Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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Honor roll students announced at county schools

Principals at three schools in Scott County — Burchfield, Huntsville Elementary, and Robbins — have announced their schools’ honor roll students for the third nine-week grading period. Following are those lists of students.

Burchfield School

Kindergarten

First Honor Roll: Parker Phillips, Kane Smith, Ember Hammock, Alayna Baggett and Caleb Cotton.

Second Honor Roll: Jay Anderson, Memphis Daugherty, Hazel Fosster, Nevaeh Jones, Oakley Olinger, Aaliyah Spence, Hudson Stonecipher, Toni Jo Duncan, Ethan Fritz, Jonnie Phillips, Rowdy Reynolds, Axle Roberts, Ava Smith, Madelyn Emmons, Eunice Jeffers, Cypress Peters, Landon Phillipos, Finnley Sexton, John Henry Smith, Jensen Vaughn, Jordyn York and John Zimlich.

Perfect Attendance: Raiden Gibson, Liam Huckeby, Oakley Olinger, Brooklyn Allred, Jonnie Phillips, Eric Smith, Gunner Chitwood, Eunice Jeffers, Hadassah Metcalf, Landon Phillips and Jordyn York.

1st Grade

First Honor Roll: Grazelin King, Jaelynn Lawson, Laynie Spradlin, Paisley Spradlin, Rowan Dean, McKenna Bradley, Laynie King, Mason Lay and Samuel Tucker.

Second Honor Roll: Ryleigh Floyd, JonahLee Harness, Elliot Spradlin, Kaizlynn Crabtree, Davi Crockett, Ameah Harness, Neyland Harness, Will Crabtree, Mattis Duggar, Jerzie Kimbrell, Zaiden Leib, Braxleigh Patterson, Jorin Shalkowski, Preslee Tucker and Paisley Wilson.

Perfect Attendance: Dorian Davis, Liam Hale, Cole Hughett, Jesse June Manis, Laynie Spradlin, Kaizlynn Crabtree, Davi Crockett, Rowan Dean, Everleigh Etheridge, Gage Griffith, Greyson Warren, Elarah Goodman, Madalyn Graham, Oaklynn Hart, Cash Hazen, Laynie King and Oaklie Worley.

2nd Grade

First Honor Roll: Bryleigh Goodman, Veyda Hanson, Ancil Hutson, Canaan Lloyd, Malachy Mays, JaKoby Duncan, Cooper Garrett and Emmett Golden.

Second Honor Roll: Daxson Adkins, Charley Anderson, Carley Duncan, Huxley Kuhling, Boone Manis, Colton Overton, Jonah Peters, Flynn Chitwood, Logan Martin and Maximus Martin.

Perfect Attendance: Daxson Adkins, Bryleigh Golden, Peyton Jeffers, Huxley Kuhling, Boone Manis, Colton Overton, JaKoby Duncan, Logan Martin, Maximus Martin, Kyndall Massey, Matthew Melton and Eli West.

3rd Grade

First Honor Roll: Jaxon Langlois and Bentley Monroe.

Second Honor Roll: Emma Davis, Evalynne Fogleman, Joey Gibson, Hynlie Regan, Kasen Roysdon, Brooklyn Stephens, Noah Underwood, Aspyn Baggett, Abby Clowers and Xavier Davis.

Perfect Attendance: Zoey Cotton, Kiana Crabtree, Emma Davis, Evalynne Fogleman, Shaylyn Hall, Medoly Jeffers, Hynlie Reagan, Hunter Roe, Brooklyn Stephens, Trinity Wagner, Xavier Davis, Avah Gayheart and Kinlyn Harness-Kirby.

4th Grade

First Honor Roll: Reid Cecil, Alexis Selvidge, Briley West, Nathan Perdue and Haven Reagan.

Second Honor Roll: Lyanna Bradley, Connor Chitwood, Axton Harness, Kinlee Kidd, Kynzie Kidd, Keegan Rogers, Ivy Anderson, Xavier Daniels, Charlee Gibson, Taylin Hale, Adeline King, Jaith Massey, Remington Roberts, Parker Rosser, Barrett Spradlin and Amara Vanderpool.

Perfect Attendance: Reid Cecil, Connor Chitwood, Luke Crockett, Mason Davis, Kynize Kidd, Emit King, Raiden Olinger, Abigail Stephens, Jacob Burk, Nevaeh Hall and Nathan Perdue.

5th Grade

First Honor Roll: Breanna Helton, Christian Mabry, Kye Wilson, Cadence Phillips and Bretley Stephens.

Second Honor Roll: Bristol Harness, Idra Hutson, Avery King, Brynden Lawson, Braxton Smith, Jessica Smith, Mason Underwood, Maggie Gibson, Carly Byrge, Karsyn Clowers, Lila Belle Gibson, Talanie Hackworth, Aytumn Howard, Willow Kidd, Jase Phillips, Bentley Roe and Brayden Stephens.

Perfect Attendance: Breanna Helton, Avery King, Brentley Lloyd, Kye Wilson, Kloee Young, Maggie Brooks, Willow Kidd, Bentley Roe, Brayden Stephens and Canzada Terry.

6th Grade

First Honor Roll: Kayden Brazzeal, Raven Carson, Genesis Chitwood and Shaelyn Marcum.

Second Honor Roll: Weston Carl, Syren Reagan, Jeremiah Bellmore, Kamryn Brazzeal, Anderson Hall, Tinleigh Martin, Tyson Miller, Dalton Reed and Lilly York.

Perfect Attendance: Kayden Gunter, Chloe King, Shaelyn Marcum, Syren Reagan, Lillie Sanford, Tyson Miller and Dalton Reed.

7th Grade

First Honor Roll: Aleighana Cotton and Emmaleia York.

Second Honor Roll: Tyson Wagner, Luke Cecil, Jazmyne Kimbrell and Riley Newport.

Perfect Attendance: Aleighana Cotton, Jayda Gibson, Savanna Grundy, Koda Hughett, Allyssa Phillips, Korbin Richardson, Zaidyn Takemoto, Luke Cecil, Liam Chitwood, Jackie Gibson, Alizah Kimberlin, Jazmyne Kimbrell, Luke Miller and Blake Moore.

8th Grade

First Honor Roll: Mena Carson, Victoria Kidd, Anisten Harvey, Zoe Lewallen and Cheyenne Watson.

Second Honor Roll: Kendyl Daugherty, Megan Duncan, Kasen Golden, Elijah Jeffers, Keiley Noe, Abygale Overton, Jacelynn Sexton, Alexis King, Allie Privett and Kenneth Wiliams.

Perfect Attendance: Branson Bowling, Kasen Golden, Payton Graham, Abygale Overton, Jacelynn Sexton, Matthew Acres, Alexis Duncan, Anisten Harvey, Emma King, Madalen Partin, Jozey Sexton and Cheyenne Watson.

Huntsville Elementary School

Kindergarten

First Honor Roll: Addison Jeffers, Arya Phillips, Raylee Blevins, Ada Douglas, Namoi Howard, Serayah Strunk and Lydia Braden.

Second Honor Roll: Karmyn Butler, Erick Guzman, Adrianna Louvins, Casen McKee, Aary Patel, Aaliyah Sexton, Josie Terry, Dawson Brewster, Jaci Phillips, Greyson Stansberry, Marnie Wilcon, Ellanor Howard, Rafe Allen, Raelyn Stephens, Levi Henry, Reagan Buttram, Brantlee Massey, Adonis Lee, Cage McKee, Waylon Sharpe and Avery Jeffers.

Perfect Attendance: Raven Manley, Casen McKee, Raylin Smith, Serayah Strunk, Tucker Bell, Raelyn Sexton, Brighton Bowe, Lydia Braden, Amaya Terry and Avery Jeffers.

1st Grade

First Honor Roll: MaKayla Bryson, Kenleigh Mullins, Avery Capley, Abram Dople, Henry Jeffers, Magnus Sands, Enoch Carson, Aree Jeffers, Jaxon Litton, Bo McKinnon, Callie Miller, Elliot Patton and Hudson Stevens.

Second Honor Roll: Mariah Lowe, Ari McCann, Gunner Moffitt, Noah Compbell, Gwendylan DeLaCruz, Macie Ward, Aurora Ellis, Ethan Coil, Henley Adkisson, Brenda Potter and A.J. Strunk.

Perfect Attendance: Mariah Lowe, Gunner Moffitt, McKinleigh Terry, Maleah Pierce, Allison Childs, Heavenleigh Harris, Xylah Roberts, Magnus Sands, Allie Sexton, Enoch Carson, Dawson Lowe and Emma Webb.

2nd Grade

First Honor Roll: Travis Sharpe, Jenna Hickman, Maddox Bailey, Oaklan Hughett, Noah Strunk, Mia Allen, Kynzlee Carr, Tucker McKinnon, Jayla Phillips, Tymberley Reagan, Hensley Shelton and Kenny Greene.

Second Honor Roll: Adalee Ray, Laithen Harness, Katelyn Lewallen, Kellan West, Jaxxin Hibbard, Noah Kennedy, Camden McKee, Harper Pendergrass, Brooks Braden and Shaylen Bryson.

Perfect Attendance: Maddox Bailey, Karson Lay, Katelyn Lewallen, Noah Strunk, Aliyah Webbb, Kellan West and Camden McKee.

3rd Grade

First Honor Roll: Noah Roberts, Jaylee Sexton and Gamble Walker.

Second Honor Roll: Casie Carson, Adleigh Hamby, Lily Mason, Branson Mullins, Liam Terry, Owen Marlow, Colton Byrge, Carson Hutson, Brylee Abney, Brayden Botts, Brody Ellis, Isabella Miller, Abigail Adkins, Isaac Ball, Rylan Blevins, Eli Harness, Braecyn Myers, Kambryn Phillips and Tristan Phillips.

Perfect Attendance: Adleigh Hamby, Kessa Rash, Owen Marlow, Liam Terry and Zelda Bates.

4th Grade

First Honor Roll: Jycen Casey, Adalyn Richardson, Reegan Jeffers, Elleigh Hutson, Ethan Horne, Ashlynn Bowling, Abel Carson, Harper Hughett, Evan Patton and Brandy Hall.

Second Honor Roll: Baylee Brummett, Camdyn Cotton, Lariah Stephens, Xarayah Roberts, Brinleigh Jeffers, Weston Goodman, Alyssa McGee, Braylee Sexton, McKinley Humphrey, Jace Sexton, Abigail Jones and Emerie Jeffers.

Perfect Attendance: Baylee Brummett, Xarayah Roberts, Riley Letner, Cali Boyatt, Conlee Jeffers and Josh Sexton.

Robbins School

Pre-K

Perfect Attendance: Harper Adams, Hazel Adam and Wyatt Willoughby.

Kindergarten

1st Grade

First Honor Roll: Rustle Boshears, Nora Duncan and Kamden Willoughby.

Second Honor Roll: Marley Anderson, Addilynn Gayheart, Bella Hatfield, Johnathan Jeffers, Maddox Morgan, Roman Sexton, Khloe Soloe and Ryker Stephens.

Perfect Attendance: Rebekah Green.

2nd Grade

First Honor Roll: Cannon Blevins, Grayson Elliott, Rhylee Henry, Kaidon Hughett, Katalina Newport and Thea Sharpe.

Second Honor Roll: Melinda Davidson, Clara Davis, Raven Harness, Haley Myers, Amelia Ross, Maddie Smith and Ivy Terry.

Perfect Attendance: Cannon Blevins and Katalina Newport.

3rd Grade

First Honor Roll: Easton Gibson, Blake Walker and Brynlee West.

Second Honor Roll: Damien Jeffers, Kable Jeffers, Paige Lavery, Silar Shafer and Harley Terry.

Perfect Attendance: Callie Terry and Owen West.

4th Grade

First Honor Roll: Millie Carson, Easton Jeffers, Noah Price, Arya Smith, Darcee Stonecipher and Rodrick Terry.

Second Honor Roll: Nova Eskew, Arabella Newport, Raylynn Oxendine, Granger Thompson and Raeleigh West.

Perfect Attendance: Rodrick Terry.

5th Grade

First Honor Roll: Rosalie Russelburg and Matthan Sharpe.

Second Honor Roll: Annie Braden, Kayleigh Hughett, Trinitee Kimbrell, Blake Overton, Easton Pendergrass and Jaxton Sumner.

6th Grade

First Honor Roll: Greyson Frogge, Paisley Hammonds, Jace Storey and Hadley West.

Second Honor Roll: Harley Cooper, Kelci Duncan and Rhylee Smith.

Perfect Attendance: Aeron Chitwood, Emma Daugherty, Jeremiah Newport and Hadley West.

7th Grade

First Honor Roll: Emma Kidd, Baylen Miller and Brielle Swinson.

Second Honor Roll: Houston Carroll, Bella Ellis, Hannah Gilbert, Brenna Griffith, Lydia Griffith, Brinley Mason, Alyssa Nagy, Lilli Newport, Jad Overton, Kimber Smith and Faith Wagner.

Perfect Attendance: Hannah Gilbert, Baylen Miller and Brielle Swinson.

8th Grade

First Honor Roll: Jacob Byrd, Kaitlyn Russ and Roland Russelburg.

Second Honor Roll: Pyper Anderson, Auston Bertram, Melanija Bjelanovic, Cloey Daugherty, Preston Hammonds, Aliahna Hughett, Xander Kimbrell, Rubyann Melton, Kaylee Richardson, Banner Ritchie, Railey Smith, Jerry Terry, Gabe Valladares and Allie Wall.

Perfect Attendance: Xander Kimbrell.

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Drought conditions worsen locally

One of the driest springs in recent memory is leading to the onset of drought conditions throughout the Southeast and much of the continental United States, including here at home.

The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor — a collaborative effort of various state and federal agencies — released Thursday shows all of Scott County in either a “Moderate Drought” or “Abnormally Dry” status.

The Drought Monitor uses a five-step assessment scale to classify drought conditions, beginning with “Abnormally Dry,” then progressing to “Moderate Drought,” “Severe Drought,” “Extreme Drought,” and “Exceptional Drought.”

Virtually all of Tennessee was at least “Abnormally Dry” as of Thursday’s release. Seventy percent of the state’s land mass is in a “Moderate Drought,” including part of Scott County. “Severe Drought,” which encompasses 20% of the state’s land mass, creeps as close by as southern Morgan County.

According to the National Weather Service, just over half an inch of rain was received in the Oneida area early Sunday morning, as observed at the Scott County Airport, where 0.54 inches of rain was officially recorded. That came on the heels of just over an inch of rain — 1.03 inches, to be precise — that was recorded during thunderstorms on Wednesday. As a result, April is off to a wet start, but it comes on the heels of a very dry month of March. Only 2.53 inches of rain were recorded in Scott County in March, far below the month’s normal of 5.70 inches. Annual rainfall since January 1 is running more than five inches below normal already — about 11.4 inches, compared to 16.7 inches by this time in an average year.

As a result, streamflows have dipped to record springtime lows at times. Even with the rainfall that has been seen in recent days, the Big South Fork River was flowing at just 600 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Leatherwood Ford west of Oneida late Sunday morning. That was not quite a record low for the date; the record was set in 1986, at 436 cfs. However, it was easily in the bottom 25th percentile for the date. The normal streamflow on the Big South Fork in early April is over 2,000 cfs. Further upstream, the Clear Fork River was flowing at just 170 cfs at Burnt Mill Ford — slightly above record low of 124 cfs set in 1986, but well below the average of almost 600 cfs.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

The Week Ahead

☀️ Weather: Beautiful weather returns this week, with lots of sun each day and relatively light winds for this time of year. Temperatures will start on the cool side — in the mid 30s Monday morning before warming to about 64° in the afternoon, and perhaps only topping out in the upper 50s on Tuesday. But we’ll see a nice warming trend later in the week, with temperatures approaching 70° by Wednesday and pushing closer to 80° by Friday! Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Monday: Scott County Commission will meet in work session at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Tai Chi at 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Golden Grooves Exercise at 1 p.m.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Tai Chi at 11 a.m. and Crafts at 1 p.m.

