Next CCHS Basketball:
Lady Cougars at Maryville vs. Fulton on Wednesday (12/28) at 7 pm
Cougars & Lady Cougars play at Anderson County on January 3
NHUNmMAN
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CLICK to watch LIVE WLAF-TV 12 Smith Hardware's open 7-days a week
WLAF’s “Business of the Day” today is: SALON One-Five-Oh - Across from Gamble Motors
I must admit.
It was rather eerie seeing an empty I-75 through much of City of Meeting starts at 6 pm The City
of Among the
items on the agenda are discussions on the Old Past Time Lounge
property, amending the personnel policy on dress code including buying
uniforms for all city employees, marking city vehicles, ID cards for all
city employees, and putting five acres on Melissa Myers, a part time police
officer, is up for a promotion to full time while three fire fighters
are in line for promotions to lieutenant.
Constructing sidewalks is also on the agenda. Talk of sidewalks on
the four lane west of WLAF News brings you a recap of
tonight’s workshop first thing in the morning right here.
(12/27/2016-6AM) WLAF looks back at 2016
all this week With 2017 just around the corner, WLAF
wanted to review 2016 with the stories our readers were talking about.
This morning we turn our attention to the news that kicked off the year
and took us into warmer weather. January The year started off with heavy snow that kept
Campbell County Road Crews working19 hours on a cold Wednesday clearing
streets. They were able to get most of the county’s nearly 800 miles
cleaned, but, as of late Thursday, they still had the more mountainous
regions to contend with, according to Campbell County Road
Superintendent Ron Dilbeck. As road crews were busy with plows and gravel,
other public servants have stayed active as well. On Wednesday, calls to 911 were high as motorists
slid off the road and into each other, but Thursday saw a decline in
calls. The 911 staff reported the call volume had returned to a normal
level. The same held true with the Campbell County
Sheriff’s Department. The fast falling snow caused a spike in calls but
as the flakes tapered off, so did the calls. Campbell County Chief Deputy Aaron Evans said the
bulk of its calls had been traffic centered. Others who saw an increase in activity were retail
stores. As of Thursday evening, Smith Hardware was sold out
of snow shovels. Marvin Minton retired after a highly successful
banking career. Minton served as President of First National Bank
of La Follette and later as President of the La Follette Market of
Community Trust Bank. His banking career spanned more than
40-years. Attention shifted from weather to local officials
being arrested when La Follette City Councilman Hansford Hatmaker was
arrested in a county wide narcotics round up. The multi-term politician
found himself facing multiple felony drug charges. The new Main Street Shell officially opened in its
bigger building at the same location. The Jellico Community Hospital Board hired a new
Chief Executive Officer. Kim Dowell, RN, began her new
leadership position in late January. ![]() February Two local attorneys, Wes Hatmaker and Mark Troutman
had had their licenses to practice law temporarily suspended.
Ironically, both men saw their privileges shelved for the same reason-
misappropriation of funds. They were both later indicted on multiple
cases of theft. We were paying
$1.51 a gallon for gasoline in mid-February. After three days of testimony and hours of jury
deliberation, Kevin Fleming’s was fate was announced. A jury of his peers deemed Fleming guilty of a
fourth offense DUI and three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. Fleming was charged in the death of his three
friends, Carl Daugherty, Jr., Charles Morris and Jason Carroll. On the
stand Friday, Melissa Fleming, Kevin Fleming’s wife, said the men were
“like brothers to Kevin.” Campbell County Lady Cougar Basketball Coach Brad
Honeycutt was named the District 3 “Coach of the Year.” The Lady
Cougars finished the season 24 & 7. Mark A. Gooch, President and CEO of Community Trust
Bank, announced that Rhonda S. Longmire has been promoted to the
position of President of the La Follette Market of Community Trust Bank.
