Local News

In an interview with The Erwin Record, Food City CEO Steven Smith said the company expects its new Erwin store will be open by the end of July. “We are pretty excited about all the amenities that we will have,” Smith said. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

Spring has sprung and with the mild weather, construction has really progressed on the future Food City store. Last December, Food City President and CEO Steven Smith met with representatives from the Town of Erwin for the groundbreaking of the roughly 44,000 square foot supermarket.

Smith recently spoke with The Erwin Record about the progress being made at the future home of the supermarket on Second Street in Erwin.

“We’ve got all the steel up, we’ve poured half the floor, and from what I hear we will have the store closed up next week,” Smith said. “Closing the store up means you’ve got the floor poured and the steel up and at that time it doesn’t matter if it rains much since the building is secured.”

Smith acknowledged that Food City is still slated to open in Erwin this summer.

“We are excited,” Smith said. “Our plan is still to have the store open by the end of July; we feel that is realistic. It could be a little quicker than that, it could be a little longer than that. We are aiming to be up and running within three months.”

The new Food City will have spaces available for other businesses.

“To my knowledge, we haven’t had any signed leases at this point, but it is fair to say we are speaking to some prospects,” Smith said. “We generally get interests from restaurants, nail salons and a variety of other businesses.”

According to Smith, the 5,000-6,000 square foot spaces could be used for up to roughly three to five shops.

The construction on the Food City gas station is coming along on pace with the storefront.

“I think the gas station will open when the store does,” Smith said. “I know we have the tanks in the ground, and we have had success getting our other gas stations together in a matter of three months.”

According to Smith, the gas station will also have several items for purchase.

“We will have odds and ends for sale at the gas station,” Smith said. “We will also have cases of water and firewood at the gas station.”

According to Smith, the firewood could be a year around seller for the supermarket.

“Believe it or not, we sell a lot of firewood during the spring and summer months with all the lakes and all of the camping in the area,” Smith said.

Smith is already looking forward to interviewing potential employees.

“It won’t be long before we interview people,” Smith said. “Generally we hire about 60 days out. We can train people at our Johnson City and our Jonesborough stores where we have the departments for them and they can get the expertise that they need.”

Smith hopes to hire roughly 100 people for the Erwin store.

“We will need roughly  120-130 people and I’m sure we will have some of our seasoned employees to transfer in; so I would say that we are looking to hire roughly 100 people,” Smith said.

The Erwin Food City will have several of the same features as the other regional Food City stores.

“We will have the curbside pickup Go Cart services,” Smith said. “We will also have our full-service pharmacy. We will have our full-service seafood and meat departments there, and we will have a sit-down cafe there as well. We are pretty excited about all the amenities that we will have.”

Smith acknowledged that Erwin and Unicoi County have been receptive to the supermarket coming to town.

“I don’t know of another town that we have opened up a supermarket in that we have been more warmly received then we have in Erwin and Unicoi County,” Smith said. “The city leaders, and the Unicoi County Joint Economic Development Board have been so welcoming.”

Smith said he recently ran into Unicoi County Joint Economic Development Board President Lee Brown at an event in Kingsport.

“Lee Brown came over and spoke to me and welcomed me,” Smith said. “It really makes you feel welcome when you go into a community like Erwin and the people are excited about the job possibilities, the selection, and the prices, we look forward to it being a really successful store.”

Town of Unicoi Mayor Johnny Lynch recently shared information about the town’s annual retreat in Townsend, Tennessee.
(Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

The governing body of the Town of Unicoi recently traveled to Townsend, Tennessee, for its annual retreat and, according to one official, returned with a renewed list of goals for the town. Town of Unicoi Mayor Johnny Lynch and outgoing Town of Unicoi City Recorder Michael Borders sat down to speak with The Erwin Record following the March 21-24 Strategic Planning Retreat.

According to Mayor Lynch, town plans have shifted to more short term goals.

“In the past, we focused on five- and ten-year plans,” Lynch said. “This year we focused on three-year plans.”

The three-year goals center around upgrading the downtown area, finding assistance for resident growth, recruiting businesses to the town and finding ways to improve code enforcement, according to the officials.

One goal that the town officials are looking to accomplish is to establish a police department and to enforce codes.

“We had Rex Barton, the police management consultant for MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service), come speak to us and to inform us what we would need to start a police force,” Lynch said.

Improvements to the town’s main thoroughfare is another priority.

“We are looking at grants to develop Unicoi Drive,” Borders said. “We are looking for more residential development, as well.”

Lynch stressed the importance of making Unicoi Drive a top priority.

“This year we focused on cleaning up the appearance of Unicoi Drive, which applies to everything from littering to building codes,” Mayor Lynch said.

Borders also mentioned that the town is actively recruiting for a travel center to come to Exit 32. “The town is in the process of recruiting a travel center to come here that will include a gas station and a nice convenience store,” Borders said, “and exit 32 is a prime location for that.”

One goal on the town’s list was a familiar one.

“We have placed completing the amphitheater and farmer’s market pavilion as one of our top priorities,” Borders said.

While on the retreat, several officials toured the amphitheaters around Townsend for inspiration.

“I wanted the new people to see and to get an idea of what our amphitheater could be,” Lynch said.

In September 2018, the Town of Unicoi received a $248,000 grant from Tennessee’s Local Parks and Recreation Fund to construct an amphitheater. The amphitheater will be built in the space between the Town of Unicoi Tourist Information Center and the Mountain Harvest Kitchen. As of now, there is no time frame on either project, but Borders acknowledged that these projects will be moving along soon.

Lynch said he felt that the retreat was a success.

“It was a good retreat,” Lynch said. “We went in each day and stayed all day to get our goals together and to prioritize them as a group. To me doing this annual retreat is the smartest thing we ever did – the proof is there.”

Unicoi County Director of Schools John English, right, gives a presentation to the Unicoi County Commission regarding facility upgrades throughout the school system. The estimated cost of the improvements is $8.1 million. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

The Unicoi County Board of Education joined Unicoi County Director of Schools John English and Johnson City architect Tony Street in addressing the Unicoi County Commission on Monday, March 25.

At the meeting, English requested roughly $8.1 million in the form of a capital outlay note through the county for the upgrades. According to English, Unicoi County Schools would pay the outlay note back, but the commission must approve and make the request first.

English worked with Street, who recently completed the construction of the new Boones Creek School, to calculate the estimates for the proposed upgrades to Unicoi County school properties.

