Your home for "now" - WLAF
CCHS on lockdown this morning
School is back open at this hour
Volleyball: West wins over the Lady Cougars. CCHS has first-ever winning season.
Soccer: Lady Cougars 4 Scott 2
NEXT FOOTBALL GAME: Friday, September 29 at HOME with Powell
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CLICK to watch LIVE Channel 12 Smith's open 7-days a week & has BONNIE PLANTS on sale
WLAF’s “Business of the Day” today is: RADIO SHACK - Across from United Cumberland Bank
 PHOTO FROM HOME
Jellico man faces charges in
officer-involved shooting incident Ausmus pointed a gun at the JPD dispatcher
Deron Ausmus showed up at the Jellico Police Department and pointed a gun at a dispatcher. On August 24th, at
the request of 8th District Attorney General Jared Effler, TBI Special
Agents began investigating the circumstances surrounding an
officer-involved shooting that occurred along This week, the Campbell County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Ausmus with four counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of Reckless Endangerment with a Deadly Weapon, one count of Prohibited Weapons, and one count of Simple Possession. Today, Ausmus was served in the Knox County Jail, where he was being held on unrelated charges. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/22/2017-4:30PM) TOP PHOTO:
There was a predawn accident this morning in La
Follette. (PHOTO COURTESY OF LFD’S BRAD YOUNG) LFD out early this
morning Single-vehicle accident at 3 am
One person
was trapped and injured in a single-truck accident around 3 am this
morning. La Follette Fire, La Follette Police, and Campbell County
Ambulance worked a middle-of-the-night wreck earlier today. LFD’s
“C” Shift cut one person out of the wreckage where
BOTTOM PHOTO: Saturday
is “show time” at the annual LA Cruizers Car, Truck, and Motorcycle
Show. All the fun begins at 10 am at
Grand jury indicts five
people Arraignments are next month The following indictments were handed down this
week by the Campbell County Grand Jury. -Uless Arnold- third
offense DUI, DUI 3rd over .08, violation of the implied
consent -Sandy Wright - DUI -Michelle Johnson- aggravated burglary, criminal
trespassing, public intoxication -Harley Miller – driving on a revoked license -Robert Richardson- theft over $10,000, aggravated
criminal trespass, vandalism over $2,500, aggravated assault, burglary,
theft over $1,000, vandalism over $10,000, two counts of auto burglary,
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Arraignments in these cases are scheduled for
Monday, Oct. 30 at 8:30 am. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/22/2017-6AM) School board kicks off
search for new Director, delays decisions until October Only six board members
showed for workshop Thursday afternoon the Campbell County Board of
Education began the process for finding a new Director of Schools to
replace Larry Niddifer, who plans to retire at the end of the current
school year. Six board members met in a workshop at the central
office to discuss parameters and whether to conduct the search
themselves or contract with the Tennessee School Board Association to
advertise, take applications and present a list of top applicants to the
local board for a final decision. Board members at the
workshop agreed to place the decision on the agenda for the October
regular meeting, where the entire school board can vote on whether to
utilize TSBA or conduct the search locally. Also on the agenda will be
whether the board wants to limit advertisements and applicants to Other issues still to be decided include setting a
timeline and whether to change the parameters which were used to review
qualifications when the last Director was hired. There seemed to be general agreement that the board
needs to have a new Director on board before the budget process begins
for the 2018-19 academic year, but a definite timeline was among the
topics that were left open until the October board meeting. (WLAF
NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/22/2017-6AM)
Large turnout for yesterday’s Chamber Coffee
The signs are showing significant
growth where the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce is concerned.
The large turnout at Thursday’s Chamber Coffee hosted by the La Follette
Public Library is one of the biggest ever for the monthly gathering.
There was a time when you knew who would likely attend a Chamber Coffee,
know the handful of attendees names and faces, but not so anymore.
As evidenced yesterday morning. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED –
09/22/2017-6AM)
Sporting clays tourney
is next Friday CLICK HERE to see full list of auction items The Eighth Judicial District
Attorney’s Office is sponsoring a sporting clays tournament on Friday,
September 29. The
tournament, with proceeds benefitting the Children’s Centers of
Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott, and Teams of four will gather to shoot
skeet and raise funds for the second year in a row. This is a 100 shot competition where
shooters will participate in teams of four. The entry fee is $125
per shooter, which will include lunch and a golf cart per team. There
will be a morning and afternoon flight. A silent auction will be
held during the event and station sponsorships are available. Individual
and team prizes will be awarded. Eighth Judicial District Attorney
General Jared Effler tells WLAF, “The support for the second annual
Clays for Children Sporting Clays Tournament has been overwhelming. The
success of this event is a testament to the loving nature of our
communities and the extraordinary work done by our children's centers on
a daily basis to serve abused and neglected children.“ All shooters must bring their own eye
and ear protection along with shotguns and cartridges. The shoot will be held rain or shine. For more information, to donate
items to include in the silent auction, or to register for the sporting
clays tournament, contact the district attorney general’s office at
423-562-4991. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/22/2017-6AM)
Lady Cougars defeat
Scott for the first time-ever Horton leads the way with four goals If there
was ever a worry that the Campbell County Lady Cougar Soccer Team was
suffering from a mid-season slump, those concerns were put to rest last
night at Coach
Bryan Horton tells WLAF Sports that moving Sam Lasley to a sweeper
position paid dividends as she went on to play a great game. Drew
Leach answered the bell Thursday evening as she out fought a Scott
defender to make a great cross to Lindsay Horton. Horton promptly
dribbled past the right side defender and shot the ball over the keeper.
The Lady Cougars continued to out play the lady Highlander's all over
the field. The next goal came off a perfectly placed ball from a
corner kick from Lasley as Horton placed the ball past the keeper.
Soon after that, before the half, the Lady Highlanders were charged with
a hand in the box that allowed Horton to put this in for her third goal
of the game giving Last night’s game was very physical
with the Lady Cougars receiving three yellow cards and Scott high
receiving two. Scott was awarded two penalty kicks but missed
both. The Lady Highlanders were able to score a goal with less
than five-minutes to go in the game, and CCHS picked up win 4-2. Like other teams the Lady Cougars have
faced, Scott had a game plan to take Horton out of the game by making it
hard for her to get the ball, and when she did get it not allow her to
do much with it. That backfired on the Highlanders as Horton rang
up four scores. Needless to say, the senior that wears jersey
number 10 had a great game. On the season, Horton has scored 22
goals, and there’s still plenty of soccer to go with three regular
season games plus post season action. The
victory was extra special in that it was the first time ever that
NEW HOURS at Premier Cleaners (08/10/2017) Mon – Fri 7 am to 7 pm and Saturdays 8 am to 2 pm
Biggest and best show
yet for LA Cruizers Tomorrow from 10 to 3 at CCHS “We’ve had calls from other states
asking directions,” said LA Cruizers Club President Thomas Hatmaker.
Hatmaker expects tomorrow’s annual LA Cruizers event to be their biggest
and best yet. He calls the feedback “great” and the weather
forecast “awesome.” The annual
show features classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The display
area is all around the
According to Hatmaker, there’ll be
several vendors set up featuring lots of good food and drinks along with
all the cool cars and trucks plus corn hole boards for everyone to use.
He adds, “Club members work very hard to make sure everyone who attends
has a great time.” The LA Cruizers is more than a bunch
of folks with classic vehicles. Hatmaker points out, “At the end
of the day, the proceeds will provide a Christmas for more than 60
children, $2,000 dollars for the Campbell County Cancer Association, and
with $500 dollars going to the Campbell County Honor Guard. Hatmaker personally thanks every
individual who has worked or donated to the LA Cruizers, and says he’ll
see you on Saturday. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/22/2017-6AM)
Save the date! The
pig won’t wait! Chamber’s annual Pig Roast is less than a month
away The Pig
Roast is Thursday, October 12. Campbell County Chamber of Commerce
Director Christie Elkins tells WLAF that the Chamber’s biggest
fundraiser will be at 6 pm at the Tickets
are $25 for adults and $10 for children (ages 10 and under).
Tables are $150 for six or $300 seating a dozen. To order your
tickets and for more information, connect to
www.campbellcountychamber.com or call
423.566.0329.
It’s all
sponsored by Champion Partners: Community Trust Bank, La Follette
Utilities, and Nova Copy. Citadel Partners are: Home Federal
Bank, Powell-Clinch Utility District, Peoples Bank of the South, United
Cumberland Bank, and Y-12 Federal Credit Union. Cornerstone
Partners: Rickard Ridge BBQ is catering with the
auction conducted by Ayers Auction and Realty and Billy Ball serving as
the auctioneer. Fireworks are provided by Pyro Shows. (WLAF
NEWS PUBLISHED 09/13/2017-6AM)
Siding, Guttering, Windows, and more – Robbins Guttering 423.566.5461
This Little Cougar cheerleader is
having a fun football season. More Raymond McGhee photos and the
story on the Little Cougars road win at Claxton are further down this
page. Six La Follette
residents headed for hard time Judge Sexton finds them in violation of supervised
release Campbell County Criminal Court Judge
E. Shayne Sexton recently found six people in violation of their
supervised release and remanded them to Tennessee Department of
Corrections (TDOC) custody. Gregory S.
Bolton age 48 of La Follette previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges
including Attempted Sale of a Schedule I Substance and Felony Evading
Arrest. He received a suspended sentence of five-years supervised
by TDOC. Darien Noe age 23 of La Follette previously
pleaded guilty to Theft of Property over $500 and Attempted Burglary and
received a suspended sentence of two-years supervised by TDOC. Noe
was found guilty of violating the terms of his release and was sentenced
to serve his two-year sentence in TDOC custody. Mark Perkins age 39 of La Follette previously
pleaded guilty to Theft over $1,000 and received a suspended sentence of
four-years supervised by TDOC. Perkins was found guilty of
violating the terms of his release and was sentenced to serve his
four-year sentence in TDOC custody. Jennifer Snodderly age 34 of La Follette
previously pleaded guilty to Theft over $500 and Resisting Arrest and
received a suspended sentence of three-years supervised by TDOC.
Snodderly was found guilty of violating the terms of her release and was
sentenced to serve her three-year sentence in TDOC custody. Horace Wallace age 40 of La Follette
previously pleaded guilty to Vandalism over $500 and received a
suspended sentence of two-years supervised by TDOC. Wallace was
found guilty of violating the terms of his release and was sentenced to
serve his two-year sentence in TDOC custody. Jackson Tyler White age 26 of La Follette
previously pleaded guilty to Burglary and received a suspended sentence
of two-years supervised by TDOC. White was found guilty of
violating the terms of his release and was sentenced to serve his
two-year sentence in TDOC custody. These six violators were prosecuted by
the Office of District Attorney General Jared Effler and are being housed
this morning in the Campbell County Jail. (WLAF NEWS
PUBLISHED – 09/21/2017-6AM) Yager-Powers bring
dollars to More than $300-thousand dollars to aid fire service State Senator Ken Yager
(R-Kingston) and Representative Dennis Powers (R-Jacksboro) announced
Wednesday that Good weather for good
weekend of events LA Cruizers Car Show is Saturday FRIDAY Community
Health of East Tennessee’s (CHET) annual “Hats-n-Hawgs” fun night is
Friday night. CHET’s 9th
annual Chili and Wing Cook-Off is tomorrow at 6 pm at the Stables at
SATURDAY Award
winning Litter Control Officer Glennis Monday is asking for volunteers
to join in on Saturday’s Lakeshore Litter Clean-up. It’s hosted by
the Norris Lake Project Team and Campbell County Litter Control.
Volunteers meet at 10 am at Flat Hollow Marina or at any boat dock in
The Samaritan’s
Purse Prayer Walk is Saturday from 10 am until noon at The LA
Cruizers annual Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Open Show is Saturday, 10 am
until 3 pm. It’s held at the Writers’ club/guild
starting up First Tuesday of each month A writers’ club/guild starts on
Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30 pm. Organizers plan to have the event
the first Tuesday of each month. Pam McFadden is starting the club and welcomes you to be a part. For more details, please call 865.318.2215. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/21/2017-6AM)
Basketball sign-ups
start at Registration days are Monday through Saturday Chris Smith with the West La Follette
Recreation Center announces CCYBA sign-ups. The Campbell County
Youth Basketball Association sign-ups are Monday through Fridays from 8
am until 5 pm. Saturday sign-up hours are from 8 am until 2 pm.
The league is open to youngsters ages 5 – 14. The registration
location is the West La Follette Recreation Center. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
– 09/21/2017-6AM) Little Cougars shut out
Blue Devils By Raymond McGhee The Campbell County Hoppers traveled
to Claxton on September 9 and left with a big win. The Little
Cougars shut out the Claxton Blue Devils with a final score of 30-0.
QB Landon Chadwell (18) throws a long pass with protection from Dawson Warren (19) Dawson
Warren (19) was the first to put points on the board for the Little
Cougars.
