Local Churches
Mark Major Milestones
BY LISA WARREN LIFESTYLES EDITOR
St. James Episcopal Church of Greeneville, marked 175 years of service.
Two additional Greeneville churches, Asbury and Tate Chapel, marked 150 years of service.
ABOUT ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL
St. James Episcopal Church is located at 107 W. Church St., in the heart of downtown Greeneville.
According to John M. Jones Jr., of the Greene County Heritage Trust, St. James Episcopal may be one of the oldest churches in Tennessee in continuous operation to date.
A history of the church on its website notes that the roots of St. James Episcopal Church actually stretch back to 1843, when a small group of “faithful Episcopalians ... gathered and worshiped at the Greene County Courthouse.”
“We organized as the ‘Greeneville Parish, Greene County,’ and gained admission to the 1848 Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee,” the church history details. “With several visiting clergy support, we became a formal parish at the diocesan convention in July 1849.”
The church history goes on to note that “the original church structure, built in the ‘Carpenter Gothic’ architectural style, was consecrated on August 11, 1850, by the Rt. Rev. James H. Otey, first bishop of Tennessee. The same building is in continuous use today. The primary structure is one of Tennessee’s oldest churches in continuous use.
“From 1852 to 1901, St. James Parish experienced significant turmoil, having to close its doors for 18 months between 1873 and 1875,” the history continues. “St. James lapsed into mission status (diocesansupported—not self-sustaining) and did not regain its parish standing until 1957,” the history continues.
“While world wars, financial panic, and the Great Depression consumed our nation, those leading Saint James made great efforts to reclaim our full status as a self-sustaining parish in the Diocese of Tennessee. The facility added St. Luke Chapel in 1950 and acquired the home next door, constructed in 1938. With an addition in the late 1970s, the annexed facility (called McMillen Hall) contains the parish hall, the office, and classrooms.”
Today, the Rev. Dr. Kenneth H. Saunders III serves as the 14th Rector of St. James Episcopal Church, “a call he accepted in May 2018,” the church site notes. “Before coming to St. James, Father Saunders served congregations in Maryland and North Carolina.”
For more about the history of St. James Episcopal Church, visit https:// stjamesgreeneville.org/home/history/.
ABOUT ASBURY UMC
Both Asbury and Tate Chapel churches are part of the United Methodist denomination.
According to the Asbury UMC website, Methodism in Greene County dates back to the early 1790s. In 1865 the Methodists in Greeneville reorganized under the direction of The Reverend John Warthman.
“The Northern Branch, the Methodist Episcopal portion of the church, vacated their previous church building on Main Street and met for a time in an upper room in the court house. After a service at the Presbyterian Church in 1874, they met in the home of Mr. and Mrs. David Britton with Bishop Gilbert Haven. They decided to purchase a lot from W. C. Maloney — the site of the Maloney Hotel,” the site says.
Located in the heart of downtown Greeneville at 201 South Main Street, Asbury UMC has served as “a beacon of faith and community for generations,” church officials note.
The Asbury congregation celebrated the church’s milestone anniversary with a special worship service on Sept. 21.
Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, Resident Bishop of the Holston Annual Conference, was the guest speaker for the occasion. Her sermon was titled “Grow Up in Grace by Showing Up,” based on II Peter 1:3–5 and 3:18.
The Rev. Sharon L. Bowers, lead pastor of Asbury UMC, made history as the church’s first African American and first female pastor in its 150-year history.
Reflecting on this milestone, Rev. Bowers shared, “This anniversary is not only about looking back with gratitude, but also about looking forward with hope. We are celebrating God’s faithfulness through the generations, and we invite everyone to come and be part of what God is continuing to do here at Asbury.”
Here is a timeline of the church’s history:
• In 1875 they dedicated their new church building — a large frame church with a tall steeple. The Reverend J. S. Petty was the minister at the time.
• In 1893 a parsonage was built beside the church.
• In 1910 the church was moved to the lower end of Summer Street to make room for a new church building. The Rev. James A Mitchell was the pastor when the current church building was started in 1911. At this time, the church was named after Bishop Francis Asbury, the first Bishop ordained in American who had visited the Cochran Hotel which later became the Maloney Hotel.
