Benchmarks 2021 | Section E | Community

SECTION E

Community

Benchmarks Edition March 27, 2021

Page 2E

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Nonprofits Experience Generosity Amid Pandemic

BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER Fundraising was one of the challenges the coronavirus pandemic brought many of the local nonprofit and community relief organizations over the past year.

However, a number of local nonprofit and community relief organizations in Greene County experienced generosity from the community with either an increase in giving overall or in certain areas, unexpected success with certain events or a tremendous volunteer response.

All expressed much appreciation for those who made donations this past year or stepped forward as a volunteer.

The response of people during the pandemic toward charitable giving was not a surprise to Jim McComas, CEO of the Free Will Baptist Family Ministries, which is based in the Camp Creek community.

“One of the things that impressed me when I moved to this region is the generosity of people,” he said.

INCREASED GIVING Two of the organizations that saw increases in areas of giving last year over 2019 both serve young people — Free Will Baptist Family Ministries and Holston United Methodist Home for Children.

Free Will Baptist Families Ministries’ increase came with a suspension of its fundraising activities for a part of the year.

When the pandemic began in spring 2020, Family Ministries, which operates in three states, decided to not have its field representatives go to churches to ask for donations.

At Mother’s Day, Family Ministries typically does one of its larger campaigns with churches.

In place of the campaign, field representatives were directed to go to the churches and ask about their needs.

“We said ‘you have stood with us for 82 years, is there anything we can do for you or how can we pray for your church during this time?’” McComas said.

Free Will Baptist Ministries did not seek donations from churches for about six months.

“We just felt it was the right thing to do,” McComas said. “To see an increase in donations, it really is kind of incredible.”

When the year-end figures were compiled, they showed overall donations had increased.

“Our giving was up 13-14% even with all that,” he said. “People did not stop giving during all this. It is miraculous when you think about it.”

Holston Home saw a 19% increase in giving from individuals in 2020 over the previous year, according to Seth Taylor, vice president of development for the ministry. The increase in individual giving “has been a tremendous blessing, and we are so thankful for the generosity of our supporters,” he said.

Overall giving was relatively flat for the past two years with donations down half of a percent in 2020 compared to 2019, Taylor said.

Some of the greatest effects of the pandemic on charitable giving for Holston Home came in the areas of church support and event giving.

It receives a significant amount of support from congregations that comprise the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. Giving was down 27% due to congregations meeting less frequently to collect special offerings to support Holston Home, Taylor said.

FILE/SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Rural Resources staff members Kim Rominger, Gerena Reed and Jimmy Mahafey work to package produce in boxes for the monthly distribution in partnership with Second Harvest earlier this year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the boxes were delivered door-to-door rather than in neighborhoods, and Rural Resources officials say the volunteer response to help with that delivery was tremendous.

SUN FILE PHOTO

A Gifts for Kids volunteer shops for a child at the warehouse. Volunteers helped fill this additional role in preparing bags of gifts for children to be picked up by their parents at scheduled times due to the pandemic.

In addition, event giving was down 39% as the pandemic meant Holston Home could not hold its traditional Friends of Children dinners and lunches as in pervious year, he said. In their place, stay-at-home tea parties were organized, which were helpful but not as impactful as past in-person events.

UNEXPECTED SUCCESSES While donations overall were down in 2020 to Rural Resources, the organization did have a tremendous outpouring from its volunteers and in individual giving.

One of Rural Resources’ larger fundraisers for the year, the Incredible Farm Dinner, was adapted to a take-out meal from the in-person event it has been in previous years. “We served more

folks for the Incredible Farm Dinner doing take-out than we would have on the street,” said Rural Recourses Executive Director Sally Causey. “We were amazed at the response.”

“We additionally had an amazing outpouring from volunteers who helped deliver food boxes to individuals and families who have traditionally gathered in mass at the Second Harvest truck when they’ve held monthly produce distributions in three local neighborhoods,” Causey said.

For the past four years, Rural Resources has worked with Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee to organize volunteers to provide assistance at food distributions, but with the pandemic, moved to a delivery model to keep people safe.

This did take more volunteers, Causey said, but people responded to the need and the recipients

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

This lemonade stand outside of Brolin & Bailey boutique on Depot Street was one of 14 set up locally in July to benefit the Isaiah 117 House.

appreciated being able to stay home and safe while still receiving food.

While Rural Resources did have an “amazing” response from individuals, overall, it raised a lot less money in 2020 than the previous year, she said.

Ticket prices for events were dropped, and there was a significant decrease in sponsorships for events, she explained. The sponsorships were primarily due to timing as the pandemic was in its early months as sponsors were being sought for events.

The United Way of Greene County had an unexpected fundraiser due to the pandemic. In the spring, $15,000 was raised as a local match for the same amount provided to Greeneville Light & Power System from the Tennessee Valley Authority as part of its COVID Relief Fund for communities, according to Wendy Peay,

executive director for United Way of Greene County.

To receive TVA’s $15,000, a local match was required. The funds have been used to help GLPS customers affected by the pandemic with power bills.

While all reports for the United Way’s annual 2020 Campaign have not yet been received, that effort has faced some challenges as one of the companies that previously conducted one the largest individual campaigns decided not to do one this year, resulting in employees not able to give by payroll deduction, Peay said.

However, there have been some bright spots in the campaign, including a significant increase in giving from the Greeneville Light & Power employees. Those employees gave $5,000 more in contributions than the previous year.

SEE GENEROSITY ON PAGE 3

Benchmarks E Story Index

Benchmarks E Advertisers Index

Nonprofits Experience Generosity Amid Pandemic ............................................................ 2 COVID Took Heavy Toll On Sports In 2020 ....................................................................... 4 The Show Must Go On.......................................................................................................... 6 duBrisk Retired In 2020 ...................................................................................................... 6 Partnership Focused On Helping Businesses Thrive ..........................................................8 Local Wrestlers Pinned Down State Titles......................................................................... 10 Football Teams Overcame Challenges In 2020 Season......................................................11 Lady Greene Devils Repeated As State Soccer Champs .................................................... 12 Boyd Sports Sees Rebranding Of Appy League As Positive .............................................. 13 Local Music Scene Moves Forward On A Hopeful Note.................................................... 13 Rural Resources Adapts To Pandemic, Funding Cuts ....................................................... 14 When One Door Closes ... Artists Create Another One ..................................................... 16 NPAC Takes Arts To Students During Pandemic ...............................................................17 Airport Manager Hired, New Hangar Faces Challenges ................................................... 18 State, Federal Court Systems Adjust In 2020 During Pandemic ......................................20 Greeneville Boys Win First Hoops State Title.................................................................... 23

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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 3E

GENEROSITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

The Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County has also seen challenges as it has incurred more costs in adapting to providing more educational services to community youth.

Donations were down almost 30% from the previous year, according to the organization, as many were not meeting in person.

The Champions Dinner was not held during the year due to health concerns of having a live event, which is a significant fundraiser for the organization.

The Boys & Girls Club had a 853% increase in equipment expenses due to measures for the pandemic such as purchases of personal protective equipment, temperature checkers, touchless sanitizers and a remote registration system. Building maintenance costs went up 27% with extra cleanings, and payroll increased 29% to provide lower staff-to-child ratios.

The organization was able to cover its expenses in 2020 and hopes to do so again in 2021. It did receive Paycheck Protection Plan funds and Tennessee Cares funding.

CONTINUED SUPPORT Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee’s activity in Greene County grew as it partnered with both local school systems to provide food to students’ families during the pandemic as well as providing additional resources to organizations and events such as the Community Thanksgiving effort.

Local donations played an important role in providing more meals for people in the region, said Rhonda P. Chafin, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank.

Second Harvest has gone from serving approximately 40,000 people each month to 55,000 people monthly since the pandemic started, Chafin said. The food bank has reached record-high numbers in the amount of meals distributed since the pandemic began, providing over 11,631,317 meals from March to December 2020, as compared to 4,797,355 meals from March to December in the previous year.

“We are very thankful we have seen an increase in charitable

SUN FILE PHOTO

David Kenney as Santa holds 6-year-old Isaiah Ealey as Hope Center volunteer Katrina Gailey places the family’s items in the back of the vehicle.

Volunteers Derick Clark and Russell Locher look on in the background. The Hope Center is a part of the Free Will Baptist Family Ministries, which experienced an increase in charitable giving over the past year.

giving in 2020 and have been very blessed with CARES and Feeding America, national corporate and individual donations as well as local donations to help meet the increased need for our services,” she said.

Late in the year, the Gifts for Kids warehouse was full with toys for distribution to children from lower income families, many given by donors. People were generous with gifts of gently used toys that were easily cleaned and made ready for distribution for the annual Gifts for Kids program, said Jancie Painter, one of the leaders in the organization.

However, the pandemic did result in a decline in monetary do-

nations for Gifts for Kids, funding that helps complement what is given in donated toys and enhances what is distributed, particularly to older children between the ages of 8 and 12, Painter said.

The pandemic did not allow for some of its normal fundraisers, and Gifts for Kids is looking for innovative ways to raise money if those types of events cannot be held again this year.

The pandemic also affected donations of jeans and warm apparel that are usually provided to families when they register their children. However, this year, the registration was done completely online and the clothing distributed through the schools.

Volunteers stepped up last year as they were required to do more than repair, clean and sort toys.

Due to the pandemic, volunteers “shopped” for the children, based on what their parents or guardians indicated on the registration.

Several organizations helped this year with volunteers, including Landair, which has a new volunteer program for employees.

The pandemic did keep some groups from helping that have in the past, such as student groups, and they were missed, she added.

