Local News

Johnson County High School cheerleaders pose in front of the Tennessee Capitol Building on their way to meet Tennessee State Representative Timothy Hill. The Longhorn squad came to Nashville to learn about government and cheer in an NFL game. Photo courtesy of Johnson County High School.

By Meg Dickens
STAFF WRITER

The Johnson County High School cheerleaders represented Johnson County during a recent trip to Nashville, Tennessee. On Friday, November 22, they met State Representative Timothy Hill for a tour of the historic state capitol. According to the Tennessee State Museum, this is one of the oldest working capitols in existence, and it was named a
Historic National Landmark in 1971.
“It was wonderful having the cheerleaders visit,”
Representative Hill said. “We got to spend quite a bit of time together. It was really a highlight for me. We are so proud of them.”
The cheerleaders learned about the Tennessee state government during this trip. Representative Hill answered any questions they had on the government or the capitol. He showed the Longhorns the Legislative Library, House Floor, and his office. In the
House of Representatives, Tennessee has 99 House districts that hold approximately 64,102 residents. While touring, they also met Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s Chief of Staff and State Treasurer David Lillard, Jr.
On Sunday, November 24, they took a step into the spotlight during an NFL (National Football League) game. They cheered the Tennessee Titans on to victory in their home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Representative Hill made the comparison that he represents the state, and they represented the county that night.
Representative Timothy Hill stays involved in local affairs. He helps
secure funding for programs such as the Johnson County Schools robotics program and recognizes Mountain City citizens such as Farmers State Bank’s John Muse. Find out more about Representative Hill at capitol.tn.gov, and direct questions to [email protected] Keep informed on Johnson County student events and achievements in the Tomahawk, jocoed.net, and on Facebook @johnsoncountyhighschooltn.

UT Johnson County Extention Director Rick Thomason will retire Friday, December 13 after serving the citizens and framers of the county for the past 41 years. Submitted photo.

Submitted by Sarah Ransom

Rick moved to the county, right after graduating from UT as a Vocational Agriculture teacher for Johnson County High School. His first day of work in the county was January 1979. During his time in the county, Rick met and fell in love with Jahala. As the famous saying goes, after meeting the woman of his dreams… “the rest is history.”
Rick transitioned to working with Extension in 1992, where he served as an Assistant Extension Agent with responsibilities for the 4-H program. When Tom Fortune retired in 2001, Rick transitioned into working as an joint Extension agent, serving both youth and adult audiences within the field of agriculture and 4-H.
He also began serving as the Johnson County Extension Director. Now, after serving forty-one years in the field of agriculture—twenty-seven years and nine months later in Extension, Rick is ready to retire! The reason he began working in Extension is that he wanted “to have the opportunity to help improve people’s lives by providing information that would benefit farm families.”
Rick’s excited to be working full-time with his church, Central Baptist, and playing with his very precious grandchildren.
Rick loved many parts of Extension, but his favorite part of working within Extension is the many relationships that he has been blessed to build over the years. “Serving the people of Johnson County has been very rewarding. I have made so many friends not only in Johnson County but also throughout Tennessee and across the country.”
Not only are there many friends, but also many fond memories from his work through the years. Rick’s greatest satisfaction has come “from watching my former students be successful in life. I have worked long enough to be able to teach children and even grandchildren of some of my former students. I also cherish the many trips we’ve been on starting in FFA and 4-H to going on numerous beef cattle tours across the country. Just watching people’s eyes light up when they get to see new places and things. I know that had it not been for my job that I would have never been able to travel and see many of the places that I’ve been privileged to visit and learn from listening to how others operated and managed their farms.”
During his time in Extension, Rick organized and planned many Cattlemen’s Trips around the United States to view other farms, agricultural productions and visit historical landmarks along the way.
Rick states that “Extension is a way of life that involves pretty much every aspect of our lives. It takes the support of the entire family. My
late wife, Jahala, was
always by my side, helping with many Extension assignments, classes, workshops, field days, etc. Whether
serving voluntarily or by being drafted into service, our families play a major role in our work as Extension agents.”
While Rick may be completing his career in Extension work, he says that throughout Extension’s storied history, “we have been on a mission to help improve the lives of the citizens we serve. It has been a great honor to serve the citizens of Johnson County over these past 41 years, and I pray that I’ve been able to make a difference in at least one life or one family. If so, then I would consider my career a success.”
Thomason will enjoy a retirement party with coworkers friends and family, December 13, 2019.

Road crews from the Johnson County Highway Department clearing ice and snow from the county’s roads.
File Photo by Jill Penley

Due to the arrival of inclement weather tonight and the safety concerns of our students, Johnson County Schools will be on a TWO HOUR DELAY tomorrow morning, December 2nd 2019.

