It’s sheep-shearing time again at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris. For anyone who’s never watched sheep being sheared, now’s the chance. The museum’s annual sheep-shearing exhibition will be held on each of the next three Fridays, beginning this week (April 26), followed by two successive Fridays, May 3 and 10. Each day, the event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with at least two-dozen of the wooly beasts getting haircuts for the visiting crowds each day. “We’ve done this for nearly 15 years,” said Will Meyer, the museum’s marketing director. “We say it’s to help welcome the warmth of spring. “And as for the sheep, just like us they need a haircut, too,” he said. “This also gives kids an up-close, first-hand look at where their clothes and blankets might come from. “It’s an excuse for us to welcome tons of school kids, and bring artisans and craftspeople to the museum to demonstrate their work,” Meyer said. “We’re expecting about 1,000 students each day,” he said. “We’ve even had some to come here from parts of Kentucky and Virginia.”

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Fun for families and their dogs will be on tap this Saturday, April 27, as the annual Paws for a Cause Pet Expo takes place at the Carden Farm Dog Park in Clinton. The event, at 410 Riverview Drive in South Clinton, will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will include vendors and activities, including a pet costume contest, an agility course for dogs, K-9 demonstrations, kids’ games and crafts, food trucks and more. Organizers say they are expecting thousands of people to attend the event. There is no admission charge. There will also be animal shelters and rescue groups on hand with adoptable pets and low-cost vaccinations and microchips available for all. Led by the city of Clinton, the key sponsor is the Anderson County Animal Rescue Foundation. Proceeds from the event will be used to help “animals in need from our community,” the sponsor said. That includes veterinary care, pet food and other forms of aid. More than 60 vendors have signed up for the pet expo.

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Both the Norris and Clinton farmers’ markets will be back again this year, with the Norris one opening first, next Wednesday, May 1, on East Norris Road in front of Norris Middle School. The Clinton FARM Market, meanwhile, will begin just over three weeks later, on Thursday, May 23, in Lakefront Park, according to its organizers. As for the Norris market, coordinator Mindy Wells said the hours will be 3-6 p.m. every Wednesday during the growing season, until it begins to wind down in September. Because the Norris operation is an open market and does not require registration, Wells said she doesn’t know how many vendors will be on hand to start, but she does believe most of last year’s participants will return, and that some vendors who have not participated in a while have said they will be returning for 2024. “I’m excited; I’ve had several people reach out,” she said. “I expect it to be slim at the beginning, but to grow as this year’s produce rolls in. We always have crafts and baked goods early, and there may be some local greenhouse vegetables. “The rule is that all vendors must create, make, or grow what they sell,” she said. “No reselling is allowed. This is a traditional farmers’ market. Crafts are always welcome as long as they are made by the vendors. “But no multilevel marketing products are allowed, and this is not a flea market,” said Wells, who operates a farm in Norris that has blueberries and eggs. “It’s a very loose market, and it always starts out slowly.

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A controversial school bus contract is headed to the County Commission for its May 20 meeting. The commission’s Purchasing Committee recently approved the contract for a new vendor, Knoxville-based SCU, for seven routes, and voted to uphold that contract despite a legal challenge by the present contractor, Andersonville Bus Lines, over those routes. Commissioner Aaron Wells made a motion and Commissioner Steven Verran seconded it to uphold an evaluation committee’s earlier recommendations. The same two commissioners moved and seconded the motion to approve the contract for the six routes, too. Both of these motions passed unanimously. Wells cited the opinion of County Law Director Jay Yeager in his decision. These votes came at a special meeting April 22.

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Derek Hawn has announced his candidacy for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 41. “As a lifelong resident of Wartburg and a career critical care paramedic, I am deeply connected to the values and needs of our rural communities,” Hawn, a Democrat, said in a release. “My campaign is focused on addressing the unique challenges we face and ensuring all our voices are heard. “In my years of service in EMS and fire, I’ve witnessed firsthand the issues our communities deal with daily,” he said. “This experience has prepared me to respond quickly and effectively to the needs of our people and our district. I’m dedicated to helping our economy grow and protecting our way of life. And, I’m prepared to be our voice, working for all of us.” According to the release, Hawn’s campaign priorities include: health care, the economy, education, the environment, housing, and agriculture “I’m running for state representative because I believe in the power of community-driven change,” he said. “Our district deserves a representative who understands the rural way of life, who is willing to listen to the people, and who is prepared to be our voice in Nashville. With the urgency and dedication of a paramedic, I’m ready to tackle our challenges head-on. “My campaign is built on a foundation of service, dedication and a commitment to the people of District 41. As we move forward, I invite you to join me in working towards a thriving future for our district.”

Downtown Clinton will get quite busy next weekend as the 19th annual Clinch River Spring Antique Festival takes over Market Street on Friday and Saturday, May 3-4. The popular big event will be held from noon-6 p.m. on Friday of next week, and will continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. It will include street vendors and food trucks on Market Street, along with a variety of activities throughout the downtown area. This event is presented by the Historic Downtown Clinton Merchants Association. There is no admission charge, and plenty of free parking is available in the city parking lot on Commerce Street. Antique vendors will line Market Street rain or shine, and the downtown brick-and-mortar stores will be open to visitors, many offering specials for the event. All of downtown loves to take part in the Spring Antique Festival, which kicks off the summer selling season for the stores, and brings thousands of visitors – most of them from out of town – to Historic Downtown Clinton. “Nobody does antiques quite like Clinton; just ask Martha Stewart!” says a post on the Historic Downtown Clinton website. Besides antiques vendors and stores, there will be food trucks and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy, the sponsors say.

A new $15,500 grant will help Anderson County Schools with the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum. The school system and the Anderson County Commission approved this grant from the company Battelle at their April meetings. It was one of several grants related to schools the County Commission approved at its Monday, April 22, meeting. The commission also approved $675 from donations to the schools to help families with food insecurity. It approved $100,000 from the unassigned fund balance for Norris Elementary School STEM designation, bleacher rentals, school outcome incentives and high school volleyball expenses. The commissioners approved all three of these measures together. Commissioner Anthony Allen made the motion, and Commissioner Aaron Wells seconded for these three measures, which passed unanimously, although Michael Foster and Robert Smallridge were absent for this and other votes. The commission also approved a transfer of $10,000 to help the Clinton High School RoboDragons travel to a robotics competition in Houston. They competed against other teams from around the world including Turkey, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, The Netherlands, and others April 17-20.

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Anderson County’s first “Safe Haven Baby Box” was officially put into service last week in South Clinton after a brief ceremony and blessing at Fire Station 2 in South Clinton. These baby boxes are made and distributed by the Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization, and are made to hold an infant safely and securely until firefighters or other emergency personnel can get the baby. “I hope we never have to use this,” Clinton Mayor Scott Burton said during the ceremony. “But I think in today’s world we need more resources like this.” He thanked Andrea Townsend of Anderson County’s Isaiah House for sponsoring and obtaining grant money to pay for the box, and Hicks Construction Co. for installing the box in the rear wall of the fire station’s new bay. Indiana-based Safe Haven Baby Boxes provides the boxes to communities that want them. On hand for the Clinton baby box dedication was Maria Betts, assistant project coordinator for Safe Haven Baby Boxes. She said the Clinton’s is “the 219th Safe Haven Baby Box in the nation and the fifth in Tennessee.”

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The 2024 softball season has been a long one for Clinton High School. The Lady Dragons have battled more than their fair share of injuries and, like all other area teams, they have been hampered by inclement weather throughout the year. But Clinton is beginning to hit its stride as the 2024 campaign enters the home stretch. The Lady Dragons had a big game to close out last week when they shut out crosstown rival Anderson County 15-0 on the road in a game that lasted just five innings due to the TSSAA mercy rule. Clinton scored in every inning of the game. The Lady Dragons scored five runs in their final team at-bat in the top of the fifth. Senior leadoff hitter and shortstop Tomi Taylor went 2-for-2 and hit two home runs. She also walked twice, scored four times and had four RBIs. Taylor Sherwood was 2-for-3. She hit a home run, drove in four runs and scored three more. Sara Bishop went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. Elizabeth Graham was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Lynlee Adkins had a double and two RBIs. Bree McKamey pitched a two-hit shutout and also had a big day at the plate. She had three hits and scored two runs. In the circle, she threw a five-inning complete game. She had five strikeouts in addition to giving up singles to Anderson County freshmen Ella Varner and Marlea Finstad.

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Anderson County played just two games on the baseball diamond last week, but the Mavericks won both and now have 16 wins for the season. On Thursday, Anderson County completed a two-game District 4-AAA sweep against Cumberland Gap with a 13-3 victory at home over the Panthers. In that contest, the Mavericks (16-6 overall, 5-1 in the district) came up with six doubles against Cumberland Gap pitching. Aydin Bond, Morgan Clark, Jeremiah Owens, Trent Strickland, Will Ridenour and Trey Rowe all had extra-base hits. Ridenour and Clark each had two hits and combined to drive in two runs. Clark scored a game-high three runs for the Mavericks, while Bond had three RBIs and Rowe added two. On the mound in Thursday’s game, Luke Lankford started and picked up the win as he pitched 4.1 innings. He yielded five hits, three runs (none earned) and three walks. He struck out eight Panthers. He was replaced by Ridenour, who threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and recorded three strikeouts in the game that was rained out twice last week. The series opened with a 10-0 victory over Cumberland Gap on Monday, April 8, behind a no-hitter by Alex Bond. He tossed a five-inning complete game. He recorded 13 of 15 outs via the strikeout, and hit one batter. Tyson Bradley went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and one RBI, while Reece Wilkerson had a double, scored twice and drove in a run. Wilson had two hits and drove in a run.

Anderson County High School’s track and field programs sent athletes to two top meets last week. The Mavericks and Lady Mavericks competed in the University of Tennessee’s Volunteer Track Classic at Tom Black Track over the weekend. In the girls’ two-mile run, Kaitlyn Fisher came in 19th as she posted a time of 12 minutes, 34.28 seconds. For the ACHS boys, Vance Laster had top times in two events as he finished 10th in the one-mile run (4:33.70), and finished fourth in the 2,000-meter steeplechase. He completed that race in 6:32.96, a school record. Luke Dark placed sixth in the shot put competition as he recorded a mark of 52-0.25. Joseph Hall was ninth in long jump (19-11.5) and Ace Dunegan had a leap of 5-4 and he came in 13th in the high jump.

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Despite seeing his young team continuing to struggle on the diamond, Anderson County High School softball Coach Allen Russell continues to remain upbeat. “We’re getting better every day,” Russell said. The Lady Mavericks did close out last week on a high note as they routed Coalfield 11-2 at home. Kaycee Baldwin, Anderson County’s leadoff hitter and centerfielder, was 2-for-5 against the Lady Jackets. She came up with a triple, knocked in three runs and scored two more. Alli McKamey had three hits, including a double. Ashlynn Grisham had two hits and drove in two runs for the Lady Mavs. Alexis Siebers went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Reese Brock doubled, scored two runs and drove in another. Ella Varner singled, scored and knocked in a run in the contest. On Thursday, the Lady Mavericks closed out their District 4-AAA series against crosstown rival Clinton with a 15-0 loss at home as Lady Dragons pitcher Bree McKamey threw a two-hit shutout.

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Clinton High School track Coach Tim Kumes said he is pleased with the progress of both the Dragons and Lady Dragons as the season kicks into high gear. The Dragons and Lady Dragons competed in the Rick Cathey Shootout Thursday night at Karns High School in Knoxville. For the Clinton girls, Summer Wilson posted a pair of top-15 finishes in her events as she took 13th in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 7 minutes, 21.48 seconds. She was 14th in the 800-meter run, crossing the finish line in 2:59.08. Also in the girls’ 1,600-meter run, Summer Wilson finished ninth (6:54.58). In the girls’ shot put competition, Kenzlee Hutchison came in third with a mark of 30 feet, 5.5 inches, while Hannah Whittley took 16th (22-8.25). For the Dragons, Donnavin Pencek had a pair of top marks last week as he finished eighth in the 100-meter dash (11.65 seconds) and came in 10th in the 200-meter dash, posting an effort of 24.01.

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After splitting its two-game home-and-home District 4-AAA series against Union County, the Clinton High School baseball team had a rough stay at the I-75 Pile-up, a tournament co-hosted by Loudon and Lenoir City. The Dragons closed out tournament play with a 6-0 loss to William Blount. Clinton managed just one hit against the Governors, a double by Jackson Barrett. On Friday, CHS came up on the short end of an 8-2 decision against the Lenoir City Panthers, one of the tournament’s co-hosts. Barrett had a hit and two RBIs against Lenoir City, while Garrett Lee had two runs and a hit in the contest. Harrison Shelton went 1-for-3 with a double. The Dragons played two games in the tournament Thursday. They opened with an 8-0 loss to the Loudon Redskins. In that game, Clinton mustered just one hit, a single by Shelton. Clinton also played Alcoa and fell 8-2, despite outhitting the Tornadoes 5-4. Lee doubled against Alcoa, while Shelton, Isaiah Slaven. Jackson Webb and Jayce Mack all collected singles. The Dragons notched their lone victory when they defeated Union County at home on Tuesday, April 16. Slaven tossed a two-hit shutout against the Patriots. He walked one and struck out five. Garrett Davis tripled and scored for the Dragons. Shelton drove in the game’s only run. Clinton opened the week with a 5-3 loss to Union County on Monday, April 15, in Maynardville.

A perfect record remained intact for the Norris Middle School baseball team last week. The Senators improved to 18-0 by sweeping a pair of doubleheaders. On Thursday, Norris swept Oliver Springs by winning a pair of games by seven runs. The Senators claimed the first game against the Wildcats 11-4. They won the nightcap 10-3. In Game 1, Memphis Hill led the Norris offense as he went 3-for-3. He had a double, a run scored and an RBI. Aiden Walker and Reese Young both came up with two hits. Walker had a double and two RBIs, while Young scored three runs. Levi Skeen went 1-for-3. He scored two runs, drove in another, and recorded a stolen base. Jack Wilson was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Wesley Howard, singled, scored and drove in a pair. Conner Dabney went 1-for-1 with two runs scored, a stolen base and an RBI. In Game 2 against the Bobcats, Young went 2-for-3. He doubled, scored, recorded an RBI and stole three bases. Hill singled and drove in two runs and scored another. On Monday, April 15, Norris swept Philadelphia in a doubleheader. The Senators won the first game 9-6 before taking the second 7-3. In Game 1, Skeen doubled and scored twice, while Jack Wilson doubled, scored and drove in a run. Young was 1-for-2 with a triple, a run and two RBIs. In the nightcap, Wilson had two hits. He also stole a base, recorded a run and had an RBI. Aiden Walker was 1-for-1 with two RBIs and a run scored.

As the 2024 high school baseball regular season enters its home stretch, Oak Ridge has its offense clicking. The Wildcats scored a total of 26 runs in three wins. “We had a good week, but we have some big games ahead of us this week,” ORHS Coach Travis Free said. The Wildcats (17-8-1 overall, 7-2 in District 3-4A) closed out the week with a 7-3 victory over Bearden on Thursday. It was Oak Ridge’s second victory over the Bulldogs this season. That wasn’t just a big win for the Wildcats. It was huge for the league, which has posted several wins against the teams in District 4-4A, the other league that makes up the Knoxville area region in the classification. “That shows that District 3 is here and that can’t be forgotten about,” Free said. “Everybody talks about District 4 and Farragut and how dominant they are, but I think our district has a winning record in games that we’ve played against their district.” Against the Bulldogs, Alex Franklin posted a solid start on the mound as he pitched four innings and allowed just three hits and two unearned runs. He walked two and struck out one. At the plate, he also came up with three hits, including two doubles and three RBIs.

