of on-site equipment, thus reducing cost and space requirements to the customer. Internet service is also provided.

Over 100 miles of fiber optic cable linked with digital switching technology provides Frontier the capability of providing state-of-the-art broad-band video and data services to Weakley County customers.

Western Union provides telegraph service in Martin. A number of daily parcel delivery services are available.

Radio

Weakley County is home to three radio stations. WCMT Radio, located in Martin, is privately owned and operates at 1410 AM and 101.3 FM. 1410 AM is a Contemporary Country, full service station with local news, sports and weather. 101.3 FM plays "Oldies" - 60's, 70's, and 80's, and is a full service station with emphasis on local news, Weakley County sports, UT Martin and UT Knoxville athletics.

WCDZ 95.1 FM is located in Dresden. It operates on 6,000 watts, 24 hours a day. With local news, weather, and sports, it offers the audience information on local events and happenings in and around the county. Numerous stations are easily received in Martin to give listeners a wide range of audio entertainment.

Television

Studios of WLJT TV, a PBS affiliate, are located in Martin on the University of Tennessee campus. Martin residents receive excellent television reception from all major networks with a minimum outside antenna. Cable television is available in Martin from two companies.

Newspapers

The Weakley County Press, published twice a week in Martin, and the weekly Dresden Enterprise do an excellent job in serving Martin and the surrounding area. Both papers feature local news. In addition, The Jackson Sun (Jackson) and The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) are delivered daily. The Nashville Banner and The Tennessean are also available.

Internet Service

There are numerous companies that provide dialup and high-speed access to the internet.

Medical Facilities

Volunteer Community Hospital, located in Martin, was constructed in 1964 by the City of Martin. It has grown to a 100 bed, multi-million dollar facility owned and operated by the Volunteer Community Hospital. Services include: Emergency Services, Inpatient and Outpatient Surgery, Labor and Delivery, Level II Nursery Care, Critical Care Unit, Radiology, Pathology (clinical and anatomic), Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy, Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, a Wellness Center, Occupational Medicine, and Outpatient Laboratory Industrial Testing.


The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals, licensed by the State of Tennessee and holds membership in the American Hospital Association, the Tennessee Hospital Association, and West Tennessee Hospital Council. The facility is also approved for participation in Medicare and TennCare.

A practicum at the hospital is part of the Weakley County Vocational Technical School's Licensed Practical Nursing course. The hospital also offers internships and practical experience to several groups of students from the University of Tennessee Martin and the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences, who are pursuing degrees in nursing, nutrition, medical laboratory technology and other health related fields.

The Volunteer Community Hospital staff consists of 275 employees including three anesthetists, two radiologists, a pathologist and one dentist. The medical staff has 29 full-time physicians with specialists in the areas of gynecology/obstetrics, pediatrics, internal medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and family practice. Goals and policies are established by the hospital's Administrative Officers and a Board of Trustees, comprised of eleven local community members.

The medical community also includes several skilled nursing facilities, an occupational therapy center, and a general rehabilitation center for clients with impairments related to neurological problems, post-surgical procedures, accidents and similar disabilities. Other local healthcare professionals include four optometrists, six dentists, two orthodontists, and a chiropractor.

Cane Creek Center, located in Martin, is a general rehabilitation center designed for clients with impairments related to neurological difficulties, post-surgical procedures, drug rehabilitation center. The goal is to return clients to their optimum level of daily living and to increase the client's skills, functioning, and level of self-esteem. The Center is situated in a warm home-like atmosphere with 24-hour nursing care and registered therapists who provide daily therapy sessions.

 

Air Evac Lifeteam

Martin is also fortunate to have an Air-Evac Lifeteam base centrally located in town.  The Air Evac Lifeteam base was established in July 2003 and offers air ambulance care to an area spanning a 70 mile radius from the base.


Churches

There are over 20 Protestant and Catholic churches in the city.  Student centers are also provided on the University of Tennessee at Martin campus.

Fraternal and Civic Organizations

The following organizations have chapters in Martin: Rotary, Lions, American Legion, Masons, Shriners, A.A.U.W., Eastern Star, Kiwanis, Optimists, Pilot Club and the Business and Professional Women's Club. The Weakley County Chamber of Commerce serves Martin.

Travel Accommodations

The following overnight accommodations are available in Martin: Days Inn 54 rooms; Martin Plaza Motel 36 rooms; Len Haven Motel 23 rooms, 6 efficiency apartments; Econo Lodge - 40 rooms.  A new 67 room Hampton Inn opened the first week of August 2007.  Also, visitors to Martin may stay at the local B&B: Our Backyard Town Bed & Breakfast.

Recreation

Martin has six city owned parks which provide a wholesome recreational program for both young and old. A city recreation director organizes activities which include softball, baseball, volleyball, senior citizen's activities, soccer, basketball and swimming. Privately owned facilities include a multi-screen theater.

Virginia Weldon Park:  2 acres; Martin Pilot Club Playground; Historic Illinois Central Caboose; picnic tables                                                                                                        

Harrison Road Complex:  23 acres; two adult men softball fields; one women's softball field

Poplar Falls Park:  .5 acres

Harmon Field:   4.5 acres; open passive recreation area; soccer practice in the fall

Martin Municipal Swimming Pool:  junior Olympic size pool; 1 meter and 3 meter diving boards; sand court volleyball; grassy picnic area; sunbathing area; swimming lessons

Martin Recreation Complex:  118 acres; 5 plex youth baseball fields; 4 plex youth softball fields; MTD soccer complex; 6.5 acre lake; 3/4 mile lighted walking trail; Martin Rotary Pavilion; Martin Kiwanis Playground                                                         

Hunting, Fishing and Water Sports

Reelfoot Lake, a state park with excellent motels and restaurants, is 40 miles west of Martin. The lake abounds in bass, crappie, and bream; and is a huntsman's paradise during duck season. Mallard and migratory fowl make this a stopping place in the fall.

Kentucky Lake, the largest artificial body of water in the United States, is 49 miles east of Martin and offers all kinds of fishing, hunting and water sports. Modern motels and excellent tourist accommodations are available. The Land-Between The Lakes recreation area is now being developed by the federal government and private financiers.

Garrett Lake, located in the eastern part of Weakley County, is operated by the Tennessee Game & Fish Commission. The 185 acre lake is stocked with bass, bream, pike, and catfish.

Cultural and Library

In October 1967, the City of Martin created and organized the first municipal arts commission in the State of Tennessee and one of the first in the entire South. The Martin Arts Commission was created as a functional part of the city government to foster, promote and encourage the development of the arts in the city and surrounding area. Particular areas of development are visual, literary and performing arts and city beautification. The C. E. Weldon Public Library is located in downtown Martin, at the corner of Main and Lindell Streets.
This city library provides almost 11,500 square feet of newly renovated and expanded space. Developed by the City as a cultural center for the city and area, it offers expanded book and reading services. Programs in craft, music and art appreciation, and literature are offered during the year. The library provides a separate full service children's department, offering story time, summer reading programs, and tours for schools. Space is provided for all types of educational and artistic exhibits that are changed monthly. Audiovisual facilities are available for films, slides and film strips. Books are obtainable by registration at the library. Videos, audio tapes, and CDs, as well as books, are available for checkout.

 
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