Longmire replaced Marvin L. Minton who retired in January. The call of a rock slide came in at 2:31 PM Friday
afternoon (02/26) at Mile Marker 142.5 on the north bound side of
Interstate 75. Several miles of the north and south bound lanes of
I-75 remain closed since the slide. March The board that oversees the actions of the judges
turned its attention to a Campbell County Judge. General Sessions Judge Amanda Sammons was
investigated by the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct (TBJC). The
investigation into the first term judge’s behavior was confirmed by the
TBJC’s chair, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft. Campbell County Road Superintendent Ron Dilbeck’s
eligibility to hold office and seek reelection was unanimously approved
by the Tennessee Highway Officials Certification Board. His qualifications as the county’s road
superintendent had been challenged by Estel “Blackie” Muse, a one time
employee of the department. Three spellers
represented Local pharmacist Dr. Rissa Pryse accepted an
appointed position from Governor Bill Haslam to serve on the state’s
board of pharmacy. Brenda Moses has
played a key role in communications for the La Follette Police
Department since 1976. Moses, the LPD Systems Administrator, was
honored by the State of
Let Robbins Guttering beautify your home
Siding, Guttering, Windows, and more – Robbins Guttering 423.566.5461 April Nick Sharp brought us
the story of 5th grader Nick: How long did you wait to come back? Conner: A really long time! Nick: How was your first day back? Conner: The best day of my life! Nick: How do you feel? Conner: I’m not tired, I feel fine, and I just have
a little bit of pain in my spine. Nick: What did you miss most about school? Conner: The teachers and my friends. Nick: What did you miss most about your everyday
life? Conner: I can’t do “fun stuff” like ride roller
coasters cause it would shake my head. Emily Ann
Roberts, runner up on “The Voice,” has April Lea Griffie pleaded guilty to siphoning funds
from the Campbell County High School Choral Booster Club. The one-time club president was indicted in 2015 on
one count of theft over $1,000. A state audit revealed she used over
$6,000 of booster club funds for herself. In court, Griffie pleaded guilty to one count of
theft over $1,000. She was placed on five years supervised probation. If
she does well on probation, Griffie will be eligible for judicial
diversion, meaning her legal slate will be wiped clean. Along with probation, Griffie was assessed court
costs and a $500 fine. She must also repay the $6,502 she stole from the
choral booster club, according to court records. Griffie will repay this
debt in $140 installments beginning next month. In the event, the former
club president repays her debt and incurs no probation issues, she can
apply for an early release after three years, as the plea agreement
reads. (12/27/2016-6AM)
Here’s
the latest on Lady Cougars return to
action Wednesday No games for the Cougars this week
The Campbell County Cougars won the
Lockard Christmas Tournament last week at
The Campbell County Lady Cougars take part in Maryville High Schools
holiday tournament this week. The Renasant Bank
Christmas Tournament begins Wednesday, and the Lady Cougars first game
is at 7 pm against
Coverage will be over the WLAF – B & M Tires Sports Network.
(12/26/2016-6AM)
Truck fire snarls traffic I-75 North temporarily closed Firefighters with the Caryville
Volunteer Fire Department had a busy Sunday night. A northbound
18-wheeler caught fire last night on I-75 in Caryville.
Truck fire closed northbound I-75 on Sunday night A tire blew and set the trailer on
fire. It was a total loss. The tractor was not damaged. Both northbound lanes of I-75 were
shutdown for almost an hour. Then one lane was allowed to be
opened while crews off loaded the trailer.
(12/26/2016-7:30AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF CVFD CHIEF EDDIE HATMAKER)
The next distribution is scheduled for Jan. 26-27,
2017 PIGEON FORGE.
Thanks to the generosity of “Our company has been privileged to operate in the
Sevier County/Gatlinburg area for more than thirty years and we
certainly want to do everything possible to help our friends and
neighbors recover from this devastating disaster,” said Steven C. Smith,
Food City President/CEO.
Dollywood My People
Fund receives a check from “Over the past month, we’ve received a tremendous
outpouring of support - literally from around the Nation. Words
fail to be able to adequately express our sincere appreciation to our
customers, associates, vendor, media and NASCAR partners for their
extreme generosity and passionate response in making this donation
possible,“ said Smith. The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s
Gatlinburg Relief Fund will provide financial relief directly to the
immediate families of each individual who lost their life due to the
fires and to the employees who are currently unemployed because the fire
destroyed the business where they worked. “This generous
donation by The large donation helps the Dollywood Foundation’s
mission to provide monetary assistance to the families who lost their
primary residence—owners or renters—in the wildfires. From December to
May, the My People Fund will provide $1000 each month to every family
who lost their primary residence in the November wildfires. During the first
four-day check distribution, 884 families received support payments
through the My People Fund. The next distribution is scheduled for Jan.
26-27, 2017, at the “We’re honored to have the opportunity to present
these funds to two extremely well respected organizations who are
working diligently to ensure the needs of the Gatlinburg/Sevier County
community are being met in the quickest, most efficient manner
possible,” said Smith. (12/26/2016-6AM)
What a performance by
our Community Choir! WATCH and
HEAR it all right here from WLAF WLAF thanks all those who had a hand
in making this season’s Community Choir performance possible.
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year” is the theme. Enjoy!
(12/23/2016-6AM)
Celebrate safely by
planning ahead Tow to Go service available today through January 1 More than 103 million Americans will travel for the
year-end holidays including a record number by car. When the
accompanying holiday celebrations are added, that record number of
motorists will face an increased threat of impaired driving next week.
