Local News

By Meg Dickens
STAFF WRITER

The Mountain City Beer Board met at City Hall last week to discuss beer permit applications for local grocery stores PriceLess Foods and Food Country.
The very detailed permits unanimously by the board include demands such as having separate public bathrooms available for both male and female patrons. According to City Recorder Sheila Shaw, the ordinance names not satisfying these conditions as “unlawful.”
Price Less was only waiting on board approval to start sales. Food Country received coolers and deliveries this past week, making them ready as of Friday, October 11.
Food Country Manager and representative Daryel Robinson reports that Food Country is considering carrying wine, while PriceLess has not considered this at their location.
“I think this is a good thing,” said Robinson. “It’s keeping tax revenue here. We need tax revenue to help this town grow.”
City Mayor Kevin Parsons confirmed that a liquor store in Mountain City could open as soon as next month. Robert Blackwell’s Mountain Spirits store passed all local guidelines and is waiting for state approval. Parsons and Shaw estimate that Blackwell’s store at the Pioneer Shopping Center will open by the end of November.
On related news, Parsons confirmed that the City Council approved Sunday beer sales starting at 12:01 PM. County Mayor Mike Taylor confirms that the County Commissioners will discuss this issue for the county at their meeting on Thursday, October 17. The County Commissioners’ meeting is open to the public and will take place at the Johnson County Courthouse at 6 PM.

By Katie Lamb and Tamas Mondovics

“I love Mountain City and Johnson County,” said John Coolahan, Project Manager and Senior Operations Manager for many years, and owner of Antiques and Treasures of Mountain City, located at 107 S. Church Street.
Joined by Sylvia Silverberg, owner of Sassy Cats, and Silver Keys Bed and Breakfast both of Mountain City, Coolahan added that he is invested heavily in the area and that Mountain City needs change. “I just want it to be right,” he said.
The two share the street for their business locations and are hard at work to develop a concept appropriately named “Antique Alley” to honor the four antique shops lining Church Street.
While the intention of promoting the idea, which by all counts lacks no merit, achieving it will likely take more effort on the part of business owners and city officials.
Coolahan wasted no time expressing some of his frustration with the City, alleging inaction on the part of the ‘powers that be,’ which he said contributes to the town’s stifled growth.
“I want people to know what is going on,” he said, before listing what he believes has an affect not only on his business and nearby stores but the entire town.
Coolahan expressed his concerns that the County and the City have monies in the budget for tourism, but that no money has been spent on it in the last three years.
“They have not contributed to tourism, which is a necessity for local businesses,” he said, adding that public trash cans have also been removed on Church Street and have not been replaced, which resulted in people leaving trash on the sidewalks and the side of the road.”
As director and past president of the Johnson County Chamber of Commerce (JCTNCC), Coolahan also lamented on resident’s and businesses’ lack of excitement for the annual ‘Scarecrows on Main’ event, the participation of which he said has seen a huge decline since it came under the City’s supervision.
“When the JCTNCC was operating the event, there were thirty or more participants, covering every street corner,” he said. “Now we are lucky to see maybe six to eight at best.”
Neighboring storeowner Silverberg, agreed when she said, “The scarecrows brought a lot of people in.”
Coolahan’s wish list of improvements also included such items as “log trucks coming through here several times every day even though there is an ordinance against such activity,” as well as the “Chamber’s decision to cancel Christmas on Main that traditionally included “tree lighting, caroling, different displays on street lights and decorations throughout.”
The passionate storeowner said, “Main Street is made for hosting celebrations. That’s what you do on Main Street. No Christmas lights on Main Street? It is just sad.”
And when it comes to Main Street Coolahan made reference to the City reportedly receiving $60,000 in grant funding from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for fifteen sidewalk bump-outs ( a curb extension for traffic calming and beautification measure) to be located within city limits that “could have been beautifully landscaped and such an asset,” but claimed that the City gave the money back to TDOT, and built just the one bump out on East Main Street at the intersection.
Commenting on the concerns Mountain City Mayor Kevion Parsons did not hesitate to share his agreement with the need for change and many updates.
“I was actually the one that requested the installation of sidewalk bump-outs in 2010, but was unable to follow through after Lawerence Keeble became City Mayor in 2011,” Parsons said.
As for some of the other issues raised by business owners, Parsons expressed his own desire to see the changes in the City’s appearance and the promoting of tourism.
“I am working hard to address these concerns, which by the way includes a facelift or renovation of the old army surplus building, on the corner of Main and Church street,” he said, adding that he was not aware of the trashcans missing on Church street but that he will “follow up for sure.”
Joined by his fellow store owners, Coolahan is still hopeful that the idea of Antique Alley will maintain momentum and that bringing some attention to the issues will encourage city officials to act on behalf of the town, which is busting at the seams with potential for growth only to add to the beauty that surrounds it.
For more information, please contact Antiques and Treasures of Mountain City at jfcoolahan@gmail.com. Or call Sassy Cats at 423-727-4774, or the Mountain City Welcome Center at 423-727-5800.

