Area News
Senate Republicans strongly support redistricting special session
Senate Republicans strongly support redistricting special session (NASHVILLE, TN) – Tennessee Senate Republican leaders are praising Gov. Bill Lee’s call to bring the legislature back to Nashville next week to draw a new congressional map, helping solidify a Republican majority in Congress to advance President Trump’s agenda. Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge): “We are…
Read MoreA Blizzard of Growth
A Blizzard of Growth Oneida Set to Welcome Dairy Queen By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] As of last week, Oneida’s business database is set to grow yet again, as the Oneida Planning Commission met with representatives from the national chain Dairy Queen. According to Oneida Mayor Lori Phillips-Jones, under whose leadership the town…
Read MoreEnvironmentalists win on Jellico Mountain
Environmentalists win on Jellico Mountain By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] With environmental activism making a large splash across Scott County over the last year – with organizations such as Cumberland Clear and the Scott-McCreary Environmental Coalition (SMEC) springing into existence – a fight over Jellico Mountain has been raging for several years. That…
Read MoreCounty Commission Joins the Roberta Fight
County Commission Joins the Roberta Fight By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] When the Scott County Commission met last week, momentum had already built within the Scott-McCreary Environmental Coalition (SMEC). Four of its five member governments had already moved to support potential litigation tied to the proposed Roberta II landfill. That left Scott County…
Read MoreCumberland Clear has big fundraising month, welcomes new faces
Cumberland Clear has big fundraising month, welcomes new faces By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] If anyone has been in the Roberta II fight, it’s been Cumberland Clear. Even before the group was formally named and organized, many of its now-familiar faces were already deeply engaged – attending meetings, speaking out, and organizing community…
Read MoreBSFNRRA Welcome New United States Citizens
BSFNRRA Welcome New United States Citizens By Jason Duncan SCN Reporter/Sales Rep. [email protected] On Thursday, April 23rd, the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, along with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hosted a naturalization ceremony. The ceremony, which was open to the public, began at 11 a.m. at Bandy Creek Visitor Center,…
Read MoreEarly Voting Takes Off
Early Voting Takes Off By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] Early voting for Tennessee’s May 5th state and county primary elections began on Wednesday, April 15th and will continue through April 30th, giving voters an opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. Early voting is a process that allows registered voters to…
Read MoreDouble Blow for Roberta II
Double Blow for Roberta II TDEC Denies ARAP, Reclassifies Landfill as Major Modification By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] Despite what felt like legal gains in a Nashville courtroom, as lawyers for Roberta II and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) clouded legal definitions and fought to authenticate a 2010 letter by…
Read MoreSMEC Rears its Head
SMEC Rears its Head By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] Lisa Helton, the lawyer for the Scott-McCreary Environmental Coalition (SMEC), sat in a Chancery Court in Nashville last Friday. She was there, she told SCN, to represent the 5-member coalition and to support the suit filed by Rock Properties. It was a powerful sign,…
Read MoreBeaty Letter Looms Ominously Over Landfill Case
Beaty Letter Looms Ominously Over Landfill Case By Shane Gilreath SCN Contributing Editor [email protected] When John Beaty was elected County Attorney in 2002, few would have predicted he would become a controversial figure more than two decades later. After all, he’s generally well thought of in the community, even now, but a letter Beaty…
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