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The Advocate & Democrat
Train track collision leads to fatality
A person was reportedly killed last week in a collision on the train tracks in Sweetwater. According to the Sweetwater Police Department, at approximately 3 p.m. on Thursday, SPD officers were dispatched to the intersection of Old Highway 68 and the Sweetwater Duck Park following an accident involving a vehicle and a train. Upon their arrival at the scene, officers discovered a vehicle that had been struck by a train....
Sequoyah snaps skid with Tellico rout
Editor’s Note: The Advocate & Democrat reached out to Tellico Plains’s coach Miguel Ovalle but did not receive a response prior to publication. Sequoyah soccer busted the burden of a three-game losing streak emphatically on Thursday. The Chiefs neared a decade of goals against county rival Sequoyah when they beat Tellico 9-2. “They came together,...
Morgan’s two-hitter, Sweetwater’s clean defense leads to Polk rout
Sweetwater had been searching for an error-free game all season. The moment came Monday night, when Sweetwater’s defense was clean from start to finish, leading the Lady Wildcats to an 11-1 come-from-behind win over Polk County in five innings. “When we play clean, we win. I moved the defense around a little bit tonight and gave some people some shots,” Sweetwater coach Sarah Davies said. “I am satisfied with the...
Tellico flips double play to snap five-year skid with Sequoyah
Bella Wright knew she had a moment to turn the momentum fully around. Tellico’s lead was to a slender two runs and the host Lady Chiefs had two runners on and one out. Wright saw the ball come off the barrel of Bella Hall’s bat and pounced. Diving for the catch, Wright secured the ball and flipped it to first, turning a double play that immediately changed the environment in...
Monroe County Criminal Court for March 2024
Monroe County Criminal Court’s March session started late and ran into early April, but they still managed to hear guilty pleas and hand down indictments. Guilty pleas heard included: Joshua Max Bivens, 39, Chestnut Valley Road, Vonore, possession of meth for resale, $2,000, 8 years at 30 percent; DUI, $350, 11/29 suspended after 48 hours, lose license for one year. ...
Annual Ramp Festival scheduled for April 27
Ballplay-Tellico Ruritan Club’s Annual Ramp Festival will be held on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tellico Plains Community Center building and grounds, located at 132 Bank Street. Admission to the festival and parking is free. Taste-wise, ramps are sometimes described as a cross between green onions and garlic, with a very pungent aroma and flavor. They have an extremely short growing season and can...
Hardee’s grants $6,000 to Madisonville JAM
Hardee’s President/COO Julia Johnson Scoggins announced the grant of $6,000 to the Madisonville Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) on behalf of the George R. Johnson Family Foundation at a check presentation Thursday evening, April 4, where JAM students showcased their talents with a special performance following the check presentation at the Madisonville Hardee’s. JAM students and families, along with JAM Directors Perry and Diane Brake, JAM instructors, State Rep. Lowell Russell, Monroe County Mayor Mitch Ingram, and Hardee’s executives, were in attendance. ...
DMA announces sub-recipients of Downtown Improvement Grant funds
The Downtown Madisonville Alliance is thrilled to announce that 14 downtown business and property owners have been named sub-recipients of the $300,000 Tennessee Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Downtown Improvement grant funds awarded to the Alliance.
DMA announces sub-recipients of Downtown Improvement Grant funds
The Downtown Madisonville Alliance has announced that 14 downtown business and property owners have been named sub-recipients of the $300,000 Tennessee Department Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Downtown Improvement grant funds awarded to the alliance. This development marks a significant milestone in the revitalization efforts of the Madisonville Main Street Program. The TNECD Downtown Improvement grant aims to enhance and beautify downtown areas, fostering economic growth and creating a more...
Watts awarded Critical Language Scholarship
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has announced that Sweetwater native Madison Watts has been awarded the Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State. Watts is a senior earning a dual degree in global studies and Russian. The Critical Language Scholarship provides a fully funded immersive experience that allows students to study languages and cultures essential to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity. Approximately 500 undergraduate and...
Monroe on the Go!
