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The Advocate & Democrat
Man answers question the best he can
A Tellico Plains area man was honest when he was pulled over March 11 and asked about his alleged drunken driving. Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Sasha Rinehart said she was told about a possible drunk driver on New Highway 68 in a silver GMC and found the vehicle turning onto Reagan Valley Road where the driver went into the wrong lane. She said she followed the truck turning on her...
Torres hat trick out lasts Garcia’s as Sweetwater tops Sequoyah
A pair of players walked off the field with hat tricks in the Monroe County Classico, but Abram Torres was the only one who walked off with a win. Torres and Jefferson Garcia notched a combined six goals when Sweetwater outlasted Sequoyah 5-3 in Madisonville on Thursday. Two early goals from Torres had the game nearly settled near the 20-minute mark. The Wildcats (2-1) stretched ahead by three goals when...
Powell’s one-hitter leads Sweetwater to Tellico sweep
Caleb Powell tossed a one-hitter for Sweetwater as the Wildcats’ 10-0 win in six innings over Tellico Plains continued the team’s hot start. Sweetwater (5-0; 2-0) is off to a perfect start on the season and completed its opening District 3-2A series sweeping and outscoring the Bears 27-0 (0-2; 0-2). “He is a competitor and he kind of just pounded the zone. He did not try to do too much,”...
Sequoyah comes from behind to blast rival Sweetwater
Allen Roberts was not rattled and neither was his squad. After watching rival Sweetwater explode for seven runs in the bottom of the first, he looked at his team and said “We’ve got that out of our system.” It did not take Sequoyah (1-0) long to rally, winning 18-9 over the Wildcats (1-3) on the road March 12. ...
ALL-COUNTY: Eleven names highlight basketball in Monroe County
Editor’s Note: Despite making multiple requests, The Advocate & Democrat received no stats for Sequoyah’s complete boys basketball season. The All-County team is selected on the basis of stats, nominations from coaches and experience from coverage. The Advocate & Democrat plans to release the girls’ basketball All-County team in the March 20 edition. The 2023-24 boys’ basketball season in Monroe County comes to a close with two teams advancing out of their district tournaments. ...
Multiple agencies called to structure fire
Last Monday morning on Red River Road in Englewood on the Monroe County side, agencies were called to this structure fire when the homeowner was awakened by a noise. Upon investigation, he found the roof next to the chimney on fire. After failed attempts by the homeowner to extinguish the fire, the fire department was called. Upon arrival of fire personnel, the roof and living room area were on fire. The structure had heavy fire damage to the roof, attic and living room with the remainder sustaining water and smoke damage. Responding agencies were the Mt. Vernon Fire, Tellico Plains Fire, Notchy Creek Fire and Englewood Rural Fire departments. Also assisting at the scene was the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and Monroe County EMS. Mt Vernon Asst. Fire Chief Daniel Phillips was in command of the scene.
Monroe follows statewide trend in unemployment rate
The unemployment rate rose for Monroe County for the month of January, following its traditional pattern. According to the State of Tennessee, the unemployment rate for Monroe County for the month of January was 4.8%, which is a 1.5% increase from the previous rate of 3.3% in December. According to State Statistical Analyst Patrick Todd, the normal pattern for the unemployment rates are to increase for the month of January. ...
Winters, Kyle prevail in county commission, school board primaries
The Monroe County Commission and Monroe County School Board are both a step toward seeing a new member join the ranks of each after last week’s county primary election. Starting with the County Commission District 2 unexpired term’s Republican primary, David Allen Winters defeated his five rivals by receiving a total of 653 votes. Following Winters was Mark T. Hatcher, who received a total of 573 votes; then Chris Williams, who received 418 votes; Chuck Reid with 106 votes; Zachery W. Perry, who received 63...
Tellico Village to participate in Drug Take Back Day on April 27
For the fifth year, Tellico Village will participate in National DEA Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event is sponsored by the Tellico Community Foundation (TCF). In the past four events, TCF and local law enforcement officers have collected 1,115 pounds of unused medications from hundreds of villagers. This year’s drop-off locations are the parking lots at the Tellico Village Welcome...
Anne Dallas Dudley Voter Registration Award winners announced
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced last week the 51 high schools in 40 counties across the state that earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Award by meeting student voter registration thresholds. “Congratulations to the students, faculty, and staff at all of these fine academic institutions, as well as the hardworking members of local county election commissions for their committed work to increase voter registration in their communities,” said Hargett. “The Secretary of State’s office created the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program to...
