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4-H launches annual Poultry Project
DAYTON — Twenty-nine fourth- through 12th-grade students embarked on the annual 4-H Poultry Project last week here in Rhea County. The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture hosts an annual 4-H Poultry Project where 4-H members have the option of adopting 15 baby chicks for a $45 application fee. The 4-H member then raises these chicks until August when they take them to the annual county fair to be judged and auctioned off. This year, participants are raising both Black Star and Easter Eggers. ...
DCS students visit D.C.
Dayton City School eighth-graders recently returned from a trip to Washington, D.C., after visiting the National Cathedral, Embassy Row, the Air and Space Museum and the American History Museum, among other locations. View additional photos from the trip on page 2.
Lem Motlow’s murder trial was a century ago
One of the most powerful men in Tennessee was indicted for murder a hundred years ago this month. Lem Motlow, then the owner the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, was accused of murdering Clarence Pullis, a porter on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, on March 17, 1924. Motlow had boarded an eastbound train heading from St. Louis to Nashville that night. He had been drinking before he boarded the train, although how...
Smith wins state 4-H contest
RHEA COUNTY — Daisy Smith, the 2023 National Dairy Month Chairman for Rhea County, is the winner of the State 4-H Division I Scrapbook Contest and Best Use of Media Award. 4-H National Dairy Month chairpersons are vital to sharing dairy’s story with the local community each year. As part of their duties during National Dairy Month, dairy month chairpersons document their promotional activities in the form of a scrapbook. 4-H members from across the state participated in the scrapbook contest to share the value...
Dayton Chamber to hold annual banquet March 25
DAYTON — The Dayton Chamber of Commerce will be holding its annual banquet on Monday, March 25, at 7 p.m. in the Bryan College Latimer Student Center. Tickets are $40 per person or a table of eight can be purchased for $280. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Dayton Chamber of Commerce at (423) 775-0361. The year’s guest speaker is Kyle Page, project manager of the PIE Innovation Center. ...
Students invited to special showing of Scopes Trial play
DAYTON — Parents’ rights, free speech, students’ rights — hot-button issues today — are nothing new, and the Scopes Trial Players want to show why. On March 19-21, public, private and home school students are invited to three special presentations of “How It Started,” a dramatization of the 1925 Scopes Trial, which captured all these issues, and the still debated question of origins—creation or evolution. In that famous trial, teacher...
Hospital to host Spring Family Fun Day at RCHS
EVENSVILLE — Rhea Medical Center is hosting a Spring Family Fun Day on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rhea County High School gymnasium, located at 885 Eagle Lane in Evensville. Come out and enjoy a day of face painting, games, local craft vendors, bounce houses, crafts, balloon art, wagon rides and family photos. All activities are free and food, drinks and desserts will be available for purchase. Attendees can enter a raffle for a set of four Nokian Tyres by making a donation at the event. Please, contact Amanda Sneed at AmandaSneed@rheadmedical.org for information regarding sponsorship or becoming a vendor.
Historical society to meet on Sunday, March 17
DAYTON —The location of the upcoming bimonthly meeting of the Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society will be at the historic Rhea County Courthouse. The meeting will be held on Sunday, March 17, in the second floor courtroom and will begin at 2:30 p.m. The afternoon’s program will feature John Fine, former Rhea County Circuit Court Clerk, Clerk and Master and long-time member of the Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society. The topics of his presentation will be his experiences of being in office and memories of growing up in Rhea County. All members and interested persons are encouraged to attend the meeting.
Low cost rabies vaccination clinics to be held in April
RHEA COUNTY — Local veterinarian clinics will be hosting low cost rabies vaccination clinics in April for dogs and cats. The first event will be held on Saturday, April 13, from noon to 2 p.m. at various locations throughout the county. The Animal Hospital for Rhea County hill be holding its clinic at 9961, Rhea County Highway, Dayton, TN, 37321; Rhea Pet Medical Center will be holding its clinic at 2040 Hiwassee Highway, Dayton, TN, 37321; South Rhea Animal Hospital will be holding its clinic...