While it was in its first year of operation during 2020, the Isaiah 117 House was blessed by its fundraisers during the pandemic, according to Gwyn Southerland,

Greene County program coordinator.

One of those, a lemonade stand effort in the summer, was designed as an event that could be held with social distancing precautions in place to help prevent virus spread. That effort raised over $7,000. More than $20,000 was raised in the first annual Isaiah 117 House golf tournament later in the fall.

“We continue to be blessed, we continue to spread awareness and God continues to walk before us, with us and beside us,” Southerland said. “We are very blessed and we are so thankful for our community who supports us daily.”

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Saturday, March 27, 2021

COVID Took Heavy Toll On Sports In 2020

BY SAM BUNDY SPORTS EDITOR The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the world of sports in the first half 2020, and local teams were not immune.

When Gov. Bill Lee recommended on April 15 that schools stay closed for the remainder of the academic year and the TSSAA canceled all remaining athletic events for the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, it really didn’t come as a shock to Greeneville boys basketball coach Brad Woolsey.

But it hurt like heck all the same.

That’s because Woolsey’s Greene Devils didn’t get to play in the state tournament they qualified for in March. And with spring sports canceled just a week into baseball, softball and boys soccer seasons, it meant Greeneville’s soccer team was denied the chance to chase its fourth straight state championship.

“After hearing the announcements, I texted our players and I told them ‘Hey, guys. I just want you to know it’s officially over.’ And I told them I love them,” said Woolsey, whose Greene Devils had a 26-6 record at that time. “ … They’re heartbroken.

They wanted a chance to compete.

“We were about six days short of riding out the entire season. We hate it for our three seniors (Micah Banks, Austin Loven and Jaydon Manuel). They worked hard and deserved to play. I hate they didn’t get to experience the state tournament and won’t have another chance to experience it. The bigger thing is they didn’t get to be with their teammates. There’s just not really any closure for anybody at this point.”

The Tusculum women’s basketball team also was punched in the gut when it qualified for the NCAA Division II tournament that was canceled by the pandemic. And when minor league baseball was canceled, the Greeneville Reds were denied a season.

It would have been the city’s last summer with MLB-affiliated baseball as the Appalachian League has been converted to a summer collegiate league starting in 2021.

Normalcy began creeping back over the summer.

Greeneville High School’s baseball team finished second in the East Division of the East Tennessee High School Baseball League in Johnson City and Elizabethton. The league was put together by Boyd Sports, which operates Ap-

SUN FILE PHOTO

Greeneville senior basketball player Austin Loven (21) hugs senior Micah Banks (13) after the Greene Devils defeated Fulton in the Class 2A state sectionals on March 9, 2020, to advance to the state tournament. The Greene Devils did not get a chance to compete for the state title as the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

palachian League franchises in those cities as well as Greeneville and Kingsport.

Some normalcy in sports continued with the start of the school year in August, although COVID-19 restrictions have remained in place. Athletes, coaches and fans must have temperatures taken before participating in or attending a game, and fans are supposed to wear masks.

Schedules have been limited, games have been postponed and scrapped due to positive COVID tests or close contact with the disease, and some college fall sports like South Atlantic Conference football were moved to the spring.

Greeneville’s girls soccer team won its second straight state championship in November.

Fourteen boys and girls wrestlers from Greeneville and Greene County participated in state tournaments in February.

The boys basketball team from Greeneville, and the boys and girls basketball teams from North Greene

qualified for this year’s state tournaments. North Greene’s girls lost to Summertown in the semifinals on March 12, while the Greeneville and North Greene boys were playing in the state tournaments March 17-20.

In addition, the Tusculum men’s and women’s basketball teams qualified for respective NCAA tournaments and were eliminated in the regionals March 13-14.

And, as of press time for Benchmarks, it looked as if high school spring sports would be played in their entirety, and the Flyboys − Greeneville’s entry in the

new Appalachian League – would play a full season. Again, though, with COVID-19 restrictions in place.

“There are high expectations (for the season), yes. But I really don’t care about wins and losses right now,” Greeneville baseball coach Andy Collins said prior to his team defeating Jefferson County 9-6 in its season opener on March 15.

“It’s just a chance to play baseball again.”

As the world, the United States and Greene County continues to gain control of COVID-19, sports should continue down the path to normalcy.

But there will always be a void for senior seasons and shots at state championships what were lost in 2020.

The closing of schools and cancellation of athletic activities for the remainder of the school year last year were a triple whammy for Woolsey.

As Greeneville’s athletic director and a teacher at the school in addition to his basketball duties, he had to deal with fallout from spring sports being canceled and fallout from the classroom.

“I hate it for our spring sports kids as well,” he said at the time. “They maybe

got a week or a weekend of competition in. That’s heartbreaking when you think about the seniors who might have worked all year for these moments and just really didn’t get a chance to compete. It’s heartbreaking for the coaches as well.

They’re in the same boat in that they worked their tails off to put their kids in position to be successful and then everything was just yanked out from under them.

“I just hate it for the entire senior class, really.

They’re missing out on so much, just not in athletics.

There’s prom ... things they won’t get back.”

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Saturday, March 27, 2021

The Show Must Go On

BY LORELEI GOFF LIFESTYLES EDITOR The theater world lives by the maxim “The show must go on!” And a pandemic couldn’t change that.

Like every theatrical organization, we’ve felt the bite of the pandemic,” said Assistant Director of Tusculum University’s Arts Outreach Brian Ricker, citing restrictions on seating and other precautions to limit spread of COVID-19. “But we have been fortunate that we have been able to continue.

We’ve met challenges and come through on the other end.”

Some of the challenges included social distancing, stopping each member of the cast at the door for temperature checks and wearing masks during rehearsals, as well as planning for unforeseeable events like the possible illness of a cast member or the company having to quarantine.

It’s just another layer that you have to consider,” said Ricker, who donned the leadership mantle of the program after the retirement of longtime theater icon Marilyn duBrisk in the spring of 2020.

Paige Mengel, co-owner of The Theatre Depot and the Greeneville Theatre Guild’s business coordinator, pointed out that in addition to masks and reduced seating, additional measures are being taken to avoid crowds congregating in the lobby area during intermissions Mengel said adapting to the pandemic “was difficult for us, just like everybody else.”

“We canceled shows. We rescheduled shows. We rehearsed virtually. We rehearsed outdoors in a parking lot,”Mengel said. “We did whatever we could think of to do to continue to bring live performance to theater-goers and to actors. People who do that really enjoy it.”

In addition to canceling shows, progress on renovations at The Theatre Depot during 2020 was slowed due, in part,to

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Marilyn duBrisk retired in 2020 after nearly 30 years as artist-in-residence at Tusculum University.

duBrisk Retired In 2020

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

The cast and crew of The Greeneville Theatre Guild’s production of “Godspell” tapped into their creativity SEE SHOW ON PAGE 7 to find ways to socially distance while rehearsing during 2020.

Bringing life to about 70 productions during her nearly 30 years at Tusculum University, Marilyn duBrisk inspired students, children and community members to pursue their interest in the stage and spread joy to thousands who have sat in the audience. duBrisk took her final bow and exited the stage into retirement in 2020, handing off the leadership of Tusculum’s Arts Outreach programs to Wayne Thomas, dean of the College of Civic and Liberal Arts, and Brian Ricker, assistant director of Tusculum Arts Outreach.

As artist-in-residence, duBrisk was a positive force in the community, bringing her love of the arts to schools and working closely with children in a special group at Tusculum to build their performance skills.

“It has been a joyful and rewarding experience to be entrusted with Tusculum’s arts program, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead it,” duBrisk said in a release at the time of her retirement. “I have been fortunate to team with our talented performers, dedicated behind-the-scenes personnel and exceptional staff members. They will partner with Wayne to continue this exceptional program, bring joy to audiences and further enrich the community’s quality of life.”

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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 7E

SHOW

community’s desire and need for the arts to the forefront. ... The arts are essential and CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 this has shown that not only the pandemic. the longtime patrons of the Although the fall and spring arts in the community but the productions went on as planned ‘regular Joes’ understand the At Tusculum and the campus importance of what we do and hosted Central Ballet’s procontinuing what we do.” ductions as well, attendance Looking ahead to the rest of and revenue were down.The 2021, Ricker is hopeful that Annie Hogan Byrd Theatre has as the vaccine rolls out that a seating capacity of about 700. numbers of COVID-19 cases COVID-19 restrictions have will go down and restrictions on reduced actual ticket sales to seating capacity will ease. He about 100 seats per show. expects that masks will be a part “You do take a hit with that of life for the foreseeable future but again, being able to charge and says he’s OK with that. forward and do anything at all, “Actors having masks on we’re just so grateful for that,” during rehearsals, I’ll tell you Ricker said. what, it helps with projec“Across the board, monies tion training,” he said with a were lost during the pandemic,” good-natured laugh. he added. “We apply annually The Greeneville Theatre Guild for a grant through the Tennes- has scheduled its regular season see Arts Commission. Because with a month’s delay. The first of funding that was redirected show will be “Nana’s Naughty on the federal and state level, Nickers,” a cute story about a those grants were less this year. grandmother who sells lingerie But I will say that the commuout of her house illegally and is nity has been very generous this caught by her granddaughter. year.”

“We hope with vaccinations Ricker said reduced audience and warm weather that people size impacts actors on other will feel safe to come out and levels. see shows,” said Mengel.

