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You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Ethel Babb, 74

Oneida
April 30, 1952 – August 12, 2026

Ethel Mae Sexton Joseph Babb received her eternal healing on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, at her home surrounded by her family. She is now walking the streets of gold pain free with her brand new body while rejoicing in the sight of her Heavenly Father.

LIFE

Born April 30, 1952, Ethel was the daughter of the late Glenn and Emma Sexton. Throughout her life, she was one of the hardest workers you would ever find. She had a strong work ethic and even stronger desire to make sure that everything around her was clean and spotless. Her famous quote was “that’s not good enough, clean it again.” Throughout her life she earned many titles, but her favorite one was “Mamaw.” Her grandbabies will always remember her next famous quote “I have a cream for that.” If we tried to include everything that made her special this obituary would go on for miles. There are countless memories and even more things that made her special. She will be missed beyond measure and loved beyond the years.

Ethel was a born-again Christian. Her love for the Lord is something she never failed to share with anyone that would listen. She is a member of the Big Ridge Road Missionary Baptist Church in Oneida. Due to her failing health, she has not been able to attend in quite some time but still prayed daily and remained faithful in her belief that her healing would come.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Glenn and Emma Sexton.
• Son: Michael Babb.
• Brother: Columbus Sexton.
• Sisters: Ruth Strunk and Paula Boshears.
• Sister-in-law: Sharon Sexton.
• Brother and sister-in-law: Earl and Betty Walker.
• Special friend and aunt who was her mentor in her walk with Christ: Geneva Sexton.

SURVIVORS

• Lifelong love and husband: Leland Babb.
• Daughter: Stacey Young and husband Billy.
• Stepson: Daniel Babb.
• Grandchildren: Morgan Strunk and husband Raiden, ZoieAnne Young, Nathan Young, James Keltner, Brandi Babb, and Shae Summers and husband Nick.
• Great-grandchildren: Samuel, Matthew and AvaLynn.
• Daughter-in-law: Carla Newport.
• Brothers: James Sexton, and David Sexton and wife Swannee.
• Sister: Mattie Waters and husband Bruce.
• Sister-in-law: Kathy Sexton.
• Brother and sister-in-law: Kenny and Charity Babb.
• Caregivers who became like daughters: Donna Griffith, Judy Lowe and Stephanie Wolford.
• Special friend who she loved like a son: Mike Webb.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 2 p.m. with Bro. Melvin Stephens and Bro. Jody Harness officiating.
• Burial: To follow at the Babb Family Cemetery.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Josh Collins, 77

Salem, S.C.
Oct. 28, 1948 – Aug. 9, 2026

Edward Joshua ‘Josh’ Collins, of Salem, S.C., passed away Aug. 9, 2026, at the age of 77.

LIFE

Born Oct. 28, 1948, in Collins, Ga., Josh grew up in Belvedere, South Carolina where he met his wife, Patti. He attended Clemson University where he was a two-sport athlete and received All American honors. He earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Clemson. He retired from the City of Oak Ridge after nearly 30 years as the Director of Recreation and Parks. He was an avid fisherman and spent many hours wetting a line in lakes and ponds across the Southeast. He also loved the Clemson Tigers, especially when they were winning.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

Parents: Edward and Marilyn Collins.

SURVIVORS

• Wife of 57 years: Patricia (Patti), who shared the same birthday.
• Daughter: Amy Milner and husband Jason.
• Son: Dr. Marc Collins.
• Grandson: Carter Milner.
• Brother: Bob Collins and wife Terri.
• Brother: Dr. Jonathan Collins and wife Pat.
• Sister: Donna Rush and husband Peter.
• Mother-in-law: Jean Marcum.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home, 20059 Alberta St., Oneida, TN 37841.
• Burial: To follow at the Sunny View Cemetery in the Pine Creek community.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Lyman Jones Jr., 85

North Augusta, S.C.
September 11, 1940 - August 9, 2026

Lyman Curb Jones Jr., age 85, passed away Aug. 9, 2026, at NHC in North Augusta, S.C.

LIFE

Born Sept. 11, 1940, in Birmingham, Ala., Lyman was the son of Lyman Curb Jones and Evelyn Mae Lynn Jones. He grew up in Greensboro and Athens, Ala. He graduated in 1958 from Athens High School. He married Sara Elizabeth Smith of Oneida in 1963, and they had two sons, Matthew Dean and Benjamin Todd. The Jones family lived in Texas, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and TN before making North Augusta, S.C., their home from 1989.

Lyman attended Tennessee Technological University on a football scholarship, graduating in 1962 with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering. While at TTU, he was in the Army ROTC and served as president of the Scabbard and Blade organization. Following college, he served two years of active duty as a second lieutenant working for NASA engineering at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. In 1968, after two years of post-graduate study, he received his M.S. in industrial management from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Ga.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Lyman Curb Jones and Evelyn Mae Lynn Jones.

SURVIVORS

• Wife: Sara Jones.
• Son: Matt Jones and wife Jennifer.
• Son: Ben Jones and wife Buffi.
• Granddaughters: Savanna and Sierra.
• Grandsons: Logan and Luke.
• Sister: Lynn Jones Paracca and husband Bill.
• Brother-in-law: Milton Smith and wife Carolyn.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 2 p.m. with Rev. Roy Kiser officiating.
• Burial: To follow at the Black Creek Crossroads Cemetery in Robbins.
• In Lieu of Flowers: Donations may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Pauline Newport, 84

Helenwood
July 26, 1942 - Aug. 14, 2026

Pauline Griffith Newport, age 84, of Helenwood, passed away on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Somerset, KY.

LIFE

Born July 26, 1942, Pauline was a child of Jesus and a member of the First Baptist Church of Huntsville. Until her illness prohibited it, she was involved in many church activities.

SURVIVORS

• Husband of 67 years: Billy Joe Newport.
• Daughters: Diane Newport, Anetta Newport and Tina Newport.
• Son: Eddie Newport.
• Daughter-in-law: Jilleen Newport.
• Granddaughter: Emily Newport.
• Sisters: Irene Pratt, Allene Morris and husband John, Betty Dunn and Una Long and husband Jerry.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.

• Burial: Graveside service to follow at Daniel Memorial Cemetery with Bro. Kevin Terry officiating.
• In Lieu of Flowers: Pauline requested no flowers be sent to her services. Donations may be made in Pauline’s honor to the First Baptist Church of Huntsville, 3096 Baker Hwy., Huntsville, TN 37756.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Tommy Pierce Jr., 59

October 19, 1966 – August 14, 2026

Ronald “Tommy” Pierce Jr., age 59, departed this life on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.

LIFE

Born on Oct. 19, 1966, Tommy was the son of the late Ronald Thomas Pierce Sr. and Merita Jean Newport Pierce. He graduated from Oneida High School. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him, but his memory will live on in the hearts of those whose lives he touched.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Wife: Deanna Smith Pierce.
• Son: Darry Smith.
• Parents: Ronald Thomas Pierce Sr. and Merita Jean Newport Pierce.

SURVIVORS

• Children: Chemeea Adkins and husband Matthew, and Bianca Pierce.
• Grandchildren: Bentley Pierce, Grayson Adkins, River Adkins, Cohen Foster and Lennix Lowe.
• Siblings: Judy Phillip Blevins and husband Phillip, Teddy Pierce and Dedra Pierce.
• Special companion: Debbie Mitchell.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Oneida.
• Funeral: To follow at 2 p.m. with Bro. Bradley Kidd officiating.
• Burial: To follow at the Hazel Valley Memorial Cemetery.
• In Lieu of Flowers: Donations can be made to the Tommy Pierce Memorial Fund, in care of Four Oaks Funeral Home, Inc., P.O. Box 410, Huntsville, TN 37756.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.

Remembering Scott County’s public education pioneer, Ovia Cross

Ovia Cross was a man of many firsts.

He was Scott County’s first school superintendent to be popularly elected by the people of the county. He was also the first (and, to date, the only) person to serve as superintendent of schools on two separate occasions.

But his impact on education in Scott County extended beyond those notable achievements. He also organized the first four-year high school in Scott County, and coached the county’s first high school basketball team.

Born in 1889, Ovia Cross was the son of Rev. Harrison Maynard Cross and Cordelia Adkins. His paternal grandfather was Caswell Cross, whose Buffalo farm was raided by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. That same day, his great-uncle, Larkin Cross, was murdered in the Buffalo area. He was a second cousin to Bailey Cross, who served as Scott County School Superintendent in the 1970s. He was part of the Cross family that lived on Jellico Creek east of Winfield.

Cross graduated from Huntsville High School, then attended Maryville College and East Tennessee State Normal, which is now East Tennessee State University.

After college, Cross married Barbara Evelyn Terry (1897-1959). Their children were Ira Lee Cross and William Maynard Cross.

Back home after college, Cross landed a job teaching in the Oneida Special School District. It was there that he helped organize the first basketball team in Scott County’s history.

In 1924, Cross was elected superintendent of schools, at the age of 35. He wasn’t the county’s first school superintendent; seventeen different men had served as school superintendent before him. However, each of those men had been appointed by the Scott County Quarterly Court — a precursor to what we know as Scott County Commission today. In 1924, a state law change allowed the voters of each county to elect their school superintendent.

The term in those days was just two years, and Cross was succeeded in 1926 by O.E. Jeffers. He ran for election again in 1928 and won, becoming the only person in Scott County’s history to serve as school superintendent on two separate occasions. This time, he served until 1930, when he was replaced by O. Earl Byrd.

Cross is credited with organizing the first three four-year high schools in Scott County: Huntsville, Norma, and Robbins. All three continued to be used until 1971, when Scott High School was built and the county consolidated its high school classes.

Following his second stint as school superintendent, Cross returned to the classroom, and spent 28 years in the Oneida Special School District before retiring in 1960.

Cross died on March 20, 1980, at Scott County Hospital. He was 91. He was buried at Litton Cemetery in Oneida.

Echoes in Time is published each Tuesday by the Independent Herald.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Threads of Life tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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Ava Claire Byrd is new Miss Scott County

ONEIDA (08.15.2026) | Ava Claire Byrd was crowned Miss Scott County Fairest of the Fair at the 100th Scott County Fair Saturday evening.

Ava Claire, a senior at Oneida High School, is the daughter of Amanda and Daniel West, and Casey Byrd. She was crowned from a field of 14 contestants that the judges first trimmed to nine finalists before making their final decision.

First runner-up was Lauren Taylor Reynolds, daughter of Brandon and Jennifer Reynolds and a senior at Scott High School. Second runner-up was Briley Duncan, daughter of Darren and Kristin Duncan and a 2026 graduate of Oneida High School.

Prior to making their winning selections, the judges announced a top eight — which wound up being a top nine after it was realized that Lauren Reynolds had been accidentally omitted from the group. Among the finalists were Raelynne Blevins, Shayleigh Gray, Sierra Johnson, Jaeda Newport, Miracle Silcox, and Emmerson Swenson.

In addition to being named the pageant’s winner, Ava Claire Byrd was also named the photogenic winner, chosen by the judges before the start of the pageant based on photos submitted by each contestant, and Miss Congeniality, an award chosen by her peers in the pageant.

Sierra Johnson, daughter of Daniel and Kenya Lorang and the late Phillip Johnson, was named the fan favorite, based on the audience’s monetary donations.

Emmerson Swenson was named by the judges as the best interview winner. She is the daughter of Stephanie Swenson.

The complete list of 2026 Scott County Fairest of the Fair winners:

Miss Scott County: Ava Claire Byrd
Miss Teen: Seleia Anderson
Miss Pre-Teen: Karsyn Billingsley
Little Miss: Blakelynn Stephens
Little Miss Jr.: Chandler Lambert
Little Miss Tiny Tot: Laeleigh Spradlin
Little Miss Tiny Tot Jr.: Graylee Marlow
Little Miss Petite: Laynie Terry
Miss Sunshine: Rebekah West
Little Miss Sunshine: Amiri Harmon

Need a good rate on your auto insurance? Contact your local State Farm agent, Roger Baldwin. (Sponsored content.)

IH Opinion: Brylee Rector represented Scott County with grace and dignity

08.14.2026 | The title of Miss Scott County is about more than winning a pageant. The young woman who wears the crown becomes, for a 12-month period, not just an ambassador for the fair but also for the community and the people who call it home.

