The Daybreaker: 2/4/2025
Good morning! Welcome to a brand new work week — the first one of February! The groundhog saw his shadow yesterday, which means six more weeks of winter, if you subscribe to that sort of folk lore. But it’s not going to feel much like winter to start this week, with temperatures in the 60s. (See below.)
Here’s a look at what’s happening in Scott County this week!
The Latest
» Scott High’s Lady Highlanders bounced back nicely this weekend from a Tuesday night loss at Anderson County, defeating Gibbs on Friday and Maryville Christian on Saturday. The win over Gibbs, coupled with Anderson County’s loss to Union County, punched Scott High’s ticket to the Region 2-2A tournament by assuring them no worse than a second place finish in the District 4-3A regular season standings and a first round bye in the district tournament.
» Oneida’s Lady Indians also picked up a district win Friday, completing a season sweep of Eagleton. Oneida caught fire offensively in the win, scoring 20 points in the second and fourth quarters, and four players finished in double figures. The Lady Indians can now finish no worse than fifth in the District 2-2A standings, and will have a chance to move up to fourth.
» Scott High’s men’s team couldn’t close the deal against Gibbs on Friday, but snapped a four-game losing streak against Maryville Christian on Saturday, the final home game of the season. Isaiah Washam scored a season-high 25 to lead his team to the win.
» Scott County is rallying around Emma Hughett, the Huntsville Middle School fifth grader who was hospitalized and diagnosed last week with a form of leukemia. See our E-Edition later this week for photos of various shows of support and fundraisers that are being organized for her.
» The Scott County Chamber of Commerce has passed a resolution asking Sen. Ken Yager and Rep. Kelly Keisling to intervene with the TN Dept. of Transportation for much-needed repaving projects on U.S. Highway 27 and S.R. 63 through Scott County. Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers has revealed that a portion of U.S. 27 from Huntsville south is scheduled to be resurfaced later this year, but some parts of the two local highways aren’t scheduled for paving until 2027.
» Rep. Kelly Keisling on Friday spoke out about why he voted against Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher plan on Thursday, saying it was clear that an overwhelming majority of citizens in the 38th District (which includes Scott County) were opposed to the legislation and that he was sticking to his promise to be their voice in Nashville. Sen. Ken Yager’s vote in support of the legislation sparked anger among voters not just in Scott County but throughout the district.
This Week’s Weather
☀️ It's going to be another absolutely beautiful day: sunny and warm!
ALMANAC: Sunrise/Sunset: 7:35/6:07 • Records: 72° (2016), -9° (1965) • Year-To-Date Rainfall: 4.2" (Normal: 5.7").
DETAILS: We'll be breezy again today, with wind gusts to 20 mph. Otherwise, it'll be a beautiful day, with sunny skies and a high temperature of about 66°. With just a little cooperation from mother nature, it won't be surprising to see some areas make a run at 70° today. And we probably won't drop below 50° tonight. If that's true, it'll be the first time since Dec. 29 that we haven't fallen at least into the 40s at night. And it'll be the first time since Dec. 31 that we haven't fallen into the 30s at night! Tomorrow will be much the same, though with more cloud cover.
NEXT STORM SYSTEM: Rain will become likely Wednesday afternoon, and remain likely into Thursday night. We could see some rumbles of thunder at times, but organized severe weather isn't expected. We should see widespread 1 to 2 inch rainfall totals with this storm system, coming on the heels of the nice rainfall we saw late last week. We'll see slight chances of rain continuing Friday and Friday night, then rain will become likely again Saturday and Sunday.
WEEKEND: We won't see as much rain Saturday and Sunday as we'll see with the mid-week storm system, but rain showers will be likely at times each day. We will see cooler temperatures sink southward behind the storm system.
NEXT WEEK: Temperatures will only be in the 40s on Monday. We won't warm up much next week, as a colder air mass sinks southeast. The coldest air probably won't make it this far south, but we also aren't going to be in the 60s like we are this week. There are some pretty strong winter storm signals for the middle of next week, but it's far too early to say that we'll see accumulating snow here in our area. The European global model also wants to bring a wave of arctic air into our area on the tail-end of that system. Beware snow maps you might see on social media showing outrageous snow totals next week. These maps are computer-generated with no human input and change frequently. There's no way anyone can say for sure what kind of weather we'll see next week; for now it's just something to watch.
You can find daily weather forecasts and analysis on our website, Eye to the Sky.
The Week Ahead
» 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 work session at 5 p.m. at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville.
» Monday: Oneida basketball will travel to Anderson County for a 6 p.m. start.
» 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: Oneida basketball will host Campbell County and Scott High basketball will travel to Gibbs. Both games will begin at 6:30 p.m., and both will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network, with the Baby J’s Pizza Pregame Report beginning at 6:15 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.
» Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
» Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Thursday mornings, except on the first Thursday of the month, hours are from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. For more information or requirements, call the church office at (423) 569-8828.
» Thursday: Scott High basketball will travel to Midway for a 6:30 p.m. start.
» Friday: Oneida basketball will travel to Gatlinburg-Pittman for a 6 p.m. start. The game will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network, with the Baby J’s Pizza Pregame Report beginning at 5:45 p.m.
Have a great week! Our next newsletter will be The Weekender, published Friday morning. This week’s publications will include our regular E-Edition on Thursday, and Varsity on Sunday. — Sam Voss, IH
Want to subscribe to this newsletter? It’s free!
Have an event to submit? Email newsroom@ihoneida.com or visit indherald.com/community-calendar-2.