The County Commissioners and Budget Committee approved a bid to repair the Johnson County Courthouse’s damaged roof. The construction will begin this month and is promising to cut heating and cooling costs. Photo by Meg Dickens.

By Meg Dickens
STAFF WRITER

The Johnson County Courthouse is in desperate need of repairs. Both the Johnson County Commissioners and Budget Committee discussed this at their September meetings. The most pressing issue is the roof. This issue is leading to more damage, which will increase future expenses.
The jury box damage is an excellent example of this. The damaged ceiling has curled the relatively new hardwood flooring in the box. Other than cosmetic damage, County Lawyer Perry Stout pointed out the possible health risk in the upcoming winter months. Toxic molds, such as the common mold Stachybotrys chartarum, thrive in moist wood, paper, drywall, and other similar materials.
“The roof is currently a liability,” Stout pointed out. “It’s a matter of public record.”
This project will reduce liability as well as increase building value. The courthouse’s R-value will increase from R4 to R24 after repairs. R-value measures insulation effectiveness, which affects heating and cooling costs.
No local companies put in a bid for the job, although one showed interest before the formal bid. Morristown Roofing gave the best price at $109,685, which includes repairing the jury box hole, painting, replacing skylights with LED lights in the current frames, and giving the currently flat roof a 6-inch drop.
Keeping the skylights would increase repair costs by $8,000 and increase heating and cooling costs. Funding for the roofing project will come from the Capital Projects Fund.
“In the process of time, things like roofing wear out and must be repaired or sometimes replaced,” said Mayor Mike Taylor. “I am happy that the County Commission was able to appropriate the funds to replace this portion of the roof. We are pleased to say that this year, we are able to make these repairs while maintaining a balanced budget without a tax increase.”
Morristown workers estimate that this project will take five days. It is paramount that repairs are finished before winter, so construction is set to start sometime this October. The specific date is to be determined.
The Johnson County Commission meets the third Thursday of each month at
6 PM at the Johnson County Courthouse. These meetings are open to the public.
Concerned citizens can
sign up to speak before the meeting.