The reigning Miss Scott County, Brylee Rector, carried that title and that responsibility well tonight. As part of the 100th Scott County Fair, the Fairest of the Fair Committee added a new Miss Sunshine pageant for special needs contestants. Tonight was all about the contestants, of course. (See our posts from earlier this evening announcing the winners.) But if you were watching at home, you might not have noticed the moments that played out just off camera, since the cameras were focused on the contestants (as they should’ve been).

Throughout the pageant, Brylee was there with the contestants — helping when needed, offering encouragement, and making sure each contestant had her moment. It wasn’t something that seemed rehearsed or done for attention. It was simply a young lady understanding the role she had been given and carrying it out well.

Those moments might not be the ones that come with trophies or applause, but they say a lot about the person wearing the crown. Brylee represented our community with grace, kindness and maturity tonight. And, not to be forgotten, a newly-crowned pageant winner, Karsyn Billingsley (who won the Miss Pre-Teen pageant earlier this week) was right there beside Brylee, also assisting tonight’s contestants. It isn’t hard to imagine her sliding into that same role as the community’s ambassador in a few years.

Yes, tonight was about the contestants. They had their moment in the spotlight, and hats off to the Scott County Fair and the Fairest of the Fair Committee for giving them that opportunity. But Brylee (and Karsyn) deserve their own shoutout on this night. If the biggest responsibility of winning a fairest of the fair crown is representing the community, these two did it very well tonight!

Griffith wins HUD seat

HUNTSVILLE (08.15.2026) | In Saturday’s Huntsville Utility District directors' election, Clyde Griffith was the victor. He received 275 votes (87%). He was facing off against Danny Keeton.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

The Week Ahead

🌦️ Weather: It’s going to continue to be hot today and for much of the week. We’ll have a heat index near 100 degrees today, with a 50/50 chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. The rest of the week will feature very typical summer weather, with daily chances for thunderstorms improving by the end of the week. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every weekday (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Additionally, Golden Grooves Exercise will be offered today at 1 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Monday: Scott County Commission will meet in regular session at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m. This will be the final session of the current term.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Tai Chi at 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Senior Meal Connect.

Wednesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 12 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Town of Oneida Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at the Oneida Municipal Services Building, beginning at 6 p.m.

Thursday: The Town of Huntsville Board of Mayor & Aldermen will meet at the Huntsville Municipal Building, beginning at 6 p.m.

Thursday: Middle school football will feature Oneida vs. Scott at Highlander Stadium in Huntsville (7 p.m.). The game will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network.

Friday: The Big South Fork Pool at Bandy Creek will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $3 ($2 for children).

Friday: The high school football season begins with Oneida traveling to Rockwood (7:30 p.m.) and Scott High traveling to McCreary Central (7:30 p.m.). Both games will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District pipelines are generally safe. They can be damaged by things such as excavation, natural forces, and automobile accidents. These can potentially cause a leak.Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

S.T.A.N.D.’s Coffey lands White House gig

WASHINGTON, D.C. (8.12.2026) | Scott County’s Trent Coffey has been appointed by President Donald Trump as the Assistant Deputy Director of Use & Prevention Grants in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

After months of preliminary matters, including interviews and a vetting process, Coffey accepted the White House’s formal offer earlier this week, and will begin his new role in Washington on Aug. 31.

Coffey has served as the executive director of S.T.A.N.D. — Schools Together Allowing No Drugs — since its inception in Scott County, and has become a recognizable figure on the national drug-prevention scene. He is no stranger to the White House, landing an invitation to join Trump for a round-table discussion on drug prevention during the president’s first term in 2017.

The Deputy Director of Use & Prevention Grants is a newly-created position, and will oversee the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars in drug prevention grant funding to coalitions like S.T.A.N.D. across the country.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is a behemoth agency that coordinates across 19 federal agencies and oversees a $44 billion budget. When the position of Assistant Deputy Director of Use & Prevention Grants was created, leaders within the agency reached out to Coffey. He first declined, then reconsidered.

“I know the connections I’m going to make, and with what we’ve already done and what we have the potential to do, I can bring more back to Scott County and the State of Tennessee through this position,” Coffey told the Independent Herald Wednesday. “The dividends from that will pay for years. That’s one of the main reasons I’m doing it.”

Coffey said he has no interest in making the transition to Washington his last.

“I told them when I interviewed that this is not a career move for me,” he said. “I’ve built my career and I’m happy where I am. I’m doing this to impart knowledge on what Scott County has gotten recognition on and to help other communities across the country.”

Coffey will take a 30-month leave of absence from S.T.A.N.D. Dale Owens — a 21-year veteran of the organization — will serve as S.T.A.N.D.’s interim executive director, and Jagger Coffey — Trent’s son — will be promoted to assistant executive director.

Coffey has already secured an apartment in Washington, and his wife, Robin, will soon join him in the nation’s capital.

In a letter to the citizens of Scott County, Coffey called the decision to temporarily step away from S.T.A.N.D. “one of the most difficult decisions a person will ever make.” He called it “one of the greatest professional honors of my life” to be recruited for the newly created position at the White House.

“Throughout my career, I have believed that the most effective solutions to our nation’s challenges are built one community at a time,” he wrote. “It is deeply humbling to know that the work accomplished here in Scott County helped create an opportunity to contribute to those efforts on a national level.”

Coffey added that Scott County has become “a national example of what is possible when a community chooses unity over division, service over self-interest, and action over excuses.”

Calling Scott County home, Coffey said he is not leaving the local community behind, but that he’s taking it with him to Washington. Meanwhile, he said, Scott County will remain his home — even as he spends significant time in the nation’s capital — and that he will return to S.T.A.N.D. once his time in Washington is complete.

“My commitment to S.T.A.N.D., to the citizens of Scott County, and to the mission we have shared for more than 25 years remains as strong today as it has ever been,” he said, adding that he is confident that the foundation that has been built will be carried on in the meantime by S.T.A.N.D.’s staff and board of directors.

The move to the White House has been a long time coming for Coffey. While S.T.A.N.D.’s work — carried out at its modest facilities on Sheppard Road in Oneida — have been somewhat out-of-sight and out-of-mind at times locally over the past 25 years, the organization has served as a model for similar programs in other rural communities and has set a standard that Washington has used in its approach to drug-free communities policy.

“Because of our program, both S.T.A.N.D. and the Youth Service Learning Initiative, our relationship with the community, and the Correctional Careers Pathways initiative, we’ve gained national recognition,” Coffey said. “That’s why the drug czar came to Scott County. She had just started her position and she wanted to learn more about coalitions. So she came here. We’ve been good stewards with their dollars and we’ve trained people across the country.”

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Karsyn Billingsley crowned Miss Pre-Teen Scott County

ONEIDA (8.12.2026) | Karsyn McKenna Billingsley was crowned Scott County’s Miss Pre-Teen Fairest of the Fair Tuesday evening, as the 100th Scott County Fair hit full stride with the opening of the midway and a pre-pageant celebration marking the fair’s centennial occasion.

Karsyn, the daughter of Jacob and Ashley Billingsley, was crowned from a field of 18 contestants that judges first whittled to 12 and then to six before making their final selections.

Karsyn was also chosen as the fan favorite, based on the audience’s monetary donations.

The first runner-up was Audrey Rose Abbott, daughter of Tyler and Hailey Carson.

The second runner-up was Mia Shea Blevins, daughter of Eric and Nicolette Blevins. She was also chosen as the pageant’s photogenic winner, selected by the judges before the event began based on photos submitted by each contestant.

Also finishing among the six finalists were Paisley Faith Yancey, Aniston Blake Morgan, and Charlee Grace Burke.

Finishing among the top 12 after the judges’ first cut were Piper Watters, Shealee Zaria Hodges, Sawyer Grace Jeffers, Emma Strunk, Carley Jade Hicks, and Avery Blou King.

Prior to the start of the pageant, resolutions from state and local governments were presented to the Scott County Fair Committee in a ceremony recognizing the fair’s 100th year. Scott County is just the 22nd county in Tennessee to have a fair that is 100 years old. Resolutions were presented by state Rep. Kelly Keisling, Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers, and Virginia Bruce, representing the Town of Oneida.

Pageants will continue Thursday with the Miss Teen Fairest of the Fair. The Miss Sunshine pageant will be Friday, and the 2026 Miss Scott County will be crowned on Saturday.

It was announced Tuesday that gate admission will be free for all both Wednesday and Thursday, with admission costs sponsored by the Town of Oneida on Wednesday and Takahata on Thursday. Gates open at 6 p.m. daily. One-price ride bands are $20. Parking donations are accepted by the Scott County Rescue Squad.

Mountain People’s Health Councils offers general practice dentistry for all ages, using the latest technology for dental imagery and digital scanning. Sliding scale fees apply! Learn more. (Sponsored.)

Blakelynn Stephens is Little Miss Fairest of the Fair

ONEIDA (8.11.2026) | Blakelynn Kori Stephens was crowned Scott County’s Little Miss Fairest of the Fair at the 100th Scott County Fair Monday evening.

As the midway was being constructed in the background — scheduled to open Tuesday evening — 18 girls ages seven to nine competed in the Little Miss pageant in the Fairest of the Fair pavilion. A panel of three judges first trimmed the field to 10 and then to six before choosing the winners.

Blakelynn Stephens is the 9-year-old daughter of Kelsey and Dakota Baker.

First runner-up in Monday’s pageant was Ellie Sage Strunk, the daughter of Logan and Chloe Strunk.

Second runner-up was Jaida Maelynn Roysdon. The daughter of Alex and Destiny Roysdon, she was also chosen by the judges as the photogenic winner, based on photos submitted prior to the pageant.

The fan favorite, based on the audience’s monetary donations, was Adelyn Grace Rector, the daughter of Seth and Tristin Rector.

Monday’s winners joined four winners who had been crowned on Saturday, including Chandler Lambert as Little Miss Jr., Laleigh Spradlin as Miss Tiny Tot, Graylee Jo Marlow as Miss Tiny Tot Jr., and Laynie Terry as Little Miss Petite.

The fair will continue on Tuesday, when the midway opens for the first time. Gates will open at 6 p.m., and the Miss Pre-Teen Fairest of the Fair pageant will begin at 7 p.m. Admission is $4, or $1 for children, and one-price ride bands are $20.

The midway will also be open Wednesday through Saturday, with gates opening at 6 p.m. each evening, at the same prices. Additionally, the midway will be open Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. with free admission and $15 ride bands.

Additional pageants include the Miss Teen pageant on Thursday at 7 p.m., the Miss Sunshine pageant on Friday at 6 p.m., and the Miss Scott County Fairest of the Fair pageant on Saturday at 7 p.m. All pageants are broadcast live by the Independent Herald on Facebook, YouTube, and Highland Media Channel 191.

ICYMI

Threads of Life: This week’s Threads of Life newsletter is in remembrance of Crystal Byrd, Pearl Kidd, Judy Lazader, and Marlanea Rhoden. » Read It

Echoes in Time: This week’s Echoes in Time newsletter takes a look back at the last time Scott Countians voted for a Democrat for president. » Read It

The Weekend

🥵 Weather: It’s gonna be hot in Scott County this weekend! There are very slight chances of afternoon thunderstorms both Friday and Saturday, but the bigger story will be the temperatures. We’ll be in the low 90s each day. Not unusual for this time of year — but certainly uncomfortable! Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

—

⛪︎ Featured Church

Faith of God

Denomination: Non-denominational
Pastor: Shane R. Phillips
Address: 1435 Tunnel Hill Road, Helenwood

Services
Sunday Morning: 10 a.m.
Sunday Evening: 6 p.m.

» See the complete Church Directory, and thank you to our sponsors of the Church Directory.

—

📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: The Big South Fork Pool at Bandy Creek will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children.

• Saturday: The midway will be open at the Scott County Fair from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. One-price ride bands are $15. Gates will re-open at 6 p.m. for the final session of the fair, and the Miss Scott County Fairest of the Fair pageant will begin at 7 p.m.