Thursday: The Scott County Board of Education will meet in regular session at the Central Office in Huntsville, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Citizens Gas Utility District operates natural gas distribution pipelines in portions of Scott and Morgan counties. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Subscribe now

Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Landfill legislation fails in House committee

NASHVILLE | Legislation intended to stop the Roberta Phase II landfill project in Scott County has failed to clear a committee in the Tennessee House of Representatives, effectively stalling the legislative fight to prevent the landfill.

House Bill 2202, which would have designated the Big South Fork River a Class II Pastoral River under Tennessee’s 1960s-era Scenic Rivers Act and added stipulations effectively preventing any future landfills in Scott County, failed to clear the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee by a 7-7 vote.

Voting in favor of the legislation were Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough; Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville; Monty Fritts, R-Kingston; Justin Jones, D-Nashville; Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar; Ron Travis, R-Dayton; and Greg Vital, R-Harrison.

Voting against it were Clay Doggett, R-Pulaski; Rusty Grills, R-Newbern; Greg Martin, R-Chattanooga; Jay Reedy, R-Erin; Tom Stinnett, R-Friendsville; and Chris Todd, R-Jackson.

Two members of the committee — Tandy Darby, R-Greenfield, and Bud Hulsey, R-Kingsport — were present but did not vote.

Tuesday’s action almost certainly kills the legislative effort this calendar year. Bill sponsors have very limited options after a bill fails in a committee, and the legislation cannot be filed again until the new legislative session begins in January 2027.

Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, and Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, filed the legislation on Feb. 2. It would have classified the Big South Fork River a Class II Pastoral River, and added specific language stating that new landfills are not permitted in a county where two rivers merge to form a pastoral river, which flows through a national river and recreation area before entering a neighboring state. The strict language was written in a way to include only Scott County, and a provision was included to exempt the existing Volunteer Regional Landfill from the legislation.

The legislation breezed through the Senate, passing unanimously without debate.

However, the House was quite a different story. The bill narrowly survived debate in subcommittee, passing by a 5-4 vote. Following that sometimes-contentious debate, it was apparent that its fate in the full committee would likely hinge on a single vote.

Testimony was heard on the bill a week earlier, but the committee abruptly adjourned before a vote was taken. Debate continued Tuesday, with Keisling arguing in favor of his legislation, and representatives both in favor of and against it also speaking out.

Stinnett, a Blount County Republican who sits on the solid waste board in his hometown, argued that the legislation would cause problems “10 to 15 years down the road” when property owners aren’t able to do “what they want to do” with their property because of restrictions included in the bill. He argued that the estimated 24 years remaining at Volunteer Regional Landfill is not a long period of time and suggested that Scott County should be looking towards its options once the existing landfill is full.

“We have counties that don’t have a waste management company and they’re shipping stuff out,” Stinnett said. “I promise you we aren’t taking it in Blount County, even though we have 58 years left (on an existing landfill). We need to make sure we don’t fix it where your community doesn’t have an opportunity to do this.”

Ironically, one of the biggest points of opposition to the proposed landfill has been that Volunteer Regional already accepts waste from outside counties and Roberta Phase II would increase that operation by building a rail transfer station to transport waste into the landfill by train.

Monty Fritts, a Kingston Republican who is seeking his party’s nomination for governor this year, raised that point.

“Perhaps we should give Scott County the same autonomy (as Blount County),” Fritts said, pointing out that Stinnett had just said Blount County would not take trash from outside its community.

Bud Hulsey, a Republican from upper East Tennessee who ultimately did not vote one way or the other, said he wished Scott County had acted proactively to say it does not want more than one landfill in its community.

“Most of the time, city government and county government don’t want the state’s nose in their business,” Hulsey said. “Now we have city government and county government coming to the state and saying we want your nose in our business.”

Hulsey said he had people from Scott County in attendance at the House committee proceedings “follow me into the bathroom” to argue for the bill.

To his point, Scott County Attorney John Beaty has argued that the Jackson Law should have been considered active in 2010, when the TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation issued the Roberta Phase II permit. TDEC, however, opined that it had expired weeks earlier. Jackson Law gives county and municipal governments the authority to approve or deny a proposed landfill within their legal boundaries. Should the coalition of local governments that has formed to oppose the landfill eventually take legal action against the landfill, that appears to be an argument it is prepared to use. Scott County, along with the towns of Oneida, Winfield and Huntsville, have since passed ordinances to adopt the Jackson Law.

Greg Vital, a Harrison Republican, said that Tennessee has a waste problem but that it also has a responsibility to its citizens.

“We have a responsibility to the people who live in that county who have property rights also,” Vital said. He pointed out that Scott Countians had witnessed the decline of the timber-cutting and coal-mining industries and had realized the land here is valuable to the tourism and recreation industries.

Chris Todd and Rusty Grills did not speak during Tuesday’s session, but previously argued in subcommittee that the legislation would subject the state to a lawsuit that it cannot win.

There was no testimony at Tuesday’s session. During previous sessions, testimony was heard from Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers, Cumberland Clear’s Jennifer Shockley, Roberta Phase II developer Knox Horner, and representatives of TDEC.

Horner and his investors have purchased the 24-acre Roberta Phase II permit that was issued by TDEC in 2010 and have an option to purchase the 700 acres of property that includes the 24 acres in question. Before the permit can be reactivated, however, Horner’s company must satisfy a number of TDEC requirements, including evidence for how it plans to adequately alter streams and wetlands on the property that would be impacted by the landfill.

Through his company, Trans Rail Waste Services, Horner has also applied for a rail transfer station along the Norfolk-Southern Railroad on the northeast corner of the property, which is located just off Poplar Lane.

TDEC has not acted on either of those applications.

Meanwhile, property owners Ralph and Michelle Trieschmann, who own Timber Rock Lodge adjacent to the Roberta Phase II property, have filed a lawsuit in state court in Nashville, arguing that the permit was issued illegally in 2010. Cumberland Clear, the citizen-led non-profit that was organized to oppose the landfill, is represented by the same legal counsel as the Trieschmanns and has said it will file a lawsuit of its own. The coalition of local governments — which includes Scott County and each of its three municipalities, along with McCreary County — has not indicated whether it intends to file a lawsuit but has retained the Middle Tennessee attorney who successfully led a fight against an expansion of the Middle Point Landfill in Murfreesboro.

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Fleischmann secured $750k for new UTMC clinic in Oneida

Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, R-Chattanooga, secured $750,000 in federal funding to help make University of Tennessee Medical Center’s new specialty clinic in Oneida become reality.

The clinic — initially offering rheumatology and midwife services — opened earlier this year at the medical facility next-door to the Scott County Food Court in south Oneida. UT Medical Center officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning to officially commemorate the opening.

It was in the spring of 2022 that Fleischmann requested a $750,000 earmark for UTMC to open a rural health clinic in Scott County. In a letter dated April 26, 2022, Fleischmann asked the House Appropriations Committee to set aside funds for the renovation and equipment for the medical facility, “as the cornerstone of improving health outcomes among this rural population by developing new or expanding existing primary care sites in these rural communities.”

Tammy Merritt, Fleischmann’s field representative for the area, who was present at Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, said the funds requested by Fleischmann were received in 2023.

At Monday’s ceremony, Dr. Keith Gray — president and CEO of UT Medical — said the opening of the clinic is a step toward ensuring that patients receive high-quality care within their community. “Expanding services in Oneida is an important step in delivering on that promise,” Gray said.

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Director of schools search moves forward

HUNTSVILLE | The Scott County Board of Education will meet in a special session on Tuesday, April 7, to decide which of the six candidates for director of schools it will grant interviews to.

John Beaty, Scott County’s attorney, presented board members with a draft resolution at a special-called meeting on March 31 that specifies each of the six candidates will be considered for interviews individually, and each candidate who receives four votes -- a majority of the board -- will be granted an interview. While Beaty said he wasn’t “pushing” the board to adopt that resolution, he considers it a fair approach.

The only action taken at Tuesday’s meeting was to set the special called meeting for 4 p.m. on April 7. As it stands, the board has the weeks of April 13-17 and April 20-24 set aside for candidate interviews, and will hold another special session on April 28 to select a director. The new director’s contract is scheduled to be ratified when the board meets in regular session on May 14.

The six candidates who have applied for the director of schools position are Fairview School principal Scott Cash, Campbell County principal Kenny Chadwell, who represents Scott County’s 4th District on County Commission, Texas director of schools Jerry Gibson, Campbell County principal Daniel Sexton, Morgan County Career & Technical Center director Keith Shannon, and Scott High principal Marc Taylor.

ICYMI

Threads of Life: This week’s Threads of Life newsletter is in remembrance of Dean Honeycutt, Jimmy Lloyd, Christopher Martin, and Freddie Wilson. » Read It

Echoes in Time: This week’s Echoes in Time newsletter takes a look back at the 32 people who have served as Scott County superintendent of schools through the years. » Read It

The Week Ahead

🌥️ Weather: There’s a slight chance of showers on Friday but otherwise it’ll be warm, with temperatures near 80° and a stiff southwest breeze that gusts to 25 mph. Rain chances will increase Saturday ahead of a cold front, with rain becoming likely Saturday night. Rain will move out Sunday, with temperatures only around 60°. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: First Saturday night services will be held at Capitol Hill Missionary Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.), East Robbins Missionary Baptist Church (6 p.m.), Norma Missionary Baptist Church (6 p.m.), and Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church (7 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube

Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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NASHVILLE | Legislation intended to stop the Roberta Phase II landfill project in Scott County has failed to clear a committee in the Tennessee House of Representatives, effectively stalling the legislative fight to prevent the landfill.

House Bill 2202, which would have designated the Big South Fork River a Class II Pastoral River under Tennessee’s 1960s-era Scenic Rivers Act and added stipulations effectively preventing any future landfills in Scott County, failed to clear the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee by a 7-7 vote.

Voting in favor of the legislation were Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough; Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville; Monty Fritts, R-Kingston; Justin Jones, D-Nashville; Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar; Ron Travis, R-Dayton; and Greg Vital, R-Harrison.

Voting against it were Clay Doggett, R-Pulaski; Rusty Grills, R-Newbern; Greg Martin, R-Chattanooga; Jay Reedy, R-Erin; Tom Stinnett, R-Friendsville; and Chris Todd, R-Jackson.

Two members of the committee — Tandy Darby, R-Greenfield, and Bud Hulsey, R-Kingsport — were present but did not vote.

Tuesday’s action almost certainly kills the legislative effort this calendar year. Bill sponsors have very limited options after a bill fails in a committee, and the legislation cannot be filed again until the new legislative session begins in January 2027.

Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, and Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, filed the legislation on Feb. 2. It would have classified the Big South Fork River a Class II Pastoral River, and added specific language stating that new landfills are not permitted in a county where two rivers merge to form a pastoral river, which flows through a national river and recreation area before entering a neighboring state. The strict language was written in a way to include only Scott County, and a provision was included to exempt the existing Volunteer Regional Landfill from the legislation.

The legislation breezed through the Senate, passing unanimously without debate.

However, the House was quite a different story. The bill narrowly survived debate in subcommittee, passing by a 5-4 vote. Following that sometimes-contentious debate, it was apparent that its fate in the full committee would likely hinge on a single vote.

Testimony was heard on the bill a week earlier, but the committee abruptly adjourned before a vote was taken. Debate continued Tuesday, with Keisling arguing in favor of his legislation, and representatives both in favor of and against it also speaking out.

Stinnett, a Blount County Republican who sits on the solid waste board in his hometown, argued that the legislation would cause problems “10 to 15 years down the road” when property owners aren’t able to do “what they want to do” with their property because of restrictions included in the bill. He argued that the estimated 24 years remaining at Volunteer Regional Landfill is not a long period of time and suggested that Scott County should be looking towards its options once the existing landfill is full.

“We have counties that don’t have a waste management company and they’re shipping stuff out,” Stinnett said. “I promise you we aren’t taking it in Blount County, even though we have 58 years left (on an existing landfill). We need to make sure we don’t fix it where your community doesn’t have an opportunity to do this.”

Ironically, one of the biggest points of opposition to the proposed landfill has been that Volunteer Regional already accepts waste from outside counties and Roberta Phase II would increase that operation by building a rail transfer station to transport waste into the landfill by train.

Monty Fritts, a Kingston Republican who is seeking his party’s nomination for governor this year, raised that point.

“Perhaps we should give Scott County the same autonomy (as Blount County),” Fritts said, pointing out that Stinnett had just said Blount County would not take trash from outside its community.

Bud Hulsey, a Republican from upper East Tennessee who ultimately did not vote one way or the other, said he wished Scott County had acted proactively to say it does not want more than one landfill in its community.

“Most of the time, city government and county government don’t want the state’s nose in their business,” Hulsey said. “Now we have city government and county government coming to the state and saying we want your nose in our business.”

Hulsey said he had people from Scott County in attendance at the House committee proceedings “follow me into the bathroom” to argue for the bill.

To his point, Scott County Attorney John Beaty has argued that the Jackson Law should have been considered active in 2010, when the TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation issued the Roberta Phase II permit. TDEC, however, opined that it had expired weeks earlier. Jackson Law gives county and municipal governments the authority to approve or deny a proposed landfill within their legal boundaries. Should the coalition of local governments that has formed to oppose the landfill eventually take legal action against the landfill, that appears to be an argument it is prepared to use. Scott County, along with the towns of Oneida, Winfield and Huntsville, have since passed ordinances to adopt the Jackson Law.

Greg Vital, a Harrison Republican, said that Tennessee has a waste problem but that it also has a responsibility to its citizens.

“We have a responsibility to the people who live in that county who have property rights also,” Vital said. He pointed out that Scott Countians had witnessed the decline of the timber-cutting and coal-mining industries and had realized the land here is valuable to the tourism and recreation industries.

Chris Todd and Rusty Grills did not speak during Tuesday’s session, but previously argued in subcommittee that the legislation would subject the state to a lawsuit that it cannot win.

There was no testimony at Tuesday’s session. During previous sessions, testimony was heard from Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers, Cumberland Clear’s Jennifer Shockley, Roberta Phase II developer Knox Horner, and representatives of TDEC.

Horner and his investors have purchased the 24-acre Roberta Phase II permit that was issued by TDEC in 2010 and have an option to purchase the 700 acres of property that includes the 24 acres in question. Before the permit can be reactivated, however, Horner’s company must satisfy a number of TDEC requirements, including evidence for how it plans to adequately alter streams and wetlands on the property that would be impacted by the landfill.

Through his company, Trans Rail Waste Services, Horner has also applied for a rail transfer station along the Norfolk-Southern Railroad on the northeast corner of the property, which is located just off Poplar Lane.

TDEC has not acted on either of those applications.

Meanwhile, property owners Ralph and Michelle Trieschmann, who own Timber Rock Lodge adjacent to the Roberta Phase II property, have filed a lawsuit in state court in Nashville, arguing that the permit was issued illegally in 2010. Cumberland Clear, the citizen-led non-profit that was organized to oppose the landfill, is represented by the same legal counsel as the Trieschmanns and has said it will file a lawsuit of its own. The coalition of local governments — which includes Scott County and each of its three municipalities, along with McCreary County — has not indicated whether it intends to file a lawsuit but has retained the Middle Tennessee attorney who successfully led a fight against an expansion of the Middle Point Landfill in Murfreesboro.