Jill Penley
Freelance Writer

After the liquor store referendum passed in Johnson County last November, the Town of Mountain City adopted an ordinance establishing specific regulations regarding the retail sale of liquor. The Town of Mountain City Board of Alderman then held a public Work Session in mid-August, during which the board unanimously approved two package store applications with the stipulation that they pass building inspections and are deemed “insurable.”
Locals began noticing renovation projects preparing to house the city’s first package stores. Robert Blackwell’s 2 Sisters will be located in the Pioneer Shopping Center while Tom and Becky Stanley have been working for months on renovating a building along South Shady Street known by locals as “the skating rink.”
Both projects stalled, however, when it was time for an Order of Compliance to be granted from the city, which is required before applying to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Before the town would grant said order, each respective building was needed to be inspected and passed for occupation, and unfortunately, the acting building inspector for the city was not state-certified.
The services of an out-of-town, state-licensed, inspector was utilized.
The package store certificate of compliance for 2 Sisters was signed by all city officials at the regular monthly meeting of the Town of Mountain City Board of Alderman on October 2, and has now been sent to Nashville for approval. “The one for Stanley on the old skating rink building is awaiting his compliance with whatever the building inspector from
Rogersville told him to do,” said City Attorney George Wright. “The Blackwells only had some cosmetic changes, and they have been approved.”
After a completed application for a retail store is received, the application must be placed on the agenda and approved by the TABC commission at a regular monthly commission meeting.
When contacted for comment, Tom Stanley remains optimistic. “We are still in the renovation process,” said Stanley, “and hope to complete the next few weeks.”
In other action, the board appointed Darrell Potter as the new building inspector. He has served in the position in the past, and while he isn’t currently state-certified, he should be able to get it in less than a year.
Mountain City Mayor requested a financial report for the operations of the swimming pool to be given to each board member to gather ideas on how to generate more income from the pool. “This past summer, the cost to operate it was over $17,000 in the red,” said Mayor Parsons, “and we cannot keep losing that kind of money on it.”
Representatives from the A.C.T.I.O.N. Coalition addressed the board regarding the upcoming Red Ribbon Week, which is celebrated annually on October 23-31 and is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program.
Doe Mountain Recreation Executive Director Tate Davis was also present at this month’s board meeting to ask the council to proceed to the next level and have the town expand certain city streets for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use.
The topic has been something “in the works” for quite some time and would make Mountain City more OHV friendly, which in turn, is expected to boost tourism. No official action was taken, but lots of information was provided.
“We have an opportunity to expand direct access for DMRA visitors from eight current businesses via the Pioneer Village Shopping Center to 25 or more by creating a Town of Mountain OHV Zone,” explained Davis. “Funding for the necessary improvements for an expanded OHV Zone is potentially available to the DMRA if the town of Mountain City is willing to do its part to authorize the zone and join with the Authority to persuade funding sources to allow the expenditures.”

By Tamas Mondovics
Editor

Officials at the Northeast Correctional Complex (NECX) 5249 Highway 67 West in Mountain City, reported on Monday morning that a fight occurred Sunday night, in which five inmates were either treated on-site or sent to area hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
East Tennessee Region Public Information Officer Robert Reburn said that “appropriate security measures were put into place and the fight is under investigation.”
”Security measures included a modified lockdown of the facility, meaning offender movement was and currently still is restricted to an ‘as need’ basis,” Reburn said on Monday.
The cause and reason for the altercation are under investigation
at the time of the writing of this article.
Northeast Correctional Complex in Mountain City is a close custody facility that incarcerates up to 1,880 male inmates, 300 minimum-security inmates at the Annex, and 180 inmates at Carter County.
The NECX participates in the TRICOR program employing inmates in hardwood flooring production.
Offenders can also work in community service programs that provide labor to local state and government agencies performing tasks like clearing roadways of trash and debris, as well as landscaping and painting. Vocational training and educational courses, which include adult basic education, and the ability to earn a GED are also available for inmates.
On its website, the facility boasts intensive substance use and anger management counseling programs, when it states, “Both sites operate extensive community service programs, which provide thousands of hours of skilled and unskilled labor to state and local government, as well as nonprofit agencies in East Tennessee. NECX offenders may attend Adult Basic Education classes or one of six vocational programs. Those who do not have a high school diploma can earn a GED certificate. In addition, NECX has mandatory Career Management for Success
and Release for Success programs for those nearing release.”
Visits at Northeast Correctional Complex occur on Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., and on Mondays by scheduled appointment only from 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
Visitors arriving any earlier than 7:30 a.m. will be denied visitation.
Visitation starts to end on the weekends around 2:45 p.m. and around 7:30 p.m. on Mondays.
For more information, please visit www.tn.gov/correction.

