Local News

With the August election drawing closer, those hoping to garner an elected office are continuing to file their petitions.

The race for sheriff is now up to a field of five candidates. The incumbent sheriff, Gary Perkins, Robbie Goins, a one-time sheriff’s deputy, and Robert Higginbotham, a LaFollette city police officer, have submitted petitions as have two other local police officers, election commission records said.

Jacksboro Detective Mike Starrett and former Caryville Police Officer Freddie Stagnolia have officially joined the race.

A two vehicle crash on Interstate-75 left two dead on Saturday.

Around 6:52 p.m., Earl B. Laymance, 80, of Jellico, was traveling north on I-75, near mile marker 156, when he allegedly crossed the median, hitting the left driver side of Mark Donald Gibson, 46, of Greenville, S.C., according to Tennessee Highway Patrol Director of Public Affairs Mike Browning.

Laymance was driving a 2003 Mitsubishi Montero, while Gibson was driving a GMC Denali. Despite the fact that both men were wearing seatbelts, Laymance and Gibson were killed in the accident.

Everybody knows that falling asleep at the breakfast table is bad manners. But it landed a Knoxville woman in jail last Thursday morning on public intoxication charges.

Jacksboro Police Chief Danny Chapman responded to a possible publicly intoxicated person and found Christa L. Roaden, 31, of 3014 Forrest Gell Road, Knoxville, sleeping in the seat at the table of the local McDonald’s restaurant, the Jacksboro Police report said.

Inspirational words like leadership and patriotism were bandied about at the Boy Scout Dinner on Thursday night. But no words were as strong as the action of Good Scout recipient Col. Tom Stiner as he concluded his speech with a salute to the area boy scouts.

According to award committee member Logan Hickman, award winners are selected based on their contributions to both the community and the scouts. In the committee’s estimation Stiner fit the bill well, Hickman said.