Unicoi County Schools are currently paying $330,000 a year on the original capital outlay note that was used for the construction of Unicoi County High School. According to English, that capital outlay note will be completely paid off by June of 2021.

“Our plan is to ask the (Unicoi County) commission to approve and consider a new capital note when the 2021 high school capital note has matured,” English said Monday.

English acknowledged that Unicoi County Schools would be able to pay $330,000 annually on the new proposed outlay note.

The estimated $8.1 million would be used for several projects. English stated that upgrades to  Gentry Stadium, where the UCHS football team plays, would be the top priority. According to English’s presentation, Gentry Stadium needs to have the current press box and seating demolished and rebuilt. The new stadium seating would include steps, handrails, and would be handicap accessible. Gentry Stadium would also need paving and LED lighting. The proposed cost for the renovations at Gentry Stadium would be $2.4 million.

The next upgrade would be for renovations at the UCHS track.

“Our track team hasn’t held a home track meet in a number of years, and our track team deserves a track to call home,” English said. “We also feel like a new track brings in revenue for the county. Track meets bring in a lot of people that are going to stop and eat, they are going to stop for gas and stop to pick up a sports drink.”

The estimated costs at the track would be $1.2 million and would call for the track to be fitted to regulation size. The track would also be resurfaced with a rubberized top that meets the regulations for TSSAA. The proposal also calls for bleachers, a field house, restrooms, and LED lighting.

“The track would be available for citizens to walk on as well,” Unicoi County Commissioner Glenn White, who is also a teacher at UCHS, said.

The third wave of upgrades would be for new tennis courts to be built on campus at UCHS. The costs associated with the construction of tennis courts at UCHS would be an estimated $750,000. The plan calls for six tennis courts, fencing, LED lighting and bleachers.

English then pointed to upgrades that were needed to the UCHS auditorium. According to English, an estimated $300,000 would fund upgrading the outdated stage lighting and the sound system.

“The auditorium is another tool in bringing potential revenue into the county,” English said. “We would be able to have more concerts and theater productions that will bring in more people.”

English also explained that Unicoi Elementary was in need of a new gym. The new gym would cost an estimated $2.5 million, and would include restrooms, locker rooms, bleachers and a new equipment storage room inside.

The final phase of projects would be centered around upgrades to Rock Creek Elementary. English said that Rock Creek Elementary was in need of electrical upgrades, a new HVAC and plumbing upgrades. The estimate for the Rock Creek Elementary upgrades is $980,000.

Unicoi County Commission Chairman Loren Thomas, whose wife, Cathy Thomas serves on the Board of Education, advised English that the request would have to go through a few committees before returning to the commission to vote on.

“This will have to go before the Buildings and Grounds committee and the budget committee before it comes back before the commission,” Thomas said.

Thomas recommended that the request be added to the agenda for both the Building and Grounds Committee and the Budget Committee meetings next month.

***

In other business, the commission voted unanimously to approve and accept the interlocal agreements with both the Town of Unicoi and the Town of Erwin for ambulance services.

The commission also voted unanimously to send out a request for proposal for fencing upgrades at the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department female annex. The annex was in the news recently when on March 14 an inmate was able to escape by scaling the fence.

“She scaled the old fence like a squirrel and was gone,” Sheriff Mike Hensley previously told The Erwin Record.

The commission concluded business by voting to accept the current Unicoi County Commission Facebook page as its official Facebook page. The commission also voted unanimously to start broadcasting the county commission meetings through Facebook Live starting next month.

Loren Thomas, chairman of the Unicoi County Commission, addressed the Town of Erwin Board of Mayor and Alderman on Monday, March 11. Town officials are reportedly considering not entering into an interlocal agreement with Unicoi County to use MedicOne as the ambulance service provider for the town. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

In a brief meeting of the Town of Erwin Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Monday, March 11, the town officials heard from Unicoi County Commission Chair Loren Thomas and Unicoi County Commission Vice Chair Jamie Harris in regards to the county ambulance service.

Thomas asked if the interlocal agreement, which is a collaborative contract between public bodies aiming to provide more efficient, less costly public services, was on the agenda for Monday’s meeting. In response, Mayor Doris Hensley stated it was not.

“We were waiting for a joint meeting to discuss the matter,” Hensley added.

“I’m not here to give opinions or to negotiate the interlocal agreement, I just wanted to give you some facts,” Thomas said.

Thomas, whose wife Cathy is employed by MedicOne, addressed the board to dispel rumors about MedicOne’s response times and the potential use of Washington County EMS in Unicoi County.

“There has been a lot of negative media and articles in regards to response times,” Thomas said.

According to the stats provided by Thomas, the national average for EMS to respond to a fatal car crash is 15 minutes and 19 seconds. MedicOne’s 2018 average response time was 13 minutes and 44 seconds for all calls, that includes emergency and non-emergency calls. Thomas also reported that for the last 180 days, MedicOne’s average response time was down to 11 minutes and 44 seconds. Medic -One’s 2018 average response time for emergency calls only was listed on MedicOne’s tracking software at 11 minutes and 53 seconds. The average emergency call response time for MedicOne for the last 180 days is down to 11 minutes and 19 seconds, according to MedicOne’s analytic tracking software, called EOS.

Thomas stated that the third MedicOne ambulance that has been running 12 hours a day has contributed to better response times. MedicOne has been running a third part-time ambulance in preparation for the new contract

The contract Unicoi County entered into with MedicOne, which is slated to begin April 1, calls for three ambulances instead of two, which is what the previous contract called for. The ambulances will all be Type 1 ambulances which allow for enough room for up to two people. Two of the ambulances will be staffed 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The third ambulance will run on a 12-hour shift for 7 days a week.

The new contract also includes a $225,000 annual subsidy to be paid by the county to the company, which has provided ambulance services in Unicoi County for the past eight years. The county’s previous contract with MedicOne, which is set to expire when the new one begins, included an annual subsidy of $132,000. The contract runs from April 2019 until April 2023.

“We have a stronger contract in place now,” Thomas said.

The interlocal agreement between Unicoi County and the Town of Erwin would need to be signed by the Town of Erwin to share in the services of the counties ambulance service carrier. During the Feb. 27 Erwin BMA meeting and work session, Hensley was hesitant to sign another interlocal agreement.

“If we choose not to sign this interlocal agreement we have options,” Hensley previously said.