McCampbell set for annual piano concert March 16
Growing up on a dairy farm in northeast Knox County, Dr. Hugh McCampbell loved animals and people, music and athletics, hard work and having fun. Those are traits that have remained lifelong ones and, while he may be a retired large animal veterinarian, he still works hard — to entertain and make folks laugh, but also to “do good on the largest possible scale.” With a servant’s heart born of...
Monroe on the Go!
Hall Museum holding free viewing of 'Hidden Rivers' The Charles Hall Museum & Heritage Center will host the Freshwaters Illustrated film, "Hidden Rivers," on Saturday, March 16. Filmed for over 10 years and including the Tellico River watersheds located in the Cherokee National Forest, "Hidden Rivers" is a one-hour film that follows the work of conservation biologists and explorers. The film depicts the beauty and vulnerability of aquatic life of...
Sweetwater freshman step up in Sequoyah win
The Sweetwater freshmen are adapting to varsity baseball just fine. Trailing county rival Sequoyah by a run in the bottom of the sixth, Sweetwater saw back-to-back leadoff singles from two freshmen before a third freshman scored the go-ahead run, beating the Chiefs 7-6 on Friday. Trailing 6-5, Nolan Dacus started the bottom of the sixth with a shot into left field before Ashton Brown showed off his speed. ...
General Sessions for 3/5/24
Trey Alexander Arwood, 19, Niles Ferry Road, Madisonville, underage driving while impaired, $365, 11/29 suspended; underage consumption, 11/29 suspended; underage purchase/possession of tobacco products, three traffic violations, dismissed. Steven Lee Bailey, 34, County Road 139, Athens, two counts aggravated assault, reset for 4/16. Brenda Kay Baker, 71, Old Store Road, Madisonville, driving on a suspended license, insurance law violation, reset for 4/30. ...
Disturbed by neighbor's alleged past, man fires gun
A man with a low opinion of his neighbor’s boyfriend was arrested after allegedly firing a gun March 4. Monroe County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Ferree said he went to Mason Road on a call of shots fired and talked to a man and woman who said their neighbor, Clarence Ray Vann Jr., began making threats toward them while they were on their porch. They said at one point Vann fired...
Attempting to escape, man drives from field into ditch
A man who just hours earlier had been arrested on a shoplifting charge led police on a high speed chase after he was spotted speeding March 1. Madisonville Police Officer Alexander Kirkland said it was just before midnight when he was on Highway 411 near South Gate Road when he saw a car going southbound at a speed of 68 mph in a 45 mph zone. Kirkland said he turned...
Speeding and hiding alleged cocaine at the jail
A man who was reportedly in possession of cocaine allegedly passed a bunch of driveways at high speed, but did have his blinkers on March 2. Madisonville Police Officer Zachary Russell said it was just before 7 p.m. and he was running radar on Oak Grove Road when he clocked a Kia Optima doing 60 mph in a 35 mph zone. Russell said he attempted to catch up to the...
Drug investigation leads to high speed chase
A Greenback man was just one of many who tried to run from Monroe County Law Enforcement in recent days, only to not get the result he wanted. Monroe County Sheriff’s Detective Conway Mason said he was investigating complaints of illegal drug activity on Ridge Road outside of Madisonville when he saw Jimmy Pike leaving from a house on the road. When Pike left the house, Detective Dakota Rinehart noted...
Woman says man should have left
She said he should have left if he knew what was coming, but Sweetwater Police still arrested a woman for domestic assault March 7. Officer Jarren Turpeinen said he went to Weigel’s on New Highway 68 and talked to a man who said just before 1 a.m. Haley Pearl Williams accused him of cheating on her and they began to argue. The man said Williams became angry and slapped him,...
Sweetwater freshman hits walk-off single on opening day
Lilly Woodruff showed she was not nervous to make her high school softball debut. Stepping into the box in a tied bottom of the seventh, Woodruff did not even have to wait for her pitch. She wrapped her barrel around the ball, hurling it down the third base line and springing Shanea Jewell to win the game from second base. ...
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The Advocate & Democrat serves Sweetwater, Madisonville and surrounding areas of East Tennessee.
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