“You want as many people to According to Ricker, the see you as possible,” he said. future beyond 2021 looks bright “That’s just the nature of the for theater at Tusculum. Part of beast. But something that I that is a vigorous fundraising preach, something that (forcampaign that will in part be mer Director Marilyn duBrisk) used to provide additional supinstilled in me years ago, is port to the theater program. Dowhether you’re performing for nations to the support theater one person or for a hundred at Tusculum can be made by people, you want it to be the calling 423-636-7303 or visiting same top notch production www.tusculum.edu/giving. level.

“We’ve got a lot of exciting “It is disappointing to an things coming up and there’s an actor, but we strive to give the energy on campus behind the best possible performance, theater program and expanding regardless of whether there’s 10 it and strengthening it,” he said. people or 100 people.”

“It’s a very exciting time for The pandemic has served as theater at Tusculum. We have a learning experience for the a long tradition of theater that theater company. Among the we’re going to build on.” lessons learned were lessons in Ricker believes that tradition adaptability and resilience. will thrive, pandemic or no pan“Like the rest of the world, demic, if people support it by we’ve adapted like we’ve needed going to see shows, volunteerto,” said Ricker, noting, “The ing or making donations. energy of live theater is any“I just want to emphasize my thing can happen and you have gratitude to the community to be ready for it. You have to be for their support,” Ricker said. able to think on your feet and “For as long as I can remember, adapt.” there has been a core of support Ricker believes the shutdowns for theater in this community, and the possibility of theater going all the way back to Little doors remaining closed due Theatre of Greeneville. It moves to the pandemic brought the down through the generations.”

PHOTOS SPECIAL TO THE SUN/TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY

“Greater Tuna,” the spring theater production at Tusculum University, played as scheduled this spring, in spite of challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Chris Greene, left, as Pearl Burras, and Todd Wallin as Stanley Bumiller are seen in a dress rehearsal for Theatre-At-Tusculum’s production of “Greater Tuna.”

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Saturday, March 27, 2021

SUN FILE PHOTO

Former Director of Tourism at the Greene County Partnership Tammy Kinser, right, hosted the first of several Facebook live events to highlight local attractions at the fairgrounds with Rhonda Humbert, left.

Partnership Focused On Helping Businesses Thrive

BY CICELY BABB STAFF WRITER In addition to welcoming a new president and two other staff members over the past year, the Greene County Partnership altered its operations to continue assisting the community with the challenges presented by the pandemic.

Partnership President and CEO Jeff Taylor took the reigns in March after Matt Garland’s resignation in February, and later in the year, the Partnership also welcomed new staff members Christina Potts and Trevor Rice.

Potts replaced Business Development Specialist Dana Wilds who resigned in August, and Rice filled a new public relations position.

Taylor said he was “thrown headfirst into it,” when pandemic safety restrictions began taking effect as he resigned from his seat as a Greeneville alderman to take over the Partnership, and he quickly got to work with Partnership staff to begin addressing the

needs of local businesses and the community.

Among the first efforts were a series of Facebook Live tourism events by at-the-time Director of Tourism Tammy Kinser, who left that position to manage the Tusculum Boulevard Apex Bank branch in November, and the first of three “virtual talent exchange” events, also conducted via the Partnership’s Facebook page.

With the tourism-focused virtual events, Kinser focused on a message of, “visit later,” and “don’t cancel, postpone,” while highlighting area attractions.

“With the pandemic, we have tried to keep a strong presence on social media and encourage people to visit once everything returns to more of a normal situation,” Kinser said in May. General Manager of the Partnership Joni Parker said social media became a primary tool for the Partnership, including as a way to help connect employers SEE THRIVE ON PAGE 9

Betty Fletcher, operations director for the Greeneville Greene County History Museum, and Greene County Partnership President Jeff Taylor celebrate the museum’s receipt of a $1,000 Small Business Grant through the Greene County Partnership Foundation. The museum is one of 27 grant recipients through that fund.

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to job seekers through “JOBS4GREENE” virtual talent exchange events and through advertising job fairs.

“Our first virtual talent exchange was in April.

That was when a lot of shut downs had happened, and we felt we needed to fill the gap and connect people who needed employment with those who were offering employment,” Parker said.

She said the event in April was the first of three, and that it was a success.

“We did posts about how to build a successful resume, how to update your resume, how to navigate a virtual job interview and things like that. It was all the traditional information you would get at a job fair, plus how to adapt to the virtual format,” Parker said. “The American Job Center also held numerous job fairs, whether they were drive-thru, virtual or outdoor events, and we were also able to push those out there for businesses and to people in the community looking for a job.”

Potts said the county has not seen such shutdowns or layoffs since about the middle of the year, but that local manufacturers are still affected by the pandemic.

“At one point we estimated about 300 open manufacturing jobs, and we think it’s probably about the same or more,” Potts said. “Those companies still need to meet their production deadlines, and they have had a hard time getting people in and getting them to stay.”

Manufacturers have also upgraded their safety precautions and have not been allowing visits, leading the Partnership to modify its annual Manufacturing Month festivities in October. The Industry Appreciation Reception was canceled, and Made In Greene efforts to highlight local industry to high school students took place online

Saturday, March 27, 2021

as schools were also not allowing visitors inside.

“We tried to keep the momentum going by doing posts about ‘wow factors,’ like Artizan making pennies, to put out information about businesses and industries who make something specific to Greene County,” said Parker.

“Most things were not normal,” Parker added, noting the numerous annual local events like the Iris Festival and the Christmas parade that could not be adapted to an alternate, pandemic-safe format, but she said that efforts to boost local business have been successful.

“All last year we focused on local. We had Shop Small Greene outside, and that was well received,” Parker said. “Our businesses that participated loved it. They were thrilled. Local businesses make up the backbone of our economy.”

Sales tax reports showed a year over year increase in both November and December, which Parker said cannot be attributed just to small, local business, but “those increases are fabulous. That is a great indicator for our economy.”

In an additional effort to help local businesses during the pandemic, the Partnership created a Small Business Grant program intended to complement other grant funding and help small, local businesses recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The program was first announced in May, and donations to the fund came flooding in. An anonymous family committed to matching funds up to $50,000, and Taylor said the Partnership aimed to be able to give $100,000 to local businesses. Donations surpassed that goal in three weeks, and the Partnership awarded 16 grants in the first round, averaging $2,335 per grant.

“We live in such a generous community,” Taylor said at the end of July.

Taylor said that generos-

Trevor Rice now serves as the Greene County Partnership’s Public Relations Manager.

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Christina Potts now serves as Business Development Specialist for the Greene County Partnership.

ity also came from business owners, as some who applied for the grant were concerned about requesting too much, wanting for other businesses to get help as well, and some took their application off the table when business improved before they were notified of whether or not they would receive a grant from the Partnership.

“This was probably one of the most rewarding things to be a part of, to see the community come together in this rotten time,” Taylor said. “It made me love my job and my community more.”

The Partnership began accepting applications for the second round of the program in January, and Parker said in February that 27 grants have been awarded so far.

Applications are still being accepted.

“It has been ongoing, and as long as their are funds available, we will keep it open for those who need it,” Parker said.

For more information about the grant or any of the Partnership’s initiatives, visit www.greenecounPHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN typartnership.com, find the Partnership on Facebook or Jeff Taylor was named the new president and chief executive officer of the Greene County Partnership in March 2020. call 638-4111.

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Page 10E

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Local Wrestlers Pinned Down State Titles

BY TATE RUSSELL ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Three Greeneville wrestlers captured state championships this season with junior Kodiak Cannedy (160) and sophomore Hunter Mason (138) winning in the Class A/AA boys tournament, and freshman Jenna Baines (112) winning in the girls tournament.

Cannedy captured his third state championship in three tries after winning at 126 pounds as a freshman and at 145 pounds as a sophomore.

In the state finals Cannedy pinned Malachi Bennett of Fairview in 1:34. He pinned his was through the bracket in 2021 just as he has done in every state tournament match he has competed in.

“It feels nice to get three, and it will feel nicer if I can get four,” Cannedy said. “The ultimate goal is to get number four for (coach Randy Shelton). I love that man, and he has helped so much.”

Mason won his second state championship by pinning Sycamore’s Luke London in 1:34. He began the state tournament with a 20-5 technical fall and followed with a 17-1 technical fall in the semifinals.

“It feels good to get number two, but I hoping to be a four-timer,” Mason said. “Hopefully Kodiak beats me to it, he has a year on me, but we both really want to be the first four-timers at Greeneville.”

Baines, in her first year wres-

SUN FILE PHOTO

Greeneville wrestler Jenna Baines hugs coaches Atlas Fagundes (left) and Randy Shelton (right) after winning the 112-pound state championship in February.

tling, became Greeneville’s first girls wrestling state champion.

She battled for three rounds with Betsy Nations of Collierville, but stuck to her game plan to capture a 9-7 decision in the state finals.

“It feels amazing to win a state championship, I did not know it was going to feel this good,” Baines said. “Whenever I heard the whistle I heard everybody screaming for me. I just took off running and jumped on my coaches. I didn’t even know the score, I just felt great.”

Baines became the third freshman state champion in Greeneville history, joining Cannedy and Mason.

“Jenna is one of the very few freshman here (at the state tournament), and she is making waves,” Greeneville coach Randy Shelton said. “She is now the third freshman state champion in Greeneville High history, and she will be mentioned in the same breath as some great wrestlers in Hunter Mason and Kodiak Cannedy. She comes from an ath-

letic family, but this is her first year wrestling. She has completely bought in to everything we have tried to do. She has worked so hard for this.”

In total 10 Greeneville wrestlers earned medals at the individual state tournament.

LeAndre Dabney (113) and Hunter Johnson (132) came in second place. Morgan Lowery (170) earned a third-place finish and Cooper Johnson (106) placed fifth. Charles Dabney (126) and Zac Chrisman (220) both earned sixth-place medals.