According to Hensley during the Feb. 27 meeting, Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy had offered to allow Washington County Emergency Medical Services to serve the Town of Erwin. According to Hensley, Grandy is in talks with Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable to create a regional ambulance service that would be available to serve Erwin.

Also on Feb. 27, Erwin Vice Mayor Mark Lafever suggested tabling the BMA’s decision on the interlocal agreement to buy the town more time to get more information in writing from Washington County. The board voted unanimously to table the vote on an interlocal agreement with Unicoi County for ambulance service within Erwin corporate limits.

On Monday, Thomas also addressed a potential agreement between the Town of Erwin and Washington County EMS.

“I received an email on Friday, March 8, from (Washington County-Johnson City EMS Chief Executive Director) Dan Wheeley that stated that we have never been contacted about providing services for the Town of Erwin or Unicoi County,” Thomas said.

According to the email sent out to the Board of Directors for Washington County EMS from Wheeley, there have been no talks between Washington County EMS and the Town of Erwin or Unicoi County. In the email, all requests for interviews were being directed to Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy.

As of The Erwin Record’s deadline, no meeting was scheduled between Unicoi County and the Town of Erwin to discuss the interlocal agreement.

According to Unicoi County Mayor Garland “Bubba” Evely, he has reached out to Town of Erwin City Recorder Glenn Rosenoff to set up a meeting for the two municipalities to discuss the interlocal agreement.

“We were contacted and I should know more soon about an agreeable date and time,” Rosenoff said.

• • •

In other business, the board voted unanimously to close Union Street from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 30 to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Erwin Outdoor Supply.

Erwin Vice Mayor and Erwin Outdoor Supply co-owner Mark Lafever recused himself from voting. According to Erwin Outdoor Supply’s press release, Survivor contestant Gavin Whitson will appear, brand representatives will be on hand, food trucks will be onsite, giveaway and more will take place at that time.

“We will have vendors and food trucks throughout the street,” Lafever said. “We made sure that the neighbors and Erwin Police Chief Regan Tilson were OK with this.”

In the last order of business, the BMA unanimously approved an ordinance to rezone property located at 434 Union St. from R-1 (Low Density) residential district to R-1A (Single Family) residential district within the corporate limits of Erwin, on first reading.

The original request for this rezoning was made during the Erwin Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 27. Property owner Joseph “Scott” Metcalf asked the commission for a residential zoning change at 434 Union St. The motion to approve was made by Alderman Gary Chandler and was seconded by Alderman Michael Baker.

Metcalf was requesting to break up the property into separate lots. The land in question is commonly known in Erwin as the “garden lot.” In the past, Chandler and former alderman Virgil Moore tended a community garden at the site. Hensley made the motion and Griffith seconded the motion to rezone the lot during the Feb. 27 meeting. The Erwin Planning Commission approved the request unanimously.

For the request to be finalized, it must receive a second reading as well as a public hearing.

“The public hearing will be Monday, April 8, followed by the second reading,” Rosenoff said.

The Unicoi County Commission met on Monday, Feb. 25, at the Unicoi County Courthouse. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

Areas of concern with the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department were the focus of the Unicoi County Commission during a meeting on Monday, Feb. 25, at the Unicoi County Courthouse.

On the list of concerns were upgrades reportedly needed at the jail annex facility at 1570 Jackson Love Highway and the jail located adjacent to the courthouse.

On Jan. 23, the Unicoi County Building and Grounds Committee voted to recommend to the full commission that the roof at the jail annex facility be repaired using money from the county’s general fund. However, on Monday no commissioner made a motion to make the repairs and the issue died on the floor. The motion would have been for the county to pay the $5,700 out of the county’s general fund.

The roof in question had been leaking, but has been patched. Sheriff Mike Hensley reported during the Jan. 23 Building and Grounds Committee meeting that the jail annex roof is in need of replacement.

“It hasn’t been replaced since we moved in over eight years ago,” Hensley previously said.

Commissioner Jason Harris disagreed with the assessment.

“If the roof ain’t leaking now, I don’t understand why we are discussing putting $5,700 into the roof,” Harris said.

Because the commission did not give the approval to pay for the roof repair out of the general fund , the $5,700 roof repair will be coming out of the UCSD maintenance funds.

• • •

During the most recent Unicoi County Public Safety Committee, the committee decided to approve the purchase of four new vehicles for the UCSD. The vehicles were estimated to be less than $150,000.

During the same meeting on Feb. 20, the committee also approved funding for fencing upgrades and for new equipment for the UCSD. The estimated fencing costs are around $25,000. The new equipment for the UCSD would be new vests that are estimated to cost $20,000 and new security equipment that is estimated to cost $5,000.

On Monday, the commission approved a capital outlay note in the amount of $200,000 which, according to Chairman Loren Thomas, will be used for those projects for the UCSD.

The motion to approve the capital outlay note was made by Vice Chair Jamie Harris and was seconded by Unicoi County Commissioner John Mosley. The request for the capital outlay note in the amount of $200,000 was approved by a 6-2 vote.

Thomas, Harris, and commissioners Stephen Hendrix, Glenn White, John Mosley and Matthew Rice voted to approve, while commissioners Marie Rice and Jason Harris opposed. Commissioner Todd Wilcox was absent from the meeting.

Marie Rice objected to the short notice of the request during Monday’s meeting.

“I just found out about this Friday night,” she said. “I felt we didn’t give adequate notice to the taxpayers.”

• • •

Also on Monday, the commission voted unanimously to prepare a request for proposal (RFP) for services to secure bids to acquire a new radio frequency along with the equipment needed. The RFP will include installation and implementation cost.

During the Feb. 8 Unicoi County Public Safety Committee meeting, it was decided that whichever ambulance service takes over in April will be required to seek a new frequency for communication. Currently, MedicOne shares the line that the local Firefighters Association owns. Firefighter Association President Robert Adams had previously stated that the Firefighters Association would no longer share the frequency with the incoming ambulance service. Adams also said that the ambulance service would have 90 days after the April 1, 2019, start date to find a new frequency.

• • •

The commission also voted unanimously to approve an RFP be sent out for bid for fencing and fence repair at the facility at Jackson Love Highway. The Unicoi County Building and Grounds Committee met on Tuesday, Feb. 19, to discuss upgrades to fencing and it was decided that the proposal would go before the county commissioners.