AAA and Budweiser urge everyone to plan ahead if they will be
celebrating with alcohol. This means choosing a designated driver,
calling a cab, staying where you are celebrating or finding another safe
way home like the Tow to Go program. If you are hosting a holiday party,
please do so responsibly. “This next week is usually the busiest time of the
year for Tow to Go, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Amy Stracke,
managing director, traffic safety advocacy for AAA – The Auto Club Group
and Executive Director of the ACG Traffic Safety Foundation. “Please
plan ahead to make sure you and your loved ones get home safely.” For those that don’t plan ahead, Tow to Go will be
there to provide a safe way home. AAA members and non-members can call
for a Tow to Go ride anytime today, Friday, Dec. 23, through 6 a.m. on
Jan. 2. AAA will then safely transport them and their vehicle home or
somewhere safe within 10 miles. “The Tow to Go program is an effective way to
promote the use of Designated Drivers and help prevent impaired
driving,” said Katja Zastrow, vice president of Corporate Social
Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. “We are proud to partner with AAA and
their roadside assistance drivers to help keep our roads safe.” Since its inception in 1998, Tow to Go has safely
removed more than 24,000 impaired drivers from roads across the
Southeast. It is designed to be a safety net for motorists who did not
plan ahead when drinking away from home on celebratory holidays. It is
offered based on the availability of AAA drivers and tow trucks during
times of high call volume. The Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation
provides Tow to Go to help keep all motorists safe from the dangers of
impaired driving. (12/23/2016-6AM)
Best be on your best behavior Most of
Santa’s force of Santa’s Secret Service Agents are not as easily spotted
as this one. You know him as John Snodderly. However, to Santa
Claus, he’s SS17, sworn to monitor behavior habits around
It appears SS17 is monitoring Raewyn
Snodderly (L) and Rissa Pryse quite closely. (12/23/2016-6AM) Sheets says “thanks” on
behalf of the children Toys donated to the Children’s Center Toys, stuffed animals and other
wonderful items for the Children's Center fill the wall of presents room
at Zach Sheets Offfice, Edward Jones Investments. Sheets expresses
thanks to you for helping make this such a wonderful success. This
includes the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce, the Lion's Club of
Campbell County, the Rotary Club of South Campbell County, Sheets
wonderful clients and their friends and guests, our local elected
leaders who came and contributed as well and so many others.
Toys, stuffed animals and other wonderful items for the Children's Center fill the wall of presents room at Zach Sheets Offfice, Edward Jones Investments. Sheets
says “thank you” to everyone for helping make Christmas a little bit
better for the children who are helped by the Campbell County Children's
Center. (12/23/2016-6AM)
Sunday is Marvin Jones Miller Day in La Follette
Mayor proclaims special day
City of
Cole adds ‘Outstanding
Volunteerism’ to resume Ron Cole, an employee of the La Follette Food City,
has been acknowledged for his work outside the store. Cole has been recognized through the Claude P.
Varney Volunteer Recognition Program.
Cole’s friendly nature comes through
instantly “As a company, we strive to maintain a high level
of dedication to service, quality, value and community involvement,
while providing a work environment that enables our associates to grow
both personally and professionally as successful members of the team,”
said Steven C. Smith, Food City’s president and chief executive officer. Following his
attendance at a June 2002 White House meeting geared toward boosting
national volunteerism through corporate support, Smith administered the
creation of Food City’s Claude P. Varney Volunteer Recognition Program,
in memory of their beloved former president and board vice-chairman.
Throughout his 47 year career, Varney brought a great deal of foresight
and knowledge to
He started in
produce, but now Cole works in the Deli-Bakery at “Many of our associates volunteer their time and
talents to numerous service organizations throughout the areas in which
we operate and we feel it’s needful to recognize the valuable services
and support they provide,” said Smith. Cole chose to volunteer his time at Food Life
Services here in La Follette. He’s driven the FLS truck since
2009. Lots of times he’s teamed with Charles Herman, the retired
judge and attorney. He also helps with the annual Louie Bluie Festival. About six-years ago is
when he retired from his fulltime career. Cole maintained power
lines all around the southeast and traveled long distances from home to
most every job site. He came to this area 25-years ago to move the
power poles when the
Ron Cole of Caryville, an employee of the La Follette Food City, has been acknowledged for his work outside the store. Each year, special
committees are established to review associate volunteer activities and
select individual award recipients based on outstanding achievement in
the areas of health, education, environment, cultural arts,
recreational, heritage/history and public service. One overall
winner is selected from each Store winners then move on to compete at district
level. Twelve district winners are recognized with an award and a
$250 contribution to their choice charity during a special corporate
luncheon. Two divisional winners are then chosen and honored with
a plaque and a $750 charity contribution. And finally, one overall
winner is selected to receive the prestigious Claude P. Varney
Humanitarian Award and be publicly recognized for their outstanding
achievements in addition to a $1,250 charity contribution made on their
behalf. Shain Arnold is the
manager at the La Follette Food City and boasts about Cole’s work ethic
calling it “outstanding.” He adds that Cole is always here (at the
store) and is so well liked by his fellow workers and customers alike.