• In 1952 during the pastorate of the Rev. Sullins Dosser, a three-story educational building was erected. The radio ministry and the scouting program began at this time.
• The Rev. Elton Jones was pastor when the sanctuary was remodeled in 1954.
• The parsonage was torn down in 1959 to make room for enlarged parking facilities.
• The chapel beside the church was completed during the ministry of Dr. John Y. Bacon in 1986. During this time, the educational building was also renovated for a larger fellowship hall.
• The Asbury Child Enrichment Center was built during the pastorate of the Reverend Brent Hall and dedicated in September of 1997 during the ministry of Dr. Charles Starks.
• In 2005 Asbury completed another remodeling to restore it to its former beauty and to aid the congregation to be able to enjoy another century of service. The renovations allow facilities for three Sunday morning
services—one in the sanctuary, one in the chapel, and one in the fellowship hall.
• In 2012, Asbury celebrated the 100th anniversary of the church building with a play portraying the events of 1912 and the building of the church and a book detailing the History of the Church.
• In 2018 a new organ was added to the sanctuary. Many people have contributed their time, talents, and money to help Asbury serve the community and the world. Asbury continues to participate in mission work around the world as well as to join in community service work throughout the local region.
For more information about Asbury UMC, visit https://asburylife.org/ . ABOUT TATE CHAPEL UMC
One of the earliest Black churches in Greeneville, Tate Chapel UMC began when land was purchased for a new church at its 710 Wesley Ave. site on Sept. 18, 1875, through a deed by Edwin S. Rising, according to a 150th anniversary booklet. It began as Wesley Methodist Episcopal Chapel and was later renamed Tate Chapel M.E. Church with the merger of the Methodist Church. It was renamed again to its present name following the 1968 merger that formed the United Methodist Church.
The church has stayed in its original location and building since its founding, though it sustained substantial fire and smoke
PHOTO BY REBECCA BELCHER COURTESY OF ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH
St. James Episcopal Church is located at 107 W. Church St., in Greeneville.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Asbury United Methodist Church is located at 201 S. Main St., in downtown Greeneville.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TATE CHAPEL UMC Tate Chapel United Methodist Church is located at 710 Wesley Ave., in Greeneville.
80th Anniversary Of WWII Monument In Midway Held
BY NELSON MORAIS STAFF WRITER
The 80th anniversary of a World War II monument in Midway, believed by some to be the first permanent monument to that war in the U.S., was celebrated in September.
Under overcast skies and a slight breeze, about 50 people sat in chairs or stood across the two-lane state highway known as Midway Road that lines the hillside with the monument, to watch the ceremony, and to hear the names of the 99 men and women engraved on the monument read aloud, and speakers praise their sacrifices to defend this country.
Guest speaker Kevin Morrison, the mayor of Greene County, noted the anniversary of the monument, which was dedicated on Sept. 23, 1945. He also said that around that time, “World War II came to an end … and the road to peace began. Here in Midway, we remember that peace was not given, but earned.”
Morrison called the site of the monument “a beautiful, sacred spot.”
A veteran himself, the mayor told other veterans present on Sept. 23, “You are the living bridge between history and memory.”
State Rep. David Hawk spoke, as well.
He admitted he had driven by the monument many times over the years before he heard it was the first monument to World War II in Tennessee.
“We come from such a rich community and heritage here in Greeneville,” Hawk stated.
“We’ve had some challenges over the last year” with the Hurricane Helene storm damage, “but we will continue to prosper in Greene County because of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
The ceremony in September began with a brief statement from Sam Doud, president of a nonprofit organization of volunteers that has restored the monument and beautified its grounds since early 2024.
Pastor Richard Snowden then opened with a prayer.
The posting of colors was done by the West Greene JROTC on Midway Road, between a small group of speakers seated near the monument on the hillside, and attendees of the ceremony lining the other side of the highway.
Doud led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance, and then Jerry Burger did so in the singing of the National Anthem.
Doud spoke upbeatly, saying the ceremony was “indeed a celebration, a part of our community.”
He recalled that four women in Midway began the effort to raise money for construction of the monument prior to the war ending by selling red clover salve.