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In its lone game last week, Clinton Middle School’s baseball team notched a lopsided victory over Coalfield, prevailing 9-2. Hawks pitcher Jayden Cuevas tossed a one-hitter against the Yellow Jackets. He hurled six innings and gave up two runs (one earned), one hit and one walk. He struck out 10 Coalfield hitters. Offensively, he had a double and two stolen bases. Clinton (4-4) received offensive production from throughout its lineup. Leadoff hitter Eric Newport went 1-for-3. He had a double and two RBIs. Evan Carmichael, meanwhile, was 2-for-5. He scored twice and stole a pair of bases. Graysen Crowley was 1-for-1 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. Easton Gilliam had a hit and scored a run. Erick Tirado went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored. Bryson Breeden came up with two hits, two runs and three RBIs. Caleb Rice was 1-for-3 with a double, two stolen bases and a run scored.

The struggles continued for the Oak Ridge High School softball team last week. The Lady Wildcats lost five games, including three district contests. They haven’t found their way into the win column since March 25. But first-year head Coach Jeremy Gill is attempting to stay upbeat despite his team’s long losing streak. “It’s really hard to motivate them when you go through something like this,” Gill said of his team. “But they’re not quitting. They’re not giving up, and I’ll give them that,” he said. “I knew we would be rebuilding, and I knew it was going to be tough, but I thought we would’ve won more games than we have. “We’ve got four games left on the schedule and then we’ll head into the district tournament,” he said. “We have some winnable games this week, and then the girls are going to play in the summer and get better there.” On Thursday, the Lady Wildcats (3-17 overall, 1-8 in District 3-4A) were swept in a doubleheader by Powell. Oak Ridge lost to the Lady Panthers 7-1 in the opener in Northwest Knox County. The Lady Wildcats dropped the nightcap, 15-0. In Thursday night’s opener, ORHS had five hits. Kaylee Hickman went 2-for-3, while Morgan Perry, Makenzie Miller and Eden Hatmaker each had hits in the contest.

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The Norris Middle School softball team played in three games last week and was victorious in all three. On Tuesday, April 16, the Lady Senators swept Cherokee, winning the first game 15-0, and prevailing in the nightcap 14-1. In the opener, Norris’ Cindle Justice pitched a three-inning complete game. She allowed one hit and one walk, and struck out eight. She also made an offensive contribution as she went 1-for-1 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Shyla Tindell was 1-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. Jaycee Hunley went 1-for-1 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Bella Brummett went 1-fo-2, scoring two runs and driving in two more. Meghan Watkin and Izzy Aulisio each had a hit, two runs and an RBI. Ashton Thurman went 1-for-2 with two runs and an RBI. Alice Ogan was 1-for-2 with a run scored. In the nightcap, Tindell pitched and went three innings. She gave up one run, two hits and one walk. She finished with six strikeouts. She also went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Riley Gibson was 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. She also drove in three runs. Harlee Taylor was 2-for-2 with a double, two runs and three RBIs. On Monday, April 15, the Lady Senators defeated Clinton 5-3. Brummett came up with three hits, including a triple. She scored a run and knocked in two more. Ogan was 2-for-3. She tripled, scored and knocked in a run. Tindell had two hits and scored a run, while Justice went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

Oak Ridge High School’s boys soccer team posted a win and a draw in two matches last week. Both matches were at home as the Wildcats tied Class AA state powerhouse Alcoa 2-2 Friday night. Emmett Lee scored a goal and recorded an assist for ORHS (8-3-1 overall, 4-1 in District 3-AAA). Eli Lynch tallied the other marker for the Wildcats against the Tornadoes. On Tuesday, April 16, the Wildcats notched a 1-0 victory over Knox Central in a key league match. Lee opened his big week by scoring the lone marker against the Bobcats in the 30th minute of the match. The Wildcats, Knox Central and Knoxville Halls are now all perched atop the district standings. The Red Devils defeated Oak Ridge in a penalty kicks shootout. Central edged Halls in overtime, and Oak Ridge knocked off the Bobcats.

Mary Hammond of Norris celebrated her 100th birthday April 13 and was honored with a party at Norris First Baptist Church. Norris Mayor Chris Mitchell made an appearance at the event read a proclamation he signed declaring April 13 as Mary Hammond Day in Norris. We love celebrating our seniors and the major milestones of life. Engagements, weddings, births, silver and golden anniversaries, and 100-year birthday celebrations can be sent to: editor@mycouriernews. Or, stop by our office at 233 N. Hicks St. with your photos and information.

Micah Anderson, daughter of Michael and Shannon Anderson, is marrying Drew Reeves, son of Jason and Cindy Reeves, in September in Oakdale, Tennessee. The couple will be honeymooning in Aruba after the wedding. Micah’s maid of honor is her younger sister, Mikenna Anderson, and Drew’s best man is his younger brother, Devon Reeves. Micah is from Clinton, and Drew is from Andersonville. Both attended Anderson County High School, and met in January 2021. They were engaged last May. Micah attended Pellissippi State Community College and graduated with an associate degree in business management last May. Drew graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management in December. He started working for Amazon in April, and previously worked for Home Federal Bank. Micah has owned her own small business, Sweet Star Candles, since last May. The couple moved into a home in Athens, Tennessee, in March.

At Oak Ridge High School, Gary Baker played football. Shortly after his graduation in 1965, he enlisted in the Army because he had four brothers who served in the military and there were no jobs available. Baker served in Vietnam and Thailand, where he provided communications services to B52s. After his discharge in 1968, he worked at several jobs, eventually spending 45 years at Roane State Community College in the maintenance department.

The Anderson County Library Board has made a change to the juvenile library card application. This application now includes an additional signature from parents or guardians to allow their children access to all materials in the library, as some materials within the library may contain adult-themed content.  All patrons under the age of 18 will be required to have this new application completed by Dec. 30.  Parents/guardians will continue to take financial responsibility for their children.  The library board encourages all parents to stop by the nearest Anderson County library branch to update each child’s application.

Clinton Rotary Club: The Clinton Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at noon at the Clinton Community Center, 101 S. Hicks St., Clinton. Rotary Club of Oak Ridge: The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge meets every Thursday at noon at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, 215 S. Illinois Ave.

Deshawn Richardson, general manager of Hong’s Asian Bistro, may live in downtown Knoxville, but he believes his drive to Oak Ridge each day is worth it. He said he opened the restaurant due to his interest in the city. Hong’s took the place of Fu Lin’s at Ed Westcott Center at 1556 Oak Ridge Turnpike near Kroger. It had its grand opening on last July 5. “I like the area,” he said. “I heard that this is a really nice, upcoming area. So we wanted to branch out and come and see if we can put our food on our ground here and establish a family with the Oak Ridge family. “We love it. The people are nice. The area’s nice. It’s very beautiful out here.” He said most of his clientele have said they’re moving to the city from out of town. Hong’s specializes in ramen and lo mein noodle dishes along with soups, rice dishes, vegetables, chicken, beef, seafood, hibachi and more. It also has a bar. Drink options include beer, wine and sake. The restaurant also offers a party room and catering. Richardson said he is planning to host concerts and events. Two upcoming concerts are Fae Harmonies at 6 p.m. Friday, April 26, and Brownman Live and Become One at 6 p.m. Friday, May 17. Richardson said the restaurant is looking for servers, and that applications are available at the restaurant for people who walk in.

Some radioactive material is finally leaving Anderson County after decades of sitting in the Claxton area. The cleanup is underway at the American Nuclear site at 147 Blockhouse Valley Road. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began the removal work April 1 after some preparation beforehand, a news release. The agency expects to continue with the work, which includes demolishing buildings and taking out toxic soils, possibly through October. While the EPA is taking steps to prevent any waste spilling during the process, it has warned of increased traffic on Blockhouse Valley Road and some noise. Carter Owens, on scene coordinator for the EPA’s Region 4 Superfund and Emergency Management Division, addressed the Anderson County Intergovernmental Committee on Monday, April 15.

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In observance of National Safe Digging Month in April, PCUD today announced results from a recent national survey revealing that over half (51%) of U.S. Homeowners plan to complete an outdoor do-it-yourself project that involves digging in the next year, but 26.9 million Americans do not plan to notify 811 ahead of their next project, putting themselves and their communities at risk by not contacting 811 before digging. Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in serious injury or death, inconvenient service disruptions, and costly fines and repairs. Making a free request before digging online at tenn811.com or by calling 811 will help everyone who digs maintain essential utility service for their communities, while keeping themselves and their neighbors safe by reducing the likelihood of accidentally digging into buried utility lines.

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An Anderson County Sheriff’s Department corrections officer has been arrested and jailed in connection with allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor female inmate and introduction of contraband into the jail. David Antonio Berruquin, 28, was working in the Anderson County jail when a female prisoner at the facility complained to another sheriff’s office employee that Berruquin had sexually assaulted her in her cell. On April 12, he was arrested and charged with the crimes of introduction of contraband into a penal facility, as well as sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a report from District Attorney General Dave Clark. “Her complaint was passed along to Anderson County Sheriff Russell Barker, who contacted the district attorney general,” the report said. “The sheriff and [Clark] made the decision … to ask the Tennessee Bureau of Investigaton to look into the allegations … which ultimately led to Berruquin’s arrest,” it said.

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Clinton’s first “Safe Haven Baby Box” will be dedicated and put into operation during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 17) at Fire Station No. 2 in South Clinton. The $12,000 cost of the box plus its installation have been paid by Isaiah House, an organization that looks after displaced children. “Our intention is to have one of these baby boxes placed near every one of our Isaiah House locations,” said Andrea Townsend, program coordinator for the location in Anderson County. “We have 22 locations in 12 states.” As for the baby box at Station 2, “We sponsored it and brought it to Clinton,” Townsend said. “We’ve been working on this for about two-and-a-half years, and we had to wait for the new bay to be built in the fire station. “We are extremely excited that the city of Clinton will be the new home of a Safe Haven Baby Box,” Townsend said. “The [box] will allow hope and a new beginning for a child in need, while providing grace for the surrendering parents. “Being a voice to the fatherless and advocating for the children in our community is what we are all called to do,” she said. She added that “additional recognition goes to Hicks Construction for [its] installation of the Safe Haven Baby Box, and the city of Clinton, along with the Clinton Fire Department, for their partnership with this project.”

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James Scarlett, a business owner enroute from Florida to his home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, died last Friday afternoon when his small plane crashed into the woods near Claxton, according to multiple reports. Scarlett, who would have turned 46 on April 22, was the only person on board the single-engine, six-passenger Piper Saratoga aircraft when it apparently experienced an issue in flight and dropped into the woods in the Tillery Road/Gadsontown Lane area of Anderson County around 4:43 p.m. Residents in the area reported hearing a low-flying aircraft and the sound of a crash, and it took only a short time for the crash site to be located. No people on the ground were hurt by the crash in the wooded area, and no structures were damaged. The aircraft was found and emergency services workers located Scarlett’s body in the woods near 429 Gadsontown Lane. Contrary to early reports that two people were on board the aircraft, Scarlett was the only occupant, said Brice Kidwell, director of the Anderson County Emergency Management Agency. Scarlett, whose company, Scarlett, Inc., makes woodworking machinery, was on his way home from the annual Wood Industry Conference in Florida at the time of the crash. He had made a refueling stop at Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport shortly before the crash. He leaves a wife, Amanda, and two sons, Tucker and Quinlan.  The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.

Lorie Wilson has announced that she will seek election to the Clinton City Council in November to replace retiring council member Jim McBride from Ward 3 in South Clinton. Wilson has served on the Clinton City School Board since 2021. She said she is an award-winning mortgage lender who has achieved numerous recognitions during her tenure. Presently with Foundation Mortgage, Wilson was recognized as a top-producing loan officer by the Knoxville Mortgage Bankers Association in 2022 and 2023, was recognized as a top producer by Eleven Mortgage in 2023, and received the Rising Star Award from Rocket Mortgage in 2022. She was the top mortgage producer every year with TN Bank from 2016 through 2022. A community volunteer for more than a decade, Wilson has served on the Board of Trustees at Girls Inc., led a local chapter of Networking Today, and has volunteered at several area schools through Junior Achievement, also participating in various school career days. She also is a member of the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce.

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Clinton High School Principal Dan Jenkins has resigned amid an investigation about the school possibly manipulating a student’s records. Director of Schools Tim Parrott on Friday April 12 appointed Amanda Powers to serve as CHS interim principal for the rest of this school year. Jenkins resigned after Anderson County Schools suspended him. The school system stated in a news release sent Monday that it believes CHS manipulated “at least one student’s records” to meet graduation requirements. The school system said it suspended both Jenkins and a teacher after that discovery. The teacher remains on suspension and has not resigned. Anderson County Schools said it’s still investigating the alleged grade manipulation, and remains in communication with the Tennessee Department of Education regarding that issue. It stated it couldn’t comment further on the probe because it relates to confidential records. “As an experienced educator and administrator, Director Parrott has full faith and confidence in Principal Powers as she leads Clinton High School through the remainder of this school year,” the news release stated. Once the school system finishes the investigation, it will send a full report to the school board.

Anderson County commissioners will talk about school bus contract controversies during a meeting at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 22, in Room 312 of thecCourthouse in Clinton. Issues surrounding bus drivers have blown up with David Landreth, president of Andersonville Bus Lines, appealing the county’s decision to use a new contractor, SCU, for routes on which his company also bid. Landreth has said Andersonville Bus Lines has more experience with these routes and should get the contracts even if his company’s bid was more expensive. As stated in official documents, contractor SCU received 13 contracts for routes with competitive bids, including six on which Andersonville Bus Lines also bid. Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said the decision to award the bid to SCU for routes previously driven by other contractors will save the county $171,907.

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The log cabin near Interstate 75 Exit 122 in Clinton that previously served as the home of Anderson County’s Tourism Council will soon be dismantled and carted away to make room for a Take 5 oil-change business. Signs recently posted at the front of the lot along North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard, next to the Golden Girls Restaurant indicate the new business is coming. The owner of the property, John Davenport, said the oil-change location should open next March. “The cabin has been sold and we’re trying to get that moved,” said Davenport, who is a Jellico-based developer who bought the property from Anderson County last July for $706,750, according to county property records. The official address of the nearly half-acre lot is 115 Welcome Lane. “I will be developing the site for them,” Davenport said of Take 5, a regional chain of oil-change and car-wash locations based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Anderson County’s softball team competed in the Gibbs Invitational at Caswell Park in Knoxville Friday and Saturday and the Lady Mavericks played against some of the Volunteer State’s top teams “We saw some good competition,” ACHS Coach Allen Russell said after his team went 1-4 in one of East Tennessee’s top high school tournaments. “We played some good teams.” In their tournament opener in East Knoxville, the Lady Mavs played a 2023 state tournament qualifier when they tangled with Waverly. ACHS lost 7-4 on Friday afternoon. “We played Waverly and they went to state last year in their division,” Russell said. “We played pretty well and they just beat us, and we just have to tip our hats to them.” Anderson County leadoff hitter Kaycee Baldwin was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Alexis Siebers had two hits and drove in a run. Miranda McCracken had a hit and two RBIs. Reese Brock singled and scored twice.

