Local News

By TERRI LIKENS

tlikens@roanecounty.com

Kingston’s long-sought lighting project for the Gallaher Road interchange of Interstate 40 is back on track again.

The city sees the lighting project as a beacon to draw sorely needed retail businesses into its revenue mix and to signal to potential customers that the businesses are there.

The federal funding for the project — which required the money to be spent by a certain time — was retracted through no fault of the city’s.

By DAMON LAWRENCE

dlawrence@roanecounty.com

Dennis Humphrey recalled how things used to be when he showed up for work at the Roane County Courthouse.

“I started with the DA’s office in ’84, and on a typical Monday, I might be looking at 40 warrants,” he said.

Times have changed. Now a General Sessions Court judge, Humphrey said it’s not uncommon to deal with 300 warrants on a typical Monday.

“Our criminal docket is so much larger than our other dockets,” he said.

By CINDY SIMPSON

csimpson@roanecounty.com

What can sometimes be a hot-button issue wasn’t for the Rockwood City Council, who last week approved lifting distance requirements for establishments selling alcohol.

The council approved on second reading an ordinance that removes the 100-foot distance requirement from churches and schools if the property is commercially zoned at C-1 and C-2.

The ordinance also removes the limit of six on-premises consumption permits for the community.

By DAMON LAWRENCE

dlawrence@roanecounty.com

This past March marked 30 years since a radioactive release at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Middletown, Pa.

The anniversary was noted by numerous news organizations, including Time and National Public Radio.

“It seems like every five-year increment gets more media attention than others,” Three Mile Island communications manager Ralph DeSantis said, “so like the 25th-year anniversary, we received quite a bit of media attention, actually international attention.”