Voter education is essential to ensuring voters are well-informed and can effectively exercise their voting rights and express their political will on Election Day.

Ran across this site tonight and found the numbers interesting….thought you might also.

Thank you Judge for the great sign location!!  It is hard to miss! Thank you Tim Brewster for installing and keeping me safe! I appreciate it.

Thank you Philadelphia Elementary for allowing me to be part of such an incredible program! You truly are an “Exemplary School”!

“The PNL Companies” out of Texas has apparently acquired golf course community Tennessee National!

Visit www.pnlcompanies.com to learn more about the asset management company.

The small town of Greenback is steeped in history and local residents are continuing efforts to preserve that legacy for future generations.

The long-standing Greenback Depot is officially considered a historical site. The Tennessee Historical Commission announced last week that the depot would be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Louisville and Nashville Railroad built the Greenback Depot in 1914.

East Tennessee Preservation Alliance board member Carolyn Peck said the depot was used to organize passengers until 1968 and freight until 1978.

Peck said the Greenback Historical Society had been trying to get the depot nationally recognized since about 2008. As a longtime Greenback resident, she said she was happy the building finally got its recognition.

“People kept saying to me, ‘I wish we’d do something about the depot,’ because it looked like — we started about — I finally a couple of years later, I decided people were going to keep asking me that (and) unless I did something, nothing was going to happen. So along 2008, 2009, I started publicizing it and talking to the owner whose name was (Larry) Alley at the time.”

The Alleys eventually sold the property to Greenback resident Ron Edmondson for $200,000 in March 2012. With the help of Greenback volunteers, Edmondson worked toward restoring the depot to its original state. Renovations cost about $165,000, he said.

Author: Jeremy Nash

Source: News-Herald

“He’s (Edmondson) told me way back in the beginning that what he wanted to do was restore it so it was the center of Greenback and spark Greenback to make other improvements, to want people to be proud of their community and make other improvements,” Peck said with tears in her eyes. “I get teary real easy right now.”

For Edmondson, revamping the building is about preserving a majority of the original infrastructure.

“My goal is that at some point in my life when I (finish) this thing, when I get the rest of out here done, when I get the little things done, I am going to make a very strong effort to see that the state of Tennessee, the county of Loudon, the city of Greenback, that somebody will take that property with written agreements that it will remain in the condition that they found it when we signed that piece of paper,” he said. “I’ll be happy to do that.”

There remains work to be done. Despite doing a number of renovations, like removing a false second story within the building and adding on to the back of the depot to relocate the restrooms, Edmondson said there were “little things” that needed to be finished, such as replacing phone cables and fixing drainage pipes.

“This thing needs to look like it looked the day that Squire (William H.) Jones came in and said it’s done, you know?” he said. “So that’s what I’m — that’s my goal. As long as I’ve got something to keep me busy, I’m happy.”

According to the National Register of Historic Places application form, Jones was the depot’s station agent from 1910 until he died in 1954. He was the deputy county clerk and squire, and he sold vehicles, hunting and fishing licenses and marriage licenses. He officiated more than 3,500 marriages with many ceremonies occurring in the Greenback Depot.

Peck said the facility was host to a number of community events including birthday parties, holiday parties and anniversaries.

“Everybody has been so excited and so many things have been scheduled to go on in here — I mean, birthday parties, anniversaries, Thanksgiving parties, Christmas parties and, you know, things like that that people want to use it for,” she said. “We have a Halloween festival downtown the last Saturday in October and they moved it — well, it’s outside but also inside in the depot and that’s getting bigger every year.”

Long-term goals
Upon finishing renovations, Edmondson said he hoped to use the depot as a city museum.

“We need to be prepared and we need to have this town to where when people drive by the road here and turn around and look, they say, ‘Holy crap, did you see that Indian (statue)?’ ‘No, I didn’t see that Indian, but I saw that elk (statue) back there. Turn around and let’s go look,'” Edmondson said. “They pull back in here, they walk in, they say, ‘There’s a museum in there. Let’s go in there and look at it.'”

