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The Advocate & Democrat
Loaded with numbers, experience Sweetwater looks for continued success
Another soccer season is about to start in Sweetwater. The Wildcats built a roster of 25 varsity players and 44 students involved in the program. Moving into a new district, Sweetwater is joined by familiar faces now under District 3-A. Adding to the mix, Sweetwater is led by interim head coach Ricardo Torres, who started working with the team in the middle of February. ...
Sequoyah finds new life, goals in deeper pool
Sequoyah soccer will step back on the field this spring, but things are looking noticeably different from the previous seasons. The Chiefs bring a roster of 23 players to the season — moving well beyond the previous seasons of hoping for enough players to field a team. But coach Lindsay Liszeski is not short to give out credit for the change. It does not start from the sidelines but comes...
County officials gearing up for spring tourism season
Monroe County Tourism Director Blaina Best discussed the spring tourism season for the county and how it “kicks off” the rest of the year for tourism. According to Best, the prime seasons for tourism in Monroe County have been summer and fall, however the spring season “kicks off” the rest of the year for tourism. “We really start seeing an influx of visitors in March and then our visitor count...
A look back at African-American communities in Madisonville
The African-American community of Mt. Moriah was founded in 1868 on Vinegar Ridge behind the current location of Madisonville Marine on Highway 411. By 1896, the community had a Baptist church and a school with 30 pupils in the first grade taught by Ms. Ada Donohoo. By 1930, the church had been disassembled and the community dissipated. Now, only the cemetery remains buried deep in the woods. ...
Tellico season ends in region semifinal after slow start
After the first eight minutes of Monday’s Region 2-2A semifinal, Tellico Plains found itself in a hole that was going to be too deep to climb out of. Meigs County stormed in front by 16 points after the first quarter en route to a 60-46 win in Englewood. Meigs County (22-9) knocked down nine of its 13 field goal attempts in the first quarter, including three triples. The Lady Tigers...
Tellico Plains valiant season ends at Brainerd in region tournament
Tellico Plains clawed itself back in a Region 2-2A quarterfinal Saturday, but the upswing effort ended shy of a berth in the final 32 teams in the state and ended the Bears’ season in Chattanooga. Visiting District 4-2A runner-up Brainerd, Tellico Plains (20-9) lost 61-54 to the hosts. For all but one member on the Bears’ roster — senior Burgess Tate — Saturday was the first time they stepped on...
Tennessee Wesleyan awards Neff Scholarship
ATHENS — Samantha Robbins of Tellico Plains High School and Carson Blevins from Polk County High School were recently honored as the recipients of an academically competitive award, the Harriet Reaves Neff Award. This award is a full tuition scholarship that is renewable for up to four years. The recipients must have a minimum high school GPA of 3.75 and at least a 30 on the ACT. The Neff Scholarship...
Sweetwater outshot by Rams in quarterfinals
Sweetwater’s season came to a close Saturday night, losing 67-46 to Tyner Academy in the Region 2-2A quarterfinals. The Wildcats (10-17) kept pace through most of the first quarter but struggled to continue against potent Ram shooters. “They did okay. We ran into a Tyner team that was on fire and they shot the ball well. We struggled to score a little bit and they slowly pulled away from us,”...
Monroe on the Go!
Missoula Children’s Theatre The Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) production of “The Secret Garden” will be presented for public viewing on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m. in the Hiwassee Auditorium on the Hiwassee Bruderhof campus (former Hiwassee College). MCT’s residency in Monroe County is brought to you by the Monroe Area Council for the Arts (MACA) with support from the Tennessee Arts Commission,...
General Sessions for 2/20/24
Amanda Lynette Adams, 52, Beaty’s Chapel Road, Tellico Plains, violation of probation, 11/29 at 50 percent. Brandon Daniel Adkins, 39, Ogle Road, Sweetwater, assault by domestic violence, reset for 3/12. Shawn Michael Beasley, 35, Dry Fork Valley Road, Ten Mile, violation of probation, revoke and reinstate probation for 11/29. Ronnie Cecil Bivens, 36, Community Drive,...