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Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, R-Chattanooga, secured $750,000 in federal funding to help make University of Tennessee Medical Center's new specialty clinic in Oneida become reality.

The clinic — initially offering rheumatology and midwife services — opened earlier this year at the medical facility next-door to the Scott County Food Court in south Oneida. UT Medical Center officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning to officially commemorate the opening.

It was in the spring of 2022 that Fleischmann requested a $750,000 earmark for UTMC to open a rural health clinic in Scott County. In a letter dated April 26, 2022, Fleischmann asked the House Appropriations Committee to set aside funds for the renovation and equipment for the medical facility, "as the cornerstone of improving health outcomes among this rural population by developing new or expanding existing primary care sites in these rural communities."

Tammy Merritt, Fleischmann's field representative for the area, who was present at Monday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, said the funds requested by Fleischmann were received in 2023.

At Monday's ceremony, Dr. Keith Gray — president and CEO of UT Medical — said the opening of the clinic is a step toward ensuring that patients receive high-quality care within their community. "Expanding services in Oneida is an important step in delivering on that promise," Gray said.

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Two prime commercial lots on the market in Scott County

Amid a spate of ongoing building projects in Scott County, two prime pieces of commercial real estate — one in Oneida and one in Huntsville — are currently on the market.

In Huntsville, a 3.25-acre tract on the north side of the U.S. 27/S.R. 63 intersection is being offered for $1.4 million. It is considered some of the most potent commercial real estate in Huntsville, with frontage on both U.S. Highway 27 and S.R. 63, as well as National Drive. It is currently used for residential, with a 1,700-square-foot home that was built in 1980.

The current owner is Dina Potter. It is listed through Ayers Auction & Realty on Friday.

And in Oneida, a 20,100-square-foot shopping center in the Oak Grove district has been listed for $1.2 million. It is currently home to Lee’s Food Mart and several other businesses on 1.76 acres of land at the Alberta Street/Litton Road intersection.

The current owner of the Oneida property is the F.H. Shoemaker Trust. It was listed through Ayers Auction & Realty on March 16.

The listing agent for both properties is Melissa Fancher.

The Oak Grove district has undergone significant changes in the past several years, with the former Omedco medical complex being razed for the building of First National Bank’s new main office, and the old A.Z. Long building up the street also being razed. The former pharmacy building on the opposite corner of the intersection from Lee’s Food Mart was purchased by the TN Dept. of Transportation and removed to make way for improvements to the intersection.

A series of ongoing commercial building projects throughout the county include:

• A new Dollar General at the intersection of Coopertown Road and Smith Road in the Coopertown community of West Oneida.

• A new Long John Silver’s at Oneida Plaza on Alberta Street.

• A new Zaxby’s just north of the Oneida Municipal Services Building on Alberta Street.

• A new Casey’s convenience store across from the intersection of Alberta Street and Paint Rock Road in Oneida that is close to opening.

There has been considerable speculation the past couple of years about a tract of property at the intersection of S.R. 63 and Scott High Drive in Huntsville, which is currently owned by Dr. Spencer Ellis and is located adjacent to his medical office complex that includes his dental practice. However, there has been nothing locked down so far. There has also been plenty of speculation regarding the Brewco-owned former Napa Auto Parts building on S.R. 63 in Huntsville, which is currently being remodeled by its owner. However, officials say there’s nothing finalized with that property, either.

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No interest from data center, mayor says

A few local residents objected Sunday after a link circulated on Facebook indicating that Scott County might be the future home of a data center.

Data centers have been the source of much controversy in recent months as they spread into rural America, their owners buying up huge chunks of farmland and other undeveloped real estate while also taxing local utilities, though the trade-off is usually a not-insignificant number of new jobs.

In this case, though, the data center appears to be much ado about nothing. Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers said his office is aware of no such plans.

“I have no knowledge of a data center wanting to be built in Scott County,” Jeffers said. “This is a false flag site and spreads all kinds of stuff.”

The link is entitled “Data Center Program Development And Planning Scott County TN” and is simply a solicitation for information from prospective owners of future data centers. It is hosted by Data Centers Deployed, a Chandler, Ariz.-based firm that states its mission is “to plan and lead data center programs with clarity, discipline, and accountability.”

Data centers are facilities housing computing and networking infrastructure to store, process and manage digital data for businesses, governments, and cloud services. They’ve been around since the 1940s but are rapidly expanding today due to the rise in the AI market and other cloud-based services.

Scott County hikes!

It was another spectacular weekend for being outside, and the Independent Herald’s Spring Hiking Challenge continued with a short hike to Angel Falls in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. If you didn’t get a chance to hike over the weekend, it isn’t too late. The weather looks great today and tomorrow before rain chances begin later in the week. Hike #3 of the 14-week challenge will drop on Thursday. Meanwhile, here are some photos of Scott Countians taking part in this past weekend’s hike to Angel Falls.

The Week Ahead

🌥️ Weather: Our warming trend continues the next two days. We’ll get to about 72° today with a slight chance of showers, then we’ll push to near 80° tomorrow with mostly sunny skies and a stout southwest breeze. Rain becomes likely Wednesday, and rain chances will continue through the end of the week and the weekend. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Golden Grooves Exercise at 1 p.m.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Tai Chi at 11 a.m.

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District will be closed April 3, 2026, in observance of Good Friday. Call 811 before digging. It’s the law! Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Major projects move forward in Scott County

From excavation to finishing touches, there is plenty of progress being made on major projects in Scott County this week, mostly in the Oneida area. If you live in one of the areas where a project is planned, you’ve likely seen heavy equipment moving into your neighborhood over the past seven days. Here’s the latest on each project:

The Coopertown Dollar General

Some of the heavy equipment has been sitting in the vacant lot at the intersection of Coopertown Road and Smith Road in West Oneida for more than a week, and this week, excavation work officially got underway at the site of the upcoming Dollar General.

Dollar General, the Goodlettesville, Tenn.-based chain of discount stores, originally intended to build a new store on property located further east, just inside the Oneida city limits. However, the town’s board of mayor and aldermen declined to rezone the property for commercial development following an outcry from neighborhood residents. That prompted DG to move about a mile west, to just outside the city limits, where property zoning is not in effect. There, the corporation purchased a tract of land from Oneida developer David Brewster.

The new DG will be the fifth in Scott County, joining existing stores in Oneida, Huntsville, Robbins, and Winfield.

The Oneida Long John Silver’s

Hooray for hush puppies! Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers recently announced that Long John Silver’s was going to locate a store at Oneida Plaza, following the inking of a deal between the fast-food chain — which specializes in seafood — and property owner Mendy Bohm. Bohm, a real estate developer, purchased the shopping center from Chattanooga realty company Fletcher Bright.

This week, temporary fencing went up, and crews began excavation work at the site of the new restaurant, which will be located next door to McDonald’s in what is typically referred to as the “bottom of the Walmart parking lot” — although the Walmart property is separate from the rest of Oneida Plaza. The targeting opening date for the new store is August.

This will be the second time Long John Silver’s has located in Scott County. It was previously located in the Scott County Food Court on the south end of Oneida.

And it’s just one of two fast food restaurants currently in the works for Oneida. Zaxby’s Operating Company — parent company of the Zaxby’s chain of fast-food chicken restaurants — has purchased property just north of the Oneida Municipal Services Building and has completed significant excavation work and site preparation there.

There’s also a non-fast-food restaurant coming to Oneida Plaza. Polos Italian Restaurant installed signage on its storefront, located just up the sidewalk from El Rey, earlier this month. The restaurant hopes to open in May.

Casey’s nears opening

Casey’s, the convenience store giant and combination fast-food pizza joint, installed signage this week as it moves closer and closer to opening a new store in Oneida. Workers were completing landscaping outside the store on Thursday.

Casey’s purchased the former 4WD Performance property, where Marcum’s Parts was once located, across the street from the former First National Bank building in downtown Oneida. The chain of convenience centers was also considering a second location in Huntsville, but that deal reportedly fell through because of deed restrictions on the property.

TCAT nears completion

Workers on Thursday were finishing the glass installation, installing fencing, and completing landscaping work at the new building on TCAT Oneida/Huntsville’s Oneida campus. The building is scheduled to be completed in early April, and the hope is for it to be occupied over the summer.

The “front building,” located at the intersection of Burchfield Avenue and Eli Lane, is the second new building to go up on the Oneida campus. The first, located on the back side of the campus, is already occupied and houses the college’s Diesel-Powered Equipment Technology, Power Line Construction and Maintenance, and Truck Driving programs. This second building will host Industrial Maintenance - Mechatronics, Building Construction Technology, and a brand-new Aviation Maintenance program. Other programs that will continue to operate in the existing buildings at Oneida include Nursing Aide, Pharmacy Technology, Earthmoving Equipment Operator, and Criminal Justice: Correctional Officer.

High Point bridge update

If you’ve traveled south on U.S. Highway 27 from Oneida to Huntsville, you’ve doubtlessly noticed that a new piece of equipment as been moved into place at the site of the closed railroad overpass on Niggs Creek Road. While this doesn’t signal that work is about to begin on the condemned bridge, that project is creeping closer.

“We’re really close,” Scott County Road Superintendent Kelvin King said Thursday, adding that the county is waiting for one final email signaling a go-ahead with the project. The fact that the bridge crosses the Norfolk-Southern Railroad has added a layer of complication to the approval process, which has resulted in fairly significant delays since the TN Dept. of Transportation condemned the bridge in Spring 2024. The last hold-up is not for construction of the new bridge; that has already been approved. Rather, it is for demolition of the existing bridge.

Meanwhile, the same Cookeville-based construction firm that moved the crane into place at High Point this week is completing its work on the O&W Road bridge over Pine Creek, near the intersection with Toomey Road just outside the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. King said the decking on the new bridge is expected to be poured Monday. It then must cure for 28 days before it can be opened to traffic. That would place the opening of the new bridge near the end of April, barring any further delays for weather or other reasons. King said that once the bridge is ready for vehicular traffic, his crews will have to complete some maintenance along the rest of the road to the Big South Fork River before it can be opened to the public — removing downed trees and other issues that have resulted from the road being closed for more than 18 months.

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Landfill bill delayed in House of Representatives

NASHVILLE | State Rep. Kelly Keisling’s H.B. 2202, legislation intended to stop the development of the Roberta Phase II landfill in Oneida, continues to sit in a House committee after action was delayed this week.

The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee heard testimony on the bill Tuesday with a contingent of Scott Countians in the gallery, but did not take action after committee chairman Chris Todd said that there was not enough time for a vote.

Todd, who a week earlier accused Scott Countians of operating with a “mob mentality” and attempting to run interference for the existing Volunteer Regional Landfill, moved the bill down nine spots on the 17-item agenda. Following a lengthy period of testimony and question-and-answer, Todd declared that time had expired and that H.B. 2202 and other bills that awaited the committee on its calendar would be delayed by one week.

The Senate version of the legislation, carried by Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, breezed through the upper chamber, passing unanimously. However, the House version has proven contentious. It narrowly passed a subcommittee of the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee last week by a 5-4 vote. It was during testimony in the subcommittee that Todd, R-Jackson, made remarks that angered many Scott Countians and led state Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, to argue for an apology on behalf of local residents.

The legislation aims to stop the Roberta Phase II project by classifying the Big South Fork River as a Class II Pastoral River under Tennessee’s 1960s-era Scenic Rivers Act, and adding additional restrictions that prevent a landfill anywhere in a county where two rivers merge to form a Pastoral River, pass through a national river and recreation area, and then enter a neighboring state — clearly designed specifically for Scott County. Todd and a fellow legislator, Rusty Grills, R-Newbern, have argued that such legislation would doom the state to a lawsuit that it cannot win.

Meanwhile, the fate of the landfill remains in the hands of the TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation, which has been called upon to testify at each of the two House hearings. TDEC is considering recertification of the Roberta Phase II permit that was originally issued in 2010, as well as an application for a rail transfer station.

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TBI investigates death of Stanley Creek man

HUNTSVILLE | The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is probing the shooting death of a 24-year-old man who died after being shot inside is home on Stanley Creek Road east of here on Monday.

Xavier Burum, 24, was identified by TBI as the victim of the shooting. He was reportedly discovered inside is home by Scott County Sheriff’s Office deputies Monday morning. He was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Sheriff Brian Keeton said Monday afternoon that the case had been handed off to the TBI. The TBI said it had been requested to conduct an independent investigation by the 8th Judicial District Attorney General’s office.

No suspect has been named in the incident.

Patton Funeral Home has charge of funeral arrangements for Burum, which remain incomplete. Burum was a former football player at Oak Ridge High School.

☀️ Weather: Rain showers tomorrow afternoon as a cold front moves through the region, dropping temperatures from around 70° into the 50s, then to near freezing tomorrow night. We’ll only get into the mid 50s on Saturday, but we’ll be in the mid 60s by Sunday with plenty of sunshine both days. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: Fourth Saturday night worship services will be held at Straight Fork Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and Antioch Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com. For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

National Park Service hunts sign thief

BANDY CREEK | The National Park Service is seeking information on the person responsible for removing the arrowhead NPS logo from the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area sign at the east entrance on Leatherwood Road outside Oneida sometime over the weekend.

The NPS said Thursday that the theft occurred sometime on March 21 or March 22.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the NPS at (423) 223-4330, or leave a confidential message on the Resource Protection Tip Line at (423) 569-7301.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Jason Pike has been named the new girls basketball coach at Oneida High School, Oneida Special School District Director Dr. Jeanny Phillips announced Friday morning.

Pike, a 1995 graduate of OHS, is a former head coach of the Oneida Middle School boys basketball program and has coached in various other capacities, as well. He spent this past season as an assistant coach on Marv West’s staff. He has also served as an assistant coach of the Oneida High School boys basketball program, and has been the head coach of the Oneida Middle School baseball program. He currently works as Oneida’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) teacher and the high school’s strength and conditioning coordinator.

“We are excited to have Coach Pike leading our girls’ basketball program,” said Phillips. “His loyalty, deep connection to our school community, and proven track record make him the ideal leader to guide the Lady Indians forward.”

Pike is married to Becky Pike, who is a practical nursing instructor at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville. They have two daughters, Kelsey and Madison.

“Former players frequently describe Coach Pike as caring, determined, and passionate about mentoring young athletes,” Phillips said. “He is committed to building on the program’s positive momentum while emphasizing academic success, character development, and competitive excellence.”

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SHS construction students complete spring projects

HUNTSVILLE | Students in Jason Jeffers’ construction technology class recently completed two spring projects. In one project, students planned out and constructed a custom-made storage shed. This project helped students learn how to plan the materials needed for a custom construction job and get hands-on learning experience as they built the shed from the ground up.

Students also took part in planning and pouring a concrete sidewalk in front of a campus structure. This experience helped students learn how to plan the amount of concrete and other supplies needed to pour the sidewalk. They also gained experience in pouring and finishing concrete.

Each of these projects provided students with skills they can use in their future employment or general homeownership.

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Scott County hikes!

The Independent Herald’s Spring Hiking Challenge launched over the weekend with a 2.5-mile hike to Sunset Overlook in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. The first hike was revealed at 10:46 a.m. Friday — the official start of spring — and hundreds of Scott Countians completed the hike over the next three days. It is the first of 14 hikes — one per week — that will be featured between now and the last day of spring in June. There will be prize giveaways at the end of the hike for those who complete the entire challenge, and also weekly prize giveaways throughout the 14-week period.

Following are a few photos from the first week hike to Sunset Overlook.

The second hike will be announced Thursday.

