Smith is new TCAT president, Taylor is new director of schools
The Weekender: Tim Smith has been appointed by Chancellor Flora W. Tydings as the new President of TCAT Oneida/Huntsville, while Marc Taylor has been selected Scott County Director of Schools.
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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Tim Smith appointed President of TCAT Oneida/Huntsville
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | Tim Smith has been recommended to be the next president of Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville, Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings announced Tuesday.
Tydings, who also recommended Dr. John M. Davis as the next president at Cleveland State Community College, said that her recommendations follow “deliberative search processes at both institutions.”
The Board of Regents will consider the chancellor’s recommendations during a special called meeting Thursday. It will be publicly livestreamed, beginning at 10 a.m.
Smith is currently TCAT Oneida/Huntsville’s vice president and has served in the TBR system since 2007. He earned Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Elementary Education, both at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Davis has been vice president of administrative services at Germanna Community College in Virginia since 2017 and an administrator there since 2008. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership from the College of William and Mary, a Master of Science in Higher Education and a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, both from Florida State University, and an Associate of Arts from Gulf Coast Community College.
Smith was one of two finalists for the presidential appointment at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville. The other was Noah Duncan, who is also an Oneida native and is currently vice president of TCAT Knoxville. He has served in the TBR system since 2017.
The finalists were selected by search advisory committees at each college, which spent months reviewing and interviewing candidates. The TCAT Oneida/Huntsville finalists were announced April 3, and participated in campus visits and public interviews, with opportunities for public and campus community feedback. The chancellor selected Smith — and Davis at Cleveland State — after carefully reviewing the feedback and more interviews with the finalists.
Both search committees were composed of board members and representatives of the colleges’ faculty, staff, students, and civic leaders from their communities.
Current TCAT Oneida/Huntsville President Dwight Murphy is retiring in June after a distinguished 20-year tenure. He was appointed to the role in late 2005 while holding the office of Scott County Mayor. He took over his duties at TCAT on Jan. 1, 2006, replacing Arvis Blakley as the fourth president in the school’s history.
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School Board picks Marc Taylor for director of schools post
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 | By a 5-2 vote on first ballot, the Scott County Board of Education on Wednesday selected current Scott High Principal Marc Taylor as Scott County’s next director of schools.
Taylor will become the 33rd person to serve in the capacity of the school system’s chief executive officer, and the fourth person who will serve in that role after being appointed by the Board of Education. The position was elected by the public from 1924 to 2000, and appointed by County Court — a forerunner to today’s County Commission — prior to that.
Taylor was one of six candidates to apply for the position, a number that was reduced to five after Fairview School Principal Scott Cash withdrew his name from consideration prior to interviews.
At Wednesday’s special called meeting, Taylor initially received the votes of 1st District Board Member Tommy Silcox, 4th District Board Member Kim Kidd, 5th District Board Member Angie King, and 7th District Board Member Dr. Tressa Murphy. That was enough to earn him the position, which prompted 6th District Board Member Llew Stanley to switch his vote from Keith Shannon to Taylor in a show of confidence.
Second District Board Member Diane Smith and 3rd District Board Member Chris Shelton voted for Kenny Chadwell.
Chadwell is currently the principal at LaFollette Elementary School and represents Scott County’s 4th District on County Commission.
Shannon is a former principal at Robbins School and is currently the director of the Morgan County Career & Technical Center in Wartburg.
Also in the running were Campbell County principal and Scott High alumnus Daniel Sexton, and former Texas school superintendent Jerry Gibson.
Taylor was viewed by many members of the public as a long shot at the beginning of the process. Despite spending many years as a coach and administrator at McCreary Central High School in nearby Stearns, Ky., the Williamsburg, Ky. native was relatively unknown locally prior to taking the role of principal at Scott High School this school year when Jeremy Hamby moved to Central Office to replace Shannon.
However, Taylor impressed many in the community — as well as on the school board — with his interview. Educators at Scott High School have also expressed confidence in his ability to make the move to Central Office, with many privately citing his firm but fair approach to school administration.
Taylor will replace Bill Hall, who retires in June as the longest-tenured director of schools in Scott County’s history — a distinction he shares with John Lee West, who served for 15 years in the 1930s and 1940s. Taylor will assume his duties on July 1, pending ratification of his contract with the school board.
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Oneida High School names honor graduates
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | Six co-valedictorians, five co-salutatorians, and a total of 14 students have been named top academic achievers in Oneida High School’s Class of 2026, Principal Stacy Love announced Tuesday.
Named the class’s valedictorians, with a GPA of 4.10714, are Isabella Bullar, Brady Burke, Kobie Kidd, Mason Laftery, Kamryn Stiltner, and Mariana Wright. Named the class’s salutatorians, with a GPA of 4.07143, are Anne Cross, Jolie Duncan, Hannah Foster, Jonathan Marcum, and Ethan Shockley. Rounding out this year’s honor graduates are Maggie Hamilton, with a GPA of 4.03571, and Allie Elmore and Miley Vanhook, with a GPA of 4.0.
ICYMI
Threads of Life: This week’s Threads of Life newsletter is in remembrance of Bud Keeton, Eddie Howard Jr., Lourene Jeffers, Pamela Jeffers, Tina Stampler, and Kenneth West. » Read It
Echoes in Time: This week’s Echoes in Time newsletter examines the question: Is there a fourth forgotten Revolutionary War veteran from Scott County? » Read It
The Weekend
🌥️ Weather: A cool weekend is on tap for the first of May. We’ll top out around 67° with mostly sunny skies tomorrow, then a low pressure system will slide to our south on Saturday. We’ll only see a 20% chance of rain here on the northern Cumberland Plateau, but some cooler temperatures will follow. We’ll struggle to get out of the 50s on Saturday, and drop to 35° Saturday night, which will likely lead to some patchy frost. Sunday will be sunny with a high of 65°. 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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⛪︎ Featured Church
Fairview Missionary Baptist Church
Denomination: Baptist (Missionary)
Pastor: Charles Lowe
Address: 8939 Baker Highway, Huntsville
Services
Sunday Morning: 10 a.m.
Sunday Evening: 6:30 p.m.
» See the complete Church Directory, and thank you to our sponsors of the Church Directory.
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📅 Community Calendar
• 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 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.
Scenic Sale!
This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.
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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)
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• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)