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Community News

  • The Garden Gate: Is the madness ready to begin?

    By Ellen Probert Williamson
    As November approaches, remember that the 11th month of the year is known as the Mad month in the American Indian calendar. That’s when anything can happen and usually does.

    Our annual Halloween celebration is an offshoot of the ancient pagan festival of Samhain.

    On that night, the ancients believed, the spirits of all those who had died during the previous year would come back to haunt those still living.

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  • Look Back: A Little Something From Our Files From the Week of Oct. 26

    25 Years Ago
    The Federal Highway Administration gave approval to a proposed interstate exchange on Interstate 40 for the Rockwood Municipal Airport. State Rep. Jim Henry, R-Kingston, called the airport “one of the most underused assets we have simply because there has not been good access to the facility.” Approval could mean construction would begin in 1988.

    10 Years Ago

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  • Heritage group gets $2,500 in grant $$$

    East Tennessee Foundation is celebrating 25 years of thoughtful giving — neighbors caring for neighbors — in 2011.

    To mark the occasion and to demonstrate what it does in its 25-county service area, the Foundation has awarded a $2,500 grant to a nonprofit agency in each of the counties it serves.

    The Roane County recipient of the grant is the Roane County Heritage Commission.

    The Heritage Commission, established in 1974, was deeded the old historic Roane County Courthouse in Kingston at the time of its founding.

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  • Writing seminar planned

    Humor columnist Judy DiGregorio will conduct a workshop on Oct. 29 in the Anderson County United Way office at 161 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge.

    The event, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is the Tennessee Mountain Writers fall workshop.

    Using humorous readings and short writing assignments, DiGregorio will explore the purpose of humor, review the different types and styles of humor, teach participants about what makes people laugh, and identify possible markets for humor writing.

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  • Watch the fall foliage, and watch out for ticks

    It’s autumn in Tennessee, and the state’s abundant natural resources are beckoning people to the woods — to hunt, hike or enjoy the beauty of fall foliage.

    And that means potential exposure to blacklegged ticks, which could be carrying the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

    At the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, ecological researchers are engaged in a four-year National Science Foundation-funded study of ticks and the risks they pose for transmitting several diseases.

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  • Clinch bridge named for Pickel

    Roane County lawmakers, state Sen. Ken Yager, R-Harriman, and state Rep. Julia Hurley, R-Lenoir City, said last week the bridge over Clinch River on Hwy. 70 has been named the Thomas W. Pickel Jr. Bridge in honor of one of Roane County's distinguished citizens.

    The bridge was named in honor of Pickel through an amendment sponsored by Yager to the “Omnibus Transportation Bill” passed during the 2011 legislative session.

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  • Inaugural car, motorcycle show set

    The inaugural Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition Cruisin’ to Prevent Substance Abuse Car and Motorcycle Show will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 29 at Roane County Park.

    Entry fee is $20 each.

    Trophies will be awarded for Best of Show, Best Cruiser Cycle, Best GM, Best Unfinished, Best Mopar, Best Rat Rod, Best Import, Best Ford, Best Street Rod and Best Motorcycle.

    Trophies will also be given to the top 25 cars.

    The People’s Choice trophy will be awarded to the highest bidder at $1 per vote.

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  • Orange and White Day

    Youngsters at The Henry Center show their Volunteer Spirit by recently wearing the University of Tennessee’s trademark orange and white.

    Their Vols spirit earned them a special place online: on football coach Derek Dooley’s professional sports page.

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  • Abston Garage has a storied history

    By Andy Jones, For Roane Newspapers

    The Abston Garage, built by Tom Abston sometime not long after 1915, has been a fixture on the Oliver Springs landscape for close to a century now.

    Built on the property that was once owned by the Wiley family, the brick structure was laid by masons Johnny Cox and John McNamara. Abston, a master mechanic, was responsible for running the electric plant in town that operated on a subscription basis, with the monthly charge being based on how many light bulbs were used in one’s home or business.

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  • Social Security giving 3.6% hike in benefits

    Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 60 million Americans will increase 3.6 percent in 2012.

    The 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment will begin with benefits that nearly 55 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2012.

    Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on Dec. 30.

    Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages.

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