On the girls side Morgan Cornelius (140) took fifth place.

“You always look back, and think about one or two points you left out there here or there, but with 10 medalists its hard to be disappointed,” Shelton said. “A lot of these guys are coming back too, so we’ll be right back here next year trying to get it done again.”

Chuckey-Doak’s Nevaeh Nuckols earned a sixth-place finish at 215 lbs. in the girls tournament.

West Greene’s Macy Greenlee (215) Joseph Bradley (113) and Roger Marshall (182) all advanced to the state tournament.

Greeneville’s Andy Spano (145), Alex LeBlanc (152) and Spencer Schofield (182) also qualified for the state tournament but did not medal.

In the duals portion of the season the Greene Devils captured their ninth consecutive Region 1-A/AA championship by defeating Elizabethton 51-29, Sullivan

East 60-24 and Chuckey-Doak 84-0 in a round-robin style tournament.

With the region championship Shelton became the winningest coach in Greeneville wrestling history with 279 dual match wins.

“These kids wrestled well tonight,” Shelton said after the region tournament. “We have had three weeks of really good practice. This is one of my favorite groups I have ever coached, wrestling has been a lot of fun this year because of these guys. These guys have continued a tradition that was set a long time ago.”

Normally a region championship would send the Greene Devils to the state tournament, but due to COVID-19 restrictions the dual state tournament was contracted to four teams.

That meant that Greeneville had to take on eventual state runner up Pigeon Forge in a state sectional. The Greene Devils’ fell 39-29 to the Tigers.

“I’m heartbroken for these kids, they wrestled their hearts out tonight,” Shelton said after the sectional match. “They are a great bunch of guys. I just wish I could have put together a better plan to pull this one out. This is the kind of night you coach for, we took on a quality opponent and both teams let it rip. They picked up an extra point here or there, we had kids on their back, but couldn’t seal the deal. If we wrestle this 10 times we probably both win five of them.”

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GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 11E

Football Teams Overcame Challenges In 2020 Season

BY TATE RUSSELL ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Local football teams had to overcome some significant challenges in the 2020 season, but despite those challenges a lot of success was had on the field.

COVID-19 restrictions limited summer workouts and eliminated scrimmages, then during the season schedules were constantly changing as local teams and their opponents went in and out of quarantine.

South Greene had the most notable success as the Rebels put together their best season in program history. The Rebels went through the regular season undefeated for the first time since 1995 and advanced to the state quarterfinals for the second time in program history.

South Greene’s season ended with 42-14 loss to eventual state runner up Meigs County.

“I am proud of the great season we had, we are lucky to get 13 games in.” South Greene coach Shawn Jones said after the season-ending loss. “This is going to hurt, but I hope it makes them hungry for next year. Now we are at a point where we are expected to win ball games and have great seasons. We’re trying to build a culture. We want to have a culture of winning. This was a great year, and we are excited about the future.”

During the historic run South Greene quarterback Luke Myers put together a historic season of his own, and was named a finalist

SUN FILE PHOTO

South Greene quarterback Luke Myers (1) runs the ball against Rockwood during the second round of the Class 2A Playoffs in November.

for Mr. Football in Class 2A. He was the first Mr. Football finalist in South Greene history.

The Rebels signal caller finished the year with some jaw dropping statistics. Through the air he was 112-of-170 passing for 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns. He ran for

another 1,459 yards while averaging 8.06 yards per carry with 25 touchdowns.

On defense he made 50 tackles with six tackles for loss and four interceptions. He returned two of those interceptions for touchdowns.

“Luke is an extremely hard worker,” Jones said. “He’s a perfectionist, and wants to do it right all the time. Luke did a great job this year, and his hard work got him here.

His stats are right up there with anybody here. He’s going to work hard in the offseason and hopefully

he’ll get back down here next year.”

The Rebels also won the County Cup this past season while Jones began his second stint as head coach at South Greene. They beat West Greene 28-21 in the Battle of the Milk Can, North Greene 53-12 and Chuckey-Doak 41-14.

Myers and kicker Jay Higgins were named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Class 2A All-State Team.

Greeneville, under first-year head coach Eddie Spradlen went 9-4 and also advanced to the state quarterfinals.

The Devils started the season in quarantine and had to cancel the season opener with Powell. They then fell to Daniel Boone 35-34, took a COVID-19 win over Union County and then fell to Science Hill 45-25.

After that the Devils won eight of their next nine games.

The Devils most dramatic win of the year was a 28-24, come-frombehind victory at Anderson County in the second round of the playoffs.

The game was decided by an 80-yard drive in which sophomore quarterback Brady Quillen hit sophomore receiver Adjatay Dabbs for a 15-yard touchdown with 27 seconds left.

“I told you early on that these kids were young, but they were going to battle and keep on playing,” said Greeneville coach Eddie Spradlen after the Anderson County win. “I knew we were going to SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 12

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Page 12E

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Lady Greene Devils Repeated As State Soccer Champs

BY TATE RUSSELL ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR The Greeneville girls soccer team brought home its second consecutive state championship and fourth state title in the last six years this season.

In the Class AA state championship game the Lady Greene Devils beat East Hamilton 3-1.

“This is absolutely awesome. I cried when the buzzer went off just out of pure happiness. It’s awesome,” Greeneville senior Macy Vermillion said after the win. “This year is bittersweet because its over, but I couldn’t ask for a better way to end it. It’s just pure bliss.”

In the championship game East Hamliton took an early 1-0 lead.

Just before halftime Anna Shaw took in a long pass from Lindsey Cook and scored the tying goal.

Four minutes into the second half Greeneville went in front when Delana DeBusk set up Cook for a goal.

In the 65th minute DeBusk sent a shot off of the post that Vermillion cleaned up for a 3-1 lead.

“I couldn’t be happier right now,” Greeneville coach Jerry Graham said after the game.

“We’re just ecstatic to be able to pull this off. This feels awesome.

It’s all about these girls, it’s all about this community that’s behind us. We’re so fortunate to have a school administration that supports us. These girls put in the hard work each and every day, and we as coaches have the easy job of coaching some great kids.”

In the state semifinals Green-

assists. She was the Region 1-AA Tournament MVP and the District 1-AA Co-Offensive Player of the Year.

Vermillion had 12 goals and 10 assists while also earning All-District and All-Region honors.

Norris led Greeneville’s dominant back line to 12 shut outs while only allowing 15 goals all season.

The Chuckey-Doak girls also had a big year, going 10-8-1 and advancing to the state sectionals.

The Lady Black Knights topped University High 3-0 in the District 1-A championship game with Madison Marion scoring twice and Marci Merril earning the other goal.

In the Region 1-A semifinals Chuckey-Doak beat Cosby 2-1.

Marion and Jessica Morrison both scored on set pieces in overtime to send the Lady Knights to the win.

In the region championship Chuckey-Doak fell to Alcoa 6-0 and in the sectionals Cumberland Gap earned a 5-1 win to end the Lady Knights’ season.

Merril earned TSWA All-State honors for the second year in a SUN FILE PHOTO row, this time as a midfielder. She Greeneville soccer players Lindsey Cook (left) and Delana DeBusk (right) hoist the Class AA State Championwas also the District 1-A Player of ship trophy after beating East Hamilton 3-1 in November. the Year and Region 1-A Midfielder of the Year. She finished the year eville earned a 6-0 win over Liveville beat Murfreesboro Central Lady Devils’ defense only allowed with 13 goals and 11 assists. ingston Academy. Cook scored two 2-0. Cook and Mitchel each scored two shots in the contest.

Marion led Chuckey-Doak with goals and Kaitlyn Adkins had three in the victory.

In the postseason Greeneville 25 goals and eight assists while assists in the win.

On the season Greeneville went outscored its opponents 48-3. being named the District 1-A OfOlivia Brooks, Skylar Mitchel, 18-5. It beat Seymour 4-1 in the Vermillion, Cook and Olivia Nor- fensive Player of the Year.

Vermillion and Shaw also found Region 1-AA championship game. ris were named to the Tennessee Each of the local boys teams the back of the net, while the Lady In the state sectionals the Lady Sports Writers Association’s Class managed to get in just one game Devils only allowed one shot on Devils took down Knox Central 7-1. AA All-State Team. in 2020 before the COVID-19 goal.

Brooks earned a hat trick in the Cook, an ETSU signee, finished pandemic brought an end to their In the opening round Greenwin over the Lady Bobcats and the the year with 28 goals and 11 seasons.

anything else from these guys,” Spradlen said. “If we had won this game tonight, I wouldn’t have been CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 any more proud of them than I am have a good football team down the right now because of how hard they road. A lot of people didn’t believe fought against the defending state that. But we kept on doing what I champions.” know is right, the stuff that Coach After the season offensive line(Caine) Ballard built this program man Clay Odom, linebacker, Isaac on, and it’s paid off.”

Brown and defensive back Jakobi Greeneville’s season came to Gillespie were all named to TSWA’s an end in the quarterfinals after a Class 4A All State Team.

24-20 battle with eventual Class 4A Chuckey-Doak may have been hit state champion Elizabethton. That harder by COVID-19 cancellations was despite a 200-yard, two-touch- than any team in East Tennessee. down game by running back Mason The Black Knights only played six Gudger. regular season games, but despite “I couldn’t have asked for that they finished second in Region

FOOTBALL

1-3A and earned a home playoff game.

The season was highlighted with a 35-29, last-second win over Johnson County where Evan Murvin plunged across the goal line as time expired.