Six apply for director of schools post

HUNTSVILLE | The Scott County Board of Education will have six candidates to consider for its looming Director of Schools vacancy. The deadline to apply for the position was Friday.

According to Scott County Attorney John Beaty, following is the list of applicants for the position:

• Scott Cash, of Oneida. He is a 24-year veteran of the Scott County School System, and has been principal at Fairview Elementary School for the past nine years. He was a teacher and coach at Fairview for 15 years before taking the principal position, and also served as assistant principal there.

• Kenny Chadwell, of Helenwood. He was a teacher and coach in the Scott County School System for 15 years, and is currently a principal in the Campbell County School District. He also represents the 4th District on Scott County Commission.

• Jerry E. Gibson, of Texas. He is a former superintendent of schools for various school systems in Texas, including the Galveston Independent School District, the Marshall Independent School District, and the Coldspring-Oakhurst Consolidated Independent School District. He is currently an education consultant with Systems That Work.

• Daniel Sexton, of Jacksboro. He is a graduate of Scott High School, and is currently principal of the East LaFollette Learning Academy. He is a former assistant principal at both Campbell County High School and Clinton High School, and spent 18 years before that as a teacher and coach at Anderson County High School.

• Keith Shannon, of Sunbright. He is a past principal at Robbins Elementary School and is the second-winningest football coach in Scott High’s history. He spent more than 20 years in the Scott County School System and was most recently the school system’s CTE director. He currently serves as principal of the Morgan County Career & Technical Center in Wartburg.

• Marc Taylor, of Williamsburg, Ky. He is the current principal at Scott High School. He is a past assistant superintendent of the Williamsburg (Ky.) Independent School District, where he also served as a school principal. He was at McCreary Central High School for 22 years, much of that as a teacher and coach before leaving the school as assistant principal.

Bill Hall, Scott County’s current director of schools, will retire when his contract ends on June 30.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

The Week Ahead

🌥️ Weather: We’re going to see considerably cooler temperatures to start the week, only topping out around 60° today and tomorrow. We’ll begin a warming trend on Wednesday, though, and be back to near 80° Thursday before another cold front knocks us back into the 50s and 60s for next weekend. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Monday: The Scott County Airport Authority will meet at 5 p.m. at the Scott County Airport in Oneida.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District regularly patrols its system and checks pipelines for leaks to help mitigate hazardous situations. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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HUNTSVILLE | The Scott County Board of Education will have six candidates to consider for its looming Director of Schools vacancy. The deadline to apply for the position was Friday.

According to Scott County Attorney John Beaty, following is the list of applicants for the position:

• Scott Cash, of Oneida. He is a 24-year veteran of the Scott County School System, and has been principal at Fairview Elementary School for the past nine years. He was a teacher and coach at Fairview for 15 years before taking the principal position, and also served as assistant principal there.

• Kenny Chadwell, of Helenwood. He was a teacher and coach in the Scott County School System for 15 years, and is currently a principal in the Campbell County School District. He also represents the 4th District on Scott County Commission.

• Jerry E. Gibson, of Texas. He is a former superintendent of schools for various school systems in Texas, including the Galveston Independent School District, the Marshall Independent School District, and the Coldspring-Oakhurst Consolidated Independent School District. He is currently an education consultant with Systems That Work.

• Daniel Sexton, of Jacksboro. He is a graduate of Scott High School, and is currently principal of the East LaFollette Learning Academy. He is a former assistant principal at both Campbell County High School and Clinton High School, and spent 18 years before that as a teacher and coach at Anderson County High School.

• Keith Shannon, of Sunbright. He is a past principal at Robbins Elementary School and is the second-winningest football coach in Scott High’s history. He spent more than 20 years in the Scott County School System and was most recently the school system’s CTE director. He currently serves as principal of the Morgan County Career & Technical Center in Wartburg.

• Marc Taylor, of Williamsburg, Ky. He is the current principal at Scott High School. He is a past assistant superintendent of the Williamsburg (Ky.) Independent School District, where he also served as a school principal. He was at McCreary Central High School for 22 years, much of that as a teacher and coach before leaving the school as assistant principal.

Bill Hall, Scott County’s current director of schools, will retire when his contract ends on June 30.

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Landfill bill passes by razor-thin margin

NASHVILLE | Legislation designed to stop the proposed Roberta Phase II landfill in Scott County stayed alive in the Tennessee General Assembly by the skin of its teeth Wednesday evening.

House Bill 2202, carried by state Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, survived a vote in the Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee by a razor-thin vote of 5-4 Thursday, following an hour of question-and-answer testimony and debate among members of the panel.

Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers and Knox Horner, the Cleveland, Tenn. landfill developer who is the public face of the Roberta Phase II project, testified on opposing sides of the issue. Representatives of the TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation, which oversees landfills, were also called to testify.

In the end, a bipartisan group of three Republicans and two Democrats voted to send the bill to full committee, despite objections from two Republican members of the panel who vowed that passing the legislation will destine the state for a lawsuit it cannot win.

The bill will next be considered by the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, likely next week, though it had not been scheduled Wednesday evening.

Keisling, who is not a member of the subcommittee, told his colleagues that his bill — which he is carrying with state Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston — is “not really an anti-landfill bill,” but is instead a “pro-conservation bill.” He said the existing Volunteer Regional Landfill has 24 years of remaining life expectancy, and added that every elected body in Scott County has taken a unanimous position against the proposed landfill.

“To my knowledge, no elected official at any level of government (in Scott County) has spoken up in favor of the landfill,” Keisling said. “This is for the people of Scott County. I’m here representing my constituents.”

Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers represented the opposition to the landfill, stating that while his town only includes 1,700 people, he was in Nashville to represent the more than 22,000 people who live in Scott County.

“If our tourism goes away, most of our livelihood goes away,” Jeffers told the subcommittee, adding that the people of Scott County are a resolute people who withstood the end of the timber-cutting and coal-mining eras by benefiting from the recreation and tourism opportunities created by the establishment of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area in the 1970s.

It is the Big South Fork River that the legislation seeks to use to stop the proposed landfill. It designates the river as a Class II Pastoral River under Tennessee’s 1964 Scenic Rivers Act and adds provisions that are written to be specific to Scott County by stating that a landfill cannot be built anywhere in a county with a Scenic River that is formed by two rivers meeting, then flowing through a national river and recreation area before crossing into a neighboring state.

The legislation excludes the existing Volunteer Regional Landfill, which is situated next-door to the proposed Roberta Phase II project.

“We are a resolute people and we will find a way to survive, but this landfill is not needed and not wanted,” Jeffers said, adding that “there is nobody in that coalition (of local governments), of all those governmental officials, that want this landfill.”

Jeffers said Scott County was targeted for a second landfill that accepts trash from outside the county because of its large geographical size and small population number.

“Our beauty and our vastness make us a victim,” he said. “Believe me, people like (Horner) are coming to a town near you.”

Horner, the landfill developer who is leading the effort to develop Roberta Phase II, told the legislators that his company began working on the project three years ago. He pointed out that a local Chancery Court judge ruled in 1992 that a landfill could be located on the property, and that TDEC had issued the Roberta Phase II permit in 2010.

“The landfill was never built because the owner passed away,” Horner said. “Three years ago, we started a recertification process on the permit. We have a valid solid waste permit for a landfill in Scott County.”

Horner added that his company wants to create a recycling solution at the landfill, arguing that recycling is currently only available in Tennessee’s urban areas. Jeffers countered that Scott County already has a recycling center and recycles approximately 38% of its solid waste.

The bill breezed through the Senate, meeting no opposition in committee before unanimously passing when it reached the full body earlier this week.

Early on in Wednesday’s subcommittee debate, state Rep. Rusty Grills, a Republican from rural West Tennessee, indicated that the House proceeding would be different when he stated flatly that he could not support the bill despite his respect for Keisling.

“This company has done everything they’re supposed to,” Grills said. “They have met the process TDEC has laid out. For us to come in and change the rules after the game has started is immoral. It goes against everything we’re supposed to do here. We’re setting ourselves up for a lawsuit and we’re going to get our brains beat out in state court if we change the rules after the game has started. If we change the rules, that’s fine, but you can’t change the rules after the game has started.”

Rep. Chris Todd, the Jackson, Tenn. Republican who chairs the committee where the bill will next land, questioned the landfill’s eight-mile distance from the Big South Fork River. He would later point out that the Scenic Rivers Act is designed to protect a two-mile buffer around rivers. He also quizzed Horner on Roberta Phase II’s proximity to Volunteer Regional Landfill, to which Horner responded that the two landfill properties share a 1.2-mile property line.

Rep. Rebecca Alexander, the Jonesborough Republican who wound up being the deciding vote, said she was concerned when Horner visited her office last week and told her that trash would be transported into Roberta Phase II via train.

“The railway gives me some pause,” Alexander said. “I don’t want (other people’s) waste in my county. I want to be able to take care of my own waste … I don’t live there but I don’t want anyone else’s trash in my county.”

Horner countered that Tennessee has 95 counties and 16 Class I landfills, saying that the current design requirements for landfills require that they accept at least 500 tons of waste per day to break even financially, meaning that it isn’t feasible for each county to have its own landfill.

“The numbers don’t work,” Horner said. “That’s why this business is the way it is. Every county can’t have their own landfill. It just doesn’t work.”

Jeffers countered that Scott County was being considered for a second landfill not because there’s a need but because “it’s a big business.” He added that there’s a shortage of landfills in Tennessee, but that shortage exists in the western two-thirds of the state, not in East Tennessee.

In the end, two competing arguments emerged. Justin Jones, a Williamson County Democrat who was in the spotlight two years ago as one of three members of the House expelled during a gun debate, espoused the right of Scott Countians to decide for themselves what is located in their back yard.

“Many of us believe, whether we live in Scott County or not, that the people that live there should be able to decide what’s best for their community. It’s unfortunate that this is becoming bigger than it is.”

The opposing viewpoint, espoused by Todd and Fritts, is that private property rights are protected by the constitutions of Tennessee and the United States.

“It’s a very difficult situation we’re in here,” Todd said to Keisling. “I understand you’re doing what you’re asked to do by the constituents of your county, but they’ve asked you to come in here and literally trample on the constitution that you and I swore to uphold.”

Todd made a motion to postpone the bill for a summer study session, which was narrowly defeated by a 5-4 vote. Afterward, he sharpened his rhetoric. The 22,000-plus people of Scott County, he said, “want to be a democracy, which means mob rule, and change the rules in the middle of the game for a private company that owns a permit.”

That was a reference to Volunteer Regional, which is owned by Knoxville-based Waste Connections LLC. Todd accused Scott Countians of running interference for Waste Connections to protect it against competition from Roberta Phase II.

“This is not hypothetical,” he said, adding that the legislation’s water quality argument “is a crock.” He finished by saying his objection to the bill had nothing to do with Keisling but was “about a group of people trying to protect a private company that’s already in business. That seems painfully obvious.”

Jones objected, saying that Jeffers and the people of Scott County are owed an apology.

“It is so beneath the dignity of this committee to say that this is about mob rule and to attack their integrity,” Jones said, before being gaveled down by subcommittee chairman Greg Martin, R-Chattanooga, for being out of order. Jones objected to that assessment, saying that Todd was allowed to “attack the people who live in this county” without being interrupted.

Todd, for his part, echoed what Grills had earlier said about a lawsuit.

“This bill literally tramples on private property rights,” he said. “I guarantee you that there will be a lawsuit that this state will lose if this law goes into effect. We’ll all be back here next year writing a check. It is a taking. It is clearly a taking. We cannot do that under the Tennessee Constitution or the U.S. Constitution.”

Alexander and Jones were joined in their vote to send the bill to the full committee by Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, and by Republicans Greg Vital of Chattanooga and Monty Fritts of Kingston.

Joining Grills, Martin and Todd in voting against the legislation was Tom Stinnett, a Blount County Republican.

All nine of those legislators are part of the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee that will determine whether to send the bill to the House floor for an up or down vote. They’re joined in the committee by Nashville Democrat Aftyn Behn, Greenfield Republican Tandy Darby, Pulaski Republican Clay Doggett, Kingsport Republican Bud Hulsey, Halls Republican Chris Hurt, Erin Republican Jay Reedy, and Dayton Republican Ron Travis.

Scott County’s various government entities remain steadfastly opposed to the landfill. County Commission passed a resolution of support for the Yager-Keisling legislation when it met on Monday, and Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers said his office has also penned a letter of support for the legislation.

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A landfill by any other name…

Residents throughout Scott County began receiving robocalls Thursday evening warning them that a “proposed ecology park in Scott County” that would bring new jobs to the community and split $2 million annually between Scott County and the Town of Oneida is in danger of being “shut down” by government representatives in Nashville.

As it turns out, however, “ecology park” is just another term for “dump.”

The call — which urged local residents to contact their elected officials to tell them “Scott County deserves this economic opportunity” — directed residents to a website stating that the “ecology park” will contain a materials recovery facility, a landfill, and a railroad.

That is a reference to the proposed Roberta Phase II landfill in the Bear Creek area of north Oneida, which has faced stiff opposition from local governments and residents alike.

The robocall campaign comes on the eve of a vote in a state House of Representatives subcommittee that would advance legislation aimed at stopping the landfill development by classifying the Big South Fork River as a Tennessee Scenic River and applying new provisions that would only impact Scott County: not allowing a new landfill in a county where two rivers meet before traveling through a national river and recreation area and then crossing into another state.

That legislation, sponsored by Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, and Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, has already sailed through the Senate, meeting no opposition and passing unanimously earlier this week.

A similar vote of approval in the House — which can only happen after the legislation clears a subcommittee vote tomorrow and a committee vote later — would pave the way for Gov. Bill Lee to sign it into law.

The website touted by the robocalls states that the “ecology park” will result in 50 permanent jobs in Scott County, increased revenue from property tax payments, $1 million in contractual fees to both the Town of Oneida and the county, and other benefits.

The website states that “this new development would bring in millions of dollars to our community but big business interests are trying to shut it down.” It adds: “We have to make our voice heard, our community should not be passed over.”

In reality, the fight against the landfill has been almost completely waged at the grassroots and local government levels. A coalition of local governments that includes Scott County, the towns of Oneida, Huntsville, and Winfield, and McCreary County, has spent nearly $100,000 in legal fees to build a defense against the landfill. One small business, Timber Rock Lodge, which is located adjacent to the proposed landfill, has filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court.

Ironically, the biggest business interest involved in the landfill fight has been the National Waste & Recycling Association, which sent lobbyists to the state capital last week to argue against the Yager-Keisling legislation.

It isn’t clear whether the National Waste & Recycling Association was also behind Tuesday’s spurt of robocalls; the caller was not identified, and the economicopportunity4scottcounty.org domain name — which was registered on Tuesday — uses a proxy registrar that allows the domain owner to keep its personal information private in the WHOIS database, which is a relatively common tactic.

Landfills have been termed “ecology parks” by public relations campaigns in the past. However, the term — sometimes shortened to eco-park — usually refers to land set aside for conservation efforts and education. Often, an eco-park is a former landfill that has been repurposed as a green space, with walking trails, wildlife habitats and recreational areas.

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TCAT expands class offerings for jail inmates

HUNTSVILLE | Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville is offering a second program for inmates at the Scott County Jail, President Dwight Murphy and Scott County Sheriff Brian Keeton announced Monday.

Inmates will now be eligible to enroll in Automotive Technology and work toward receiving a diploma as a certified auto repair technician. The new offering comes on the heels of early success in TCAT’s Welding Technology offering for jail inmates, which launched in December.