• Saturday: Third Saturday night worship services will be held at Lone Mountain Baptist Church (6p.m.), Capital Hill Missionary Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.), Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church (7 p.m.), High Point United Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and House of the Lord (7 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at indherald.com.

• Sunday: The Big South Fork Pool at Bandy Creek will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children.

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Crystal Byrd, 53

January 12, 1973 – August 6, 2026

Crystal Y. Byrd, age 53, departed this life on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026.

LIFE

Born Jan. 12, 1973, Crystal was the daughter of Clarence Carroll and the late Glouis June Carroll.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Mother: Glouis June Carroll.
• Sister-in-law: Sherry Carroll.

SURVIVORS

• Husband: Ronald Byrd.
• Father: Clarence Carroll.
• Children: Jonathan Byrd, and Matthew and wife Ashley.
• Grandchildren: Justin, William, Alaina and Raelynn.
• Brothers: Clarence Dempsey Carroll, and Christopher Carroll and wife Shannon.
• Sister: Pansey and husband Rob Meade.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville.
• Funeral: To follow at 5 p.m. with Bro. Carlie Duncan and Bro. Bill Pace.
• Burial: To follow at West Cemetery in the Station Camp community.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Pearl Kidd, 83

Oneida
January 3, 1943 – August 7, 2026

Pearl Storey Kidd, age 83 of Oneida, passed away on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Oneida Nursing Center, surrounded by family.

LIFE

Born in the Robbins community on Jan. 3, 1943, Pearl was the daughter to the late Ples and Arizona Ellis Storey. She was a beloved wife, mother, sister and granny. She was a member of Black Oak Baptist Church. She enjoyed spending her time sewing and quilting along with spending time with her great grandbabies.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Ples and Arizona (Ellis) Storey.
• Husband: Coy Kidd.
• Sisters: Glois Storey, Delma (Charles) Jones and Mary Martha (Freddy) Phillips.
• Brothers: Joe C. Storey, Archie Storey, Floyd (Emma) Storey, Ples (Wanda) Storey and Sam Storey.

SURVIVORS

• Son: Coy Allen Kidd (Jill).
• Grandchildren: Coy Daniel (Riley) Kidd and Chelsey (Kyler) King.
• Great-grandchildren: Emmalyn Kidd, Coy Jaxson Kidd, Addelyn Kidd, Parker King and Presley King.
• Sisters-in-law: Rita Storey and Donna Storey.
• Several nieces and nephews.
• Special friend: Lori Sexton.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 5 p.m. with Bro. Bradley Kidd officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Miller Cemetery in the Leatherwood community.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Judy Luzader, 69

Knoxville, Tenn.
August 17, 1956 – August 7, 2026

Judy Kay Phillips Luzader, age 69, of Knoxville, Tenn., passed away on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer.

LIFE

Born Aug. 17, 1956, in Oneida, Judy was the daughter of the late Rev. Arvil Phillips and Joyce Walker Phillips of the Highpoint community. She graduated from Oneida High School in 1976. She was married for several years to the late William Luzader Jr., who was the father of her children. What Judy cherished most in life were her children, Bill and Becky. In times of financial stress, she often went without to ensure that they had what they needed.Judy always had a smile on her face. We remember her hugs, the stories we shared, and her advice in our times of trouble. She always had a hand to help and a shoulder to cry on. She loved her family, and going for long walks with her dog, Rocky. She also loved church activities, especially singing. Judy will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Rev. Arvil Phillips and Joyce Walker Phillips.
• Former husband and father of her children: William Luzader Jr.
• Siblings: Dennis, Shirley, John, Helen, Barbara and Junior.

SURVIVORS

• Children: William Luzader III and Rebecca Luzader Yeager.
• Grandchildren: Lee Ann Luzader and Mason Yeager.
• Siblings: Paul Phillips, Esther Baumgardner, Brenda Towns and spouse Rob, Daniel Phillips and Rachel Burke.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 3 p.m. with Bro. Mark Muse officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Harness Cemetery in Huntsville.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Marlanea Rhoden, 48

Helenwood
December 30, 1977 – August 8, 2026

Marlanea Rhoden, 48, of Helenwood, passed away peacefully on Aug. 8, 2026, at Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville, Tenn.

LIFE

Born Dec. 30, 1977, Marlanea was the daughter of Glen and Oma “Cookie” Harness. She was a woman who could light up any room. She will forever be remembered for her wonderful sense of humor, her kind and giving heart, and, above all, her unwavering faith. She had a way of making people laugh, making people feel loved, and reminding those around her of the importance of faith, family, and kindness. Her greatest joy in life was her family. Marlanea was a loving wife, mother, nana, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Though her time here was not nearly long enough, the love she gave was more than enough to last a lifetime. Marlanea will be deeply missed, forever loved, and most importantly never forgotten. Her family takes comfort in knowing that her faith carried her through this life and that she is now at peace in the arms of the Lord.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

Grandparents: Henry and Velva Newport, and McKinley and Roxie Harness.

SURVIVORS

• Husband: Richard Ryan Rhoden.
• Children: Paige Barnes (Nathan), Conner Rhoden and Autumn Rhoden.
• Grandchildren: Bryson Barnes and Keaton Barnes.
• Parents: Glen and Oma “Cookie” Harness.
• Brothers: Rick Harness (Buffy) and Jody Harness (Jessica).
• Special brother-in-law: Shawn Rhoden.
• Nieces and nephews: Heather Harness, Corry Harness, Abby Doan and Enoch Harness.
• Special close friends: Katrina Lowe and daughter Grace Lowe.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 2 p.m. with Bro. Jody Harness officiating.
• Burial: To follow at the W.E. and Nola Sexton Cemetery in Elgin.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.

Scott County’s last vote for a Democratic presidential candidate

Only once in Scott County’s 177-year history has its people supported a Democrat for president. And only three times have a majority of the voters here not supported the Republican nominee for president. And there’s a reason behind that.

To find the only time a majority of Scott Countians voted for a Democrat for president, you have to go back to 1856, when the county’s voters narrowly supported Pennsylvania Democrat James Buchanan over New York Know Nothing party nominee Millard Fillmore.

That year was the first presidential election for the newly-formed Republican Party, which had been born in Wisconsin with opposition to the expansion of slavery at its core. Its candidate, John C. Frémont, was not on the ballot in Tennessee.

Buchanan, who won a narrow majority of the vote in Scott County in 1856, had originally been a member of the Federalist Party. During his five-term tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, he had aligned himself with Andrew Jackson’s Democratic Party. He was generally supportive of slavery — the issue that was tearing at the fabric of the union of states even by 1856 — and intervened in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision after winning the election (but before taking office).

Officially, Scott County is one of three in Tennessee that have not supported a Democrat for president since 1856. The other two are Hancock County and Washington County. However, voters in both Hancock and Washington supported Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge in the 1860 election, after the Democratic Party had fractured. This leaves Scott County as the only county in Tennessee that has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1856.

What happened?

The same thing that led Scott County to defy Nashville and declare its independence from Tennessee in 1861: the secession crisis and the civil war that followed.

In 1852, the first presidential election after Scott County was formed, Scott Countians voted for Whig candidate Winfield Scott — the county’s namesake — in his race against Democrat Franklin Pierce. In fact, this area had routinely supported the Whig Party prior to 1856. In 1848, Campbell County, Anderson County and Morgan County — the counties that Scott County would be formed from the following year — voted for Zachary Taylor, the Whig from Louisiana. Four years before that, they voted for Whig Henry Clay over Tennessee’s own James K. Polk.

But the 1856 election showed that Scott County would also support a Democrat. Jehu Phillips, a prominent Scott Countian who was deeply involved in local politics, would later write that Scott County was evenly divided between Whigs and Democrats prior to the Civil War.

Then came 1860, and everything changed.

That year, the still-new Republican Party created a firestorm by nominating Illinois attorney Abraham Lincoln for president. Lincoln — a rough-around-the-edges frontier lawyer — had emerged as a national political figure because of his stance against the expansion of slavery. The South was convinced that his election would mean the end of slavery, and Tennessee’s governor, Isham Harris, had already threatened secession — as had other Southern political leaders.

Lincoln was not on the ballot in Tennessee that year, though he received a single vote in Scott County from Shade Lewallen — presumably a write-in vote. Instead, Scott County joined the rest of the state in supporting Constitutional Union party candidate John Bell — a native of Tennessee — over Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, who was Buchanan’s vice president.

Fentress and Morgan counties supported Breckinridge. Campbell and Anderson counties voted the same way Scott County did.

In Scott County, more than 60% of the voters cast their ballots for Bell. Only one voter was for Stephen Douglas, the Democrat nominee who had risen to fame through his debates with Lincoln.

Despite not being on the ballot in the South, Lincoln won the election. The South was incensed, and secession followed. Tennessee’s first secession vote, held just three months after the 1860 election, failed. But Harris forced a second secession vote, and Middle Tennesseans — influenced by the events at Fort Sumter that had started the war — switched their support from pro-Union to pro-secession.

The secession vote incensed East Tennessee, which remained strongly unionist. Representatives from counties throughout the region met in Knoxville and Greeneville and voted to petition the state to allow a split, with East Tennessee becoming its own state. When Nashville said “no,” Scott Countians decided to put rhetoric into action. In December 1861 — at least, that was the theory of Independent Herald founder and historian Paul Roy; the official records were lost or destroyed during the war so no one knows the exact date — Scott County Court voted to secede from Tennessee and form the Free & Independent State of Scott.

The Unionist stance in Scott County was complicated. Unlike the plantations of West Tennessee and the expansive farms in Middle Tennessee, the rocky soil of the Cumberland Plateau did not make commercial farming much of an option here. As such, the farms were largely subsistence operations — supporting single families, and not generating anything more than what the family needed to survive. Slaves were nearly non-existent. There were fewer slaves owned in Scott County — only 59 when the 1860 census was taken — than in any other county in Tennessee.

With slavery a moot issue here, Scott Countians were deeply opposed to secession — not because they favored abolishing slavery, but because most of the people who lived here were descendants of Revolutionary War veterans who were deeply keen of the sacrifices that had been made by the nation’s founding generation and believed strongly that the Union was worth saving.

“East Tennesseans stood their ground. They proved to the overwhelming majority of Tennesseans their loyalty to the Union. East Tennesseans had played important roles in helping to make the United States; they were not going to be a party to its destruction — no never!” historian Esther Sharp Sanderson wrote in her book, County Scott and Its Mountain Folk.

This view was exactly opposite of men like Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, who opposed secession but ultimately believed that loyalty to state was more important than the Union because — in their view — the Union was built on the explicit consent of the states.

Writing for the Cumberland Chronicle in 1904, Jehu Phillips said: “I was raised a Democrat, but after the war nearly every citizen in this county voted the Republican ticket and have been doing so in this county since that time.”

The war forever changed the politics of Scott County. When Abraham Lincoln ran for re-election in 1864, he won Scott County, although the votes didn’t count because Tennessee had not been readmitted to the Union. And every Republican candidate since has carried Scott County — almost always by overwhelming margins.

In 1872, when Ulysses S. Grant ran for re-election, Scott Countians supported him by the largest margin of any county in Tennessee.

Four years later, in the presidential election of 1876 that resulted in a constitutional crisis and a premature end to Reconstruction, Scott Countians voted for Republican Rutherford B. Hayes by the largest margin of any county in Tennessee.

Throughout the remainder of the 19th century and into the early 20th century, Middle Tennessee and much of West Tennessee generally voted for the Democratic candidate for president, while East Tennessee — where secession had soured the people who were mostly Union loyalists — generally voted for the Republican candidate.

And, in each election, voters in Scott County and Sevier County consistently voted for the Republican candidate by larger margins than almost any other county in the state. This continued until 1912, when Theodore Roosevelt — who had easily carried Scott County eight years earlier — switched to the Progressive Party and much of East Tennessee cast its support to him. (Scott and Sevier counties voted for Roosevelt by a larger margin than any other county in Tennessee.)

For more than a century after the Civil War, secession and the war shaped the politics of Tennessee. East Tennessee always supported the Republican Party — viewing the Democrats as the party that had pulled them into a war they hadn’t wanted to fight. But West Tennessee (and, for the most part, Middle Tennessee) usually supported the Democrat Party — associating Republicans with the deeply unpopular Reconstruction policies.