Jake Hatmaker (14) jumps & catches a pass deep in the end zone. The Little Cougars put pressure on the Claxton Blue Devils and kept them from scoring. McKinley Robbins (35) sacked the Blue Devils quarterback. Jake Hatmaker (14) scored for the Cougars when he jumped into mid air deep in the end zone to catch Chadwell's pass. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/21/2017-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAYMOND MCGHEE)
Glennis
Monday received a much deserved award, an inaugural award, on Tuesday. The story on
High fives for
Level Fives. ‘Level 5 is a major accomplishment’ – Larry
Nidiffer, DOS “Level 3 or above is great. But
Level 5 is a major accomplishment,” said Campbell County Director of
Schools Larry Nidiffer. Nidiffer’s comments come after three
Campbell County Elementary Schools earn Level 5 status. Past
Reward Schools, Caryville, Jacksboro, and Valley View are Level 5
schools. The award is based on results from the 2016-2017 School
Year. A preliminary public release from
TVAAS came out on Friday. TVAAS is the Tennessee Value-Added
Assessment System and measures how much students grow in a year shining
light on student progress. It’s not
easy for Tammy Lay to keep from smiling. And rightfully so.
In addition to the three Level 5 schools, La Follette and Lay explains that longevity of the
principal and stability mean a lot to a school in working together.
She points toward principals Lori Adkins of Caryville, LES’s Meredith
Arnold, Jason Dotson at VVES, Bob Walden of Wynn, and JES’s Pam Walden.
Lay adds that she feels good about the elementary leadership in the
county across the board. “The entire school reaps the
motivational benefits, Lay says. The whole atmosphere at the
schools is paying off.” Lay calls R2BR a difference maker.
That’s “Read To Be Ready.” She says the R2BR collaboration is
making a difference as academic coaches are seeing improvement in
literacy scores. Other
recognition for Campbell County Elementary Schools is pending based on
actual test scores. Lay expects those results within the next few
weeks. (WLAF NEWS
PUBLISHED 09/20/2017-6AM) Glade Springs
man messes with wrong dog
The report coming in to La Follette Police was that Norris had the woman on the ground and was beating her. He reportedly is known as a runner.
James Norris is due back in court on
September 28 (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CAMPBELL COUNTY SHERIFF’S
DEPARTMENT) On Friday evening, just before 7 pm, LaFollette Police Officer Cory
Lawson was dispatched to the Powell-Clinch/Poor Boy’s Diner area on a
domestic assault in progress, the report said.
Lawson said Norris fell backwards trying to get away from Morris.
That’s when Lawson says he saw Norris drawing his right hand back as to
allegedly strike the K-9, according to the arrest warrant. Lawson soon
found that Norris had a hunting knife on him. Lawson attempted to gain
control of Norris. However, Norris wasn’t ready to give up yet, instead
he was thrashing on the ground trying to hide his hands, the report
said. It was K-9
Morris’s second bite this month.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/20/2017-6AM) You’re invited to
help TCAT celebrate its 50th
year Celebration is
Thursday, September 28th As much as
the Tennessee College of Applied Technology has changed since 1967, it
has also remained much the same. It’s the same facility that began
helping students from TCAT
President Debbie Petree invites you to the celebration on Thursday,
September 28 at 2 pm at the school on Mills fund raising hike
on hold Foot injury happens ahead of snow storm A foot
injury has put Duane and Karen Mills fund raising hike to benefit the
The Mills had already hiked 27 miles
toward their more than 200-mile planned hike. Karen says the
challenge before her injury was a developing snow storm that they were
hiking toward. The plan for the First
Baptist Church of La Follette pastor and his wife now is to return at a
later date and finish their hike in sections.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/20/2017-6AM)
La Follette
is going for more grant dollars Eyes new sidewalks for
Officials with the Tennessee
Department of Transportation were in town earlier this month.
While here, they offered some suggestions to the City of
At the moment, La Follette is
waiting for construction to begin on Phase I of the Downtown
Revitalization Project. Phase I involves upgrades and
improvements to three intersections along East Central Avenue at Indiana
Ave., First St., and Tennessee Ave.
Jeffries says, “One of the really
good things about TDOT grants is that you don’t have to complete one
particular project before you can apply for another grant.”
That’s where Phase II of the Downtown Revitalization Project
comes in with regard to Tuesday’s City of
Phase II is leaning toward new
sidewalks up both sides of
Jeffries points out that Phase II
improvements will connect to the south side East Central Ave. walking
trail coming from behind Wender Furniture, up the First St. breezeway,
west along the south side of East Central Ave. and then up North
Tennessee Ave. Monday receives
Potter Award Recognized Tuesday at
“It’s amazing what he does for our
county.” That’s Campbell County Deputy Mayor Andy
Wallace says about CC Litter Control Officer Glennis Monday.
Monday’s many years of effort and
service were recognized at a statewide awards banquet yesterday at
Monday received the Leadership Award
named for Larry E. Potter; the Potter Law Enforcement Award.
In 1991, Potter helped establish the
From all of us here at WLAF,
Congratulations, Glennis. You’re tops!
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/20/2017-6AM)
Mid-term
grades are back. Did we mention the good news? Pinky is The Lady
Cougars hosted Senior Night last night as CCHS Soccer blanked Ways and Means
Committee meeting is Monday Called meeting starts at 6pm A Ways and Means Committee meeting has
been called. The meeting date is Monday, September 25, 6 pm, at
the court house. The meeting is in consideration of
electing a chair and vice-chair, consider contract formats, and any
other matters needing to be discusses. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED –
09/19/2017-6AM) Commission avoids
showdown with school board over budget transfer BOE gets green light on 9 to 6 vote County commissioners voted by a narrow margin on
Monday night to approve a $1 million budget transfer passed last week by
the Board of Education, avoiding a conflict with the school board that
potentially could have ended up in court. Newly elected school board chairman Clint Bane
answered questions from commissioners for nearly 45 minutes before Rusty
Orick made a motion to table the matter for a month until the October
meeting. “I don’t want to kill this, I just want to hear
from the Finance Department about other possibilities for funding these
projects,” Orick explained. “The school board are elected officials the same as
us. No matter what we do, they can go and do what they deem necessary,”
Cliff Jennings countered. “I think we should go ahead, support this and
let them go to work.” School board attorney Dail Cantrell had sent a memo
responding to county attorney Joe Coker earlier in the day in which
Cantrell predicted that failure by the commission to “approve the
expenditure for money that has already been appropriated” would be
subject to judicial review. Cantrell continued to predict that the
Chancery Court would find in favor of the school board in such a case. Earlier, Bane had responded to some complaints that
the $1 million being taken from the school fund balance would be used
entirely for athletic programs rather than academic needs. “The lights for the football field are in a
dangerous state of deterioration. This is a safety issue, and as such a
high priority,” Bane replied. Orick’s motion failed
by an 8-7 vote and Kidd comments
on BOE’s $1-million plans WLAF welcomes
your comments to wlaf@1450wlaf.com Dear Editor, Morton predicts change
order controversy could cost $35,000 At last night’s regular monthly meeting, the
Campbell County Commission was divided over a legal issue that will
definitely end up being decided in a courtroom, whether to settle a
$7,000 bill from K. Carrender Construction Company for work that
contractor did on the Walnut Mountain waterline project. The contractor billed the county an additional
$7,000 through a change order for unexpected expenditures when extra
pipe had to be used for the project following a flood. The commission
had previously passed a resolution that all change orders needed prior
commission approval before payment is made. However, the project engineer and Mayor E.L. Morton
both signed off on the additional work in order to avoid delays in
completing the project. The commission then voted to refuse to pay the
bill since it violated their policy. Last month, county Attorney Joe Coker reported on a
pre-trial conference between himself, K. Carrender’s attorney David
Dunaway and Circuit Court Judge William McAfee. Dunaway offered to waive
his attorney’s fees if the county agreed to pay the $7,000 invoice, an
offer Coker felt would be in the county’s interest to accept. Commissioners voted to
delay a decision until the September meeting, but little seemed to have
changed in the past 30 days. Despite Morton’s prediction that going to
court will likely cost as much as $35,000, seven commissioners supported
a motion by Commissioner Dewayne Kitts had been forced to leave
the meeting early, leaving the motion frozen in a 7-7 deadlock, but
Morton then voted to break the tie and supported the motion to not pay
and let the court decide the matter. In addition to Ralph Davis, Marie Ayers, Forster
Baird, Carl Douglas, Robert Higginbotham. Cliff Jennings and Scott
Stanfield voted in favor of not paying and deciding the matter in court. The commission also voted on a chairman and vice
chairman and established their committees before adjourning. Early in
the meeting Morton was re-elected chairman for the commission with
Johnny Bruce re-elected as vice chairman. After some discussion,
commissioners who have not previously served on the Financial Management
Committee were elected. The new FMS Committee will consist of The commission also scheduled a meeting of the Ways & Means Committee for Monday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/19/2017-6AM) TITLE 6 COORDINATOR:
Caryville Board appoints Wallace By PETER SAWYER CARYVILLE—At
Monday night’s special called meeting, the board of mayor and aldermen
approved the second reading of an ordinance to appoint
Caryville-Jacksboro Utilities Commission Chairman Frank Wallace Title VI
Coordinator. Wallace will be able to answer questions from
employees and other officials regarding violations to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964. Caryville officials intend to apply for an 80-20
matching recycling grant. If Caryville obtains the grant, the board
plans to use it to finance the purchase of a recycling truck. To apply for the grant, the board was required to
designate a Title VI coordinator. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/19/2017-6AM)
October 6th
and 7th The Food City Food Show
returns to the “We would like to thank
our loyal customers, associates, media partners and celebrity chefs for
making our annual Food City Food Show such a tremendous success.
We have an outstanding line-up planned for this year’s event and we
invite everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities,” said Steven C.
Smith, The Food City Food Show will feature live cooking
demonstrations with celebrity chefs throughout the day, in addition to
product sampling, tasty recipes and exclusive money-saving offers from
over 150 food vendors. Advance tickets are on
sale now at Event proceeds will
benefit the
And your 2017 Campbell County High School Homecoming Queen is … from the 2018 Senior Class, Miss Kirsten Roberts! The queen is the daughter of Bennie and Candie Roberts. Kirsten was escorted by Elijah Phillips (L) and Bennie Roberts. Phillips is the son of Michael Phillips and Tracie Davis. Thanks to WLAF's David Graham for the Homecoming Queen photo and to Charlie Hutson for his Homecoming Parade photo of the mighty Cougar Marching Band. See more C-Hut photos further down this page WATCH the CCHS Homecoming Parade SEE the CCHS Homecoming Festivities Final Score: Cougars 41 - Gibbs 21 WLAF
PUBLISHER’S NOTE Potential jurors are urged NOT to
read this story The following story contains information regarding the first degree murder trial of Josh Comer. He has been awaiting trial for three and a half years in the death of Gabby Orton. WLAF strongly urges prospective jurors not to read the following story so their knowledge of the case isn’t compromised. Comer heads to trial
date as court weighs what will be introduced at trial As the clock winds down to the start of Josh
Comer’s first degree murder trial, the court is deciding what a jury
will and won’t see. Comer stands accused of killing his then
girlfriend’s three- year –old daughter Gabby Orton. The child’s mother,
Amber Orton, is accused of not protecting Gabby; her trial date hasn’t
been set. In court Thursday, a host of motions was presented.
Among them was if a phone call made by Comer to his father could be
used at the October trial. Comer is being housed at the Knox
County Jail, where all inmate phone calls are recorded. In the call, Comer is contemplating pleading guilty
in Gabby’s death. “We believe it’s an admission of guilt,” Assistant
District Attorney General Meredith Slemp told the court. Bill Jones,
one of three of Comer’s court appointed attorneys, took exception to the
recording being offered as evidence.
Because Comer was only mulling over the idea of
accepting a plea, Jones said allowing the recording to be played at
trial could “have a chilling effect on pleas.” “This was the largest, most difficult decision in
his life,” Jones said reminding the court that at the time the recording
was made, Comer was still facing the death penalty. The death penalty
was removed by prosecutors in June. As the question of the relevance of the audio was
debated, Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Shayne Sexton
opted for the recording to be heard to determine its significance. When the call begins, Comer and his father spend a
great deal of time discussing financial woes before Comer abruptly
changes the topic. “Me and a friend was talking last night,” he began.
“If they (the district attorney’s office) would take a range 1 at 30
percent, hell, that would only be 12 years,” Comer said indicating if he
could plead guilty and be sentenced at the low end of the confinement
guidelines his estimate was that he would be behind bars for 12 years. “I am tired of sitting here,” Comer lamented. Flanked by his attorneys, Comer sat motionless as
his next topic of conversation was the shiftlessness of his legal team.
Offering up what he determined to be their unwillingness to help him,
Comer commented his idea for a plea was better than anything they had
suggested. “They got to do what you tell them,” Comer’s father
said. “They have to take it on down the line.” “Go talk to the DA, tell them I’ll do 20 at range
1,” Comer told his father. “I am tired of f*****g with them.” “This shows he has a guilty conscience,” Slemp said
at the conclusion of the tape. Jones argued the opposite insisting that Comer only
wanted to stay alive at that juncture. Sexton ruled the recording would not be part of the
trial. “It is a far stretch to make that audio relevant,”
he said noting that some of the parts were “unsavory” which could
inflame a jury. (This story continues with what’s on three cell phones) Data from three phones
will be dumped ‘We are walking around like it’s a bomb. Get the
phone’ – Judge Sexton. Moving from a phone call to the discovery of cell
phones, the court next addressed a possible privacy issue. In August, Comer’s attorneys discovered two phones
they said had not been inventoried by the district attorney’s office.