There were originally 86 names on the monument, all with Midway addresses, Doud stated.
Only one them died in the war, Paul E. Myers, when his platoon was ambushed on April 7, 1945, in Germany, according to Doud.
Myers’ wife was one of the four women who raised money for the monument, he stated.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS
J.L. Gardner, left, points to the names of three uncles engraved on the World War II monument in Midway. A ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the marble war memorial was held in September. Gardner said he was at the initial dedication of the monument on Sept. 23, 1945. On the right is Pastor Richard Snowden, who gave the opening prayer.
See WWII | page E13
SUN FILE PHOTO
Hundreds of people showed up on Sept. 23, 1945, for the initial dedication of a memorial to those from Midway who served in World War II. The monument’s 80th anniversary was celebrated in a ceremony last September.
Mark Milestone Anniversaries Civic Clubs, Programs
BY LISA WARREN LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Three local civic clubs and organizations reported milestone anniversaries to The Greeneville Sun during the past year.
The groups included:
• Youth Builders of Greenville, which marked its 80th year;
• the Negro Women’s Club of Greeneville, which marked its 75th year, and
• the Foster Grandparent Program, which marked its 60th year.
YOUTH BUILDERS OF GREENEVILLE
Youth Builders of Greeneville celebrated 80 years of supporting children and youth in the local community during 2025.
During the club’s September meeting, members took a look back at Youth Builders’ eight decades of service. They also looked ahead to the coming year at the many plans the club has for its ongoing outreach to children and youth.
Youth Builders of Greeneville was chartered in 1946 with the objective to build a new accredited high school in Greeneville. Since that time, the organization has developed into a volunteer organization that supports the children and youth in the community through a host of programs and services. The organization’s mission is to promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, church and community, and to contribute needful service to community independently, and in partnership with other organizations.
Youth Builder member Carla Bewley noted, “Unfederated and independent, we are able to serve our community as we see fit. Without the achievements and contributions of such service groups, small communities could never reach their full potential.”
This coming year, the club has plans for a new partnership with CANUP, a local nonprofit that provides services to the homeless population. Pronounced “canopy,” CANUP stands for the Coalition Addressing the Needs of Unhoused People. For more details about CANUP, visit the group’s website at www.canup.org.
As part of its new initiative with CANUP, Youth Builders will help to support at-risk youth, who are middle or high school age, who might not otherwise be able to afford experiences such as soccer camp, or ballet, music, or art enrichment.
Among the club’s many support services, Youth Builders provides three college scholarships each year to graduating seniors — two for Greene County students and one for a Greeneville High School student.
Another popular project of the club is the KidPrint ID project, a child safety program that Youth Builders provides to all preschool classrooms in the city and county and some kindergarten classes who have requested it.
The program provides families who wish to participate with valuable identification information for their children.
Children with permission from their
families are photographed and have their right thumbprint taken. Along with other identification information, a credit cardsized plastic ID is given to the child’s parents, grandparents, and/or guardians. These ID cards and fingerprints can be used by the family and authorities if the child were to go missing.
This service is provided starting at 3 years of age at no cost to the families or the schools. The data that generates the identification card is not shared, and is deleted immediately. Youth Builders encourages families to get a new card each year because the appearance of children changes as they grow.
During the last decade, the Youth Builder’s Kidprint ID program has provided thousands of families with these valuable identification cards and has also provided IDs to individuals who do not have a driver’s license who need a photo ID.
Any community, educational, or church organization that would like to have this service should contact Youth Builders at youthbuildersofgreeneville@ gmail.com.
The object of Youth Builders has always been “to promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, church and community; to contribute needful service to the community as a whole, independently and in partnership with other organizations,” club officials say in a statement. “Here we are 80 years later and our mission is still the same.”
For more information about the organization, find Youth Builders on Facebook or contact Youth Builders at youthbuildersofgreeneville@gmail.com.
NEGRO WOMEN’S CIVIC CLUB OF GREENEVILLE
The Negro Women’s Civil Club of Greeneville was founded on June 11, 1950
At that time throughout the South, segregation was in effect, but many people organized in order to promote better communities for all — no matter the color of ones skin.