As with the welding program, the automotive program will be open for up to 10 inmates from the Scott County Jail. It will be located on TCAT Oneida/Huntsville’s main campus in Huntsville, which is located only half a mile from the jail. A certified corrections officer employed by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office will be on-site at all times. Because the program is being offered at night, no other students will be present on campus while inmates are present. Inmates chosen for the program will be among those who have received trustee status at the jail, meaning they have demonstrated good behavior while being housed at the facility.

Brian Gibson will teach the program. He is the son of Tim Gibson, the day instructor for the Automotive Technology program on the Huntsville campus. A native of McCreary County, he has nearly a quarter-century of experience in the automotive industry. He is a TCAT Oneida/Huntsville graduate, having completed the Automotive Technology program in 2000. He has worked for Chambers Automotive for the past 23 years and has also owned his own shop, Gibson Automotive, for the past six years.

Inmates who participate in the program will be able to work toward receiving their Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications in 10 different areas of auto repair. These certifications are the industry standard for demonstrating competence and ability. Once they’re released from jail, inmates who participate in the program will be provided an opportunity to enroll full-time to complete the program and receive their diploma.

“As sheriff, I’m proud to partner with TCAT to provide 10 eligible inmates with an additional opportunity through an automotive class,” Sheriff Brian Keeton said. “Building on the success of our welding program, this expansion reflects our commitment to offering meaningful training that prepares individuals for a successful return to society. These programs provide the skills, encouragement, and hope needed to help them stay on a positive path forward.”

“We continue to be grateful to Sheriff Keeton and Captain Amy Lay for their leadership and partnership,” TCAT Oneida/Huntsville President Dwight Murphy said. “This collaboration helps inmates create a fresh start. Providing a pathway to earn an automotive repair certification can have a meaningful impact as they transition back into the workforce.”

“This initiative is an investment in both our community and in individual members of our community,” said TCAT Oneida/Huntsville Vice President Tim Smith. “By lowering recidivism through education and job training, we can ease the strain on law enforcement while also strengthening the region’s workforce by preparing more skilled workers to meet local needs.”

Hiking Challenge kicks off tomorrow

Friday is the first day of spring. That also means the Independent Herald’s Spring Hiking Challenge will kick off tomorrow! Where are we headed? The first hike will drop at 10:46 a.m. tomorrow (the official start of spring) as part of our Friday Features newsletter. If you need it faster, look for it in our E-Edition that will be published this evening.

The Weekend!

☀️ Weather: Another glorious weekend is in store. We’ll see partly to mostly sunny skies each day, and temperatures that go from around 70° on Friday to the mid 70s on Saturday to the lower 80s on Sunday! Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: The U.S.S. Tennessee Battleship Memorial Museum will be open on Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The focus area is Peacetime Service. Admission is free. The museum is located on the campus of Scott High School as part of the Museum of Scott County complex.

• Saturday: Third Saturday night worship services will be held at Lone Mountain Baptist Church (6p.m.), Capital Hill Missionary Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.), Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church (7 p.m.), High Point United Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and House of the Lord (7 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Residents throughout Scott County began receiving robocalls Thursday evening warning them that a “proposed ecology park in Scott County” that would bring new jobs to the community and split $2 million annually between Scott County and the Town of Oneida is in danger of being “shut down” by government representatives in Nashville.

As it turns out, however, “ecology park” is just another term for “dump.”

The call — which urged local residents to contact their elected officials to tell them “Scott County deserves this economic opportunity” — directed residents to a website stating that the “ecology park” will contain a materials recovery facility, a landfill, and a railroad.

That is a reference to the proposed Roberta Phase II landfill in the Bear Creek area of north Oneida, which has faced stiff opposition from local governments and residents alike.

The robocall campaign comes on the eve of a vote in a state House of Representatives subcommittee that would advance legislation aimed at stopping the landfill development by classifying the Big South Fork River as a Tennessee Scenic River and applying new provisions that would only impact Scott County: not allowing a new landfill in a county where two rivers meet before traveling through a national river and recreation area and then crossing into another state.

That legislation, sponsored by Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, and Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, has already sailed through the Senate, meeting no opposition and passing unanimously earlier this week.

A similar vote of approval in the House — which can only happen after the legislation clears a subcommittee vote tomorrow and a committee vote later — would pave the way for Gov. Bill Lee to sign it into law.

The website touted by the robocalls states that the “ecology park” will result in 50 permanent jobs in Scott County, increased revenue from property tax payments, $1 million in contractual fees to both the Town of Oneida and the county, and other benefits.

The website states that “this new development would bring in millions of dollars to our community but big business interests are trying to shut it down.” It adds: “We have to make our voice heard, our community should not be passed over.”

In reality, the fight against the landfill has been almost completely waged at the grassroots and local government levels. A coalition of local governments that includes Scott County, the towns of Oneida, Huntsville, and Winfield, and McCreary County, has spent nearly $100,000 in legal fees to build a defense against the landfill. One small business, Timber Rock Lodge, which is located adjacent to the proposed landfill, has filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court.

Ironically, the biggest business interest involved in the landfill fight has been the National Waste & Recycling Association, which sent lobbyists to the state capital last week to argue against the Yager-Keisling legislation.

It isn’t clear whether the National Waste & Recycling Association was also behind Tuesday’s spurt of robocalls; the caller was not identified, and the economicopportunity4scottcounty.org domain name — which was registered on Tuesday — uses a proxy registrar that allows the domain owner to keep its personal information private in the WHOIS database, which is a relatively common tactic.

Landfills have been termed “ecology parks” by public relations campaigns in the past. However, the term — sometimes shortened to eco-park — usually refers to land set aside for conservation efforts and education. Often, an eco-park is a former landfill that has been repurposed as a green space, with walking trails, wildlife habitats and recreational areas.

Subscribe now

Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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Howdy Coffee officially opens new store

HUNTSVILLE | After two and a half years of operating out of a portable trailer, Howdy Coffee officially has brick-and-mortar digs … and the Town of Huntsville has its first permanent coffee shop.

Howdy Coffee Company officially cut the ribbon on its new store on East Monticello Pike Friday morning, after spending months remodeling the building behind where its trailer has set since September 2023.

The new store is located next-door to Scott Appalachian Industries.

Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers and Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers joined representatives of the Scott County Chamber of Commerce and Howdy Coffee for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Howdy Coffee Company is owned by Jagger and Leondra Coffey.

In addition to mocha, latte, and traditional coffees, along with cold brews and frozen coffees, Howdy offers Chai tea, hot chocolate, lemonade and Italian soda.

The Coffey family has a long history of doing business in Huntsville. Jagger Coffey is the grandson of the late James and Phyllis Coffey.

James Coffey owned the James E. Coffey Construction Co. for many years prior to his untimely death at the age of 53. He had just started Coffey’s Rentals when he died in 2000. Phyllis Coffey, who died last year, owned Master’s Touch Salon & Boutique. Their son-in-law, John Beaty, continues to operate his law office in the Master’s Touch Plaza, which James and Phyllis Coffey built. Their son, Trent Coffey (Jagger’s father) is executive director of S.T.A.N.D., and their daughter, Misty Beaty, is the postmaster in Huntsville.

Leondra Coffey is a native of McCreary County. She and Jagger Coffey were married in 2024.

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Damaging freeze to occur tonight, tomorrow night

The cost of a warm start to spring like the northern Cumberland Plateau region has experienced in 2026 is the damaging freezes that will inevitably follow, and the first of those for this year is about to be experienced across the region the next two nights.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a low temperature of 20° tonight in the Oneida area, followed by a low of 21° tomorrow night. Temperatures will only rise into the mid 30s tomorrow, and will be in the 30s much of today, as well.

These are not likely to be record low temperatures for the date; the record for tomorrow morning is 14°, set in 2017, and the record for Wednesday morning is 12°, set in 1967.

In fact, the average date of the latest morning that temperatures drop to 20° or lower in the Oneida area each year is March 17, which puts this week’s cold snap right on schedule. The latest it has ever occurred was April 11, back in 1966.

However, this cold snap is exacerbated by the much warmer-than-normal temperatures that the region has experienced this season, which has accelerated the start of the blooming process. Many species of fruit trees are in full bloom across the region. Peach trees are nearing full bloom, and many varieties of pear trees are blooming, as well.

When temperatures dip below freezing, which is 32°, the water inside the cells of flower petals and stems begins to freeze. As ice crystals expand, cell walls rupture and irreversible damage is caused, resulting in wilted, discolored, or mushy flowers that lose their structural integrity. Although some spring blooms withstand cold temperatures better than others, fruit trees are especially susceptible. When apple trees are in full bloom, a temperature of 28° will kill approximately 10% of developing fruit, while a temperature of 25° will kill 90% of the developing fruit. With temperatures expected to drop to near 20° the next two nights, this year’s fruit crop is likely to take a significant hit.

Home gardeners with small to medium trees can use cloth or burlap to cover their trees and trap in warm air. Such materials must fully cover the tree and extend to the ground to be effective, but should not stick to the blooms, as this can cause further damage. Plastic tarps are not recommended.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

The Week Ahead

❄️ Weather: Snow showers are likely today as colder air surges in. Any accumulations should be minor and primarily limited to elevated surfaces; widespread travel hazards are not anticipated. Temperatures will drop through the 30s today, bottoming out around 20° tonight. Tomorrow will only get into the mid 30s, and we’ll drop to near 20° again tomorrow night before a warming trend begins Wednesday. We’ll be back to near 70° on Friday. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Monday: Scott County Commission will meet at 5 p.m. at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Robbins Elementary School Food Pantry will be open March 17 from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Barton Chapel (5760 Scott High-way, Robbins). Turn onto School House Road at Keeton Monuments and follow it to the entrance of Barton Chapel (do not try to enter Barton Chapel from U.S. 27 please). Parents, grandparents, guardians or caregivers of a child attending Robbins Elementary School or Head Start are eligible to receive food.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Town of Oneida Board of Mayor and Aldermen will meet at 6 p.m. at the Oneida Municipal Services Building.

Thursday: The Town of Huntsville Board of Mayor and Aldermen will meet at 6 p.m. at the Huntsville Municipal Building.

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District regularly patrols its system and checks pipelines for leaks to help mitigate hazardous situations. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Yager, Keisling bill to stop Roberta Phase II landfill clears committee

NASHVILLE | Legislation carried by state Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, and state Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, that intends to stop the Roberta Phase II landfill in Oneida has cleared a key committee vote.

By a 9-0 vote on Wednesday, the Senate’s Energy, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee forwarded the bill to the Senate Calendar Committee.

The carefully-worded bill, which is an amendment of existing legislation governing recreation and natural areas in the Volunteer State, would seek to stop the proposed Roberta Phase II landfill project at Bear Creek by protecting the Big South Fork River.

As introduced, Senate Bill 2172 and its House companion, HB 2202, would extend the amount of time state officials have to designate the boundaries of a scenic river area following the addition of a river segment to the state scenic rivers system from 24 months to 27 months.

However, an amendment to the initial bill is where the legislation carries weight. It classifies the Big South Fork River, from the confluence of New River and Clear Fork west of Helenwood to the TN/KY border, as a Tennessee Class II Pastoral River Area. It further adds new language to the original statute that states a landfill “is not permitted within the entirety of a county in which two rivers join to form a Class II river that flows through a national river and recreation area and, upon crossing the border of that county, enters the territory of a neighboring state.”

The amendment is obviously written to apply specifically to Scott County. No other county in the state would meet those specifications.

A separate subsection created by the Yager-Keisling bill specifies that it does not prohibit a permit renewal or expansion of a landfill that is operating under a valid permit at the date that the bill becomes law. That exempts the existing Waste Connections-owned landfill at Bear Creek.

Roberta Phase II has a permit that was issued by the TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation in 2010 and is currently being considered for reauthorization by TDEC. However, the landfill was never constructed and is not in operation. Investors led by Cleveland, Tenn. landfill developer Knox Horner intend to purchase approximately 700 acres of property and build a landfill on the 24 acres initially permitted within its boundaries, as well as build a transfer station along the Norfolk-Southern Railroad nearby.

Yager and Keisling quietly filed their legislation on Feb. 2.

The Senate version of the legislation passed the Energy, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee Wednesday, shortly after Yager told the Independent Herald that he was confident the votes were in place to pass the bill out of the committee.

The amendment was adopted by the committee without discussion. Afterward, Katie Evans — vice president of the National Waste & Recycling Association — took the floor to address the committee. She said she was “sympathetic” to Yager’s need to “respond to his constituents,” but that her organization opposes the legislation for several reasons. She said the act that the Yager-Keisling legislation amends was never intended to be used to stop a landfill, and that local governments have several tools at their disposal — such as the Jackson Law — to regulate landfills.

A court ruled in 1992 that Scott County could not use the Jackson Law to stop the inaugural Roberta landfill, which today is owned by Waste Connections as the Volunteer Regional Landfill. The county’s Jackson Law expired in 2010, shortly before TDEC issued the Roberta Phase II permit. However, the county has since reimplemented the Jackson Law, and Scott County Attorney John Beaty has indicated that the county is prepared to argue that the Jackson Law never expired in Scott County.

Speaking after Evans’ remarks, Yager called it a “very, very important issue that impacts not just Scott County but all of upper East Tennessee that is impacted by this river,” adding that a landfill will “devastate the water quality, damage the public health, and put an end to the tourism industry in that area.”

Yager went on to say that the bill is “not anti-landfill, because we have a landfill in Scott County that has 24 years left.”

“To suggest we are anti-landfill, we are not. We are pro-Big South Fork River and preserving the pristine quality of that river,” he added.

Addressing the Jackson Law specifically, Yager confirmed what has been assumed: the Jackson Law cannot retroactively be used to stop Roberta Phase II. Because of that, he said, local government has “no recourse” to stop the landfill.

However, Yager repeated to his fellow legislators what he told the IH by phone moments earlier: local authorities are very united in their stance against the landfill.

“I’m telling you, to illustrate the impact that this landfill, the pollution of this river would have on Scott County, every local government in the county has taken a unanimous opposition to it,” Yager said. “The County Commission, the cities of Oneida and Winfield and Huntsville, the Chamber of Commerce has taken a position against it because of the issues we’ve outlined. This matters so much ... We want to preserve the environment that God created and gave to us.”

State Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, said Tennessee is in danger of “becoming a dumping ground for the entire Southeast.”

Yager, who visits Scott County for a hike each October that is led by the Independent Herald, told the committee that he has hiked “every trail in the Big South Fork over the past 14 years,” and can assure legislators that it is “one of the most pristine and beautiful environments in the State of Tennessee, and we don’t need to sully that with the development of a 700-acre landfill in Scott County.”

The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Yager, will next be scheduled for a potential floor vote.

The House version, sponsored by Keisling, is currently assigned to the Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee, where it has not been scheduled for deliberation.

Following Wednesday’s deliberation in Senate committee, Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, signed on as a co-sponsor of the legislation, joining Yager and Keisling.

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Three in running for Scott County Director of Schools so far

HUNTSVILLE | With a week remaining before the application deadline, three persons have applied for the Scott County Director of Schools position.

John Beaty, the county’s attorney, said Thursday that the school board has a resolution stipulating that applications remain sealed until after the application deadline, which is March 20. However, he said that three people have submitted applications so far.

The applicants will be considered by the school board to succeed Bill Hall, who will resign from the position at the end of the current fiscal year on June 30.

Scott County isn’t the only school system in the region looking for a new director. Campbell County’s vacancy drew 15 applicants, which have since been trimmed to three finalists.

Hall will leave the Central Office as the second-longest-tenured school superintendent in Scott County’s history. He began his career in education in the Oneida Special School District, then moved to Scott High School in 1995 when he accepted the head football coach position there. He moved up through the ranks from teacher and coach to assistant principal, then to principal after Sharon Wilson left that position to succeed Mike Davis as director of schools. Finally, Hall succeeded Wilson as director of schools when she retired.