In time, the impact of the Civil War on Tennessee’s presidential votes faded. But in Scott County, it has remained strong. In 2016, Scott Countians voted for Republican Donald Trump by the second-largest margin of any county in the state. In 2020, nearly 90% of Scott Countians voted for Trump — the largest margin of any county in the state. In 2024, an even larger margin of Scott Countians voted for Trump, again the largest of any county in the state.

Even Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democrat president who helped guide the nation through the Great Depression, couldn’t flip Scott County. He made deep inroads in East Tennessee, flipping 22 counties (including Pickett and Campbell counties) from red to blue. In his 1936 re-election bid, he won Morgan and Anderson counties, as well.

But Scott Countians never voted for Roosevelt. And in 1944, East Tennessee shifted back to the Republican side, favoring Thomas E. Dewey over Roosevelt.

In 1964, when Lyndon B. Johnson was winning Morgan, Campbell and Anderson counties, Scott County again bucked its neighbors, supporting Republican Barry Goldwater by a slim majority.

And in 1968, as the civil rights turmoil roiled the region and caused many voters to switch their support to George Wallace, Scott Countians voted for Richard Nixon. (The rest of East Tennessee also voted for Nixon.)

Jimmy Carter was just the second Democrat presidential candidate since secession to make serious inroads in East Tennessee. He carried the vote in every county adjoining Scott County except Pickett County. But he didn’t win Scott County; voters here narrowly supported Republican Gerald Ford. It was the closest Scott County had come to voting for a Democrat for president since the Civil War, but Ford won 51.4% of the vote here.

In 1992, Bill Clinton became the third Democrat since secession to gain major support in East Tennessee. He won every county adjoining Scott County — but, like his predecessors, he didn’t win Scott County. Scott Countians voted for George H.W. Bush (though it was the first time since the Civil War, with the exception of Roosevelt’s third-party bid in 1912, that fewer than 50% of Scott Countians voted for the Republican candidate, with Ross Perot gaining nearly 10% of the vote here).

Scott County’s neighbors continued to support Clinton in 1996, but a majority of the voters here cast their ballots for Republican Bob Dole — though, again, Dole got less than 50% of the vote in Scott County due to Perot’s presence on the ballot. Dole received 46.9% of the vote in Scott County that year, while Clinton received 44.5% of the vote. It was the closest a Democrat has come to winning Scott County since the Civil War.

The last time a Republican candidate received less than 60% of the vote in Scott County was in 2004, when George W. Bush received 59.1% of the vote and John Kerry captured 40.5%.

Here is the presidential candidate Scott Countians have supported by year:

1852: Winfield Scott, Whig
1856: James Buchanan, Democrat
1860: John Bell, Constitution
1864: Abraham Lincoln, Republican
1868: Ulysses S. Grant, Republican
1872: Ulysses S. Grant, Republican
1876: Rutherford B. Hayes, Republican
1880: James A. Garfield, Republican
1884: James G. Blaine, Republican
1888: Benjamin Harrison, Republican
1892: Benjamin Harrison, Republican
1896: William McKinley, Republican
1900: William McKinley, Republican
1904: Theodore Roosevelt, Republican
1908: William Howard Taft, Republican
1912: Theodore Roosevelt, Progressive
1916: Charles Evan Hughes, Republican
1920: Warren G. Harding, Republican
1924: Calvin Coolidge, Republican
1928: Herbert Hoover, Republican
1932: Herbert Hoover, Republican
1936: Alf Landon, Republican
1940: Wendell Willkie, Republican
1944: Thomas E. Dewey, Republican
1948: Thomas E. Dewey, Republican
1952: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Republican
1956: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Republican
1960: Richard Nixon, Republican
1964: Barry Goldwater, Republican
1968: Richard Nixon, Republican
1972: Richard Nixon, Republican
1976: Gerald Ford, Republican
1980: Ronald Reagan, Republican
1984: Ronald Reagan, Republican
1988: George H.W. Bush, Republican
1992: George H.W. Bush, Republican
1996: Bob Dole, Republican
2000: George W. Bush, Republican
2004: George W. Bush, Republican
2008: John McCain, Republican
2012: Mitt Romney, Republican
2016: Donald J. Trump, Republican
2020: Donald J. Trump, Republican
2024: Donald J. Trump, Republican

Echoes in Time is published by the Independent Herald each week on Tuesday.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Threads of Life tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Subscribe now

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You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Donnie Bowlin, 70

Oneida
April 21, 1956 – August 4, 2026

Donald Ray Bowlin, age 70, entered his eternal home with the Lord on Aug. 4, 2026.

LIFE

Born April 21, 1956, Donnie was a devoted Christian throughout his life and faithfully served the Lord with a humble heart. He was well known for preaching the Gospel and sharing his love for Christ through song in his church, where he also served as Sunday school superintendent throughout the years. Whether standing behind the pulpit or lifting his voice in worship, he touched countless lives with his testimony, compassion and steadfast faith. His greatest desire was for others to know the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Donnie was a dedicated member of the Macedonia Christian Center. He dedicated himself to serving others through his work as an emergency medical technician in Scott County, providing comfort and care during life’s most difficult moments. He was the founding chief of the 7th District Fire Department. He also proudly worked as a driver for ETHRA, where he enjoyed helping those in his community and formed many meaningful friendships along the way. His life was marked by kindness, generosity and a willingness to help anyone in need, especially children.

Above all else, Donnie treasured his family. Those who knew him will remember his gentle spirit, warm smile, unwavering faith and servant’s heart. His legacy of love, compassion and dedication to God will continue to inspire all who were blessed to know him.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: A.J. “Buck” Bowlin and Annette Herald.
• Mother of his children: Brenda Brenneman.
• Brother: Randall Yeager.

SURVIVORS

• Brother: Ty Herald.
• Son: Bobby Bowlin and wife Tabitha.
• Daughter: Terri Bowlin and partner Blaine Dykes.
• Grandchildren: Cheyenne Guy and Eli Nicely.
• Great-granddaughter on the way: Cassidy Rayne.
• Beloved dog: Patch.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 6 p.m. with Bro. Randall Duncan officiating.
• Burial: Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at 12 p.m. at the West Cemetery.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

–

Gary Day, 65

Oneida
April 28, 1961 – August 1, 2026

Gary Allen Day, age 65 of Oneida, TN passed away at his home on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026.

LIFE

Born April 28, 1961, Gary was the son of Clois and Shirley Phillips Day.His grandparents were the late Norman and Flonnie Day and the late Flossie Davis of Huntsville Manor.

Gary was an active member of High Point United Baptist Church where he enjoyed chatting with other church family members, as well as hearing the Word of God. He also enjoyed his turn serving as Sunday school superintendent.

Gary always had a strong work ethic. He took pride in whatever he worked at. His working career started as a young boy delivering papers on a paper route. He also mowed yards for various people in the Pine Hill area. He worked for several years as a DJ at WBNT Radio Station in Oneida. For the last nearly 40 years he has worked in the lumber business, first with Dan Billingsley and then with Danny King Lumber. He was very intelligent and worked hard to provide for his family.

Gary was an avid mandolin player. He enjoyed getting together with his brothers and other pickers to play bluegrass music. He also enjoyed fishing with his son and others. Gary had a sense of humor and could joke and cut up with the best. He was kind of sneaky too.

Gary married his sweetheart Cathy Terry on Aug. 1, 1980. They have enjoyed many happy years.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Father: Clois Day.
• Grandparents: Norman and Flonnie Day and Flossie Davis.
• Mother-in-law: Jewell Phillips.

SURVIVORS

• Wife of 46 years: Cathy Day.
• Mother: Shirley Day.
• Son: Daniel and wife Christina.
• Brothers: Larry and wife Lisa, Darrell and wife Debbie, and Randall and wife Cindy.
• Grandchildren: Ezekiel and Zoe Day; step-grandsons: Alex and Izek Wilson.
• Special nephew: Ryan Day of Oneida, of whom he was very proud and played Sandy Claus jokes on at Christmas.
• Special littles: Erin and Ryker, whom he referred to as his niece and nephew.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 7 p.m. with Bro. Jamie Byrd and Bro. Eli Crowley officiating.
• Burial: Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at 11 a.m. at the Orick Cemetery in the Low Gap community.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

–

Barbara Robbins, 84

Robbins
August 14, 1941 – July 24, 2026

Barbara Jo Robbins departed this life peacefully on July 24, 2026, at the age of 84.

LIFE

Born Aug. 14, 1941, in Robbins, Barbara Jo lived a life defined by kindness, compassion, and an unwavering willingness to help others. She never met a stranger and had a remarkable gift for making everyone she met feel welcome. Those who knew her well will also remember her by the nickname “3494.” No explanation is necessary for the many whose lives she touched — it will always bring a smile and a cherished memory.

Later in life, Barbara Jo discovered her true calling as a caregiver. She devoted herself to caring for those who needed a helping hand, offering not only assistance but also friendship, dignity, and genuine love. Her generous spirit left a lasting impression on countless people and will be remembered by all who were fortunate enough to know her.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

Brother: David Acres.

SURVIVORS

• Son: Todd Robbins.
• Sister: Brenda Woods and husband Larry.
• Nephew: Ryan Woods.
• Sister: Lynda Runyon and husband Roger.
• Brother: James Acres and wife Judy.
• Nephew: Jamie Acres.
• Niece: Bridgette Acres.
• Brother: Curtis Acres.
• Sister-in-law: Janiece Acres.
• Nephew: Justin Acres.

SERVICES

• Visitation: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Oneida.
• Burial: To follow at Cotton Cemetery with Bro. David Barnhouse officiating, where she will be laid to rest beside her mother and father.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.

Scott County’s sheriffs through the years

It’s not a term that’s as common as it once was, but you’ll still find a few old-timers in far-flung parts of Scott County who make reference to the “high sheriff.” It was once common terminology, carried over from the “old country” — England, Wales, and Northern Ireland — where the “high sheriff” was the top peace officer and the undersheriffs were his deputies.

“High sheriff” has never been an official title in Scott County — or anywhere else in Tennessee. Around here, the official title has always been, simply, “sheriff.” And his deputies are called just that — “deputies,” though their official title is “deputy sheriff.” There are a few states where the office of “high sheriff” exists. In Rhode Island, for example, there’s a statewide sheriff’s department, and its top official is called the “executive high sheriff.” Hawaii also has a high sheriff. And in Rhode Island, each county has a “high sheriff” that has police powers throughout the state.

Later this week, Scott Countians will go to the polls to select a sheriff for the next four years. Brian Keeton, the first-term incumbent, will be seeking another term in office, and is being contested by two veteran law enforcement officers: Dennis Chambers and Kris Lewallen.

Keeton is the 33rd person to serve as Scott County Sheriff. Here’s a look at the others through the years:

Scott County’s first sheriff was John Lewallen (sometimes spelled Llewellyn). He was elected in 1850, in the county’s first election, and served until 1858. He was part of the Lewallen family from the Glenmary area. His father, Anderson Grant Lewallen, was the first settler in that part of what would eventually become Scott County.

Bailey Buttram, of New River, was Scott County’s second sheriff. He was elected in 1858 and served until 1964. He had the distinction of being the person who certified Scott County’s vote against secession. He carried the results to Nashville on horseback, and his handwritten note relating Scott County’s 521-19 vote against secession is still preserved in the state archives. (Interestingly, Buttram’s parents were Scott County’s most prominent slaveholders, but Bailey and his family were loyal to the Union. He had two sons who fought for the federal army and were captured at the Battle of Rogersville in 1863. One of them, Iradel, died in a Confederate prison camp. The other, Joel, survived, but died at a young age, likely as a result of illness he contracted while imprisoned. Buttram’s son-in-law, Beaty Cecil, also served in the Union army, riding to Nashville to enlist. He would later serve as Scott County Sheriff in his own right.

In addition to Lewallen (Glenmary) and Buttram (New River), most of Scott County’s early sheriffs were from the southern part of the county. James Sharp, the third sheriff, was from Winfield, and Milton Terry, the fifth sheriff, was the son of Oneida’s first settler, Josiah Terry.