In other business, the board joined the Unicoi County School Board in opposing proposed state law SB0019/H80301. The Tennessee General Assembly code SB0019/HB0301 would make the position of director of schools an electable position. The director of schools is currently appointed by the school board, which is elected.

The motion to oppose the Tennessee General Assembly code SB0019/HB0301 was made by Matthew Rice and seconded by Mosley. The motion carried with a 7-1 vote, with Marie Rice the only one opposed. Thomas, Jamie Harris, Matthew Rice, Jason Harris, White, Hendrix and Mosley approved.

In closing, the board discussed inmate revenue. White said he wants to find more data regarding if the state inmates are making or losing money for the county and use that information to decide future plans.

“Let’s nail it down,” Commissioner White said.

Commissioner Marie Rice agreed.

“We need long-range planning,” she said.

Thomas reinforced the significance of the Unicoi County Inmate Revenue Committee.

“The Inmate Revenue Committee is new and we are looking through at least five years of data to gauge where we are,” he said.

The members of the Unicoi County Inmate Revenue Committee listen to suggestions from TCI Facilities Specialist Bob Bass. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

The Unicoi County Inmate Revenue Committee met on Tuesday, Feb. 12, to discuss the future of the county jails.

Currently, Unicoi County has two facilities – one housing male inmates and one housing female inmates. The two facilities house both local inmates and state inmates. According to Unicoi County Mayor Garland “Bubba” Evely, state inmates bring in $39 daily per inmate; however, the costs for inmates vary due to medical needs, as well as other housing needs. Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) pays Unicoi County $39 daily per state inmate that the county houses.

Last year the county spent roughly $256,000 dollars on medical and prescription costs for the inmates, according to Unicoi County Commissioner Marie Rice. This year the budget for inmate medical costs is $129,000. So far, the county is on track with the projected budget.

Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) Detention Facilities Specialist Bob Bass and County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) Jail Management Consultant Jim Hart were on hand to hear the concerns of the committee last week. The county commission concerns are centered on cutting costs in regards to inmate revenue.

The first plan discussed was to expand the facility located next to the Unicoi County Courthouse at 102 N. Main Ave, Erwin, and move all inmates to the location. This plan would allow the county to close down the property at 1570 Jackson Love Highway, Erwin, which currently houses the female inmates.

“We are looking at trying to house one jail, under one roof,” Sheriff Mike Hensley said.

The county is looking to do the most cost-effective maneuver in regards to the jail.

“The overhead of two facilities is killing us,” Unicoi County Commission Vice Chairman Jamie Harris said. “It would be better if we had one cost.”

A move to one facility would not be an easy move to make, according to Bass.

“Moving to one facility you will be taking on really big challenges,” Bass said. “You would need to make a host of changes to accommodate that.”

The facility located adjacent to the courthouse in downtown Erwin would need to be expanded to house all the inmates.

“Not only are you looking at adding a separate wing for the female inmates, you are looking at enlarging the kitchen, food and food storage, laundry and the booking areas,” Bass said.

According to Hart, the first step to combining the jails to one location would be to get engineers to approve the expansion at the building at 102 N. Main Ave, Erwin.

“I would look at my options, get costs, and go from there,” Hart said.

Another plan that was explored by the committee was to build a new facility at a new location.

“There is going to come a day we will need to build a brand new facility, and we need to be prepared,” Harris said.

It will take numerous years to build a new facility, according to Hart.

“You are looking at 3 to 5 years to build a new building,” Hart said.

The time frame for a new facility would be longer than that to complete, according to Unicoi County Commissioner John Mosley.

“It would be a minimum 5 years, at least,” Mosley said.

To build a new facility, the county would have to send the state inmates out to other facilities and move all county inmates to one facility while the new building is erected. The move would be needed to cut the costs of facilitating two separate buildings.

According to Hart, since there will be no expansion to the building adjacent to the courthouse, this move would put the county at risk of overpopulation. Evely cautioned the move.

“Before we send inmates back we want to be sure we view all of the variables first,” Evely said. 

One of the biggest strains on the current two jail system is non-sentenced inmates, according to Sheriff Mike Hensley. A non-sentenced inmate, is an inmate that may have been on and broke probation and is jailed until they can go back before the court.

Bass and Hart joined the commissioners on a tour of the facility adjacent to the courthouse following the meeting on Feb. 12. Bass offered to work in the future with the county through the County Corrections Partnership Initiative if the county approved. The County Corrections Partnership (CCP) is an initiative developed by TCI to assist in measures to address jail issues and reform. The commission agreed to accept his help going forward.

“The more information we can have the better we are,” Harris said. No future meeting with CCP has been set yet.

Since the county is looking at keeping both facilities up and running, some repairs will be needed to keep both jails up to code. The committee decided during the Feb. 12 meeting to put any moves on hold until more information could be gathered in regards to combining the facilities or looking for land to build a new jail.

“We know we need to make improvements,” Commissioner Matthew Rice said. “We just did not want to make them until we were sure about what we were going to do. We have to be sure we are spending money in the right places.”   

One improvement that the committee is looking at is updating the fencing at the facilities. The committee will meet again next month to discuss improvements to the facilities, including the need for a new fence.

The Unicoi County High School Air Force JROTC, including cadets Lacey Ashley, Sebastian Bakken, Dylan Delph, Keilani King, Travis Lewis, Brianna Monroe, Alaina Satterly, Derek Tapp, Luz Terrazas and Josue Terrazas-Lascano, join Dr. Chris Bogart, principal, and Unicoi County Director of Schools John English in a check presentation for Team Rubicon. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

The cadets of the Unicoi County High School Air Force Junior ROTC recently collected funds to donate to Team Rubicon. The cadets sent the money to Team Rubicon on Monday, Feb. 11. Team Rubicon is made up of a network of veterans who utilize their skills and talents to help during natural disasters.

“Team Rubicon is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that utilizes the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams,” UCHS AFJROTC instructor Colonel Louis Kaelin told The Erwin Record. “Team Rubicon was founded in 2010, and has deployed across the United States and around the world to provide immediate relief to those impacted by disasters and humanitarian crises.”

The funds raised for Team Rubicon are going to aid in hurricane relief. According to Team Rubicon’s website, the organization has the opportunity to extend its capabilities and services into long-term recovery (LTR) for those affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

Over a 24-month timeline, Team Rubicon will run a new long-term recovery program to rebuild 100 homes affected by Harvey in Houston, 30 homes affected by Irma in Florida and a roof building program in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.