By Meg Dickens
STAFF WRITER

Heritage Square is a relatively new concept. It is an area recognized by Mountain City that links local businesses and nonprofits that includes the Johnson County Library, Central Office, Heritage Hall Theatre, the Senior Center, the Community Center, the Taylorsville Masonic Lodge, the 4-H building, Johnson County Tax Assessor building, and the Arts Center. Beautification was the original goal, but more important issues became evident.
“We formed this group of tenants with the mission of doing some “beautification” – benches, lighting, signage, landscaping,” said Heritage Square Development Judy McGuire. “It wasn’t too long until we realized we needed to deal with the safety
issue before doing anything else.”
Members have been beautifying the area, but now safety is their priority. The alleyway joining Church Street and College Street is the first concern the group tackled. The alley is narrow, heavily traveled, and drivers are prone to speeding through it.
Those leaving the community center or the senior center have been in undue danger. There have been four near misses this year: one of which was last week. Heritage Square members took matters into their own hands. After talking to the tenants, they were able to turn the alleyway into a one-way road.
“We have had several incidents where someone could have gotten seriously injured while crossing the parking area,” said Senior Center Director Kathy Motsinger. “This is a safety issue, and we need to enforce the one-way behind the Senior Center and the back entrance to Heritage Hall.”
McGuire notes that the city and county have been incredibly helpful. There are already signs in place, and the city agreed to paint arrows once the temperature makes it possible. The Square would like to add speed bumps eventually.
McGuire says that there will be more beautification during spring. One project the Square hopes to tackle is matching signage, which would make the area look clean and show where these different organizations and businesses are more clearly. Improvements can be
pricey, so members of the Square are looking for available grants.
“The timing is good, and the interest is there,” McGuire explained.
Keep an eye out for
future Heritage Square projects. For more information on Heritage Square or the one-way, contact Judy
McGuire at [email protected]

All of the Johnson County robotics teams come together for a photo after the competition. Photo by Meg Dickens.

By Meg Dickens
STAFF WRITER

Students at Johnson County High School and Johnson County Middle School have been hard at work since their last robotics competition at Brentwood Academy in early November. This past Saturday, JCMS hosted the Vex Robotics “Turkey Call” Tower Takeover Tournament. Teams from around Tennessee, along with a group from Kentucky, gathered to compete for a spot in the upcoming state competition. There were 36 teams signed up for the tourney.
As the name suggests, the 2019-2020, competition game is Tower Takeover. Two alliances, designated red and blue, made of two teams apiece use their robots to stack colored cubes on a 12’ by 12’ field. Basket-like towers are scattered around. Any block in a tower adds a one-point bonus to that color of block. The majority of these baskets are open to all teams, but each alliance has a designated hoop as well. This game tests the autonomous programming for the first 15 seconds and driver skills for the remaining 1 minute 45 seconds.
“They have made a lot of improvements since the last competition,” said JoCo Robos Assistant Coach Lane Sentell during a recent practice. “I think they have a good shot.”
Sentell was correct. JCHS Robos Team 63303A ranked number 1 and partnered with Robo Panthers Team
97934X to win the tournament 41-28. JCHS Robotics Team 63303V ranked number 13 and won the High School Design Award. Joco Robos Team 3075B ranked number 8 and won the Middle School Excellence Award. All three teams will be heading to the state competition in March.
“I am super proud of the work the students put in and their teamwork this year,” said JCHS Robotics Coach Kasi Dishman after the final match.
The state competition is scheduled for March 6 and 7 at Brentwood Academy, located at 219 Granny White Pike, Brentwood TN. The teams want to thank State Representative Timothy Hill, Senator Jon Lundberg, Danny Herman Trucking, the East TN Foundation, the Johnson County Community Foundation, and the public for their support.

Johnson County among at-risk and distressed counties to receive funding to spark workforce development.