Reuben Hurtt, the county’s seventh sheriff, was from New River, as was Cecil, the eighth sheriff. Frank Hughett, who served as sheriff on two different occasions, was from Brimstone. So was his successor, John Goad. The two men were related by marriage, and Goad served as sheriff in between Hughett’s two terms.

In between those men from the southern end of the county, Fowler Hatfield — a farmer from Bull Creek — served a single term as sheriff in the 1870s.

There was a time when the office of county sheriff was term-limited in Tennessee. Each person was limited to three terms in office, and terms in those days consisted of only two years. So after a maximum of six years, a sheriff had to sit out at least two years before being eligible to return to office.

Among the sheriffs who were term limited were Buttram, Sharp, Hurtt, and Hughett. Hughett was the first sheriff to return to office. After sitting out two years while his cousin-in-law, Goad, served a term as sheriff, he was elected again in 1898. He only served one term the second time around, and was unsuccessful in election attempts after that.

Speaking of Goad, he has the distinction of being the only sheriff from Scott County to ever legally hang a man. That man was Mike King, a Winfield resident who was convicted of murdering a school teacher. The duty bothered Goad so much that he considered resigning — King famously told him to stay on as sheriff and carry out the duty — and he did not run for a second term. Instead, he ran for other elected offices.

Other sheriffs who were term-limited through the years included Gilbert Sexton, Frank Butler, Dorsey Rosser, and Jack Laxton.

Richard Ellis would have been term-limited, as well, but he was assassinated in office in 1925. He was a Baptist preacher who campaigned on a promise of cracking down on Scott County’s moonshine problem. It was the Prohibition era, and illicit liquor was rampant in the county’s remote hills and hollers. The 1920s proved to be the most violent era in the county’s history for law enforcement, as a full-scale moonshine war unfolded. Multiple people were killed, including Oneida Chief of Police Johnny Acres, who served as one of Ellis’s deputies.

On Aug. 11, 1925, Ellis was shot dead on the steps of the old county jail in Huntsville as he escorted a prisoner inside. The killers shot him from ambush, and it was never conclusively proven who was responsible, although several arrests were made.

Ellis was not the last person to die in office. In fact, his successor, Isham Chambers of Buffalo, died of the flu in 1929. Many years later, Mike Cross died of cancer in 2013.

Another sheriff, Butler, almost died in office. He was severely wounded during a gun battle outside a Winfield tavern in 1947.

Two other sheriffs were assassinated shortly after their terms in office. Hughett was killed from ambush in the Smokey Junction area in 1910 after leading a posse that had killed Riley Low. He was a candidate for election at the time of his death. And William J. West — who had famously helped three black murder suspects charged with killing a supervisor at the Robbins Brickyard escape lynching by leading them out of Scott County under the cover of darkness — had been shot from ambush outside his home in the New Light area near Winfield in 1909.

Hughett had been the first sheriff to serve on multiple occasions, first from 1888 to 1894 and then from 1898 to 1900. The second to do so was Esau Laxton, who replaced Isham Chambers after Chambers died of illness in 1929. Laxton served until 1934, and then from 1936 to 1938.

Laxton was also part of the first — and, to date, only — father-and-son team to serve as sheriffs. His son, Jack Laxton, was first elected sheriff in 1962, and later served as sheriff from 1986 to 1994.

The 1940s saw an interesting political rivalry unfold between Frank Butler and Dorsey Rosser. Butler served as sheriff for six years before being term-limited in 1944. Then, after Rosser served as sheriff for two years, Butler beat him in 1946 to take the job back. After being wounded in the Winfield shootout, Butler did not run in 1948 while he recovered, and Rosser won again. But Butler was elected again in 1950, serving six more years before again being term-limited in 1956. Rosser then took office in 1956 and served until 1962, when Laxton was elected.

Butler and Jack Laxton were Scott County’s longest-tenured sheriffs, each serving a total of 14 years in the office. The longest anyone has served consecutively is Jim Carson, who served 12 years, from 1994 to 2006. His brother, Marion Carson, would have served at least 12 years, but was indicted by federal authorities in 1986. He was one of nine current or former sheriffs in East Tennessee indicted by the FBI as part of “Mach Tenn,” a lengthy undercover investigation. Federal agents posed as cocaine smugglers and worked their way into Carson’s trust before asking him to aid their efforts. Carson pleaded guilty and resigned his office. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but died of cancer a few years later.

Carson had been one of the most popular sheriffs in Scott County’s history prior to his arrest. He and Jack Laxton developed a fiercely competitive political rivalry in the 1970s that was much the same as the Frank Butler-Dorsey Rosser battles of the 1940s. Laxton had been term-limited in 1968 and replaced by Bernard Brummet. Later, when Julius Lewallen was elected sheriff in 1972, Carson served as one of his deputies. When Lewallen opted against seeking re-election to a third term in 1976, Carson ran. So did Laxton. Only a few votes separated the two, with Carson winning. They squared off again in 1978 and again Carson won narrowly.

When Carson resigned his office, his chief deputy, Chester Sexton, was appointed by County Commission to fulfill the remainder of his term. Sexton did so, serving as acting sheriff until Laxton won the 1986 election.

Laxton then served two more four-year terms before losing to Jim Carson — Marion’s brother — in 1994. Jim Carson served three terms before Anthony Lay won the 2006 election to become the youngest sheriff in the county’s history. Lay resigned near the end of his first term to take a job with the U.S. Marshal Service, and Mike Cross — then the Oneida chief of police — was elected to replace him. Following Cross’s death, his chief deputy, Ronnie Phillips, was appointed by County Commission to fill the remainder of his term. Phillips was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018, serving a total of nine years in office before Brian Keeton — who had lost to Cross in the 2010 campaign — won election in 2022.

The first sheriff in Scott County who killed a man was John Goad, who hanged Mike King as part of his official duties. A decade later, Frank Hughett killed Riley Low while executing an arrest warrant, and was assassinated as an act of revenge a few months later. Gilbert Sexton had been accused of gunning down Riley Cecil in 1883 — along with his brothers — as part of the Cecil-West-Smith feud, though that was well before he became sheriff. Richard Ellis was part of a moonshine still raid that killed Filmore Sexton in 1924, though it isn’t clear who fired the fatal shot. Herbert Bilbrey was present when game warden Lindsay Phillips was killed in 1936. In fact, Phillips was there to serve a warrant on Bilbrey. Bilbrey was not implicated in Phillips’ death. However, one of the men who was, Dorsey Rosser, would later serve as sheriff on multiple occasions.

Echoes in Time is published by the Independent Herald each Tuesday.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Threads of Life tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday morning) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:

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Open your account online — anytime, anywhere! First National Bank makes it easier than ever to bank with us. You can open an account online, from the comfort of your home or on the go. Start now. (Sponsored content.)

Early voting drops to 28-year low

HUNTSVILLE | Early voting ahead of Scott County’s Aug. 6 general election dropped to a level not seen in almost 30 years.

With the close of polls Saturday, the final day of the two-week early voting period, a total of 3,694 voters in Scott County had cast their ballots ahead of the Aug. 6 general election and state primary. The last time that few people voted in the early voting period on the four-year cycle was 1998 — an election that saw Dwight Murphy elected to a second tenure as Scott County Executive and Don Sundquist win the Republican nomination for re-election as Tennessee Governor.

The numbers do not include Scott County’s “off-year” elections, which see only one county-wide race and a limited number of school board races and constable races on the ballot.

In 2022, the last election on the major four-year cycle, a total of 4,326 votes were cast during the early voting period, either in person or by mail. That was down somewhat from 2018, when a total of 4,810 votes were cast during the early voting period, a record that still stands in Scott County on the four-year cycle (early voting ahead of presidential elections has been higher).

Early voting in Tennessee began in 1994. That year 2,141 persons voted early in Scott County. The number climbed to 2,957 in 1998 and topped 4,000 in 2002. It had been above 4,000 every year on the four-year cycle since then, until this year.

Total in-person turnout (without absentee votes) during the early voting period on the four-year cycle looks like this:

• 1994: 1,920

• 1998: 2,657

• 2002: 3,858

• 2006: 4,336

• 2010: 4,035

• 2014: 3,989

• 2018: 4,457

• 2022: 3,955

• 2026: 3,501

The disparity is greater when considering the increase in registered voters. This year, a record 13,859 Scott Countians are registered to vote, according to Administrator of Elections Gabe Krahn. That means 26.7% of Scott County’s registered voters cast ballots during the 15-day early voting period, either in-person or by absentee ballot.

The percentage of registered voters — again, not including absentee voters — who have taken advantage of the early voting process on this election cycle through the years looks like this:

• 1994: 16.3%

• 1998: 21.5%

• 2002: 30.9%

• 2006: 31.2%

• 2010: 27.1%

• 2014: 29.4%

• 2018: 32.6%

• 2022: 29.8%

• 2026: 25.3%

Traditionally, more voters cast ballots during the early voting period than on Election Day. That has been the case in every election in Scott County since 2002, when nearly 52% of those who voted did so during the 15-day early voting period. Here are the numbers through the years:

• 1994: 26.3%

• 1998: 36.0%

• 2002: 51.7%

• 2006: 54.5%

• 2010: 58.1%

• 2014: 61.3%

• 2018: 65.3%

• 2022: 61.5%

Voter turnout has been declining in recent elections. In 2022, the last election on this four-year cycle, a total of 52% of registered voters cast ballots. Here are the percentages of total voter turnout since 1994:

• 1994: 69.2%

• 1998: 66.3%

• 2002: 63.1%

• 2006: 60.2%

• 2010: 50.1%

• 2014: 52.4%

• 2018: 53.9%

• 2022: 52.3%

It is impossible to draw conclusions from who a lower voter turnout favors. Traditionally, conventional wisdom in the U.S. assumes that lower voter turnout favors incumbent candidates. However, that logic applies to national elections — not local elections, where trends are more difficult to draw conclusions from.

Need a good rate on your auto insurance? Contact your local State Farm agent, Roger Baldwin. (Sponsored content.)

Anderson is Vice President at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE | Scott County native Misty Anderson has been named the new Vice President at Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville, President Tim Smith announced Friday.

Anderson, who has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, is a Scott County native and former dual enrollment coordinator at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville who is returning home after a 12-year stint at TCAT Knoxville. She has served as Vice President of Human Resources & Compliance at TCAT Knoxville since July 2024.

“This is a homecoming in every sense of the word, and I could not be more excited,” Anderson said. “TCAT Oneida/Huntsville is where my career in technical education began, and its students are the reason I got into this work. I’m honored to return home to serve them — helping every student find a clear path to an education and a rewarding career that can change their family’s future, while providing our local industries with the skilled workforce they need.

“When our students succeed, Scott County grows stronger — one graduate, one family at a time,” Anderson added. “I’m grateful for every opportunity the College System of Tennessee has given me, and I can’t wait to bring everything I’ve learned back to the place where it all began.”

A graduate of Scott High School, Anderson earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and her master’s degree from Western Governors University. She began her career in higher education as an adjunct instructor in workforce development and special industry at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville, and later served as Dual Enrollment coordinator before leaving for a position at TCAT Knoxville in 2014. There, she ascended to the position of Student Services Coordinator, and also served as Financial Aid Coordinator and Coordinator of Human Resources, giving her experience in all aspects of a TCAT institution. As vice president at TCAT Knoxville, she was in charge of human resources and compliance.

“This is a big win for TCAT Oneida/Huntsville,” Smith said. “Misty brings a wealth of knowledge and diverse experience to the table, which will enable her to serve our student population well. She has worked in all aspects of administration, and has also been in the classroom, so she understands TCAT and the TBR system inside and out.”

Anderson replaces Smith, who was named the college’s president earlier this year. He replaced Dwight Murphy, who retired after more than 20 years at the helm.

Today, TCAT Oneida/Huntsville offers nearly two dozen programs across three counties — Scott, Fentress and Morgan. The college celebrated the completion of two new buildings on its Oneida satellite campus earlier this year, and will celebrate the grand opening of a new satellite campus in Fentress County next month. It also offers post-secondary classes at York Institute, Clarkrange High School, the Morgan County Career & Technical Center, and Morgan County Correctional Complex. Additionally, TCAT Oneida/Huntsville dual enrolls students at high schools throughout the region, including schools in Scott County, Fentress County, Morgan County, Campbell County, Anderson County, and Union County.

