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Wlaf1450By Sen. Ken Yager
As this year draws to a close, it is a good time to review the previous twelve months to take stock of what has gone on in the county. 2018 was a tremendous year for Campbell County. So as we usher in 2019, let’s take a moment to look at the accomplishments of 2018.
*Completion of the General Purpose Lab at the Roane State Center for Higher Education in La Follette. Many college courses – like chemistry or geology– require a laboratory assignment and without one many of our local students were forced to leave the county to complete coursework at another Roane State site, or give up. Working with Rep. Dennis Powers, we secured a commitment from Governor Haslam to include $1.1 million in his 2017 budget. The lab was completed on schedule and opened for the Fall Semester this year and students are using the much needed lab. This will enable local students to get their college foundation at home and result in increased enrollment.
TOP PHOTO: Senator Ken Yager (C) hosted the December “Chamber Coffee” last Thursday at Hack Ayers’ Red Barn. With the senator in this snapshot are Chamber of Commerce Director Christie Elkins (L) and Tourism Director Cindi Reynolds (R).
*Stinking Creek Road Improvements. Stinking creek Road is a major connector road connecting I-75 to U.S 25. Over the years, the road has fallen into complete disrepair. The cost to resurface the road would have exhausted the entire county highway budget! As a result of the Improve Act, which I supported, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Campbell County Road Department announced a partnership earlier this year resurface Stinking Creek Road at a cost of $1.2 million. The state will contribute $1.1 million or ninety per cent of the cost! The bid has been awarded to Rogers Group and completion is set for Summer 2019.
*Renewal of the GEAR UP grant to Campbell County schools. In case you didn’t know, the GEAR UP program is a federal discretionary grant program that supports efforts to increase the number of low-income students that obtain a secondary school diploma and prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education. Because the Campbell County Schools had received the grant once, it could not reapply under the rules. Well, we did. And working the Higher Education Commission the school system applied directly to the federal government and received an unprecedented renewal of the grant, worth $1.6 million dollars! We were able to do this because of the outstanding track record of the teachers and administrators who run the program.
*Working with La Follette city officials we were able to secure a $50,000 appropriation in the FY 2018-19 state budget to restore the wooden windows in the historic Post Office, which is the home of Postmark La Follette. We are now in the process of drawing the money down to preserve this Campbell County treasure.
*Water Quality and health care grants. Local governments in the county received a record number of grants this year. Rep. Dennis Powers and I were happy to support the applications, but credit is due to local officials who recognized local needs and submitted professional applications. Just a few of the grants include a school safety ($216,000), improvements to local water systems ($1,000,000), ”safety net” healthcare grants to Dayspring and Community Health of East Tennessee.
Yes, 2018 was a good year for Campbell County and I am optimistic that 2019 will be even better.
Finally, as I count my blessings at this time of year, I am grateful to have the privilege to represent the citizens of Campbell County in the Senate. Thank you for this honor and Happy New Year. God bless you. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/27/2018-6AM)