The more than 40 cadets at UCHS collected money at Blue Devil home football games.

“The kids went and passed the hat around at a couple of home games and raised more than $300 for hurricane relief,” Kaelin said

If you are interested in donating or volunteering for Team Rubicon, please visit teamrubiconusa.org.

Gavin Whitson will appear on the new season of Survivor which premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 20. (Photo courtesy of CBS)

By Richard Rourk

It’s official.

Erwin’s own Gavin Whitson is going to be competing on Survivor: Edge of Extinction, which is broadcast on CBS. Whitson is the 23-year-old program director at the Unicoi County Family YMCA.

Due to contract restrictions from appearing on the highly successful show, Whitson was not able to speak to The Erwin Record just yet, but CBS will be giving permission very soon. If you see Whitson, he cannot give out details about the show due to these contract restrictions.

In a press release recently issued by CBS, Whitson explains what inspires him: “My mom and dad. They have been my support system for the past 23 years and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them,” Whitson said. “They have taught me to always show kindness, no matter the situation and they have also taught me that if you truly want something in this life, you will do everything you can to get it, no matter what it takes.”

He is the son of Anthony and Kim Whitson.

In the days since the announcement was made on Thursday, Jan. 31, Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amanda Delp and Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce Executive Assistant Cathy Huskins have been hard at work planning special events for the community to support Whitson.

The Chamber has already set up a viewing party for the Survivor: Edge of Extinction premiere on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Unicoi County High School auditorium. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a pre-show party including games, food trucks and other activities. Whitson will be on hand for photos and autographs and Team Gavin merchandise will be available for sale. The show will be broadcast at 8 p.m.

“We are so excited to have Gavin participate in Survivor and to be a part of that cast,” Delp said.

For more information about the event, check out the Chamber of Commerce’s website or the organization’s Facebook page.

“Stay tuned to see what else we plan for Team Gavin,” Delp said.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction will be on CBS weekly starting Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m.

Before he could complete his doctorate degree, Thomas Simerly suddenly passed away. In December, his parents, Max and Teresa, pictured above with their son’s photo, accepted his degree on his behalf. (Contributed photo)

By Richard Rourk

For one Unicoi County man, his light burned for a short amount of time, but it burned bright with an intensity that most don’t see in a lifetime.

Thomas Simerly was born to Max and Teresa Simerly on April 27, 1988. The young Simerly grew up like most in Unicoi County – surrounded by the wild. It was this wild spirit that drove Simerly to research and observe everything around him. Frogs were a big part of that research and drive for knowledge that Simerly would display over the years. Simerly grew a fondness for frogs and all animals in general.

Simerly was drawn to science and public office at a young age. 4-H gave Simerly a forum to explore and gain experience in his life. Simerly sought out to do his best and won numerous 4-H awards for his hard work.

This work ethic and desire to learn drove Simerly to seek higher education and he received a scholarship to attend King University in Bristol.

“He got a call while I was out of town working that he had received an offer from King,” Thomas’ mother, Teresa Simerly who serves as the clerk and master for Unicoi County, told The Erwin Record. “He was so excited.”

It was while attending King University that Simerly learned to blaze a path on his own while not forgetting where he came from. Simerly got involved with student government and his drive and personality led him to be elected the Student Government Association president while attending King.

“He and his friend Nathan King got the Young Republican program started at King College,” Thomas’ father, Max Simerly, said.

Simerly received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from King College.

The next stop for Simerly was at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. There, he received his master’s degree in chemistry. While at ETSU Simerly had one of his papers published in his field.

Blacksburg, Virginia, was Simerly’s next stop and for three semesters he studied at Virginia Tech University. As Simerly moved further and further from home, so did his effect on those around him.

“He never met a stranger,” Teresa said.

Simerly ended up moving to Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend North Carolina State University. It was in Raleigh that Simerly settled in and felt at home. Simerly attended the farmers market regularly and ventured out to explore the city when he wasn’t busy on his scholarly endeavors.

“He met people everywhere he went,” Max said.

Simerly was working on completing his doctorate, this time in textiles chemistry, at the Wilson College of Textiles on the North Carolina State campus, when tragedy struck. Simerly passed away suddenly on May 15, 2018, just a few weeks after he turned 30 years old.

Simerly was set to graduate in December 2018. His father and mother received a call from the campus of North Carolina State shortly before the December graduation date with some unexpected news. Simerly had completed the necessary credits to receive his master’s degree in textiles chemistry posthumously. The Simerlys were invited to the campus to receive Thomas’ master’s degree during the graduation ceremony.

“Everyone was so nice there,” Teresa said.

In 30 short years, Thomas reached for the stars and worked hard to achieve excellence in academics and made an impact on those around him.

The spirit of Thomas Simerly, and so many like him, is still alive today in Unicoi County. Every time you see a child looking into a mountain stream with wonderment, every time you see young men and women stopping to help a stranded motorist, every time you see a student pushing harder to find the answer on an assignment, you see the spirit of Unicoi County.

Nurturing Neighbors organizers, pictured from left, Donna Seagroves, Sharon Slagle, Sarah Schults, and Jamie Rice meet to plan a Jan. 31 event at Erwin Town Hall. The new program will bring volunteers together with those suffering from severe illnesses. (Contributed photo)

By Richard Rourk

Unicoi County is filled with an unselfish spirit and there is a group of women that exemplifies that altruistic characteristic.

In this spirit, residents Sarah Shults, Jamie Rice, Sharon Slagle and Donna Seagroves started a program called Nurturing Neighbors. The program links volunteers to help people suffering from severe illnesses and their caregivers by utilizing the volunteers’ specific skill sets.

“We will be setting up community meal trains, help with rides to medical appointments, send cards, well check phone calls, help with grocery shopping, knitting hats, childcare and we are even creating a wig closet right here in Unicoi County for cancer patients,” Rice told The Erwin Record.

Nurturing Neighbors was formed after the organizers saw a need for the program.

“It seems that every day, someone in our community is diagnosed with a debilitating illness, specifically cancer,” Rice said. “Just in December alone I heard of four people right here in Erwin who had been diagnosed with this terrible disease.”

The organizers understand that everyone’s needs differ.

“I am a cancer survivor myself and I know that everybody’s journey is different,” Shults, the chief organizer of Nurturing Neighbors, told The Erwin Record.

