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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New county officials take office Monday
HUNTSVILLE | Scott County’s newly-elected officials will take office on Tuesday — and re-elected officials will begin their new terms.
The incoming officials were sworn in Friday evening by Scott County General Sessions Judge Scarlet Ellis during a ceremony at the Scott County Justice Center.
Dennis Jeffers will assume the county’s highest elected office, county mayor. The only other new county official is Amanda Chambers Sexton, who will assume her duties as county court clerk. Stepping away from those positions will be Jerried Jeffers and Felicia Bilbrey.
Beginning new terms Tuesday will be Sheriff Brian Keeton, Road Superintendent Kelvin King, County Attorney John Beaty, Circuit Court Clerk Donnie Phillips, Register of Deeds Ashley Newport Riseden, and Trustee Rena Erwin.
Beaty is the longest-tenured county official, and will begin his eighth term on Tuesday. He’s followed, in terms of longevity, by Phillips, who is beginning his sixth term. King and Riseden are beginning their third terms, while Keeton and Erwin are beginning their second terms.
The only county official who was not up for re-election this year was Assessor of Property Tiffany Jeffers, who will next be on the ballot in August 2028.
There were also five new commissioners and two new school board members elected earlier this month. In the 1st District, Allen “Ladd” Phillips was elected to County Commission and Rhonda Marlow Davis was elected to school board. In the 3rd District, Mike Keeton and Dacy Williams were elected to County Commission. In the 5th District, Zach Strunk was elected to County Commission. In the 6th District, Jason Perry was elected to County Commission. In the Oneida Special School District, Stuart Jones was elected to school board.
The five new commissioners will meet for the first time on Tuesday, Sept. 8, when County Commission meets in work session. The monthly workshop is typically the first Monday of each month, but that is Labor Day, a county holiday.
Sept. 8 will also be the first meeting for Jeffers in his role as county mayor. Although not a constitutional requirement, the county mayor has the option to serve as the commission’s chairman — and traditionally does. One of Jeffers’ first duties as mayor will be recommending members of County Commission’s standing committees, which include the Budget Committee, Finance Committee, Intergovernmental Committee, Building & Grounds Committee, Emergency Services Committee, Community Development Committee, and Ethics Committee.
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Some of summer’s hottest temps on tap for this week
Tuesday is the start of meteorological fall, but it isn’t going to feel much like autumn across Tennessee next week.
Some of summer’s hottest temperatures appear to be on the way, thanks to an upper level ridge of high pressure that will be parked over the Southeast. The current forecast is for temperatures around 90 degrees each day from Monday through Friday, along with high humidity levels that will drive the heat index to 100 degrees or higher at times.
The same upper level ridge that will deliver the hot temperatures will also keep the region dry, despite the relatively moist air that will be in place. There are slight chances of thunderstorms late in the week, but most of the region will be dry all week.
While the autumn season doesn’t officially begin until the fall equinox on Sept. 22 — the point when daylight and darkness are equal lengths — meteorologists refer to Sept. 1 as the start of autumn. The calendar determines seasons by the equinoxes and solstices, while meteorology keeps things simpler by timing the seasons with the changing of the months, with fall starting Sept. 1, winter starting Dec. 1, spring starting March 1, and summer starting June 1.
Temperatures of 90 degrees or greater aren’t uncommon in September, but they occur less often in September than in July and August. Since National Weather Service records-keeping began in Oneida in the 1950s, the average date of the last 90-degree day of summer is Aug. 27. Temperatures on the Cumberland Plateau peak, on average, in mid-July and slowly decline after that. The decline becomes much more pronounced in mid-September.
Last year, Oneida did not record any 90-degree days in September. There were two in September 2024.
Since 2020, Oneida has had a total of just three days with 90-degree temperatures in the month of September. However, the current pattern — which is being influenced by one of the strongest El Ninos in history — is similar to the one that delivered an extended summer in 2019. That year, the temperature reached at least 90 degrees eight out of nine days between Sept. 10 and Sept. 18, including Oneida’s all-time record for the month of September, 95 degrees, on Sept. 11. That month ended with temperatures more than eight degrees hotter than average.
Summer 2026 has been hot, but not exceptionally so. The month of August will end with temperatures running nearly two degrees above the historic average in Oneida. The same was true for July.
This summer has featured 13 days with 90-degree temperatures so far, which lags behind the 22 days with 90-degree temperatures seen in 2025.
The pattern has also turned exceptionally dry. After the region began the summer season in a drought, excessive rainfall erased the drought status but wet weather has since given way to a return to the abnormally dry conditions that greeted the start of summer. For the year, Scott County is running a rainfall deficit greater than eight inches, receiving about 20 percent less rainfall than it typically would during the months of January through August.
Although streamflows and reservoir levels aren’t low enough for a drought to be declared, decreasing soil moisture levels could impact the fall foliage season, which is about seven weeks from its peak. Fall colors are at their best when the summer is wet, followed by a dry autumn. However, drought or prolonged dry spells that decrease soil moisture can blunt the annual colors.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center forecasted above-average rainfall for the Mid-South region during the month of September. However, that forecast appears to be on its way to being proven inaccurate.
For those looking to beat the heat, the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area’s swimming pool at Bandy Creek Campground will be open Friday, Sept. 4, through Monday, Sept. 7, then close for the season. Admission is $3 for adults or $2 for children. After a summer season that featured mostly above-average streamflows, the recent lack of rainfall has dropped river levels to perfect levels for swimming or wading. Water temperatures are in the low 80s and will slowly rise over the next several days.