They were asking for Sexton to allow access to the information on the
phones. District Attorney General Jared Effler said the
phones were included in documents turned over to the defense. “Just how important is this phone to this trial,”
Sexton asked. Asserting the state had nothing to hide, Effler
said Orton, who was in the courtroom, had a Fourth Amendment
expectation, meaning her right to privacy was in play. This sentiment was echoed by Orton’s court
appointed attorney Mike Hatmaker. Because the contents of the phone hadn’t been
discovered yet, Hatmaker argued that Comer didn’t get access to them. “She has a right to privacy no matter what Mr.
Comer says,” Hatmaker insisted. With Sexton pointing out to the attorneys that the
contents of the phone could prove critical, he said it would be
“reckless” not to discover the contents. He also noted that Comer had an
“absolute right” to what was on the phone. “We can’t pretend it’s (the phone) not there, the
stakes are too high in this case,” the judge continued. “We have to
strip that phone.” With that, Hatmaker said he wanted to “respectfully
suggest” that the court was about to go too far. Sexton wasted no time in pointing out the
“preposterous” nature of the moment. “We are walking around like it’s a bomb. Get the
phone,” he said. Next came the question of if a data dump could be
executed on what was now three phones in time for the October trial,
Sexton left little room for negotiation of that point. “That has to be done,” the judge said. “Start now.” Gabby died in June 2014, which means this case has
lingered in the courts for over three years. “Get this done,” Sexton instructed. (This story
continues with details of Gabby Orton’s injuries)
Gabby suffered from at
least 10 different injuries Witness expected to tell that Comer jumped up and
down on child The last motion to be taken up was if prosecutors
would be permitted to introduce the litany of injuries Gabby suffered
leading up to her death. In the eight months prior to her death, prosecutors
have either documented or obtained documentation of at least 10
different injuries. Beginning in November 2013, Gabby was seen by her
pediatrician for injuries that allegedly occurred when “a dog pushed her
off the porch.” Afterwards, she was seen by various providers for
injuries that included a fractured arm that was already healing,
multiple abrasions and bruises, a swollen knee, vaginal bruises and hair
loss. Slemp told the court the state had documentation and eyewitnesses
that would state Comer was alone with the child when these injuries
happened or caused them. Prosecutors also planned to introduce a witness
that will state he saw Comer sitting on Gabby and jumping up and down on
her the day she died, Slemp said. A review of case law is needed before a ruling can
be given on allowing the injuries in at trial, Sexton said. The judge
indicated that ruling would come at the Sept. 26 court date. As court was adjourning, Don Eldridge (CORRECTION:
Eldridge's name is JOHN not Don), another of
Comer’s attorneys, asked for his client to be moved back to the Campbell
County Jail. Before Eldridge could finish the request, Comer
said, “No, I don’t want that, you don’t know what it’s like down there.”
Eldridge withdrew the request. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED –
09/18/2017-6AM) County commission
expected to take up $1 million request Meets tonight at 6 pm at the courthouse Last Monday night, at its workshop,
the Campbell County Commission declined to approve a $1 million budget
transfer sought by the Board of Education. The transfer is for
various capital projects, including replacing the lights at the CCHS
stadium and a track & field complex for the high school. The
school board requested the transfer from its own undesignated fund
balance. A motion to approve the budget
amendment was offered after a lengthy discussion. The motion
failed for lack of a second. The committee then agreed to a motion
to revisit the matter during its regular meeting, which is today at 6
pm, and to require the Director of Schools, Larry Nidiffer, and Board
Chairman, Clint Bane, to appear before the commission to answer
questions about the request. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/18/2017-6AM) Speeder
clocked at 126 miles per hour
It was in the middle of the day.
Around 2 pm. On Interstate 75 here in According to court records, Somashekar appeared in Campbell County Court on Thursday, pleaded guilty to failure to maintain lane and speeding (126/65MPH), paid his fines and left. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/18/2017-6AM) LA Cruizers, Louie Bluie,
Pig Roast, ATV Fest are all but here Cruizers big show is this Saturday Saturday is the day for the annual LA
Cruizers Car Show. At this moment, it looks like the weather is
going to be good for the big event. All the
fun starts at 10 am at All of us here at WLAF say “thank you”
to the LA Cruizers for all this special group does for our community. Louie
Bluie is Saturday, September 30th
at Save the
date for the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Community Pig
Roast and Auction. It’s Thursday, October 12, at 6 pm, at the
“Two” is
coming to town! Ralph Stanley, II, is scheduled to perform as part
of the annual Big Creek ATV Festival. The third annual event is
Saturday, October 14, in La Follette. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED –
09/18/2017-6AM) Cougars open season at 4
& 1 for third time ever Fun day and night for Homecoming 2017 The
Cougars shook off a determined Gibbs Eagles team on Friday night as they
posted a 41-21 victory on Homecoming Night. For only the third
time in school history, CCHS is 4 & 1 after its first five games to
start a season; all during the Price Era. The Cougars were 4 & 1
in 2013 and 2014. A season ago,
“Jonesy”
fittingly served as the Grand Marshal in Friday’s CCHS Homecoming
Parade. CCHS Principal David Jones retired back in June.
CLICK HERE
to see Charlie Hutson’s Homecoming Parade photos. (WLAF NEWS
PUBLISHED – 09/18/2017-6AM)
TOP PHOTO: Karen
Mills aka Stargazer (L) and Duane Mills aka Boomerang broke camp at
Yosemite Thursday morning and embarked on a 200+ miles trek to BOTTOM PHOTO: L-R Ricky Collingsworth, Dustin
Woodson, and Josh Rogers represented the Dump Your Junk team and won the
2017 CCHS Basketball Benefit Golf Tournament. Details are down
this page.
Gabby Orton's murder
trial takes a step on Thursday Yesterday, a hearing was conducted in the Gabby
Orton murder trial. The defendant, Josh Comer, has been awaiting trial
for over three years. During the course of the hearing, both sides
argued about matters that would or would not be made available to the
jury. Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Shayne Sexton deemed
that some of the items were not relevant to the trial and thus, the jury
wouldn’t be privy to them. WLAF will not publish a story on the hearing until
Monday in order to give prospective jurors ample time to be notified by
the court to abstain from coverage. Again, on Monday, WLAF will publish
a full account of the hearing and asks that if you are a potential juror
not to read our coverage. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/15/2017-6AM) TELOS Global is hiring!
CLICK HERE
for more information TELOS
Global is hiring. TELOS, located in the former A & S Steel
building at In a
release from Campbell County Mayor E.L. Morton, Morton details that
TELOS is looking for experienced tool and die makers, a press operator,
as well as CMM/Lab Tech. Resumes will be reviewed immediately and
should be sent to
cdial@telosphs.com.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/15/2017-6AM) One bird takes down
town Thursday power outage
closes businesses A single bird knocked out power for a
few thousand La Follette Utilities Board customers late Thursday
morning. Many of those customers included all of the downtown La
Follette businesses. From Terry’s Pharmacy to WLAF to the Royal
Lunch Room, it was dark and quiet for about half-an-hour.
LUB
General Manager Kenny Baird tells WLAF that the bird hit the new La
Follette District Substation on Monday and Wallace
promote FOF Fields of Faith is less than a month away at CCHS Fields of
Faith is set for Wednesday, October 11, 6:30 pm at Over the years, the names and faces of
the students who take part and help promote the event change. This
year is no different. CLICK
HERE to see what organizer Brian Miracle, Cougar Riley Wallace, and
Lady Cougar Macey Monday have to tell you about the upcoming special
night. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/15/2017-6AM) Busy, but fun, week at
CCHS culminates tonight Homecoming 2017 is celebrated Which float will
take first place? If themes count, the Campbell County High Class
of 2018 certainly has a clever edge. They are: Seniors –
“It's No Mystery, the Eagles Are History,” Juniors – “Smoke the Eagles,”
Sophomores – “Cage the Eagles,” and Freshmen – “Steam Roll the Eagles.” For the 2016 CCHS Homecoming Queen,
Bryce Dossett, it won’t be quite as suspenseful tonight at the CCHS
Homecoming as it was a year ago. However, for this evening’s queen
contestants, it will be an “edge of your seat” event as they await the
announcement of the 2017 queen, who will be crowned by Dossett. Here are
all the young ladies who will participate in homecoming. From the
Freshman Class are
Megan Asher, Julia Ayers, Shelby Bargy, and
Rainey Laxten with the Sophomore Class being represented by Chloe Bostic,
Tara Evans, Chloe Lester, and Shaylan Sharp. Junior Class
participants are Jaiden Hargrave, Latisha Higginbotham, Lauren Johnson,
and Kaylee Welch, and from the Senior Class, it is Jasmine Kinsler,
Kirsten Robers, Tiarra Slover, and Shaylan Williams rounding out the
court. Here’s the timeline for
today and tonight. First. Campbell High dismisses students
at 12:30 pm. Then. La Follette’s Central Avenue puts
everything else on hold for the 1:45 pm 2017 CCHS Homecoming Parade with
former CCHS Prinicpal David Jones serving as Grand Marshall.
Finally. Homecoming festivities begin at Dossett Stadium at 6:50
pm with the Cougars taking on Gibbs in the football game at 7:30 pm. Watch the CCHS Homecoming Festivities
and the game televised “live” in living color right here on the WLAF – B
& M Tires Sports Network. Coverage begins at 6:40 pm. Go Cougars! (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
– 09/15/2017-6AM) Mills mission is
underway Hiking to raise $$ for
And they’re off!
The couple is using their vacation time to
hike to raise funds for the
If you’d like to sponsors the Mills connect to www.fbclafollette.com and
select the JMT tab. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/15/2017-6AM) Mid-week golf tourney
benefits CCHS Roundball Coach expresses appreciation Cougar
Basketball season is just under two-months away. But it took
center stage Wednesday. On the Greens at Campbell County High School Head
Basketball Coach Matt Housley was overwhelmed with the support.
Housley and his Cougars would like to thank the Greens at Deerfield for
hosting its 2017 Cougar Basketball Golf Tournament fundraiser as well as
Premier Lawn Service, Dump Your Junk, First Volunteer Bank, People's
Bank of the South, Bill Snodgrass, Clint Bane, Dixie Turf, Walters
Funeral Home, Norris Docks, La Follette Utilities, Brian Nelson, Robbie
Heatherly, Johnny Bruce, Mikey Comer, and the Jacksboro Riggs for
participating in the event. The Cougars open their season at home
on Tuesday, November 14. CCHS hosts the William Blount Governors.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/15/2017-6AM)
TOP PHOTO: Further down this page, see what
Former WLAF Radio Personality is up to these days at the La Follette
Court Assisted Living Community. BOTTOM PHOTO:
Macey Monday’s classy creation is getting us ready for Friday night’s
Homecoming at
Campbell Associate Head Coach and Defensive
Coordinator Matt Price sizes up his latest white stripe on Pat Kerr
Field Wednesday afternoon. Price, his twin brother, Head Coach
Justin, their father, Jeff, and others pour their pride, pains, and
passion into the field where CCHS plays its home games. And it
shows. It’s also that drive and detail in their coaching that have
elevated the Cougars to a winning program. Wind blew and a raindrop or two fell
as field prep was being done yesterday. The wind was so cool it
felt like mid-October. Intoxicated man takes paranoia to extreme ‘15 men were shooting at me’ - Eddie Chadwell Imagine
the surprise of the residents at a home on
Eddie Wayne Chadwell of
Brick Plant Hollow in Jellico (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CAMPBELL COUNTY
SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT) Deputy Walter Harmon outlines in his
report that 27-year old Eddie Chadwell of Pioneer told him that, “he was
seeing things and that 15 men were shooting at him.” Harmon deemed
Chadwell a danger to himself and took him to the county jail on a charge
of public intoxication. It was Chadwell’s ninth booking at the
Campbell County Jail. He is being held this morning on a $7,000
bond. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/14/2017-6AM) Speeding gets driver to
jail in short fashion Chased, caught, and cuffed in the neighbor’s yard Brandon
Chapman wasn’t as fast as he thought he was; behind the wheel or on
foot. When the call of a speeding driver on Deputies Nathanial Bostic and Mike
Comer had prior knowledge that the 33-year old Chapman was wanted on
multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest. According to the
report, Bostic and Comer went to a home where Chapman was on the front
porch of, spotted the deputies, and ran from them.
