Lenoir City mayor dedicates church bell tower to late wife

LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (WVLT) -- This Sunday morning citizens of Lenoir City and the congregation of Highland Park Baptist Church came together to dedicate the church's new bell tower to Brenda Aikens, the late wife of Mayor Tony R. Aikens.

A Lenoir City representative said that Mrs. Aikens passed away in April 2016 after a year and a half fight with leukemia.

The dedication took place at 1 p.m., and Mayor Aikens, along with his granddaughter Paisley, rang the bell for the first time in honor of his wife.

"It was always Mrs. Aikens' dream for her life-long church to have such a bell to be rung as a symbol of calling God's children to His House," he said.