The group has established a Facebook page and formed a survey to link volunteers to the community’s needs. The result was overwhelming, according to Shults.

“Within two weeks we had over 150 surveys submitted,” Shults said.

There are multiple ways to help, from knitting hats, to sending encouraging cards or even fixing dinner for your sick neighbor. Shults hopes those that are sick or their caregivers will reach out and accept the help of the volunteer group.

“Sometimes, if we are proud, we are denying someone the opportunity to help and to feel like they are making a contribution, and that is important too,” Shults said.

If you are interested in volunteering, please visit Nurturing Neighbors on Facebook and fill out a brief survey, which takes less than two minutes. You are also invited to attend the upcoming Nurturing Neighbors Meet and Greet.

“We will be having an informational public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 31, at Erwin Town Hall at 6 p.m. and would like to invite anyone interested,” Rice told The Erwin Record.

John Day expresses concerns to Mayor Garland “Bubba” Evely regarding the Unicoi County Commission’s recent decision to retain MedicOne as the county’s ambulance service provider. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

Old wounds resurfaced during a meeting between Unicoi County Mayor Garland “Bubba” Evely and concerned citizens who were seeking answers to the bidding process for the current ambulance service in Unicoi County.

The citizens, led by John Day, met with Evely on Thursday, Jan. 3, to discuss the contract renewal with MedicOne that was approved by the Unicoi County Commission during its Dec. 19 meeting. According to Day, the bare minimum was done by the county in the request for proposal process.

During the Dec. 19 meeting, the Commission voted to approve the bid from MedicOne, in a 6-2 vote with Commission Chairman Loren Thomas abstaining. County Commissioner and Ambulance Committee Chairman John Mosley made the motion to approve the contract and Commissioner Jamie Harris seconded the motion. County commissioners Mosley, Jamie Harris, Glenn White, Todd Wilcox, Matthew Rice and Stephen Hendrix voted to approve a new contract with MedicOne. Commissioner Marie Rice and Commissioner Jason Harris voted no to the contract.

The contract, which would run from April 2019 until April of 2023, calls for an annual subsidy of $225,000 to be paid by the county to MedicOne. The new contract calls for three ambulances instead of two, which is what the previous contract called for. The ambulances will all be Type 1 ambulances which allow for enough room for up to two people. Two of the ambulances will be staffed 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The third ambulance will run on a 12-hour shift for seven days a week. MedicOne is currently running a third part-time ambulance in preparation for the new contract.

Inside Evely’s office on Thursday, Jan. 3, Day, who was a candidate for county mayor in 2018, referenced the loss of his friend, former Unicoi County Commissioner and Unicoi County School Board member Dwight Bennett who passed away in 2014, when addressing the mayor. Bennett passed away from cardiac arrest while waiting for an ambulance.

“Mr. Mayor this does not serve the county, we deserve better,” Day stated.

Day questioned the bid process and stated that there were three other ambulance services that expressed interest to Day in bidding to serve Unicoi County. According to Day, American Medical Response (AMR) and Lifeguard Ambulance Service are two services that expressed interest.

“We need the best there is,” Day said of the ambulance service options for Unicoi County.

Evely acknowledged the concerns and thanked everyone for coming. Evely informed the citizens of the upcoming Ambulance Committee Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 10, at 4 p.m.

“I invite you to bring those concerns to that meeting,” Evely stated.

As of the Jan 3 meeting the new contract had not been sent out to MedicOne. Day and fellow concerned citizen Jim Donnelly requested that Evely hold off sending the contract and consider vetoing  the December vote by the Commission.

“We would feel better knowing that you would hold off on sending the contract until we can address the commission,” Donnelly said to the mayor.

“The contract has been approved by the Commission and I held off sending the contract for a few days to have this meeting,” Evely stated.

As far as the veto goes, Evely was opposed to vetoing anything that the majority of the Commission approved.

“If the majority of the commission says to send the contract out and the county attorney states I can, I will send the contract out,” Evely said.

Day stated that if he had to, he would take legal recourse.

“I will make an injunction if I have to, this is not going to happen,” Day stated.

Unicoi County Commission Chairman Loren Thomas talked to The Erwin Record on Friday, Jan. 4, in regards to ambulance services. Thomas acknowledged the majority of the current Commission feels good about the new contract. Thomas’ wife is an employee of MedicOne.

“The option that we chose was with MedicOne, and it was the best option,” Thomas stated.

Thomas explained why he believes MedicOne was the best option.

“To ensure that the contract was best, we made sure that there are penalties for not abiding to the contract,” Thomas told The Erwin Record.

According to Thomas, the Unicoi County Ambulance Committee will meet regularly to oversee the contract. Thomas stated that the next meeting will be to come up with an action plan to combat issues of the overflow of emergency calls.

“We are going to work to nail down procedures in case all three ambulances are on call,” Thomas said. “We have to staff according to call data, but we wish to set up an emergency plan in case all three ambulances are on a call.”

The next Unicoi County Ambulance Committee meeting is set for Thursday, Jan. 10, at 4 p.m. and will be held at the conference room at the Unicoi County Courthouse.

Brenda Hawley stands in the kitchen of the new location of the Choo Choo Café at 113 S. Main Ave. in downtown Erwin. Hawley’s move to the new location made space for North Ridge Community Church to move downtown. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

The Choo Choo Café has officially moved. In less than one week, owner Brenda Hawley relocated her restaurant from its location of many years to a new one. Fortunately, she didn’t have to go far. In fact, she moved right next door.

Hawley made the move to 113 S. Main Ave. and is currently up and running. What made the move easy for Hawley was she gave away most of the items in her original restaurant.

“I just opened the doors and gave it away. It was my Christmas present,” Hawley joked.

The move leaves a large storefront vacant, but it won’t be vacant for long. Moving into the old site of Choo Choo Café will be North Ridge Community Church Erwin Campus.

“The plan is to be moved into the new building by Easter of 2019,” North Ridge Community Church Erwin Campus Pastor and Worship Leader Gary Schwenke told The Erwin Record.

The new site of North Ridge Community Church Erwin Campus will be at 111 S. Main Ave.

The Erwin Campus has been meeting at Unicoi County High School since North Ridge Community Church opened the campus in the fall of 2015. North Ridge Community Church also has three other campuses, with two in Johnson City, and one in Gray.

Schwenke said the downtown Erwin location fits the vision the church has for its community.

