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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Construction begins on High Point bridge replacement
Construction is slated to begin today on a new bridge at High Point, according to Scott County Road Superintendent Kelvin King.
The Niggs Creek Road overpass of Norfolk-Southern Railroad has been closed since spring 2024, when the bridge was condemned by the TN Dept. of Transportation. On Monday, Cookeville-based King General Contracting will begin a project to replace the bridge.
King General Contracting is the same firm that is currently completing the O&W Road bridge over Pine Creek. That project is in its final stages. In September 2025, it was awarded the Niggs Creek Road project after submitting a $1.9 million bid for the job. The only other bid received by the Scott County Finance Department was from Southern Construction in Knoxville, for more than $3.5 million.
The new bridge will be similar in size to the existing bridge, which was originally built in the 1940s and was heavily repaired in the 1970s after being damaged by a train. Road Superintendent Kelvin King said there will be some minor adjustments in height and width due to requirements of Norfolk-Southern.
The start of construction on a new bridge has been a long time coming because it overpasses the railroad, involving a separate entity — besides just Scott County and TDOT — in each step of the engineering process. The most recent hold-up was getting final approval for the removal of the existing bridge.
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Alum fire brought under control
STEARNS, Ky. | The 1,100-acre Alum Fire in the Daniel Boone National Forest near here was listed at 93% containment as of Friday evening, and the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area provided its last update on the fire by announcing that a section of the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail that had been closed was being reopened.
The fire, burning mostly on the Daniel Boone National Forest, crossed onto the Big South Fork NRRA to threaten both the Alum Ford and Yahoo Falls areas.
A temporary ban on open fires in the Big South Fork NRRA backcountry remains in effect.
Announcements expected this week on director of schools, TCAT president
Two announcements impacting the future of education in Scott County are expected this week.
The Scott County Board of Education will meet in special session at 10 a.m. Wednesday to choose its next director of schools. The board interviewed five candidates earlier this month: Kenny Chadwell, Keith Shannon, Daniel Sexton, Marc Taylor, and Jerry Gibson. One of those five will replace Bill Hall, who is retiring in June after 15 years as Scott County’s director of schools.
Separately, the Tennessee Board of Regents is expected to hear Chancellor Flora Tydings’ selection as president of Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville when it meets in special called session on Thursday. Earlier this month, two finalists were announced for the position: the school’s current vice president, Tim Smith, and Noah Duncan, who is currently a vice president of TCAT Knoxville. The two interviewed before a community panel on April 9. One of them will replace Dwight Murphy, who is retiring in June after 20 years as TCAT Oneida/Huntsville’s president.
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.)
⛈️ Weather: Today will be nice, but thunderstorms are expected tonight. Our area is under a “Marginal Risk” for severe weather tonight. Another round of storms is likely tomorrow night, when we’re under a “Slight Risk” for severe weather. Sunshine and cooler temperatures return on Thursday. 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 weekday (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Additionally, Bingo will be 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 Airport Authority will meet at Scott County Airport in Oneida, 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: 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 Board of Education will meet in special session at the Central Office in Huntsville, beginning at 10 a.m., for the purpose of selecting the next director of schools.
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 11 a.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.
The Community Calendar is presented weekly 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.
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)