Brandon Harold
Chapman of Chapman
was ordered to stop but kept running toward Chapman is facing multiple charges
including leaving the scene of an accident and evading arrest. His bond is set at $50,000 and remains
housed in the Campbell County Jail this morning. (WLAF NEWS
PUBLISHED – 09/14/2017-6AM) Criminal didn’t deserve
a break today Arrested in the McDonald’s parking lot Once spotted, Campbell County
Sheriff’s Department Deputy Nathanial Bostic was instantly on to Greg
Phillips. Bostic, in his report, writes that he was advised that
Phillips was out and about driving a 2017 Silver Chevy Cobalt.
Gregory Shawn
Phillips of Having prior knowledge of Phillips
outstanding warrants for his arrest, he conducted a traffic stop in the
parking lot of the Jacksboro McDonald’s. On Friday evening, Bostic
arrested Phillips, of La Follette, and took him to the Campbell County
Jail. He’s facing violation of probation, criminal impersonation,
and theft of property under one thousand dollars charges. This was the 35-year old Phillips 32nd booking into the Campbell County Jail. He continues to be housed this morning in the county jail without bond. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/14/2017-6AM) La Follette Court
Assisted Living celebrates special week It’s National Assisted Living Week It’s not
your grandmother’s care facility. Senior living is not quite like it
was back in the 1960s or 70s. In this day and time, assisted
living facilities are “the” place to be for seniors. Fortunately
for Campbell Countians, La Follette Court Assisted Living Community
(LCALC) is here. Here on
Goodies
are out for guests this week at La Follette Court Assisted Living. Extra care and personal touch set
LCALC apart while the atmosphere is a mix of professional care and
family living. Rhonda Graves is the administrator for the La
Follette Court Assisted Living Community, and points out that being a
family owned and family operated facility really makes the difference.
September 10-16 is
National Assisted Living Week. This year’s theme is “Family is
Forever.”
Former WLAF Radio Personality Harold Branam, now 85-years old, makes his home at La Follette Court Assisted Living. He’s quick to point out, “Everything’s good here! It’s a good place to live when you have to live some place – a good place.” Harold’s been at LCALC for a few years now.
When we caught up with Branam on Wednesday,
he had his scanner turned up and WLAF-TV 12 turned up even louder.
He was listening to Soppin’ the Gravy on WLAF. Activities
Director Robin Baird has extra fun lined up all this week. Darlene
Prewitt sings today at 1:30 pm with Camellia Home Health hosting bingo
Friday at 1 pm. Saturday afternoon is when Rev. Don Allen and
members of the LCALC is
family owned and family operated. For tours or more information, please call Rhonda Graves at 423.562.6730 or connect to http://lafollettecourt.com/. (09/14/2017-6AM)
Glennis
visited yesterday. School Board OKs $1
million transfer, elects new chairman Bane is the new BOE Chairman. Byrge is
vice-chair. The Campbell County Board of Education created a
potential confrontation with the county commission on Tuesday night by
approving a budget transfer to spend $1 million from the school system’s
undesignated fund balance on various capital projects. On Monday night, the commission, meeting as a
budget & finance committee, declined to approve the transfer when not
one commissioner would second the motion. The next night the school board heard from a couple
of teachers who urged the board to consider the need to commit more
resources to academic needs instead of sports facilities. Half of the $1
million planned in the capital projects appropriation would go to
replace lighting at the CCHS football stadium and upgrade the track. “75 % of teachers have substandard desks in their
classrooms, many have projectors with blown out bulbs and other things
that need replacement. The sports facilities aren’t the only things that
need improvements,” Sharon Marlow reminded the board. Tom Chadwell added, “One hundred percent of
students and their families depend on academics, while a smaller number
are involved in sports and a very small number benefit greatly from
sports through scholarships.” “This is really a safety question,” new board
chairman Clint Bane pointed out. “Those light posts at the stadium are
coming apart and need to be replaced before one collapses.” Later the board voted on the budget transfers, four
of which were already approved by the commission. When the $1 million
came up for discussion, Faye Heatherly offered a motion to approve with
Johnny Byrge seconding her motion. Mike Orick , who had been replaced at the start of
the meeting as chairman, voted “no,” while Crystal Creekmore abstained.
The other board members all voted “yes” as the motion passed 8-1-1. Before the vote, Johnny Byrge quoted from a story
on the WLAF website (story is further down this page) and asked the
board’s attorney if the commission could legally control the school
board’s spending of school funds. “Once those funds are in the school system’s fund
balance, county commissions cannot restrict the way the board utilizes
the money as long as the state’s minimum level remains in the fund
balance. That’s state law,” the attorney replied. The commission had voted on Monday to request the
board chairman and Director of Schools to appear before the commission
next week to explain the need for the budget transfer. If they do, it
will be a new chairman that will speak to commissioners after Clint Bane
was elected to replace Orick as chairman on Tuesday night. The change appears to have been uncontroversial, as Orick offered a motion to halt nominations and elect Bane by acclamation (CORRECTION: it was not by acclamation) after Bane was nominated by Johnny Byrge. The vote was 8 to 2 with Orick and Creekmore voting no for Bane. Sharon Ridenour then nominated Byrge as vice chairman,
and he was voted in replacing Faye Heatherly (CORRECTION: he replaces Clint Bane). Several people asked to address the board in
addition to teachers. Parents Isaiah and Bridget Lawson asked the board
to find a way to provide more nursing care at schools, pointing out that
their child suffers seizures that require a nurse to administer
medicine. That nurse moves to a different school in the afternoon,
forcing the parents to remove their child in afternoons for his own
safety. The board asked that the school system’s four full
time RNs work on a schedule plan to address the problem. Robert Robertson spoke to the board about the
former Davis Chapel school building, which the board had agreed to turn
over to the county commission so the property could be used as a
veteran’s cemetery. Robertson pleaded for the board to reconsider and
allow him to set up a non-profit group to reopen the building as a
community center. Robertson claimed to have a petition with 251
signatures supporting the community center idea, but did not say how
many of those signatures came from people actually living in the Davis
Chapel community. “A lot of people want it back, a lot don’t,”
Robertson admitted. The building still belongs to the Board of
Education, Mike Orick explained, but the school board had an agreement
to turn it over to the commission in return for support for more SRO
security officers. “We made an agreement with the county commission.
We can’t help it that Mayor E. L. Morton won’t sign the deed of
transfer,” Orick pointed out. “We will wait until we see what the county
commission decides to do before taking any action,” Bane finally told
Robertson. The board also scheduled a workshop on Thursday,
September 21 to begin discussing a search for a new Director of Schools
to replace Larry Niddifer, who is planning to retire at the end of the
current academic year. The workshop will be at 5:00 p.m. at the central
office. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/13/2017-6AM) Shepherd versus
Cousin act is friendly rivalry When Jacksboro and La Follette
square-off in volleyball, it becomes a family matter of sorts.
That’s when cousins Hollie and Gracie compete against each other. Hollie
Shepherd is a 7th
grader and plays for the Lady Eagles of Jacksboro while her cousin, 6th
grader Gracie Taylor, is a La Follette Lady Owl.
The duo posed for WLAF’s David Graham.
L-R Gracie Taylor and Hollie Shepherd. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
09/13/2017-6AM) Today will always
be Carl Stiner Day in We salute you today, General The words
Four-Star General Carl Stiner spoke back in the 1990s are forever etched
in my mind. It was the rainy day when Highway 63 through
Campbell County's very own Four-Star General turned 81-years old last week. Others were popping up umbrellas as
the general stood in the mist and said, “When someone asks who is or was
Carl Stiner tell them he was a farm boy who grew up in this valley and
had the honor to serve the greatest country on earth. Yes.
Just tell them that.” From that
day forward, it was proclaimed that September 13, would always be known
as “General Carl Stiner Day” in Thank you, General Stiner. FOOTNOTE:
The story on the General aired at 6 am on WLAF Radio and here on
1450wlaf.com. During the Trading Post (in the 8 am hour) on WLAF
AM and FM, a veteran called in some items to sell and ended his call
with, “I’d like to comment on Mr. Stiner. He’s a great person.
A person from (WLAF
NEWS PUBLISHED 09/13/2017-6AM and 10AM) We’re still on the
lookout for Harley, the dog Missing since last month My friends and I are still holding out
hope for Harley. He’s the Australian Shepherd who went missing on
August 21. One buddy lost his dog a few years
ago. He was found a couple of weeks later. My ole dog Pup-Pup
was gone one time for almost a month. Talk about a homecoming.
This
Harley is a dog; not a hog. If you know his whereabouts, please
call 423.494.5853. Harley is an
Australian Shepherd, is 10-months old, chestnut and white in color, and
was last seen at his home in the Country Club area of La Follette.
If you see Harley, please call 423.494.5853.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/13/2017-6AM) LPD opens First class was last night La Follette Police Chief Bill Roehl and
staff held their first La Follette Police Department Citizen’s Police
Academy Class Tuesday night at City Hall. Sixteen people, mostly
local business owners, attended the inaugural session. It was an efficient and informative
two-hour session. Roehl served as host with assistance from
Detective Josh Hill and Lieutenant James Lynch. The chief,
a more than 40-year police veteran, served as
LPD Lieutenant James Lynch points out the room where evidence stored as well as the breathalyzer machine. Goals were
among the items discussed last night. Roehl emphasized that if
we’re not doing anything else, we must accomplish this goal. And
that goal is to “actively address the traffic, order maintenance, and
crime issue inside the City of La Follette’s style of leadership is
“Transformational Leadership.” Roehl describes it as a change
agent – one focusing on achievement. The chief notes that police
work is a continual learning and training process as laws change each
year. LPD
established its first Neighborhood Watch under Roehl’s leadership.
This first one is at Village Apartments on Walk throughs are also part of the
daily LPD. There are walk throughs at the La Follette Medical
Center, the schools, and the La Follette Housing Authorities. The
six-week session is on Tuesdays concluding on October 17. Roehl plans
to conduct a Glennis is looking
for some volunteers As the lake goes down, the trash floats up on shore The Norris Lake Project Team will be
hosting an “Island Invasion” on Saturday, September 23, from 9 am to 1
pm. And Campbell County Litter Control Officer Glennis Monday is
asking for our help. The team
has conducted a biannual Five County Norris Lake Cleanup in September
since 2011. This seventh year there will be a concentrated focus
on the islands near Oak Grove Public Launch in Pontoon boats, furnished by Flat Hollow and
Indian River Marinas, are available to shuttle volunteers to and from
the islands and barges will be used to transfer the trash back to the
shore. However, volunteers are welcome to bring their own boats. All
volunteers are encouraged to wear appropriate shoes, preferably boots,
bring gloves and a life jacket. Trash bags will be provided. Volunteers will be able to trade their
trash bags for a free “Island Invader” t-shirt at all locations. If you are interested in volunteering,
visit www.norrislakeproject.com or call 423.562.2526 to register and get
more information. Volunteers can also register the morning
of Sep. 23. Minors must be accompanied by an adult and have a
registration and release form signed by a parent. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
– 09/13/20017-6AM)
911 remembered yesterday. L-R
Gary Cordell, Aaron Evans, Kayleigh Daugherty, Robbie Goins, Breanna
Paul, and Mike Miller are pictured at Sheriff Goins office. Goins
is thankful to Daugherty and Paul of Cash Express for their support
through a signed card and cake. Locked and loaded - LUB crews headed to help down south Could be gone up to a week
L-R: Steve Reynolds, Richard Nelson, Tim Malicote, Brad Ivey, John Baird, Richard Goodman, and Travis Malicote all left out for Chattanooga today. Crews with the La Follette Utilities Board are
on their way to
Crawford and Hale headed
for grand jury Zachary Chase Crawford and Danielle Denise Hale
have been bound over to the grand jury. Crawford, 19, In court Friday, the duo was bound over to the
grand jury. The next date for the grand jury is Oct. 11. Crawford is charged with viciously abusing Hale’s
five-year-old daughter. Hale’s charges are because she allegedly knew
about the abuse and failed to stop it. Crawford allegedly confessed he had inflicted the
injuries to the five-year-old girl. The 19- year-old told police he had used
“discipline” on the little girl that included hitting her with an open
palm, striking her with a horse’s riding crop and that he also
“disciplined” her with his “mouth by using his teeth.” Crawford
allegedly went on tell police he “strangled” the child “around her neck
using his legs.” He allegedly applied so much force around the neck,
petechiae resulted. Petechiae is a condition that occurs when
capillaries rupture leaving blood spots in the eyes. The Jacksboro Police Department learned that Hale
was leaving her daughter alone with Crawford despite having knowledge of
the abuse, police records indicate. On at least three separate occasions in the course
of a week, Hale said she “observed injuries” on her child. According to
her arrest report, Hale said she spoke with Crawford telling him to stop
“as each incident got worse.” They have been charged under Haley’s Law, which
means, they are facing stiff penalties if convicted of the Class A
felonies. Specifically, if convicted, the pair could face 15- 60 years
in prison each. They would not be eligible for early release leaving
Crawford and Hale to serve their sentences at 100 percent. Crawford and Hale are still being held this morning
in the county jail. Crawford’s bond is $500,000 while Hale’s is
$100,000. The little girl has been placed in the care of the
state. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/12/2017-6AM) Powers in One of seven “The
nation’s debt is spiraling out of control, thanks to the blatant and
utter disregard for controlled spending in The Tennessee Seven has filed a
resolution to begin the process of preparing for an Article V
convention. This is the first national convention of the states
convened since 1861, when states met to discuss an amendment they hoped
would avert a civil war. At least 19 states are represented.