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Mother Nature continued to play havoc with the Clinton High School softball team last week. Due to inclement weather, including rain, the Lady Dragons played just one game. They did, however, make the most of their lone opportunity to compete on the diamond as they routed Coalfield 10-0 on Monday, April 8. Pitcher Bree McKamey posted a dominant performance in the pitcher’s circle as she hurled a one-hit shutout against the Lady Jackets. McKamey, a senior, pitched a complete game, going five innings and striking out 11 Coalfield hitters. She also had a big night at the plate as she went 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, leading an offensive attack that produced 11 hits. Taylor Sherwood also chipped in as she went 2-for-2. She doubled twice, drove in two runs and scored two more.

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Clinton High School’s baseball team had plenty of reasons to celebrate Friday night. For starters, Sam Raley made his first start on the mound in 2024 for the Dragons. And it’s a game Raley, who has battled injuries throughout the season, won’t soon forget. Not only did he hurl a six-inning complete game in Clinton’s 10-0 victory at Gatlinburg-Pittman, but he threw a no-hitter. “That’s something that we’ve been waiting on all year,” CHS Coach Rob Stacy said. “That was his first start of the season, and we finally had him well enough to pitch, and he certainly made the most of it.” Raley walked four and recorded 10 strikeouts against the Highlanders. It was also a big night for Stacy, Clinton’s fifth-year head coach, who won his 50th career game as coach of the Dragons. “I was freezing to death,” Stacy said. “The guys poured water on me because it was my 50th win.”

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Anderson County played just two games on the baseball diamond last week, but the Mavericks won both and now have 16 wins for the season. On Thursday, Anderson County completed a two-game District 4-AAA sweep against Cumberland Gap with a 13-3 victory at home over the Panthers. In that contest, the Mavericks (16-6 overall, 5-1 in the district) came up with six doubles against Cumberland Gap pitching. Aydin Bond, Morgan Clark, Jeremiah Owens, Trent Strickland, Will Ridenour and Trey Rowe all had extra-base hits in the contest. Ridenour and Clark each had two hits and combined to drive in two runs. Clark scored a game-high three runs for the Mavericks, while Bond had three RBIs and Rowe added two. On the mound in Thursday’s game, Luke Lankford started and picked up the win as he pitched 4.1 innings. He yielded five hits, three runs (none earned) and three walks. He struck out eight Panthers. He was relieved by Ridenour, who threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and recorded three strikeouts in the game that was rained out twice last week. The series opened with a 10-0 victory at Cumberland Gap on Monday, April 8, behind a no-hitter by Alex Bond. He tossed a five-inning complete game, and recorded 13 of 15 outs via the strikeout. He hit one batter in the contest. Tyson Bradley went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and one RBI. Reece Wilkerson had a double and scored twice, and also drove in a run. Wilson had two hits and drove in a run.

Oak Ridge High School’s girls tennis team defeated Karns 9-0 in a recent dual match at home at the Jackson Square Courts. At No. 1 singles, Sydney Blanchard defeated Samantha Silvey. At No. 2 singles, Lily Shelton defeated Malin Watkins. At No. 3 singles, Diana Ascencio defeated Kenley Long. At the No. 4 singles rung of the ladder, Ellie Nash defeated Brileigh Silvey. At No. 5 singles, Ayliyah Herron defeated Evelyn Castro. At No. 6 singles, Christian McGinnis defeated Iris Mendez. At No. 1 doubles, Blanchard and Shelton defeated Watkins and Samantha Silvey. At No. 2, Ascencio and Nash defeated Long and Brileigh Silvey. At No. 3 doubles, Herron and McGinnis defeated Castro and Mendez.

The Oak Ridge High School boys soccer team won its District 3-AAA match against Powell Friday night, notching a 3-1 victory over the Panthers at home. Emmett Lee scored two goals and dished out an assist in the win. Eli Lynch had the other marker for the Wildcats, who have won six of their last seven games after dropping the first two games of the 2024 campaign. Those were to Chattanooga Baylor and Knoxville’s Hardin Valley Academy, which is in the midst of an 11-game unbeaten streak after prevailing against Bearden Friday in a nine-round penalty kicks shootout (7-6). That came after they played to a 1-1 tie in regulation and overtime. The Wildcats hosted Knox Central Tuesday, with the Bobcats coming off an overtime win over Knoxville Halls. Results were not available at press time. ORHS was supposed to play at Webb School of Knoxville early last week, but that match was rained out. The Wildcats play at Alcoa Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

A weekend tournament trip north to the Tri-Cities netted a split of two games Friday and a loss Saturday for the Oak Ridge High School baseball team. On Saturday, the Wildcats lost to Tuscola 5-3 to close their stay at the tournament. Richie Ferrirea had two hits in the tournament finale, and Peyton Witter went 1-for-3, recording a double and an RBI. On Friday night, Oak Ridge defeated Class AAA state tournament qualifier Greeneville 9-3. Freshman Warren East clubbed a home run, while Kam Welch went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. He also drove in a run. Cy Stephens was 2-for-3. He had two doubles, an RBI and a run. Parker Free finished with two hits and two RBIs Witter and Mikee Teasley each went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. The Wildcats opened the tournament with a 7-2 loss to Sevier County. Oak Ridge managed just three hits in the contest. Teasley doubled, while East and Free each came up with a single.

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Hard times on the softball diamond continued for Oak Ridge High School last week. On Saturday, the Lady Wildcats dropped a pair of heartbreakers in Ooltewah. Oak Ridge opened the day with an 11-6 extra-inning loss to Knoxville West. The Lady Wildcats also came up on the short end of a 14-13 decision to the host Lady Owls. In the first game, ORHS and the Lady Rebels were tied 6-6 in the eighth inning. The two evenly matched squads each led at points in the game. But West scored five times in the top of the extra frame as Brooklyn Burnett hit a grand slam after the Lady Rebels took the lead with a run on a dropped third strike. Oak Ridge Coach Jeremy Gill knew that Burnett was a dangerous hitter in the West High lineup, but with the bases loaded, the Lady Wildcats couldn’t issue an intentional walk. “If I had a place to put her, an open base, I would’ve walked her, but with the bases loaded, we had to pitch to her,” he said. “I told everybody to be careful, and she went up there and she hit one over the fence.”

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Both Oak Ridge High School track teams had athletes post some top marks at the Mountain Brook Invitational in Alabama late last week. The Lady Wildcats’ Seven Pettus had a big meet in the sprints. She posted two of the Top 10 times recorded in the girls’ 200-meter dash. She had the fourth-best time, at 25.58 seconds. She also put up the sixth-best time in the event (26.36). Pettus finished ninth in the 400-meter run as she crossed the finish line in 1:01. 20. She was also 12th in the 100-meter dash (12.96 seconds). Dylan Job posted a pair of Top 15 efforts in her events in Alabama. She finished 10th in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:16.69. She was 12th in the 1,600-meter run, finishing the race in 5:16.40. The Lady Wildcats had two athletes post top marks in the shot put competition. Olivia Land placed 10th with an effort of 32 feet, 1 inch, while Sophia Hughes came in 12th with a mark of 31 feet, 10 inches. For the Oak Ridge boys, Mason Greenhalgh finished 12th in the 800-meter run as he crossed the finish line in 1 minute, 57.07 seconds. Tyree Porter came in 13th in the boys’ long jump as he posted a mark of 19 feet, 10.5 inches.

Anderson County High School’s track teams were in action at Farragut High School Saturday. The Lady Mavericks had several athletes post Top 20 marks in their respective events in West Knox County. Bralee Hall finished 14th in the 400-meter dash and took 20th in the 200-meter run. Hall was one of three ACHS athletes to finish in the Top 20 in the 400 as Macy Basford took 13th and Lily Trent came in 16th. Kaitlyn Fisher, Marley Caldwell, Sydney Day, Trent and Morgan Lindsay all finished inside the Top 20 in the 800-meter run. Fisher came in seventh in the 1,600-meter run (5:52.93) and Morgan Haire placed 13th (6:09.11). Ava Moody won the 3,200-meter run as she completed the event in 10 minutes, 56.16 seconds.

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Growing flowers and vegetables from seeds takes a bit of effort and know-how, attendees at a short seminar at the Rocky Top Public Library found out last Friday. Master gardener Seth Whitehouse and colleagues from the UT Agricultural Extension Service in Anderson County put on the training session for people who are interested in setting up their own gardens this spring. They offered the same program recently at the Oak Ridge and Norris libraries, both of which now offer seed packets at no charge to library patrons wanting to start gardens. Leading the Rocky Top seed-starting session was master gardener Janet Donaldson of Norris, who is well known in her own community for her prowess in cultivation of plants. Also assisting from the UT Extension Service were master gardeners Debra Reed and Yvonne Webb. “Gardening is just a big science experiment,” Donaldson told the seminar attendees. She said planting of flowers “should be started early,” and that planting of vegetables should wait until about May 1, after the last possible date for frost. Whitehouse said that in this area, “There is a 90% chance of no frost after April 28,” “Don’t put vegetables out too early,” he said.

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We are happy to showcase possibly the oldest returning member of the Armstrong Rubber Company Retirees held a reunion on Wednesday, April 17. Members of the group recognized Jeannene Clark as one of the oldest returning members. She worked at the plant with her daughter and son for more than 20 years. “We all love her determination and spiciness; she is a blessing to her family for sure,” said Al Walker, a group member.

To the Editor, What on earth is going on? The truth is breaking out in droves from the most unlikely of sources. Kudos to G. Chambers Williams III of The Courier News for renewing my faith in journalism. In his article “Going Up,” he stated in regard to Norris raising fees on trash collection, “Ledford cited diesel-fuel prices and the Consumer Price Index, which both have increased dramatically since President Biden took office in January 2021.” Mr. Williams deserves a Pulitzer Prize for having the courage to tell the truth. Kudos to Mr. Williams for his intellectual honesty and courage. Today, NPR is having a meltdown due to Senior Business Editor Uri Berliner’s recent article “I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust” stating that NPR “veered toward efforts to damage or topple Trump’s presidency.” In other words, over time, NPR descended into an environment whereby its employees tried to make the news rather than report the news.

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An area high school soccer player finalized her college plans last week. Anderson County High School’s Elizabeth Troyna signed her national letter of intent to continue her athletic endeavors and academic pursuits at Roane State Community College. There, she’ll be on the school’s first team, and play for former Oak Ridge High School girls’ Coach Donnie Green. She said she chose to attend Roane State and play for the Lady Raiders because of the academic and athletic opportunities that the school provides at a relatively low cost. “What helped me decide to go to Roane State was the thought of my future,” Troyna said. “I wanted to be able to continue my academic and soccer career without having to worry about student loans, and being able to still do what I love.

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The Norris Middle School softball team was the only team not to have its entire schedule rained out last week. The Lady Senators split a pair of games last week. They closed things out Friday with a 2-0 victory over North Middle School. On Monday, April 8, Norris lost to Fort Loudoun 5-4. The Lady Braves jumped out to an early lead as they scored all five of their runs in the second inning. Norris, which trailed 5-2 heading to the top of the sixth inning, nearly notched a comeback as it scored twice in its final at-bat. Haley Cornett led the Lady Senators’ offensive attack as she went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a stolen base. Izzy Aulisio was 1-for-3 and scored two runs. Jaycee Hunley and Kinza Plummer each went 1-for-2. Shyla Tindell was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

At least a 4% raise for all Anderson County School staff has been approved by the Anderson County Board of Education April 11, and is heading to the County Commission next. It passed, along with the rest of the school budget for next year, unanimously at the Thursday, April 11, Anderson County Board of Education meeting. Board member Teresa Portwood made the motion, and board member Glenda Langenberg seconded. “I’m very proud that we’re giving the teachers a 4% raise,” Langenberg said. Director of Schools Tim Parrott said in an interview the pay raise was to get the school system in line with state standards. He pointed out state law requires the school system to have at least $50,000 a year for teacher base pay by 2027. The total requested budget for the school system is $78,035,593 for all funds. Parrott said the school system cut from various places in the budget. He also said these cuts covered the cost of the pay raise but not all other costs. The proposed budget focused on cuts for schools whose number of students has gone down, he said. The projected deficit will be $938,765, but Parrott said none of it was recurring costs and it was less of a deficit than last year.

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Clinton High School’s softball field is coming closer to completion. Anderson County Schools Director Tim Parrott said at the Monday, March 18, school board meeting that workers would finish work on the field in 45 days. He said the hitting facility and concession stand are ready, and the lights and dugouts were in progress. He said the county had purchased turf and netting and those were being installed. He said the winning bid was $270,000, beating out the next-lowest bid, which was over $500,000. “That’s how much things have gone up,” he said. The school system has purchased a mower and has begun to mow the field, he said.

St. Joseph Catholic Church in Norris will hold a special 75th anniversary celebration on April 28 from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. There will be vespers, dinner and a special program. The church is at 3425 Andersonville Highway. Tickets are $25 for ages 15 and up. and $10 for ages 5-14. There is no charge for children under 5. Event organizers are looking for photos of church activities and parishioners from all eras. Anyone with photos to share may scan and email them to stjosephnorristn@gmail.com.

Drones whizzed over audience members’ heads and passed through arches. At the front the American Museum of Science and Energy auditorium in Oak Ridge sat a group of seventh-grade Jefferson Middle School students who programmed those small flying craft. While the students flew the drones, their teacher, James Mitchell, explained how they had built, programmed, taken photographs and raced with drones outside JMS and in its gym. Mitchell teaches aeronautics and aviation at JMS. “They made it look a whole lot easier than it is,” he said of the students. Students demonstrating at the event were Ben Boles, Ben Parsons, Finn Wessels, Wyatt Barna, Izzy Allison, Scarlett Lewis and Joshna Nandagopal. Both Mitchell and the students spoke about difficulties.

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For the first time in years, the teen-organized Art in the Park event made Oak Ridge’s A.K. Bissell Park come alive with arts activities. A string quartet played on one side of Oak Ridge’s pavilion stage, nicknamed “the pringle” for its shape. On the other side of the stage, Youth Advisory Board members drew portraits on a banner with pastels. Other youth drew murals with chalk on the sidewalk. Children painted on canvases at one table and drew on a banner at another, while youth painted children’s cheeks at another. Some students showed off their work. Adult artists sold work ranging from pottery and jewelry to paintings of dinosaurs. Amid it all was the organizer, Youth Advisory Board chairwoman and Oak Ridge High School junior Edie Weston, who revived the pre-pandemic Art in the Park event this year on March 31. “We’ve got photography,” she said. “We’ve got just basic painting with acrylics. We’ve got face painting. We’ve got music. And it just is a fun event. It’s like the Lavender Festival, I would say, but with more community activities.”

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Clinton’s WB Realty LLC last week tore down the small building at 419 Eagle Bend Road that formerly housed the short-lived Lirio Chocolate factory, and has plans for the site that the company isn’t yet ready to share. Owner Ken White said Tuesday that he hopes to get the design of the new structure completed and contracts signed by early May, but he would not say what type of business is planning to move onto the site, which sits along the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks across from Market Street. He obtained a demolition permit for the 1,648-square-foot building on April 10, citing a cost of $10,000 for the work, and it was removed last Thursday and Friday by a crew with backhoes.

