SMEC Suits Up for Battle

By Editor | July 14, 2026 |

SMEC Suits Up for Battle

Government Coalition Enters Legal Fray with Roberta

Photos by Shane Gilreath
Oneida Mayor Lori Phillips-Jones, who also serves as the Chair of SMEC, presided over a recent meeting. Last week, the coalition formed from Scott and McCreary County governments filed to join an existing lawsuit to challenge the Roberta II landfill.

By Shane Gilreath
SCN Contributing Editor
[email protected]

Locals crossing the overpass bridge near Oneida City Park have been able to watch a new perspective of Oneida come to life in real time. The once plain stretch of concrete is being transformed into a city landmark with the help of regional artist Olivia Immitt, who has been tasked with painting the “Welcome to Oneida” mural. Though Immitt is no stranger to the creative world (www.soulsongsolutions.com), it’s been a project months in the making.
For Oneida leadership, the project represents more than a mere venture into public art, but the culmination of a vision coming to life. For Oneida Mayor Lori Phillips-Jones, it’s another step in her administration’s ongoing efforts to beautify Oneida and attract new businesses, tourism opportunities, and investment to Scott County and the greater region.
“I’m so excited to see this project finally come to life,” Phillips-Jones told SCN.
Even from the outset of her mayoral campaign, the mayor promised that the beautification of Oneida would be a cornerstone of her administration. Since she’s been in office, the follow through on that promise has seen murals and art spring up across Oneida, with the administration relentlessly seeking funding for various projects. The current Immitt creation was made possible through grant funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission, but, according to the mayor, bringing the mural to life has required the cooperation of multiple agencies.
Because the bridge is owned by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), the city has had to work closely with TDOT officials to secure approval for the project, a process that Phillips-Jones acknowledged took considerable time. According to the mayor, a local committee had to review artist proposals. They ultimately selected Immitt, a Utah native who now calls the region home and has completed murals for businesses and organizations across Tennessee and Kentucky, where she served in varying capacities in both the state and federal park system.
“We wanted to ensure that the project reflects the spirit and character of our community,” Phillips-Jones said. “This mural is part of our on-going efforts to beautify Oneida, create a stronger sense of place, and bring new forms of public art to our residents and visitors.”
In following with that practice, Immitt told SCN that the mural’s design emerged directly from the application itself, but, she contends it deeply reflects her own arrival in the area.
“The design for the bridge was inspired by the prompt for the application to submit proposals,” Immitt said. “The application requested imagery reflecting what Oneida represented.” But that inspiration led her to focus on the symbolism of the bridge itself and the many ways it mirrors Oneida’s identity. Trains. Outdoor Adventures. Wildlife. Hospitality. Even a bald eagle, a symbol of patriotism and freedom that may well help celebrate the nation’s 250th year. For Immitt, a creative by nature, the symbolism may well go even deeper.
“To me,” she told SCN, “Oneida represents a bridge between conserving natural lands with the headquarters of the Big South Fork. A bridge between connecting and transporting resources as a major railway hub. A bridge to encourage people to stay active by moving towards a goal to become a town where a bike trail begins.”
It’s all encompassed there, but the symbolism also carries a personal meaning for Immitt. The artist, who moved to the region a decade ago, says it’s been a bridge for her, as well. “I worked as a Park Ranger at the Big South Fork for several years when I first moved here,” she said. “I live in McCreary County, adding to the metaphor of being a bridge from one state to another.”
Public art projects and murals have increasingly become valuable tools for economic development and the advancement of tourism across communities both large and small. For industry insiders, murals do a lot of the marketing work. They create recognizable landmarks, encourage social media posts that highlight and promote towns, see photographers flock their way, and often inspire travelers to stop and explore communities they may otherwise pass through. Phillips-Jones has long looked to that for inspiration, especially in the state capital.
Perhaps nowhere in Tennessee is the impact of public arts more apparent than in Nashville, where dozens of murals dot the landscape and have become destinations in their own right, attracting visitors from around the world who seek out the city’s unique art installations. As a result, communities throughout the state have embraced similar projects as a way to celebrate their own local identity while supporting local businesses, embracing local artisans, and encouraging tourism growth.
For Oneida, however, the project may hold an even greater distinction: it’s a piece of history. As far as officials have been able to determine, Phillips-Jones told SCN, the mural is the first ever painted on an overpass bridge anywhere in the state, making the project a Tennessee first and a unique point of pride for Oneida.
“It’s a unique milestone not only for Oneida but for the state as well,” Phillips-Jones told SCN. “We hope it serves as a warm welcome to everyone entering our community and becomes a point of pride for our residents for years to come. I can’t wait until it’s all completed but I love the energy and excitement it has brought as people drive by and see the progress she makes each week.”
Immitt, who regularly shares updates on the mural’s progress through social media, has even invited local residents to pick up a brush and help contribute to the project. Several, she told SCN, have taken her up on the offer. Because of that – the artist, the vision, the local support – the mural may have already succeeded in bringing the community together, one paint stroke at a time.
“Oneida has a special place in my heart,” Immitt said, “and it’s an honor to be a part of this wonderful project that’s bringing so much joy to the community.”