Powers
explains to WLAF News, “I am honored to represent The
purpose of the four-day convention at the Arizona Capitol is to prepare
for an anticipated convention convened under Article V of the U. S.
Constitution to propose a balanced budget amendment and to recommend a
set of rules under which such a convention would be governed. The
resolution submitted to the convention by the Powers
said, “The nation’s debt is spiraling out of control, thanks to the
blatant and utter disregard for controlled spending in The goal of amendment backers is to
eliminate the federal deficit and drive down the national debt, which is
approaching $20-trillion. Congress debated a balanced budget
amendment in the mid-1990s, but it did not pass. Powers has
been New chamber members snip
ribbons
Pictured above is the ribbon cutting
at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in La Follette. The office is located
across from Doyle’s Tire Shop. The photo below is Monday’s ribbon
cutting at The Local in La Follette. The new restaurant is next to
Ayers Auction and Real Estate. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
09/12/2017-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S ANN RUTHERFORD)
Commission postpones
action on $1 million school board transfer The Campbell County Commission on Monday night
declined to approve a $1 million budget transfer sought by the Board of
Education for various capital projects, including replacing the lights
at the CCHS stadium and a track & field complex for the high school. The school board requested the transfer from their
own undesignated fund balance, but commissioners fell into their old
habit of attempting to dictate school spending despite the fact that
they really have no power to do so under state law. Several commissioners during the Monday budget
committee meeting questioned whether the school department could draw
their fund balance down without risking a shortfall at the beginning of
the school year when revenues are down. “We don’t want to see another 1982,” Rusty Orick
commented, referring to the year when the school budget ran short at
year’s end and bus service had to be discontinued. Cliff Jennings finally offered a motion to approve
the budget amendment, in an effort to end the discussion. He succeeded,
as his motion failed for lack of a second. The committee then agreed to a motion to revisit
the matter during their regular meeting next Monday and to require the
Director of Schools and board chairman to appear before the commission
to answer questions about the request. Surprisingly during the workshop, no citizens asked
to address the commissioners about complaints or requests, but a trio of
businessmen took up the public input time with a sales pitch that they
claim will save the county money on equipment purchases. Jim Thompson of J. M. Wood Auction presented a plan
where the county would purchase a new heavy machinery vehicle such as a
tractor or loader for the Sanitation Department, use it for one year and
then sell it through the auction company for a guaranteed sales price of
85% of the original cost while purchasing a new replacement. The devil may be in the details on their proposal,
however, as the draft contract requires the original machinery to be in
practically new condition or the 85% guarantee price would be void. The
county would have to avoid any serious dents, dings or other mishaps
during a year of heavy use to keep their resale guarantee intact. The workshop concluded with another discussion of
the Sanitation Department, as Director Walt Sutton and two foremen were
asked to attend a called meeting of the Sanitation Committee. The meeting turned into
more of a one man inquisition, as Commissioner Ralph Davis directed what
he described as “a list of 30 questions” to Sutton and his foremen. The
session turned dicey on a few occasions, with one of the foremen telling
“I only want answers to
my questions. If you’re doing your job I have no desire to take it from
you,” At another point, Mayor
E. L. Morton tried to answer a question directed at Sutton. “I didn’t
ask you, I asked him,” The committee meeting
finally ended with a discussion of a proposal from the State of FIRE TRUCK: Caryville
Board approves purchasing chassis By PETER SAWYER CARYVILLE—At
Monday’s regular meeting, the board of mayor and aldermen approved
spending $47,000 on a chassis for a 2017 Ford F450, which will be used
by the Fire Department. The Town of The money to purchase
the truck is coming from the Special Fire Protection Fees that come from
water bills. The Town of When Vice Mayor Beth Lawson asked if the Fire
Department needed the money from these fees for anything else, Fire
Chief Eddie Hatmaker said he is waiting for a grant that will help
purchase a fire engine. Mayor Robert Stooksbury said if Caryville uses the
grant to purchase a fire engine, the town would only be responsible for
$39,000 of the purchase. Stooksbury also said that by the time Caryville
would have to pay for the fire engine, the Special Fire Protection Fees
would have replenished. Library The board approved
hiring Rachel Bolton to work in the library as a temporary employee.
The board approved entering a year-long contract
with Mitchell’s Termite and Pest Control for $37 a month. Mitchell’s
Termite and Pest Control will spray the Municipal building each month
for mice, spiders, ants, and cockroaches. Bomb Threats Three bomb threats were called into Matix during
the month of August. The Tennessee Highway Patrol and Caryville Police
Department swept the building but found no bombs. Financials In August, the Town of
The Town of Budget Amendments The board approved the first reading of an
ordinance to amend the operating budget for the current fiscal year. The amendment increased the budget by $1,700 for
the purchase of polo shirts. It also increased the Police Department’s
budget by $3,100 for repairs and maintenance. It also increased the Fire
Protection and Control fund by $3,100 for uniforms. The board also approved the second reading of an
ordinance to amend the operating budget for the 2016/2017 fiscal year,
making corrections for expenditures. Trunk or Treat Beth Lawson discussed hosting Trunk or Treat at the
ball park in front of Scotty’s on Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Last year, the Town of
This year, however, after coordinating with
Campbell County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Aaron Evans and LaFollette City
Recorder Stan Foust, she decided to host it Halloween night. She said she needs volunteers, from churches and
businesses to individuals, who are willing to decorate and hand out
candy. Road Block The board approved a road block for Open Arms
Ministry on Sept. 30 at the stop sign next to Shoney’s. Transportation Alternative Grant The board approved applying for a Transportation
Alternative Grant. Felony Warrants The Police Department had six felony warrant
arrests in August. CJUC Ronnie Lasley, Luke
Petree, and Jane Petree spoke to the board about water flow issues on
their property and a neighbor’s property at A neighbor who has been experiencing flooding
issues, was seen by Luke Petree’s uncle, who also lives on one of the
three parts of the family farm, digging into a rock wall that separates
his property from the farm, Luke Petree said in an interview after the
meeting. Digging into the wall would cause water to flood into Jane
Petree’s basement, Luke Petree said. Stooksbury said he would talk with
Caryville-Jacksboro Utilities Commission Chariman Frank Wallace and
Scott Bowlin from IRTEC to find a solution that would solve the problem. Title 6 Coordinator The board approved
appointing Wallace Title VI Coordinator for the Town of ATV Festival The board discussed
using a booth to promote the Town of Beautification Alderman Eric Jones spoke to the board about taking
steps to improve the municipal building’s appearance. He suggested
beginning with planting shrubbery in front of the building. Because money is available in the budget, other board members encouraged him. Alderman Lloyd Lawson suggested he go to a nursery. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/12/2017-6AM)
Two people injured in
Saturday evening car wreck One patient had to be cut out of the car
A car hit
a telephone pole Saturday evening on
According to officials, the accident
trapped one of the injured in the car. First Responders with the
La Follette Fire Department extracted that patient and ended up sending
both to the hospital. One patient was flown by Lifestar with the
other taken by ground ambulance. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
09/11/2017-6AM-PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAD YOUNG)
Cougars overcome sloppy first half to whip
East Fell behind 3 to nothing at Morristown “The
first-half was sloppy by CCHS standards.” That’s according to
Campbell Head Football Coach Justin Price. Against the East
Hurricanes, Price’s Cougars fell behind 3 to nothing early but came back
to claim a 7-3 halftime lead. The 7th
year head coach adds that, “We never got into a rhythm.”
Cougars ring up four
unanswered touchdowns at Price
points to several factors; the previous week’s heartbreaking loss,
practice time last week was cut short by rain and lightning, and a long
bus ride to
Cougar Crazies race across Morristown East’s football field on
Friday night. Coach Price says he felt comfortable
with the halftime edge, but he needed his Cougars to come out and get
going in the second-half. And they did. He describes senior
quarterback Zach Rutherford’s performance as “lights out.” Price
and Rutherford had a private skull session at the half and compared
first half notes, because Price knows, “As Zach goes, so go the
Cougars.”
Campbell whip East 28 to 3. “And what can you say about our
defense?” Price asks. He says that the Cougar defense has
performed so well the last two weeks.
The General
turns 81-years old Carl Wade Stiner
visits the sheriff and staff
The General made a stop yesterday at the Campbell County Sheriff’s
Office. Sheriff Robbie Goins expresses that he is thankful for his
presence at the office on Thursday and to help celebrate his 81st
blessed birthday. Here's to wishing a heroes hero, General Carl W.
Stiner, a happy birthday and so many more!
L-R: Hank Hamblin, Aaron Evans, Carla Stiner Reel, the General,
Robbie Goins, and Monty Bullock. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED –
09/08/2017-9AM)
RAISES: Board approves wage hike By PETER SAWYER JACKSBORO—At
Thursday night’s regular meeting, the board of mayor and aldermen
approved raising the salaries of three employees to $10 an hour. At a special called meeting in August, the board
approved increasing the starting wage for all fire fighters, including
members of the auxiliary, to $9 an hour. The board also decided that the
wages of the fire fighters and the auxiliaries will increase to $10 an
hour when they become certified. Mayor June Forstner
used the fire fighter’s raises as a justification for increasing the
salaries of three other full-time employees, who have each worked for
the Town of CJUC The board gave approval to three
Caryville-Jacksboro Utilities Commission projects. After projects were
completed on a few streets last month, CJUC Chairman Frank Wallace said
it was discovered that water was flowing onto On Fire Fighters The board approved hiring Noah LeMaster, Tristan
Nelson, and Dylan Leach full-time to the Fire Department. Copier The board approved a $100.88 monthly contract with
Thermocopy to lease a wireless copier for the Police Department. The
Police Department needed to replace toner, which costs $100, for the old
copier about every three weeks. Officers will be able to send reports to
the wireless copier. Thermocopy will also carry out two unused machines. Street Department The board approved spending $125 to replace a
handle on the Street Department’s Super Duty F350. Road Block The board approved a
road block for Walmart on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the
Intersection of Liberty Street and Date for “ Five-county clean-up clears tons of trash at the
annual event The Norris Lake Project Team will be hosting an
“Island Invasion” on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The team has conducted
a biannual Five County Norris Lake Cleanup in September since 2011.
This seventh year there will be a concentrated focus on the islands near
Oak Grove Public Launch in Since 2011, volunteers
have picked up over 200,000 pounds of trash but there is still a lot
more to pick up. There will be launch points in each of the five
counties that contain There will also be boats available to shuttle
volunteers to and from the islands and barges will be used to transfer
the trash back to the shore. However, volunteers are welcome to bring
their own boats. All volunteers are encouraged to wear appropriate
shoes, preferably boots, bring gloves and a life jacket. Trash bags will
be provided. Volunteers will be able to trade their trash bags
for a free “Island Invader” t-shirt at all locations. The Norris Lake Project
Team is a grassroots effort of individuals, organizations, businesses
and agencies to preserve the water quality of These cleanups can’t happen without volunteers,
partners and sponsors that include TVA, Debbie Boeck with Gables and
Gates Realtors and Morristown Marine. If you are interested in volunteering, visit
www.norrislakeproject.com to register and get more information.
Volunteers can also register the morning of Sep. 23. Minors must be
accompanied by an adult and have a registration and release form signed
by a parent. Volunteers can also call toll free to 800-524-3602 or email
info@yallcome.org for more information.