Paul Bailey, GHS member, said Edmondson’s work positively impacted city residents.

“If you’re not familiar with the town, this looks a lot different today than it looked two, three years ago,” Bailey said. “This was all run down, I guess is the best way to describe it. None of this was mowed or anything, so it’s changed a lot and it’s all I think because this (Greenback Depot) came back to life and people decided to make things in their own way a little better.”

As an owner of seven properties in Greenback, including the old Gorley’s Grocery Store lot, Edmondson said he had plans for the vacant land. He said he hoped to rebuild Gorley’s with “plenty of parking” and picnic tables beside the store for the community to use.

Preservation is an important factor to consider, Edmondson and Bailey said.

“Can you read those letters?” Edmondson said, pointing to acronyms on the wooden Native American statue beside Morganton Road. “Know what it stands for? Greenback High School. That’s how important it is to me. Kids is all that’s important in this world. Me and this old guy’s (Bailey) going to get older and older and older, and my one hope is that there’ll be somebody that’ll have the same attitude toward this town and toward the things in this town that have got it to where it’s at right now.”

Buoyed by the popularity of two main fishing tournaments, along with a yearly array of arts and crafts events, festivals and firework shows on the lake, tourism spending in Loudon County has continued its upward climb, with 2012 marking the third increase in a row.Although concrete figures are not in yet, officials predict 2013 will be the fourth.

I hope everyone will join me at the Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the new Greenback School in the new gymnasium at 5:00 today!

Fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A is officially coming to Lenoir City.

A property transfer from the Loudon County Register of Deeds shows MSM Development LLC handing over the warranty deed for the former Panda Buffet property, lot 1, to Chick-fil-A for more than $1.2 million.

Mike Morris, a broker for Atlanta-based Morris Investments Inc., said searching for a location in the community had been going on for “several years.” He said Chick-fil-A wanted to be near Interstate 75 and accessible to the community.

“We’ve been looking in that area for several years and looking at a variety of opportunities and just nothing made any sense except this particular one, so this is the one we pursued,” he said. “… They (Chick-fil-A) like to go where there’s a lot of retail in the area to take advantage of the synergism created by the retail and be accessible to the population they’re trying to serve.”

Lenoir City Assistant Codes Enforcement Officer Beth Collins said a building permit was issued Dec. 20 to Knoxville-based Richardson Turner Construction General Contractors.

RTC General Contractors Project Manager Chester Carbaugh said workersbegan demolition Monday. The project, including the construction phase, is expected to be complete sometime in May, he said.

Loudon County Trustee Chip Miller said the restaurant had been searching in the area for at least seven years.

“I think they’re a good family oriented company and from what I can tell, they’re � in every community that they’ve been involved in they’re good corporate citizens and I think that they will do well there and maybe fill a fast food void at the interstate that we currently might have, and add to our tax base,” Miller said.

“You know, that’s one of my things,” he said. “We’re trying to increase our tax base and keep our tax rates as low as possible. I think they will do well in sales and help Lenoir City in sales tax.”

Kristen Ferretti, Chick-fil-A development consultant, said Justin Young will be the operator in Lenoir City. Ferretti could offer no further information about Young or the location’s timetable for opening.

“In the five years that I’ve been here, it’s the No. 1 asked for business of that type, so I anticipate them doing very well here,” Collins said.

Author: Jeremy Nash
Source: News-Herald

With the county’s primary election about five months away, most candidates have already begun taking it to the streets to get at least 25 signatures for election eligibility.

The Loudon County Elections Commission started issuing petitions Nov. 22, leaving potential candidates until Feb. 20 to return their paperwork with the minimum amount of registered voter signatures.

Seats up for election include county mayor, sheriff, county commission, General Sessions Court judge, circuit court clerk, county clerk, road superintendent and trustee. The road superintendent and sheriff must file paperwork with their respective parties in Nashville by Feb. 6 before turning in a petition to the elections commission.