Campbell wins the Lockard Christmas Tourney at Clinton Wednesday night - Cougars 57 Clinton 46 (Championship Game) Wednesday morning - Cougars 72 Oakdale 55 Tuesday - Cougars 74 Sullivan North 29 Monday - Cougars 85 FBA 51
LPD increases DUI enforcement during holidays
Select good drivers will be issued gift certificates LA
FOLLETTE, TN –The LaFollette Police Department in conjunction with the
Tennessee Highway Safety Office is running its Holiday Traffic Safety
Campaign thru January 1, 2017. A primary focus is on enhancing the
city’s drunk-driving enforcement. The statewide Booze It and Lose
It campaign
is part of a national mobilization to prevent drunk driving.
Lockard’s been
loyal to Tournament and gym named for the former coach Clinton Basketball celebrates
100-years of basketball this season. And a Jellico native has been
a large part of the Dragons success on and off the court. So much
in fact that the gym is even named after him.
On
the night the gym was officially named Don W. Lockard Gymnasium, the
Dragons defeated arch-rival Since Don
“Donnie” Lockard graduated from Some of the highlights along the way
include a stretch where his teams won 118 games out of 129. There
were three straight seasons where the Dragons went undefeated in
district games. Donnie’s 1997-98 team finished an undefeated
regular season at 26 & 0. There was one four-year stretch where
Lockard’s teams won no less than 24 games.
Donnie’s 1997-98 team finished an undefeated regular season at 26 & 0. No one
has coached “and” won as many games as Lockard has for the Clinton
Dragons. So, perhaps it was only fitting that in 2001, in a fan
driven petition, the gym where he coached hundreds of games was named in
his honor. On the night the gym was officially named Don W.
Lockard Gymnasium, the Dragons defeated arch-rival Since
Former La
Follette Basketball Coach Jerry Dagley coached against and played
against Lockard. Dagley, who grew up in Grantsboro, knows him as
“Donnie” saying that they go way back. All the way back to the
days of Jacksboro, where Dagley was a standout, when the Eagles would
play Lockard and the Jellico Blue Devils. They also squared off as
head coaches, Dagley at La Follette, and Lockard at Lockard
married Linda Collins, who is from He was succeeded by his son, Chris,
starting with the 2000-2001 season. The pair coached side-by-side
the previous four seasons. Chris tells WLAF that his team still
runs one set now that his father developed and ran in the 1970s.
Lockard could not pass up watching the Chris considered his 72-year old
father to’ve had a keen eye for talent as well as a great “live” coach.
He says, before you studied film, you had to adjust to your opponent as
soon as the game started, and that his dad was a master at that live and
on the fly. The younger coach explains that his father coached by
the philosophy that you have to adjust to what your kids can do – not to
what you want. He says he has a hard time sometimes following that
school of thought.
Before the Clinton-Sullivan North game
the other night, Lockard chuckles at what the opposing coach told the
officials. The coach, a former assistant to Lockard, Jay Gregory,
told the refs in the pre-game meeting, “Remember, this is Don Lockard
Gym not Chris Lockard Gym.” (12/22/2016-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY
OF WLAF’S NOAH SMITH) Local fire fighter laid
to rest on Wednesday 20+ year veteran “If a page went off in the middle of
the night, Darrell would be there,” says Caryville Fire Chief Eddie
Hatmaker. The chief is talking about Darrell Huskey.
Hatmaker points out that Huskey served as a firefighter for more than
20-years with the Caryville and Jacksboro Fire Departments.
Darrell Huskey served both the Caryville
and Jacksboro Fire Departments The
dedicated firefighter passed away last week. He was laid to rest
yesterday at Huskey’s
health forced him out of fire fighting, but he still visited.
Hatmaker says he was by the fire hall back in the fall and brought him a
Huskey was honored along the funeral procession route on Wednesday
(PHOTO COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON) Hatmaker calls Huskey a dedicated
firefighter saying he was there anytime you needed help. He says
he was just an all-around good person. Darrell Huskey was 43-years old.
(12/22/2016-6AM) Mayor expresses
appreciation to you La Follette did its share in helping Gatlinburg and
Athens This is a letter from Mayor Mike Stanfield:
The Cougars won the Don Lockard
Christmas Tournament last night at Cougars claim crown in
Lockard Tourney Walden is MVP It’s been breakfast, lunch, and
basketball for the Campbell County Cougars this first week of their
holiday break. In a whirlwind three day stretch, the Cougars
played four games with three games in a 24-hour span.