By Tamas Mondovics
Editor

A recent press release from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce announced that the state of will be using millions of dollars in grant money to help the nearly four dozen distressed and at-risk counties across Tennessee.
“The aim is to bolster workforce development efforts,” the release stated, adding that the funding was approved by the Tennessee Workforce Development Board and aligns with Governor Bill Lee’s rural initiatives.
According to state officials the Rural Initiative Funding Opportunity Announcement (RIFOA) has made $3 million in funding available to local workforce development boards to support workforce expansion efforts in the targeted counties.
By the numbers, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) accepted grant applications from the counties across the state and determined the amount of funding each recipient would receive.
The state’s 15 distressed counties will split $2.1 million of the $3 million in grant money, with the remaining $900,000 divided among 23 counties, including Johnson County, deemed at-risk by the state.
“In alignment with Governor Lee’s priorities for Tennessee, we are excited to be able to make these funds available,” said TDLWD Commissioner Jeff McCord. “These grant dollars will foster the opportunity to develop and maintain a qualified workforce in the places where it is needed most.”
Areas aside from Johnson County receiving funding in the Northeast Tennessee Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA) include Hancock County, which the state considers distressed, along with Hawkins, Unicoi, and Carter, which are also considered at-risk.
The grant money will fund re-entry, customer service training, OSHA 10 training, incumbent worker training, industry specific chemistry cohort, career technical education, certified production training, and work-based learning programs in the Northeast LWDA.
Commenting on what this means for its reasidents, Johnson County Mayor Mike Taylor said, “Once devided up between each qualifying county, Johnson County will receive around $46,000, which will be used in an effort to assist a partnership between the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Parkdale Mills Plant 16 in Mountain City.
Taylor explained that the funds would be used for supplies, safety equipment and other expenses including transportation to help inmates who qualify to work at the plant.
“This will also give participants the chance to be employed after their release from jail,” Taylor said.
The rest of the funds will also be put in good use to ensure that the County is a work-ready community.
Tennessee Workforce Development Board chairman Tim Berry agreed when he said, “The members of the Tennessee Workforce Development Board want to do everything we can to give the residents in our rural communities the skills that will allow them to help themselves to better job opportunities. These grants should provide new resources to which they may not otherwise have access,
and provide them another step upward in their livelihoods.”
Tennessee’s distressed and at-risk counties face workforce challenges that do not exist in the state’s urban and metropolitan areas. Often, local leaders in rural counties are forced to navigate workforce obstacles such as geography, demography and high demand for employees, but a low supply of a qualified workforce.
Programs funded by these grants will create greater opportunities for residents in these counties to take part in skills training in high-demand growth sectors.
Money for the RIFOA comes from the Governor’s reserve of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity (WIOA) funds. TDLWD will provide additional program guidance to the local workforce development boards, which receive funding.
For details on county-specific grant amounts and programs, visit the newsroom at tn.gov/workforce.

Three-year-old Ariel Salaices is going through physical, orthopedic, and speech therapy after she was struck in the head by a stray bullet while playing in her backyard. Submitted photo.

By Meg Dickens
STAFF WRITER

On March 15, 2019, Ariel Salaices, 3, of Laurel Bloomery, was struck in the back, righthand side of her head by a stray bullet while playing in her backyard.
The shot sent Ariel flying off the slide only to collapse after a few steps.
According to local authorities at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, the bullet was from a pellet gun that was shot by an undisclosed child. The bullet severed an artery, which caused a stroke
and loss of brain function on that side.
Ariel is currently going through physical, orthopedic, and speech therapy in Johnson City, TN. Back in July, she spent approximately a month in Georgia doing extensive therapy every day. Her mother, Christina Salaices, is a former home health professional and believes that Ariel will need therapy for the rest of her life.
“Ariel’s life has changed dramatically,” said Christina. “She’s definitely no longer able to do a lot of the things she used to do. We’ve made the needed adjustments.”
Ariel has three other siblings: Destany 14, Evan 12, and Ethan 6. The family has strived to maintain normal routines for the children. Not much has changed with Ariel’s siblings, except they occasionally lend a hand such a pushing her wheelchair. On a good day, Ariel likes to yell and is extremely active. On a bad day, she is fussy and inconsolable.
Ariel is scheduled for a cranioplasty procedure at East TN Children’s Hospital on November 20. In this procedure, surgeons repair bone defects in the skull. The surgeons designated Ariel’s procedure as a custom bone flap placement. She currently wears a helmet to protect her skull.
Christina wants to thank the public for its support. The family is still using funds from their Go Fund Me fundraiser to help with medical expenses. The public donated nearly $60,000. Keep up to date on Ariel’s progress on Facebook @Arielsjourney2019.