The Black Knights also picked up a big 43-21 win over Unicoi County late in the year that secured the home playoff game. In that game Murvin ran for 198 yards and Adrian Groberg ran for 81 while both scored two touchdowns.

The season came to an end in a 43-42 shootout with Kingston in the first round of the playoffs.

The Knights looked as though they

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had won in the final seconds when Matthew Palazzo threw a 61-yard touchdown strike to Conner Lamons. The score was waived off due to a lineman-downfield penalty, and Chuckey-Doak’s season came to an end.

“I’m just so proud of the effort, the way these boys kept bouncing back,” Chuckey-Doak Coach Ben Murphy said after the playoff loss.

“We played a very good football team in Kingston and they came in with a good plan for us. We just couldn’t get our defense off the field enough. I thought if we could come up with two or three stops we had a chance to outscore them. But we

just couldn’t get it done. I love these seniors to death. They had to put up with a lot of stuff this season.”

Scotty Verran resigned as South Greene’s coach in the winter with some health concerns, then after getting approval from his doctor and his wife, he took over the program at West Greene in the spring.

The Buffaloes went 3-7 on the year with a 21-0 win over Cosby, a 42-14 win over North Greene and a 38-0 win over Hancock County.

The young North Greene Huskies officially went 1-8 this season with the one win coming to Unaka who had to cancel due to COVID-19 protocols.

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GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 13E

Boyd Sports Sees Rebranding Of Appy League As Positive

BY SAM BUNDY SPORTS EDITOR Chris Allen, Boyd Sports President and COO, is banking on the Appalachian League’s new summer collegiate model being a home run in the league’s communities.

At a February press conference at Tusculum University to announce Greeneville’s franchise in the league will be named the Greeneville Flyboys, Allen said he anticipates a closer relationship between fans and players.

“One of the great things about this league is these kids are probably open to doing more promotions and things of that nature than professional players,” Allen said. “Myself and (Boyd Sports Vice President) Jeremy Boler both started in summer collegiate baseball. I started in Wilson, North Carolina, and Jeremy started in Forest City of the Coastal Plain League.

“We’re both very familiar with the model and the brand.

The communities grow to love summer collegiate teams and the kids that play.”

Under Major League Baseball’s restructuring of the minor leagues, the Appy League has been converted from an affiliated rookie league to a summer collegiate wood bat league.

“My suggestion early on when restructuring was being discussed was, ‘Listen. We need to go to Major League Baseball and ask what can we do to save baseball in our communities?” Allen said. “Major League Baseball

had a plan. If we had said we didn’t want to do this like many teams and leagues have, what would our options have been?

“Pro baseball isn’t coming back here right now. It might never come back. So this is our best option to keep baseball and our brand of entertainment alive in our communities. And it absolutely could turn out to be a better deal.”

Greeneville is one of four Appy League franchises operated

by Boyd Sports. Elizabethton, Johnson City and Kingsport are the others.

Greeneville is scheduled to open its season on June 3 at Elizabethton. The Flyboys’ home opener is slated for 7 p.m. June 8 against Johnson City.

The Flyboys name reflects that Pioneer Park, home of the Flyboys and Tusculum University’s baseball team, sits in the center of what was once the runway at Tusculum Field, an airfield that was in operation from 1948 to 1968.

Flyboys officials also said the team name is a tribute to World

absolute best that we could and say thank you to veterans and thank you to the area for being such a wonderful community to us,” Foster said. “We hope everyone loves this new name, new logo, new team, new league just as much as we do.”

Other names considered included Highlanders, Aviators, Capitols and Big Rigs.

“We all fell in love (with Flyboys),” Foster said. “It was well received by everyone involved.”

War I and World War II pilots.

The Flyboys is a rebranding The team’s red, white and blue of Greeneville’s baseball team primary logo features a large due to the Appalachian League star and a World War I-World losing its affiliation under War II era airplane.

Major League Baseball’s plan to “Not many people know where contract minor league affiliates the stadium sits used to be an from 162 to 120. old airfield,” said Flyboys genThe 10 cities that were in the eral manager Kat Foster. “This Appalachian League prior to area has such a rich history of contraction make up the new patriotism and veterans dating Appy League. Those include all the way to the RevolutionGreeneville, Bristol, Elizabethary War. So we wanted to say ton, Johnson City and Kingsport a thank you to the members of in Tennessee, Bluefield, DanWorld War I, World War II, so ville and Pulaski in Virginia, on and so forth.

Princeton in West Virginia and “Members of the Army Air Burlington in North Carolina.

Corps and also the Air Force Boyd Sports has also revealed during any conflict or war are the Elizabethton franchise will known as Flyboys, so this is to be named the River Riders, pay homage to them and give the Johnson City franchise will attention to where the stadium be named the Doughboys and is and where the airfield used to the Kingsport franchise will be be.” named the Axmen.

The Flyboys will be the only Other teams in the league team in the Appalachian League include the Bristol State Linto wear cream-colored home ers, Burlington Sock Puppets, uniforms, giving the team a retro Bluefield Ridge Runners, Pulaski look.

River Turtles and Danville Ot“We enjoyed looking into the terbots. At press time, the Princrich history of the area to see eton franchise had not revealed how we could incorporate it the a new name.

The new Appy League will be part of the Prospect Development Pipeline run by MLB and USA Baseball. College freshmen and sophomores will make up the Appy League rosters, and USA Baseball and MLB will select the players and coaching staffs.

Top performers from the Appy League will advance to the Cape Cod League as juniors. Top performers from the Cape who remain in school will advance to the MLB Draft League as seniors and could be drafted in the MLB draft that is being moved from June to August.

Another plus Allen thinks fans will pick up on is summer collegiate teams tend to play more to win than low-level minor league teams, whose No. 1 priority is to develop and move players up through a major league organization.

“USA Baseball’s goal is to have the best summer collegiate league in the country at this age group, which is freshmen and sophomore age kids,” Allen said.

“You’re going to see great talent in this league. Kids who want to develop for the next level, but kids who also want to have fun and win.”

Greeneville’s past two affiliated entries in the Appalachian League were the Astros from 2004 to 2017 and the Reds in 2018 and 2019.

The team was still named the Reds in 2020, but the minor league baseball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local Music Scene Moves Forward On A Hopeful Note When COVID turned up the volume on the pandemic, the local music scene shut down along with everything else. According to musician and promoter John Brown, the rollout of the vaccine doesn’t necessarily mean that things will quickly go back to normal.

“I’m just reluctant to say that things will be great, even by the fall,” Brown said. “Here’s the trend I’m seeing. A lot of venues and street festivals and those kind of things are basically going for it but ready to cancel at any time. They’re going with the intention that things are going to loosen up and be fine but also they’re going to err on the side of caution.”

He added, “The Capitol’s got one music show starting next month with one per month, with the exception of June. They’re leaning into it.”

Brown noted that limited capacity could prevent some venues from hiring bands.

“Some places just can’t do it without 100% occupancy,” he said.

“With the cost of some bands, they would have to have the option of selling out. A lot of places are going to have to be careful stepping into that can of worms.

Brown expects the music scene to revive quickly once conditions are right. In the meantime, musicians have met the shutdown in a variety of ways.

“There’s a whole gamut,” Brown said, “of collaborating online with other songwriters and musicians, or even recording. Others are holding out until they can actually get out there

SUN FILE PHOTO

The Chris Johnson Band, above, performed as the opening act of the fourth concert in Main Street: Greeneville’s Lyrics on the Lawn summer series in 2020. The outdoor concert series went forward successfully with social distancing during the pandemic, and organizers are planning for 2021.

and play.”

Brown himself is taking a wait and see attitude to the startup.

“We’re just going to be glad when it’s over and try to get back and just see how it goes.

Spring break will tell you a lot.

Nationally, if our numbers start going back up after spring break, the things that are on the books now for the next immediate few weeks, there going to be gone.”

The well loved summer con-

cert series organized by Main Street: Greeneville, Lyrics on the Lawn, is well into the planning process.

“We are working toward Lyrics on the Lawn,” said Executive Director Jann Mirkov, who expects the series to go forward without a hitch. “We are planning on it.

We are in the process right now of trying to line up, not only sponsors but also bands. And part of the reason for that is

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the fact that we did it last year.

We did it safely, within some good COVID guidelines. We feel confident that we can do it again this year.”

The guidelines that allowed the concerts to go forward in 2020 succeeded in large part due to audience participation, according to Mirkov.

“Probably our biggest challenge last year was, not only social distancing, but also masks,”

she said. “Our audience was very cooperative and did wear masks.

We do not know at this stage where we will be with that. That also may be a requirement this year while you’re up and moving about. It’s too early to tell.”

“Our plans are to hold it again Thursday evenings on the lawn of the Dickson-Williams Mansion,” Mirkov said, adding, “We’ll go forward and see where we are in July.”

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Page 14E

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Rural Resources Adapts To Pandemic, Funding Cuts times on each day of the week.

Another delivered class materials to participants’ homes to be completed there.

BY LORELEI GOFF LIFESTYLES EDITOR The COVID-19 Pandemic wasn’t the only challenge faced by the Rural Resources Farm And Food Education Center during 2020.

The organization failed, for the second round in a row, to secure a large USDA grant the nonprofit has relied upon to operate its programs for years. It also saw its departure from a longtime partnership for one of its main outreach programs.

Amid the challenges, resourceful staff adapted. Cooking classes moved from the Farm and Food Education Center to the online Zoom platform as teens cooked for their families from their own kitchens.

“We also delivered food to kids in the program, like full meals for their whole families,” Executive Director Sally Causey said.