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A hush fell over the more than 500 people in attendance at Oak Ridge’s Grove Theatre when the Fisk Jubilee Singers entered the auditorium on Good Friday evening. The famed group of Fisk University students from Nashville brought history to life in singing old spirituals like “Great Day” and “Down by the Riverside” to a full audience. The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an a cappella group with roots dating to 1871. Among those present in the audience were a stalwart few of the remaining Scarboro 85, the students who desegregated Oak Ridge Schools in 1955. Cali Foster, a fourth grader at Glenwood Elementary School introduced the singers. She is the great granddaughter of Ernestine Avery, one of the Scarboro 85 students. The Scarboro 85 Monument Committee organized the event as a fundraiser for a future monument in Oak Ridge’s A.K. Bissell Park honoring the Scarboro 85. The 85 attended Oak Ridge High School and Robertsville Middle School, but the name Scarboro 85 refers to the school and neighborhood from which they came. Oak Ridge historian Rose Weaver, a member of the committee who put on the event, felt moved by the performance.

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Crowds turned out in mild, sunny spring weather for last Saturday’s fourth-annual Mosaic Arts Festival, which this year was moved out of downtown Clinton to the Community Center and an outdoor area along South Hicks Street. The main event, coordinated by art teachers from Clinton City Schools, was the “Art Through Time” show featuring artwork by students at the city’s three elementary schools. Clinton Elementary School art teacher Allison Swanner said that more than 1,000 pieces of artwork from children in the city schools were on display inside the Community Center. “Every single student created art, and each one took inspiration from a famous artist,” Swanner said. Augusta Ridley, art teacher at North and South Clinton elementary schools, said the teachers were pleased to see the festival moved out of downtown to the Community Center.

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Children at the Small Wonders Nursery School at Mariner Point in Clinton look to the sky to try to get a glimpse of the solar eclipse through the clouds on Monday. With them are toddler techar Hailey Witt, left, and preschool teacher Mars Rutherford. The children decorated their masks, which were made of paper plates with special eclipse viewing glasses hot-glued to them, Rutherford said.

Norris residents will see an additional $1.10 added to their monthly utility bills by January as the City Council on Monday night approved increases of 55 cents to take effect July 1 and again Jan. 1. City Manager Adam Ledford said the higher rates are necessary to cover the city’s growing expenses to have Waste Connections operate the city’s refuse-collection service. Ledford cited diesel-fuel prices and the Consumer Price Index, which both have increased dramatically since President Biden took office in January 2021. The city’s contract with Waste Connections allows the private company to raise the rates it charges the city based on the increased CPI and fuel costs. Starting July 1, residents will pay $17.55 a month, up from $17, for trash pickup. That will rise to $18.10 a month beginning next Jan. 1. Commercial trash customers will see even higher increases, including paying more in monthly dumpster rental costs and weekly trash pickups. Ledford also proposed to the council that the initial monthly fee to residents for the city’s new Stormwater Utility Department should be $3, which also would be included on their monthly utility bills. Those bills already include water, sewer, and trash-pickup service. The city manager recommended an initial budget for the stormwater utility that would include a $250,000 mapping expense to determine where the city’s stormwater drain lines are, and their present condition. All but $25,000 of that expense would be paid for by a grant, Ledford said.

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About 50 people gathered in the Norris Commons on Sunday to celebrate the official 75th birthday of the city of Norris with a tree-planting ceremony, led by Spencer Boardman. This was the first major event of several scheduled for this year’s months-long Norris birthday celebration, and it was the only one of the events to be held on what most Norris officials consider to be the actual date of incorporation of the city. The tree-planting event was held “to commemorate the hundreds of citizen volunteers over these past 75 years that have dedicated time and energy to maintain the historical roots and culture that makes Norris a unique community we call home,” according to an announcement. “This also recognizes the importance of trees and landscaping in Norris, which began when TVA laid out the town in preparation for construction of Norris Dam,” said city Councilman Chuck Nicholson, who also serves as chairman of the Norris Tree Commission. “TVA planted a lot of trees, which led to Norris becoming the first ‘Tree City USA’ in the state,” Nicholson said. “We’ve continued to maintain that designation over the years, and we felt that planting trees for the birthday celebration would be a fitting way to recognize the importance of trees to the city.” Mayor Chris Mitchell read a proclamation for the occasion. The event was hosted by the Norris Tree Commission and the Norris 75th Anniversary Celebration Committee.

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The Anderson County Board of Education will be voting this Thursday (April 11) on a budget that will give all school employees at least a 4% pay raise. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Robert Jolley Building, 101 South Main St. This budget will also need to pass the Anderson County Commission before going forward. The total requested budget is $78,035,593 for all funds. Anderson County Director of Schools Tim Parrott said the school system cut more than $2.9 million from various places in the budget. He also said these cuts covered the cost of the pay raise but not all other costs. In an interview, he said the proposed budget focused on cuts for schools whose number of students has gone down. The projected deficit will be $9,380, but Parrott said none of it was recurring costs and it was less than last year’s. He also said this budget calculation assumes that revenues from local property taxes will remain the same. Parrott said the pay raise was to get the school system in line with state standards. He pointed out state law requires the school system to have at least $50,000 teacher base pay by 2027.

Clinton High School’s baseball team has had its share of struggles this season. The Dragons have lost 12 of their first 19 games in 2024. But Coach Rob Stacy hasn’t hit the panic button. “We’re looking forward to the future because we’re getting everybody healthy and we’re excited,” Stacy said. “I would rather peak later than peak too early. In the past, we’ve peaked too early. “This year, we’ve played an extremely tough schedule” he said. “The rankings just came out and just about everybody we’ve played is ranked in their classification.” The Dragons (7-12) closed their stay in the East Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Tournament with a 10-0 loss to Division II-A powerhouse Christian Academy of Knoxville, coached by the legendary Tommy Pharr. The Warriors’ Brody Waller and Tyler Bennett pitched a combined no-hitter against Clinton, which had just five base runners. Waller, who started and went five innings, hit two batters and walked three, while coming up with nine strikeouts.

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Anderson County entered the week as one of the area’s hottest baseball teams. The Mavericks had a big stay at the East Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Tournament as they won three of their four games at the event. ACHS (14-6 overall, 3-1 in District 4-AAA) closed out the tournament with an 11-1 victory over Bluefield (West Virginia) on Saturday afternoon. The Mavericks started fast as they scored eight runs in the first. “We had a big first inning and we scored eight runs,” Anderson County Coach Josh Boynton said. “That gave me a chance to get some guys in that don’t get to play much, and that’s big for those guys. “They come to practice and they work hard every day and sometimes, they don’t reap the rewards.” Offensively, Reece Wilkerson went 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Trent Strickland was 1-for-1 with an RBI and a run scored, and Morgan Clark was 1-for-1 with two runs and two RBIs. Boynton used four pitchers in the five-inning game and Easton Beaty, McCauley White and Kris Pelliccio combined to post 12 strikeouts in the contest. “We played pretty well in the tournament, but we had that one bad game on Friday,” Boynton said.

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When the 2024 boys high school soccer season began early last month, Clinton High School Coach Gene Chunn said he knew that his side would struggle as it endured some growing pains. He was right, as the Dragons are off to a 2-6-1 start this season after suffering through a tough weekend in the Smoky Mountain Cup matches Saturday and Sunday. The weekend began with a 3-2 loss to Lee-Scott Academy (Auburn, Alabama) Saturday morning at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg. In that match, Osmar Vasquez and Angel Venegas scored for the Dragons. Later on Saturday, the Dragons were shut out by Unicoi County. Clinton was short-handed due to injuries in its tournament finale as it fell to West View (Jackson, Tennessee) 8-1 on Sunday. The Dragons got their lone marker of the match from Christian Honeycutt. Chunn was distraught after the tournament. “We had a bad weekend,” he said. “We had a lot of injuries and we had four starters [who] didn’t even make the trip (Sunday). “We literally played kids [who] hadn’t really played before. “For the second half of our second game and for the whole game on Sunday, I had 10 freshmen and sophomores on the field, and those young guys are going to make up the team next year,” Chunn said. “So if you look at it, those guys will be pretty good over the next few years.” The Dragons opened the week with a 3-1 victory over Harriman on Monday, April 1. Julio Del Valle scored twice for Clinton against the Blue Devils and Will Targonski added a marker for the Dragons, who return to the pitch Friday night when they host Maryville Christian School. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Anderson County played some tough competition on the soccer pitch over the weekend at the Smoky Mountain Cup. The Mavericks lost two of their three matches at the Rocky Top Sports World complex in Gatlinburg. But Head Coach Chris Curtin found plenty of positives after a highly competitive weekend. “We had a great weekend of challenging play and learning,” Curtin said. “We scored three goals on the weekend.” ACHS closed its stay in Sevier County with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Haywood, a top team from the Memphis area. Muller Gudino and Charlie Pemberton had goals for the Mavs (3-4) in their tournament finale against Maywood.

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Anderson County experienced both ends of the spectrum on the softball diamond as it split a pair of District 4-AAA games last week. The Lady Mavericks dropped a 15-0 decision to state powerhouse Gibbs Thursday night as their young lineup managed just two hits against the Lady Eagles. Miranda McCracken and Alexis Siebers singled off Gibbs pitcher Lacy Keck in Corryton. On Wednesday, April 3, Anderson County (3-10 overall, 1-2 in the district) defeated league newcomer Cumberland Gap 10-0 at home. The Lady Mavericks pounded out 10 hits against the Lady Panthers. Marlea Finstad went 3-for-3 with a double, three runs and one RBI, while Ella Varner was 2-for-4. She drove in two runs and scored another for Anderson County. ACHS took a 1-0 lead in the first inning before scoring five runs in the bottom of the third and ending things early with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

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Throughout the 2024 softball season, Clinton High School has battled more than its share of adversity. The Lady Dragons have yet to play on their new home field due to construction of the facility running behind schedule. Clinton has also had its share of injuries this season. But as the Lady Dragons continue to become healthy, things look to finally be coming together for a team that entered the campaign with some lofty expectations. “The big thing for us is to get everybody healthy,” Coach Leonard Sams said before his team embarked on a busy week. “We’re getting Bree McKamey healthy, and she hasn’t been 100 percent all year.” Clinton (5-10 overall, 1-1 in District 4-AAA) struggled out of the gate, falling to Class 4A powerhouse Farragut 10-0 on Wednesday, April 3, at Bellamy Field in West Knox County. The Lady Dragons came up with five hits in the contest as Lynlee Adkins doubled, while McKamey, Heaven Britt-Kimbriel, Tomi Taylor and Sara Bishop all singled against the Lady Admirals. The following day, the Lady Dragons bounced back to capture their first district victory as they shut out Cumberland Gap 9-0. McKamey went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a double, a home run and a run scored.

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The 2024 season has been a struggle for the Oak Ridge High School softball team. The Lady Wildcats (3-9, 1-4) had another tough week on the diamond. After falling to Midway at home, 14-0, on Monday, April 1, the Lady Wildcats made the trip to Knoxville to take on West High in a game between a pair of seemingly even matched teams on Wednesday, April 3. Things started well for the Lady Wildcats, but seven errors would prove costly in an 11-6 loss. Oak Ridge got off to a fast start as it scored two runs in the top of the first inning. The Lady Wildcats took a 2-0 lead after an infield groundout by Morgan Perry plated Brenna Bradshaw, who led off the contest with a single, stole second and took third on a hit by Kaylee Hickman. Hickman would cross the plate with the second run of the game on a passed ball. The Lady Rebels would answer in the bottom of the frame when their lead-off hitter, E.B. Bibee, reached and came home on a four-base error.

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After splitting its home-and-home District 3-4A series against Knox Central early last week, the Oak Ridge High School baseball team also won one of its two non-district tilts. On Wednesday, April 3, the Wildcats topped Clinton 8-4 at Jaycee Park. Richie Ferriera went 2-for-3. He recorded two hits, including a double, and had two runs and two RBIs. Peyton Witter, who picked up the win on the mound for the Wildcats, also singled and drove in a run at the plate. He pitched four innings and gave up four runs (three earned), two hits and four walks, while striking out five Clinton hitters. Mikee Teasley went 1-for-3 and scored a run, while Warren East singled, drove in one run and scored another. John Ulerich also appeared on the mound for the Wildcats. He threw three innings and gave up three hits and one walk. He struck out two Dragons. On Friday, the Wildcats dropped an 8-7 decision against Maryville. It was their second loss to the Rebels this season. Kam Welch was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Oak Ridge, which outhit Maryville 10-9. Ferriera went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Witter was 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Parker Free went 1-for-4 and scored two runs. He also had an RBI. Teasley was 1-for-2. He walked, stole two bases and scored three times.Alex Franklin was 1-for-1. He doubled, drove in a run and scored another. On Monday, April 1, the Wildcats defeated Central 5-4 at home. They lost, 3-2, on the road on the following day.

Oak Ridge High School’s soccer team honored its seniors Friday night and celebrated with a 2-1 comeback victory over Maryville. The Rebels (5-5) scored first in the match when senior Seth Meade found the back of the net in the first half. The Wildcats pulled even just before halftime when Eli Lynch tallied the equalizer with 16.5 seconds remaining when he buried the ball into the back of the net from 40 yards out. He would also score the eventual game-winning goal in the second half. That victory came two days after Oak Ridge and Knoxville Halls tangled in a thrilling District 3-AAA match at ORHS. That game’s outcome couldn’t be decided in 100 minutes of play, including 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime. The game was deadlocked 0-0 heading into a penalty kicks shootout before the Red Devils, who made a run to the Class AA state tournament in Murfreesboro last season, prevailed 5-4.

Clinton Middle School’s baseball team found its way into the win column Monday night as it topped Coalfield 5-3 on the road. The Hawks notched the victory despite coming up with just three hits in the contest. Easton Gilliam went 1-for-3 and scored a run, while Erick Tirado was 1-for-2 with a run scored. Pitcher Jarrod Pacinos started and picked up the win on the mound for Clinton, which scored one run in the second inning and added three more in the third, before scoring its last run in the fourth and final inning. Pacinos threw 3.2 innings. He allowed three runs (two earned), five hits and five walks, and struck out four. He also contributed at the plate as he singled and drove in a run. Jayden Cuevas took the mound in the fourth and got the final out. Monday’s victory followed a tough week on the diamond for the Hawks, who dropped a pair of games last week. The Hawks lost to Oneida 8-6 Friday despite getting two hits from Erick Tirado, who went 2-for-2 with a run scored. Pacinos was 1-for-2 and scored a run, while Heriberto Tirado was 0-for-2 with a run scored. Clinton had four hits against the Indians. On Thursday, the Hawks fell 3-1 to Wartburg Central despite a solid performance by two of their pitchers. Eric Newport and Cuevas combined to throw a one-hitter in the game. Cuevas pitched 3.2 innings. He gave up three runs (one earned), one hit and five walks. He recorded nine strikeouts. Newport threw 1.2 innings, walking two and striking out two. Erick Tirado went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Colton Wright drove in a run, and Newport was 1-for-3.

The city of Norris celebrated its designation as a Tree City USA for the 45th year in a row during a special Arbor Day event recently at Norris Elementary School. City Councilman Bill Grieve read a proclamation by Mayor Chris Mitchell designating March 28 as the city’s official Arbor Day for 2024. The city event also recognized Spencer Boardman, a former member of the Norris Tree Commission, for his years of volunteer work for the city. “On Arbor Day, we normally honor someone for their service to the community, and specifically for work related to the Tree Commission,” said city Councilman Chuck Nicholson, who also serves as chairman of the Tree Commission. “Spencer was a Tree Commission member for several years and has done an incredible amount of volunteer work for the city over the years,” Nicholson said. As part of his designation as this year’s Arbor Day honoree, Boardman gets a tree planted in his name, Nicholson said. Norris was the first city in Tennessee to earn the Tree City USA designation, in 1979. To earn a Tree City USA designation, a city must have a tree commission and meet other criteria concerning planting and preservation of trees within the city limits, and holding an annual Arbor Day event.