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Town of Oneida secures pair of grants for America’s 250th celebration

ONEIDA | The Town of Oneida has been awarded a pair of grants to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding in 1776, Mayor Lori Phillips-Jones announced earlier this week.

The first is a $10,000 grant from the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial, which will be used to paint a mural honoring the history of Scott County. The second is a $10,000 grant from the same organization that will be used to host bluegrass music nights at Oneida City Park, highlighting the remodeled depot museum there.

The second round of the Tennessee America 250 grant program received 365 applications totaling more than $6.3 million in funding requests, according to the state. The commission partially or fully funded 194 of those requests, representing 73 counties and more than $2.2 million.

“I am inspired by the excitement across the state to commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary,” said Ashley Howell, executive director of the Tennessee State Museum and chairperson of the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. “This year will be filled with exhibitions, programs, festivals, and preservation of our local and state history. We hope that these projects inspire Tennesseans across the state to engage with the anniversary in 2026.”

The deadline for spending the funds is April 30, 2027.

Virginia Bruce, the town’s events coordinator, said that bluegrass music is an important part of the community’s past.

“Bluegrass music is more than just a sound in Appalachia — it is the heartbeat of our communities, carrying the stories, struggles, and spirit of generations,” she said. “Grant funding for this project will help preserve that legacy by supporting events that honor the music’s history, ensuring that it continues to inspire residents and visitors while connecting people to the rich cultural heritage of the region.”

The Weekend!

☀️ Weather: A nice weekend is in store. We’ll see sunshine and a high of 62° on Friday, and mostly sunny skies and a high of 68° on Saturday. Sunday will see partly sunny skies and a high of 72°. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: Second Saturday night service will be held at Jake’s Branch United Baptist Church at 6 p.m. For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

• Looking Ahead: The Independent Herald’s Spring Hiking Challenge will begin Friday, March 20! Keep an eye out next week as the destination of our first hike is announced!

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube

Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Subscribe now

Larry West, the founder and longtime director of Scott Appalachian Industries, died Sunday at his Huntsville home, following months of declining health. He was 79.

A longtime educator and businessman, West began his professional career as a teacher in the Scott County School System and in 1984 established Scott Appalachian Industries, the Huntsville-based non-profit that he directed until his retirement.

Born Larry Richard West on Jan. 19, 1947, he was the son of Harold West and Ida Bell Coffey. He married Bonnie Keeton, the daughter of Seamon Keeton and Mable Buttram. They were married for 58 years at the time of his passing.

After teaching in the county school system and at Tennessee Technology Center (now Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville), West was hired by Scott County Government in the 1970s to direct a new program providing services to disabled persons.

Shortly thereafter, West founded Scott Appalachian Industries, which would become his life's work and legacy. From its start in 1984, SAI has provided services to help persons with disabilities live independently and with dignity. The company has constantly expanded the services it offers and has grown to become one of Scott County's largest employers. West also founded Housing Opportunities and People Enterprises (HOPE) in 1997 to provide independent housing for clients served by SAI.

One of West's most notable accomplishments during his nearly four-decade tenure at SAI was developing an alternative fuel station using compressed natural gas.

He was the 2025 Independent Herald/Scott County Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year.

West was active in youth sports through the years, serving as a basketball coach and helping establish Junior Pro leagues in Scott County. He was a member of White Rock Baptist Church in Huntsville.

West had five daughters: Terina Cantrell, Kaprecia Babb and husband Donnie, Toya Ellis and husband Ashley, Bo Mandy Yancey and husband Chris, and Miata Richardson and husband Michael. He had 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

West's wish was cremation and a private family service conducted by his pastor, Jim West. Jones & Son Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

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Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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SAI founder Larry West has died

HUNTSVILLE | Larry West, who founded Scott Appalachian Industries in the 1980s and served as its director for nearly 40 years, died Sunday after a long period of declining health. He was 79.

West began his career as an advocate and service provider for special needs persons in the 1970s, when he was hired by Scott County as the director for a new program for persons of disabilities. Shortly thereafter, he founded Scott Appalachian Industries, a Huntsville-based non-profit, to provide services to disabled residents. He also founded Housing Opportunities & People Enterprises (HOPE) to provide housing for persons with disabilities who have mobility needs.

West directed those companies for nearly 40 years, until his declining health forced him to retire. The services provided by SAI has greatly expanded across the decades, and it has grown into one of Scott County’s largest employers.

West was also a former Scott County Commissioner.

West and his wife, Bonnie, had five daughters: Terina, Toya, Kaprecia, Bo, and Miata.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Following is the story from when West was named the Independent Herald/Scott County Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year for 2025:

There are people whose influence is measured not by headlines or titles, but by the quiet, lasting changes they leave in their wake. In Scott County, few names better fit that description than Larry West, founder and long-time executive director of Scott Appalachian Industries Inc.

When Scott County advertised for a director for its program for persons of disabilities in the 1970s, one of the applicants for the job was Larry West. After being hired by the county, West started Scott Appalachian Industries, a Huntsville-based non-profit, to grow the services offered to persons with disability, as well as the number of people who could be served.

And SAI has only continued to grow and expand since that time.

West also started Housing Opportunities & People Enter-prises (HOPE), a separate company that provides housing for persons with disabilities who have mobility needs.

The 2025 Independent Herald/Scott County Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year award honors Larry West for his dedication to the community and its people. It isn’t so much for what he did during the 2025 calendar year; West is retired and his declining health no longer permits him to be involved in the day-to-day operations of the company he led for nearly 40 years.

But West’s impact was still being felt this year — and will for many years yet to come. In October, with West and his wife, Bonnie, on hand, SAI handed over the keys to a brand-new ambulance that it donated to the Scott County Ambulance Service. Kaprecia Babb, one of West’s five daughters who is carrying on her father’s legacy as SAI’s admin-istrative director, pointed out that the donation of the ambulance was a tribute to her father’s lifetime of work, saying: “As long as we have existed he has said, ‘I want to give back to my community; I don’t want to be a burden.’ He always said that if we couldn’t afford it, we didn’t need it. He’s retired now but this is the time we can give back and it’s only because of what he has done all these years.”

Any recognition offered to Westt is recognition that is long overdue for a man who has done more than perhaps anyone else to expand opportunity, dignity, and independence for residents with disabilities in this community.

For decades, West devoted his professional life to a mission that most never fully see: ensuring that people with disabilities are not sidelined, overlooked, or forgotten, but instead supported, empowered, and included. Through Scott Appalachian Industries, he helped build a comprehensive network of services that addressed real needs — employment opportunities, daily living support, vocational training, community integration — at a time when such resources were scarce, especially in rural Appalachia.

What set West apart was not just vision, but persistence. Establishing and sustaining services for disabled individuals in a small county is never easy. There have been funding challenges, staffing shorrtages, and regulatory hurdles. But under West’s leadership, SAI grew from an idea into a lifeline — one that families could depend on and participants could trust.

It might be impossible to count exactly how many families SAI has provided hope for since it was found-ed more than 40 years ago. For those families, it has meant knowing that their loved one would be treated with respect, encouraged to develop skills, and given the chance to contribute meaningfully to the community. It has meant dignity — something that West always believed wasn’t optional but essential.

Despite the scope of his work, West has never sought recognition. He built programs, not portfolios. He focused on outcomes, not accolades. In a county full of hard workers who do good quietly, even by those standards, his humility stands out.

And that is precisely why this recognition matters.

Scott County’s Person of the Year is not always the loudest voice or the most visible figure. Sometimes it is the person who shows up day after day, year after year, doing the work that changes lives in ways that statistics can’t fully capture. Larry West is that person.

His legacy will live on in the services that SAI will continue to provide, the individuals who gained confidence and independence, and the families whose burdens were lightened because someone cared enough to build something lasting.

For improving the quality of life for disabled residents, for strengthening the social fabric of Scott County, and for doing it all without fanfare, Larry West is a worthy and deserving choice as the Independent Herald/Scott County Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year.

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Oneida pursues grant funding for ‘micropark’ at watershed lake

ONEIDA | The Town of Oneida is pursuing a grant to develop a micropark at Baker Lake in West Oneida, Mayor Lori Phillips-Jones said last week.

Phillips-Jones announced a public meeting that will be held Thursday, March 12, to collect public comments regarding the project. She said the area would include a boat ramp, picnic shelter, fishing area, and handicap-accessible parking.

The nearly 75-acre lake impounds Cotton Creek and the North Fork of Pine Creek and serves as the primary source of water for customers of the Oneida Water & Wastewater Department. It is named for Congressman Howard H. Baker Sr., a Scott County native.

For many years, the Baker Lake was one of the most popular fishing spots in Scott County, and boaters launched from a makeshift boat ramp on private property at the north end of the lake — what was originally Pine Creek Road before the road was rerouted for the construction of the lake. That ended in the early 2000s when the launch area was barricaded. Since that time, anglers have accessed the lake from the gated Rosser Lane on the south end of the lake.

The mayor said the proposed park will be closed to the public at dark, and will have a gate that can be locked at night. Only electric motors are allowed on the water.

Public comments are being accepted through March 23 at 5 p.m. and can be emailed to Lori.phillips-jones@oneidatn.gov. They can also be made at Thursday’s meeting, which will begin at 5 p.m. at the Oneida Municipal Services Building.

Once completed, the Baker Lake facility would be the town’s fourth recreational facility, joining Oneida City Park, the Jack E. Lay Sports Complex at Bear Creek, and the Oneida Municipal Golf Course.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

The Week Ahead

☀️ Weather: Today will be beautiful, with temperatures in the mid 70s, sunny skies, and only a light breeze. However, changes are coming, beginning with chances of scattered thunderstorms late tonight and tomorrow. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Monday: The Scott County Finance Committee will meet at the Scott County Mayor’s Office in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.

Monday: The Town of Winfield Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at Winfield City Hall, beginning at 6 p.m.

Monday: The Oneida Indians will travel to Hampton for a Class 1A substate game at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the IH Sports Network.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Scott County Board of Education will meet at the Central Office in Huntsville, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday: The Town of Oneida will hold a public meeting regarding a proposed micropark at Baker Lake, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Oneida Municipal Services Building.

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. You may recognize a natural gas leak by a rotten egg like smell or a hissing sound. If you know of or suspect a leak, leave the area and then call your gas supplier or 911. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube

Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Human remains identified as missing Scott Countian Justin Lowe

HUNTSVILLE | Nearly four years after he went missing, the body of Scott Countian Justin Lowe has been found.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday morning that human remains discovered five days earlier have been identified as Lowe.

Lowe was last seen on May 5, 2022, near a home on Widow’s Lane in the Annadell area east of Huntsville. He was 41 at the time.

It was near Widow’s Lane that a hunter discovered human remains on Saturday, Feb. 28. While authorities worked to confirm the identity, it was apparent from the start that the remains were likely those of Lowe. Personal belongings found near the body belonged to Lowe.

Lowe was the son of Jimmy Wayne Lowe and Debbie Ann Lowe. Jimmy Lowe died in November 2023.

Lowe is survived by two brothers, Jordan Lowe and Jacob Lowe.

Mountain People’s Health Councils offers general practice dentistry for all ages, using the latest technology for dental imagery and digital scanning. Sliding scale fees apply! Learn more. (Sponsored.)

Candidates removed, then restored, by state Republican Party

HUNTSVILLE | Two Republican candidates in Scott County have been restored to the May primary ballot by the state party.

Amanda Chambers Sexton, a candidate for Scott County Clerk, and Ronnie Phillips, a candidate for Sheriff, were among nearly 150 from across the state who were removed from the May primary by the Tennessee Republican Party — most for unpaid fees to the party.

However, Scott Golden, chair of the Republican Party, said in a Feb. 26 letter to Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins that dozens of them, including Sexton and Phillips, are being restored.

The Tennessee Republican Party has strict rules on who can seek elected office as a member of the party. Those candidates must have voted in three of the last four statewide primaries and pay a fee ranging from $50 to run for county commission to up to $5,000 for governor.

This is the first election on Scott County’s main four-year cycle to include a primary, after it was requested by both the Republican and Democratic Party. There was also a primary during the 2024 off-year election. Of the 51 candidates seeking office in Scott County this year, most are running as independents. Only 15 are running as Republicans. Of those, only two will actually compete against opposition in the May primary. Phillips, who is a two-term former Sheriff of Scott County, will face incumbent Sheriff Brian Keeton in the May primary, with the winner advancing to the August general election. Sexton, who sought the Clerk’s office in 2022, is unopposed on the May primary ballot and will advance to face incumbent Felicia Hamby Bilbrey in August. Another independent, Christina Kay Cross, will also be on the August ballot.

Dive Deeper: Complete list of candidates

Huntsville Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center offers short-term or long-term care … on your terms. Learn more. (Sponsored content.)

Oneida girls win region championship

HARRIMAN, Tenn. | With a 49-43 win over Coalfield here Wednesday night, Oneida’s Lady Indians captured their first region championship since 2023 and secured a home substate game on Saturday.

The Lady Indians led almost the entire game, and built as much as a 10-point advantage in the fourth quarter before Coalfield surged to cut it to three with just over three minutes to play.

Elli West was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Kendall Duncan, Larissa Jones and Kamryn Stiltner were each named to the all-tournament team.

Duncan had a big game in Wednesday’s finale, scoring a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Stiltner added 11 points and Jones finished with 10.

Coalfield’s Lily Wright, the regular season player of the year in District 3-A, finished with 13 points before fouling out of the game late.

One night earlier, Oneida’s boys advanced to substate and the region championship game with a win over Jellico at Harriman. The Indians will face the host Blue Devils in the championship game Thursday evening.

That same night, Scott High’s boys took Fulton, the state’s No. 5 team, to the wire before losing 55-50 to bring their season to a close. The Highlanders trailed by only one point late in the game before losing.

Lady Indians 49, Coalfield 43

Kendall Duncan: 12p / 10r
Kamryn Stiltner: 11p / 3r / 3a
Larissa Jones: 10p / 5r / 2s
Elli West: 6p / 4r / 5a
Elizabeth Zachary: 4p / 2r
Maddie Pike: 4p
Tynleigh Jeffers: 2p / 7r

Oneida 63, Jellico 58

Ben Gilbert: 20p / 17r / 2a
Grady Keeton: 18p / 5r / 2a / 2b
Jesse Zachary: 8p / 16r / 2a / 2b
Brock Ryon: 8p
Drayton Wade: 4p / 6r / 4a / 2s
Canaan Shoemaker: 3p / 3r / 4a
Kenton Lay: 2p / 4r

Fulton 55, Scott 50

Wyatt Lloyd: 21p / 4r / 2s
Jaigen Morgan: 13p / 2a / 2s
Isaiah Washam: 6p / 2r / 2s
Landon Washam: 4p / 3r
Brady Crabtree: 2p / 3a
Brennan Brumett: 2p / 2r
Landon Goodman: 2a

The Weekend!

☀️ Weather: Record temperatures are likely on Friday, soaring to near 80° under mostly sunny skies. There’s a slight chance of afternoon showers. Then rain will become likely Saturday and persist into Sunday before tapering off. Temperatures will remain well into the 70s on Saturday before falling back into the 60s on Sunday. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: The U.S.S. Tennessee Battleship Memorial Museum will be open on Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The focus area is Peacetime Service. Admission is free. The museum is located on the campus of Scott High School as part of the Museum of Scott County complex.

• Saturday: In high school sports, Oneida girls will host North Greene at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network.