In addition to its long-standing programs, TCAT Oneida/Huntsville recently added an Allied Health and Medical Assisting program in Huntsville and an Earthmoving Equipment Operator program in Oneida. New programs set to begin this fall include Aviation Maintenance Technology in Oneida, and Telecommunications and Underground Construction Technology in Fentress County.

For more information on any of the programs offered by TCAT, visit tcatoneida.edu. For financial aid inquiries, call (423) 663-4900 ext. 109.

Words of Wisdom

Each week, Preacher Johnny Polk and the Oneida Church of Christ present Words of Wisdom, short devotionals that are archived on our website. Here is the current Words of Wisdom. (Sponsored content.)

🌦️ Weather: There’s a 50% chance of thunderstorms today. Otherwise, we’ll see a mix of clouds and sun, with a high temperature near 80 degrees. The rest of the week will feature continuing thunderstorm chances and rising temperatures. We’ll generally be in the mid 80s each day with at least a 50/50 chance of scattered thunderstorms daily. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at independentherald.net.

—

📅 Community Calendar

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Additionally, Golden Grooves Exercise will be offered today at 1 p.m.

Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.

Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.

Monday: Scott County Commission will meet in work session at the Scott County Office Building, beginning at 5 p.m.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 9:45 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at the Highway 27 Unity Club in Oneida, beginning at 12 p.m.

Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer Golden Grooves Exercise at 1 p.m.

Thursday: Polls will be open for Election Day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Independent Herald will have live coverage of results beginning at 8 p.m.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday: The Oneida Special School District Board of Education will meet in regular session at the Central Office Training Center, beginning at 6 p.m.

Thursday: Narcotics Anonymous will meet at the Highway 27 Unity Club in Oneida, beginning at 7 p.m.

Friday: The Big South Fork swimming pool at Bandy Creek will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $3 ($2 for ages 6-12).

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District pipelines are generally safe. They can be damaged by things such as excavation, natural forces, and automobile accidents. These can potentially cause a leak.Visit citizensgastn.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes From the Past tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

You’re reading Friday Features, a weekly newsletter containing the Independent Herald’s feature stories — that is, stories that aren’t necessarily straight news but that provide an insightful look at our community and its people. If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by First National Bank. Since 1904, First National Bank has been a part of Scott County. First National is local people — just like you. Visit fnboneida.com or call (423) 569-8586.

Sacred Ground: Sulphur Springs Cemetery

There was a sentiment the old-timers used to use to describe people who lived way back in the sticks. So-and-so, they’d say, “has to walk toward town just to hunt.”

That might’ve been true for the families who lived in the Sulphur Springs area near Helenwood.

Today, there’s nothing to speak of in this vast area that lies “behind” Helenwood Loop, between Silcox Ford and Greasy Creek. Even the name “Sulphur Springs” doesn’t show up on the Atlas anymore.

But there was a time when Sulphur Springs had its own school and was home to several families — which is why you’ll find the Sulphur Springs Cemetery at the very end of what is today known as Appleton Crane Road.

This small cemetery dates back to the turn of the century. It remains active, although there have only been a handful of burials here through the years.

The Honeycutt family

The cemetery’s beginnings was with the Honeycutt family that once lived at Sulphur Springs. Baby John Honeycutt was buried there in 1902, and baby William Honeycutt was buried there in 1904.

The Honeycutt babies have matching headstones. Even the epitaph is the same: “Suffer little children to come unto me,” the popular paraphrase of Matthew 19:14.

John and William were almost certainly the sons of James Honeycutt and his wife, Rebecca, who would later be buried at the cemetery themselves.

James Honeycutt was the son of William Honeycutt (1837-1898) and Catherine Frances Rosser (1841-1900), who were married in Scott County on Christmas Eve in 1865. William served in the Union army during the Civil War, assigned to the 32^nd Kentucky Infantry. Their children included James, John, Leanza, Andrew, and Elizabeth.

James came from a large family of Honeycutts in the mid-county area. His father was one of 14 children, the sons and daughters of John Honeycutt. One of William’s siblings, Hardy Honeycutt, was the father of Edward Honeycutt, who married into the Marcum family at Buffalo and expanded the Honeycutt family in that direction.

(See Also: The Cemeteries at Marcum Creek)

James Honeycutt and Rebecca Jane Phillips were married in 1890, when she was 24 and he was 23. She was the daughter of Fountain Phillips (1842-1911) and Sarena Ellis (1841-1912). Their surviving children included Reaney “Jane”, Andrew, Harvey, Mary, Bettie, Abbigail, and Fred.

It is not known when James Honeycutt died. However, he is said to be buried in an unmarked grave at the Sulphur Springs Cemetery. Rebecca Jane died in 1923. Her grave at the cemetery is also unmarked. (James’ death was sometime after 1930, according to census records.)

James and Rebecca’s oldest daughter, Jane Honeycutt, age 26, was buried at the cemetery in 1918. She died of tuberculosis during the Spanish flu pandemic. Her mother also died of tuberculosis a few years later.

The cemetery grows

The third person buried at Sulphur Springs, after babies John and William, was Mahalla “Haley” Lackey Wright, who died in 1916 at age 31.

Haley was the wife of Wesley Wright, son of Willis Riley Wright and Francis Dishman of the Black Creek Crossroads community near Robbins.

A few years later, in 1919, the infant son of James Luther Phillips and Barzena Jane Reed was buried at the cemetery. Luther was the son of James Granville Phillips and Catherine Reed of Helenwood, while Zena was the daughter of Wiley Reed and Sophie Ellis of Mountain View.

The infants L.V. Owens (in 1919) and Sailor Owens (1923) were next to be buried at the cemetery, with matching flat stones.

Hamilton Griffith

In 1929, Civil War veteran Hamilton Griffith was buried at Sulphur Springs when he died at age 84. He was one of Scott County’s last — if not the last — surviving Civil War veterans.

Griffith served in Co. A, 4^th Tennessee Cavalry, along with the 7^th Tennessee Infantry and the 9^th Tennessee Cavalry during the war. He was a great-grandson of Revolutionary War veteran Joseph Griffith of Brimstone, and enlisted in the Union army with his brother, Fielding Griffith.

During training at Camp Dick Robinson near Danville, Ky., in the fall of 1861, Fielding Griffith became Scott County’s first casualty of the war when he died of suspected poisoning. The children of Hamilton Griffith later related to the Independent Herald’s Paul Roy that a woman was selling pies at Camp Dick Robinson and the Griffith brothers purchased some of them. Hamilton fed his to a dog, which almost immediately died. Fielding fell ill and died later.

When Roy published his book, Scott County in the Civil War, in 2001, Griffith still had two living children: Fred Griffith, who was 75 at the time and lived in Helenwood, and Elzada Maughan, who was 80 and lived in Rogersville, Tenn.

Hamilton Griffith was 81 when his youngest son, Fred, was born in 1926.

The Phillips family

Many of the burials at Sulphur Springs since Hamilton Griffith’s death in 1929 have been members of the Phillips family, which has been as prominent as any other in the Helenwood area through the years.

First to be buried was Josiah Phillips, who died of typhoid fever in 1931, at age 51. He was the son of James Granville Phillips and Catherine Reed; a brother to James Luther Phillips, whose infant son was buried at the cemetery in 1919.

Josiah married Bessie Lee Hammonds, and they had a large family. Their children included Verlie May Wilson, Mabel Vermillion, Athna McGhee, Mildred Ola Keeton, Josephine Catherine Sullivan, Josiah Phillips Jr., Onta Lee Daniel, Bonnie Marie Jeffers, Shirley Ann Williams, and James Granville Phillips.

Bessie was later buried at the cemetery in 1943.

Hobert Condy Phillips, age 1, was buried at the cemetery in 1932. He was the son of William Hobert Phillips and Bertha Louverna Pittman, and a grandson of James Granville Phillips. William Hobert was a brother to Josiah and James Luther.

William and Bertha had another son, infant Coyet Folden Phillips, buried at the cemetery in 1933. And their infant daughter, Rubena, was buried there in 1938.

In 1946, 17-year-old James Granville Phillips was buried at the cemetery. He was the youngest son of Josiah and Bessie.

The cemetery today

The first person buried at Sulphur Springs in the modern era was Josiah Phillips Jr. in 1986. At the time of his death, it had been 40 years since anyone had been buried at the cemetery. He was another of the children of Josiah and Bessie Phillips.

There have been several other burials through the years, including Albert Whipley and his wife, Patricia Ganhan, in 1988 and 1999, respectively.

In 2017, Roger Don Stephens was buried at the cemetery.

Alexis Lowe, 41, was buried at the cemetery in 2020. He was the Plateau Electric Cooperative lineman who was severely injured at a competition several years prior to his death. He was the son of Robbie and Susan Lowe of Helenwood.

The most recent burial at Sulphur Springs was Samuel Scott Hughett, 38, who died in December 2025. He was the son of Larry and Susan Hughett.

Hamilton Griffith, 1844-1929
James Honeycutt, 1867-N/A
John Honeycutt, 1902-1902
Reaney J. Honeycutt, 1892-1918
Rebecca Phillips Honeycutt, 1866-1924
William Honeycutt, 1904-1904
Samuel S. Hughett, 1978-2025
Sarah J. Lawson, 1879-1942
Alexis L. Lowe, 1978-2020
L.V. Owens, 1919-1919
Sailor Owens, 1923-1923
Bessie Hammonds Phillips, 1891-1943
Coyet Folden Phillips, 1933-1933
Hobart C. Phillips Jr., 1931-1932
Infant Phillips, 1919-1919
James G. Phillips, 1929-1946
Josiah Phillips Jr., 1919-1986
Josiah Phillips Sr., 1879-1931
Rubena Phillips, 1938-1938
Roger D. Stephens, 1946-2017
Albert W. Whipkey, 1937-1988
Patricia Ganhan Whipkey, 1933-1999
Haley Lackey Wright, 1885-1916

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Daybreaker bright and early Monday morning. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
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You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Lisa R. Byrd, 60

Oct. 19, 1965 – July 26, 2026

Lisa R. Byrd, age 60, departed this life on July 26, 2026.

LIFE

Born Oct. 19, 1965, Lisa was the daughter of Odeva and Faye Anderson Byrd. She was saved and of the Baptist faith. She enjoyed visiting Cades Cove and Dollywood, taking pictures, and especially spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was the best Granny to them all.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Odeva and Faye Anderson Byrd
• Brother: David Byrd
• Son: Matthew Anderson
• Great-grandson: Kasyn Day

SURVIVORS

• Sons: Josh Byrd and wife Ashlee, and Craig Anderson
• Grandchildren: McKenna Day, Kassidy Sharp, Skyler Anderson, Rylee Byrge, Jacob Reagan, Walker Anderson, Luke Byrd, Josie Byrd, Emma Anderson, Ella Anderson and Kash Anderson
• Great-grandchildren: Emorie, Brantley, Parker, Oaklynn, Eli (expected in September) and Bryleigh (expected in December)
• Brother: Warren Byrd
• Cousin: Durenda Byrd, who was like a sister
• Best friend: Shannon Day

SERVICES

• Visitation: Wednesday, July 29, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville.
• Funeral: To follow at 6 p.m. with Bro. Dilbert Terry officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Byrd Cemetery in the Norma community.
• In Lieu of Flowers: Memorial donations may be made to the Lisa R. Byrd Memorial Fund, c/o Four Oaks Funeral Home, P.O. Box 410, Huntsville, TN 37756.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Joy Lee Posey, 73

Oneida
March 3, 1953 – July 28, 2026

Joy Lee Posey, age 73, departed this life on July 28, 2026.

