Area News

Cox to Challenge Keisling for State House By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] Republican challenger and Scott County resident Cody Cox is preparing to take on longtime incumbent Rep. Kelly Keisling in the race for Tennessee House District 38, setting up a primary challenge for the long-serving state representative, who was first elected in…

Cumberland Clear goes North   By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] As the landfill continues to garner attention across the region, local organization Cumberland Clear took the fight to Pulaski County, Kentucky, last week, in their continued effort to advocate for vital issues, including public health and the protection of regional waters that are…

Man Thwarts Bear Attack…or does he? By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] In the late-night hours of December 14th, an Oneida man reportedly narrowly avoided a deadly bear attack. Just before midnight, Wesley Lovitt, 48, reportedly stepped outside his home to fill an outdoor wood-burning stove before turning in for the night. The night…

Flu Surges in Tennessee, Kentucky By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) heavily indicated that influenza continues to surge rapidly across the country. Among those states impacted are Tennessee and Kentucky, who now sit among the states experiencing the highest levels of transmission. According…

Winfield hears arguments over Zoning Violations By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] Two companies appealed zoning violations to the Town of Winfield Planning Board last week following two separate incidences of citations issued for alleged land-use violations on their respective properties. Penn Virginia and Bearcat Properties were each cited for different offenses – which…

No Indictment in School Sodomy Case By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] There will be no criminal charges filed in an alleged sodomy case that drew widespread attention to the McCreary County School District. A Casey County, Kentucky, grand jury returned a “no true bill” last week following the allegations that have plagued the…

Ethics Committee Meets on Mysterious County Violation By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] A mysterious meeting of the County Ethics Committee on Monday raised more questions than answers, as county officials declined to release details about an alleged ethics violation by a county employee that may now rise to the level of a criminal…

Lawmaker seeks Death Penalty law in Child Rape Cases By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] Republican lawmaker State Rep. Greg Martin, who represents part of Hamilton County, is seeking to expand Tennessee laws to allow prosecutors greater authority to pursue the death penalty in cases involving the rape of a child. Martin has introduced…

Election Heats Up By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] More than a dozen potential candidates picked up applications for petition to seek office in Scott County when the December 22, 2025, deadline came. As the deadline for those petitions approaches next month (February 19, 2025), as of press time, three candidates have picked up…

Savanna’s Law brings hope to domestic violence cases By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] As reported by SCN last week, the new year sees the launch of Tennessee’s first-of-its-kind tool aimed at combating domestic violence across the state. A free, searchable, public database, accessible by the public, will house the information of persistent domestic…