The Daybreaker: Former jail nurse indicted on official misconduct charges
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Former Scott County Jail nurse indicted following TBI investigation
HUNTSVILLE | A former nurse at the Scott County Jail has been indicted on charges of official misconduct following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The TBI announced Friday that it had obtained an indictment against Tonja York Draughn, 60. A Scott County grand jury handed the indictment down on Thursday.
The TBI’s investigation into Draughn began in October 2024, at the request of 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler. According to the TBI, its agents discovered that Draughn had used her position as a nurse at the jail to bring contraband items into the facility to sell to inmates. The investigation also revealed that Draughn allegedly stole prescription medication from the jail.
The TBI did not offer further details. In legal terms, contraband refers to any good that is illegal to possess, import or export.
Draughn was indicted on charges of official misconduct and theft. She turned herself in on Friday and was booked into the jail on a $10,000 bond.
The Week Ahead
☀️ Weather: Today will feature dry weather, with skies becoming sunny and a high temperature of about 77°. The rest of the week will feature daily chances of thunderstorms, with temperatures around 80° each day. 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
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 menu is white beans and ham, greens, fried potatoes, cornbread, and dessert. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.
Monday: The Scott County Airport Authority will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Scott County Airport in Oneida.
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 7pm until 9pm 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 menu is spaghetti and meat sauce, side salad, applesauce, garlic bread and dessert. 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 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 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 by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas operates natural gas distribution pipelines in portions of Scott and Morgan counties. Visit citizensgastn.com.
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ICYMI
Issue #27 of Varsity, the Sports Magazine of the Independent Herald, was published Sunday. It is available here.
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The Independent Herald has served as the Voice of Scott County and Big South Fork Country since 1976 and is a publication of Liberty Press Inc. We publish newsletters several times each week and e-editions twice weekly.