From mid-March through August, 2, 902 servings of food were delivered to teens and their families. The deliveries also allowed Rural Resources staff to stay in touch with participants and their families.

Causey said the Zoom classes will not likely continue once the pandemic has passed but noted that it will be a good tool to fall back on if the need arises in the future.

“We will probably not do Zoom classes because I think that the kids are sick and tired of it,” she said. “Everybody is just hungry

FUNDING

SUN PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF

Teddy Dabbs, farm manager for the Rural Resources Farm and Food Education Center, uses a tractor for some springtime maintenance. In spite of the ongoing pandemic, it’s a busy time on the farm as staff gear up for planting crops and planning programs.

for social interaction, to get out of their house and go somewhere else and to be face-to-face. As soon as we can be in person, we would rather meet together.

“I think one of the things that we’ve learned from the pandemic is how much we took face-to-face education for granted. We know

now that face-to-face education is probably the most effective way to educate, because it’s also relational. It’s not just about one person having knowledge and another person taking up that knowledge.

There’s also a relationship that takes place in the teaching and learning, and the relationship is

stronger and deeper and better when it’s face-to-face,” Causey said.

Other strategies staff used to adapt to the pandemic included planning smaller class sizes by dividing classes into smaller groups and staggering class times to have the small groups meet at different

Besides the disruption caused by the pandemic, Rural Resources did not receive a USDA grant in 2020 that it relies heavily on to operate its programs. That marked the second round for that grant that the organization did not receive.

According to Causey, a Building Strong Brains grant made available by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services allowed the teen program to continue. Outreach programs, however, were impacted as the decision to scale back was made.

Although there wasn’t funding to continue a well established gardening program at Greeneville Terrace, longtime participants took the lead to keep it going.

“The outreach programing has been impacted but we hope that other sources of funding are going to come in and we’re going to be able to resume at full scale,” said Causey, noting that there was enough funding to continue canning classes at Greeneville Terrace.

Besides not receiving the USDA grant, Rural Resources’ fundraising took a hit from COVID-19.

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demic, according to Causey.

“We worked with Second Harvest to deliver food once a month,” Causey said. “So before, where folks would gather around the back of the (Second Harvest delivery) truck, we were worried about the spread of COVID so we asked everybody to stay at home.

We put out a call on Facebook (for volunteers to help distribute food to homes) and we had absolutely selfless people say, ‘Let me help.’

The volunteers that came and took part in making that possible were amazing.”

Although Rural Resources did not participate in the house-tohouse food distribution program after October, one-stop food dropoffs by Second Harvest delivery trucks continued to the community.

RURAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

planned to have our Incredible Farm Dinner On Main Street and we planned to have Brewfest, but we couldn’t do those things with the pandemic. So we decided to do takeout events instead,” explained Causey. “That started a thing so we did four take out events, summer through fall.”

The events took place at Rural Resources with people picking up prepared meals at the farm.

“We didn’t really have any idea how that was going to work and if there would be interest but there was,” Causey said. “We’re doing that now again this spring with the hope that we will not have to do it for the big dinner but we will if we have to because now we’re very good at it.”

Participation in the dinner was good but overall donations were down, according to Causey.

“We had charged $75 a ticket per person for the Main Street Dinner, which couldn’t happen,” she explained. “So then we changed it to $75 a couple because we just couldn’t think the price point was right to do $75 a ticket for a takeout meal.”

Three other takeout meals were added.

“We had great success with the takeout dinners but it still doesn’t add up to the amount of income we would have had from the first, from the one big dinner downtown, but we served more people,” Causey said. “The downtown dinner is not just about selling tickets.

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

LOOKING AHEAD

SUN PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF

Anna Bonde, the farm and agricultural educator at Rural Resources’ Farm and Food Education Center, plants beans for the greenhouse.

Once sprouted, the beans will be used for farm and culinary education programs.

ond Harvest Food Bank changed from a participant pick-up method to house-to-house deliveries in March 2020, reaching 165 eligible recipients. That number climbed PROGRAMS to 265 eligible recipients before Deliveries for the long-estabRural Resources backed away lished food distribution program from the effort in October 2020, conducted in partnership with Sec- citing concerns related to the panIt’s about sponsorships and that kind of thing. So the income was way down.”

Rural Resources Farm Day Camp will resume in the summer after taking a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic.

“This summer we feel absolutely confident that we can do Farm Day Camp,” said Causey, referring to the organization’s summer day camp for children.

While school field trips to the Rural Resources farm have not been happening due to the pandemic, efforts are being made to provide programing to schools.

“We’re planning some really, really interesting things,” Causey said. “We’ve had a lot of requests to do cooking activities. Some of them will happen in person, I think. Some of them will happen

Page 15E

online. Some of them will be videoed and done by kids whenever the teachers want to do it. We have one group that is going to come here to do some cooking. We’re just going to divide (the students) into small groups so we just have a few kids in the kitchen at a time.”

Fundraising for 2021 has begun with a series of takeout dinners that highlight local farmers.

Causey hopes to see the Dinner on Main Street event take place downtown again.

“For 2021, we are planning the dinner on Main Street,” she said. “We will adapt if we need to adapt, because now we’re very good at adapting, but right now, we really, really, really want to be back on Main Street. So we will put in place whatever precautions are necessary given whatever our situation is at the time. It could be anything from asking people to wear masks as they arrive, to going back to takeout, if it’s necessary.

But we really right now are planning to have the dinner on Main Street.”

Dinner on Main is scheduled for July 31 and Brewfest is planned for Sept. 25. More information about the dinners, programs, fundraisers and volunteer opportunities can be found on the Rural Resources Facebook page.

Causey summed up the year by saying, “We pivoted, like everyone else had to do, and kept everything going in some fashion.”

“This has also been a time for thinking and planning and getting things done that are hard to get done when things are full speed ahead all the time,” she added.

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Page 16E

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

When One Door Closes ... Artists Create Another One As doors of opportunity closed for artists and art students during the pandemic, The Greeneville Arts Council continued to work with artists and teachers to create new opportunities in 2020 and moving into 2021.

“We shifted our gallery from in-person at the Mason House Gallery to an online gallery,” said Greeneville Arts Council Director of Exhibitions Til Green.

“We have still been featuring an artist every month in the online format, with their work still for sale.”

The online gallery included the annual seasonal exhibit in December. While Green said the online effort proved successful, it cannot fully replace the physical exhibit, located in the General Morgan Inn, for artists, the community or local businesses that may benefit from visiting downtown to view the gallery.

“I think who suffered most is the county and city art students who were not able to have their show last year and are not able to have it again this year,” Green said. “But it will be online as well. It’s just sad that these kids don’t get the experience of hanging a show in a gallery and have a reception to meet people and see their support, and have the experience of that.”

The council geared much of its work and funds towards helping students during the pandemic.

With students having to work from home, they don’t have access to school art supplies. The council will continue to make supplies available them.

“We’re going to have packets available for kids to pick up and make an art item and we’ll then display that in our windows on Depot Street,” Green said. “We have access to some windows at 112 Depot Street, we call them ‘our windows,’ and we try to put a seasonal exhibit in there and we’re trying to feature student art.”

The council has also continued its efforts to support The Boys and Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County by ensuring that staff have supplies to conduct art activities.

had what Green called “a very adverse effect” on the arts community, beyond art sales.

Even through help provided by the council, grants and other financial aid offered through organizations like the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, 2020 was, as Green put it, “a horrible time” for artists.

“Artwork is not the entire focus,” Green explained. “There’s a lot of networking involved.

They weren’t able to do that because festivals weren’t held. Galleries were closed. Events and fundraisers were all canceled.

There was no outlet. That’s why we tried so hard, and just on a very small scale, of getting artists out there and getting their work in front of people.”

“There’s just some things you can’t take the place of and there’s nothing like seeing a picture in person, as opposed to seeing it online,” she added.

As for the Mason House Gallery opening any time soon, Green said, “I have not heard any talk about it yet. We are contemplating a fundraiser in the fall, but we’re still planning on doing it socially distanced. As opposed to doing something online, we would make sure people are socially distanced. We would ask that people wear a mask and keep the same parameters.”

But she said there’s no way of knowing how things will go with the number of cases, even with the vaccine rollout.

“I think with things being loosened up because people think it’s getting better,” she said. “The COVID vaccine is not a free ticket. It’s not the cure all, end all for this thing and if people still don’t behave themselves, we’ll be right back where we started.

“We’re not willing to take the chance of promoting gatherings Colleen Bowman is one of the teacher-artists on exhibit at www.greenevilleartscouncil.org during the month of when we know this isn’t quite March. The Greeneville Arts Council created the online gallery in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic closed the over with. I’m hoping by the doors of The Mason House Gallery. end of the year we’ll be able to go back to in person events but Another opportunity created said. “That was very successful. and get out and look at things. it’s just an unknown. I hesitate by the council in 2020 will likely Artists were happy to be able We had very good feedback from to say anything because we become a regular feature of anto have some way to show their that and hope to repeat that thought at the end of last sumnual arts events in the county. work and still be safe, as well as again, Covid or no Covid.” mer, we’d be out of the woods “We had the Arts Drive-buy customers. People came from In spite of the efforts the and that certainly wasn’t the exhibit in October,” Green all around the region to drive by council made, the pandemic case.”

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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 17E

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Barter Theatre’s “Peter Pan” is available to educators and students to view online for free until April 30 through a partnership with the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.

NPAC Takes Arts To Students During Pandemic Although the Niswonger Performing Arts Center hasn’t been able to open its doors to the public since March 13, 2020, that hasn’t stopped the $7 million, 39,000-square-foot arts and entertainment venue from fulfilling its mission to cultivate the arts and culture within the community and region.