• Saturday: First Saturday night services will be held at Capital Hill Missionary Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.), East Robbins Missionary Baptist Church (6 p.m.), Norma Missionary Baptist Church (6 p.m.), and Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church (7 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

Subscribe now

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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Open your account online — anytime, anywhere! First National Bank makes it easier than ever to bank with us. You can open an account online, from the comfort of your home or on the go. Start now. (Sponsored content.)

Human remains discovered in eastern Scott County

HUNTSVILLE | The Scott County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday morning that human remains have been discovered in the Pioneer community, and authorities are working to identify them.

The remains were discovered by a hunter Saturday evening in the Pioneer area.

The Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it is “working diligently to determine the identity of the individual. Once a positive identification is made and next of kin have been properly notified, we will provide an update to the public.”

The Sheriff’s Office also asked the public to refrain from speculation. However, speculation began almost immediately. There are a number of unsolved missing persons cases in Scott County.

One of those cases was closed in March 2025, when Kentucky authorities announced that human remains discovered in McCreary County in October 2023 were those of Will Cross, a 29-year-old Scott County man who had been missing since 2018.

Other missing persons from Scott County include:

• Philip Bowling, 43, missing from the Brimstone area since 2021 when he became the subject of a manhunt after warrants were issued for his arrest.

• Christina Bussell, 26, missing from the Winfield area since 2011.

• Darlene Chitwood, missing from the Strunk, Ky. area since 2022.

• Audie Harness, 78, missing from the Huntsville area since 2024, when a TBI Silver Alert was issued.

• Justin Lowe, 41, missing from the Pioneer area since 2022.

• Curtis Lowe, missing from the Pioneer area since 2022.

• Dowell Phillips, 57, missing from the Helenwood area since 2012.

Need a good rate on your auto insurance? Contact your local State Farm agent, Roger Baldwin. (Sponsored content.)

D.A.’s office holds domestic violence training

HARROGATE, Tenn. | The office of 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler hosted domestic violence training last week on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University here, featuring nationally-recognized trainer Mark Wynn.

Law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates, health care professionals, educators, and others from Tennessee and Virginia traveled to LMU for the training, which focused on strengthening coordinated community response efforts, improving investigation and prosecution practices, and enhancing victim safety in stalking, domestic and sexual violence cases.

Mark Wynn, a former lieutenant over the Domestic Violence Division with the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department, has trained professionals in all fifty states and internationally for more than three decades. A Fulbright Specialist and survivor, Wynn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to his work, equipping communities with practical tools to improve offender accountability and trauma-informed response.

Among the agencies represented were the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksboro Police Department, LaFollette Police Department, Lee County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, LMU Police Department, New Tazewell Police Department, Tazewell Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Partner agencies who attended included the Scott County Shelter Society, CASA, Community Health of East Tennessee, Claiborne County Advisory Board, Claiborne County Family Justice Center, Claiborne County School District, the District Attorney’s Office, Lee County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Lincoln Memorial University staff, LMU criminal justice students, LMU social work students, McNabb Center, Safe Space, and Servolution.

“Strong partnerships create stronger outcomes for victims,” said Assistant District Attorney Ashley Hamilton Denton. “We appreciate everyone who continues to prioritize coordinated, informed responses to domestic violence in our communities.”

Campbell County mother convicted in child abuse case

JACKSBORO, Tenn. | On Thursday, February 26, 2026, following a three-day trial, a Campbell County jury found Holly Daugherty, 28, of LaFollette, Tennessee, guilty of three counts of Aggravated Child Abuse of a Child Under 8. The convictions stem from abuse inflicted upon her three-month-old twin sons.

After the jury’s verdict, Campbell County Criminal Court Judge Zachary R. Walden immediately revoked the defendant’s bail and placed her in custody. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

This case was investigated by Special Agent Danielle Lawson, formerly of the LaFollette Police Department, and Kayla Mayle, formerly of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. The State also recognizes the critical assistance of Special Agent Rachel Bakaletz of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the medical expertise of Dr. Karen Lakin of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys General Andi L. Bridges and Apryl C. Bradshaw.

USDA announces grant for new skid steer for Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE | U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development Tennessee Director Patrick Jaynes on Friday announced a $38,000 Community Facilities grant for the Town of Huntsville to purchase a new skid steer.

The skid steer will support maintenance of the town’s water and wastewater systems, as well as park services.

“Rural Development is proud of our partnership with Huntsville to ensure the community has the investment it needs to serve its residents safely and effectively,” Jaynes said. “These investments reflect the commitment of President Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to continue strengthening rural infrastructure and supporting essential services in communities that need it most.”

Over the past four years, USDA Rural Development has invested more than $287,000 in Community Facilities projects for Huntsville, including fire protection, municipal operations, and infrastructure maintenance.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

The Week Ahead

🌧️ Weather: Some light rain showers today will kick off a very warm week. We’ll be a bit on the cool side today, but temperatures will be in the 70s most of the week, with only slight chances of rain and thunderstorms Thursday and Friday. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

—

📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Monday: Scott County Commission will meet in work session at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.

Monday: The Oneida Lady Indians will face Oakdale at Roane State in Harriman in the Region 2-A semifinals at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the IH Sports Network.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: The Scott Highlanders will face Fulton at Clinton in the Region 2-3A semifinals at 6 p.m. The Oneida Indians will face Jellico at Roane State in Harriman in the Region 2-A semifinals at 6 p.m. The games will be broadcast on the IH Sports Network.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: The Region 2-A girls championship game will be at 7 p.m. at Roane State in Harriman.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Oneida Special School District Board of Education will meet at the Central Office Training Center at 6 p.m.

Thursday: The Region 2-A boys championship game will be at 7 p.m. at Roane State in Harriman, and the Region 2-3A boys championship game will be at 7 p.m. at Clinton.

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. Before you dig, call 811! It’s the law. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

Subscribe now

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube

Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Subscribe now

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

TCAT announces new Aviation Maintenance program

ONEIDA | Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville is planning the addition of an Aviation Maintenance program that will start late 2026 or early 2027, President Dwight Murphy announced Thursday.

TCAT has received $1 million in grant funding to help start the program through the ThreeStar program administered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. That grant was announced by Gov. Bill Lee and TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter in October 2025, and was facilitated by the Industrial Development Board of Scott County.

TCAT is also partnering with the Scott County Airport and ATS Tennessee to make the program a reality. Scott County Airport Authority chairman Brom Shoemaker and ATS Tennessee President Wayne Hughes, who also serves on the Airport Authority, will serve on the advisory board for the new Aviation Maintenance program. ATS Tennessee is one of the largest aviation employers in the North Cumberland region.

David Deaton, director of the Aviation Academy at Tom P. Haney Technical College in Panama City, Fla., is leading the effort to get the new program off the ground, and Oneida native Porter Mayberry, a retired Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, is also advising.

The program will be housed on TCAT’s Oneida campus, with classroom and shop space in the brand-new building there that is currently being completed. Eventually, TCAT plans to lease space in a new hangar at the Scott County Airport.

Aviation infrastructure is one of Gov. Lee’s workforce development initiatives, and the new program at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville will be the fourth such program offered at the 24 TCATs across the state. TCAT Memphis, TCAT Morristown and TCAT Nashville currently offer similar programs.

The Tennessee Board of Regents has approved the Aviation Maintenance program at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville. Additional approvals are currently being finalized with the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), which is TCAT’s accrediting body, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

President Murphy said during an initial meeting of the new program’s advisory board Thursday that he envisions the Aviation Maintenance program being similar to the Power Line Construction and Maintenance and Earthmoving Equipment Operator programs, in that it will attract students from outside the local area.

“The lineman program has proven that this college is a college of destination,” Murphy said. “We have linemen coming from as far away as Memphis and from as far away as Mountain City. We have 40 linemen a day on our campus and we have had graduations without a single Scott Countian involved.”

Murphy added that TCAT Oneida/Huntsville is one of only two colleges in the state — along with TCAT Crump — doing earthmoving training with actual equipment. The program, which launched in September 2025, employs industry-standard equipment including excavators, bulldozers, and skid steer loaders, which students operate on a daily basis.

Similarly, the Aviation Maintenance program will purchase actual aircraft for students to work on, in addition to the use of trainers.

“If we are going to do a program, we want to do it right or not do it at all,” Murphy said. “Our goal will be to have the best Aviation Maintenance program in the state.”

The program will include dual-enrollment options for high school students. “Students essentially will be able to graduate high school with their aviation maintenance certification and their high school diploma at the same time,” Deaton said.

Students interested in the Aviation Maintenance program can contact Student Services at (423) 663-4900 for more information. Financial aid will be available for those who qualify.

Mountain People’s Health Councils offers general practice dentistry for all ages, using the latest technology for dental imagery and digital scanning. Sliding scale fees apply! Learn more. (Sponsored.)

Election field shrinks by one

HUNTSVILLE | A candidate has withdrawn from Scott County’s 2026 election field ahead of Thursday’s withdrawal deadline.

Jerry Wade Byrge, who had qualified as an independent candidate for Scott County Commission in the Fourth District, has withdrawn, Administrator of Elections Gabe Krahn said Wednesday.

Byrge’s withdrawal leaves just two candidates in the field for the Fourth District: incumbents Kenny Chadwell and Shonda Gray. That means, barring a successful write-in campaign, the Fourth District will be the only district without competition in the County Commission race come August.

Dive Deeper: The complete candidate list

Huntsville Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center offers short-term or long-term care … on your terms. Learn more. (Sponsored content.)

Local teams come up short in district championship bids

Oneida’s Lady Indians came up just short in their District 3-A tournament championship game against Coalfield on Monday, and Scott’s Highlanders did the same in their District 4-3A championship game against Clinton on Tuesday. Here’s how the games played out:

🏀 MONDAY STAT LINES 🏀

The girls’ district tournaments concluded today. Scott High defeated Union County, 48-46, to take third place in District 4-3A, while Oneida fell 37-31 to Coalfield to finish second in District 3-A.

🔴 SCOTT 48, UNION CO. 46

Jacey Goodman was named our First National Bank Player of the Game, and Addy Rogers the Trophy Masters Hustle Award winner, as the Lady Highlanders defeated Union County in the consolation game.

• Addy Rogers: 15p / 8r / 2a / 5b

• Karlie Branscum: 9p / 4r / 2a

• Jacey Goodman: 8p / 9r

• Myah Sharp: 7p / 4a

• Calli Strunk: 7p / 3r / 2s

• Sage Riseden: 2p / 2a

🟠 COALFIELD 37, ONEIDA 31

Despite some questionable calls, Oneida was a few missed free throws away from giving itself a chance to beat Coalfield. Kamryn Stiltner was named the First National Bank Player of the Game, while Kendall Duncan was named the Trophy Masters Hustle Award winner.

• Kamryn Stiltner: 10p / 3r / 2s

• Elli West: 6p / 3r / 5a / 2s

• Larissa Jones: 5p / 9r

• Kendall Duncan: 3p 6r / 2a / 3s

• Maddie Pike: 3p

• Elizabeth Zachary: 2p / 2r

• Tynleigh Jeffers: 2p / 2r / 2s

🏀 TUESDAY STAT LINES 🏀

The boys’ district tournaments concluded Tuesday. Oneida defeated Sunbright 66-55 to claim third place in District 3-A, while Scott High mounted a big second half comeback to erase a 17-point halftime deficit before falling to Clinton in the District 4-3A championship game, 50-45.

🟠 ONEIDA 66, SUNBRIGHT 55

The Indians started strong, jumping out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and eventually leading by as much as 20 points late in the second quarter, before cruising to a third place win over Sunbright. It was another big game for Ben Gilbert, who arguably played the best basketball of his career during the district tournament. Brock Ryon was named our First National Bank Player of the Game, while Canaan Shoemaker was named our Trophy Masters Hustle Award winner.

• Ben Gilbert: 22p / 14r / 2s

• Grady Keeton: 16p / 3r

• Brock Ryon: 15p / 4a

• Jesse Zachary: 8p / 9r / 5a / 2s

• Canaan Shoemaker: 5p / 7r / 6a

• Jackson Phillips: 2b

🔴 CLINTON 50, SCOTT 45

The Highlanders couldn’t hit a shot in the first half, falling behind 27-10. But they rallied in the second half, closing to single digits in the third quarter and making it a two-possession game in the fourth quarter. Landon Washam was our First National Bank Player of the Game, and Wyatt Lloyd was our Trophy Masters Hustle Award winner.

• Wyatt Lloyd: 14p / 4r / 3s

• Landon Washam: 9p / 7r / 2a / 5s

• Jaigen Morgan: 8p / 3r / 4a / 2s

• Isaiah Washam: 8p / 2r / 4a

• Landon Goodman: 5p / 3r

• Brady Crabtree: 1p

REGION TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS

Here’s the schedule for the region quarterfinals, which will be played Friday and Saturday. All games will be broadcast on the IH Sports Network, with live postseason video made possible by First National Bank. Each of these are elimination games.

• Friday: Scott girls at Northview Academy (Region 2-3A quarterfinals), 7 p.m.

• Friday: Oneida girls vs. Rockwood (Region 2-A quarterfinals), 7 p.m.

• Saturday: Oneida boys at Rockwood (Region 2-A quarterfinals), 7 p.m.

• Saturday: Scott boys vs. Seymour (Region 2-3A quarterfinals), 7 p.m.

The Weekend!

☀️ Weather: A brilliant weekend is on tap, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the 60s. We’ll go from the low 60s Friday to the upper 60s Saturday, before perhaps settling back into the upper 50s with more cloud cover on Sunday. Rain chances will return Sunday night. Enjoy a spectacular weekend! Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

—

📅 Community Calendar

• Friday: In high school sports, Oneida girls will host Rockwood at 7 p.m., while Scott High girls will travel to Northview Academy at 7 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network.

• Saturday: Fourth Saturday night worship services will be held at Straight Fork Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and Antioch Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

Subscribe now

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube

Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Subscribe now

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

The field is set for the 2026 election

HUNTSVILLE | Barring any withdrawals in the next six days, the field is set for the August 2026 general election in Scott County, as well as the May primary that will precede it.

In the end, everyone who had picked up a qualifying petition returned it, with the exception of Taylor Stephens-Overton, who was a potential candidate for County Commission in the 4th District. There was also one last-minute qualifier: Allen Phillips for County Commission in the 1st District.

Two of the three constitutional offices on the ballot — County Mayor and Sheriff — will feature competition, with four candidates running for each office.

In the County Mayor’s race, incumbent Jerried Jeffers is running as an independent candidate, while Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers is running as a Republican candidate. Also in the race as independents are Cumberland Clear president Jennifer Shockley and former County Commissioner Trent Cross.

In the Sheriff’s race, incumbent Brian Keeton and former Sheriff Ronnie Phillips will square off in the May primary for the Republican nomination. It is the only race on the May ballot that will feature competition. Whomever wins that race will face two independent challengers on the August ballot: law enforcement veterans Dennis Chambers and Kris Lewallen.

The other county-wide office that has drawn considerable interest is the race for County Clerk. In that race, incumbent Felicia Hamby Bilbrey, an independent, is opposed by challengers Christina Kay Cross, an independent, and Republican Amanda Chambers Sexton. Sexton ran against Bilbrey in 2022.

All other county-wide offices feature incumbents seeking re-election without competition: Kelvin King as a Republican candidate for Road Superintendent, Rena Erwin as an independent for Trustee, Donnie Phillips as a Republican candidate for Circuit Court Clerk, Ashley Newport Riseden as a Republican candidate for Register of Deeds, and John Beaty as an independent candidate for County Attorney.

There will be at least four new faces on County Commission, as four incumbents chose not to seek re-election: Sheila Buttram and Amy Jeffers in the 3rd District, Robyn McBroom in the 5th District, and Shon Terry in the 6th District.

