VOL. 53 NO. 49
IN THIS ISSUE
Holiday
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Cates, Larue are Halls honorees
Featuring articles on gift giving, holiday décor and more! ➤
See inside for heartwarming features, seasonal favorites and specials from local businesses!
James G. Sterchi Dr. Jim Tumblin profiles the man who built a furniture empire (and a neat house on Dry Gap Pike).
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See Tumblin’s story on page B-2
Butch may exaggerate Any day now Butch Jones will deliver his best bowl pep talk, how almost all of America is focused on the surging Volunteers and maybe millions will be lining up to secure tickets for 50-yard-line seats. The coach has great enthusiasm for this bowl game. It is the fulfillment of a year-long goal.
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Read Marvin West on A-5
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Halls-area singers to perform You’d almost think somebody like Bobbie Wyatt put together the list of performers for A Family Christmas at Dowell Springs, set for 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at the Provision Center for Proton Therapy, 6450 Provision Cares Way off Middlebrook Pike. Admission and parking are free, and the event is open to the public. Performances include: ■ 6-6:30 p.m., Halls High School Madrigals ■ 6:30-7 p.m., Holston Middle School Show Choir ■ 7-7:30 p.m., Clear Springs Baptist Church Children’s Choir, and ■ 7:30-8 p.m., BrickeyMcCloud Elementary School.
Halls business owner Gary Hibben jokes with banquet speaker Phil Campbell, who said folks from up North like to come to Sevier County to see how stupid we are. “It costs them about $2,000 a day to find out.” Photos by S. Clark
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camera to document their stories,” Workman said. “He asked for their old photos so he could preserve that part of their history. He has more than 2,800 8-by-10 pictures and unnumbered smaller pictures.” Larue graduated from Halls High School in 1958. He has served as president of the Halls High Alumni Association and is a member of the East Tennessee Historical Society. Sandra “Sandy” Cates, a vice president of Commercial Bank and loan officer in Halls, was named Woman of the Year. She accepted the award from last year’s honoree, retired teacher Terry Carr. A Knoxville native, Cates has lived in Halls for 40 years. A lifelong volunteer, she began as a candy striper while in high school. Halls’ highest honor, Woman and That volunteerism continued with Man of the Year for 2014, went to PTA and the school clinic while her daughters were in school and Sandy Cates and Hubert Larue. continues with her work as a Sunday School teacher at Salem Baptist Church and her four years of By Sandra Clark service on the board of directors Hubert Larue received longfor the Halls BPA. deserved recognition as the Halls “I love how Halls residents work Business and Professional Assotogether as a team,” Cates said. ciation named him Halls Man of “We (husband Don and herself) the Year for 2014. He received the are exactly where God wanted us award from last year’s honoree, to be.” retired Judge Dale Workman. Outgoing HBPA president Bob Larue is known for his relentCrye recapped this year’s progless research on the history of the ress: Halls community. “He has visited hundreds of Halls residents with To page A-2 a tape recorder, notebook and
The parade goes on! Despite the downpour just prior to the Fountain City Christmas parade stepping out, the crowd remained upbeat and the parade went on as scheduled down Broadway. More photos on page A-2.
Ian Myers, Jake Ruffner and Will Doty, members of Cub Scout pack 55, wait for the parade to start.
Pecans available in new locations The Union County Lions Club is conducting its annual pecan sale. Pecans are available at the Union County Trustee’s Office in the Courthouse, Commercial Bank (Maynardville Branch), First Century Bank, First State Bank and the Union County Board of Education. All funds raised from this sale go toward providing eyecare services for Union County citizens.
December 10, 2014
Let’s pitch in to help families By Sandra Clark It’s impossible to know the emptiness felt by three Knox County families this Christmas. Two children and an adult were killed and several others injured Dec. 2 when two school buses collided on Asheville Highway. When the news came, my thoughts went first to the kids at Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy, where some of us volunteer each Wednesday to launch a newspaper club. News trickled out slowly. Can you imagine the anxiety of those parents and grandparents who gathered at the old Food Lion store to await information about their child? Finally, the names were released. Dead were Zykia Burns, 6;
Seraya Glasper, 7; and teacher’s aide Kimberly Riddle, 46, who left a husband and two young children. Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre said, “Our families and community suffered an unspeakable tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families and staff members at Chilhowee Intermediate School and Sunnyview Primary School.” Both schools were closed on Wednesday, and Church Street United Methodist Church held a candlelight vigil. TVA Employees Credit Union opened funds to receive donations to help the families of Seraya Glasper and Zykia Burns. Simply call or visit any branch location and refer to your contri-
the family of Zykia Burns can be made at www.gofundme.com/ukenniaarinze. Donate to the family of Kimberly Riddle (husband and two young children) at: http://www.gofundme. com/i7ko5o?f b_ action _ ids=10203988931418496& f b_ action_types=og.share s&fb_ ref=fb_d_p Zykia Burns Seraya Glasper Knox County Schools has veribution as “For the benefit of Se- fied that these contribution methraya Glasper” or “For the benefit ods are valid and authorized by the respective families. of Zykia Burns.” Others wishing to help can conThose making contributions will receive a receipt for their do- tact Stephanie Jeffreys with Knox County Schools at 865-594-1621. nation. Money can’t replace their loss, For questions or more information, call 865-544-5400 or email but it’s a tangible way to show the families our sympathy and supjustask@tvacreditunion.com. Additionally, contributions to port.
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