Caught with a stolen car and gun, man disappears
A man suspected of stealing a car had no interest in discussing the matter with law enforcement Feb. 20. Monroe County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Ferree said it was just before 9 p.m. and he was on Rasar Road trying to find the stolen car when he saw it and the man suspected of stealing it, identified as Jason Craig Chafin. Ferree said Chafin was standing beside the car with a...
Man found with alleged drugs, phony money
A Decatur man who allegedly drove a stolen car into Sweetwater Feb. 20 was taken to the ground after he made a move police didn’t like. Sweetwater Police Officer Tyler Blankenship said officers were told a stolen vehicle was entering the town and had stopped at the Sweetwater Hotel. Blankenship said officers found a green Chevy S-10 truck at the hotel, matching the description of the stolen truck along with...
Chase ends when man hits patrol car in front of his house
A man who fled from cops at a high rate of speed Feb. 17 was found to have alleged drugs and drug paraphernalia in his car when he was finally stopped. Sweetwater Police Officer Eli Arwood said he was trying to stop a white Saturn with a license plate that came back as registered to a red Camaro on Pleasant Grove Road when the driver failed to come to a complete stop and took off. ...
Man reportedly threatens to kill everybody during domestic dispute
A man who was reportedly threatening to kill people after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend was arrested Feb. 16 after initially trying to hide from police. Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Crawford said he went to Turnpike Road after being told William Joseph Freeman was the suspect and he was threatening to kill people at the apartments. Crawford said when he arrived he found a woman hiding from Freeman and a...
Woman says bathroom emergency kept her from stopping
A supposed bathroom emergency kept a woman from stopping Feb. 19, even though police were hot on her trail. Tellico Plains Police Detective Jerry Miller said he was on Mecca Pike when he saw a white Nissan Altima driving at a high rate of speed. Miller said he turned on his lights and siren and tried to pull the car over, but the driver kept going, eventually turning onto Akins...
Tellico Plains returns to region semifinals after comfortable quarterfinal
Tellico Plains is headed to its sixth region semifinal in seven seasons after the Lady Bears blew past District 4-2A champion Sequatchie County 57-40 in the Region 2-2A quarterfinals, Friday. Three separate Lady Bears scored in double digits, a win that was charged by convincing defense in the middle quarters paired with shots dropping for Tellico (19-10). “Our perseverance: we stuck it out, stuck to the game plan and adjusted...
Tellico outlasts Sweetwater again to earn third place finish
Tellico Plains staved off a Sweetwater comeback Feb. 20, winning its third game of the season over the Wildcats, 72-62, in the District 3-2A consolation game at McMinn Central. Two seniors led the scoring charge — Sweetwater’s Chris Alford and Tellico’s Burgess Tate — both eclipsing 20 points-plus. “I think (Tate’s) senior leadership, composure and how he handled himself (helped a lot). He uplifted other kids and talked to them...
Cherokee National Forest scheduled to hold Citico Creek clean up
TELLICO PLAINS — Cherokee National Forest officials are scheduled to hold the Citico Creek clean up on the Tellico Ranger District on March 9. Registration for the event will begin at 8 a.m. at the Indian Boundary Overflow and Campsite #1 on Citico Creek. Interested participants will register from their vehicles, pull forward and receive bags and gloves. The Chattanooga Trout Association will be providing snacks for participants at Double...
TVA reopening public input period for Saulpaw Dam removal
Local residents will have an expanded period to voice their views on the potential removal of a dam and also a future open house to attend. The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced it is seeking further public input on its Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for proposed removal of the Saulpaw Mill Dam located on Oostanaula Creek in Calhoun. TVA is making the draft EA available for an additional 30-day public...
Sweetwater commission outlines 10-year paving plan
Members of the Sweetwater City Commission recently discussed their 10 year paving plan for the city during this month’s meeting. During the meeting’s funding priority and capital projects discussion, a 10 year paving plan draft was presented. “We have talked before about doing a paving plan because we know that we have roads all over town that need to be repaved. Unfortunately, we do not have the funding to do...
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