By Meg Dickens
STAFF WRITER

The Blackwells and Gelatos are making Johnson County history. Mountain Spirits Liquor Store is the county’s first liquor store.
Johnson County was a “dry county” until the November 2018 referendum vote approved both package store sales and liquor by the drink. Mountain City’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen issued two certificates of compliance for package stores at the end of August. Mountain Spirits passed state inspection on November 1, and owner Robert Blackwell plans to open his doors on Saturday, November 23.
The business started after Robert and Rosemary Blackwell noticed the struggle out-of-town family members faced during visits. The closest liquor store was a 45-minute to an hour drive both ways. After four years of hard work, Mountain Spirits has become a reality. The family-run business consists of Robert Blackwell and his siblings-in-law Kimberly and John Gelato. It will carry wine, beer, and regular liquor.
“We want to thank everyone that has helped us get to this point,” Rosemary explained. “Everyone’s support is appreciated.”
Locally there was a lot of pushback. Many thought that alcohol sales should not be allowed. Unhappy individuals argued online and, local pastors gathered at the Johnson County Commissioners meeting to protest against Sunday sales. On the other side, individuals claim this will bring in more revenue, which will help the area grow. The result is that the county and city will allow alcohol sales from 7 AM to closing on Monday through Saturday, and the city will allow Sunday sales starting at noon. These dates exclude Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.
“Everyone is entitled to their beliefs,” said Rosemary when asked about those who oppose liquor in Johnson County. “We’re okay with that.”
Blackwell has a vested interest in opening a liquor store close to home. He lost his son, daughter-in-law, and 11-month-old granddaughter when a drunk driver hit them head-on going approximately 90 MPH. Opening a store nearby could reduce the time that people are on the road while intoxicated, which may decrease these types of accidents.
Mountain Spirits Liquor Store is located beside Poblano’s at 204 Pioneer Village Drive in Mountain City, TN.
Find out more information about Mountain Spirits at 423-460-1990.

By Tamas Mondovics
Editor

In response to the recent developments involving former Johnson County Schools Transportation Department Supervisor Barry Bishop, the community has not been shy expressing their thoughts and feelings both in person and on social media.
Decisions made by the five-member school board put Bishop’s employment status with the Johnson County School system to rest, but prompted more questions than answers.
With a 4-1 vote earlier this month, the board made Bishop’s retirement with benefits along with a $20,000.04 severance agreement official, effectively causing a social media backlash.
Johnson County Director of Schools Mischelle Simcox said that the school board’s dealings with Bishop, including his retirement and severance is separate from his criminal case. “We had nothing to do with the state’s criminal case against Mr. Bishop.”
As was reported earlier, according to the Johnson County School Board’s legal counsel, and as far as the Johnson County Schools system is concerned the separation agreement between JCS and Bishop, “is far less expensive and less risky than continuing legal proceedings.”
Johnson County School Board Lawyer Chris McCarty told the board earlier this month that, if Bishop’s employment status with JCS is not put to bed, “Mr. Bishop can file a suit. Even if he is dead wrong, just defending a suit would cost you more than what is in this agreement. A lot more.”
When asked if the board considered firing Bishop upon learning of his arrest and the allegations in January 2019 for one count of theft over $10,000, with TBI agents determining the total amount to be approximately $50,000, Simcox said, “The board was called together, and we did what our attorney advised us to do.”
“This was not about stealing from the school system,” Simcox said. “There was never any money stolen from the school system. The contract for CDL testing is from Homeland Security. We had a contract with them for over 20 years, and Mr. Bishop has done the testing. The case is in the DA’s hands.”
When asked why to let an “at-will” school employee who was investigated by the TBI, and is now facing a criminal trial, retire with benefits not to mention paying him $20,000, Simcox said, “I understand that people do not understand. We did everything based on the advice of our attorney.”
Bishop is officially retired as of November 1, 2019.
Based on court records, a final motion hearing for Bishop is currently set for Tuesday, February 25, 2020, followed by a possible trial date for June 25, 26, 2020.

TDOC Press Release

MOUNTAIN CITY – The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) Office of Investigation and Compliance (OIC) has worked jointly over the last 11 months with the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office in an ongoing investigation resulting in obtaining Grand Jury indictments against three former TDOC employees. A Johnson County Grand Jury returned indictments related to official misconduct against Randy Lee, Shannon Clark, and Billy Jan Porter, Jr.
All three individuals previously worked at the Northeast Correctional Complex in Mountain City. Lee, who served as Warden, is charged with tampering with evidence (three counts), official misconduct (four counts), and conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence. Porter is charged with two counts of introduction of contraband while Clark was indicted on official misconduct and sexual contact with an inmate.
“Any employee who violates the trust bestowed upon correctional professionals, and those found in violation of state law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent,” said Commissioner Tony Parker. “The Department of Correction will not tolerate unprofessional conduct, and those who refuse to honor the oath of a correctional employee will be held accountable.”
Lee retired from TDOC in 2018; Clark was terminated on July 13, 2019, and Porter was terminated on September 21, 2019. Porter was a maintenance worker and Clark was a correctional sergeant at the time of their termination.
The Department of Correction encourages anyone with information about misconduct and/or any threats to the safety and security of our officers or facilities to call our anonymous TIPS hotline at 1-844-TDC-FIND (1-844-832-3463).