“We have a heart and passion for the city and felt that building would be a great location to serve,” Schwenke said.

The auditorium will be equipped with roughly 150 chairs.

“Our goal is to go to two services, sooner than later,” Schwenke said of expanding at the new location.

In addition to the auditorium, there will be a space for the children’s ministry, as well as an option for use of the kitchen space through the week. The auditorium could be used as a place for live music or live theatre throughout the week, according to Schwenke. Construction to convert the former restaurant space into the church is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Currently, North Ridge Community Church Erwin Campus meets Sundays at Unicoi County High School at 10:45 a.m. Student groups meet on Sundays at 5:30 p.m.

The move downtown compliments the wishes of North Ridge Community Church, for their northeast Tennessee campuses.

“We are just excited to serve the community, and to be a part of the community, especially with all the changes to downtown,” Schwenke told The Erwin Record.

• • •

Hawley’s new home for the Choo Choo Café is located at the historic site of the original Erwin National Bank that was built in 1928. This building was built after the Erwin National Bank was destroyed in a fire in 1909.

“This building has a rich history, they actually printed currency here,” Hawley told The Erwin Record.

According to a report by paper money expert Manning Garrett, the Erwin National Bank actually printed $86,390 dollars worth of national currency in 1929.

Keeping the building the same as it was in 1928 was important to Hawley.

“By preserving the past, we can ensure our future,” Hawley said.

Hawley, who has had the building for more than three years, had the inside of the building restored to its original state. The doors are the original doors that were a part of the bank as well as the ceilings that contain a series of classic chandelier lights. The bank vault is now complete with antique china and is the site for the Sunday buffet. The original counter and marble floors are still there. The windows are new but have been fitted to the original frames. The restaurant can seat 43 people inside and has room for diners outside.

“I’m here and I love it. It’s the new Choo Choo,” Hawley said.

For winter, the hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m on Wednesday through Sunday. There will be a Sunday buffet and there will still be evenings when the restaurant will take reservations. Once Hawley is settled, she will open on Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays for dinner as well. The cafe will still be available to rent out for special occasions. Hawley hopes to serve wine with the dinner services in the future.

If you are interested in dining at the Choo Choo Café, their hours are always posted outside of the door of the restaurant or you can call to see what hours are available during the evenings.

If you are interested in attending a service at North Ridge Community Church Erwin Campus you can visit their website at www.northridgenetwork.com/erwin-campus. The church also has a Facebook page.

Senior Vice President of Marketing for GPM Investments Bill Reilly, Town of Erwin Mayor Doris Hensley, Owner and CEO of GPM Investments Arie Kotler, and Director of Dunkin’ Franchise Development Sharon Trow cut the ribbon to welcome Dunkin’ to Erwin. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Richard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

Several customers braved the frigid temperatures to camp out overnight for the grand opening of Dunkin’ in Erwin on Thursday, Nov. 29. The first 10 customers received free coffee for a year and the first 50 customers received free Dunkin’ Gift Bags.

From the time the doors opened to around 11 a.m. the drive thru line remained out to Jonesborough Road. The brand new Next Generation Concept Store remained packed with customers coming, going and running on Dunkin’.

One of the features of the Next Generation Concept Store is the use of an innovative tap system to dispense Dunkin’s line of cold drinks. Everything from tea to cold brew coffee and nitro infused cold brew coffee are served from the tap system. Erwin is now home to only the second Next Generation Concept Store in the state of Tennessee.

The store itself serves as a gift shop with one-of-a-kind local and traditional Dunkin’ merchandise. Coffee mugs and various types of coffee for homebrew are available for purchase. The countertop displays are lined with delicious treats, including donuts, bagels and muffins for the customer to pick out.

On hand to celebrate the grand opening last week was owner and CEO of GPM Investments Arie Kotler, Senior Vice President of Marketing for GPM Investments Bill Reilly, and GPM Investments Director of Franchise Relations & Development Sharon Trow.

“It came out nice, we love Erwin,” Kotler said of the finished product and the support from the town.

Welcoming the franchise to the Town of Erwin was Mayor Doris Hensley, Alderman Gary Chandler, City Recorder Glenn Rosenoff, Communications Director Jamie Rice, Building Inspector Brian Tapp and Bill Hensley.

“We are excited,” Mayor Hensley said of the Next Generation store. “We have waited for something like this for years.”

Also welcoming customers to the grand opening were East Tennessee State University mascot “Bucky” and Dunkin’s mascots “Cuppy” and “Sprinkles.”

Dunkin’s lobby, which is located at 517 Jonesborough Road in Erwin, is open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The drive thru is open 24 hours a day. Dunkin’ will be closed on Christmas. 

Dunkin’ is currently hiring. If you are interested in joining the Dunkin’ team, please visit tridonuts.com. The keyword is “donuts” and there are several categories open for applications.

The Clinchfield No. 1 traveled from Erwin to Kingsport on Nov. 30, 1968, to pull the Santa Train. For the previous two months, the historic steam engine had been restored at the Clinchfield Railroad headquarters by a team of workers and volunteers. It would go on to pull the Santa Train and other excursions throughout the South for the next decade. (Photo by David DeVault)

From Staff Reports

It was 50 years ago – Nov. 23, 1968, to be exact – that an antique steam engine rolled down the tracks from Erwin to Johnson City for its “shake-down” trip on the rails.

For two months, dozens of Clinchfield Railroad workers, some paid, some as volunteers, had taken a rusted and rotted 4-6-0 steamer and refashioned it into the shiny, “new” Clinchfield No. 1. With a successful first outing secure, the No. 1 set out the following week, on Nov. 30, 1968, to pull the Santa Train from Kingsport to Kentucky and Virginia and back. It was a sojourn the steamer would perform annually for the next decade.

Those two events – and more – are highlighted in a special anniversary edition of “The One & Only: A Pictorial History of the Clinchfield No. 1,” first published in 2013 but out of print since 2014. Now, the book, by former newspaper publisher Mark A. Stevens and retired CSX engineer A.J. “Alf” Peoples, is available in a limited edition new printing.

The new edition sports a new cover featuring the artwork of Utah-based painter Simon Winegar and more than 50 new images, bringing the total to more than 550 in the 148-page book.

“It’s exciting that the book will be available in a new, if very limited, new edition,” Stevens said. “Alf and I were pleasantly surprised at the intense interest in the first edition when it was released in 2013. We knew we had an interest in the Clinchfield No. 1, but until the book is out, you never know the reaction.

