Twenty-two graduate among TCAT's latest group of linemen
Students come from Greeneville to Memphis to attend lineman school in Oneida
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:
Since 1904, First National Bank has been a part of Scott County. First National is local people — just like you. Visit fnboneida.com or call (423) 569-8586. (Sponsored content.)
Twenty-two linemen graduate from TCAT Oneida/Huntsville
ONEIDA | A total of 22 students were among the Summer 2025 cohort that graduated the Power Line Construction and Maintenance program at Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville on Monday, June 16.
The graduating students represent communities from Greeneville in East Tennessee to Memphis in West Tennessee. They complete the six-month training program with certifications in OSHA-10 training, flagger training, forklift operation, and their commercial driver’s license, in addition to their lineman certifications. They also graduate with all the equipment they need to go to work immediately.
State Sen. Ken Yager attended the graduation ceremony and congratulated the graduates on their accomplishment.
“I’m really proud of these guys,” Yager said. “I wanted to personally tell you how proud I am of you. I don’t know you personally but I know there were sacrifices that you had to make. But you’ve weathered that and you’ve risen to the occasion by finishing your mission here at TCAT. I look forward to hearing nothing but great things about you in the future.”
Several utility companies from across the region were represented at the ceremony, including Clinton Utilities Board in Clinton, Tenn., Knoxville Utilities Board in Knoxville, Tenn., Pike Electric in Knoxville, Tenn., Dark Horse Companies in Sunbright, Tenn., and Plateau Electric Cooperative in Oneida.
Delivering the ceremonial address on behalf of the graduating class was Arlie Hill, a student from Pulaski County, Ky. The keynote speaker was Pike Electric’s Stephen Childress.
Award-winners from the Summer 2025 graduating cohort included: Cameron Utley, Best Climber; Alexander Finn, Most Improved; Austin Garner, Best Academic; Jacob Comer, Best All-Around; Hunter Allen, Attendance and Groovy Award; and Landon Jones, Attendance; and
Among the Summer 2025 graduates of the lineman program were:
Hunter Allen, Sevier County, Tenn.
Joseph Cantrell, Anderson County, Tenn.
Will Carta, Campbell County, Tenn.
Thomas Clark, Anderson County, Tenn.
Jacob Comer, Campbell County, Tenn.
Landin Ferguson, Hancock County, Tenn.
Alexander Finn, Sevier County, Tenn.
Austin Garner, Grainger County, Tenn.
Garyion Hamilton, Knox County, Tenn.
Jacob Harmon, Greene County, Tenn.
Logan Henderson, Campbell County, Tenn.
Arlie Hill, Pulaski County, Ky.
Landon Jones, Hardeman County, Tenn.
Jordan Lane, Sevier County, Tenn.
Jacob McCarter, Sevier County, Tenn.
Ricardo Nicoles, Fentress County, Tenn.
Bryson Upchurch, Fentress County, Tenn.
Cameron Utley, Henderson County, Tenn.
Andrew Warren, Hamblin County, Tenn.
Jared Watson, Sevier County, Tenn.
Conner Webber, Sevier County, Tenn.
Coby Wilder, Knox County, Tenn.
TCAT Oneida/Huntsville President pointed out that none of the graduating students are from Scott County, where the college is located.
“We serve the State of Tennessee, from Memphis to Mountain City,” he said. “I say unapologetically: we have the finest lineman training program in the State of Tennessee.”
Murphy also announced during the ceremony that Highland Telephone Cooperative has partnered with TCAT Oneida/Huntsville to provide scholarship funds. The college recently launched a new scholarship program to help students who otherwise may not be able to complete their program of choice because financial aid doesn’t cover the entire cost. He pointed out that the Power Line Construction and Maintenance program is the most expensive program of any program offered at Tennessee’s 24 TCAT locations.
“You say why is that? These guys will walk out of here today with every piece of safety equipment they need to go to work,” Murphy said. “It’s expensive but we’re still cheaper than our neighbors to the north and our neighbors to the south.”
Murphy pointed out that many students in the lineman program need to secure housing because they’re traveling from outside the local area to attend school.
The scholarships are used as last-case dollars, and contributors can choose which students receive scholarship aid.
“It’s amazing the students we can keep if we have scholarships,” Murphy said. “Some of the best can’t finish because they don’t have financial aid.”
Zach Lambert represented Highland Telephone at the ceremony. He is a lineman from Oneida who has served on the advisory committee for the Powerline program since its inception.
“We are honored and glad to help any young person that we can,” said Lambert.
Prospective students interested in the Power Line Construction and Maintenance program or any of the other 22 programs of study offered by TCAT Oneida/Huntsville can apply online at tcatoneida.edu. For questions about programs or financial aid, or to schedule a tour of the college’s campuses, call (423) 663-4900.