Clinton Coach Chris Lockard congratulates Tourney MVP Jacob Walden Last
night in a 7:30 pm game after a 9 am game that morning,
Landon Reese (L)
was named to the all-tourney team. Jacob Walden walked away as the
tourney MVP.
Biggest “Shop with a
Cop” yet Community comes together for extra special event The spirit of Mike Starrett lives
through “Shop with a Cop.” It was the late Jacksboro Police
Detective’s passion, and this week’s annual event was quite a success. It was held on Monday and Tuesday at
the Jacksboro Wal-Mart, and had the most youngsters and volunteers ever.
Since 1990, the local “Shop with a Cop” has grown from a dozen kids to
more than 400.
“Shop with a Cop” opened Monday afternoon at the Wal-Mart and six-year old Zoey Ruiz was checking out the Shopkin Shirts with help from Joanna Miller and THP Trooper Michael Heatherly. Jacksboro Police Chief Danny Chapman,
Starrett’s best friend, expresses appreciation to those who donated
items, made monetary donations, and volunteered.
CLICK HERE
to see the entire list of contributors. (12/21/2016-6AM) See the CCHS
Choir’s performance on WLAF-TV 12
CLICK HERE to see it in its
entirety
Campbell County Issues, hosted Monday nights by R.L. Gibson, held its
holiday show last Monday night. Jerry Chadwell hosted the evening
program, and it featured the Campbell County High School Choir.
The choir is under the direction of John Edwards. (12/21/2016-6AM)
Hall is in it for the long haul A relocation for the family
doctor; not retirement Dr. Ronald D. Hall, III, has no
plans to retire. In fact, he’s opening a new office in 2017.
Dr. Ronald Hall is in it for the long haul. Today marks the final day for Hall and his staff at their old location. Halls’ office manager and
daughter, Erin Leonard, tells WLAF, “I was four years old when dad moved
into this office.” It was 36-years ago when Hall took his practice
to the Today is
the last day for Hall, his staff, and patients in the January 2, 2017, begins a new
chapter in the veteran physicians career of caring for his patients.
It unfolds at Halls new office which will be located in the Grace Rehab
medical facility. Leonard sums it up by saying we need more space,
and this will afford us that much needed extra room to accommodate our
patients.
Brian Leach is the president of Leonard says her father, who is
on the mend and doing well after successful back surgery, has no plans
to retire and looks forward to the move. She adds that she “can’t say
enough good things about all his patients who have stuck with him.”
Leonard calls it a family operation where we treat our patients like
family. Halls move means his patients
will have a ground level entrance with parking very close to the front
door. It also allows patients to be dropped off right at his
office door. For patients with mobility challenges, this is a big
plus according to Leonard. The fact that many of Halls patients
use Grace Rehab is also a plus. Though it’s a new location,
Halls telephone number, 423.562.6586, remains the same.
(12/21/2016-6AM)
Today is
“Mountain Strong Day” in First Responders recognized, honored At the
Ridgewood Volunteer Fire Department
Campbell County Emergency Medical Services
Campbell County Rural Fire Service
LaFollette Rescue Squad
Cougars clip FBA on
Monday night Game Two is at 9 pm tonight for CCHS The Campbell County Cougars outpaced
the First Baptist Academy of Knoxville on Monday night. CCHS
defeated FBA 85 to 51. The win
over the Eagles improves the Cougars to 9 & 5 as play continues today in
the 2nd
annual Don Lockard Christmas Tournament at WLAF’s coverage begins tonight at 9 pm
over radio, AM 1450 and FM 100.9, as well as live televised coverage
over 1450wlaf.com. Josh Parker and former Cougar Darin Gillenwater
have the call.