“What we have been able to do during the closure is create a virtual arts education series for students,” said NPAC Executive Director Vicki Hudson. “It’s been done at no cost to students or teachers through partnerships and grants. We’ve offered it to Greene County, Greeneville City, other surrounding counties.

“Back in December we partnered with the Kingsport Ballet to offer a livestream of The ‘Nutcracker.’ It’s actually the only live performance that’s happened on our stage in this year but it was closed to the public.”

Hudson said 4,500 students signed up to view that performance.

NPAC also partnered with the Barter Theater and Virginia Repertory Theatre, which recorded performances of “Peter Pan” and “Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad” in their theaters and then offered them on demand instead of as a onetime livestream.

The virtual education series replaced field trip opportunities that NPAC would normally offer.

“We couldn’t bring students physically to the facility,” Hudson said, “We took the arts to them.”

NPAC will offer another live ballet in partnership with The Kingsport Ballet in April. The livestream production of “Coppelia” will be offered to students

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

A partnership with Niswonger Performing Arts Center has made it possible for Virginia Repertory Theatre to offer “Harriet Tubman & The Underground SEE NPAC ON PAGE 19 Railroad” free as a livestream event for educators and students until June 30.

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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

SUN FILE PHOTO

In addition to takeoffs and landings, the Greeneville Airport hosts evens such as the 5K On The Runway, seen here, as well as car shows and more.

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STAFF WRITER The past year brought some significant changes for the Greeneville Municipal Airport.

An airport manager was hired at the facility in the late spring as the Greeneville Municipal Airport Authority took over the daily operations of the facility from the former fixed base operator.

In April, the authority voted to assume the responsibilities of the fixed base operation at the facility from Greeneville Aviation, which had provided oversight of the daily operations for 26 years.

That month, Steven Neesen, a longtime employee of Greeneville Aviation Services, was also named airport manager and began his responsibilities on April 27.

In May, the Airport Authority voted to to formally accept a $1 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation for the construction of a new hangar. When cost estimates began to rise to construct the hangar on an undeveloped portion of the airport property, the authority voted in August to suspend the project.

Work on the new hangar resumed in the fall as a new location was identified for the structure. The Airport Authority authorized its engineering firm, PDC Consultants, to begin design work for the hangar at that location.

Earlier this year, the Airport Authority voted to discontinue the project after its intended tenant, Vertical Flight Technologies, indicated it was no longer interested in the hangar.

DAILY OPERATIONS Last spring, the Airport Authority voted to assume the daily operations of the airport after Greeneville Aviation informed the governing body of its desire to not continue as the fixed base operator. Its contract ended in May. Responsibilities of the fixed base operator include overseeing daily operations of the airport, such as coordinating fuel services for aircraft and managing T-hangar rentals as well as

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monitoring air traffic and providing for the needs of pilots and passengers.

At that time, members of the Airport Authority thanked Greeneville Aviation for the 26 years of service provided as FBO. “We would not be where we are today if it had not been for your 26 years of service,” said then Airport Chairman Roger Gray. Jeff Hollett is now the chairman as Gray left the authority last summer after moving out of the area with his job.

The authority approved purchases in the following months to improve daily operations, including a tug to move airplanes, funded from an award the airport received in a CARES ACT grant.

New signage and other improvements were on display in September as the airport and Greene County Partnership hosted the Wings & Wheels on the GreenE fly-in and cruise-in.

Unveiled at that event was a new compass rose painted by volunteers from the Appalachian Aviatrixes Chapter of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots.

HANGAR CHALLENGES The new hangar was initially proposed to provide space for a new business, Vertical Flight Technologies that relocated to the airport in February 2020 from Florida to be in a location more central to its customer base.

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Saturday, March 27, 2021

home school educators in Greene and surrounding CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 counties may register by visiting www.npacgreenon April 15 at 10 a.m. eville.com/education or Registration for educators by emailing vhudson@ opened March 22. npacgreeneville.com.

Barter Theatre’s “Peter Attempts to hold limited Pan” will remain available capacity shows at the for viewing through April venue last year were pre30 and Virginia Repertory vented by rising COVID-19 Theatre’s “Harriet Tubman cases. & The Underground Rail“We intended to try to road” through June 30. do a couple of limited caAll virtual arts education pacity shows this past fall,” series performances are said Hudson. “We were available at no cost to edgoing to do one in Novemucators or students. Public ber and one in December, school, private school and but when tickets went on

NPAC

sale is when (COVID-19) cases started rising locally.

We felt it wasn’t responsible to have people gather for shows.”

Those limited capacity shows are now being rescheduled for spring in the hopes that local cases will continue to drop.

“We may possibly also add more limited capacity shows until we’re able to open at full capacity,” Hudson said.

Capacity is limited to 2530%, according to current guidelines.

In spite of the challeng-

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

es, Hudson is hopeful that a “normal” schedule will be possible soon.

“We’re hopeful that with things headed in the right direction and with the vaccine rollout the way it is that those guidelines will be modified further and we can get back to having shows and entertainment,” she said.

If the current limited capacity shows must be postponed from May or June, Hudson will look at options to move them to the fall schedule. If guidelines don’t ease in the next

couple weeks, a decision will be made to do so in April.

“Not only have we been shut down for a year, but all these artists have been out of work for a year,” Hudson said. “No one wants to make any decision too quickly because you just don’t know how things are going to change, for better or worse.”

Hudson is anxious for the entertainment and the audiences to return.

“I know a lot of people are missing us and ready for us to start having

Page 19E

shows again,” Hudson said. “I’m ready to see them. Had you told me a year ago that this is where we’d be a year later, I would never have believed you. I’m ready to see our people that we’ve seen come through these doors many, many times a year and I’m ready to see live entertainment on the stage.”

“It’s all out of our hands,” she added. “I’m hopeful to be at full capacity by fall but all we can do is wait and see and take it one day at a time.”

AIRPORT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

hangar and office facility that also houses flyExclusive International.

With site preparation and extending utilities to a undeveloped site beyond the T-hangars, the cost of the new hangar was estimated to be around $3 million. Issuing a bond for the project was explored by the Airport Authority with the intention that tenant rent would cover bond payments. However, that lease payment was not going to be economically viable for a tenant.

The authority and Town of Greeneville officials sought other grants and funding sources for the project to lower the amount that would need to be recouped through rent, but were not successful.

In the fall, work resumed on the hangar as a new site was identified near the MedTrans hangar and the large hangar/office building, which would not require extension of utilities and lower the cost of the project.

Initial design work and cost estimates were prepared, but the lease payment would estimated to be in the upper range of rents for similarly sized facilities, even utilizing a 30-year bond, the authority

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Members of the Appalachian Aviatrixes Chapter of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots and volunteers from the local Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1355 work to paint the compass rose in June at the Greeneville Municipal Airport.

discovered.

As the authority considered whether to progress any further with the project

in February, Vertical Flight Technologies indicated it was no longer interested in the hangar.

The authority voted to discontinue the project after discussing the difficulty in finding another

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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

SUN FILE PHOTO

Greene County Criminal Court Judge John F. Dugger Jr. conducts court proceedings virtually, communicating with defendants via a link with the Greene County Detention Center.

State, Federal Court Systems Adjust In 2020 During Pandemic

BY KEN LITTLE STAFF WRITER Both the state and federal court systems had to make extreme adjustments to operations in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic overtook all aspects of life in Tennessee.

The court systems continue to function in 2021, although changes in 2020 included the suspension of most in-person proceedings such as jury trials.

A court order in U.S. District Court in Greeneville that suspended most in-person proceedings expired on Feb. 28, allowing the resumption of jury trials and other court matters.

As of early March, state courts in Greene County continued to operate under modified rules following an order issued by the Tennessee Supreme Court extending the state of emergency and suspension of jury trials and in-person court proceedings.

The use of virtual appearances of defendants in Greene County Criminal Court and other courts using Zoom and similar apps helped to address the case backlog created by COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. Judges in local state courts, including General Sessions and Circuit Court,

have employed virtual technology to conduct proceedings.

Greene County is in the state’s 3rd Judicial District that also includes Hancock, Hamblen and Hawkins counties.

Provisions in a recent state Supreme Court order include the suspension of all jury trials through March 31, along with the suspension of all in-person proceedings through March 31 in all state and local courts in Tennessee.

Included in the order are municipal, juvenile, general sessions, trial, and appellate courts.

The order applies statewide to all courts and court clerks’ offices with the exception of administrative courts within the executive branch and federal courts and federal court clerks’ offices in Tennessee.

“Under the terms of this order, the courts of Tennessee remain open, consistent with the Judicial Branch’s obligation to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19,” Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivens wrote.

Adjustments to court activities continue to be made in the 3rd Judicial District.

On several recent days, for instance, Criminal Court Judge John F. Dugger Jr. heard pleas and conducted

other court business using the virtual Zoom meeting app.

General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Kenneth Bailey Jr. and other

court officials in the 3rd Judicial District also have made extensive use of Zoom and similar technologies to conduct court business.

Circuit Court judges Beth

SEE COURT ON PAGE 21

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Tempered glass barriers with metal frames in the Greene County Court Clerk’s Office improve employee safety and protect against the spread of COVID-19. Court Clerk Chris Shepard stands behind the barrier in an area used by the public as he speaks with Deputy Court Clerk Tonya Stills.

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GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 21E

SUN FILE PHOTO

Employees and visitors to the James H. Quillen U.S. Courthouse in Greeneville continue to follow all safety and security protocols relating to COVID-19. The resumption of jury trials and other in-person federal court proceedings was allowed March 1.