LIFE

Born March 3, 1953, Joy was the daughter of Rev. J.C. and Velma Clark Reynolds. She was a member of Second Bethlehem Baptist Church. She was a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and faithful friend. Her faith guided the love, compassion and kindness she shared with those around her. She had a fiercely protective heart and found great joy in caring for her family.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Husband: Denny Posey
• Parents: Rev. J.C. and Velma Clark Reynolds
• Parents-in-law: Elmer and Tempa Posey
• Brothers: Bill Reynolds and Kent Reynolds
• Brother-in-law: J.B. Posey
• Sister-in-law: Louetta Laxton

SURVIVORS

• Son: Jody Posey and Beth Armstrong
• Grandchildren: Bailie Sexton and husband Dakota, and Landrie Posey and Zayne Lowe
• Great-grandchildren: Arie Sexton, Creed Sexton, Kaleb Armstrong, Sarah Armstrong and Easton Armstrong
• Sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Marilyn Westbrook, Archie Posey and Jeri Dobbs
• Special cousin: Wanda Jeffers

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 3 p.m. with Bro. Kevin Reynolds officiating.
• Burial: To follow in Hazel Valley Memorial Cemetery.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Derek Lance Cross, 49

Winfield
May 19, 1977 – July 25, 2026

Derek Lance Cross, age 49, departed this life on July 25, 2026.

LIFE

Born May 19, 1977, Derek was the son of Lanford and Sally Burchfield Cross. He was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Brother: Scotty Cross
• Grandfathers: Isham Burchfield, and Manford Cross
• Grandmother: Nola Cross

SURVIVORS

• Parents: Lanford and Sally Burchfield Cross
• Children: Caleb Cross and Hannah Cross
• Sisters: Cassie Cross and Rachel Cross
• Grandchildren: Lillie, Ethan, Bryer, Harper, Luca and Maverick
• Grandmother: Wanda Brown
• Several aunts, uncles, other relatives and friends

SERVICES

• Burial: Graveside service Friday, July 31, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Cross Cemetery in Winfield with Bro. Jimmie Bowman and Bro. Mike Vanover officiating.
• In Lieu of Flowers: Memorial donations may be made to the Derek Cross Memorial Fund, c/o Jones & Son Funeral Home, 20059 Alberta St., Oneida, TN 37841, or by calling (423) 569-6353.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Weekender tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.

Remembering Adelbert Doisy and the Huntsville Supply Store

Adelbert Doisy came to Scott County on a hunting expedition. He fell in love with the community, fell in love with one of its young ladies, and wound up spending the rest of his life here as one of the most influential business owners in Huntsville’s history. This is the story of the man behind the old Huntsville Supply Company.

Born Oct. 3, 1862, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Adelbert Henry Doisy was the son of Adelbert Edward Doisy (1837-1931) and Mary Neal Kennedy (1842-1925). In some ways, he was behind the times. Scott County — or, rather, the area that would become Scott County, since the county wasn’t actually established until 1849 — was originally settled by longhunters, men who came here on long hunting expeditions and decided to stay. These longhunters first ventured onto the northern Cumberland Plateau in the mid to late 18th century (the earliest written record is of a “station camp” along what we now know as Station Camp Creek in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area in the 1760s). After returning to the East to fight in the Revolutionary War, some of the longhunters returned to this frontierland and settled down permanently in the 1800s and 1810s.

By the time Bert Doisy came along, in the 1880s, there were thousands of people living here, many of whom were third- and fourth-generation descendants of the original longhunters. Scott County was still rugged and remote, but it was no longer the frontierland that the earlier longhunters had encountered.

The Doisy family was well-established in Cincinnati, and had been for generations. Bert’s mother’s family — the Kennedys — had also been well-established there for several generations. Bert had no intention of leaving Cincinnati permanently when he hopped a train on the brand-new railroad to Scott County for a hunting trip. But then he met Lina Belle West.

Born April 20, 1876, Lena was the daughter of Jeremiah West (1843-1890) and Malissan Sexton (1844-1893). As much a fixture as Bert’s family was in Cincinnati, Lina’s was in Scott County. Her father had served in the Civil War, and was part of the expansive West family of Helenwood. Her mother was a descendant of Revolutionary War veteran Timothy Sexton, and was part of the Sexton family that had also settled in Helenwood.

Exactly when Bert and Lena met and began courting is not clear. She was, after all, 14 years younger than he was. When the 1900 census was taken, Bert was boarding with James F. Baker (his business partner), and Lena was still living with her parents. The couple were married in 1906 in Boone County, Ky. — near Bert’s native hometown. In 1910, the couple were living in Scott County, and their daughter, Mary Helen, was two.

Bert is best-known, of course, as the owner-operator of the Huntsville Supply Co. store that dominated the retail scene in the county seat for many years. He and James F. Baker, a Huntsville attorney who was the father of Congressman Howard H. Baker Sr., opened the store together in 1897.

Baker’s family played its own indelible role in Scott County’s growth. Everyone is familiar with the story of James’s son and grandson, of course. Both served in Congress, and the latter became one of the most powerful men in Washington as Senate Majority Leader and later as White House Chief of Staff to President Ronald Reagan. But Baker’s wife was Helen Blanche Keen. Her father, Alderson Thompson Keen, was a major in the Union army during the Civil War. It was he who convinced Gen. Ambrose Burnside to march the Army of the Ohio through Scott County en route to seize Knoxville and liberate East Tennessee from the Confederacy in 1863. Keen had become familiar with the area after leading a scouting party of 50 men through the region. He later moved his family to Scott County in the late 1880s.

Burnside’s successful march through Scott County helped to cement the city of Cincinnati’s decision to follow a similar route when it built a railroad linking itself to Chattanooga in the decade after the war ended. It was aboard a train on that railroad that Bert Doisy traveled from Cincinnati to Helenwood in the 1880s, and wound up linking up with Maj. Keen’s son-in-law.

The Huntsville Supply Co. store became a sort of commerce and social hub in Huntsville. Nat Hancock, a former slave who remained in Scott County after gaining his freedom in the early 1860s, was a familiar figure at the store, playing checkers and entertaining the other townsfolk who stopped in to trade or just to socialize.

The historian Esther Sharp Sanderson wrote of Bert Doisy: “Since Huntsville was the county seat and centrally located, people came from all sections of the county to do their trading. Mr. Doisy made many warm and lasting friends due to his jovial disposition and his congenial personality. He was a diligent, efficient businessman and the long years of successful operation of the Huntsville Supply Store can be attributed, in large measure, to his honesty, integrity, and keen business judgment. People from all walks of life felt free to come to him for advice and favors. He was prudent in his business, but he was never known to refuse an honest man a favor.”

As for the store itself, “He bought every kind of produce from the farmers who were glad to exchange them for ‘store boughten’ things. He always paid the highest possible prices for hides, tallow pelts, molasses honey, chickens, eggs, feathers, wool, mountain herbs, gin sang, yellow root, sassafras, sarsaparilla and numerous other things.”

Sanderson wrote that on court days, the store “would be packed to overflowing. Since there was not a restaurant in town, and it was impossible for the hotels to feed the large crowds, the long counters in the store were used to serve food to the public. The bill of fare consisted of cheese and crackers, sardines, salmons, and peaches and tomatoes ‘fixed up’ in a bowl with spoon and crackers.”

Bert and Lina built what would become known as the “Doisy House” that set just off the courthouse square in Huntsville. The home was later owned by Howard H. Baker Jr. and donated to the Scott County Historical Society, serving as the organization’s headquarters for many years. Today it’s owned by Eric Blakley, the son of Huntsville attorney Mark Blakley, who grew up next door.

The Doisys had one surviving child, Mary Helen, born in 1908. (A second daughter, born earlier, died as a baby.) Mary Helen married Daniel Boone Walker in the 1930s. They had two children: Louise Doisy Walker and Daniel Adelbert “Bert” Walker.

Lina died on April 10, 1952, at age 75. Bert died on Feb. 1, 1962. Both are buried at the Buttram Cemetery across from White Rock Baptist Church in Huntsville.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Threads of Life tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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You’re reading Friday Features, a weekly newsletter containing the Independent Herald’s feature stories — that is, stories that aren’t necessarily straight news but that provide an insightful look at our community and its people. If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by First National Bank. Since 1904, First National Bank has been a part of Scott County. First National is local people — just like you. Visit fnboneida.com or call (423) 569-8586.

Sacred Ground: The John S. Adkins Grave

On the side of a long driveway along Upper Jellico Creek is a single, solitary grave — that of John S. Adkins, who died in 1894 at the age of 25.

This is “Adkins Country.” John’s father, Sterling Adkins, founded the church at Upper Jellico Creek in 1885, and the Adkins family lived here for many years. Today, many of the place names in the area bear witness to the Adkins family’s influence. There is the “Henry Adkins Hollow” and the “Phillips Adkins Hollow,” both named for the people who once made their homes here.

What makes the John S. Adkins grave unique is that a family cemetery is located just a stone’s throw away. The Adkins Cemetery, in fact, is accessed by the same driveway that accesses John’s grave. If you’re wondering why John Adkins wasn’t buried with the rest of his family – well, the larger cemetery did not exist when he died in 1894. It was not started until his father’s death 11 years later. For whatever reason, the family chose to lay Sterling Adkins to rest a couple hundred yards away from John, and that’s where the family cemetery grew.

The Adkins Family

As detailed when the Sacred Ground series visited the nearby Adkins Cemetery, Sterling Adkins was a prominent preacher in 19^th century Scott County. Born Nov. 16, 1833, he was the son of John Adkins and Mary “Polly” Saunders. (The elder John Adkins was buried on the Conrad Laxton farm a short distance from the other family cemeteries when he died in 1882.)

John Adkins moved from North Carolina to Tennessee after marrying Polly Saunders, and they had eight children. Sterling was the fifth of those children.

In December 1857, about a week before Christmas and exactly one month before his 24^th birthday, Sterling married Motlany Lowe, the daughter of Phillip Low and Sarah Nancy Carroll, and a granddaughter of Mikel Low, Scott County’s first settler.

The Adkins family was already a large one in Scott, Campbell, and Anderson counties, and Sterling and Motlany would have a large family in their own right. They had eight children and at least 68 grandchildren.

Sterling Adkins traveled by foot to churches throughout Scott and Campbell counties to preach. In 1873, he founded the Baptist church at Smokey Creek. Twelve years later, he started the Baptist church at Jellico Creek.

By that time, 1885, the Adkins family had moved from the Straight Fork area to Upper Jellico Creek. On the fourth Saturday in May 1885, a group of members from Sugar Grove Missionary Baptist Church met to start a new church. Adkins was appointed the group’s moderator. They founded the Upper Jellico Creek Baptist Church of Christ. The Baptist Church of Christ was a new denomination at the time that had started in Tennessee, intended to counter the teachings of Christian reformer John Calvin that were taking root in Baptist churches across the state.

Adkins served as pastor of Upper Jellico Creek for a total of eight years. His son, Gallant Lee Adkins, pastored the church on two occasions, and a grandson, Harvey Adkins, was pastor in the 1940s.

In addition to the churches at Smokey Creek and Jellico Creek, Sterling Adkins played a role in the formation of First Baptist Church of Oneida. He was one of seven men who met in Oneida in November 1887 for the purpose of starting a new church, and was appointed moderator of the meeting.

Among the children of Sterling and Motlany: Nancy Rene Adkins Lowe, Sarah Jane Adkins Low, Gallent Lee Adkins, Phillip Adkins, Cordelia Adkins Cross, Floranzo Adkins, John S. Adkins, and Henry Sherwood Adkins.

John, born in 1869, was the next-to-youngest of the Adkins children. He was born after Floranzo and before Henry. There is some debate over his middle name. Some sources say it was “Sterling,” after his father. But it’s most commonly believed to be “Stanton.”

John S. Adkins died on Sept. 9, 1894.

In an era when it was common for children to die young, John was the only of the eight Adkins children to die young. The rest lived relatively long lives, Nancy Rene (the oldest) dying in 1930, Floranzo dying in 1933, Phillip in 1938, Cordelia in 1939, Sarah Jane in 1942, Gallent Lee in 1945, and Henry in 1955. All were in their 70s or 80s when they died.

John was the exception. He was only 25 at the time of his death. He never married or had children. It is not clear how he died. His hand-chiseled stone simply includes his name, “John S. Adkins,” and his dates of birth and death: July 26, 1869 – September 9, 1894.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Daybreaker bright and early Monday morning. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

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• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

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View it. Download it.

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Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.

Dunlap is new president of Tennessee Pharmacists Association

NASHVILLE | Brent Dunlap, of Oneida, was inaugurated as the next president of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association during the association’s summer meeting in Florence, Ala., earlier this month.