Wednesday’s action starts at 9 am. ANIMAL CONTROL:
Commission discusses Poore’s position
By PETER SAWYER JACKSBORO—Friends of Campbell County Animals
requested hiring a new animal control officer at the regular county
commission meeting. The FCCA is under
contract to operate the Animal Shelter. However, the Animal Control
Officer position is still under the control of the FCCA Secretary Trish Simpson requested the
Commission agree to a contract that would require the county to still
fund the animal control position, but transfer authority over the
position to the FCCA. Simpson made it clear the FCCA has had problems
with Animal Control Officer Otis Poore. A candidate for the job
accompanied her to the meeting. “We have so many problems with our animal control
officer,” Simpson said. “It’s bad” Simpson said that she would rather have only one
different animal control officer than another animal control officer in
addition to Poore. Simpson said Poore is rude, doesn’t answer the
phone, and had discharged a tranquilizer gun inside the building. However, Mayor E. L. Morton said the incident with
the gun was not reported to him. Simpson said Poore brings in animals that have been
surrendered by owners and claims they are strays to avoid filing
paperwork. Commissioner Ralph Davis suggested allowing Poore
the chance to come to the commission to defend himself. Commissioner Cliff
Jennings said Poore has been working 29 years and is one away from
retirement. Simpson said she thought there were other positions
within county government Poore could be moved to. While there is not currently a position available
for Poore to work outside of animal control, some of the
commissioners were open to finding him a position outside of animal
control. TVA Resolution The commission
approved a resolution requesting the Tennessee Valley Authority allow
more access points on Commissioner Rusty Orick said there is an increased
demand for access points. He said Morton could take the resolution to a
TVA board meeting. Legal Shield The commission
approved allowing Legal Shield and ID Shield to solicit county employees
for one month. Legal Shield and ID Shield offer supplementary
benefits for employees. ID Shield is identity theft protection insurance. Legal Shield offers employees a subscription to
various legal services. The county normally allows businesses to solicit
employees during the summer, but Legal Shield and ID Shield asked to be
allowed to solicit outside the normal cycle. CDBG The commission approved applying for a Community
Development Block Grant on behalf of the Campbell County Rural Fire
Service. The CCRFS will pay the match for the grant and use the money to
finance a truck. Ventilators Because the LaFollette Medical Foundation donated
three ventilators to the Campbell County Medical Services, the
commission approved sending a “thank you”. TDEC Resolution The commission
approved a TDEC Resolution that affirms a partnership between Smiles all around at “Shop with a Cop”
It’s all smiles above with Jacksboro Police Chief Danny Chapman
(L) and CCSD SRO Jeff Allen.
“Shop with a Cop” connects the community Final night of the event begins at 5 pm As she wiped tears from her face,
Jerri Starrett said, “Mike was so vibrant this time of year.”
“Shop with a Cop” was a contagious passion of Jerri’s husband, late
Jacksboro Police Detective Mike Starrett.
Jerri Starrett, who never misses “Shop with
a Cop,” is pictured here with Chief Chapman, her late husband’s best
friend. Jacksboro’s Chief of Police, Danny
Chapman – the late veteran lawman’s best friend, balanced this years
overwhelming support and his excitement on Monday evening at the
Jacksboro Wal-Mart. Chapman beamed when he said this is the most
youngsters and by far the most first responders ever at the annual
event.
Trooper Michael Heatherly of La Follette
looks on as Joanna Miller helps Zoey Ruiz shop. The 8-year
Tennessee Highway Patrolman says, “He loves it,” as he helps for the
third year. Starrett died in the winter of
2015 from injuries he sustained when he was involved in a wreck.
At the time, he was on an emergency run to a fatal car crash in
Caryville.
Former Cambell County
Sheriff Ron McClellan (R), pictured with Jacksboro Police Chief Danny
Chapman, tells WLAF that “Shop with a Cop” started here in By the time “Shop with a Cop” wraps up
this evening, more than 400 kids will have shopped with a cop.
Chapman notes that this has been in the works since August, and that
people and volunteers have stepped up so willingly. Jerri Starrett
says there’ve been a lot of hot dogs sold and road blocks held along
with business and personal donations to help make all this possible.
Gary Tye (L) has been a part of “Shop with
a Cop” going on 20-years. He shares the real meaning of Christmas
with the little ones. Jacksboro Alderman June Forstner was among
the volunteers. And, of course, Santa needs no introduction. Even after the event started last night,
donations kept coming. Campbell County Deputy Sheriff Allen
Shepherd came through the crowd carrying boxes of Bibles. He said
the Gideons had just dropped off 400 Bibles to give-a-way.
Campbell General Sessions Judge Amanda Sammons was among the volunteers at last night’s event. The final
day of “Shop with a Cop” begins at 5 pm at the Wal-Mart. Chapman
adds that for anyone who would still like to donate, they can send their
donation to the Town of
Heatherly is president
elect of state association Local school board member Faye Heatherly has earned
a prestigious space in the Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) -
she is the President Elect for 2017 and will move into the President’s
position in 2018. The TSBA provides a
collective voice for local public school systems. The association serves
as a source of specialized assistance and information and as a strong
liaison for In her new role, Heatherly will have the
opportunity to impact education on a local level. Her primary goal is to
strengthen the county’s career and technical programs. “That is my passion- the career and technical areas
in our two high schools,” Heatherly said.
