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Local News

  • ROAD RAGE REPORT: Readers identify worst conditions in county

    EDITOR’S NOTE: The LaFollette Press asked its more than 1,800 Facebook fans to identify the worst road conditions in Campbell County. Your responses were overwhelming. From Elkins Road; to Highway 229 in Jellico; to Stinking Creek Road near Interstate 75 exit 144; to parts of Demory Road — dozens complained about potholes, cracks and unsafe conditions along corridors in the county. It’s not just a problem unique to Campbell County. In Tennessee alone, there are 93,251 miles of public roads and 38 percent fail to meet adequate standards, according to a recent report issued by automobile club AAA. This report takes a closer look at a growing problem and aims to provide a solution to the county’s cracked infrastructure. (Spoiler alert: It involves higher taxes.)

    — Brent Schanding, editor, LaFollette Press

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  • School official’s plan would cut top staff to hire SROs

    School board member Rector Miller sees the passage of a state bill as a chance to assign school resource officers to eight currently unmanned schools in the district.
    Under Miller’s plan, the district would eliminate the safety and athletic director position at the central office. Currently, Johnny Bruce holds that position with an annual salary of $65,842. Eliminating that position and combining the salary with the $206,000 already designated for school resource officers would provide funds for contracting with retired officers to patrol the schools.  

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  • Fired town recorder’s personnel file spotless until this February

    An oral and written reprimand are part of former Caryville Recorder Cheryl Ivey’s otherwise spotless personnel file, according to documents obtained by the LaFollette Press on Monday.  
    According to reports, Mayor Chris Stanley issued the oral reprimand on Feb. 27. It is for what he cited as a lack of professionalism he said in a written note.
    Ivey raised her voice, according to the note and was asked to be more professional before she reportedly hung up on Stanley in a phone conversation.

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  • Career center to vacate local office

    JACKSBORO—The Tennessee Department of Labor will stop offering job placement services at the career center in Jacksboro, June 30, leaving four employees without jobs.
    “We’re losing a four-person team that has been working here since the inception of that career center,” Campbell County Chamber of Commerce Director E. L. Morton said.
    The loss of the career center’s services will be a “big loss” to the county, Morton said.
    “We’re gonna miss them,” he said.

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  • Jellico workers now insured

    JELLICO—The town is now covered under worker’s compensation insurance by Berkley Assigned Risk Services after previous provider TML dropped the town’s coverage on April 10.
    Among the reasons cited were too many claims made against the town, Stiers said.

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  • Powers passes auditing bill

    NASHVILLE—Rep. Dennis Powers, R-Jacksboro, has managed to pass six bills this legislative session, including House Bill 651. House Bill 651 requires chairs of audit committees to report fraudulent or illegal activity to the state comptroller immediately. The bill amends a 2005 law. Lawmakers realized the 8-year-old law needed updating when a local audit committee failed to report fraudulent activity to the state comptroller.
    “They were trying to fall back under the confidentiality provision,” Powers said.

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  • Education officials mull budget

    CAMPBELL COUNTY—The Campbell County Board of Education mulled over 14 points in its most recent budget workshop on April 23. Among plans to save money for the 2013-14 school year are measures to consolidate bus routes, restructure staffing at the central office, implement online payments for student lunches and consider rejoining the Clinch-Powell Education Cooperative, a head-start program. The board will also deal with dwindling Race to the Top funds as the program comes to an end at the end of the 2013-14 year.

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  • Local youth groups to deliver food to hungry

    Saturday evening, teenagers from local youth groups will serve meals to people in the county. Local youth leaders hope this will meet needs of hungry people and keep local teens interested in serving the community.
    “Give the kids an opportunity to get back together,” said Shane Carney, youth pastor at Indiana Avenue Baptist Church. “Keep the fire burning since (Disciple Now).”
    Disciple Now is a county wide event for teens held March 23-24.

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