6 56525 10651 4

Mountain City, Tennessee 37683Your Community Newspaper, Established 1874 75 centsVol. 146 No. 39

www.thetomahawk.com

THE TOMAHAWKWednesday, September 23, 2020

Community Calendar ...........A2Education .............................A3Public Safety ........................A4Community Matters ..............A5Service Directory ...............A4,5

From Page One ...................A6Sports ...........................B1,3Obituaries/Classifieds .....B2Faith ................................B5Features ..........................B6

INSIDE:MOUNTAIN CITYHome of Your Community Bank

fsbankmctn.com 423.727.8121EQUAL HOUSINGO P P O RT U N I T Y

MOUNTAIN CITY PHARMACY

1641 S. Shady St. | Mtn. City, TNCall (423) 727- 0039

FREE RX Delivery in Jo. Co.

By Tim ChambersSPORTS EDITOR

Trying to watch a football game without cheerleaders is a lot like trying to eat popcorn at the movies without but-

ter, salt, and a cold drink to go with it. It just doesn’t work.

That best describes trying to watch a John-

son County football game without the cheer-leaders there to pump up the crowd. That does not work either.

This was the case in the first game of the season at Sullivan East. The Longhorns didn’t have cheerleaders while East had vocal ones and a large home crowd cheering them on.

“I went to the game,” said senior cheerleader Emmy Miller. “It was hard sitting in the stands

as a fan not being able to get the crowd fired up. It was great when we got to cheer the next week at Sullivan North.”

Miller was referring to Johnson County’s big win the following week at Sullivan North.

Fans were saying how much like football it felt having the cheerleaders there with fans in the stands.

Front row seats to every gameLonghorns Cheer Squad:

A.C.T.I.O.N. UPDATE JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER

By Tamas MondovicsEDITOR

Fall has officially begun this week, adding to the variety of items to get at the Johnson County Farm-ers Market.

Market organizers were pleased to announce that while summer market season, of course, continues including several fun activities at Ralph Stout Park, until the end of October.

“The Johnson County Farmers Market is still busy planning a few fun events to wrap up the season,” said Jennifer Skarsaune. “There will be a fall raffle starting the first weekend in October with a prize package.”

The package includes a meal for two at The BeetRoute, a mar-ket t-shirt, a mum from Winter-green Farm, a cushaw squash from Brown’s Farm, and delicious jars of marmalade from Sweet Spring Farm.

Raffle tickets will also be sold

Johnson County residents Charles Bogard, 4, and his sister Dana, 5, get up close and personal with a sizable display of pumpkins at the Johnson County Farmers Market last Saturday morning at Ralph Stout Park in Mountain City. The pumpkins are featured by Debbie and Bob Snyder of Brown Farm.

The 2020 Summer Market is in full swing and will be promoting a round-up of fun activities as it continues until the end of October. Photo by Tamas Mondovics

Johnson County Farmers Market introduces fall varieties

See Market Page A6

Members of the Johnson County cheerleading squad, Audry Godines, Paiten Carroll, Gracie Grayson, Madi Walker, Aleena Summerow, Kirsten Day, Emmy Miller, Hannah Walker, Bella Phipps, Jessie Anderson, Chloe Hopkins, Makenzie Poe, Audry Godines, Paiten Carroll,

Gracie Grayson, Madi Walker, Aleena Summerow, Kirsten Day, Emmy Miller, Hannah Walker, Bella Phipps, and Jessie Anderson, pose for a photo during a recent game. Kayla Hensley assists Michelle Walters in working with the program. Photo by Joey Icenhour.

By Meg Dickens STAFF WRITER

Representatives from the John-son County Sheriff’s Office and Johnson County Purchasing Agent Dustin Shearin presented a poten-tial records management software update for law enforcement and the jail to the County Commission during its Thursday, September 17 meeting. Whether this particular update is approved, officials will be forced to make a change soon, as the current software company, Securis, will stop offering its ser-vices. Officials have until Decem-ber 2021 to make the switch and implement a new system.

Sheriff Eddie Tester and Dustin Shearin ranked the contenders by company firm qualifications, ser-vices provided, depth of response,

Sheriff’s Office pushes for new

software

Mast becomes JC commission

chairman

Survey shows drug use growing among

younger students By Jill PenleyFREELANCE WRITER

Johnson County would be a different place without the Mountain City/Johnson Coun-ty Community Center. The community center offers after-school tutoring and activities to students in our school sys-tem and after school meals.

“The Mountain City/John-

son County Community Cen-ter was very recently informed of a critical loss of funding,

explained John Cunningham, President of the Board of Di-rectors of Hometown Service

Coalition, a newly formed non-profit with plans to assist local service organizations towards the goals set forth to benefit our community.

Johnson County Mayor Mike Taylor also informed the county board of commis-sioners of the loss in funding during the September meeting. “We are doing everything we

Center loses annual $50K grant funding

By Meg DickensSTAFF WRITER

A.C.T.I.O.N Coalition joined the Johnson County Commis-

sioners to dis-cuss drug use i n c h i l d r e n a n d y o u n g adults during the Thursday, September 17 meeting. With p e r m i s s i o n from the Sub-stance Abuse

and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), A.C.T.I.O.N takes an annual

Bellamy

Burchette

“This grant helped cover some supervisory and tutorial positions as well as funding to help

offset food insecurities for elementary, middle and high school youth.”

Hometown Service Coalition Board of Directors President John Cunningham

By Meg DickensSTAFF WRITER

Johnson County Commission Chairman Rick Snyder announced his term was nearly over during the August commission meeting. Sny-der has held the position for “the last couple of years” but revealed he did not wish to be re-elected at this time. Officials took the time between meetings to ruminate on a new leader. The Commissioners voted unanimously to elect Dis-trict 2 Commissioner Scott Mast as chairman during the Thursday, September 17 commission meeting.

Mast grew up on his family’s

See Center Page A6

See Mast Page A6

See Drug use Page A6

See Sheriff Page A4 See Cheerleaders Page B3