Stanley is school board chair another year
Plus: Keeton announces re-election bid, Scouts participate in 'Scout Sunday' at Presbyterian Church.
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) 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:
Open your account online — anytime, anywhere! First National Bank makes it easier than ever to bank with us. You can open an account online, from the comfort of your home or on the go. Start now. (Sponsored content.)
Stanley to serve another year as school board chair
HUNTSVILLE | Retired educator Llew Stanley will serve another year as chairman of the Scott County Board of Education.
Stanley, who represents the 6th District (Oneida) on the school board, was re-elected as the board’s chairman by his colleagues at Thursday’s reorganizational session.
Stanley is a former educator and coach at Scott High School. His wife, Sharon, is the current principal at Winfield Elementary School.
The board holds a reorganizational session to choose a chairperson each September. At Thursday’s meeting, 1st District board member Tommy Silcox nominated Stanley to serve another year in his current role, while 5th District board member Angie King seconded it. There were no other nominees, and the board voted unanimously.
In turn, 3rd District board member Chris Shelton recommended Silcox to serve as vice chairman, a motion that was seconded by Stanley and approved unanimously.
Among other business taken by the board Thursday:
• The board heard from Kathy Obrusanszki concerning a proposed landfill and transfer station, which she urged the board to officially oppose. Following her comments, Director of Schools Bill Hall said, “We’ll be there with you shoulder-to-shoulder. When the time comes that that is needed, we’ll be there.”
• The board approved bonuses that have been provided by the state for educators to also be awarded to administrators at the Central Office.
• A Revolutionary War memorial was approved for John John Yancey Memorial Park off Glass House Road, pending approval by Scott County Commission and successful application for state grant funds.
• Seventh District board member Tressa Murphy was appointed the district’s liaison to the Tennessee School Boards Association’s Legislative Network, while 4th District board member Kim Kidd, 2nd District board member Diane Smith, and King were appointed voting delegates for the TSBA’s annual convention in November, and Kim Kidd was appointed to serve another year as the school district’s representative for the Clinch-Powell Educational Cooperative.
• A memorandum of understanding was approved with Mountain People’s Health Councils Inc. for the use of school system facilities to provide vaccinations to staff that are covered by the school district’s insurance plan.
Keeton announces re-election bid
HUNTSVILLE | Brian Keeton has announced his intention to seek re-election as Scott County Sheriff.
Keeton, who is in his first term as sheriff, announced in a Facebook post on Sept. 2 that he intends to seek re-election in the August 2026 Scott County General Election. He becomes the second candidate to declare his candidacy for the position. Former drug agent Kris Lewallen previously announced he will seek the office of sheriff, and has been campaigning heavily for several months.
Keeton was a candidate for sheriff in the 2010 election, which was won by Mike Cross. He later served as chief of police in Caryville, then was elected sheriff in Scott County on a second attempt in 2022, out-polling incumbent Ronnie Phillips.
Because both the Democratic and Republican Party chapters in Scott County have requested a primary election, the qualifying period for the August 2026 election will officially open on Dec. 22, with a Feb. 19 qualifying deadline. The primary will be held on May 5.
While most candidates in the 2026 election will be expected to declare their candidacy as independents and will not appear on the ballot in May, they still must qualify during the December-to-February qualifying period.
Offices up for re-election in August 2026 will also include county mayor, road superintendent, county clerk, circuit court clerk, trustee, register of deeds, and county attorney, as well as all 14 seats on County Commission, school board seats in the 1st, 4th, 5th and 7th districts, and three seats on the Oneida Special School District board.
‘Scout Sunday’ at Presbyterian Church
Members of Boy Scout Troop 333, Crew 333 and Pack 136 of Scott County participated in Scout Sunday at First Presbyterian Church of Huntsville Sunday morning. Pack members and leaders are pictured with pastor Pete Ullmann. Troop 333 meets at the Scott County War Memorial Building in Oneida each Tuesday at 6 p.m. Prospective new members are welcome to attend.
Need a good rate on your auto insurance? Contact your local State Farm agent, Roger Baldwin. (Sponsored content.)
ICYMI…
This week’s edition of VARSITY, the Sports Magazine of the Independent Herald, is now available. View it here.
The Week Ahead
☀️ Weather: Hot, dry weather will continue throughout this week, with temperatures generally in the mid 80s and lots of sunshine. We’ll see rain chances begin to creep back into the forecast this weekend. 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.
—
📅 Community Calendar
Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer its walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. today and every weekday this week.
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: Scott County Commission will meet in regular session at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.
Monday: The Round Table will air live on the IH Sports Network at 6 p.m. Special guests include Micah Boles, Jayden Parra, William Hill, Mari Wright, Hailey Butler, Emily Fladie, Ava Hines, Monroe Thompson and Lauren Reynolds.
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 Oneida City Park Farmers & Makers Market will be from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Call (423) 569-8300 for more information about becoming a vendor.
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.
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.
Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. For more information or requirements, call the church office at 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 boards of mayor and aldermen in Oneida and Huntsville will meet at the Oneida Municipal Services Building and the Huntsville Municipal Building, respectively, beginning at 6 p.m.
The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. You may recognize a natural gas leak by a rotten egg-like smell or by a hissing sound. If you know of or suspect a leak, leave the area and then call your gas supplier or 911. Visit citizensgastn.com.
Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes in Time 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!
◼️ Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
◼️ Tuesday: Echoes in Time (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)