By Beth Cox
Sports Writer

There may be a few shady characters running around Mountain City this week; try not to be too alarmed if Harry Potter is spotted at the red light or someone witnesses Pac Man ordering coffee at McDonald’s. It is homecoming week at JCHS, which means five days of crazy fashion designs and exciting events.
Monday was hippy/tied dye day, Tuesday pajama day, which was expected to help with attendance. Wednesday is character day, Thursday is America day, and the school will be flooded with all the colors of the flag.
Finally, this week will end with all the participants wearing maroon and white for “maroon and white” day.
Michelle Walters, cheer coach, and event organizer has worked diligently to make sure everyone enjoys homecoming week. According to Walters, the students were able to decide what dress-up days they would like to have for the week.
Part of this year’s festivities included the chance for every participant to enter their names into a drawing for a prize. Some of the prizes include footballs with Longhorn logo, two free tickets to Dollywood, and movie
tickets at AMC in Johnson City.
There have been many activities planned for the week including the annual powder puff game on Friday on the JCHS football field.
The homecoming parade is scheduled for Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church and ends at the Johnson County High School.
The crowning of the Princess and Queen will be held
during halftime of the football game.
Homecoming week is a fun-filled event for everyone and comes at a good time for the Longhorns who have been through a lot over the past few months. They have lost a beloved coach, had injuries sustained to some of the team’s strongest players and reaping in the emotions from a heartbreaking loss against Hampton High School, one of JCHS’s strongest rivals.
The tradition of homecoming is as American as apple pie and of course, football. It is also about school spirit and nostalgia, for players to reminiscence and reconstructs the big games, big plays, and friendships that were created along the way. Homecoming is the best of high school; dressing up, being silly with friends, and lots of laughter. Cheers to the teachers and students for a great week of fun and a few surprises during 2019 JCHS homecoming week.

By Tamas Mondovics
Editor

Four Johnson County High School students were involved in a car crash last Sunday evening after their vehicle reportedly lost control and ran off the road in Mountain City.
According to the preliminary report released by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, there were four 16-year-old girls in the car when the crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. on September 22nd, 2019 on Cold Springs Road near Huggins Road in Johnson County.
THP would not release the condition of the four girls, but troopers confirmed that a 16-year-old female driver lost control of her car in a curve while driving at a high rate of speed.
The report says the car went off the road and flipped over.
According to THP Lieutenant Rick Garrison, the car was traveling west on Cold Springs Road. While negotiating a curve at a high rate of speed vehicle went off the roadway and entered the ditch.
The car then struck a culvert and overturned, before coming to a final rest on its top.
The investigation is ongoing.
As an update of the condition of the four students at the time of writing this story, Johnson County Sheriff Eddie Tester said that the four girls are in stable condition.
Please look for updates on the crash on The Tomahawk’s website and Facebook page.

