Bridge dedicated in memory of Christian Wright
The Daybreaker: Christian Wright, ATV accident victim and organ donor, honored with bridge dedication. Plus: Wildfire threatens Yahoo Falls in the BSF, and the local unemployment rate increases.
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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Bridge dedicated in memory of Christian Wright
GLENMARY | The Coal Hill Road bridge over Davis Creek in the southern Scott County community of Glenmary has been named the Christian Wright Memorial Bridge in honor of the young Glenmary organ donor who was killed in an ATV accident last year.
The bridge was dedicated during a ceremony Thursday afternoon, after the name change was approved by Scott County Commission. Joining Wright’s parents, Kirby and Martha Wright, and other family and friends for the ceremony were Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers, Scott County Sheriff Brian Keeton, 2nd District county commissioners Taylor Buttram Stephens and Joyce Keeton, and representatives of the University of Tennessee Medical Center and Tennessee Donor Services.
Wright was a 23-year-old Scott Countian who died after an ATV accident on Aug. 18, 2025. He was an organ donor, and six lives were renewed through his donations — including paramedic Allison Jeffers, who received one of his kidneys. She is also a Scott Countian, a former employee of the Scott County Ambulance Service who now teaches future EMTs at Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Jacksboro, Tenn.
Read: Christian Wright’s story — A life lived wide open
The bridge over Davis Creek is located near Coal Hill Road’s intersection with U.S. Highway 27 in Glenmary, between the intersection and the Norfolk-Southern Railroad crossing. The Wright family lives a short distance beyond the railroad crossing on Coal Hill Road.
The bridge becomes one of several throughout Scott County named in memory of notable Scott Countians. However, it has the distinction of being the first that is not named for a military veteran or government official.
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Wildfire threatens Yahoo Falls area of Big South Fork
Sunday, April 12, 2026 • 9 p.m. — A large wildfire in McCreary County is threatening the Yahoo Falls area of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area.
The Alum fire, which is burning mostly south of Kentucky Highway 700 around the intersection with Yahoo Falls Road, has consumed 550 acres as of 9:30 p.m. Sunday evening. Its cause remains undetermined.
South Kentucky RECC said Sunday evening that one of its employees was responding to a power outage Sunday and discovered the fire.
The National Park Service said Sunday evening that the fire is burning on the Daniel Boone National Forest, approximately 300 yards east of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, and that both residences and NPS infrastructure are threatened by the fire.
The NPS is considering a strategic burnout operation that could involve up to 200 acres of the Big South Fork NRRA along Yahoo Falls Road, in an attempt to mitigate the fire's potential spread. The area being considered for a burnout is adjacent to the Yahoo Falls trailhead.
Road and trail closures are expected along Alum Road, which leads to Alum Ford, and the Yahoo Falls area within the Big South Fork NRRA.
Conditions are favorable for the continued spread of the fire. While there are slight rain chances in the forecast for Monday, the forest is currently very dry and winds are expected to continue to pick back up and gust to 20 mph after sunrise on Monday.
As many as 65 firefighting personnel are on the scene of the fire.
More: Map of the Alum fire
Scott County’s jobless rate increases slightly
Scott County’s unemployment rate increased slightly in January to 4.4%, according to data released last week by the TN Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development.
The local unemployment rate increased four-tenths of a percentage point from December to January. That followed a statewide trend, as 90 of the state’s 95 counties experienced increased unemployment in January. The January jobless rate jump is typically expected, due to seasonal jobs ending after Christmas.
The local unemployment rate is based on an estimated work force of 8,798, of which 8,412 were employed and 386 were unemployed during the month. The year-over-year unemployment rate also increased four-tenths of a point, as the jobless rate in January 2025 was 4.0%.
Among neighboring counties, Anderson County’s unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a point to 3.3%, while Campbell County’s unemployment rate increased half a point to 4.2%. Fentress County’s jobless rate increased a tenth of a point to 3.4%, and Morgan County’s increased two-tenths of a point to 4.0%. Pickett County, which continues to have one of the state’s highest unemployment rates, saw a full percentage point increase to 6.0%.
The state’s highest unemployment rate in January was found in Perry County, at an eye-popping 11.3%, followed by Cocke County at 6.4% and Pickett County at 6.0%. Rounding out the state’s 10 highest unemployment rates were Hancock County at 5.8%, Hardeman County at 5.6%, Decatur County at 5.5%, and Lewis, Lake, Meigs and Maury counties at 5.3%.
The state’s lowest unemployment rate in January was Williamson County at 2.7%, followed by Cheatham and Wilson counties at 2.8%, and Macon, Knox, Dickson, Sumner and Rutherford counties at 2.9%. Rounding out the 10 lowest unemployment rates were Robertson and Cannon counties, at 3.0%.
Among the state’s major metropolitan areas, Nashville and Knoxville posted unemployment rates of 2.9%, followed by Chattanooga at 3.2%, and Memphis at 4.0%.
The statewide unemployment rate was 3.5% in January. The national unemployment rate was 4.3%.
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 starting this Monday morning off with some very light rain showers, but don’t expect more than a few hundredths of an inch of precipitation — not even enough to settle the dust. There’s a very slight chance of additional rain showers this afternoon. Otherwise, we’ll be partly sunny and near 80° again. Temperatures will be very warm the next couple of days — in the mid 80s with mostly sunny skies and breezy conditions. A slight chance of thunderstorms returns Thursday and Thursday night, and we’ll end the week dry and hot. 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.
Monday: The Scott County Finance Committee will meet at the Scott County Mayor’s Office in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.
Monday: The Winfield Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at the Winfield Municipal Building, beginning at 6 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 Senior Meal Connect.
Wednesday: The Scott County Board of Education will interview candidates for director of schools today at the Central Office in Huntsville, including Kenny Chadwell at 1 p.m., Keith Shannon at 2 p.m., and Daniel Sexton at 3 p.m. The interviews are open to the public.
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.
Thursday: The Scott County Board of Education will interview candidates for director of schools today at the Central Office in Huntsville, including Scott Cash at 1 p.m., Marc Taylor at 2 p.m., and Jerry Gibson at 3 p.m. The interviews are open to the public.
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.
Friday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer a trip to Muddy Pond at 8 a.m.
The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District pipelines are generally safe. They can be damaged by things such as excavation, natural forces, and automobile accidents. These can potentially cause a leak.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)