“We were very pleased. There’s a lot of love in this region for the Clinchfield Railroad and, in turn, for the No. 1”

In fact, interest in the historic steam engine was so great that Stevens and Peoples were contracted by The History Press to produce a written history of the No. 1. That book, titled “The Clinchfield No. 1: Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine,” was an Amazon top seller and is still in print, in both softcover and a special hardcover “Library Edition.”

“My first job working for the Clinchfield was as car marshal for the excursions pulled by the Clinchfield No. 1 between 1968 and 1979,” Peoples said. “I’m so proud that my railroad career started with the No. 1. And, I retired as an engineer in 2014, so as an author of two books about her released in 2013 and 2014, I guess you could say my career was bookended by the No. 1.”

The special anniversary edition is $34.95. Signed copies are available directly from Stevens by writing to him at Mark A. Stevens, 390 Lumbee Circle, Pawleys Island, SC 29585. Copies are also available at www.clinchfieldno1.com, where limited-edition prints of the cover artwork is available as a framed giclee print and notecards are also available. Proceeds benefit the Clinchfield Railroad Museum in Erwin, Tennessee.

The 41.5-ton steam engine that would one day become the Clinchfield No. 1 was built in Indiana in 1882 and had a storied history before it was famously rebuilt in Erwin after a long service including stints in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. It pulled the first rescue train to reach survivors of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, flood in 1989.

But it was that restoration in 1968 that secured the real-life “little engine that could” into railroad history.

From 1968 until 1979, the No. 1 pulled popular excursion trains between Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky – and beyond. The historic steam engine and the excursions that carried thousands over the years received massive media attention, including from the likes of The New York Times, Southern Living and the Chicago Tribune.

“There’s nothing like a great American success story,” Stevens said, “and the Clinchfield No. 1 is just that.”

For more information about the new edition of “The One & Only,” call Stevens at (423) 737-6139 or email him at MAScommunicationsLLC@gmail.com.

Emilee Edwards and Brooke Bennett at a Harry Potter-themed table during last week’s Harry Potter Week at Unicoi County High School. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by RIchard Rourk)

By Richard Rourk

During the week of Oct. 29 through Nov. 2, the Unicoi County High School Library transformed into Hogwarts, the School of Wizardry in the Harry Potter universe.

Normally the library was reserved for Muggles and other non-wizards, but last week only wizards were allowed as the school and the UCHS Book Club held their 3rd annual Harry Potter Week. This annual event, which included several games and activities, came about shortly after the release of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”

“I had a group of students that was really excited about the film and said we should have a Harry Potter Week event,” librarian Karla Keesecker told The Erwin Record.

The events that ran all week long included Wand Making, Activity Table, Craft Table, Escape Rooms, Horcrux Hunt, O.W.L. (based on the O.W.L. test in the Harry Potter Universe) Trivia Tournament, Harry Potter Games, Photo Booth, Face Painting, Bake Sale, Harry Potter Store and Potions Class.

The events took place during Success Period and after school. The students competed and were grouped into houses. The houses were Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin – just like in the books and films. The students had their houses sorted by completing an online questionnaire. Once the houses were divided, the teams worked on getting house points. House points were earned during the afterschool activities. Students received a house ticket upon completing tasks. These tickets were used to count towards house points

The activity table included the game “Would You Rather?”, crossword puzzles, word searches, puzzles and coloring book pages. These activities were worth five house points after school.

At the Wand Making table, all the materials and supplies to make your own wand were provided.  Each wizard gained 10 house points for this event.

The craft table allowed each student to make their own owl or Harry Potter ornament. Book owls were free to make. The charge to make the ornaments was $1.

The O.W.L. Trivia Tournament took place all week during success period and Oct. 29, after school in teacher Caitlyn McKinney’s room. Each student that entered the tournament received 10 house points after school. The winning student received 50 house points after school. 

Participants played a game of corn hole on specially made Harry Potter themed boards. The students then moved to the Ministry of Magic Memo game played with paper airplanes. The corn hole boards were raffled off at the end of the week.   

Photo booth props were available for students to take pictures with. Students that took a photo at the photo booth and posted it on social media received five house points after school. 

Teacher Chad Roller created a challenging set of riddles for the Horcrux Hunt. Roller offered daily prizes to the individual or team that solved the riddle. Daily winners were entered to win a grand prize at the end of the week. The Horcrux Hunt winner was Sabrina Todd.

There were two escape rooms available to challenge the students.  This event was also a great way to rack up on some house points. The escape rooms were worth 10 house points for participating and 15 house points for winning after school.

Students received 10 house points for dressing up. The costume contest winner was Toby Tipton.

Face painting was available every day during success period and after school. This event was worth five house points after school.

Potions class was an exciting event for the participants. Potions class with Professor Dilys Thickey, a.k.a. Teacher Diana Tucker, was held in room 2041 daily.

“This is a great way to get the students to read and understand labs,” Tucker told The Erwin Record.

The class made Magic Mud, Wormwood-Comes-to-Life, Liquid Enemies, Exploding Filibusters, Dancing Unicorn Milk, Exploding Elixir, Fleeing Spiders and Mandrake Restorative Draught Potions. Other more advanced potions included Felix Felicis, Drought of Peace, Skele-Gro, Veritaserum, Polyjuice, and Wolfsbane. Participating in these potions classes gained the students 10 house points after school. 

Honeydukes Bake Sale was open every day during success period to those students who had registered for activities. Great baked goods were sold such as butterbeer, chocolate frogs, chocolate wizard wands, cockroach clusters, exploding bonbons and more.

The Harry Potter Store was open every day. Items included, vinyl decals, Christmas ornaments, and tote bags.

The winning house was Ravenclaw with 350 points. Second place was Slytherin with 310 points. Coming in third was Hufflepuff with 225 points. And last, but not least, Gryffindor finished with 205 points.

The UCHS Book Club is always looking for new members. Most of the members share in the love of reading.

“I truly love reading,” said UCHS Book Club member Shelby Miller.

Students interested in joining the book club should see Keesecker in the library. The UCHS Book Club meets usually around every three weeks, according to Keesecker. Harry Potter Week isn’t the only event that the book club participates in.

“Our book club actually takes a trip yearly to the Southeastern Young Adult Book Festival in Murfreesboro every March,” Keesecker said.