By Jill Penley
Freelance Writer

Since Doe Mountain Recreation Area officially opened in the fall of 2013, thousands of riders and visitors were welcomed to the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee, but according to some, the future of the 8,600-acre recreation site was in possible jeopardy when notification came a few weeks ago of a “sunset hearing” scheduled by the Joint Government Operations Committee of the Tennessee Legislature. By nature, a sunset hearing is intended to streamline state government by determining the need for agencies, such as the 15-member board of directors known as the Doe Mountain Recreation Authority, to continue to exist.
“Periodically, the state reviews projects to make sure that they are efficient and functioning properly,” said DMRA Executive Director Tate Davis. Sunset public hearings for DMRA were also held in 2013, 2015 and 2017, leaving some to wonder why this hearing was publicized as crucial to the site’s survival.
The subcommittee of the Joint Government Operations Committee voted to extend the Doe Mountain Recreation Authority for three more years. “The Authority will continue advancing its mission of promoting local economic development while conserving the beauty, woods, water, and wildlife on Doe Mountain,” said Davis in a written statement. “We appreciate the Committee, its Members, and their commitment to regularly reviewing the Authority’s performance and promoting efficient operation within all state agencies.”
When the Nature Conservancy and the state of Tennessee collaborated to purchase the mountain in a purported $8.8 million deal in 2012 it was with the understanding the land would be managed both for multiple-use recreation as well as natural resource protection. By enactment of the Tennessee General Assembly, specifically, TN Code § 11-25-106 (2014), land management jurisdiction over the entire property was entrusted to the Doe Mountain Recreation Authority, which is governed by a 15-member board of directors.
The current members of the Board of Directors are: Dan Reese – Authority Chair appointed by the Governor, background in conservation; Mike Taylor – Authority Vice-Chair and County Mayor; Gabrielle Lynch – Authority Secretary appointed by the Governor from a list of three names submitted by The Nature Conservancy; Frank Arnold – Authority Treasurer appointed by the County Mayor from a list of three submitted by the Board of Directors of the county’s Chamber of Commerce; Michael Farmer – appointed by the Speaker of the Senate in consultation with the Member of the Senate representing the majority of the county’s population; Jerry Grindstaff – elected by majority vote of the governing body of the county; Carolyn Wilson Hawkins – member of the public at large appointed by the Governor, who is a resident of the county or an adjoining county and not otherwise affiliated with specific groups; Kristy Herman – member appointed by the County Mayor, who is a resident of the county and active in a locally organized conservation or outdoor recreation organization; Don Hurst – member serving as proxy for the Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development; Anne Marshall – serving as proxy for the Commissioner of the Department of Environment and Conservation; Dave Jones – serving as proxy for the Commissioner of the Department of Tourism Development; Kevin Parsons – Mayor of Mountain City, Mayor of the largest municipality within the county; Ron Ramsey — Member appointed by the Governor, who shall have experience in outdoor recreation planning, marketing or operations; Captain Tim Sain – serving as proxy for the Director of the Wildlife Resources Agency; and Ray Stout – member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in consultation with the Member of the House of Representatives representing the majority of the county’s population.
Several letters of public comments were presented at the hearing in addition to an extensive overview of Doe Mountain, including operations, finances, and future plans.
“We are very excited about the three year extension granted by the Joint Committee,” said Mike Taylor, Johnson County Mayor. “Tate Davis and his staff worked hard in preparation for the meeting and furnished some very compelling data. The future of Doe Mountain is bright, and I am excited about the next phase. Together Johnson County and the Town of Mountain City stand at the threshold of economic revitalization.”

By Meg Dickens
FREELANCE WRITER

The Johnson County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to raise specific court costs during their Thursday, September 19 meeting. If the budget committee approves this resolution, crimes that have a victim will have an additional $45 fee imposed on those who plead guilty, are found guilty, or plead nolo contendere to specific crimes to be determined by Circuit and General Sessions Court Clerk Melissa Hollaway.
“First of all, I am in full support of the Child Advocacy Center. It’s wonderful and does a lot of good for our children,” said Hollaway. “I would rather see the money go to someone helping the children.”
All but $3 of this charge goes directly to help children in the area through the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC). The CAC works in conjunction with law enforcement, Child Protective Services, juvenile court, mental health professionals, medical professionals, and the district attorney’s office in four counties to help child victims as efficiently and noninvasively as possible. Executive Director Samantha Prater presented the proposal after County Attorney Perry Stout brought the motion to the floor. The Tennessee Code Ann. § 40-24-109 statute gives Tennessee counties this right.
“The county legislative body of any county may elect to establish a program to assist victims of crime, their families and survivors or to provide funding or additional funding for an existing program established to assist victims,” reads the statute.
According to CAC records, the organization served 63 Johnson County children in the 2018-2019 period. Two-thirds of these children are female. Locally 70 percent of alleged offenders are 18 years and older and are either an unknown person or parental figure. Statistically, 63 percent of reported abuse in Johnson County was sexual abuse and exploitation.
Remember that Tennessee is a mandated reporting state. According to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, failure to report child abuse is a Class A misdemeanor that can lead to up to 3 months of jail time, a fine, or both. Contact the Child Abuse Hotline at 877-237-004 or www.apps.tn.gov/carat/ to report cases of child abuse. Find out more information on The Tennessee Code Ann. § 40-24-109 statute at www.tn.gov.