In the 1st District, incumbents David “Blue” Day (I) and David Jeffers (R) are opposed by Elaine R. Lowe (I) and Allen Phillips (R).

In the 2nd District, incumbents Joyce Potter Keeton (I) and Taylor Buttram Stephens (R) are opposed by Adam King (R).

In the 3rd District, five candidates are running: Michael Keeton (I), Ronald C. Keeton (I), Kenny Morrow (R), Daniel W. Murley (I), and Dacy Williams (I).

In the 4th District, incumbents Kenny Chadwell (I) and Shonda Gray (I) are opposed by Jerry Wade Byrge (I).

In the 5th District, incumbent Kelly Chitwood (R) is opposed by challengers Zack Strunk (I) and Ralph Trieschmann (I).

In the 6th District, incumbent Colby Burke (I) is opposed by challengers Jason Perry (R) and Torrey Slaven (I).

In the 7th District, incumbents Jared Burke (I) and Tom Payne (I) are opposed by challengers Kris Byrd (I) and Anthony Carson (I).

Three of the four county school board races will feature competition, with only Kimberly Kidd (I) in the 4th District running for re-election unopposed. In the 1st District, incumbent Tommy Silcox (I) is opposed by Rhonda Marlow Davis (R). In the 5th District, incumbent Angie Anderson King (I) is opposed by Roger Douglas (I). And in the 7th District, incumbent Tressa Murphy (I) is opposed by Matt Stiltner (I).

There will also be at least one new face on the Oneida Special School District Board of Education, as incumbent Dorothy Watson is not seeking re-election. Incumbents Kevin Byrd (I) and Mark Matthews (I) are on the ballot, along with challengers Benji Jacobs (I) and Stuart Jones (R).

The deadline to withdraw from the race is Feb. 26 at noon.

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Scott County woman fatally injured in Kentucky accident

STRUNK, Ky. | A 51-year-old Scott County woman was fatally injured in a two-car accident here Friday.

Vanita Phillips, 51, died Monday, three days after a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 27 that also resulted in serious injuries to her husband, Audie Joe Phillips.

The accident occurred at U.S. 27’s intersection with Southern Highway in the Strunk community in southern McCreary County. According to information released by the McCreary County Sheriff’s Office, its deputies responded to the crash site, along with McCreary County EMS and Pine Knot Fire Department. The Sheriff’s Office said that a pickup truck driven by Audie Phillips was traveling north on U.S. 27 when it collided with a southbound pickup driven by Seth Cross.

The Sheriff’s Office also said that both Audie and Vanita Phillips were extricated from their vehicle by Pine Knot firefighters and flown by air-evac helicopters to a hospital in Lexington.

A funeral service will be held Saturday at Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville at 11 a.m., with visitation scheduled for tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dwight Stanley and Jeff Chaney will officiate the memorial service.

In addition to her husband, Vanita Phillips is survived by sons Michael Lloyd Jr. and wife Emily, Jovan Phillips and Anastasia Harness, and Jadrian Phillips and wife Lilli. She had three grandchildren: Berkley Noah, Wrenley Jaymes, and Haisley Rayne Lloyd. She is also survived by her mother, Geraldine Walker Brown.

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Ridgeview launches ROADs to Recovery program

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. | Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services is proud to announce the launch of ROADs to Recovery (aka ROADs), a comprehensive substance use and opioid use disorder treatment initiative designed to expand access to evidence-based care and recovery services across the region.

Through Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council (OAC) Cycle 2 funding, ROADs offers a full continuum of care, beginning with inpatient stabilization, assessment, and detox services, followed by multiple treatment and recovery pathways. These include residential treatment, community-based services, and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for clinically indicated ROADs clients.

“ROADs reflects Ridgeview’s long-standing commitment to meeting people where they are and walking alongside them toward lasting recovery,” said Courtney Cook, ROADs Manager. “By offering a coordinated continuum of care, we are strengthening recovery pathways and addressing a critical need in the communities we serve.”

The ROADs Team is comprised of highly trained professionals specializing in substance use care and treatment, delivering compassionate, person-centered services grounded in best practices. The program will accept most insurance plans and serve uninsured individuals, ensuring that care remains accessible to those who need it most.

Substance use and opioid use disorders continue to impact individuals, families, and communities across East Tennessee. By expanding detox, treatment, and recovery services under one integrated program, Ridgeview aims to reduce barriers to care, improve outcomes, and support long-term recovery.

Referrals and inquiries can be made by calling 833-494-5046 or visiting www.ridgeview.com.

This project is funded under a Grant Contract with the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council.

About Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services

Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services is a nonprofit community mental health provider serving East Tennessee with a comprehensive array of behavioral health, substance use, and recovery-oriented services. Ridgeview is committed to delivering compassionate, evidence-based care that promotes hope, healing, and resilience.

If you or someone you love is struggling, Ridgeview offers same-day access through our Walk-in Clinics in Anderson, Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Roane, and Scott counties. You can learn more at www.ridgeview.com, or call our 24/7 Mobile Crisis Line at 800-870-5481.

Oneida advances to district championship game

HARRIMAN, Tenn. | Behind a 15-point effort from Kendall Duncan, 12 points from Elli West and 11 points from Larissa Jones, Oneida’s Lady Indians defeated Oliver Springs 51-23 on Thursday to advance to the District 3-A championship game, where they will face Coalfield at Roane State Community College here Monday.

Oneida jumped out to an 18-7 lead in the first quarter and eventually led by as much as 32 points in the fourth quarter.

Scott High, meanwhile, fell to Anderson County 50-42 in the District 4-3A semifinals, ending its quest to defend its district championship from a year ago. The Lady Highlanders, who were led in scoring by Calli Strunk with 13, battled back from a double-digit third quarter deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter. However, the game was controversially officiated, and Scott post Addy Rogers fouled out of the game moments after Scott took its last lead on a 3-point shot by freshman Sage Riseden.

The Lady Highlanders will face Union County in the district consolation game at Anderson County on Monday.

Boys’ semifinal action is Friday, with Scott slated to face Anderson County at 6 p.m. and Oneida to face Jellico at 6:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network.

The Weekend!

☀️ Weather: Sunshine will return today with a high of 61°. Unfortunately, colder weather will return this weekend. After we get into the 50s tomorrow, we won’t get out of the 30s on Sunday, and Monday may struggle to get above freezing. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

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📅 Community Calendar

• Friday: In high school sports, Scott High boys will travel to Anderson County for the District 4-3A semifinals at 6 p.m., and Oneida will face Jellico at Roane State Community College in Harriman in the District 3-A semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network.

• Saturday: Third Saturday night worship services will be held at Lone Mountain Baptist Church (6p.m.), Capital Hill Missionary Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.), Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church (7 p.m.), High Point United Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and House of the Lord (7 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

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Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
◼️ Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
◼️ Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
◼️ Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
◼️ Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
◼️ Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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Scott County launches search for new director of schools

HUNTSVILLE | The Scott County Board of Education has officially launched its search for a new director of schools.

The job vacancy was posted by the school board on Friday. Applicants have until March 20 to apply. Bill Hall recently announced — first by informing his staff and later in a public announcement to the school board — that he will retire when his contract expires on June 30. He will leave as the second-longest-tenured school superintendent in Scott County’s history.

Those responsible for choosing Hall’s replacement are the seven members of the Board of Education: Tommy Silcox, Diane Smith, Chris Shelton, Kim Kidd, Angie King, Llew Stanley, and Dr. Tressa Murphy. Hall is the third director of schools since a new state law took effect in the late 1990s making it an appointed position rather than an elected post, following Mike Davis and Sharon Wilson.

Under requirements of state law, candidates for the position must have three years experience in school administration and at least a master’s degree in education, though a doctorate is preferred.

The director of schools oversees seven schools: Burchfield, Fairview, Huntsville Elementary, Huntsville Middle, Robbins, Scott High, and Winfield.

Dive Deeper: Read the school board’s announcement

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Election qualifying enters its final stretch

With three business days left in the election qualifying period, here’s a look at the current list of candidates who have qualified. Only a handful of petitions are still out, mostly for County Commission seats. Scott County government offices are closed today for Presidents’ Day, meaning candidates have only three days — Tuesday, Wednesday, and part of the day Thursday — to pick up or return qualifying papers.

COUNTY MAYOR

*Jerried Jeffers (I)
Dennis Jeffers (R)
Jennifer Shockley (I)

SHERIFF
*Brian Keeton (R)
Dennis Chambers (I)
Kris Lewallen (I)
Ronnie Phillips (R)

ROAD SUPERINTENDENT
*Kelvin King (R)

TRUSTEE
*Rena Erwin (I)

CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
*Donnie Phillips (R)

COUNTY CLERK
*Felicia Hamby Bilbrey (I)
Amanda Chambers Sexton (R)

REGISTER OF DEEDS
*Ashley Newport Riseden (R)

COUNTY ATTORNEY
*John Beaty (I)

COUNTY COMMISSION
*David “Blue” Day, 1st District (I)
*David R. Jeffers, 1st District (R)
Elaine R. Lowe, 1st District (I)
*Joyce Potter Keeton, 2nd District (I)
*Taylor Buttram Stephens, 2nd District (R)
Adam King, 2nd District (R)
Kenny Morrow, 3rd District (R)
Michael Keeton, 3rd District (I)
Ronald C. Keeton, 3rd District (I)
Dacy Williams, 3rd District (I)
*Kenny Chadwell, 4th District (I)
*Shonda Gray, 4th District (I)
Jerry Wade Byrge, 4th District (I)
*Kelly Posey-Chitwood, 5th District (R)
Zack Strunk, 5th District (I)
*Colby Burke, 6th District (I)
Jason Perry, 6th District (R)
*Jared Burke, 7th District (I)
*Thomas Payne, 7th District (I)
Kris Byrd, 7th District (I)

SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 1
*Tommy Silcox (I)
Rhonda Marlow Davis (R)

SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 4
Kimberly Kidd (I)

SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 5
*Angela Anderson King (I)
Roger Douglas (I)

SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 7
*Tressa Murphy (I)
B. Matthew Stiltner (I)

SCHOOL BOARD: OSSD (3)
*Kevin Byrd (I)
*Mark Matthews (I)
Stuart Jones (R)

The Growth Chart

This Monday (and every Monday), we’ll present The Growth Chart, a look at recent and ongoing growth throughout Scott County.

Mountain People’s Health Councils: Mountain People’s recently debuted its new, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging center at its Oneida campus, located on Industrial Lane.

University of Tennessee Medical Clinic: University of Tennessee Medical Center has opened a new medical facility next-door to the Scott County Food Court in south Oneida that is currently accepting patients for University Midwives and UT Rheumatology Associates. According to Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers, cardiology and high-risk pregnancy will be added later.

Swan Hollow Brew Project: Oneida will soon have its second brewery. The father-and-son team of Jeff and Chris Swanson are planning Swan Hallow at 281 Underpass Drive in Oneida (former site of the Coffey Medical Center), according to the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. It will offer craft beer brewed on site, as well as food and entertainment. It will be Oneida’s second brewery. Big South Fork Brewing opened in the former First Trust & Savings Bank building on South Main Street last year.

The Grizzly: The Grizzly is a locally-owned, dine-in restaurant located at 271 South Main Street in Oneida (former location of The Little Kitchen). It offers hand-cut steaks and hand-crafted burgers, among other items.

Long John Silver’s: A Long John Silver’s fast food seafood restaurant will soon be constructed at Oneida Plaza, on the south side of McDonald’s. Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers announced earlier this month that Oneida Plaza owner Mendy Bohm has entered into an agreement with the company, and the targeted opening date is August 2026.

Zaxby’s: Zaxby’s, the fast food chicken restaurant chain, has purchased 1.3 acres of property on Alberta Street, just north of the Oneida Municipal Services Building, and is currently preparing it for the start of construction.

Casey’s: The Casey’s pizza and convenience store chain is currently constructing a store on Alberta Street in Oneida, located “on the corner” at the site of the former 4WD Performance.

Package Stores: The Town of Oneida began accepting applications for certificates of compliance for liquor stores in May, following November 2024 referendums approved by voters of both the town and the county. Two package stores have since been permitted and are slated to open in the coming months. Lisa Meadows announced on Facebook on Dec. 2 that applications for employment are currently being accepted at one of those stores, which will be located in Oneida Plaza. Huntsville, too, will soon have a package store.

Dollar General: Following a failed attempt to place a store near the intersection of Coopertown Road and Cooper Lake Road in Oneida, Dollar General is in the process of purchasing property for a store a little further west, at the intersection of Coopertown Road and Smith Road. Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers made that announcement at a County Commission meeting in November. This will be Dollar General’s fifth location in Scott County, joining stores in Oneida, Huntsville, Robbins and Winfield. And it may not be the last. DG is currently eyeing potential locations in other parts of Scott County, though it has not finalized anything.

TCAT: The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville is adding two new buildings on its Oneida campus. The first, which will house the college’s diesel and power lineman programs, is now open. The second, which will house earthmoving equipment operator, industrial maintenance, and several other programs, is slated to open Summer 2026.

Update — O&W Road: The O&W Road into the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area is slated to re-open by early April, following completion of a bridge over Pine Creek near the intersection with Toomey Road just outside the national park. In the coming weeks, construction will begin on a new bridge overpassing the Norfolk-Southern Railroad on Niggs Creek Road in Oneida.

More to Come: There are several other businesses that are in the preliminary or planning stages, including some in Huntsville. No official announcements have yet been made, but could be forthcoming shortly.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

The Week Ahead

☀️ Weather: Clouds will give way to sun on Monday, and temperatures will be in the 60s all week! Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Additionally, Bingo will be offered today at 1 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Robbins Elementary School Food Pantry will be open February 17 from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Barton Chapel (5760 Scott Highway, Robbins). Turn onto School House Road at Keeton Monuments and follow it to the entrance of Barton Chapel (do not try to enter Barton Chapel from U.S. 27 please). Parents, grandparents, guardians or caregivers of a child attending Robbins Elementary School or Head Start are eligible to receive food.

Tuesday: Scott County Commission will meet in regular session at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will present Senior Meal Connect today.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Marlow’s Ceramic Shop at 11:30 a.m. Call (423) 663-9300 to reserve.

Thursday: The Town of Oneida Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at the Oneida Municipal Services Building, beginning at 6 p.m.

Thursday: The Town of Huntsville Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at the Huntsville Municipal Building, beginning at 6 p.m.

Thursday: Scott High girls basketball will travel to Anderson County at 6 p.m. and Oneida girls will face the winner of Oliver Springs and Sunbright at Roane State in Harriman. The games will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network.

Friday: Scott High boys basketball will travel to Anderson County at 6 p.m. and Oneida boys will face the winner of Jellico and Coalfield at Roane State Community College at 6:30 p.m. The games will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network.

Friday: Plateau Players and the Appalachian Society of the Arts will present Shakespeare in Love on February 20 and February 21 at 7 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre (101 Marcum Road, Oneida), and on February 22 at 2:30 p.m. Visit asota.art for tickets.

Saturday: God’s Grace Soup Kitchen will serve at Helenwood Baptist Church Fellowship Hall on Saturday, February 21, beginning at 11 a.m. The menu is chili, hot dog, and dessert, and everyone is welcome to drive through and pick up a meal.

Saturday: Oneida basketball will host Sunbright at 4 p.m. and Scott High basketball will host Campbell County at 4 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on the IH Sports Network.

The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District will be closed February 16^th, 2026 in observance of Presidents’ Day. Call 811 before doing any excavating to submit a utility locate request.Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes in Time tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
◼️ Tuesday: Echoes in Time (stories of our history)
◼️ Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
◼️ Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
◼️ Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
◼️ Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Subscribe now