Scott County wins $48,000 parks planning grant
Plus: Acreage added to Cumberland Trail in Morgan County; Scott County Sheriff's race grows...
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.
Scott County receives $48,000 for parks planning
HUNTSVILLE | Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers announced Wednesday that Scott County has been awarded $48,000 in park planning funds from the State of Tennessee.
The funding was presented by the TN Office of Outdoor Recreation and will go towards the development of a master plan for the John John Yancey Memorial Park, Robbins Community Park, and Straight Fork Community Center playground area.
“This planning grant will help our community become more eligible for future grant opportunities as well,” Jeffers said.
County Commission previously approved the development of the master plan for the parks, which includes all three recreation facilities owned by the county.
Huntsville Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center offers short-term or long-term care … on your terms. Learn more. (Sponsored content.)
Acreage added for expansion of Cumberland Trail in Morgan County
WARTBURG | The TennGreen Land Conservancy announced Wednesday that it has acquired 58 acres of land near Wartburg to expand the Cumberland Trail, which will help connect the trail from the Morgan County Visitor Center to Frozen Head State Park.
The Cumberland Trail stretches more than 300 miles across East Tennessee — including Scott County, with trailheads in the Norma and Smokey Creek areas — and is envisioned to one day run from Cumberland Gap National Historic Park to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.
TennGreen is a participant in the Cumberland Trail Acquisition Task Force, a collaborative group of conservation partners dedicated to ensuring the completion and connectivity of the trail.
The organization said the most recent acquisition includes vital habitat for high-priority species that include green salamanders and cerulean warblers.
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.)
Scott County Sheriff’s race grows
HUNTSVILLE | Veteran law enforcement officer Dennis Chambers on Wednesday become the third person to declare his candidacy for the office of Scott County Sheriff in the 2026 election.
In a Facebook post shared by his wife, Sandi, Chambers said that he has 30 years of law enforcement service and 10 years as a constable.
“I have built a legacy grounded in integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to the people of Scott County,” he said. “For three decades, I have protected families, supported communities, and upheld the highest standards of justice.”
Chambers is the third person who has announced an intention to seek the office of sheriff, joining incumbent Brian Keeton, who was elected to the position in 2022, and former Sheriff’s Department drug agent Kris Lewallen.
Other candidates who have publicly announced their intention to seek office include incumbent Jerried Jeffers and current Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers for the office of Scott County Mayor; and incumbent Tressa Murphy and educator Matt Stiltner for the office of 7th District School Board.
The qualifying period for the 2026 election begins next week and ends in February. There will be a primary election in May, and the general election will be in August. On the ballot this year will be most county-wide offices, including mayor, sheriff, road superintendent, county clerk, trustee, register of deeds, and county attorney, as well as all 14 seats on county commission and several seats on the boards of education in both the county and the Oneida Special School District.
If you’re a candidate announcing an intent to seek office in the 2026 election, please email your announcement to newsroom@ihoneida.com so it isn’t missed!
The Weekend
🌤️ Weather: Sunshine and cooler temperatures return to the forecast Friday, with a high of only 39°. We’ll quickly warm up Saturday, however, reaching the mid 50s. There’s a slight chance of rain 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
• Friday: First National Bank will host pictures with Santa from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at its Oneida office.
• Friday: Christmas tournament basketball will be played Friday and Saturday. Oneida girls will play Kingston at 4 p.m. Friday at Anderson County. The Lady Indians will play at either 2:45 p.m. Saturday (with a win) or 9:30 a.m. Saturday (with a loss), against either Jefferson County or McMinn County. Oneida boys will play Kingston at 5:15 p.m. Friday at Anderson County. The Indians will play at either 5:30 p.m. Saturday (with a win) or 12:15 p.m. Saturday (with a loss) against Grace Christian Academy or William Blount. Scott High girls will play Tellico Plains at 12 p.m. Friday at Loudon. The Lady Highlanders will play at either 12 p.m. Saturday (with a win) or 9 a.m. Saturday (with a loss) against Farragut or Austin-East. Finally, Scott High boys will play Austin-East at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Loudon. The Highlanders will play at either 1:30 p.m. Saturday (with a win) or 10:30 a.m. Saturday (with a loss) against Farragut or Valor Prep. All four teams will play again on Monday.
• 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.
The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. CGUD will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 24 and 25, in observance of Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season. Call 811 before digging! Visit citizensgastn.com.
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📢 Programming Note: Watch for our weekly E-Edition Friday morning! You can always find our E-Editions here. The E-Edition is published on Thursdays (and on Sundays during the high school sports season) and includes all digital content from the week in an easy-to-read, flip book format.
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)