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Local News

  • A better bird

    A stressed cockatoo that was rescued from a house permeating with toxic methamphetamine fumes is finally growing back its feathers.

    “We have been taking it to the vet,” said Charles McPherson of One Stop Pet Shop in Rockwood.

    He took in the bird after it was confiscated from a meth house in Morgan County last year and given to the Roane County Animal Shelter.

    McPherson said the bird was put on antibiotics, but blood tests showed its kidneys might be abnormal.

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  • Roane Central rates up by 20%

    Roane Central Utility District customers might experience a bit of sticker shock when they receive their next water bill.

    The utility’s board approved a 20-percent water rate increase Thursday to make up for a decrease in water sales to TVA, Roane Central’s biggest customer.

    Utility Manager Bob Creswell said the federal agency has made improvements to its Kingston Fossil Plant.

    “The result of that has reduced their use of water that they buy from us by about three-fourths,” Creswell said.

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  • SNOW FUN TO GO TO SCHOOL IN SUMMER

    With only one snow day remaining in the 2013-14 school year, Roane County Director of Schools Gary Aytes is hoping spring is right around the corner.

    “I didn’t think we would use this many,” Aytes said. “Hopefully these weather patterns will stop now.”

    Roane County students attend school seven hours per day in order to stockpile 13 extra days into the school year.

    Two of the days are used for staff development, and the other 11 are for inclement weather.

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  • Suspects in killings may soon be on trial

    While trials are often postponed in Roane County Criminal Court, Assistant District Attorney General Bill Reedy is optimistic three high-profile defendants charged in area deaths could face a jury as scheduled in the upcoming term.

    “Any of them could go to trial and any of them could fall through,” Reedy said. “There’s just no way to predict that.”

    Eric Gallaher is charged with voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault-bodily injury in the death of David Harvey.

    His trial is scheduled for April 1.

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  • CHILD’SPLAY

    Science is not some students’ favorite subject during the day.

    The laughter heard from one Cherokee Middle School classroom would make one think otherwise.

    Nathan Shell’s sixth-grade science class created games in the style of “Minute-to-Win-It” as another way to learn about how energy is transformed.

    “This is a fun and different way of learning instead of sitting in our seats,” Shell said.

    “We are up and moving.”

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  • Nichols takes over McClure’s Kingston Council seat

    Kingston City Council members decided to go with experience in filling the seat of late council member Kevin McClure.

    Former council member Teresa Nichols was appointed to McClure’s seat during the Feb. 11 full council session.

    The seat was left vacant when McClure died after a battle with cancer in late 2013.

    The term will expire in November.

    Nichols was previously elected to council in 2007. She served until 2011 and acted as vice mayor for the final two years of her term.

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  • New grant to aid in recycling efforts

    A new grant will make recycling for Roane County residents even more accessible.

    The county received a $265,000 Hub and Spoke grant for a new baler at the Recycling Center and for a recycling program to put bins in Harriman, Kingston, Rockwood and Oliver Springs.

    “There wasn’t many grants awarded. I feel very fortunate we wound up getting this,” said Ralph Stewart, the Roane County Solid Waste director.

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  • Yager pitches electrocution for Death Row inmates

    Electrocute them. That’s state Sen. Ken Yager’s solution when problems arise with lethal injections in Tennessee.

    According to the Tennessee Department of Correction, there are 76 people on Death Row.

    Yager, R-Kingston, introduced a bill in the Senate earlier this month that could determine how they die.

    The Department of Correction said lethal injection is the primary method of execution in Tennessee, but the state has reportedly had problems obtaining the drugs needed to carry out that form of capital punishment.

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  • Children to play big part in Roane Choral Society concert on March 1

    Roane Choral Society will present “Americana: Our Musical Heritage” at 7 p.m. March 1 in the Princess Theatre in Harriman.

    Admission is by suggested donation of $10 per person. Befitting the historical venue, the performance will include pioneer, folk, gospel and spiritual songs.

    In keeping with the theme, antiques and quilts will be displayed in the lobby.

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  • A VIEW from LICK SKILLET: Remembering Daddy — John Roy Largen

    Gentle reader, as a regular follower of this column, you may recall that last August you were given a brief biography of my mother, Martha Mae McGlothin Largen up to the time of her marriage, with the promise of a similar piece on my father, John Roy Largen, this month.

    Since almost six months have passed it seems apropos to repeat the introduction to the earlier piece before launching into today’s segment, so, this is what I wrote in the article dated 23 August, 2013:

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