Local News

By JENNIFER RAYMOND

rcraymond@bellsouth.net

The majority of voters in Rockwood have spoken, and now it is the city council’s turn to carry out their wishes.

A referendum was passed in November to allow liquor by the drink and liquor stores within the city limits.

At last week’s council meeting, officials discussed zoning and regulations to govern the new allowance.

“We are fulfilling our obligation to the public,” Councilman Dudley Evans said.

By JENNIFER RAYMOND

rcraymond@bellsouth.net

Rockwood City Council is getting fed up — so fed up that council members are thinking about giving a chunk of land back to the original owner.

The land in question is a strip of city property known as Rockwood Beach.

The city acquired the 90 acres off Pumphouse Road from TVA in 1951.

“Nobody ever wants to give land back,” Mayor Mike “Brillo” Miller said.

But the council did toy with the idea at this month’s meeting.

It was a busy Thanksgiving for emergency officials who responded to a tractor-trailer overturning on Interstate 40 eastbound on the bridge over Pine Ridge Road in Harriman Thursday morning. According to Tennessee State Trooper Mike Beaty , the truck, driven by a Pennsylvania driver, was eastbound in the passing lane when he drifted off the road, struck a guardrail and overcompensated. His cargo of honeydew melons spilled onto the roadside and off the overpass onto the roadway below.

By DAMON LAWRENCE

rclawrence@bellsouth.net

The Roane County Commission will discuss proposed changes to the county's ethics policy during a workshop on Tuesday.

“I think it's probably not the policy that we need and so I'm asking the commission to listen to that and see if they agree with me,” said Troy Beets, chairman of the county commission and ethics committee.

Beets said the current policy is too broad and goes beyond what the Tennessee General Assembly intended for counties to do.