Local school board member Faye Heatherly,
bottom right, has earned a prestigious space in the Tennessee School
Board Association (TSBA) - she is the President Elect for 2017 and will
move into the President’s position in 2018. In her new position,
she will have access to legislators on a national level. In January,
Heatherly will travel to “I really enjoy being a part of it (the local and
state school board),” she said. At the Advocates Institute, Heatherly will take
part in sessions that will include updates on pending federal
legislation. She will also meet with Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob
Corker in an attempt to present the state’s and local educational needs. Once she assumes the reigns in 2018, Heatherly will
moderate the association’s meetings, work closely with the state staff
and contribute articles to the association’s newsletter. “I am very excited about all of this,” she said. Heatherly became involved with the Campbell County
School Board when she assumed an unexpired term following the death of
her husband, Paul. Once she rolled up her sleeves and went to work, she
said “began to really enjoy it.” (12/19/2016-6AM)
School Board, City near
agreement on new access to LaFollette Elementary Graduation rates
improve at CCHS and JHS The Campbell County Board of
Education and the City of “This would alleviate some of the congestion,” La
Follette Mayor Mike Stanfield told the school board at a short workshop
prior to Tuesday night’s monthly meeting. The City has offered
to provide the grading and fill work and the right-of-way for most of
the length of the new street that would provide access to Board chairman Mike Orick pointed out that asphalt
from the Rogers Group costs around $70,000 per mile, adding that the
cost of paving should be considerably less. “By February, we should get a firm figure on
costs,” Orick said, adding, “Finance Director Jeff Marlow has stated
that in order for the school system to put money on a city-owned street,
we must show it will greatly benefit schools. I believe we meet that.” Only a few hundred feet of the proposed street
would be on school property, the rest being a city right-of-way easement
granted to La Follette by DeRoyal Industries. Orick asked for a vote of the board members present
on going forward with the project, with the motion passing unanimously. At the regular meeting, the board heard a
presentation from representatives of Legal Shield, a company that offers
various legal services to employees under a group rate, ranging from
drafting wills to representation in IRS audits to defending members from
speeding tickets. The company pitched the service to the county
commission earlier and like the commission, the board agreed after the
first of the year to give the company permission to meet with school
personnel and offer the service. Orick pointed out that the open period
for adding payroll deduction plans has expired for the year and
employees would have to pay the $33 monthly cost directly. Director Larry
Niddifer reported on the latest state test score statistics, warning
that the state data always runs two years behind the current school
year. Two events are coming up that the public is
encouraged to enjoy. On December 19, WLAF-TV 12 hosts a two-hour
performance by the CCHS Choir. The choir will perform during the time
slot normally filled by the R.L. Gibson show between 8:00 and 10:00
p.m.. On January 10 at 5:00 p.m., the school board will
host a reception with refreshments at the courthouse to recognize board
member Faye Heatherly, who will assume the role of president of the
statewide Tennessee School Board Association. The public is encouraged
to attend the celebration. The board also discussed resuming homecoming
fundraising efforts at individual schools, a practice that was ended
several years ago. “The problem is how to make sure the competition
for homecoming queen is fair,” Orick pointed out. “It was ended because
we had a situation at one school where a number of girls went out and
worked hard selling candy and raising money and the parent of one
contestant found out how much the leading fundraisers had raised and
simply wrote a check to give his daughter the title. That wasn’t fair to
the other girls, and we need to come up with a system that avoids that.” In his report,
Niddifer had some additional upbeat news for board members, pointing out
that in the past school year, 62 percent of “We needed 62 mentors and we had 67 volunteers.
This program is receiving great support,” Niddifer reported. He also
mentioned the Elgin Foundation program that offers free dental
screenings for students in grades 3-5. “ T
A lotta Cougars land on
All-Region Squad CCHS reaps benefits from great season All-Region Superlatives
for 2016 Defensive Assistant of
the Year: Matt Price
(12/05/2016-2:30PM)
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Campbell County Deputy Sheriff Darryl Chapman is holding on to history for Harry. Read how Chapman gives honor to Sheriff Harry Cureton, Cureton’s family, and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department. The story and more Charlie Hutson photos are further down this page. Holdin’ on to history for
Harry Late
sheriff’s gun is where it belongs – in “Here, boy! Shake this man’s
hand. He’s our new sheriff.” More than 40 years later, the words of Buck
Chapman still ring in his son’s ears. Outside the Royal Lunch Room on
North Tennessee Avenue, Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputy Darryl Chapman,
then only 8-years old, followed his dad’s orders and shook hands with a
lawman for the first time in his young life. That was in the summer of
1974, and the new sheriff was Harry Cureton. Chapman, now a veteran lawman himself,
only met up with Cureton one more time, but the impression remains. Call it fate. Call it luck. Call it a
pawn broker looking to make a buck. Whatever you call it, the call was
answered by Chapman. Literally.
