VOL. 53 NO. 10
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IN THIS ISSUE
Celebrating
New coach at Central High
Arbor Day
Central’s new head football coach, Bryson Rosser, came to town last week and stopped by the Fountain City Lions Club meeting. “This is a wonderful chance for me and definitely a blessing,” Rosser said. “I’m ready to be here full time.”
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March 10, 2014
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Read Ruth White on page A-3
Richard Pickens gets a surprise I’ll say this in a soft voice: There isn’t enough happiness in Richard Pickens’ life. The Ol’ Vol has an assortment of problems. Some, estrangement from family, for example, he brought on himself. Some descended on him like a dark cloud.
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Jim Cagle of Merrill Lynch hands tree seedlings to Lily Hancock and Colby Cardwell at Halls Elementary School. Fourth-graders were each given an evergreen seedling to take home and plant in honor of Arbor Day. Photo by Ruth White
Read Marvin West on page A-5
Meet car guy Claude Reeder He earned a law degree, played a large role in building the framework for the Tennessee Valley Fair, might have helped found the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and became a local household name selling cars, once taking a cow as partial payment for a Studebaker.
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Read Jim Tumblin on page A-5
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Walking for technology
New pastor in Halls
St. Joseph School teachers Amelia Glavas, Rita Cook and Christine Rhodes participate in a 23-mile relay to raise money for a library/ technology center at the school. The event raised more than $9,300 which will be matched by a donor. With $40,000 required to begin building, donations may be made directly to the school at 689-3424 or 1910 Howard Drive in Fountain City. Photo submitted
The Rev. Timothy Roller passes the torch to the Rev. Danny Dixon during a special ceremony at Crossroads Baptist Church. Roller founded the church and has decided to retire after 23 years. Friends and family gathered to celebrate the event and remember the service Roller has given to his church family. Photo by Ruth
Candidates galore Shopper-News’ own Jake Mabe will moderate a candidates forum hosted by the Heiskell Seniors at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 13, at the former Heiskell School on Heiskell Road.
Stuff-A-Bag ahead The Halls Crossroads Women’s League will hold its semiannual Stuff-A-Bag sale at The Closet, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 15. Each shopper can buy a brown bag for $5. The bag can be stuffed with good, used clothing, and additional bags can be purchased. The Closet is at the corner of Maynardville Highway and Cunningham Road.
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Weston or Chuck? Shopper-News publisher Sandra Clark looks at the Congressional race from District 3 and tells tales from the Lincoln Day Dinner in Union County. Go online and click on Clark.
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McMillan alleges violations at school construction site By Sandra Clark Shannondale farmer James McMillan has documented stormwater violations at the Shannondale School construction site, and he’s asking officials to correct them. Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre said he is reviewing McMillan’s concerns with contractors and “will take appropriate action.” Mayor Madeline Rogero said she would ask staff to review his complaints and respond. Knox County Schools is adding 22 classrooms and renovating the school. Designed by McCarty Holsaple McCarty, the $2.6 million project has K and F Construction as its contractor. McMillan said the project violates “decades-old laws” while setting a “horrible example” for children. He’s asking Rogero and state water-quality inspectors to enforce appropriate regulations.
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This view shows raw land by the construction road at the Shannondale School construction site. Specific complaints include: ■ Sediment from the site tracked a half-mile away ■ Bare areas not stabilized below the construction road (violates the city’s 15-day stabilization rule, McMillan says) ■ Silt fence not installed correctly, joints not rolled and wrapped together to form solid barrier ■ Silt fence installed without a
toe behind it (flat area to let muddy water pool up allowing time for sediment to settle out) ■ Silt fence not installed level with the slope, allowing stormwater to flow in concentrated flow across silt fence and overwhelm and undercut it at the lowest point ■ No repair of silt fence where it was undercut, allowing untreated and non-filtered stormwater to escape under it ■ Not maintaining construction entrance to prevent sediment being tracked off-site on public roads McMillan says each offense is serious and leaves the school system open to fines per day, per offense as high as $5,000 from the city or county, $10,000 from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and over $30,000 from the EPA.
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He asked Rogero why the city’s stormwater department had not found and corrected these problems long ago. He suggested that instead of fines, the school system arrange field trips to the site to show students proper ways to manage stormwater so that “something good and positive could come out of this.” On Friday, Brent Johnson, the city’s engineering planning chief, chastised McMillan for not reporting the potential violations sooner. “Based on your email, it appeared that you knew about this condition for at least a month before contacting us,” he wrote. “If you would have contacted us then, we could have begun the process of correcting this issue much earlier.” Johnson also said Knox County is not required to get city permits for construction projects.
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