Ladies Night Out: 80s Ladies Sweetwater Main Street will host a Ladies Night Out event, “80s Ladies,” on Thursday, April 11, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in downtown Sweetwater. Tickets are $30 each and include dinner and dessert, on top of exclusive shopping and a chance to win big. Fill up your 80s Mix Tape Card to win a shopping spree, and participate in a cheesy 80s game show to win Main Street Bucks. Dress in your 80s best for a night of fun!...
General Sessions for 4/2/24
Leroy Lee Abernathy, 67, Lara Lane, Chattanooga, assault by domestic violence, dismissed. Eric Christopher Akins, 34, Sweetwater/Vonore Road, Sweetwater, violation of probation, flattened on time served. Franklin Fernando Alvarado, 27, Elisha Avenue, Greenville, driving without a license, three traffic violations, reset for 6/25. Scott Nelson Anderson, 58, County Road 274, Sweetwater, evading arrest, possession of...
Man arrested after stepdaughter shower videos found on his phone
A Madisonville man was arrested after Monroe County Sheriff’s detectives found videos on his phone that showed his stepdaughter during her shower time. Detective Samantha Long said she received a referral from DCS about suspected child sexual abuse with an adult and a minor. Long said she talked to the 12-year-old girl who said she had seen a video on her stepfather’s phone of her getting out of the shower. ...
Man arrested for snorting pills in gas station, friend won't leave
A couple appeared to have no problem crushing up pills and snorting them in public in Madisonville April 3. Madisonville Police Officer Zachary Russell said he went to The Local Market in the Sloan Center on a call of suspicious people around 7 p.m. Russell said he talked to Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Dink Lakes who was at the business and had spotted two people sitting at a table crushing...
Woman clocks boyfriend with glass plate, found to have marijuana
A woman was arrested April 2 after her boyfriend was found with a face covered in blood. Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Kieran Reeves said he and Sgt. Chris Ferree went to a home on Kincaid Road near Madisonville and found a man lying in the grass in front of the home. Reeves said the man’s face was covered in blood, but the blood was dried and the bleeding appeared to have stopped. ...
Man flees, appears to overdose, spits on EMT
An Englewood man was determined to avoid arrest March 27, but in the end he was taken into custody. Monroe County Sheriff’s Lt. James Wall said he attempted to stop a gray SUV for driving on the wrong side of Old Highway 68 near Sanders Road, but after he turned on his lights and siren, the driver refused to stop. Wall said he chased the car down Old Federal Road...
Man says he was far away and shooting in a different direction
A man was arrested March 29 after he allegedly shot a gun while arguing with his girlfriend. Monroe County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Newman said he went to Sawmill Road where he talked to a woman who said she had been in an argument with her boyfriend, Russell Ray Gourley, and when she turned her back to walk back into the house, she heard a gunshot sound from the area where Gourley was standing in front of the porch. ...
Sequoyah stuns Tellico with strong sixth inning
Sequoyah’s bats opened up the Chiefs’ Thursday contest with Tellico Plains. Seven hits and 11 baserunners blew up an eight-run top of the sixth that charged the Chiefs to a 13-3 road win in six innings over the Bears. Four Chief batters notched multi-hit days while the offense totaled 17 bases in Sequoyah’s first win since Spring Break. ...
Sweetwater shakes off start to survive Polk, stays perfect in district play
It may not have been the way Travis Watson had imagined his team would go about it, but Sweetwater stayed perfect in District 3-2A play on Wednesday, surviving Polk County’s best efforts and winning 11-7 at home. Freshman Brody Watson totaled three hits and two RBIs — including a vital two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth. The Wildcat (14-4; 6-0) bats combined for 14 hits and 11 RBIs while four defensive errors showed the signs of a disjointed week. ...
Sweetwater commission considers changes to dumping procedures
The topic of garbage being dumped at the Sweetwater garage resurfaced during the City of Sweetwater’s monthly workshop on Monday, March 25. Sweetwater Mayor Doyle Lowe stated the topic had been brought up in the previous workshop before he passed the discussion to Sweetwater Street Commissioner Joanna Jinks. “We have kind of come up with a few different options ... Obviously you can just increase the landfill budget, we think...
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The Advocate & Democrat serves Sweetwater, Madisonville and surrounding areas of East Tennessee.
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