Another winter storm threatens the region with light snow
Plus: Election qualifying remains slow, Scott County's teachers of the year recognized
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.
Light snow again possible as another winter storm threatens the region
Another weekend, another potential winter storm.
The National Weather Service’s Morristown weather forecast office has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Scott County and surrounding counties for Friday afternoon into Saturday evening, for one to three inches of snow. Further east, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Knoxville and points east, where two to five inches of snow are expected.
A weak system is expected to create the potential for light snow showers across the northern Cumberland Plateau region by lunchtime Friday, with a stronger low pressure system creating the potential for additional snow showers Friday night and early Saturday. While the northern plateau will be on the western edge of the storm system, the NWS says that light accumulations are possible, perhaps ranging up to three inches.
The updated forecast comes as the region continues to bounce back from last weekend’s winter storm that brought a round light snow, followed by freezing rain and then more light snow. Schools have been closed all week, and the Scott County School System will remain closed Friday due to lingering icy patches on shaded backroads. Students at Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville only returned to in-person classes on Thursday, and high school basketball games that were scheduled for Tuesday were postponed. Scott High’s game at Clinton will be played Thursday, while Oneida’s game against Oliver Springs is scheduled for Saturday.
The latest forecast will threaten more sporting events. Scott High’s game against Gibbs that is to be played at Highlander Gymnasium Friday evening has been bumped up to a 5 p.m. start time due to the weather. The middle school region tournament is scheduled to begin at Highlander Gymnasium Saturday, with games slated for throughout the day.
Unlike last weekend’s system, there is no threat of freezing rain with the looming winter storm, which is poised to dump significant snowfall east of the Appalachian Mountains and lesser amounts in the East Tennessee Valley. Temperatures will remain below freezing with this storm system, rising only to about 30° on Friday and plunging to near single digits Friday night.
Saturday’s high temperature is only expected to be in the mid-teens.
As a result, any precipitation that falls will quickly accumulate, and travel hazards are possible beginning Friday afternoon and continuing through the day Saturday.
While very little precipitation is expected this far west of the main storm system, snow ratios are expected to be far greater than the standard 10:1 ratio, due to the extremely cold air mass that is in place.
A warming trend is expected to begin Monday, with temperatures rising above freezing by Monday afternoon and hitting 40° by Tuesday. Rain is possible for the middle of next week.
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Election qualifying pick-ups continue to slow
HUNTSVILLE | With less than three weeks remaining before the qualifying deadline for the August 2026 general election in Scott County, the number of candidates entering the various races remains small.
This week, only one new candidate has entered the fray, with retired educator Rhonda Marlow Davis picking up paperwork to seek office as a Republican in the 1st District school board race. The incumbent, Tommy Silcox, is seeking re-election as an independent.
The only other action this week is in the 7th District, where incumbent County Commissioner Tom Payne returned his paperwork to seek re-election as an independent. His fellow incumbent in the 7th District, Jared Burke, has also returned qualifying paperwork. Two potential challengers, Kris Byrd and former constable Anthony Carson, have picked up paperwork but have not yet returned it.
Late last week, former Sheriff Ronnie Phillips picked up paperwork to seek the Republican nomination for his old office against incumbent Brian Keeton, who has already qualified for re-election. If Phillips qualifies, the two men will square off in the May primary for the right to appear on the August ballot. Two other challengers, law enforcement veterans Dennis Chambers and Kris Lewallen, have already qualified as independents and will be on the August ballot.
Elsewhere, qualifying has been extremely slow. Incumbent County Mayor Jerried Jeffers is seeking re-election as an independent and is opposed by Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers, who is running as a Republican. Former County Commissioner Trent Cross has picked up paperwork to run as an independent. Incumbent County Clerk Felicia Hamby Bilbrey has qualified for re-election as an independent, and her challenger from the 2022 election, Amanda Chambers Sexton, has qualified as a Republican. Another potential challenger, Christina Kay Cross, has picked up paperwork to see the office as an independent. None of the other county-wide offices currently have opposition.
Also without opposition thus far is the Oneida Special School District board of education, where three people will be elected. Incumbents Kevin Byrd and Mark Matthews have picked up qualifying papers as independents, as has potential challenger Benji Jacobs. Incumbent Dorothy Watson has not picked up qualifying papers thus far.
Among the county school board seats, incumbent Kimberly Kidd is so far without opposition in the 4th District and has qualified to seek re-election as an independent, while incumbent Tressa Murphy has qualified for re-election in the 7th District and is being opposed by educator Matt Stiltner, who is also running as an independent. In the 5th District, incumbent Angie King has not yet picked up qualifying paperwork to seek re-election, but a challenger has emerged in Roger Douglas, who has qualified as an independent.
County Commission races could prove to be the most interesting. Several incumbents have not picked up qualifying paperwork, including Sheila Buttram and Amy Lawson Jeffers in the 3rd District, Robyn McBroom in the 5th District, and Shon Terry in the 6th District. Challengers who have picked up — and, in some cases, returned — paperwork include Elaine Lowe in the 1st District, Mike Keeton, Ron Keeton, Kenny Morrow, Daniel Murley and Dacy Williams in the 3rd District, Jerry Byrge and Taylor Stephens-Overton in the 4th District, Zack Strunk and Ralph Trieschmann in the 5th District, Jason Perry and Torrey Slaven in the 6th District, and the aforementioned Byrd and Carson in the 7th District. Incumbents who are seeking re-election, in addition to Burke and Payne in the 7th District, include David “Blue” Day and David Jeffers in the 1st, Joyce Potter Keeton and Taylor Buttram Stephens in the 2nd, Kenny Chadwell and Shonda Gray in the 4th, Kelly Posey Chitwood in the 5th, and Colby Burke in the 6th.
In addition, two candidates from Scott County have picked up paperwork to seek the office of state representative in the 38th District. Cody Cox is opposing incumbent Kelly Keisling in the August Republican primary, while Seth McMillan is seeking the Democrat nomination.
Dive deeper: The complete qualifying list
Teachers of the Year recognized by school board
HUNTSVILLE | At a meeting of the Scott County Board of Education earlier this month, Scott County’s building-level teachers of the year were recognized, and district-level teachers of the year were announced.
Robbins Elementary’s Stephanie Melton, a kindergarten teacher, was named the elementary teacher of the year. Winfield School’s Jessica Chambers (math) was named the middle school teacher of the year. And Scott High’s Dr. Ryan Hoffman (band) was named the high school teacher of the year.
Other teachers of the year included:
• Burchfield School: Mary Carson, computer lab (K-4) and Mashailla Golden, CTE computer lab (5-8).
• Fairview School: Emily Blakley, 1st grade (K-4) and Dr. Jennifer Hatfield, special education (5-8).
• Huntsville Elementary: Haley Myers, 2nd grade (K-4).
• Huntsville Middle: Courtney Flowers, math (5-8).
• Robbins School: Matt Williams, social studies (5-8).
• Winfield School: Amanda Ayers, 1st grade (K-4).
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❄️ Weather: A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for our area from 1 p.m. Friday through 7 p.m. Saturday, for 1 to 3 inches of snow. Very cold temperatures are expected this weekend, with the high only reaching the mid-teens on Saturday before dropping into the single digits Saturday night. 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 will host Gibbs (5 p.m.) while Oneida will travel to Sunbright (6:30 p.m.). Both games will be broadcast on the IH Sports Network.
• Saturday: In high school sports, Oneida will host Oliver Springs (3 p.m.).
• 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. 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.
Scenic Sale!
This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.
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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)