Food Truck Rally returning to downtown Dayton
DAYTON — MainStreet Dayton, the Rhea County government, Y-12 Federal Crdit Union and the The Chef’s Workshop are working together to bring food truck rallies to the Rhea County Courthouse lawn, beginning this month and continuing in April. The event features various food trucks parked in downtown Dayton for the public to visit and purchase food. The event will be held on Monday, March 18; Monday, April 1; Monday, April 15; and Monday, April 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. For a complete list of food trucks that will be participating, visit https://thechefsworkshop.com/location/food-truck-rally-in-dayton.
Arrest reports: Feb. 29-March 5
February 29 Brian Eugene Davis was charged with failure to appear in court. Karl Clyde Worley was charged with driving under the influence of an intoxicant, possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of the implied consent law and leaving the scene of an accident. March 1Robert Nathan Collins was...
UT Extension Office announces new 4-H agent
Felicia Moorehead recently joined the UT Extension Office 4-H team on March 1. Moorehead has a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s degree in elementary curriculum from Tusculum University. She taught elementary school for 31 years — most recently at Snow Hill Elementary in Hamilton County, Tenn. She was awarded Teacher of the Year 5 times in both Cleveland City and Hamilton...
OPIOID CRISIS
In January 2024, Gov. Bill Lee declared March 10, 2024, as Tennessee’s fifth annual Day of Hope. The Tennessee Day of Hope “aims to inspire a collective sense of statewide hopefulness in the face of our state’s significant challenges in the fields of addiction and mental illness.” Events will take place across the state to recognize and overcome addiction and mental illness. You may wonder what this has to do with Rhea County. What if I told you that the Rhea Medical Center Community Health Needs Assessment found that the number one cause of concern here in Rhea County is...
Rhea Co. Boys and Girls Club hosting fundraising banquet
RHEA COUNTY — Plans to open a local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club here in Rhea County are underway. Chapter President Dustin Henderson said, “I hope this program fills a gap and engages kids who may not have something they are already involved in. I hope it gives them something to do.” The Boys and Girls Club is a community outreach program that provides affordable after-school and out-of-school...
Wilkey, McCawley win contested county primary races
RHEA COUNTY — In contested county GOP primary races, Rick Wilkey defeated incumbent road supervisor Glen Varner, 4,101-1,091, while incumbent District 4 school board member Bimbo McCawley defeated challenger Heath Smith, 358-266. In uncontested county primary races, Rhea County Assessor of Property Debbie Byrd received 4,299 votes, District 2 school board member B.J. McCoy received 419 votes, District 6 school board member Wayne Cox received 235 votes and District 8 school board member Chip Pendergrass received 490 votes. ...
Graysville elementary named back-to-back Reward School
GRAYSVILLE — Graysville Elementary School (GES) was recently named a state Reward School for the second year in a row, and Graysville Elementary School Principal Heather Jewell said GES is the only school in Rhea County to achieve the designation two years in a row. “Graysville Elementary School will celebrate being named a Tennessee Reward School back-to-back for 2022 and 2023 on Thursday, March 7, 2024,” Jewell said. “We will be hosting a Family Literacy Night from 5 to 7 p.m., with a Reward School...
Homeland Security to hold fundraiser March 23
DAYTON — Rhea County Homeland Security will be holding its annual all-day fundraiser on Saturday, March 23, at the Rhea County Welcome Center on Main Street. The event will feature a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. and a hot dog and chili lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event also features a chance to win a voucher for Nokian Tyres and a La-Z-Boy recliner and a silent auction. ...
Commentary: Senate advanced legislation to crack down on crime and hold criminals accountable
Last week, Senate Republicans advanced several bills to increase penalties for criminals, specifically repeat offenders and criminals who target children. I brought forth a bill that empowers intrastate commerce in Tennessee. To address the issue of persistent crime, Tennessee lawmakers are prioritizing solutions to tackle the challenge of repeat misdemeanor offenders who often avoid significant consequences. Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson) passed Senate Bill 2155 in the Senate Judiciary Committee which would increase the minimum jail time following a fifth qualifying misdemeanor offense. The list includes...
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