Oak Ridge officials joined the Glenwood Club Choir singers planting a tulip poplar tree near Glenwood Elementary School’s track. The event came after a Glenwood Elementary School assembly for the city’s 39th Arbor Day observance and 36th year being recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The event featured speeches by Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick, Glenwood principal Ginny Boles, Environmental Quality Advisory Board Chairman Joel Hewett, Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch, Deputy City Manager Jack Suggs and Oak Ridge City Electric Department Chair Craig Hickey. The choir sang two songs and student Evie Lovegrove read a poem. “What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant our love and our loyalty. We plant our devotion our memories dear that grow still more precious with each growing year,” Lovegrove said. Keys Fillauer and Laura McLean of Oak Ridge Board of Education also attended. To become a Tree City USA, a community must meet four standards: a legally constituted tree board; a community tree ordinance; a comprehensive community forestry program supported by a minimum of $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day proclamation and public tree planting ceremony. Communities must reapply for the Tree City USA designation annually. Arbor Day will officially arrive the last Friday in April nationally, but in Tennessee it’s the first Friday. The Arbor Day Foundation explains its mission on its website arborday.org.

Tim Guraedy, known as “Mountain Man” to the fans of the “Duck Dynasty” TV series, was on hand in Rocky Top last Saturday to help celebrate the grand opening of Rocky Top Powersports. Guraedy is the bearded, slow-talking air-conditioning repairman and radio host who is a neighbor to the Robertsons, the West Monroe, Louisiana, family that made a fortune from its best-selling duck calls – the business around which the TV show is based. He said he has lived in Maryville for the past few years, where he moved after production of “Duck Dynasty” ended. He now makes appearances at various events, where he greets visitors and sells T-shirts and other memorabilia. Brandon Epperly last year opened Rocky Top Powersports shop in Rocky Top. The business offers parts, accessories, and service for a variety of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides, and is a dealer for brands such as Arctic Cat, Kymco and Yanmar. Rocky Top Powersports is at 540 N. Main St., in the former location of a car museum just a short distance from Interstate 75 Exit 129. Epperly is still remodeling the front section of the building, which he plans to use as a showroom for new and used off-road vehicles. “We service all makes and models of ATVs, SXSs, and dirt bikes,” he said.

The Norris Middle School baseball team kept its perfect record intact with a pair of victories on the diamond late last week. The Senators defeated Norwood Middle School 24-2 on Thursday on the road in a game that was called after two innings due to the run rule. Norris scored four runs in the first inning before plating 20 in the second. The Senators had 10 hits and took advantage of seven Norwood errors. Norris pitchers Aiden Walker and Aiden Wilson pitched a combined no-hitter as Norwood managed to score two unearned runs. Walker threw one inning and yielded two unearned runs and two walks. He struck out the side in his one inning pitched. Williams also struck out the side in his inning on the mound. He walked three and struck out three. Walker had a big night at the plate as he went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Wilson was also 2-for-2. He drove in four runs and scored two more. Reese Young doubled, scored three runs and knocked in two. Jack Wilson doubled, drove in a run and scored another. Preston Williams was 1-for-2 with three runs and two RBIs.

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American Revolution child soldier William Cross will get a patriot grave marker honoring him. Anyone may join the Tennessee Society of Children of the American Revolution at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, at Kern United Methodist Church, 451 East Tennessee Ave., Oak Ridge, for the event. “We’re very honored to be able to play a part in it to recognize a Revolutionary soldier who lived in this area,” said Teri Oaks, regent of the Clinch Bend Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Cross served as a teenager before settling down and raising his family in Anderson County after the war. For more information or to register a wreath, contact Jennifer Rowan at ssptscar@gmail.com.

Clinton Middle School’s baseball team found its way into the win column Monday night as it topped Coal- field 5-3 on the road. The Hawks notched the victory despite com- ing up with just three hits in the contest. Easton Gilliam went 1-for-3 and scored a run, while Erick Tirado was 1-for-2 with a run scored. Pitcher Jarrod Pacinos started and picked up the win on the mound for Clinton, which scored one run in the second inning and added three more in the third, before scoring its last run in the fourth and final inning. Pacinos threw 3.2 in- nings. He allowed three runs (two earned), five hits and five walks, and struck out four. He also contributed at the plate as he singled and drove in a run. Jayden Cuevas took the mound in the fourth and got the final out. Monday’s victory followed a tough week on the diamond for the Hawks, who dropped a pair of games last week. The Hawks lost to Oneida 8-6 Friday despite getting two hits from Erick Tirado, who went 2-for-2 with a run scored. Pacinos was 1-for-2 and scored a run, while Heriberto Tirado was 0-for-2 with a run scored. Clinton had four hits against the Indians. On Thursday, the Hawks fell 3-1 to Wart- burg Central despite a solid performance by two of their pitchers. Eric Newport and Cue- vas combined to throw a one-hitter in the game. Cuevas pitched 3.2 in- nings. He gave up three runs (one earned), one hit and five walks. He recorded nine strike- outs. Newport threw 1.2 innings, walking two and striking out two. Erick Tirado went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Colton Wright drove in a run, and Newport was 1-for-3.

Clinton Elementary School Assistant Principal Abbey Kidwell was honored last week with a national award, winning for an array of attributes already well-known to her students, colleagues and administrators. Kidwell received the Milken Educator Award — which was accompanied by a $25,000 cash prize — during a surprise assembly last Thursday, March 28, at CES. The award was presented by Dr. Joshua Barnett, CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Education. He was representing the Milken Family Foundation, which has annually given the award since Lowell Milken created it in 1987. While as many as 75 educators will receive the award for the 2023-24 school year, Kidwell is the sole Tennessee recipient. “The foundation scours the nation to acknowledge outstanding unsung heroes for their excellence in leadership in the profession,” noted an event news release. (Specific Milken Educator Award criteria are listed in the accompanying sidebar). Also present for the assembly was Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds, who praised the honoree. “Congratulations to Ms. Kidwell on representing the state of Tennessee by receiving the prestigious Milken Educator Award,” said Reynolds. “This well-deserved award is a testament to the impactful service and leadership she demonstrates to her students, community and the educator profession.”

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An eclipse is on its way April 8, and you may get a chance to witness it. Schoolkids throughout Anderson County will be released early on the day, next Monday, to allow them to see the event around 2 p.m. Solar elipses occur when the moon’s orbit puts it in the way of the sun’s profile. In some parts of the U.S., Mexico and Canada people can get a glimpse at a total eclipse, or the moon passing fully in front of the sun causing pitch darkness for four minutes. Some of West Tennessee is in the path of the full eclipse, as are Little Rock, Arkansas; Dallas; Indianapolis; Buffalo, New York; and Cleveland, Ohio. However, Anderson County will only experience a partial eclipse, with the moon just blocking a decent chunk of the sun without fully passing in front of it. Think of it as a large-sized bite rather than a full meal. Schools are changing schedules for the event across Anderson County. Oak Ridge Schools will dismiss early in keeping with typical Wednesday schedules even though the eclipse will be on a Monday. A similar half day will occur for Anderson County Schools. Clinton City Schools will be dismissing at noon. “Certainly, they’re going to be using it as an opportunity to teach about the eclipse,” Molly Gallagher Smith, communications specialist for Oak Ridge Schools said. In this area, the partial eclipse should begin around 2 p.m, with the moon blocking the sun the most around 3 p.m. The website eclipse2024.org which shows how the eclipse will look in different cities. You’ll need eclipse glasses to watch the partial eclipse safely, but thankfully there’s a tasty way to get them. Sonic Drive-In is giving them out with the special “Blackout Slush Float,” while supplies last.

Just in time for spring planting to begin, the annual plant sale began Tuesday morning at the Clinch River Community School and the Anderson County Career and Technical Center. Both schools are on the campus of Anderson County High School. Held as a benefit to aid the agriculture programs at the schools, the sale is open now and runs through the month or until the stock of plants is sold out, school officials announced. Kendra McCoig, agriculture teacher at the Clinch River Community School, said her school’s greenhouse, next to the school on a hill just behind the high school, had a line of people already when she opened the doors at 8 a.m. “We had about 40 people waiting to get in,” she said. The school’s assistant principal, Nate Stecker, was also on hand, and said the greenhouse had $2,000 in sales in the first hour. “This is always the big fundraiser for our agriculture program,” he said. “We raised $15,000 from it last year.” He said the school has been holding the sale since it opened, and has been at the current location since the 2012-13 school year.

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The 75th birthday celebration for the city of Norris begins in earnest with this coming Sunday’s tree planting event at 2 p.m. in the Norris Commons. That will be followed by next week’s Norris Little Theater production of the historical play “Norris, Where I Belong.” To be held Friday through Sunday, April 12-14, the play features an all-local cast and will be performed at the Museum of Appalachia. Tickets are already on sale for the play, at $20 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. The play is described as “A heartwarming comedy set in a Depression-era general store during the construction of [TVA’s Norris Dam] and what will become the city of Norris, Tennessee.” “A young woman’s unexpected inheritance means she must choose between what she thought her life should be, and what her life could be,” the description continues. “It all depends on where you call home.” As for this Sunday’s tree-planting event, it’s being held “to commemorate the hundreds of citizen volunteers over these past 75 years [who] have dedicated time and energy to maintain the historical roots and culture that makes Norris a unique community we call home,” according to an announcement.

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After getting off to a 4-5 start and losing its District 4-AAA opener on the road against Clinton on Monday, March 25, Anderson County High School’s baseball team has reeled off six consecutive victories. The Mavericks (10-5 overall, 2-1 in the district) continued their winning ways Monday night with a 3-0 league shutout victory over defending Class AAA state champion Union County at home. Alex Bond pitched a three-hit shutout against the Patriots as he went seven innings. He walked four and struck out 12 in a game that was deadlocked in a scoreless tie before Anderson County pushed across a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Mavericks would add two more runs in the sixth. Bond was also big at the plate as he had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. In the Clinch River Challenge, the Mavericks won four games and closed out tournament play with a 16-3 victory over Sullivan East on Saturday. Trent Strickland went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, while Tripp Haire was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Ty Wilson doubled, drew two walks, scored and knocked in a run. Trey Rowe tripled, scored and had one RBI.

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After losing five of six games last week, Clinton High School’s baseball team entered the month of April with a five-game losing streak. Well, it looks as though the change in the calendar was just what the Dragons needed as they opened the new month with a District 4-AAA double-header sweep of Scott on Monday night in Huntsville. Clinton (6-9 overall, 3-1 in the district) edged the Highlanders 9-6 in the opener, and then won the nightcap 15-5. The Dragons were able to nab the season sweep against Scott, but perhaps things weren’t quite as easy as expected. Clinton and the Highlanders were locked in a 6-6 tie after three innings of the opener before the Dragons took the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth frame. They would add another one in the fifth to come up with the winning margin. Jackson Webb had the big bat for Clinton in the first game as he went 3-for-4 and recorded a double, a triple, an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Isaiah Slaven collected two hits, including a double. He also had a stolen base, a run scored, and two RBIs, while Harrison Shelton was 1-for-4 and drove in two runs.

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Anderson County High had a tough week on the softball diamond, or so it appeared. The Lady Mavericks lost all three times times they took the field late last week. But Coach Allen Russell remained upbeat as his team continued to develop and overcome some slow starts to compete against some of the area’s top teams. “It was a good week for our kids,” he said. “We didn’t win, but it was still a good week. If we compete and play like we did late in those games, then we’ll be just fine.” Anderson County closed out the week with a pair of wild games at home on Good Friday. To open the day, the Lady Mavericks tangled with William Blount, a top Class 4A team in the area, and saw a comeback effort come up just short in an 8-6 loss to the Lady Governors. Anderson County (2-7 overall, 0-1 in District 4-AAA) fell behind early as the Lady Governors scored twice in the first and added two more runs in the second to pull ahead 4-0. The Lady Mavs trimmed the deficit to 4-1 in the third before William Blount appeared to put things away with four runs in the fifth. ACHS, however, didn’t go away as it put up five runs in the seventh after trailing 7-1.

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Clinton High School has endured more than its share of struggles on the softball diamond out of the gate in 2024. The Lady Dragons saw those struggles continue Thursday night as they dropped their District 4-AAA opener at home to Gibbs, 12-3. Clinton was supposed to open league play on Tuesday, March 25, at Scott, but that game was rained out and no makeup has been set. Gibbs, which has ended Clinton’s season in each of the last two seasons in the Region 2-AAA semifinals in one-run games, had a 12-0 lead before the Lady Dragons scored three times in the bottom of the seventh inning. Lynnlee Adkins hit a home run for Clinton, while Tomi Taylor and Elizabeth Graham each doubled for the Lady Dragons. The loss to the Lady Eagles left Lady Dragons Coach Leonard Sams frustrated. “Our girls just didn’t come to play,” he said. “Our pitching wasn’t as strong as it normally is. We’ll see them again and we’ll be ready next time. “We just have to move forward. Our schedule is going to get a little easier and so now they can just relax and play now.”

When his team began the 2024 season, Oak Ridge High School baseball Coach Travis Free thought it might endure some early-season struggles. Free was correct, as the young Wildcats (9-4-1) won games but did so with solid defense and pitching, along with a few timely hits sprinkled in. In last week’s games, however, the bats came to life for Oak Ridge as it won four games in the Clinch River Challenge. “We played really well across the board last week,” Free said. “We hit the ball really well and I think the lowest number of runs we scored in any game was nine. “We’re young and we’ll continue to work hard and find our way. Our bats, our offense really clicked last week.” In a victory over Sevier County, the Wildcats collected eight hits, including three that went for extra bases, on their way to defeating the Smoky Bears 9-0 in a contest where the Wildcats also benefitted from solid work on the mound. Mikee Teasley and Peyton Witter combined on a three-hit shutout.

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It was a week of mixed results for the Oak Ridge softball team last week. The Lady Wildcats played just twice and had three games washed out due to inclement weather. And the two games they did play couldn’t have been more drastically different. On Thursday, the Lady Wildcats (3-4 overall, 1-3 in District 3-4A) came up on the short end of a 16-1 league decision against Knox Central in a game that saw the Lady Wildcats score all of their runs in the third inning. This came after the Lady Wildcats had a 1-0 lead heading into the frame. “I hate that we lost like that against them,” Oak Ridge Coach Jeremy Gill said. “It’s hard enough to win against them anyway. “We had a 1-0 lead going to the third and then we fell apart,” he said. “We committed error after error and there was just nothing that I could do about it. It’s like I told the girls, we got our butts kicked and we got embarrassed in the process.”

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The 2024 high school tennis season is underway, and both the Dragons and Lady Dragons entered the week with 1-2 records. The Lady Dragons have losses to Gibbs and Knoxville West, but they closed the week with a 5-4 win over rival Oak Ridge Thursday. Clinton second-year head Coach Hannah Cunningham said that she has hopes for the Lady Dragons, who are anticipating a rematch against Gibbs, after losing to the Lady Eagles in their season opener, 5-4, at Tyson Park in Knoxville. “I have high expectations for our girls and I would like to see our girls play for the district championship and both singles and doubles,” Cunningham said. The Lady Dragons return the No. 1 singles player, and Sara Boundy, a senior, is a two-time district tournament finalist. At No. 2 singles. Josie Moody (a three-sport star who also plays volleyball and basketball) returns. Sophomore Molly Buchanan will play at No. 3 singles Kyleigh Gallaher, another multiple sport athlete, will play No. 4 singles. Junior Adddie Haney (who also plays soccer) will occupy the No. 5 rung on the singles ladder.