In Greeneville, Lena B. Lee organized a group of seven other women — Annie Carter, Carris Robinson, Georgia B. Campbell, Hannah Crum, Evelyn Perkins, Lucille Martin, and Ezell
Gillespie — to found the local Negro Women’s Civic Club. Their motto was to build “a better Greeneville.”
On Feb. 21, 2026, current members of the civic club, along with community members, gathered to celebrate the achievement of those eight Greeneville women who put into motion their vision for their hometown. The event, which included a lunch, was hosted by the George Clem Multicultural Alliance at the Negro Women’s Civic Club building on Davis Street.
Guest speaker at the event was the Rev. Sharon Bowers, pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church.
During her talk, Bowers stressed the need to extend a helping hand to others just as Jesus Christ commanded us all to do.
“Help when it is in your power to do so,” she said.
Civic Club were teachers, preachers’ wives and domesticated workers. One of the club’s founders, Hanna FarnsworthCrum, donated the present building and property to the club in 1981. She had run a diner and hotel in Greeneville.
The Negro Women’s Civic Club has been dedicated to serving the needs of the black community of Greeneville through various charitable and developmental initiatives.
Among the many other projects of the club through the decades have been providing Christmas food baskets and other items to those in need, granting scholarships to graduating seniors, hosting voter registration drives, and establishing youth recreational programs. The club has also actively supported local businesses, churches and community projects.
In the days of the segregated South, “Visionaries ... dared to organize,” Bowers continued. She urged people today to never quit seeking ways to find spiritual clarity and civic engagement.
“If you’re ready in Greeneville for the next 75 years to build, let’s not be timid, quiet or cautious. Be bold,” the pastor said.
Some of the founders of the Negro Women’s
Shortly after its founding, the club members began work raising funds to
PHOTO COURTESY OF YOUTH BUILDERS
Youth Builders of Greeneville marked its 80th year of service to the children and youth of the community during the past year. This photo shows many of the current club members.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Shanda Story, vice president of the George Clem Multicultural Alliance, is seen photographing a sign highlighting the history and achievements of the Negro Women’s Civic Club during a luncheon held Feb. 21 to celebrate the club’s 75th anniversary.
Greene County Imagination Library Marks 20th Anniversary
BY AMY ROSE STAFF WRITER
The Greene County Imagination Library, which provides free books for young children, marked its 20th anniversary in 2025, and several fond memories were shared by some of the first kids enrolled in the program.
“When people ask me about my hobbies, I always mention reading! I have a huge love for reading, and I contribute a lot of that to the imagination library,” said Ainsley Freeman, a graduate of the University of Tennessee. “The imagination library books were some of the very first books I could read, and I am so thankful for the impact the Imagination Library had on my childhood, the very beginning of my education, and my love for reading!”
“Some of my earliest childhood memories involve curling up with my family and a book,” said Emma Waddell, a student at Vanderbilt University. “As a child, my mind was always alive with fantasy and fairytale, and I feel certain the Imagination Library played a role.”
Holly Click, described receiving 12 free books a year for each of her children as a blessing.
“We had sweet moments of reading before bed or naptime. It made the thought of them having to go to bed more palatable! We took backpacks of books on car trips, to ballgames, and anytime they had to be still and quiet. I loved sneaking a peek of them reading (or trying to read) to each other when they played school,” she said.
A 2014 impact study showed that Imagination Library children were more likely to have: early reading skills, better school readiness, better language development, life skills development, understanding of the concept of print, book appreciation, parent engagement, home literacy practice, and excitement about
books and reading.
Corbin Cannon, a football scholar at Centre College in Kentucky, has enjoyed visiting Tusculum View Elementary School to read to students.
“I remember being excited that I got mail with my name on it,” Cannon said. “I was excited to get to open the mailbox and find a new book that I would get to read.”
London Morelock, a student at UT, said, “I would always read the books with my mom which was something really special that I look back on.
She encouraged my love of reading!
Reading books like these with her helped shape me into the person I am today.”
London’s mother, Holly Morelock, remembers signing her daughter up for the program the week after she was born.
