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Features

  •
    WCHS graduate serving in Army

    By SUSANNE KAPPLER
    Fort Jackson Leader

        FORT JACKSON, S.C. ­— For Sgt. Jason McKeough, the question was not if he would serve in the military, but what branch he would choose.
        “My family has a long history of military service,” McKeough said. “It was natural for me. I think it was almost expected of me to (enlist).”

  • Rupp to lead annual Rumble

        Television and radio traffic reporter, Ed Rupp of Knoxville, will serve as the Grand Rumbler for the Second Annual Rumble on the Mountain on June 26 in Wartburg. Last year’s event was a great success, attracting 100 bikers for the two and a half hour scenic ride through Morgan County.  Rumble on the Mountain also raised much needed monies for Morgan County’s 11 fire departments and one rescue squad from registration fees as well as food and vendor sales.

  • Habitat Resale Store reopens in...

        Appalachia Habitat for Humanity’s resale store in Sunbright was closed for more than a year after a flash flood destroyed the old building. The store recently reopened in a new bigger building that so far is showing signs of bringing in new customers.

        “I think it has something to do with the new building. It looks a lot nicer here now,” said Sandy Spurling, director of Appalachia Habitat for Humanity. “This is the first new building in Sunbright in a really long time.”

  •
    WCHS senior takes grand prize

      Attendance, test scores, graduation rates ... ATTENDANCE ... are uppermost in the minds of local educators. For Morgan County Schools finding an incentive to bolster student attendance has led to a fun and rewarding program.

  • Two local teachers win ORAU contest

        It wasn’t first place but two Morgan County teachers were certainly thrilled to finish as runners up in Oak Ridge Associated Universities’ (ORAU) 2010 Extreme Classroom Makeover.

        The prize committee visited Central Middle and Sunbright schools on Thursday to surprise teachers Kim Carroll and George Pace.

  •
    Perils of driving drunk

        If you passed by Central High School Thursday between 9 and 11 a.m., you may have thought something terrible had just happened.

        If it had been real, today’s lead headline may have read “Teen charged with DUI; two dead”

        Police, fire and rescue crews along with about 400 students gathered on the front lawn for a mock wreck and rescue involving a teenage drunk driver.

  • 18 More Receive High School Diploma

        Mitchell Heidel, director of the Morgan County Career and Technical Center took on a new duty some 18 months ago -- presenting high school diplomas.

        Thursday night he presented 18 more to a group of deserving students who have completed the Independent Study Program through Morgan County Schools.

        This is the third group to complete the program and it is the biggest class to graduate to date, according to Heidel.

  • All Aboard The Santa Express

      Dressed in the uniform of conductors in days gone by, Conductor Tim Butler is ready to welcome families aboard the New River Santa Express for a fun evening event.

        The New River Railway, which normally winds guests along the scenic mountain railroad from Huntsville to Devonia,  has added the evening train ride for families to enjoy during the Christmas holiday.

  • 911 Center dedicated, opened to...

        After years of planning and saving, Morgan County’s new 911 Communication Center was opened to the public on Friday. Members of the board of directors and dispatchers employed at the facility were as proud as new parents as they showed off the state of the art facility that now houses dispatch for all of the county’s law enforcement and emergency services.

        Board chairman Bill Hunter described it as a dream come true for the Morgan County E-911 Board and the people who work as dispatchers.

  •
    "Drive Drunk -- Get Nailed...

        An initiative to deter drunk driving has just wound up in Tennessee’s metropolitan areas and now it’s making its way into rural communities.

        Wartburg is the first community to have the “Drive Drunk — Get Nailed” car displayed.

        THP Sgt. John Harmon and Steve Dillard with the Governor’s Highway Safety Office delivered the display to Officer Duane Bales on Friday.    

  • Remembering the special times

    Editor’s Note: The following paper was written by Hayley Goodman for her Junior English class.  It is being submitted in loving memory of her grandmother to bring awareness to breast cancer during this month of recognition.

    ‘Mamaw Carolyn’

    By Hayley Goodman

       Carolyn Goodman was a wonderful wife and mother, a loving grandmother, a great person and a breast cancer victim.  She made everyone around her a happier person just by being around them.  Her inner joy definitely showed through.

  • New technology expands learning...

    By JUDY BYRGE

    Morgan County News

        Students in Morgan County are learning using some new technology that came to the schools this year through a grant.

        Morgan County partnered with Grainger County and was approved for some $660,000 in grant funds to buy the equipment needed to “Distance Learning” classrooms, according to Morgan County Schools Grant Coordinator Kathy Carroll.

        “This is a wonderful asset to our school program,” said Director of Schools Dr. Edd Diden.

  •
    Students learn construction zone...

    By JUDY BYRGE

    Morgan County News

        Keeping construction zones safe for motorists and workers is a priority of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) that’s why “Between the Barrels” is being brought to high schools in Morgan County.

  • An old art form displayed in a new...

    By JUDY BYRGE

    Morgan County News

        When a neighbor suggested Janet Heinze needed a barn quilt for each of the barns on her farm, she immediately began researching them.

        A quick search on the Web took her to Iowa where barns have to be at least 50 years old to earn a quilt.

        “Each block has a different name and meaning that relates to our heritage.”

  • Industries make Oak Ridge connection

    By JUDY BYRGE

    Morgan County News

        When it came time to recognize local industries and thank them for the role they play in Morgan County’s economic health, local leaders wanted to do more than just say thank you.

        “We haven’t been able to capitalize on being so close to Oak Ridge like we should. Hopefully that will begin to change after today,” Morgan County Executive Becky Ruppe said on Sept. 11th following what she hopes is just the first of many meetings.

  •
    County's new 911 center just...

    By JUDY BYRGE

    Morgan County News

        It’s taken the county’s Emergency Communications District 16 years to realize its goal of a 911 center.

        Morgan County 911 Communications Center is a stat of the art facility that is costing about $1.5 million to build and equip.

  • Haslam visits Chamber

    By JUDY BYRGE

    Morgan County News

        Knoxville Mayor and candidate for governor Bill Haslam was in Morgan County last week and stopped by the Chamber of Commerce luncheon as part of his tour of the county.

        “If you’re gonna run for governor you need to know each county not just parts of the state,” Haslam said during an interview after the luncheon.

  •
    Medical Center celebrates 35 years...

    By JUDY BYRGE

    Morgan County News

        For 35 years Morgan County Medical Center has been serving the healthcare needs of families in the small communities that make up Morgan County.

        Through the years the faces of the doctors have changed but Executive Director Theresa Brock says some things remain the same.

        “We have a very highly qualified doctors and team of nurse practitioners,” Brock said. According to Brock that’s no accident.

  •
    Women build home for Sunbright...

    By JUDY BYRGE

    Morgan County News

        Appalachia Habitat for Humanity’s (AHH) Women Build Project is in its second week here in Morgan County and on May 15 the dedication of the house will be held.

        “This is the second year that we’ve done the Women Build Project,” said Appalachia Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Sandy Spurling.

        “Women from all walks of life have joined together to construct a house for a single mom and her three children.”

  • Morgan students go ‘green...

    By BRIAN LANGLEYee

    Morgan County News

        Anyone driving along Highway 62 in front of the Morgan County Career and Technical Center has probably noticed the windmill and solar panels.

        Students at the school are learning about alternative power sources while they generate electricity.

        The windmill generates about three kilowatts of electricity per hour and is the only one of its kind in the United States.