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You may know them on the field, but the Anderson High School Mavericks are helping younger kids in the classroom. On Fridays for a semester, a group of Mavs senior football players mentored nine Clinch River Community School elementary-age students and helped them write a book. Clinch River Community School sits just up the hill from Anderson County High School, home of the Mavs. It serves students with special needs or transitioning from being homeschooled. Several senior Mavs mentors stressed that the stereotypes people had about CRCS students didn’t hold true for their own experiences. “Just because you’ve come from a bad situation doesn’t mean you’re a bad kid,” said Graycen Bradshaw, offensive and defensive lineman. “In Anderson County people go, ‘The kids up at CRCS, those are the bad kids.’ I think the kids we worked with are a prime example of why this isn’t a ‘bad kids’ school.’ Like, these kids are great, and I don’t think they should be given that bad of a name,” said kicker Josh Valero. “If you just spend a little bit of time with them, you’ll see that.” The Mavs also led with reading and athletic activities including football- and volleyball-related challenges. They helped with class work and led a scavenger hunt, which ended with finding the book the students wrote with their mentors’ help and later illustrated. The CRCS students wrote about fictional adventures involving themselves and their mentors.

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Kayla Brunke named to Ohio University Dean’s List Ohio University College of Fine Arts student Kayla Brunke of Oak Ridge has been named to the fall 2023 Dean’s List. The Dean’s List recognizes undergraduate students who complete a particular semester with a GPA of 3.5 to 3.999, with a minimum of 12 credit hours attempted for letter grades that are used to calculate GPA. Rocky Top’s Audrey Evans earns place on Dean’s List   Audrey Evans of Rocky Top has been named to the fall 2023 Dean’s List at Furman University. Furman’s Dean’s List is composed of full-time undergraduate students who earn a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher on a four-point system. Evans’s parents are Larry and Amanda Evans. Furman is a private, undergraduate liberal arts and sciences university of 2,500 students in Greenville, South Carolina.

Anderson County High School boys soccer Coach Chris Curtin was pleased after his team had a reversal of fortune last week. The Mavericks, who got off to an 0-2 start to open the 2024 campaign, found their way into the win column twice last week. On Thursday, Anderson County picked up its first District 4-AA victory of the season as it topped Union County, 5-1. Charlie Pemberton scored two goals against the Patriots, while Kai Morris, Gavin Higgs and Landon Nichols added one marker each. ACHS (2-2 overall, 1-1 in District 4-AA) opened the week with a 3-1 victory over Carter in Strawberry Plains on Tuesday, March 26. Three different players found the back of the net against the Hornets. Andrew Wilson, Foster Madron and Muller Gudino provided the offense for the Mavericks.

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Clinton High School boys soccer team notched its first win of the 2024 season on the road late last, With that victory the Dragons gave their coach a bit of a homecoming present, Clinton made the trip to Strawberry Plains and lift East Knox County with a 2-1 victory over the host Carter Hornets. The Dragons (1-3-1) never trailed in the match, which was the place where coach Gene Chunn coached for nearly two decades. Chunn said he had a great return and that his side’s victory made things just a bit sweeter. “It was really great to be back on that pitch over there,” Chunn said. “I had 17 great years as coach over there and I saw a lot of great people. “It was great to be back home and I want to thank (Carter) coach Dustin (Dudley) for inviting us to come over there and play. We had a scrimmage with them last year, and it all brought back a lot of great memories.” As for the match, the Dragons never trailed, opening a 2-0 advantage by halftime. “I think we grew up a lot, and hopefully, we can continue to grow,” Chunn said. “It was great to get that first win. We played really well.” Osmar Vasquez and Julio Del Valle each scored a goal for Clinton, while Cristian Gutierrez was credited with an assist on both goals. The Dragons had 13 shots against the Hornets. Seven of those shots landed on target and Clinton was whistled for 13 offsides calls. “We really didn’t finish as well as we should have,” Chunn said. “We had 13 shots and seven of those shots were on goal, and then we had 13 offsides calls.” Clinton opened the week on Tuesday, March 25 with a 9-0 loss to William Blount.

The winning streak reached four matches for the Oak Ridge High School boys soccer team last week. The Wildcats took the pitch just once last week as they opened District 3-AAA play against Karns and notched a 6-0 victory over the Beavers Thursday night. Oak Ridge (4-2 overall, 1-0 in the district) now has a league win and a tournament championship in Cleveland after losing its first two matches to Chattanooga Baylor and Hardin Valley Academy. Against the Beavers, Eli Lynch scored twice. Emmett Lee, Gabe Weber, Ayden Clements and Andrew Coffee also tallied for the Wildcats. In an attempt to avoid inclement weather predicted for Tuesday, the Wildcats and Campbell County moved their match in Jacksboro to Monday. Results were not available at press time. The Wildcats host Knoxville Halls on Thursday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Shoulder maintenance on Melton Lake Drive in Oak Ridge will begin today, Wednesday, April 3. To avoid high-traffic times, work is anticipated to start after 8 a.m. and should be done by 3 p.m. each day. This work is set to last about a week. Drivers in both directions may experience temporary lane closures and more traffic than usual. People are asked to use caution while traveling through the work zones, plan accordingly and expect temporary delays. As a reminder, this work schedule is dependent on weather conditions. For more information, contact Oak Ridge Public Works at 865-425-1875.

Jaylynn Bullock will continue her athletic career and she won’t be going far from home. Bullock, a senior at Anderson County High School, recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Roane State Community College. A two-sport athlete for the Lady Mavericks, excelling in both basketball and volleyball, chose to play for the Lady Raiders because she was wanted and it was assistant volleyball coach Dail Cantrell, who told Bullock that her services were wanted at Roane State. “At the beginning of the season, Coach Dail came to me and asked me how serious I was about playing college volleyball,” Bullock said. “God has blessed me with this opportunity.” Bullock, a standout setter for coach Jayme Smith and the Lady Mavericks, was also an all-district point guard for coach Mitch Couples and the Lady Mavericks’ basketball team, chose to play volleyball despite having a passion for basketball. “This season, I really loved basketball,” she said. “The passion for basketball kind of came and went. I’ve had injuries and basketball was hard on my body, and I prayed about it and I’m at peace with the decision I’ve made and the sport that I chose to continue. “My parents are really excited that I’m staying close to home. My mom played at Roane State.” For Smith, it was a day of mixed emotions. “I love this because you’re going on to something bigger and better, but I hate this because I’m losing you,” Smith told Bullock at the ceremony. “Just know that we’re proud of you and that our door will always be open to you.” Bullock will major in nursing and pursue a career as a NICU nurse.

Norris Middle School’s baseball team kept its perfect record intact Monday night with a resounding victory over a rival on the road. The Senators (12-0) routed Clinton, 16-2 in four innings, and won their second game against the Hawks this season. Catcher Levi Skeen had a big game at the plate as he went 3-for-3. He had two doubles, three runs, four doubles and a stolen base for Norris, which opened an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Senators tallied in every inning, tallying multiple times in each frame. They scored four in the first and three in the second before really blowing things open with six runs in the top of the third. Norris added three more runs in its final at-bat in the top of the fourth. The Hawks (2-5) managed just one hit in the contest, a single by Heriberto Tirado. He also scored one of Clinton’s runs. Evan Carmichael also scored for Clinton. The Senators were opportunistic as they took advantage of nine Clinton errors. Aiden Walker had two hits, two walks, a run scored and an RBI, while Peyton Williams was 1-for-3. He drove in four runs and recorded a pair of stolen bases. Jack Wilson drew two walks, scored three runs and swiped a pair of bases. Will Goehring scored three runs and drove in three more. Norris pitcher Reese Young pitched a complete game, going four innings. He gave up two runs (one earned), one hit and two walks. He struck out 10 Clinton hitters. He also contributed offensively as he drew two walks and scored three runs. The Hawks scored their first run of the contest in the bottom of the opening frame and added another in the third.

Former Oak Ridge High girls soccer coach Donnie Green, who left the Lady Wildcats’ program following the 2023 season to begin the women’s program at Roane State Community College, has been hitting the recruiting trail hard. And he recently signed a pair of former local players to play for the Lady Raiders. Oak Ridge High senior Victoria Moua recently finalized her college plans when she signed her National Letter of Intent to play for her former high school coach at Roane State. Green, obviously, is familiar with Moua, a defender and three-year starter on the Oak Ridge back line. “She’s a very smart player. She communicates well and she plays her position very strongly,” Green said of Moua. “As a junior, she dislocated her elbow and that hurt us a bit, but she worked hard and recouped. “Everything she’s gotten she earned it. She works hard and she never complains. She does her job. Signing her was big for my back line. We’re desperately in need of defenders. I’ve gotten some forward and I’ve gotten some midfielders.” One of those forward is Anderson County senior Elizabeth Troyna, who will have her signing ceremony at ACHS on April 11. “She plays primarily in the midfield but she told me that she could be a utility player,” Green said. “She can also play forward and outside back as well. “She’s a hard worker and she’ll definitely help my Roane State team move forward. I feel comfortable putting her anywhere on the field. She does well finding feet.”

The Hermes test reactor may not be built yet, but at the American Museum of Science and Energy, visitors may have the experience of operating it. They can put their gloved hands in a transparent box to pick up a small sphere, like the tri-structural isotropic fuel pebbles that the new reactor will be the first to use. Then, they can place the pebble so that it will come down on a pebble extraction machine screw like the one the future test plant will use. “There’s just something joyous about watching those things,” AMSE Director of Exhibits and Collections Quinn Argall said. The future Hermes reactor built by the company Kairos will test a new style of reactor using fuel pebbles rather than just fuel rods on Oak Ridge’s Roane County side. Meanwhile, AMSE, on the county’s Anderson County side, developed a temporary exhibit in collaboration with Kairos.

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Oak Ridge is looking to renovate its stage pavilion in A.K. Bissell Park, known affectionately by locals as “the Pringle” due to its shape. The City Council unanimously voted at its March 19 meeting to spend $26,000 to have architecture firm Clark-Nexen look at the site and come up with a design. The stage is the site of various events including the ORNL Federal Credit Union Summer Sessions concerts. A staff memo in the agenda for that meeting and the council’s resolution cited the wearing with time of the fabric shade structure over the stage, first installed in 1993. “Over the years, it has been pressure washed and repaired, but it is far beyond its engineered functional life,” the memo stated. Other issues staff listed included siding and roofing material. The council also cited a desire for the renovated pavilion to match the Convention Center, which the same contractor designed. Workers are currently building the Convention Center next door to the city’s Recreation Center. However, it’s unlikely to look too different from its current form. “We’d like to kind of keep it similar, if possible,” said Seth Rodgers, Oak Ridge special projects coordinator. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Dodson made the motion for the contract with Clark-Nexen, and council member Ellen Smith seconded. “Performers in the pavilion would be happy to have new cover over them,” Smith said.

Upgrades and other improvements to the parks in Norris, including a new pavilion in Oak Road Park and paved walkways in Ridgeway Park, should be completed by the end of April, City Manager Adam Ledford says. A $41,000 project to replace the deteriorated pavilion at Oak Road Park has been underway for several weeks, and the new structure is up and nearly finished. It’s been a complicated process because the old pavilion had only a dirt floor, while the new one is getting a concrete floor, and eventually will have new tables and benches. The new pavilion is about two feet longer and a foot wider than the one it replaced, the city manager said. The playground equipment at Oak Road also has gotten new rubber material under it, replacing the previous wood chips, because the rubber is safer for kids when they fall on it, Ledford said. “Oak Road is open, except for the pavilion, and the transfer from wood chips to rubber material is done,” he said. “Work on the pavilion is still going, but should be done by the end of the month.” A delay in getting asphalt kept the new Ridgeway Park walkways from getting paved, but that also should be finished by the end of April, Ledford said. In the meantime, the rest of the park is open for play, but the walkways are barricaded off, he said.

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It could be said that Scott Nation, the new Anderson County veterans service officer, has come full circle. A graduate of Oliver Springs High School, Nation began his military career as a recruiter in Clinton from 1996 to 2000. He served 29 years with the Tennessee National Guard. In addition to recruiting, he served as an informational technology specialist, unit administrative specialist and entrance processing station counselor. He retired as a first sergeant after serving in Knoxville, Nashville and Johnson City. Before becoming the Anderson County service officer, Nation worked for a short time in the concrete business. He sees his new job as an opportunity to help veterans gain the benefits they deserve and may not be aware of. One of the things Nation is concerned about is the growing number of veteran suicides. He plans to contact 22 veterans a day to check up on them and see how he can help them.

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A dog-friendly beer garden in Oak Ridge is preparing to have its grand opening Saturday, April 6. Hops and Hounds opened earlier this year and has already hosted a Saint Patrick’s Day party drawing in more than 50 customers. People have been coming even without dogs to the patio to watch March Madness games. The business is at 317 Belgrade Road. Hops and Hounds bought the site from the Houndry, which had operated the site as The Back Yard, similarly a beer venue to which people could bring dogs. “They had the vision,” said co-owner Bela Parrott regarding the Houndry. “It’s just now we’re executing it.” His co-owner and wife Maggie Parrott said the Houndry had wanted to focus on a dog-walking business. “We feel pretty confident,” she said regarding their ability to keep the business open. Bela Parrott said he expects to hire more employees by the end of the summer. Hops and Hounds has different areas. Visitors can enjoy an on-leash area resembling a more-traditional beer garden. It also includes human games like Connect-Four and darts. Guests can also play with their dogs in an off-leash area, which has its own tennis balls guests can throw. Unlike other areas of Hops and Hounds, the off-leash area has cover charges. The one-day fee is $8 per dog. Ten-day memberships are $60, monthly memberships are $30 and yearly memberships are $300.

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From the end of a fisherman’s line at Norris Lake in Union County to a quiet yet comfy pen at Clinton’s Little Ponderosa Zoo & Rescue, a young alligator has had a stressful week. The little gator – measuring under four feet long – is resting comfortably now at the zoo and has had some fresh chicken to eat, but otherwise has remained mostly docile, said Little Ponderosa Assistant Manager Abbie Bell. Still unnamed, the juvenile gator was pulled out of the lake by an angler on Monday, March 18, and then turned over to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Officer Rick Roberts. Roberts subsequently delivered the gator to Little Ponderosa, where it has been allowed to warm up and lounge around in relative peace since its arrival, Bell said. Little Ponderosa is trying to find the gator a permanent home, however, because the zoo does not have any alligators in residence, and is not ready to add one to its collection of residents, she said.

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Rocky Top could soon have its first public parking lot in the downtown area. On the recommendation of Mayor Kerry Templin, the City Council voted last Thursday evening (March 21) to spend up to $125,000 to purchase the old Martin Funeral Home building at 225. S. Main St. to create the parking lot. “We will never see development until we have dedicated parking downtown,” Templin told the council. “There is no public parking [downtown] now; all parking is privately owned. “I think the city should look at purchasing the old Martin Funeral Home property,” he said. “To do this properly, the city needs to purchase all of this property,” Templin said. That includes the building, which Templin believes should be removed, along with the vacant lot next to it that has been used as a parking lot for the funeral home and the former Coal Creek Barbecue restaurant next door. “Some of the owners have expressed a willingness to sell,” he said. The property had been tied up in probate for some time, but now apparently is available to be sold.