The Norris Lake Project Team is a partnership with the Anderson County Tourism Council, Campbell County Chamber of Commerce, Claiborne County Chamber of Commerce, Grainger County Chamber of Commerce, Union County Chamber of Commerce, Norris Lake Marina Association, Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Norris Dam State Park, Big Ridge State Park, Anderson County Litter Grant, Campbell County Litter Control, Sunset Bay HOA, Hickory Point HOA, Norris Shores HOA and Lone Mountain HOA. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/08/20017-6AM) Meredith sues the City
of LaFollette Names Stanfield and Jeffries as ringleaders A LaFollette businessman has filed a lawsuit
claiming he has been the victim of bullying and harassment at the hands
of city employees. David “Arnie” Meredith, the owner of Merrydeath
Antiques and Auction Gallery filed suit yesterday naming LaFollette City
Mayor Mike Stanfield and LaFollette City Administrator Jimmy Jefferies
as the defendants. Stanfield and Jeffries were named in their
professional capacities and individually. Meredith is asking for
$600,000 in damages. Within the suit, Meredith alleges a pattern of
harassment, threats from Stanfield and secret meetings by city employees
with the end result being to shut down his business and stop him from
speaking out. To see the full allegations,
CLICK HERE.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/07/2017-6AM) Donuts are back Master Donuts opens in former Ralph’s location
The lights are on and the donuts are
ready. Fresh made donuts are back in La Follette as of 5 am this
morning. The thanks go to the husband-wife team of So and K-K
Nhean for reopening the shop in the former location of Ralph’s Donut
Shoppe. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/07/2017-6AM-PHOTO COURTESY OF
WLAF'S CHARLIE HUTSON) SLUM CLEARANCE: City
approves first two readings of ordinance By PETER SAWYER LaFOLLETTE—At
Tuesday night’s meeting, the city council approved the first two
readings of an ordinance that would clear “unfit” structures. The ordinance acknowledges the presence of unfit
dwellings: “the City Commission finds that there exists in the city
structures which are unfit for human occupation or use due to
dilapidation, defects increasing the hazards of fire, accident or other
calamities, lack of ventilation, light or sanitary facilities, or other
conditions rendering such dwellings unsafe or unsanitary, or dangerous
or detrimental to the health, safety and morals, or otherwise inimical
to the welfare of the residents of the city.” The ordinance allows a public officer to conduct a
preliminary investigation after receiving a complaint from a public
authority or five or more residents. If the public officer’s preliminary
investigation determines the complaint is valid, he or she would notify
the owner of the dwelling to appear at a hearing, where the
property-owner has a chance to answer the complaint. If, at the hearing, the public officer determined
the dwelling is unfit, he or she can order the owner of the building to
either make repairs and improvements to the structure, vacate, and close
the structure, or remove the structure. If the owner does not comply with the orders of the
public officer, the public officer would have the authority to carry out
the orders and charge liens against the property owners for the
expenses. The ordinance also says that no new unfit
structures can be erected in the city. The ordinance will not take effect until the final
reading is approved. Job openings at Rice Oil Apply in person today Rice Oil
is in need of cashiers and deli personnel. You are encouraged to
apply in person at the main office; 700 West Central Avevue-behind the
Adkins is onboard as a fulltime police officer
The
council approved hiring Aaron Adkins full-time to the Police Department La Follette approves new
parking areas for West End Community Center By PETER SAWYER LaFOLLETTE—The
La Follette City Council approved spending no more than $25,000 to pave
two parking areas at the West LaFollette Community Center. Paving a parking lot on the west side of the
community center would first involve removing dirt and concrete. City
officials said the labor could be completed by city workers. However,
they said paving the parking lot would cost about $15,000. Head Start has agreed to pay for the preparation of
the site of another parking lot at the community center. The site
preparation involves stripping dirt, setting blocks, and backfilling.
However, Head Start has requested the city pay for the asphalt, which is
estimated to cost $10,000. The council approved hiring Cannon and Cannon to
create an Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan. The council
also approved having Mayor Mike Stanfield send a letter to the Tennessee
Department of Transportation for the ADA Transition Plan. TDOT requires the City
of Drug Testing After holding a public hearing, the council
approved the final reading of an ordinance to amend the drug and alcohol
testing policy for the city. LaFollette eyes more
grant dollars By PETER SAWYER LaFOLLETTE—
The City of La Follette Council approved a resolution to amend the
operating budget on Tuesday night. The amendment was necessary because the city must
spend $100,000 on a 50/50 matching grant that was received after the
council adopted the 2017/2018 operating budget. The amendment will
allocate the $100,000 from the fund balance.
TAP Grant The council approved a resolution that authorizes
the city to apply for another Transportation Alternative Grant. While the city is currently using a $500,000
Transportation Alternative Grant to revitalize downtown, it can apply
for another before it uses up the grant it is currently using. City
Administrator Jimmy Jeffries said the city could use the grant from the
upcoming cycle to continue the work begun by the first grant. TML The council approved a resolution authorizing the
city to participate in the TML Risk Management Pool Drivers Safety
Matching Grant Program. Chamber Coffee The Public Library is scheduled to host the Chamber
of Commerce Networking Coffee on Sept. 21 at 8 a.m. (WLAF NEWS
PUBLISHED 09-06-2017-6AM) Webb’s arrest warrant
published
CLICK HERE
to see the warrant On Friday, 1450WLAF.com published a story regarding
the arrest of 25- year old Michael Cody Webb. Webb was charged with six
counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He stands accused
of purchasing alcohol for six juveniles and then allowing them to drink
it at his home. This story drew several hits to the website along
with multiple comments. We at 1450WLAF.com stand by the story and are
publishing Webb’s arrest warrant for the public to view. There were six
arrest warrants issued. Each one contains the same information with the
only difference being the name of juveniles. The arrest warrant
1450WLAF.com is publishing has the names of the juveniles redacted
because they have not been charged with a crime. The full story is further down this page.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 09/05/2017-6AM)
A former After allegedly buying alcohol for six juveniles
and allowing them to drink it in his home, Michael Cody Webb has been
charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He faces one count per child. CORRECTION TO THIS PARAGRAPH:
Webb, Jacksboro, had been employed at the school as a janitor for around six
months prior the incident, according to Larry Nidiffer, Campbell County
Director of Schools. Before that, the 25-year-old worked at CORRECTION: Campbell County High School Principal Jamie Wheeler has let WLAF News know that, “Webb was never a special education assistant at CCHS, and that he was only a custodian, and that he was just employed as a custodian the last week of July and the first week of August (2017).”
Michael Cody
Webb was picked up by authorities on August 11 and was released the same
day according to sheriff’s department records. (PHOTO COURTESY OF
THE Webb also has a loose affiliation (Coach
Brent Peel wants it to be known that Webb has no affiliation with the
JMS team.) Webb was terminated “as soon as we heard about the
incident,” Nidiffer said. The charges are based on allegations, which were
later confirmed by the six children involved, that Webb picked them up
from school grounds on July 28 and purchased alcohol for them. Webb
allegedly took the students to a local gas station where they gave him
money to buy the alcohol, the report said. Specifically, Webb
purchased Mike’s Hard Lemonade, a mix of malt liquor, natural flavors
and carbonated water with a five percent alcohol content, and Ultra
Light Beer, the arrest report said. The children and Webb, who
according to his jail intake sheet is married, then went to his From the information listed in the arrest warrant,
at least one of the juveniles was a female. Ten days later, a parent came forward to Brent
Peel, the JMS Football coach and reported the drinking. The students weren’t punished by the school because
the drinking took place off school grounds and school hadn’t started,
Nidiffer said. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a
Class A misdemeanor that carries a possible 11 months and 29 days in
jail and/ or a $2,500 fine per charge. Webb, who is free on a $4,500 bond, will be
arraigned on Thursday, Sept. 21. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
09/01/2017-6AM)
Odus Mundy
was honored at Tuesday’s Children’s Center
recognizes Mundy at its annual fundraiser Served on CCCC Board for more than two decades By Keisha Hughes
TOP PHOTO: BOTTOM PHOTO:
‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.’ –
General Jarred Effler “We are in
this county, because we have a county that cares about kids,” said
Tracie Davis.
Tuesday night’s annual CCCC fundraiser was
very well attended Eighth
Judicial District Attorney General Jarred Effler points out that “thank
you” is inadequate for what the community does for our children’s
center. Effler is proud to say, “We are the only rural judicial
district in The
fundraiser was held at the Tamer passes boards Carries on family tradition in medicine Emily Tamer is preparing to follow in the footsteps
of many family members. Tamer, an August
graduate from
Emily Tamer, center, is pictured here with
her mother and sisters on graduation day. A physician’s assistant (PA) is overseen by a
doctor, but, still has autonomy in their practice. A PA can see
patients, order lab work, write prescriptions as well as diagnose and
treat ailments. The role of a PA is based on the medical model, while a
nurse practitioner, and is based on the nurse model, according to Tamer. Tamer, who is a third generation medical
practitioner, hopes to start in family medicine to achieve a broad
knowledge base. Afterwards, she may concentrate on a particular field,
she said. But, at this point, she is enjoying having school
behind her and career ahead of her. “I never thought I would get to this point,” Tamer
said of completing school and passing the boards. Her biggest challenge
was staying focused the closer she got to the end of her journey. “It was the best news I felt like I have ever had,”
Tamer said of passing her boards. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 08/30/2017-6AM) Tech tales from the
field and the stands Johnny Majors and Jim Farris share their stories Word
spread pretty fast as soon as Coach Ron Murray hung up the phone Tuesday
morning. Former
Friends for more than 60-years. (L)
Coach Ron Murray and Coach Johnny Majors. The old
coaches, Majors, Murray, and Jim Smelcher, took over the big table at
the Royal Lunch Room with some friends and fans. Smelcher, a
All the attention was on Majors.
And I couldn’t help but ask. What was your favorite game in your
playing days? Majors shot back in his snappy, distinct tone,
“Georgia Tech. 1956!”
Ironically, the Vols open the 2017 season, some 61-years later, on
Monday night at The 80+ year old Majors recalled that
afternoon on Grant Field as if it were yesterday. “We would quick
kick it on third down some in those days. We had the ball at our
15-yard line; third and three, and Georgia Tech’s safety went deep
thinking I’d punt. But I didn’t – running for a first down
instead. Then on first down, I did quick kick; first and only time
I ever did on first and ten. That punt sailed 69-yards, and we
backed up Tech at its 12-yard line.”
Coach Johnny Majors (L) and Royal Pool Room
Owner Tony Lindsay take time out for a David Graham photo. Dr. Jim
Farris, Jimmy in his high school years, attended that 1956 classic along
with his buddy, Jimmy Higdon; both juniors at La Follette High School.
It was their first Vols away game. Higdon’s father, Carl, owned
the Royal Lunch Room back then. Farris recalls catching up with a
couple of his La Follette buddies, Bob Robards and Horace Brown, when
they made it to campus in Farris remembers sitting in the south
end zone on that November afternoon. He says he can still see
Majors, on the north end of the field, throwing a long pass that was
caught by a Volunteer after two Tech defenders collided. Majors said, “We won it on a touchdown
after Tommy Bronson, our fullback, plunged in from a yard out. We
had one of the worst extra point kicking teams in the nation, and we
missed the extra point.” It’s not your average
9-ball ‘I’m thinking it’s from the 1930s’ – Tony Lindsay Tony Lindsay revived the tradition of
the Royal Lunch Room a few months ago. And along the way, he dug
up some history. Literally.
You can see some of the old billiard balls on top
of this cooler inside the Pool Room. He tells WLAF that as he and his crew
were digging under the old floor to make way for the new floor, they saw
something roll. It was a billiard ball. “About 15 in all,
Lindsay adds. He says they were all found in the front corner of
the building on the alley side.” (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 08/30/2017-6AM)
LUB: LaFollette
Utilities to acquire Clearfork Utilities Commission? TVA rate increase is passed on to LUB customers By PETER SAWYER LaFOLLETTE—LaFollette Utilities Board Chairman
Kenny Baird spoke to the city council about the possibility of LUB
acquiring Clearfork Utilities Commission. “It could fall through, but it’s looking
promising,” Baird said. Clearfork Utilities Commission serves water to 570
customers in the White Oak and Clarifield area, and received $300,000 in
water rates. CUB customers already receive electricity from LUB, who has
invested millions of dollars in serving electricity to the area. CUB’s three employees plan to retire, Baird said. A
plant operator wants to stay on for six months and then work with LUB as
a contractor. CUB has money saved that could be used to finance
system improvements. CUB also has low debt. Baird said CUB customers are excited about the
prospect of LUB acquiring CUB. He said the changeover may require CUB
board approval, or a vote from the CUB customers. TVA Rate Increase The Tennessee Valley Authority has increased their
rates by 1.5 percent, and LUB will increase their rates by 1.5 percent
in October. Baird said to look for two more wholesale rate
increases from TVA in 2018 and 2019. Water Rates Baird said the average water rate in the East
Tennessee Development District for 2017 was $42 for 5,000 gallons of
water. LUB has charged $33.02 and CJUC has charged $41.67. La Follette eyes another
TAG Grant City is currently using a half-million dollar grant By PETER SAWYER Transportation Alternative Grant City Administrator Jimmy Jeffries spoke to the
council about applying for another Transportation Alternative Grant. The
city is currently using a $500,000 Transportation Alternative Grant to
revitalize downtown. However, the city can apply for another before it
uses up the grant it currently has. Jeffries said the city could use the
grant from the upcoming cycle to continue the work begun by the first
grant. Council Member Ann
Thompson asked about a section of sidewalks at the intersection of
Jeffries said the city is currently in the middle
of using money from the first cycle Transportation Alternative Grant to
repair the sidewalks. He said he spoke to GRW, an engineering firm, and
if the city does anything to repair the sidewalks on its own, then it
loses the grant money. However, he said he would speak to Community
Development Partners Wednesday to see if there was anything that could
be done. Jeffries recommended
the council hire Cannon and Cannon, an engineering firm, to create an
Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan. While the Tennessee
Department of Transportation requires the City of Cannon and Cannon would
conduct an assessment, and then write a plan. Because the process is
expensive, Jeffries asked if the city and the The council debated
adding handrails to the walkways on both sides of the Budget Amendment The city received a 50/50 matching grant after the
adoption of this year’s operating budget. Therefore, the council must
pass a resolution to amend the budget to move $100,000 out of the fund
balance to pay the grant’s match. Culvert The council discussed repairing a culvert
underneath property belonging to Lisa Robinson. Public Works Department Head Jim Mullens said
before any work could begin on the culvert, a metal building on the
property would have to be removed. Jeffries and Mullens said it is not in the city’s
financial interests to remove the building. Jeffries said he could
contact Robinson, asking her to remove the building. The city does not have the equipment necessary to
fix the culvert once the building is removed. Therefore, the city would
have to either hire a contractor to fix the culvert, or hire an operator
with the proper equipment to assist in the work. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
08/29/2017-6AM) La Thompson discovers open door on Friday night By PETER SAWYER Open Door Council member Ann Thompson said a door had been
left open when she came to city hall to check her mail on a Friday
night. After checking her mail, she said she received an anonymous tip
that people intended to enter city hall. City Treasurer Barbara Wilson said the last person
to leave that night, Data Processing Manager Joy Beth Chapman, was
unaware that the door sticks. Ann Thompson said somebody should make sure the
doors are closed. Mayor Mike Stanfield said a police officer could
check the doors. When City Administrator Jimmy Jeffries said he
should be alerted about people wanting to enter city hall after hours.