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Huntsville jumpstarts effort to form coalition of governments in opposition to landfill
HUNTSVILLE | A coalition of local governments is being built in opposition to a planned landfill at Bear Creek and a correlating trash transfer station along the railroad nearby.
At its meeting Thursday evening, the Town of Huntsville became the first government to take action to join the fledgling coalition, though it appears that other governments will follow suit. The town’s Board of Mayor & Aldermen passed a resolution that authorizes the town to participate in “the landfill coalition.”
According to the resolution, “It has been proposed that local governments impacted by the landfill developments, including the Towns of Huntsville, Oneida and Winfield, and McCreary County, Kentucky form a coalition to coordinate efforts in gathering and researching information and issues related to the proposed landfill developments and to make recommendations to the local governing boards that the coalition believes to be in furtherance of protecting its citizens, land and water resources…”
The resolution adds that, if approved by all local governments, the coalition could “employ environmental specialists or legal professionals, on an equal pro-rata basis, to research, advise, and make recommendations to the coalition, which would require further actions by the local governing bodies.”
While Huntsville is the first local government to take action, it doesn’t appear that it will be the last. The resolution specifically mentions the towns of Oneida and Winfield, as well as the governing bodies of Scott County and McCreary County, indicating that there has been discussion and coordination among the various governments.
Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers will serve as the town’s representation on the coalition.
The coalition appears to have been born from a mayors’ meeting that was held earlier this week. The mayors of Scott County and its three municipalities meet quarterly to strategize and share ideas as part of the community’s Three Star strategy.
Although Huntsville is not directly impacted by the landfill or by concerns about potential stream pollution, Jeffers told the Independent Herald Thursday that the proposal impacts all Scott Countians and requires a coordinated response.
Scott County Commission next meets in a work session on July 7. Its next formal session is on July 14. There’s a special called meeting scheduled for Monday, but it is for the purpose of approving the budget and tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. The Town of Oneida Board of Mayor & Aldermen next meets on June 26. The Town of Winfield Board of Mayor & Aldermen next meets on July 8.
Local governments have already taken several actions since the landfill issue came to light last month. Scott County Commission adopted the Jackson Law, a 1989 state statute that gives county and municipal governments more control over the approval of privately-owned landfills. The Town of Winfield has passed the first reading of an ordinance that would establish overlay zoning restrictions that prohibit landfills or trash transfer stations within one-half mile of a residence or one mile of a school. The Town of Oneida will consider the first reading of a similar overlay zoning ordinance at its meeting on June 26.
The landfill is being planned on part of approximately 700 acres of Bear Creek that are being purchased by a group of investors based in Chattanooga and Atlanta. The property includes a 24-acre landfill permit that was approved by the TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation in 2010. The developers have applied for a trash transfer station permit on Poplar Lane, along the Norfolk-Southern Railroad, on part of the property they’re purchasing. TDEC has not yet approved that permit, saying supplemental information is needed from the applicants.
The Town of Oneida includes part of the property where the landfill is being planned, including the 24 acres permitted in 2010. The Town of Winfield includes the property where the trash transfer station is planned. McCreary County’s interest in the project is that its primary source of water is the Big South Fork River.
Temperature hits 90° for the first time in 2025
Scott County’s stretch of days below 90° came to an end on Saturday, as the thermometer climbed to 90° exactly — the first 90° day since Sept. 21, 2024.
Unofficially, the high temperature reached 90° again Sunday at the Scott County Airport in Oneida. The heat index was 96°.
The record high temperatures in Oneida for the two days was 92° and 93°, respectively, set in 1960 and 2022.
Temperatures of 90° or greater are expected each day this week in Scott County, topping out around 93° Tuesday and Wednesday, as the heat wave continues. The record high for both days is 91°, set in 1996 and 2022.
Programming notes
» There will be no E-Edition this week. However, all time-sensitive content (including Scenic Food’s weekly sale items) will still be published. Our daily newsletters will also be published.
» Our Murders in the Heartland book is being heavily revised and republished. As was the case prior to the first publishing, we’ll publish the book as a series of articles, with the book to follow. Look for this series to begin in a couple of weeks as part of our “Friday Features”!
The Week Ahead
⛈️ Weather: The first week of summer is going to feel very much like summer. Record-setting temperatures are likely Tuesday and Wednesday, and we’ll be in the 90s all week long. The week will start dry, before rain chances build late in the week. 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: Huntsville Pool will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and every day this week ($3). The Oneida Splash Pad is also open.
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: The Scott County Airport Authority will meet at 5 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: 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 Town of Oneida Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at 6 p.m. at the Oneida Municipal Services Building.
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.
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)