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At its Monday meeting, the Clinton City Council heard good news from its auditors. The council also considered ordinances dealing with authorizing an administrative hearing officer, rezoning a portion of Aspire Park, allowing chickens in the city, defining junked vehicles, and adopting standardized building codes. Gary Mitchell of the accounting firm of Pugh and Company presented the audit for fiscal year 2022-23, with a “clean opinion.” He apologized because the report to the council was delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances,” however he said all deadlines had been met. He said the 150-page document recorded the accounting firm’s clean opinion of the city’s finances and added that there were no major discrepancies. He predicted, based on the audits figures, that the city’s debt would be paid off by June 2026. In other financial matters, Chris Phillips, the city’s finance director, stated that as of Feb. 29, the city had collected 99% of property taxes. He went on to say that the budget was at 77% of projected revenues and 81% of projected expenditures. City Manager Roger Houk said that since July 1 the city has spent more than $4.5 million on equipment, pavement and projects.

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Due to a tied vote, the Anderson County Commission failed to create a formal agreement about the relationship between the county government and its libraries. Commissioner Robert McKamey made the motion, and Commissioner and Library Board member Joshua Anderson seconded at the commission’s March 18 meeting. McKamey said the agreement just put in writing the current system of how the county and cities run the libraries. Commission Chairman Tyler Mayes later disputed that claim, however, saying the agreement stated that the cities were responsible for the utilities, but the county currently pays for all utilities except for a portion of Norris Library utilities. “There’s nothing in writing,” McKamey said regarding the current situation. “This just gets us through this fiscal year and gives us something in writing.” The agreement would have involved the county funding the library system with $526,484 per year in property taxes. The library employees would be county employees, and the county would be in charge of the Briceville Library building.

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A church in Kingston has donated $28,000 to Rocky Top to pay for installation and maintenance of a “Safe Haven Baby Box” in the city’s downtown fire station, where new mothers with unwanted infants may safely drop them off with no liability. During last Thursday’s City Council meeting, the woman whose idea it was, Linda Wolfenbarger of Kingston, was on hand to explain the plans for the Rocky Top baby box. She was joined by Ben Williams of Kington United Methodist Church, who presented the $28,000 check to Rocky Top Mayor Kerry Templin to pay the $12,000 cost of the box, along with $12,000 for installation and enough extra to pay $300 a year for 10 years of maintenance. “This is an awesome thing,” Templin said. Williams, who runs the Clothes Closet at the Kingston church, said money made by that operation is funneled into community projects such as baby boxes. The church also helped pay for a baby box that was recently installed at the Kingston Fire Department. Wolfenbarger said she came up with the idea to try to raise money for the baby box in Kingston, and found an anonymous donor to pay for the box itself, and more donors – including the Methodist church – to pay for the installation and maintenance. She said she later went back to the church and asked if there was any interest in funding a second baby box for another area fire station. “We looked around and found that Rocky Top would be a good location, and the church agreed,” she said.

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Clinton High School’s baseball team battled some inclement weather last week, but the Dragons managed to win two of their three games. Clinton (3-4) had victories over Cocke County and Volunteer. The Dragons lost to Christian Academy of Knoxville in a game that wasn’t originally on their schedule. They opened the week with a 12-3 win over the Fighting Cocks on Monday, March 18. Garrett Davis had the hot bat for the Dragons as he went 3-for-3 and scored four runs. He had two doubles and recorded three RBIs. Isaiah Slaven had two hits, including a double, and drove in a pair of runs. Harrison Shelton had an RBI triple and scored a run, while Garrett Lee doubled and scored two runs and Dallas Beets collected a hit and scored two runs. On Thursday, the Dragons played the Warriors and came up on the short end of a 4-0 decision. Clinton managed just one hit, a single by Davis, against CAK. But coach Rob Stacy, despite the loss, was pleased with his squad’s effort.

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After getting off to an 0-6 start, Anderson County High School’s softball team is heading into the week with a modest two-game winning streak. The Lady Mavericks closed the week Friday with an 11-0 victory at Northview Academy as pitcher Addy Grooms hurled a two-hit shutout. She posted a dominant performance in the circle as she allowed just one walk and had seven strikeouts. She also had a big night at the plate as she went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for the Lady Mavericks, who blew the game open with six runs in the top of the sixth inning. Leadoff hitter Kaycee Baldwin was 2-for-5 and scored two runs, while Brooklyn Dugger had a double, a run scored and an RBI and Marlea Finstad had a hit and scored two runs. ACHS lost to Grace Christian Academy 7-3, on Tuesday, March 18, despite getting a home run from Finstad. But even in defeat, Lady Mavs’ head coach Allen Russell saw things take a positive turn.

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Crosstown rivals Clinton and Anderson County renewed acquaintances on the baseball diamond Monday night in the first of a two-game District 4-AAA series at Jaycee Park. And when the dust had settled, the Dragons outlasted the Mavericks, 6-4, in the district opener for both schools. Anderson County (4-5 overall, 0-1 in the district jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning only to see Clinton (4-4, 1-0) score four unanswered runs, including two in the fourth and two in the sixth. Harrison Shelton, the Dragons’ starting pitcher, was 1-for-2 at the plate as he had a single, a sacrifice fly and three RBIs. Dallas Beets had two hits and scored two runs, while Garrett Davis went 1-for-3 and an RBI, and Alex Duggins doubled and scored. Shelton pitched six innings. He surrendered four runs (two earned), seven hits and five walks, before giving way to Isaiah Slaven, who pitched a scoreless seventh. He surrendered one hit and had one strikeout. For Anderson County, Aydin Bond had three hits and drove in a run, while Ty Strickland had two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Morgan Clark and Reece Wilkerson each singled and scored, while Easton Beaty singled, scored and drove in a run. On the mound, Alex Bond pitched a complete game, going six innings. He yielded six runs (five earned), six hits and five walks. He struck out seven.

Clinton High School’s softball team had high hopes for the 2024 season, but things haven’t quite gone as planned for the Lady Dragons. Most of Clinton’s struggles began in the preseason as the Lady Dragons’ field, which was supposed to be ready in January is still not complete, leaving head coach Leonard Sams and his team a bit frustrated. “We were behind and it was nobody’s fault. Our new field was supposed to be ready when we came back to school in January and it’s still not ready,” Sams said. “We didn’t have the time to practice and train, and we’re playing like it. “We’re playing at about 50 percent of what we’re capable of right now, and the girls are frustrated.” The Lady Dragons’ latest setback was a 4-0 loss to Walker Valley. Clinton outhit the Lady Mustangs, 5-4, but couldn’t push any runs across the plate Monday night. Lynnlee Adkins and Marissa Eccles each had two hits for Clinton Monday night, while Sara Bishop singled and stole a base.

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Playing its first games in East Tennessee, Anderson County High School’s baseball team swept Carter in a home-and-home non-league series early last week. The Mavericks, who opened the 2024 campaign in Florida over Spring Break, defeated the Hornets, 8-2, at home on Tuesday, March 19, and edged Carter, 3-2, in Strawberry Plains the following day. On Friday, the Mavericks lost to Lenoir City, 9-8, in nine innings despite getting a 4-for-5 performance at the plate from Luke Lankford, who drove in a run and scored another. Reece Wilkerson also went 2-for-3 and scored two runs, while Morgan Clark went 2-for-6 and recorded two RBIs. On Saturday, the Mavericks got back on track and into the win column with an 8-3 win over Volunteer. Pitcher Daniel Unthank picked up the win on the mound as he finished with nine strikeouts. He also singled and drove in a run for ACHS against the Falcons. Ty Wilson had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs, while Wilkerson doubled and scored. He also knocked in a run. Easton Beaty had two hits, including a double.

The Oak Ridge High School softball team snapped its two-game losing streak and made it to the .500 mark with a 9-4 victory over Coalfield in its first road game of the 2024 season Monday night. After falling behind the Lady Jackets, 1-0, in the bottom of the first inning, the Wildcats scored twice in the top of the second and plated four more runs in the top of the third to open a 6-1 lead. From there, the Lady Wildcats never looked back as they had a 9-1 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh. Coalfield made things a bit more interesting in its final at-bat. The Lady Jackets scored four runs in the home half of the seventh. Oak Ridge pounded out 15 hits in the contest. Seven of the Lady Wildcats’ safeties went for extra bases. Cambrie Hixson went 3-for-4 and had two doubles and knocked in four runs, while Mackenzie Miller went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, three runs and two RBIs.

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After sweeping Karns in its first District 3-4A series early last week, the Oak Ridge High School baseball team has dropped two of its last three games. The Wildcats (5-4-1 overall, 2-1 in the district) came up on the short end of a 5-4 decision against Powell at home Monday night. Cy Stephen went 1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI against the Panthers, while Caden Black was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. The loss to the Panthers Monday was the Wildcats’ second consecutive loss. Oak Ridge lost to Maryville, 9-3, at home Friday night. The Rebels, who led 1-0 in the fourth, scored eight runs in the top of the fifth to all but put the game away. But the Wildcats would counter with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Oak Ridge managed just three hits against Maryville as Black, Kam Welch and Peyton Witter all singled and stole bases. ORHS had better fortunes on the road at Bearden as it left Phil Garner Ballpark with a 12-7 victory over the host Bulldogs. Warren East hit a home run and stole a base, while Mikee Teasley went 3-for-3 with two runs and two doubles. Witter was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, two doubles and a run scored.

After losing its first two matches to open the 2024 season, the Oak Ridge High School boys soccer team won three games in the Cleveland Tournament last week. The Wildcats claimed the tournament championship with a 2-1 comeback victory over Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences Saturday. After falling behind 1-0, Samir Calix scored the equalizer and Oak Ridge (3-2) got the game-winner from Ayden Clements, who banked the ball off the post and into the back of the net. Oak Ridge advanced to the championship match with a 3-0 victory over Ooltewah. Eli Lynch had two markers against the Owls. Juno Morill also scored in the match for the Wildcats. ORHS opened tournament play Thursday night with a 4-0 win over the host Blue Raiders. In that match, Lynch scored twice and Drayton Keehn and Clements finished with one goal each.

As the 2024 high school boys soccer season moves forward, Clinton continues to experience growing pains. The Dragons (0-2-1) played one match last week and dropped a 7-0 decision to Kingston Thursday night. Clinton coach Gene Chunn said that the Yellow Jackets provided some stiff competition for the Dragons. “They were really good and they had a lot of speed,” Chunn said. “When you only have four returning starters back and eight returning players, you just have to learn. “We have 27 players on the roster and the rest of the team is freshmen and sophomores. We saw the video on Friday and we’ll just have to learn from it.” Chunn can find solace in the fact that the Dragons got off to a slow start last season but they went on to win the district tournament. “This is just the way that it’s going to be for us during the first few weeks of the season,” he said. “It was just like this last year.”

Anderson County High School’s boys soccer team opened its 2024 season last week. The Mavericks lost two games, falling to Gibbs, 1-0, Thursday night and dropping an 8-1 decision to Kingston on Tuesday, March 19.

Oak Ridge is fondly referred to as the Secret City. But it’s no secret that our community is home to some of the most innovative and historic energy sites in the world. From the old K-25 plant to the Y-12 National Security Complex and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge has a rich and important story. What has been accomplished in the rolling hills of Anderson and Roane counties has had international significance, and we remain a leader in nuclear innovation. The city of Oak Ridge was built for exploration and scientific discovery as part of the Manhattan Project to create the world’s first atomic bomb. I’m proud of this history and the role we played in ending World War II, which ultimately saved many lives. As a state legislator representing Anderson County, I’m committed to preserving this pioneering spirit to allow our energy industry to thrive. In last year’s budget, I was pleased to support Gov. Bill Lee’s $50 million Nuclear Energy Fund, which will help advance the entire state’s nuclear industry. The program provides incentives for nuclear power-related businesses to move to the Volunteer State, helping cement our place as one of the country’s most-effective energy centers.

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Sitting at its third location, the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge is celebrating 75 years. The museum opened on March 19, 1949, as the Museum of Atomic Energy. Tony Schnadelbach, director of volunteers and public programs for the museum said it opened the same day Oak Ridge opened its gates to the public, dropping the secrecy of its World War II days. During the war, the city, then run by the federal government, had enriched uranium for bomb tests and bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. While the secrecy during that time gave Oak Ridge its nickname “Secret City,” the museum, four years after the bombing, marked a desire to talk to the public about the once-secret scientific advances. “The big thing was that the Atomic Energy Commission at that time wanted to showcase to the general public what this new atomic age was all about and really teach all the citizens about the new uses of the atom that were coming into America,” Schnadelbach said. The first building was at Jefferson Circle in an old wartime cafeteria. In 1975, the museum moved to Tulane Avenue.

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• Oak Ridge, known as the Secret City, harbors significant energy sites. • Landmarks like the K-25 plant, Y-12 National Security Complex, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory highlight Oak Ridge’s rich history. • Oak Ridge’s contribution to the Manhattan Project underscores its pivotal role in ending World War II. • State Rep. John Ragan supports preserving Oak Ridge’s pioneering spirit to bolster the energy industry. • Ragan backed Gov. Bill Lee’s $50 million Nuclear Energy Fund to enhance Tennessee’s nuclear industry. • The fund’s first recipient will establish operations at the TVA’s Bull Run plant, marking a significant fusion research expansion in Anderson County.

Just in time for spring cleaning, the Norris Lions Club’s annual community-wide yard sale will be held Saturday, April 13. Those wanting to get rid of usable but unneeded items can take part in the event by displaying them in their yards or driveways, and take advantage of advertising and signs provided by the Lions Club for a fee of $10. Besides the various yard sales expected across the city, there will also be a sale going on at the Lions Club Pavilion in the Norris downtown area. Proceeds from the Lions Club sales at the pavilion go towards the club’s service projects in Norris and surrounding communities. Individuals hosting yard sales will have the option to donate all or a portion of their sales to the Norris Lions Club.

Future housing in Oak Ridge’s Scarboro community is moving ahead, although boards are raising questions about traffic and future ownership of roads. The City Council unanimously voted to acquire new land at its Jan. 19 meeting. Then, the Planning Commission recommended rezoning the land to better fit the development at its meeting Thursday, March 21. The Planning Commission’s approval came with an amendment requesting a study to address how traffic from the new development’s two entrances would affect the neighborhood. All the members of Planning Commission voted to approve this amended version except for Jane Shelton, who said she would prefer to have been more involved in earlier steps of the design process. The rezoning will next go to the City Council. Planning Commission member Greta Ownby said she is worried about the entrance on Carver Avenue being near Oak Ridge Schools Preschool, and the effects of the other entrance on South Dillard Avenue would have on traffic near residents. The project will be on currently vacant former city land. The City Council transferred 9.29 acres in September before adding about 1.7 acres near Carver Avenue this month. The additional acres were to add an entrance along the parking lot to the Scarboro Community Center.

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To reduce wildland fire risk, Tennesseans are reminded that a burn permit from the state Department of Agriculture Forestry Division is required through May 15 for all open burning where local restrictions do not apply. Burn permits are free and can be obtained quickly and easily at BurnSafeTN.org or by using the MyTN mobile app. Online permits are issued seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. in Eastern and Central time zones, depending on your location. Permits are available for burning leaf and brush piles, and for prescribed fires, including broadcast burning for various purposes such as land clearing, forestry, and agriculture. Individuals with limited internet access may obtain a permit by calling 877-350-2876. Foresters are available to assist callers Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern, except for holidays. Permits expire at midnight on the day on which they are obtained, so apply on the day you plan to burn. Fires should be fully extinguished by time of permit expiration. Burning without a permit is a crime that carries penalties of up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine.