Ann Thompson said that’s why she was telling him about the incident. Bob Fannon Council members discussed an offer local business
owner Bob Fannon allegedly made to the beautification board after a
worker allegedly cut down trees in front of his business. Members of the council said Fannon promised to give
the beautification board $500 and plant shrubs in front of his business.
However, Stanfield said Fannon had promised $1,000 in addition to
planting shrubs. Stanfield said he would hold Fannon to his word.
Stanfield said he would hire a nursery worker to plant shrubs and charge
Fannon for the labor. Council Member Bill Archer advised having Fannon
produce in writing what he is willing to give to the beautification
board. Clays for Children The council discussed
using $500 of discretionary funds to sponsor a team for the Aaron Adkins The council discussed
hiring Aaron Adkins full-time to the Police Department with an annual
salary of $29,437.40. Adkins is currently working part-time for the
Police Department. Police Chief Bill Roehl said Adkins is POST certified
and went to the Goins graduates from the
TBI’s Leadership Academy Intensive two-week session On Thursday, August 24, 2017, Josh Goins, director of the 8th Judicial District Drug Task Force, graduated from the prestigious Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Leadership Academy. This intensive two week course featured as instructors some of the most prominent leaders in law enforcement from across the nation, and focused on principles that the graduates can take back to their respective agencies.
Goins (C) was joined on this special
occasion by District Attorney General Jared Effler (L) and Tennessee
Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn (R) Goins was pleased to be
joined on this special occasion by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
Director Mark Gwyn, District Attorney General Jared Effler and a host of
friends and relatives. General Effler noted, "I'm extremely proud of
Josh and the leadership he exhibits on a daily basis; graduating from
this course will certainly make him an even greater leader for our DTF."
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 08/29/2017-6AM)
Fields of Faith is set for Dossett Stadium on Wed, October 11 at 6:30 pm. THP uses interdiction to
combat crime
Busy day for THP on Friday in If a chain is only as good as its weakest link,
then Troop C of the Tennessee Highway Patrol is titanium. Troop C is led by veteran THP Lt. Stacey Heatherly.
She has assembled a team that blends experience with enthusiasm and the
result is dedicated cadre of troopers who take their duties to heart.
An Ohio man tells the troopers “to put the
cuffs on” after they discover he is wanted in Ohio. On Friday, Troop C
spent its shift conducting an interdiction day in A man passing through
Caryville was stopped for a traffic violation. When the troopers
contacted dispatch asking for a warrant check, they got a hit. Their
violator was wanted in
At the
In LaFollette, a man who gave his car a jack rabbit
start after seeing Trooper Matt Raines was pulled over. Raines soon
discovered that neither he nor the passenger had a valid driver’s
license even though they were driving in downtown LaFollette. This meant
the two had to sit and wait for a licensed driver to come and retrieve
them. As the shift progressed THP searched assisted the
LaFollette Police Department with a DUI stop, looked for a couple that
fled on a four wheeler when they noticed a THP car and broke up a fight
on the side of I-75. And this was only a fraction of the crimes the THP
touched on Friday. But the quality that stood out most of all was the
unity in the troop. Troop C covers
Two men wait while Trooper Matt Raines
searches a car that was pulled over on traffic stop in LaFollette. Given that amount of work, it would be easy for the
troop to become overwhelmed. However, just the opposite is what has
occurred. Each trooper feels privileged to be part of the
group. They cite strong leadership and camaraderie as the keys behind
their teamwork. “We have unit cohesion,” said
Trooper Aaron McGhee.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED
08/28/2017-6AM) Couple arrested for “heinous” child abuse Following a man’s confession he used a riding
crop to discipline a five year old girl and her mother’s failure to stop
him, the couple was arrested on Wednesday. The Campbell County duo has been arrested
for child abuse that has risen to the level of “heinous” and “cruel,”
according to police. The couple was charged under Haley’s Law. Zachary Chase Crawford, 19, 251 Fall Creek
Lane, Caryville, and Danielle Denise Hale, 20, 625 Main St., Jacksboro
have been charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated child
neglect, respectively. They have been charged under Haley’s Law,
which means, they are facing stiff penalties if convicted of the Class A
felonies. Specifically, if convicted, the pair could face 15- 60 years
in prison each. They would not be eligible for early release leaving
Crawford and Hale to serve their sentences at 100 percent. Crawford and Hale, who are in a relationship,
were arrested following an investigation by the Jacksboro Police
Department. Last week, the JPD went to Hale’s home on
Main Street to conduct a welfare check on her five-year-old daughter. When police arrived at the home, they noticed
“severe bruising” on the little girl’s body, according to JPD Chief
Danny Chapman. As the child was receiving medical care, first locally,
then at Children’s Hospital in Knoxville, police were investigating how
the child had been so severely injured. Part of this investigation included
questioning Crawford. During the course of questioning, Crawford
allegedly confessed he had inflicted the injuries to the five-year-old
girl. The 19- year-old told police he had used
“discipline” on the little girl that included hitting her with an open
palm, striking her with a horse’s riding crop and that he also
“disciplined” her with his “mouth by using his teeth.” Crawford
allegedly went on tell police he “strangled” the child “around her neck
using his legs.” He allegedly applied so much force around the neck,
petechiae resulted. Petechiae is a condition that occurs when
capillaries rupture leaving blood spots in the eyes. Police determined that Crawford used “a
dangerous weapon” on the little girl during the course of the abuse that
is estimated to have happened over seven days. And during this period of torture, Hale was
allegedly aware what her boyfriend was doing to her child, the arrest
report said. The JPD learned that Hale was leaving her
daughter alone with Crawford despite having knowledge of the abuse,
police records indicate. On at least three separate occasions in the
course of a week, Hale said she “observed injuries” on her child.
According to her arrest report, Hale said she spoke with Crawford
telling him to stop “as each incident got worse.” Crawford and Hale were arrested on Wednesday
and are still being held. The little girl has been placed in the care
of the state.
Commissioners delay
decision on offer to settle water line lawsuit Courtroom named in honor of
Tom Stiner The Campbell County Commission voted unanimously
Monday night to name the courtroom where they meet in honor of late
County Executive Tom Stiner. That action, along with a resolution
recognizing CJUC Director Frank Wallace were among a handful of actions
that were resolved at the poorly-attended meeting. With only eleven
commissioners attending, several contentious issues were postponed until
next month, including a decision on a lawsuit involving a final payment
to the contractor that installed water lines on K. Carrender Construction Company laid the lines
under a CDBG grant, but billed the county $7,000 on a change order when
a flood caused the company to have to lay more pipe than expected. The commission, which had earlier set a policy that
all change orders on bids must be approved by the county commission
before payment, refused to pay the $7,000, despite the fact that project
engineer Robert Campbell, La Follette Utilities and Mayor Morton had
signed off on the change. Carrender sued, and a
preliminary hearing was held last week before Circuit Court Judge
McAfee. The Judge agreed that
the commission’s policy is clear but that in the Several commissioners, however, expressed their
determination to fight it out in court on Monday night. “I’ll never vote to pay for it,” Ralph Davis
proclaimed, while Cliff Jennings added, “Change orders are nothing more
than a way to rig your bid.” Mayor E L. Morton and Coker urged the commissioners
to read the transcript of the Circuit Court hearing before making a
decision, and understand fully the reasoning behind the Court. Dunaway,
for his part, points out in the transcript that if the case goes to
trial, his attorney’s fee will exceed the $7,000. The commission agreed to postpone a decision until
the September meeting, which is the absolute deadline set to avoid a
trial, possibly by jury. Last week, the members of the Disabled American
Veterans declined an offer by the county to hand the cemetery over to
them, telling the commissioners that they do not have the ability or the
funds to keep up the grounds. “The DAV said they
couldn’t afford it. They didn’t say they didn’t want it,” The commission did
manage to approve an amended waste tire contract with Kitts Tires for
disposal of old tires brought into the “We need to insure that
those tires are shredded or otherwise destroyed so he doesn’t sell some
as used tires and then we have to pay to dispose of them all over
again,” A New Beginning plans to
offer a fresh start ‘We aren’t looking to screen people out”- Stacy
Bosch, assistant director of ANB By Susan Sharp It is a story that is becoming all too common: a
man gets arrested, loses his job, his family and his home. When he is
released from jail, his old life is gone. There is nowhere and no one to
turn to. This is a narrative a
new organization in The board and staff at A New Beginning saw this
cyclical problem along with the damage it was doing to the community so
instead of lamenting about it, they chose to act. A New Beginning (ANB) is offering men who have
recently been released from jail a chance to reassemble their lives. “We want to get them into a paying job immediately,
get them trained and help them find other resources,” said Stacy Bosch,
assistant director of ANB. To do this, ANB will be reaching out to local
employers asking for them to join forces by giving these men
opportunities their criminal past may have previously precluded them
from. The program, designed for men who have been
released from jail within three months of applying to ANB, is prepared
to help men reestablish a work history and an income, Bosch said. Currently, there are five men in the program. ANB
wants that number to increase. In order to qualify for the program, and a job,
applicants must first have a desire to work and change their lives,
according to Bosch. The men must also be able to pass a drug screen,
pass a background check that will focus on if violent offenses are
present and be willing work with a mentor. After that, the ANB staff
will work with the men on a variety of topics from parenting to
budgeting. And on the occasion that the desire is there, but,
the sobriety isn’t, ANB will also help the man work towards getting
clean then, the rest of the program will be implanted, Bosch said. “We aren’t looking to screen people out,” she said.
“We are trying to find candidates.” As the Boschs review the applications they look for
honesty more than anything. “The more information we have, the more we
can help,” she said. She also said each case is screened on its own
merits. Bosch and her husband,
Dave, who is the executive director, see ANB as an opportunity for
“This is a huge door of
opportunity for this community,” Bosch said of the possibility to
counteract the negative effect narcotics has had in Plans are also underway to build dormitory style
housing for the men in ANB. By the end of 2017, ANB hopes to be able to house
30 men. The men will pay to live in the dorm that will offer private
rooms complete with a bathroom. A community room and kitchen is included
in the plans. Participants in the program will have the option of living
there from six to 12 months. Currently, the program needs men willing to be
mentors and businesses willing to hire ANB participants. ANB isn’t prepared to accept women at this time.
They hope to implement a women’s program at a later date. For more information
call 423-449-9006 or visit
www.ANBINC.org
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 08/21/2017-6AM) Hundreds pay respects to
Stiner on Saturday Full day of honoring the war hero and local leader They came in overalls, coats and ties,
pretty dresses, and pant suits. But there was one common thread.
Tom Stiner. For the
balance of Saturday, members of the community and from outside Stiner was born,
raised, and buried in On the program of the memorial
celebrating the life of Tom Stiner, there was a note “In Appreciation.”
It read: “We thank you for attending this service for Tom.
He would’ve been very pleased to be so honored. Our heartfelt
thanks go out to each one of you.”
CLICK HERE to read community responses on Tom Stiner and Charlie
Hutson's photo gallery.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 08/25/2017-6AM)
Yager
announces 5th
annual Grant Conference September 20 at
RSCC-Harriman
“The goal is to never
let a grant opportunity pass by without local governments, community
groups and nonprofits knowing how to tap into it,” said Yager. “I
learned how import grants can be during my tenure as Admission to the
conference is free, but registration is
required. Registration is open until
September 12th
at
www.kenyager.com. “For the past four years, this conference has been
met with tremendous success. The grants received have helped improve
communities in my district and statewide,” added Yager. (WLAF NEWS
PUBLISHED 08/14/2017-11AM)
New agreement means
added services for Cigna Local Plus carriers A four year agreement
between Tennova Healthcare and Cigna will provide thousands of families
throughout the community with in-network access to healthcare services
at For state employees or those who work for companies
that offer Cigna Local Plus as an insurance option, it means that they
no longer have to travel outside our community for high quality,
convenient hospital services. This agreement has
Cigna Local Plus joining BlueCross BlueShield Network S and other major
insurance plans with in-network access to diagnostic and treatment
services at “As a result of this agreement, thousands of
families throughout the community will now have access to Tennova’s
caring team of skilled medical professionals and our wide variety of
services at our hospitals in LaFollette, Newport and Jefferson City,”
said Tony Benton, market chief executive officer for Tennova Healthcare
in East Tennessee. “Tennova Healthcare is
always close to home and ready to meet the medical needs of individuals
and their families,” For more information about Tennova Healthcare, call
the La Follette Medical Center at 423.907.1200 or visit Tennova.com.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 08/07/2017-6AM)
WLAF is business of the
year Tabbed by members of the Chamber of Commerce In front of a packed
room, WLAF was named
A healthy crowd was on hand Thursday night
at the chamber’s annual event ”I was caught off guard when Christie (Elkins)
called to tell me we had won,” said Jim Freeman of WLAF. “To say we are
humbled is an understatement.” As Freeman and Bill
Waddell, president and co-owner, walked to the front of the room at the
It was an overwhelming moment for the entire staff.
