Historic school to be razed for youth
This old school building on Sixth Street in Rocky Top, which once served black children, will be torn down soon to make way for more outdoor play space for the Boys and Girls Club of Lake City, which operates a facility on this site for middle school students. - G. Chambers Williams III
The Rocky Top City Council last Thursday evening gave its approval to plans by the Boys and Girls Club of Lake City to tear down an old elementary school-kindergarten building on Sixth Street to make room for additional outdoor activity space for middle school kids. Built in 1957 as an elementary school for Black children in Lake City, then later converted to use for kindergarten kids, the one-story brick building has deteriorated to the point where “it has become a bit of a safety hazard,” said Bart McFadden, president and chief-executive officer of the Knoxville-based Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley. The Boys and Girls Club of Lake City had used the old school as its office space for several years, but the building has been vacant for a while, club officials said. It’s on the same site as the building that previously housed the Head Start operation for pre-school children in Lake City/Rocky Top, on property that previously was owned by the Anderson County Board of Education.
Read MoreTrail buzz
Aspire will host the Red Bull Tennessee National downhill riders at a welcome party on Friday (March 28) from 4 to 9 p.m. The event will allow members of the public to mingle with top racers.
Mountain bikers from around the world will convene in East Tennessee this weekend for the 2025 Red Bull Tennessee National at Windrock Bike Park in Oliver Springs. To kick off the much-anticipated event, Aspire — a 370-acre, privately held public park in Clinton — will host a welcome party Friday (March 28), allowing community members to mingle with top racers, and perhaps take a ride of their own. “We have folks coming from all over the world,” said Meg Cannon, director of marketing at Aspire, citing countries such as France and Australia. “And Red Bull is throwing them a welcome party, so they’re just coming to have dinner, ride and hang out before the national race on Sunday.” Cannon said the party, set for 4 to 9 p.m., will take place at the park’s paved downhill pump track, created by Velosolutions — the only company that builds skills courses for Red Bull. Bikers will also have the opportunity to ride Aspire’s 22 miles of scenic mountain trails. “Aaron Gwin, who owns Windrock, comes out here and rides quite frequently,” she said, adding that Aspire’s relationship with Gwin — a five-time overall World Cup champion and eight-time U.S. national champion — led to the welcome party’s creation. “They’re all just a group of great riders who enjoy riding and having fun together.”
Read MoreRocky Top ordinance targets slum cleanup
Slum properties can now be cleaned up by the city of Rocky Top – with the costs charged to the property owners, under an ordinance passed on second and final reading last Thursday evening by the City Council. Under Ordinance 600, called the Slum Clearance and Redevelopment Act, city staff will soon begin identifying and cleaning up derelict commercial and residential properties within the city limits and billing their owners for all expenses associated with the work. Passed on a 4-0 vote, with Councilman Mack Bunch absent, the measure technically is an update of Title 13 of the city’s municipal code, adding the legal mechanism to allow for such cleanups. “This city needs this ordinance,” Mayor Kerry Templin said during the February council meeting when the measure came up for a vote on first reading. “It gives us the tools to deal with these decrepit properties. We can hire contractors to do it, or we can do it ourselves.” Under the policy, the city will also be able to place liens on the properties in the amounts of the cleanup costs. If any such bills aren’t paid to the city, Rocky Top can eventually foreclose on the properties and take ownership of them, the mayor said. The city has long been plagued by run-down properties that are not kept maintained by their often absentee owners, Templin said.
Read MoreCity seeks public input on park project
The city of Clinton is looking to develop land next to Carden Farm Dog Park into a new city park, and officials want public input. Residents are invited to attend the Clinton Recreation Advisory Board meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday (March 26). According to city parks staff, the proposed Otho Brown Park is still in the early planning stages, and specific features have yet to be finalized. At its meeting Monday, March 24, the Clinton City Council unanimously approved submitting an application to the state of Tennessee for a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant. Council member Brian Hatmaker was absent. Amanda Carter, administrative assistant with Clinton Parks and Recreation, and Taylor Cullison, recreation coordinator for programs, told The Courier News the city does not yet know how much funding it might receive.
Read More
News
Historic school to be razed for youth Read More
Rocky Top ordinance targets slum cleanup Read More
City seeks public input on park project Read More
Opinion
Letter to the Editor Read More
Sports
Clinch clinched Read More
Clinton bats sizzle in six-game stretch Read More
Mavericks bats, arms deliver in 2-1 week stretch Read More
Community
Trail buzz Read More
Post 172 marks first birth with blanket, legacy Read More
Trash to treasure: Norris Lake gets love Read More
Democratic women host panel Read More
New hall rising at Clinton Church of Christ Read More
Music groups to present Beethoven’s Ninth performances Read More
Clinton Lions Club approaches 85th year Read More
School
CHS wins award for girls’ computer science Read More
Cook named Haslam Leadership Scholar Read More
Local students unite for All-County Band concert Read More
Clinch River Community School plant sale to begin March 31 Read More
Beaty chooses Roane State Community College Read More
Wilkerson chooses Roane State Community College Read More
Business
Little Bird Macarons holds grand opening Read More
Rocky Top leak insurance for businesses to begin June Read More
Healthcare job fair at RSCC to be held March 27 Read More
Dental clinic likely to open in August Read More
Market brews fresh start in former Andersonville hardware store building Read More
Photo Galleries
Anderson County vs. Clinton Tennis at Jaycee Park View
Anderson County High School Homecoming View
Faces at the Fair View
Public Notices
Current Public Notices View
233 N Hicks St • Clinton, TN 37716 • (865) 457-2515
Copyright © 2018 Clinton Courier News, LLC.
| Subscription Rates | 1 Year |
|---|---|
| Local (Anderson County) | $35.00 |
| Local Seniors (Anderson County) | $30.00 |
| Surrounding Counties(Knox, Union, Campbell, Scott, Morgan, Roane, and Loundon) | $48.00 |
| All Other Locations | $60.00 |