Rocky Top residents upset over the recent closing of the KFC/Taco Bell restaurant on Colonial Lane can look forward to it reopening in early May after a comprehensive remodeling, the builder in charge of the work said this week. “We’re hoping to get it opened in the next month and a half,” said Chase Wolfenbarger, project manager for RTC General Contractors in Knoxville. “We build and remodel a lot of KFCs and Taco Bells, and this one is just undergoing an updating required by the parent company, Yum Brands, of its franchisees every 18 to 20 years,” he said. Rumors on social media that either the KFC or the Taco Bell side of the restaurant would be going away with the remodeling are unfounded, Wolfenbarger said. “It will still be both brands in the same store,” he said. On Friday, workers were repainting the red-and-white scheme of KFC on the east side of the building.

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The new Coal Creek General Store, which opened last fall in a 124-year-old building in downtown Rocky Top, continues to build it stock, clientele and reputation. Helping to boost the store’s reputation, the operator of a YouTube site known as The Appalachian Channel created a video on the premises last Thursday, and had it posted on the media site by Friday. John Ward of Jacksboro, creator of The Appalachian Channel, didn’t have far to go to make the video. He said he’d been hearing about the store since owners Jason and Natalie Deel opened it, and had been wanting to feature it on his channel. The store was a perfect subject, as its purpose, according to the Deels, was to re-create an Appalachia-style old country store, where people of a community could gather to buy goods and chat with their neighbors. Ward’s video, which can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=Dfluzy3MooI, leads off with a closeup of the hot bologna sandwiches that have become the top-selling item at the store after its taffy.

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Drivers who travel Melton Lake Drive can expect delays beginning Tuesday, March 26, while Oak Ridge Public Works crews conduct shoulder maintenance. Work is anticipated to start after 8 a.m. and should be done by 3 p.m. each day. This work is set to last about a week.

On March 13, I learned that Ruth Skidmore, 101, a sweet friend who was at great role model to me, had passed. I’ve not known her as long as some others, but in the short time, she became my friend. She was a veteran of World War II. Mrs. Skidmore has been an inspiration to me and is a true legend and an inspiration to all girls. What she’s seen and witnessed in her lifetime is inspirational and mind-blowing at the same time. She was born in 1922, when Warren Harding was the 29th president, and Calvin Coolidge was vice president. She lived through 17 presidents, from Roosevelt to Kennedy to Nixon to Reagan to Biden. To have seen what she has lived through would be amazing, hard and painful. She lived during the years of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Apollo 11 flight, when man first landed on the moon, July 16, 1969. She wat not only a legend, but a hero and historian. I’m truly grateful to have known her. Fly high with the angels sweet friend. Thought and prayers to her family.

Junior Achievement of East Tennessee will be celebrating a milestone, hosting its 100,000th student at JA BizTown, on April 2 at 9 a.m. The event will take place at Junior Achievement’s headquarters, 2135 N. Charles G. Seviers Blvd. JA BizTown is an innovative experiential learning program aimed at educating students about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness in a simulated town setting. Students take on various roles within the town’s economy, from business owners to employees, allowing them to experience real-life scenarios and develop essential skills for future success. For more information about Junior Achievement of East Tennessee and JA BizTown, visit easttennessee.ja.org or contact Wendy Maness, BizTown instructional manager, at wendy@jaeasttennessee.org or 865-748-6178.

The Historic Downtown Clinton organization held it’s annual volunteer sign up event on March 19 at 6 p.m. at 303 Main St., which was also the spring equinox. The timing seemed like a perfect match to start the season with the Mosaic Arts Festival and Color Run set for the first weekend in April. Registration for this year’s Mosaic Arts Color Run is open now. Sip of Summerfest is back again this year set for later in the summer. Anyone signing up will receive a free volunteer T-shirt and information about the coming events sponsored by the group. Executive Director Katherine Birkbeck said she is always needing sponsors, volunteers and food truck vendors for these events. For more information, email her at kbirkbeck1@gmail.com.

AARP Smart Driver classes will be offered in 2024 for seniors. Each class is limited to 15 people. The list of nearby classes and dates for Anderson County seniors is as follows. APRIL: Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., West Knox County Senior Center, 239 Jamestowne Blvd, Suite 101, Farragut. Instructor will be Paul Johnson. Registration: Call 865-788-7805. MAY: Wednesday and Thursday, May 22 and 23, 1405 Oak Ridge Parkway, Oak Ridge, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. both days. Instructor wil be Jim Schoffstall. Registration: Call 865-425-3999. SEPT.: Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 18 and 19, Oak Ridge Senior Center, 1405 Oak Ridge Parkway, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. both days. Instructor: Jim Schoffstall. Registration: Call 865-425-3999.

Robo Baggins, a robot, and his fellowship, the Clinton High School RoboDragons robotics team, are heading to Houston to compete against other robotics teams from around the world. The RoboDragons will next head to the FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Championship in the Texas city from April 17-20. The team built and designed and will control Robo Bagins, who will need to gather foam rings and place them in a six-foot-tall goal, as will every other team’s robots. Coach Jimmy Davis said this challenge inspired the CHS robot’s name, honoring the film and book series “The Lord of The Rings” and its central character, Frodo Baggins. For extra points, Robo Baggins and the other robots will try to climb a loose-hanging chain. The RoboDragons are heading to this competition because they won at the Smoky Mountain Regional Championship at the Knoxville Coliseum on March 3 doing the same tasks. “In a word, surreal,” Davis said regarding how it felt qualifying for the championship. “I can’t put it on me. It’s actually on the kids, on the team. They’re the ones who put in the energy and the work to make it happen.”

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A school bus contractor is trying to appeal a contract going to a new provider for some of Anderson County’s bus routes. The dispute involves how the people in charge of evaluating contractors look at experience. David Landreth, president of Andersonville Bus Lines, made the appeal. He laid out his case at a work session of the Anderson County Board of Education, explaining that experience doing the specific routes in Anderson County should count more than experience doing routes elsewhere. As stated in official documents, contractor SCU received 13 contracts for routes with competitive bids, including six on which Andersonville also bid. Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager said in an interview March 18 that the county planned to decide on this appeal within 10 days. At the March 18 County Commission meeting, Landreth joined many others in disputing the contract decision process, making Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse standing room only during the time for public comments.

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Appalachia Ridge, the new RV park next to the Museum of Appalachia, plans to open for Memorial Day weekend with 100 sites ready for recreational vehicles, its spokeswoman says. The park, just west of the museum, plans to open its website (appalachiaridge.com) to reservations beginning this coming Friday, said Joy Maples, marketing executive for Appalachia Ridge. “We’re still getting the [reservations] map ready,” she said. “We’re very excited.” The park originally had planned to open by spring 2023, but faced several delays, Maples said. Most recently, the developers had to “widen the entrance and exit roads a bit,” she said. Work is still underway to finish some electrical hookups and other details. Still not ready to open, however, are some other planned amenities at the site, including tent campsites, “glamping” tents, treehouses and some tiny homes. “We don’t have dates for the rest yet,” Maples said. “We will not open those Memorial weekend.” Construction of the main entrance building and the separate bathhouse are completed, and electrical wiring to the 100 RV sites is almost finished, Mandy Conner, one of the park’s developers, said late last month. “It’s coming along great,” Conner said. She said the bathhouse has restrooms, showers and a laundry facility for the customers. All of the RV sites will have electrical, water and sewer hookups. No work has begun yet on other key features.

The Anderson County Commission has unanimously appointed Army veteran Scott Nation as county Veteran Services officer. “I look forward to doing great things, I hope,’ he said. The Veteran Services Committee chose him from a pool of candidates. He will replace outgoing Veteran Services Director Leon Jaquet. The office is in charge of helping military veterans and their families figure out about benefits from Veterans Affairs, and providing some other forms of assistance. Commissioner Tracy Wandell made the motion, and Tim Isbel seconded. Jaquet said at the March 18 meeting that he still had four more days of work. At the same meeting, in a split vote, the commission failed to pass a motion to create an oversight committee for the Animal Shelter, with several members arguing that the committee would be redundant and add too many people to a task already overseen by county Mayor Terry Frank. Currently, there is an Animal Care Advisory Committee, but not one with any official oversight role.

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Anderson County Schools has joined 35 other Tennessee school systems in a lawsuit against social media companies seeking protections for students. Amid a growing mental health crisis among students, 36 Tennessee school systems have filed similar lawsuits against social media companies for protection for children across multiple popular platforms. The lawsuits seek actionable accountability, tools and resources to address the lack of protections, monitors, controls and cooperation to protect children. Companies that are being sued include Meta, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Google, WhatsApp and YouTube (Meta Platforms, Inc); Facebook Holdings, LLC; Facebook Operations, LLC; Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC; Meta Payments, Inc.; Instagram, LLC; Siculus, Inc.; Snap, Inc.; TikTok, Inc.; ByteDance, Inc.; Alphabet, Inc.; Google, LLC; XXVI Holdings, Inc.; WhatsApp, Inc.; and YouTube, LLC.).

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The Fisk Jubilee Singers will perform in Oak Ridge on Good Friday. The concert will be at 6 p.m. Friday, March 29, at High Places Community Church, also known as the Historic Grove Theater, at 123 Randolph Road. It will be a benefit concert for the Scarboro 85 monument, which will commemorate the desegregation of Oak Ridge Schools. The Fisk Jubilee singers are an a cappella group of students from Fisk University in Nashville, specializing in gospel music and spirituals with roots dating to 1871. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at TN Bank at 401 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge, or online at Eventbright. If you have additional questions, email scarborocommunity24@gmail.com.

After opening its 2024 season with a lopsided victory over Campbell County on Friday, March 8, the Clinton High School baseball team spent spring break in central Florida. The Dragons played three of the nation’s top teams in Tampa and went 0-3 in the Sunshine State. They began tournament play with a 10-8 loss to Salisbury, a top team from Connecticut. Clinton (1-3) fell behind 10-0 in the top of the fifth inning, but didn’t give up. The Dragons, instead, scored a run in the bottom of that frame and held Salisbury at bay and off the scoreboard the rest of the way. And after a scoreless sixth, the Dragons nearly pulled off a comeback victory by tallying seven times in the bottom of the seventh and final frame. Clinton nearly pulled up the miraculous comeback with the benefit of just one extra-base hit, a double by Isaiah Slaven, who went 1-for-5 and drove in two runs.

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Clinton High School’s softball team opened its 2024 season in Panama City, Florida, in the Bash at the Beach. The Lady Dragons took both their varsity and junior varsity teams to the Gulf Coast, with the varsity squad winning two of its five games as Head Coach Leonard Sams mixed the parts of his roster. “We were playing everybody,” he said. “We’re still moving people around and everybody got to play, and all of our pitchers got to pitch. “Anytime you go to the beach, you’re going to see some good teams, good competition,” he said. “But we kind of used this like spring training, and we’re still moving people around and we have a very talented freshman class.” In their season opener on Monday, March 11, the Lady Dragons (2-3) edged Wewahitchhka, 3-1. Sophomore Elizabeth Graham hit a solo home run, and Heaven Britt-Kimbriel went 1-for-3, with a triple and an RBI.

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A trip to Florida’s Gulf Coast opened the 2024 baseball season for Anderson County High School last week. The Mavericks got off to a slow start, dropping their first three games in Panama City. But they closed their trip to the Sunshine State with an 11-9 victory over Bay High School. Slow starts are nothing new for the Mavericks (1-3) in recent years. They’ve endured early losing streaks in each of the last two seasons, but they rebounded to make the Region 2-AAA Tournament in both 2022 and 2023. “I told the guys that we’ve gotten off to slow starts in each of my three years here,” Anderson County Coach Josh Boynton said. “So we started 0-3, but we’re not going to push the panic button just yet.” The Mavs opened the tournament with a 3-1 loss to Belleview (Florida). ACHS took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Easton Beatty came up with an RBI double that scored Lane Fletcher. Ayden Bond and Ty Wilson both also doubled for the Mavericks, who had just four hits in the contest. The other hit was a single by Alex Bond. The Rattlers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the third. They took the lead in the fifth and added an insurance run in the sixth.

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Anderson County High School softball Coach Allen Russell knew the early part of the 2024 season might be a struggle for his young Lady Mavericks squad. ACHS opened the new campaign at the Bash at the Beach in Panama City, Florida. They faced some tough competition and went 0-4 in the Sunshine State. Anderson County opened the tournament against North Bay Haven Academy, and came up on the short end of a 13-0 decision on Monday, March 11. In that game, the Lady Mavs committed six errors and managed just two hits. Kaycee Baldwin, the Lady Mavs’ center fielder and leadoff hitter, went 1-for-2 with a walk and three stolen bases, while Alexis Siebers was 1-for-2. The Lady Mavericks played an opponent from East Tennessee on March 12 and were edged 6-5 by Greenback. They were again shaky on defense, committing six errors against the Lady Cherokees, who opened a 5-0 lead after two innings.

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In its first two games of the 2024 season, the Oak Ridge High School softball team has scored runs in bunches. The Lady Wildcats picked up their first win of the new campaign Thursday when they topped Campbell County 9-2 Thursday night at home. Oak Ridge took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning and never trailed in the contest. The team got its offense clicking late to nab the lopsided victory. The Lady Cougars pulled to within a run in the top of the fifth before Oak Ridge broke the game open by scoring four runs in the fourth and plating three more in the sixth. “We really struggled early, and it was 2-1 in the top of the fifth,” Lady Wildcats’ first-year Head Coach Jeremy Gill said. “We finally came to life when we scored four runs in the fifth and three in the sixth. “It was good to get that first win.” Oak Ridge (1-1 overall, 1-0 in District 3-4A) collected eight hits against the Lady Cougars and took advantage of a pair of errors by Campbell County. Kaylee Hickman went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Makenzie Miller went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

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A spring break trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama, proved to pay dividends for the Oak Ridge High School baseball team last week. The Wildcats (2-2-1 overall) split four games in Gulf Shores. But Coach Travis Free said he was pleased with his squad’s showing, at least on the mound. “We pitched the ball extremely well,” he said. “I don’t think we played particularly well offensively, but that’s OK. We’re young and we don’t have experience in any of our spots, but one. “We saw a lot of good arms, and most of those guys threw about 88 consistently,”Free said. “And this was a productive week for us. We’ll see that kind of pitching this season, and that’s why we took this trip.” Things opened well for the Wildcats as they earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Buckhorn (Alabama) in nine innings on Monday, March 11. Offensively, Peyton Witter went 2-for-3, with a double, for the Wildcats.

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A-Ville Diner has opened in the space of the former Pizza Plus restaurant in Andersonville, offering burgers, sandwiches, ice cream and pizza. The new eatery began accepting customers just before 11 a.m. Thursday (March 14), and within a few minutes had several people in line to make their first orders. First in line was Ray Jenkins of Andersonville, owner of Jenkins Tree Service, who said he came in to buy lunch for his crew. He said he was glad to see a new restaurant in town since the pizza place closed at the end of December. Owners and operators of A-Ville Diner are Roy and Teresa Bruce, who were the longtime owners of the Andersonville BP gas station and convenience store. They recently bought the restaurant building, across the street from the convenience store, at 3605 Andersonville Highway, with plans to open the diner there.

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