It was quite a night for WLAF.
WLAF’s Bill Waddell proudly accepted the trophy as WLAF was named the
Campbell County Chamber of Commerce “Member of the Year.” “You are our community, you are our friends,
“Waddell said as he held the large crystal award. “It was a total team
effort by all those who are a part of the WLAF Team,”
Freeman said.
“WLAF is the heartbeat of this community,”
Elkins, the chamber’s executive director said. “I tell everyone you get
up, have your coffee, spend some time with Lord and then check 1450.”
(06/23/2017-7AM-PHOTO COURTESY OF WLAF'S CHARLIE HUTSON -
CLICK HERE
FOR MORE PHOTOS) Chamber
of Commerce hosted its annual meeting last night Tucker and Hutson steal the show It started from the git-go for WLAF’s
Charlie Hutson and WATE’s Lori Tucker. C-Hut was there with his
camera last night as guests were in the food line at the annual Campbell
County Chamber of Commerce. Once Lori spotted him right beside
her, the friendly jostling began. And it carried on through the
evening.
Lori Tucker has been the evening news anchor
at Channel 6 for 24-years The award winning television news
anchor was last night’s keynote speaker. Tucker shared her life’s
story in a nutshell with the full house of chamber supporters mixed with
a few back and forth humorous jabs between she and Hutson.
A few of the WLAF team members who were in
attendance last night are pictured here with WATE’s Lori Tucker.
L-R: Derrick Lee Anderson, Bill Waddell, Lori Tucker, Jim Freeman,
Harold Branam, and Susan Sharp.
Smiles all around. L-R Cindi Reynolds,
Lori Tucker of WATE, and Christie Elkins. Reynolds is the chambers
Director of Tourism and Retirement while Elkins is the executive
director of the chamber. Always
graceful chamber director Christie Elkins served as the evening’s emcee
leading praise for all the businesses and individuals who keep the
Campbell County Chamber of Commerce strong as it heads into its 33rd
year. There are more than 230 members of the Campbell Chamber. Leadership Chair
Missy Tackett recognized the 2016-2017 Leadership Class of Leeann
Adkins, William Arbo, Kimberly England, Penny Etter, Travis Forsyth,
Anthony Hamblin, Wendy Pittman, Olivia Robbins, Larry Tanis, and Chris
Whaley.
The chamber presented Lori Tucker with two
huge gift baskets. Among the items is her very own WLAF T-Shirt Five members are retiring from their
chamber of commerce board of director’s duties. Chamber Chair
Rhonda Longmire thanked Kenny Baird, Karen Cumorich, Debbie Petree, and
Debbie Samples. Longmire rounds out the five stepping away from
the board this year. Cynthia Russell is the new chamber
chairman for 2017-2018. She welcomed incoming board members John
Branam, Kevin Brown, Gary Farwick, Nancy Green, Brent McNeely, Paul
Rumberger, and Melinda Wilson, Chair Elect. Last
night’s event was held at the WATCH the CCHS Graduation RIGHT HERE
WLAF's coverage
of the 2017 Campbell County High School Graduation is made possible by these
outstanding WLAF Corporate Partners: Cross-Smith Funeral Home - City of
We have a dilly of a Dolly story to
share with you this morning. More photos of Nora Snodderly’s visit
with her hero, Dolly Parton, and her story are further down this page.
Mom, daughter and Dolly -
a pre-mother’s day memory Assignment becomes more than a story By Raewyn Snodderly Publisher’s note: When Raewyn
volunteered to cover the premier of Dolly’s new “Smoky Mountain
Adventures” Dinner Show for WLAF, we had no idea the day would turn into
a lifelong memory. But it did, and here’s how it all came about. As a mother, you always want to see your
daughter or son dream, dream of big things, places and have high hopes.
My husband, John, introduced our daughter, Nora, to musical legends
several years ago. For those of you who know John, you know he is an
avid fan of legends such as Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton,
and Kenny Rogers. Those are just a few of his country artists, but he of
course loves the hard rock and roll as well. One night Nora was
introduced to Dolly Parton. From then on a love affair began! She, of
course, had already been introduced to Dolly’s Imagination Library. Each
month we received a book and it became an exciting time for Nora and
Zeke, our son, when the mail came. As her love for books grew, her love
for music grew as well. We often watch YouTube videos of Dolly, to the
point of having to tell Nora that we must do our chores and finish our
homework before we watch YouTube videos. Then came the records, her
daddy made a trip to Merideath Antiques and acquired many of Dolly’s
records. So every Friday night, we had dinner and would listen to Dolly.
Dolly was
eager to hear what Nora had to say. When the
fires happened in Fast forward a few months later, the weekend
coming up was Dolly’s big homecoming weekend. We decided in light of the
scheduled events we would make a trip to Dreammore Resort and attend the
Dolly Parton homecoming parade. Nora knew of these plans and we had been
very open with the fact that she would only see Dolly from a far. After numerous conversations with
Nora, I overheard her prayer one night and it went something like this:
“Dear Lord, I know you know Dolly, I love Dolly and I really want to
meet her. Please help me, because I have so much to tell her.” All I could think was as a family we
bless our food, attend church and pray, but if we do not meet Dolly,
what will my daughter think about praying? That’s when our planned
events took a real story book turn, and it was Nora’s prayers that were
answered! For many of you who know me, I take
pride in my southern roots. In fact, manners are one of the most
important lessons that I took from both of my grandmothers and mother.
We learned early on that no matter the situation, always mind your
manners. You also may not know this, but Nora had her first hair bow in
her hair 20 minutes after she was born. Every southern girl needs a hair
bow and the bigger the better. So as a Southerner raising a daughter, I
am aware that it is important to mind your manners and wear your hair
bow.
The night prior to the Dollywood
parade and the Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Adventures Dinner and Show,
we checked into the resort, and saw Dolly’s bus. We asked around and
Dolly was in for the night, so we took off and went swimming. After a
long night of swimming, Nora and I went to check on Dolly’s bus. Nora
began by saying, “Momma, she is in there.” My response was “Yes baby,
but we will only get to see her at the dinner show and the parade.” She
then reminded me that she had prayed about meeting Dolly, and the best
was she “had Dolly in her heart!” At that moment in time, an angel
appeared in the form of a gentleman asking “Do you like Dolly?” After a
conversation, we learned he worked on Dolly’s staff. We introduced
ourselves and let him know we would be at the show. The man was a jewel
as he talked to Nora about the bus, Dolly’s love for her people and the
love for kids. Nora, of course, naturally talked his ear off (she gets
that from her daddy). The next morning was the big day; it
was our chance to see Dolly Parton, but Nora was convinced saying, “We
will meet her, Mom!” She had faith that her prayers would be answered.
As we headed out for a fun filled day our first stop was “Dolly
Parton’s new “Smoky Mountain Adventures Dinner” show. We arrived for the
premier at 8:45 am, only to find out that we were an hour early. Nora
was a trooper, as we waited, and then it happened- Dolly’s bus pulled
into the parking lot. As we stood there anxiously awaiting Dolly’s
appearance, her team went in and out, in and out. You know that angel I
mentioned? He came out of the bus. He came over to his new friend and
said “Good morning Nora with the big pink hair bow. Are you ready to see
the show?” Nora was extremely excited!
We continued to stand there waiting on
Dolly’s arrival and then there she was, as beautiful as ever, full of
spunk and happy to greet her fans. Next thing I know, I hear Nora
anxiously shout “Dolly, we love you!” Dolly stopped and said “I love
you, and I see you with the big pink bow!” We were on cloud nine! Nora’s dreams
came true and her prayers had been answered. Or so we thought. After
Dolly moved inside, we went in and found our seats. We were watched the
show with the media and guests of Dolly. It was then announced that so
much money was raised for the “My People Fund” the endeavor would
continue. As Dolly spoke she talked of why this show was so near and
dear to hear heart. It was about her momma and daddy and her family
traditions growing up in Locus Ridge. The root of the show was “food,
faith and family.” After the show,
Nora’s life changed forever. We exited the show and noticed that Dolly
had re-entered her bus. It was John’s idea to hang around for a moment.
As we stood there and watched her staff go in and out, here came Nora’s
buddy. He approached Nora and said, “Hey Nora with the big pink bow, do
you want to meet a good friend?” And with those words, Nora, John
and I were headed onto Dolly’s tour bus. John and I were speechless,
truthfully John stuttered, and I was in shock. Nora was extremely
excited. She made herself at home and climbed right into Dolly’s lap.
They discussed school, music and her love for books. Nora told Dolly
that she prayed really hard to meet her, and she knew in her heart that
she would meet Dolly one day. She then did something that, as a mother,
I will always be proud of. She thanked Dolly for the Imagination Library
books and explained that for many in rural
It was a
day Nora “and” Dolly will not soon forget. As we approach this Mother’s Day
weekend, remember that although our kids look up to us as parents, we as
parents often learn from our children. So, as we wrapped up a fun
weekend with our children we were still asking each other, “Did that
really happen?” At the end of the weekend as we were having dinner and
celebrating such a great day, Zeke had a huge announcement. He stood proud and tall at the table
and said “Mom, Dad, YaYa, B, I met someone famous….I met Johnny Cash!”
(05/12/2017-6AM)
Old building has rebirth The
Fast
forward to 2017. After the building sat empty for a time following
The
The new owners, Todd and One and two room offices are now
available. A monthly lease includes utilities and internet. For more information about
professional office space in downtown La Follette, call the Overbays at
423.494.5625. (04/03/2017-6AM)
Class 5-A
Region 3 Football Classification for 2017-2021 Here’s
who Karns Beavers Powell Panthers
West Rebels SEE ELECTION RETURN FINAL NUMBERS HERE FROM WLAF
Several outstanding corporate partners make the
WLAF Election Returns possible. They are Terry’s Pharmacy,
Community Trust Bank, East Side Pizza, Litho-Craft Printing & Office
Supplies, United Cumberland Bank, Byrge Screen Printing, Bowman
Jewelers, Attorney Greg Leach, David Bales Buick-GMC, Main Street
Shell, First National Bank, State Farm Agent Lynn Ray, El Pueblito
Mexican Grill, Beacon Finance, Gamble Motors, State Representative
Dennis Powers, Wender Furniture, Peoples Bank of the South, and Gary
Gray Insurance.
Warriors celebrate winning season and Coach
King By Susan Sharp There was an air of
festivity last Thursday night as the And while the young team would oblige with a repeat
they did it in memory of King instead of with him. The longtime
basketball coach was in his second year coaching the Warriors when
health problems arose. He fought hard but just before Thanksgiving King
died. It was a blow the team struggled with. Yet, with the help of
Paul and a desire to make King proud, the Warriors pulled off a victory
in the final game of the county tournament beating Thursday night allowed
the boys to enjoy their win while paying tribute to the coach who
believed in them when they didn’t believe in themselves. Trophies and
tributes were showered on the team who suffered a loss that most adults
would struggle with. “I lost my coach my junior year,” said Starla
“Coach King was a
legend around here and we were lucky to have him,” said Ollie Medley,
CACC administrator. As she addressed the players who had gathered in the
gym for Thursday’s banquet, Medley held in her hand a stack of notes the
Warriors had written for the King family. Each one detailed what King
had meant to his team. Medley said the notes would be delivered to
King’s wife, Shelly, and daughter, Medley also unveiled a
plaque memorializing King that will hang in the CACC gym. Kevin Corner,
who played on King’s first team in 1977 was on hand to represent King’s
family. “I can see why he loved this place,” Corner said surveying the
audience. “He was all about class and this school obviously has that. He
loved you boys.” Sharing memories of when he played for King, Corner
said “Our team was the alpha and you boys, you are the omega. You are
the end of an era.”
Coach King’s Corner Coach Vic King left us in November 2014. In honor and memory of him, we’ve created a “Coach King’s Corner.” Click Coach’s picture to access Coach King’s Corner. (03/23/2015)
This picture of Coach was snapped by Charlie Hutson on Friday, May 17, 2013, in front of the former Regions Bank (where La Follette Junior High/High School once stood). It was where the 60th anniversary of WLAF was celebrated.
Precinct-by-precinct. District-by-district. WLAF has all the final numbers. You asked. WLAF delivered. WLAF's Coach Vic King has taken all 184 pages of the election numbers and posted them right here. Just CLICK. (08/12/2014 - 8:00 PM)
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