The 1984 Campbell County High Alum says he’d give about anything
to own Sheriff John Dossett’s gun. Dossett gave Chapman his first
job. Chapman used
Cureton’s gun to help dedicate the CCSD’s new shooting
range last week Chapman’s personal cell phone rang a
couple of years ago with no return number showing up. Against his better
judgment, he went ahead and answered. The voice on the other end of the
phone asked, “Are you a deputy?” Chapman affirmed in a hateful tone.
That tone quickly changed when the next thing said was, “I have Sheriff
Harry Cureton’s gun.” It quickly became clear to Chapman
that what was an immediate matter of the heart for him was nothing but a
“next person with the cash gets the gun” mentality to an emotionally
detached out-of-town pawn shop operator. The gun,
now in the hands of a merchant, was the one carried by Sheriff Harry
Cureton every day. It had been
a Christmas
gift in1981 when all of his men went together and bought it for him. But
who knows the travels of the gun since Cureton’s death in 2007 and when
Chapman saved it in 2014.
Veteran officers of the sheriff’s department were the first to fire shots at the new range last Thursday. L-R Deputy Darryl Chapman, Retired Deputy Jackie Bruce, and Sergeant Darrell Mongar.
Chapman believes having
Cureton’s gun back here in
Class 5-A
Region 3 Football Classification for 2017-2021 Here’s
who Karns Beavers Powell Panthers West
Rebels Jellico, LaFollette
approve alcohol Municipalities fill seats The election results came quick last night. In all, 12,943 votes were cast across the county
with the majority of those, over 7,000, occurring during early voting. Not only were there seats to fill on the ballot,
there was also the question of alcohol in two municipalities. After several appearances on the ballot through the
years, Jellico again posed the liquor by the drink question to its
citizens. This time they said “yes” in a close contest. With 392 in
favor and 327 against, voters gave the approval to have alcohol
consumption on premises in their town. And they weren’t the only ones with an alcohol
issue on the ballot. La Follette asked its citizens if they wanted wine
sold in grocery stores. Its populace gave a nearly 2 to 1 approval on
the measure with a final vote of 1,112 in favor of with 609 against the
sale. In other races, Dennis Powers held onto his 36th
District House of Representative seat beating challenger Bob Fannon.
Powers garnered 8,477 to Fannon’s 3,605. Bill Archer and Lonnie “Hot Rod” Wilson are the
newest members of the La Follette City Council earning 886 and 810 votes
respectively. Fannon, who was also a contender in this race, captured
771 votes with incumbent Hansford Hatmaker coming in a distant fourth
with only 415 votes. Mike Stanfield, the unopposed mayor in La Follette,
received 1,558 complimentary votes. In Caryville, Robert Stooksbury will again serve as
mayor. He edged out Glenn Smith in the two man race with a 434 to 318
finish. In the first ward, Patrick Pebley beat Jerry
Chadwell 353 to 324. The second ward had an unopposed Eric Jones
receiving 557 complimentary votes. Lloyd Lawson became the third ward
alderman beating William Clyde Richardson 446 to 227. Across the mountain,
Jellico voted Steve Morgan into its empty 5th
district school board seat. Morgan defeated Steve Christian 1,310 to
715. On the national front, Campbell Countians turned
out in support of Donald Trump with 9,860 votes being cast for the
political novice. Hillary Clinton received 2,248 votes.
(11/09/2016-6AM) Final results of Campbell Football's 2016 season from WLAF - Cougars 8 & 3 Thank you for another fun year of football, Cougars!!! L Ooltewah Owls 51 - Campbell County 14 Nov 4 (playoffs) L Oak Ridge Wildcats 28 - Campbell County 0 Oct 27 W Campbell County 54 - Karns Beavers 16 Oct 14 W Campbell County 49 - Bell County Wildcats 16 Oct 7 L Farragut Admirals 38 - Campbell County 28 Sept 29 W Campbell County 57 - Cocke County Fighting Cocks 7 Sep 23 W Campbell 35 - Clinton Dragons 0 Sep 16 W Campbell 34 - Grace Christian Academy Rams 20 Sep 9 W Campbell 41 - Lenoir City Panthers 3 Sep 2 W Campbell 17 - Central Bobcats 13 Aug 26 W Campbell 48 - Gibbs Eagles 14 Aug 19
Do you know who is this week’s “Who’s
that Cougar?”
This former Cougar wide receiver played from 1999-2002.
These days former Cougar
Dustin Braden wears a buzz cut and is married and has a daughter.
One last clue is: He is
among several sets of twins who’ve worn the Orange-n-Blue.
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.
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CLICK ON the Cougar paw to see the 2016 CCHS graduation
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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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