“The process for the candidates as far as the petition process is a very simple process, if they follow the guidelines provided to them in the candidates handbook,” Susan Harrison, administrator of elections, said in an email. “The elections commission provides each candidate a handbook in hopes that it will simplify the process and give them answers to questions that is very often asked. If they cannot find the answer in the book, then they know they can always call the office for help.”

Eight new candidates picked up packets to qualify. Two new candidates will be running for District 1, Seat A of the commission because Commissioner Brian Jenkins has chosen not to seek re-election. Commission Chairman Roy Bledsoe has not issued a petition for District 4.

Jenkins said campaigning was more challenging as a learning process than physically demanding.

“Well, nothing worth doing’s ever easy,” he said. “It is what you make of it. If you want to be successful you’re going to have to work hard at it and get out and talk to a lot of people and knock on some doors and, you know, go where the people are to introduce yourself and kind of let them know what your point of view is about things and hopefully they’re up for supporting that way — lot of leg work.”

For a full list of current candidates, please refer to “May 2014 County Primary petition information” under the Information for Voters tab at http://www.loudoncountyvotes.com.

New campaigners
Eight-year Loudon County resident Richard Anklin said he first considered running for District 7 of the commission, currently held by Don Miller, back in August because he was concerned with the county’s property taxes.

“Anytime you run against an incumbent, you don’t want to run on a negative campaign,” he said. “I think Don (Miller) has fulfilled his role as commissioner of the last years in a very decent manner. I just think it’s time to have a change on the commission. I don’t want to run on a negative campaign against Don. … I want to focus on the taxes of the county and the spending of the county residents’ money. Can it be done any better?”

Anklin’s petition was issued Dec. 3. With about 13 names signed, he said he plans to turn in the paperwork next week. Email and flier distribution will be Anklin’s method of campaigning, he said.

Matthew Tinker will be running for District 2, Seat B of the commission, currently held by Rosemary Quillen.

“I would like to see our housing base continue to grow,” he said. “It has kind of stalled over the last few years and we’ve had several industries in Loudon County shut down over the last few years. I would like to work with the other county commissioners and the mayor to help bring in some new businesses to Loudon County and to … help some areas like Town Creek continue to put in stores and apartments and movie theaters, whatever they’re going to put in there to help just all things that would increase the tax base here.”

Tinker’s petition was issued Nov. 22. He said he started asking for signatures Dec. 4, and had five people sign the petition. Tinker said he plans to do door-to-door campaigning.

Sherri Colvard is vying for the county trustee seat. According to the Elections Commission, her petitioned was issued Nov. 26.

Colvard said she ran for county trustee four years ago, which she believes will help her in the months leading up to May. She has not decided how she wants to campaign. “I am more knowledgeable on running a campaign for this office,” she said.

Seeking the office
Noting his first fundraiser was Nov. 14, Loudon County Trustee Chip Miller said a contested primary election could “easily” cost a candidate $20,000. He believes candidates should have started preparing for the primary election “about six months ago.”

“I think anyone who wants to have a career in public service ought to have the opportunity to run, and I’m not running against anyone, I’m running for the position,” Miller said. “I think my experience as a small business owner has helped and will continue to help run a very efficient Loudon County trustee’s office.”

Miller’s petition was issued Nov. 22. He said he had surpassed the 25-signature minimum and expected to turn in his petition soon with about 50 names of registered voters.

Harrison said some candidates seek higher signature counts based on their belief of “great support in the community.”

Loudon County Road Superintendent Eddie Simpson said he submitted his petition Nov. 22 with 100 signatures.

“I think it makes a statement too that I’m serious about it,” Simpson said. “And I think people have confidence, you know, in that many people sign it that’s all — I just asked for enough space for 100 signatures and that’s what I took it back as.”

If re-elected, Simpson said he would like to “do a lot of paving in the county” because some roads are about 30 years old. He said he would fully commit to campaigning after he officially announced his candidacy in January.

“I just want to pick that up early, you know, just to make a statement and let people know I was going to run again, because the last election I didn’t come out until … actually two months before the primary, which was kind of at the last minute compared to everybody else,” Simpson said. “This time I want to come out and let people know I did intend to do another four-year term and hope I have their support.”