.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Local News

  • Knox sheriff's report ID's former RSCC vice president as employee who had flash drive stolen

    By CINDY SIMPSON

    csimpson@roanecounty.com

    A Roane State Community College 4-gigabyte flash drive containing names and Social Security numbers of 10,941 people, including those of past and present employees and students, was stolen from a college employee’s vehicle while it was off campus on Oct. 12.

    A Knox County Sheriff's Office incident report said the flash drive and personal items were taken from the vehicle of William S. Fuqua III, Roane State's former vice president for financial services and former interim president.

    Click here to read more...
  • Despite protests, Park View to become part of Rockwood

    By CHERYL DUNCAN

    cduncan@roanecounty.com

    It’s official — Rockwood is on the path toward making Park View subdivision part of the city limits.

    Although Rockwood City Council unanimously approved the plan of service, annexation and zoning resolutions on first reading Monday, it was not without contention from either side.

    A smattering of the area’s residents witnessed the first steps toward incorporation.

    Click here to read more...
  • No indictment against resident who shot pregnant wife in belly

    By DAMON LAWRENCE

    dlawrence@roanecounty.com

    A Roane County grand jury declined to indict a man for shooting his pregnant wife in the stomach.

    Justin Stone shot Jennifer Stone at their home on Poplar Springs Road on Sept 4.

    Jennifer Stone was eight-months’ pregnant at the time. The couple’s unborn female offspring died.

    Justin Stone maintained from the outset that the shooting was an accident. The case was presented to the grand jury earlier this week.

    Click here to read more...
  • Report: Heart disease Roane's leading killer

    By CINDY SIMPSON

    csimpson@roanecounty.com

    Diseases of the heart was the leading cause of death in Roane County in 2005, according to a profile recently completed by Covenant Health.

    Completing the profile is an important step in Covenant’s process to eventually move Roane Medical Center’s hospital facilities to a new building in the Midtown area, said RMC administrator Jim Gann.

    “The reason they were doing that was to determine the needs of a hospital,” said administrator Jim Gann.

    Click here to read more...
  • Lawyer has lien against Houston property

    By DAMON LAWRENCE

    dlawrence@roanecounty.com

    Property has enabled brothers Rocky and Leon Houston to hire attorneys and get out of jail while murder charges have been pending against them.

    That saving grace is apparently unavailable to them right now. 

    “All my property is tied up in an attorney that has been allowed out,” Leon told Special Judge David Hayes during a hearing in September.

    Attorney James Logan has a lien on four tracts of the Houstons’ property for $350,000.

    Click here to read more...
  • State, feds lax in fining for fly ash in Emory

    By DAMON LAWRENCE

    dlawrence@roanecounty.com

    Toss an aluminum can in the Emory River, and the law says it’s a $50 fine.

    The penalty for releasing 3 million cubic yards of fly ash into the river, however, is not yet known.

    The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has yet to fine TVA for the fly ash catastrophe that occurred on Dec. 22, 2008. A dike failure at TVA’s Kingston Fossil Plant released 5.4 million cubic yards of fly ash into the environment. TVA said most of the ash ended up in the Emory River.

    Click here to read more...
  • Health insurance ride may end for Rockwood officials

    By CHERYL DUNCAN

    cduncan@roanecounty.com

    A number of elected and appointed Rockwood officials now have the opportunity to sign on to the  health insurance plan offered to city employees.

    But if Mayor James Watts has his way, those days may soon be over.

    “I’ve been on this council 20 years, and I’ve never asked the city to pay for my hospitalization insurance,” he said. “I don’t think it’s right.”

    Click here to read more...
  • Could fly ash be a boon to county?

    By DAMON LAWRENCE

    dlawrence@roanecounty.com

    If any place deserves to become a business hub for turning fly ash into useful products, Roane County Executive Mike Farmer said that place should be Roane County.

    Farmer and representatives with Tech 2020 have been pitching a plan to start an “Advanced Coal Combustion Products Center” here.

    Fly ash is a byproduct of coal burning. It is already used in building materials like cement and grout.

    Click here to read more...
  • Princess to be more than a regional arts center

    By CINDY SIMPSON

    csimpson@roanecounty.com

    The Princess Theater project is much more than renovating a movie theater.

    The theater and surrounding buildings are planned to entertain but are also to be used for arts education for local students.

    “It really can be a very vital economic impact on the community,” said Frank Sparkman of Sparkman & Associates, the architectural firm hired to renovate the theater.

    Click here to read more...
  • Leon Houston retrial Day 1: Logan back on Leon Houston case

    From staff reports

    James Logan, the Athens attorney who led Leon Houston's defense in his July 2008 murder trial, is apparently back on the case.

    Logan was in court Monday when proceedings opened for Houston's retrial on double-murder charges. He was removed from the case in late July at Houston's request, and it had recently been learned that he had a $350,000 lien against property owned by the Houston family.

    Click here to read more...