Yager speaks out against nuclear storage in Scott County
NASHVILLE, Tenn. | State Rep. Kelly Keisling is asking Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to oppose the long-term storage of nuclear waste in the Cumberland Plateau counties he represents, including Scott County.
Keisling, a Byrdstown Republican who represents the 38th District in the state legislature, released a letter he wrote to Lee on Monday, stating his opposition to a long-term nuclear waste repository in Scott, Fentress and Pickett counties, which were identified — along with Morgan County — by the state as a potential location for nuclear storage as part of a recycling program that is attached to Tennessee’s proposal to be named a Nuclear Lifestyle Innovation Campus.
Tennessee is a finalist for the federal initiative, which the Lee administration says could bring billions of dollars in investment, along with thousands of jobs and expanded nuclear research to Oak Ridge.
However, while Oak Ridge would be the location of the bulk of the new jobs and the investment, it was learned on July 28 — when the U.S. Dept. of Energy announced that Tennessee is one of five finalists for the project — that the northern Cumberland Plateau region has been identified as a potential location for storing the nation’s nuclear waste as part of the recycling process.
While the Lee administration has not identified specific areas within Scott, Fentress, Morgan and Pickett counties that it is eyeing for a potential nuclear repository, the region was selected for its close proximity to Oak Ridge, its geology, and its sparse population.
In his letter to the governor, Keisling expressed “strong opposition” to long-term underground storage of nuclear waste.
“These communities should not be viewed simply as suitable locations on a map because of their geology, available land, or proximity to existing nuclear infrastructure,” Keisling said. “They are home to families, farms, businesses, communities, natural resources, as well as a way of life that deserves to be protected. Locating a long-term nuclear waste repository in these communities would carry consequences and stewardship responsibilities extending generations beyond any immediate economic benefit.”
Locating a nuclear repository in Scott County or one of its neighboring counties would not be as simple as the state declaring it so. It’s unclear how much land would be needed for such a repository, but the land would have to already be owned by a state or federal agency, or be acquired by a state or federal agency. Absent a willing seller, the property would have to be acquired by the state through the eminent domain process, which would face stiff legal challenges.
According to The Breakthrough Institute, a global research center that promotes technological solutions to environmental challenges, there are currently 95,000 metric tons of spent fuel rods across the nation — a number that increases by 2,000 tons per year. However, that isn’t as much as it might seen, since uranium is extremely heavy, with a density that is 1.5 times greater than lead. The Breakthrough Institute says that if the entirety of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel rods were stacked on a football field, it would “pile up to a depth of fewer than 10 yards.”
Nevertheless, residents across the Cumberland Plateau region have expressed significant opposition to the possibility of a storage repository here. Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers told the Independent Herald earlier this month that he informed a state coalition that the local community will always be opposed to the storage of nuclear waste.
Helping to fuel the local mistrust is years of rumors — some of them substantiated — that nuclear waste from Oak Ridge is being discarded in Scott County. In the Independent Herald‘s first edition, published in June 1976, it was reported that nearly 700 tons of nuclear waste had been discovered improperly stored in a two-acre pond near what is now Tennier Industries in Huntsville. (Tennier Industries was not responsible for the storage; rather, it was sludge that was linked to a nuclear chemical company that had formerly owned the property.) The Industrial Development Board of Scott County applied for and received federal grant funding to clean up the site.
State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, who has helped lead the Lee administration’s application for the Nuclear Lifestyle Innovation Campus, told the Independent Herald earlier this month that Scott County is not being considered for the permanent storage of nuclear waste. A nuclear waste repository, he said, would be part of a recycling effort.
“I appreciate the concern in preserving the environment,” Yager said, “but I think some of these statements (regarding permanent storage of nuclear waste) are misleading to the point of not being helpful.
“I do not and will never support the permanent storage of nuclear waste on the Cumberland Plateau,” he added.
However, Keisling made it clear that he is joining the region’s residents in opposition to even temporary storage of nuclear waste, although he said that he “strongly supports” the state’s initiative to continue developing nuclear energy.
“Tennessee has an important role to play in advancing nuclear technology, strengthening our energy independence, creating high-quality jobs, and supporting America’s energy security,” he said. “However, there must be a clear distinction between leading the nation in nuclear innovation and locating a long-term nuclear waste repository in rural communities of the Upper Cumberland. Tennessee can, and should, lead the nation in nuclear innovation without requiring Pickett, Scott or Fentress Counties to bear that long-term responsibility.”
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: It’s going to be a hot week. Temperatures are expected to be in the 90s every day, with only the slightest chance of rain on Friday. This may be the first week this summer with wall-to-wall 90-degree days. 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 week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Additionally, Bingo will be offered today at 11 a.m. and Golden Grooves Exercise 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: In high school sports, Scott High soccer will host Monterey at 6 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 9:15 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).
Tuesday: In high school sports, Oneida soccer will host Morristown-East at 7 p.m. and Scott High soccer will travel to Clinton at 7 p.m.
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 12 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club in Oneida.
Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Golden Grooves Exercise at 1 p.m.
Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.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 Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Chair Volleyball at 11 a.m. and Crafts at 1 p.m.
Thursday: The Oneida Special School District Board of Education will meet at the Central Office Training Center, beginning at 6 p.m.
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: In high school sports, Oneida soccer will face White House Heritage in Gatlinburg at 4:50 p.m. Oneida football will travel to Bledsoe County at 7:30 p.m. and Scott High football will host Monterey at 7:30 p.m. The football 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.
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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)