COURT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

participants can be in their office or home.

“Zoom is working really well,” Circuit Court Clerk Chris Shepard recently said. “Judges are being very proactive in the way court cases are being heard, and Zoom is definitely a large part of that.”

When jury trials in state courts resume, a large backlog of criminal cases and civil matters

continued from 2020 must be addressed. Criminal Court is next in session in May in Greene County.

A number of trials are scheduled.

The Greene County legal community also made adjustments in 2020.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit East Tennessee and the suspension of in-person hearings began in March 2020, the legal system “was completely turned upside down. Our ability to meet with clients, prepare their cases, and get them before a judge be-

came limited, and for a short period of time, was blocked entirely,” Curt Collins, president of the Greene County Bar Association and partner in the Greeneville law firm Collins Shipley PLLC, recently said.

Collins said the local legal community “has adjusted and found ways to make things work.”

For instance, he said, “If an in-person meeting is necessary our team at Collins Shipley, as well as many other firms, maintain limited day-to-day in person

meeting calendars. We exercise social distancing and request that those that are able to wear a mask, wear one at all times,” Collins said.

He said local lawyers, in addition to clients, have made necessary changes.

“Video meetings are now crucial to assist with maintaining our standard of preparation and personal attention to our client’s case when an in-person meeting is not necessary or available. Although there are limits with video

conferencing, there are a lot of positives,” Collins said. “Many of our clients work, and have limited time to meet with us in person.

The recent more common use of video meetings assist us with this as we are able to provide flexibility in meeting times to accommodate our client’s work schedule.”

Shepard and Collins said use of virtual technology for some legal matters may become a permanent tool available to judges, prosecutors and lawyers once the SEE COURT ON PAGE 22

County Officials Guide Proud to serve our communities!

Circuit Court Clerk

Chris Shepard The Circuit Court Clerk serves as a clerk for the Circuit, Criminal, General Sessions, & Juvenile Courts. The Circuit Court Clerk also serves as the Jury Coordinator & ADA Coordinator. It’s an honor getting to serve the people of the community I love.

My goal from the start has been to prepare our judicial system for the future, while also being a good steward of the tax payers’ money. I have a dedicated and forward-thinking staff that works diligently with me to achieve those goals.

101 South Main Street, Suite 302, Greeneville, TN in the Greene County Courthouse Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:30 PM (423) 798-1760

Assessor of Property

Chuck Jeffers

Our obligation in the Greene County Assessor’s Office is to be fair and unbiased to all citizens of Greene County. We strive to maintain our efficiency and constantly improve our level of professionalism so that we may better serve you.

Our office staff are proficient, knowledgeable, experienced, and friendly professionals ready to assist you. Any time you have a question about an assessment or any other issue pertaining to county property, please give us a call. Or, you are always welcome to come by and pay us a visit in Suite 222 of the Courthouse Annex between 8:00 a.m. and 4 30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Contact me at 423-798-1738 204 North Cutler Street, Suite 222, Greeneville, TN 37745

Wesley Holt I am honored to serve as your Greene County Sheriff. The men and women of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office are committed to the protection of life and property among the citizens of the county, and are committed to providing law enforcement, corrections, and criminal justice services through a partnership with the community that builds trust, reduces crime, creates a safe environment, and enhances the quality of life.

I welcome your comments or questions and have an open door policy.

You may contact me at 423-798-1800 or email: wholt@greenetnso.org

Greene County Trustee

County Clerk

Lori Bryant

• Motor Vehicle Registration available at the kiosk in the County Clerk’s Office.

• Offering Vehicle Registration Mobile Service at the locations of Mosheim, Tusculum, Baileyton Town Halls, and Camp Creek Ruritan Memorial Park Pavilion.

• Motor Vehicle Licensing.

• Business Tax Help Desk for electronic filing through The Department of Revenue.

• Prints titles for the State of Tennessee Department of Revenue.

• Issues marriage licenses.

• Issues on-premises and off-premises permits to sell beverages in unincorporated areas of the county.

• Collects occupancy tax.

• Issues Business Tax licenses.

• Minutes for County Commission meetings.

• Online Services.

• Partnering with the Department of Safety Drivers License Services with a new service available in renewing Drivers License & also issuing duplicate Drivers License to the Greene County citizens.

• “New Service” through the County Clerk partnering with the Department of Safety, which is the Handgun Permit Renewals and the new REAL ID in which a Gold Star can be placed on your Driver’s License for boarding an airplane or entering a Federal Buildings.

Contact me at 798-1708 or

Sheriff

798-1775

“Thank You For Allowing Me To Serve The Citizens of Greene County”

Nathan R. Holt The trustee serves as the county’s banker and treasurer. The three major functions of the trustee’s office are: (1) Collecting the county’s property taxes; (2) Accounting for and disbursing county funds; and (3) Investing temporarily idle county funds.

The trustee’s office takes pride in providing Greene County citizens with professional,courteous, customer-focused service in an efficient manner. If we can be of service to you, please come see us or give us a call at 423-798-1705.

Remember, we work for you!

Road Superintendent

Kevin Swatsell

It is my honor to serve the people of Greene County.

Our department is working hard to meet infrastructure needs by focusing on hard work and intentional budgeting. The safety and advancement of the highway system in Greene County is our top priority.

Thanks again for the opportunity to serve.

Contact me at 423.798.1745

County Mayor

Kevin Morrison The County Mayor is the Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer of the County. The County Mayor primarily serves in a role of leadership, influence, and executive function for the entire County and directly manages several County departments.

The County Mayor leads, directs, and/or influences: • Local Economic Development • County Budget/Financial Management • Overall Governmental Vision, Direction, and Function • Departmental Management, Policy, and Leadership It is the honor and privilege of my life to serve you. I will ensure that we (your local government) work hard every day to be responsive in our duty to you, and responsibly and judiciously use our tax dollars to make Greene County the best place to live, work, and play.

204 N. Cutler Street, Suite 206, Greeneville, TN

(423) 798-1766

Page 22E

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

SUN FILE PHOTO

A tent was set up in 2020 outside the Greene County Courthouse to allow for social distancing and a limited number of people allowed in the courthouse during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tent has since been moved to the side of the courthouse as pandemic safety and security protocols continue to be observed.

door employees use to get to work stations behind the CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 counter.

Courtroom doors are now pandemic is over. locked when not in use, Safety protocols at the Shepard said. Previously, Greene County Courthouse the court clerk’s office could put in place by court order be entered from the back of in 2020 continue to be the upstairs courtroom. enforced.

In U.S. District Court in All courthouse staff Greeneville, similar security and patrons must wear a and safety measures relatmask. Everyone entering ing to COVID-19 will also be the courthouse has their enforced. temperature taken with an Similar measures will be infrared thermometer. taken throughout the EastThe public is asked to ern District of Tennessee, conduct all business it can which has jurisdiction in 41 by telephone, mail or the in- East Tennessee counties. ternet if possible during the The Eastern District of mask mandate, and follow Tennessee has four diviCenters for Disease Control sions, with offices in Greenand Prevention guidelines. eville, Knoxville, ChattaCourthouse security nooga, and Winchester. officers ensure only two or The Knoxville office serves three people at a time are as the headquarters for the in the clerk’s office to pay district. court fines and conduct othJason Keeton was reer court-related business, cently named Greeneville Shepard said.

Division manager, overseeShepard also took meaing the court clerk’s office. sures to protect employees Longtime Greeneville Diviin his office by having sion Manager Rick Tipton tempered glass barriers retired at the end of 2020. with metal tubing frames Court officials and those installed early in 2021 in associated with the legal the Circuit Court Clerk’s system in Greene County office. The dividers separate continue to adjust in 2021 office employees from the to changing conditions pubic. relating to the pandemic.

“Each work station where “There is nothing normal they interact with the public about our legal system right now has a barrier in front of now, but like many other it,” Shepard said. “It’s obvi- industries, we have learned ously a barrier from COVID how to recognize the issues, and airborne threats but it adapt to the uncertainty, also helps with security.” develop solutions, and A keypad lock was also continue to move forward,” installed in the entrance Collins said.

COURT

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GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 23E

Greene Devils Win State Championship Special Tab Publishes Wednesday, Mar 31st Help Us Celebrate

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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Something big for our smallest patients

The Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network is a regional system of healthcare and community services marking a new phase in high standards of healthcare and well-being for children, regardless of where they live across the Appalachian Highlands.

Families from throughout the region have always considered Niswonger Children’s Hospital “their hospital.”

VA

And now,

the Niswonger Children’s Network will further extend the hospital’s high standards and resources across the Appalachian Highlands.

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Ballad Health Strong Futures, a residential program that will keep women with substance use disorders and their children together during treatment

STRONG Brain Institute, funded by Ballad Health for the purpose of studying and serving the needs of children who suffer from childhood trauma. It is among the first of its kind in the United States.

School-based virtual urgent care and behavioral health in both rural and city school districts in Tennessee and Virginia

Niswonger Children’s Hospital is “powered by ETSU Health,” to reflect the strong clinical and academic relationship between Ballad Health and East Tennessee State University, serving children in the region.

The Niswonger Children’s Hospital Children’s Resource Center to serve as a resource of quality and trusted information for parents

Please visit balladhealth.org/childrensnetwork to learn more about how we are improving healthcare in our region.

Pediatric Emergency Departments located within Bristol Regional Medical Center, Indian Path Community Hospital and Johnson City Medical Center

STRONG Starts, a wholly unique approach to maternity care, early childhood development and family support that has never been done anywhere else in the country

Download the Ballad Health app.

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