As president, Dunlap will help lead TPA’s efforts to advance the profession of pharmacy, advocate for patient access to pharmacy services, and support pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians throughout Tennessee. His installation marks the beginning of a next chapter of Board leadership for the Association as it continues its mission to promote safe and effective medication use and improve health outcomes across the state.

Dunlap has long been recognized for his commitment to the pharmacy profession and to serving patients and communities throughout Tennessee. During his term, he will work closely with TPA members, volunteer leaders, and staff to address opportunities and challenges facing the profession while advancing initiatives that strengthen pharmacy’s role in healthcare.

“Brent is a respected leader whose passion for pharmacy and dedication to patient care make him exceptionally well suited to serve as TPA president,” said Anthony Pudlo, CEO of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association. “We look forward to working alongside him as we continue advocating for the profession and expanding the impact pharmacists have on the health of Tennesseans.”

In accepting the office, Dunlap expressed his appreciation for the trust placed in him by the membership and his commitment to serving the profession during a pivotal time for healthcare and pharmacy practice. The installation ceremony was held as part of the TPA Summer Meeting, which brings together pharmacy professionals and industry partners for education, networking, and leadership development.

In his installation address, Dunlap acknowledged his father, the late Bill Dunlap.

“When the opportunity to seek this office first came up, I wasn’t sure if I was ready,” Dunlap said. “Dad looked at me and simply said, ‘You need to do it.’”

Bill Dunlap, who owned Plateau DrugCenter and worked alongside his sons in the profession, died in January at age 76. He was also a member of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association.

This story first appeared here.

Huntsville Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center offers short-term or long-term care … on your terms. Learn more. (Sponsored content.)

Billingsley selected to national fellowship

ONEIDA | Oneida Elementary School Principal Ashley Billingsley has been named a member of the 2027 National Institute for Excellence in Teaching’s Teacher Leader Fellows cohort, the organization announced Tuesday.

Billingsley was one of 12 educators selected from a pool of applicants from across the country. She is in her first full year as principal at OES after previously serving as assistant principal at the school for four years.

“I am proud to welcome Ashley Billingsley into the 2027 NIET Teacher Leader Fellows cohort,” said NIET chief executive officer Dr. Joshua Barnett. “This fellowship reflects NIET’s commitment to build educator excellence and empower outstanding teacher leaders who are strengthening instruction and accelerating student success.”

Billingsley comes from a family of educators, and believes strong schools are built through teamwork, consistency, and willingness to keep learning and improving.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this program,” she said. “I believe leadership is about building people, not just managing a school. The best schools grow when teachers feel supported, trusted, and challenged to lead in ways that positively impact students beyond their own classroom. As a leader, I want to create a culture where we continuously reflect on our practices, learn from student evidence, and work together to make sure every decision is centered around what is best for kids.”

The NIET Teacher Leader Fellows Program was created with educator effectiveness in mind, bringing together teacher leaders from partner schools nationwide who demonstrate exceptional implementation of NIET’s principles, emphasizing educator excellence and advancing student success.

“Ashley’s leadership has helped build a culture centered on collaboration, reflection, and student achievement at Oneida Elementary School,” said Oneida Special School District interim director Kelly Chitwood. “We are thrilled to see her recognized as a NIET Teacher Leader Fellow and know she will bring valuable learning back to our district.”

The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching is a national nonprofit based in Phoenix, Ariz., that serves states and districts nationwide.

This story first appeared here.

Mountain People’s Health Councils offers general practice dentistry for all ages, using the latest technology for dental imagery and digital scanning. Sliding scale fees apply! Learn more. (Sponsored.)

ICYMI

Threads of Life: This week’s Threads of Life newsletter is in remembrance of Faye Phillips, Joel Newport, Keisha Robbins, and Jenny Duncan. » Read It

Echoes in Time: This week’s Echoes in Time newsletter takes a look back at the man who plotted Huntsville, Wayne Whitecotton. » Read It

The Weekend

🌥️ Weather: The weekend will start nice, with dry conditions and temperatures in the low 80s Friday. Rain will return to the forecast Saturday, but Sunday should be dry (although warmer, with temperatures pushing into the mid to upper 80s). Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.

—

⛪︎ Featured Church

Calvary Missionary Baptist Church

Denomination: Baptist (Missionary)
Pastor: Bobby Williams
Address: 1467 Annadell Road, Pioneer

Services
Sunday School: 10 a.m.
Sunday Morning: 11 a.m.
Sunday Evening: 6 p.m.
Wednesday: 7 p.m.

» See the complete Church Directory, and thank you to our sponsors of the Church Directory.

—

📅 Community Calendar

• Saturday: The Scott County Farmers & Crafters Market on Scott High Drive will be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.

• Saturday: The Huntsville Municipal Pool will be open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($3). The Big South Fork Pool at Bandy Creek will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ($3, or $2 for ages 6-12). The Oneida City Park Splashpad will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting (free).

• Saturday: Fourth Saturday night worship services will be held at Straight Fork Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and Antioch Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at independentherald.net.

• Sunday: The Huntsville Municipal Pool will be open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($3). The Big South Fork Pool at Bandy Creek will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ($3, or $2 for ages 6-12). The Oneida City Park Splashpad will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting (free).

• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.

Scenic Sale!

This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.

Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Friday Features. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!

◼️ About the IH • IH Sports Network • The Encyclopedia of Scott County
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Manage Your Account
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)

Subscribe now

You’re reading Threads of Life, a weekly obituaries newsletter that remembers and honors our friends and family members who made an impact on Scott County through the ways they lived their lives. Threads of Life is delivered to you courtesy of Jones & Son and West-Murley Funeral Homes. (Want to adjust your subscription settings? Click here.)

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Faye Phillips, 82

Robbins
July 13, 1944 – July 14, 2026

Faye Phillips, age 82, departed this life in July 2026.

LIFE

Born July 13, 1944, Faye was the daughter of Jay and Reba Foster. She graduated from Robbins School and worked at Scott County Hospital. She had a kind and pure heart and will be greatly missed.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Jay and Reba Foster
• Husband: Charles Phillips
• Son: Rickey Phillips
• Daughters-in-law: Debbie Phillips and Rhonda Phillips
• Brothers: Dean Foster and James Robert Foster
• Sisters: Pauline Foster and Helen Luallen
• Sisters-in-law: Deanna “Dikey” Norris, Mary Ellis, Lorene Foster, Lydia Overton and Wanda Bowling

SURVIVORS

• Grandsons: Brandon Phillips and wife Sarah, Bryce Phillips and wife Taylor, Brooke Phillips and Jordan Phillips, and their families
• Great-grandsons: Blaine and Jaxson
• Brother: Jimmy Lee Foster and wife Judy
• Cousins: Violet Ruth Lashley and Patsy Welch
• Sister-in-law: Collie Potter
• Brother-in-law: Rick Luallen

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: To follow at 6 p.m. with Bro. Jerry Byrge officiating.
• Burial: Sunday, July 19, 2026, at 12 p.m. at Kilbeck Cemetery in Robbins.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Joel Newport, 86

Robbins
January 12, 1940 – July 15, 2026

Tommy Joel Newport, age 86, departed this life on July 15, 2026.

LIFE

Born January 12, 1940, Joel was the son of Lawrence and Ina Lee Dyer Newport. He was a member of Winona Baptist Church. He was a retired logger who took great pride in his work. He was also well known for his fruit and vegetable stand, where he enjoyed visiting with friends and customers over the years. He never met a stranger and will be remembered for his strong work ethic, love for politics, generous heart and devotion to his family and friends.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Parents: Lawrence and Ina Lee Dyer Newport
• Brothers: L.A. Newport and wife Louise, Jay Newport, and Ben Newport and wife Wanda
• Sisters: Lucinda Shepherd, Beulah Jeffers and Annie Lee Newport
• Parents-in-law: Hugh L. and Ernie Smithers
• Brothers-in-law: Eather Smithers and wife Barb, James Smithers and wife Mary Ruth, and Chester Smithers
• Sisters-in-law: Eloise Smithers and Marie Crowley and husband Homer

SURVIVORS

• Wife of 62 years: Bernice Smithers Newport
• Sons: Rickey Lee Newport, and Christopher Newport and wife Stephanie
• Daughter: Denise Massengale
• Grandsons: Dallas “DJ” Newport and wife Bray Lynn, Ryan Newport and Chase Human and wife Emily
• Granddaughters: Destiny Roysdon and husband Alex, Courtney Newport, Caitlin Phillips and Raylie Bush
• Great-grandchildren: Deegan Chambers, Jaida Roysdon, Josie Roysdon, Hunter Newport, Grainger Newport, Jacelynn Newport, Jannah Newport, Ryker Bush, Haylee Human and Lily Griffith
• Sister: Onnie Lee Newport
• Brother-in-law and sisters-in-law: Homer and Phyllis Jeffers, and Estle and Arvil Smithers

SERVICES

• Visitation: Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the chapel of Jones & Son Funeral Home.
• Funeral: Memorial service to follow at 5 p.m. with Bro. Jamie Byrd officiating.
• Burial: Private inurnment at a later date.

Arrangements by Jones & Son Funeral Home.

Keisha Robbins, 38

Monticello, Ky.
February 12, 1988—July 17, 2026

Keisha Jean Robbins, age 38, departed this life on July 17, 2026.

LIFE

Born Feb. 12, 1988, Keisha was the daughter of Lisa Goodman Robbins and Stephen Craig Robbins.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Father: Stephen Craig Robbins
• Grandparents: Ella Goodman and Hoyle Goodman

SURVIVORS

• Mother: Lisa Goodman Robbins
• Daughters: Jordyn and husband Alex, Lakeysha and husband Dalton, Jayda and Ashlee
• Sons: Stephen and Jayden
• Grandchildren: Kinley, Karson and Kohen
• Sister: Sierra and husband Jake
• Special nephew: Cooper
• Grandmother: Evelyn Diane Sexton
• Special cousins: Kristy, Kelley and Emily

SERVICES

• Visitation: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home.
• Funeral: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the chapel of West-Murley Funeral Home with Bro. Donnie Griffith officiating.
• Burial: To follow in the Going Home Cemetery in Oneida.
• In Lieu of Flowers: Memorial donations may be made to the Keisha Robbins Memorial Fund, c/o West-Murley Funeral Home, 18641 Alberta St., Oneida, TN 37841, or by calling (423) 569-8534.

Arrangements by West-Murley Funeral Home.

Jenny Duncan, 54

Pioneer
May 9, 1972 – July 15, 2026

Regenia “Jenny” Duncan, age 54, departed this life on July 15, 2026.

LIFE

Born May 9, 1972, Jenny was the daughter of Reda Lowe Duncan and Sonny Duncan. She was a member of Antioch Baptist Church.

PRECEDED IN DEATH

• Father: Sonny Duncan
• Grandparents: Willie and Opal Lowe, and Edward and Gladys Duncan
• Special uncle: Jimmy Lowe
• Aunts: Hilda Lowe, Debra A. Lowe and Debra D. Lowe
• Special cousins: Braydon Lowe, Zachariah Lowe and Justin Lowe
• Special friend: Dennis Stokes

SURVIVORS

• Mother: Reda Lowe Duncan
• Son: Logan Harness and wife Haley
• Grandchildren: JonahLee Harness and Lakelynn Mae Harness
• Brother: Jody Duncan
• Special aunt: Pattie Baird
• Special aunt: Rena Adkins
• Uncles: Audie Dean Lowe and Demus Lowe
• Special friends: Donnie and Tracy Kitts, Justin and Stephanie Stepp, and Durenda Byrd
• Sasha Douglas and children: Macy, Maddie, Maylee and Easton
• Shay Adkins and children: Korbin, Jansen and Willow

SERVICES

• Visitation: Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville.
• Funeral: To follow at 12 p.m. with Bro. Randy Lowe and Bro. Greg Overton officiating.
• Burial: To follow at Fairview Memorial Gardens.

Arrangements by Four Oaks Funeral Home.

Threads of Life is sponsored by Jones & Son Funeral Home and West-Murley Funeral Home: Proudly serving the families of Scott County with care, dignity and trust. Visit jandwfh.com.

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