“As she got older, and she knew that her favorite books came from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, she thought Dolly and our mailman were the same person. So each day when we got the mail she asked if Dolly sent her a book that day! Or if she looked out the window and saw our mailman, she would yell, ‘Dolly’s
here, mama!’”
Created in 1996 by Parton in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, the Imagination Library mails a new, age-appropriate book across the nation and to other countries every month to registered children from birth to age 5.
The books are provided at no cost to the family and regardless of income.
A blue-ribbon committee of childhood education experts selects the books for the Imagination Library, which includes such classics as “The Little Engine That Could” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
In 2004, Gov. Phil Bredesen created the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation to support the Imagination Library in Tennessee.
The Greene County Commission authorized local participation, and in 2005 Greene County became the
31st of Tennessee’s 95 counties to participate.
The local program launched in January 2005 with a public celebration at the Greeneville-Greene County Public Library.
By 2008, 53% of the state’s eligible population — nearly 199,000 children — were registered in the program, and approximately 80% of eligible children, or 2,914, were registered in Greene County.
The local program experienced tremendous growth in 2016, and by 2018, it was announced that the Greene County Imagination Library was leading the state in participation with a percentage of 89.9, compared to the statewide average of 70%.
In September 2019, the Greene County Imagination Library presented its 450,000th book to 18-month-
SUN FILE PHOTO
Corbin Cannon reads to students at Tusculum View Elementary School.
SUN FILE PHOTO
State Rep. David Hawk holds a book and 18-month-old Oliver “Ollie” J. Gardner at an Imagination Library event in 2019.
Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad Celebrates 75 Years Of Service
BY SPENCER MORRELL
The Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad celebrated 75 years of service to Greeneville and Greene County with an open house held in June 2025 at the rescue squad building.
The event provided members of the public an opportunity to tour the squad building, meet rescue squad members and inspect equipment and vehicles.
The local rescue squad was founded in June 1950, and chartered in September of the same year.
The all-volunteer rescue squad serves Greene County in several different ways including responding to wrecks, conducting water rescue operations, carrying out searches and more.
According to the May 30, 1950, edition of The Greeneville Sun, a meeting on the evening of May 29, 1950, of civic leaders and local governmental officials led to an agreement to form a Rescue Squad here.
Other Sun articles from 1950 said a string of tragedies in the spring of that year had spurred movement toward forming a rescue squad here.
A May 13, 1950, editorial noted that the Johnson City Rescue Squad had been called to Greene County three times in 10 months to assist with emergences because no local rescue organization existed.
Written by John M. Jones Sr., at that time the Sun’s general manager, the editorial said, “The Greeneville Sun would like to join with the civic and veterans groups of this county in cosponsoring a rescue squad to be organized here. If only one life is saved by this group, they will be more than compensated for their many hours of toil and training.”
The May 30, 1950, edition of this newspaper carried an article headlined, “Emergency Rescue Squad Assured After Meeting Held by Civic and City Leaders.” After the decision to form a Rescue Squad was made on May 29, 1950, a Greeneville Sun article noted that the presidents of all Greene County civic groups would serve as members of the new organization’s board of directors.
The article reported that a committee had been appointed at the May 29 meeting to organize the local rescue squad.
The members of that
committee were Oscar Bullen, Clyde Bible, Hubert Smith, Fire Chief Charles Cochrane, John M. Jones Sr., Sheriff Dahl Pruitt, James N. Hardin, Jack Carter, Everett Cutshaw, Paul Metcalfe, Roy Marshall and Austin Tallent.
A June 9, 1950, Sun article noted that more than 30 volunteers had signed up “to take training with the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad.”
The Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad received its first vehicle, an ambulance donated by Kiser Funeral Home, on Aug. 2, 1950.
The squad’s first building, on a lot adjacent to the former Greene County Jail, was completed in May 1951 at a cost of less than $6,500.
The rescue squad has called its headquarters building on West Church Street home since 1973.
One of the new squad’s first duties was a sad one, involving the recovery of a 13-year-old drowning victim’s body.
Several members of the public attended Saturday’s anniversary open house, including members of other area rescue squads such as Church Hill, Hawkins County and Kingsport.
Chief Cody Trammell thanked the other squads for assisting the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad in flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. The rescue squad often provides mutual aid to surrounding areas when needed.
Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison said that the rescue squad conducted 13 successful swift water rescues during the flood.
Morrison presented a proclamation to the rescue squad for their 75 years of service to Greene County on Saturday.
“The rescue squad for a period of 75 years now has been an integral part of the emergency response network of Greene County, and we appreciate it,” Morrison said.
Morrison said the anniversary should be celebrated and those who serve in the rescue squad or have served should be honored.
“This milestone marks a legacy of public service and resilience as the squad continues to evolve to meet modern challenges while remaining in its core mission of emergency response and life savingefforts,” Morrison read from the proclamation.
“The citizens of Greene County Tennessee proudly recognize and express their deep appreciation for the vital role Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad has played in protecting lives for threequarters of a century.”
Trammel has served as captain of the rescue squad for two years, and has served in the squad for four years. He serves in Greene CountyGreeneville EMS.
Trammell said he was proud of the rescue squad’s years of service.
“There’s not many departments in Greene County right now that can say they’ve got 75 years in. It’s a big accomplishment for the organization,” Trammell said.
He said that volunteers are what make the rescue squad special, and noted that donations help keep the squad in operation. The rescue squad applies for grants to procure new equipment such as cutters, spreaders and swift water gear.
The squad just recently received diving gear through a grant, and members are taking scuba training.
Trammell said that the flooding in 2024 showed that the rescue squad is still an integral part of the community, and that the squad also learned lessons from the flood and found ways they could improve.
In 2024, the rescue squad responded to 312 calls. Over 200 of the calls were motor vehicle wrecks. Other calls included water rescues, medical assists, searches and fires.
Trammell noted that the rescue squad has a good working relationship and partnership with all of the other emergency service departments in Greeneville and Greene County.
Each member of the squad is trained in CPR and first aid, emergency vehicle operation and basic extrication. Specialized training offered by the squad include rope and swift water operations, structure collapse training, grain bin entrapment training, farm machinery accident training and more.
The rescue squad currently has 22 members, but is always looking for more volunteers. The squad can have 50 members based on its charter.
“The hardest part right now is membership, and getting people that are willing to volunteer their time,” Trammell said.
He noted that he
understood “times have changed” and younger people want to be paid for their time, “but at the same time you have to have the heart to do it.”
Trammell said that the squad has many different opportunities and specialities for volunteers to explore, but that being in the rescue squad is not something that should be done lightly.
“You have to be empathetic. That’s the majority of the people we get are empathetic people. It’s a calling. It’s not meant for everybody. It’s got to be something that you really want to do,” Trammell said.
Squad members take duty shifts two nights per month.
Some members of the rescue squad have served over 20 years, while some new members have been a part of the squad for only a few months.
Those looking to volunteer or get involved with the rescue squad can attend one of the squad’s monthly business meetings. The meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the squad building, 602 W. Church St. Those interested are also welcome to stop by the building at other times if they see vehicles in the parking lot. Those interested can also contact the rescue squad by phone at 423-6383431.
Trammell said that he hopes those driving by the rescue squad building or a squad vehicle realize the squad’s importance to the community.
“I hope they know that we’re not out there just for the heck of it. We’re out there because we are needed. We’re trying to do a job just like everybody else,” Trammell said. “Hopefully they appreciate us.”
Trammell said he hopes younger generations will carry on the legacy of the rescue squad for another 75 years.
“I hope we get more of the younger generation to come in and help out. The younger generation is eventually going to become our generation and we’re going to be the old generation. So we’ve
can
got to get them in here doing this, teaching them and building them up. Honestly that’s my hope for the next 75 years for the rescue squad,” Trammell said. The rescue squad is always accepting donations. Those wishing to donate directly to the rescue
a check to the
&
Squad and mail it to P.O. Box 243 Greeneville, TN
The rescue squad also receives funding from the United Way of Greene County.
squad
write
Greeneville Emergency
Rescue
37744.
SUN FILE PHOTO
The Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad was presented with a proclamation honoring 75 years of service to Greeneville and Greene County by Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison. Pictured from left are Rescue Squad 2nd Lieutenant Elijah Cutshall, Rescue Squad Chief Cody Trammell, Morrison, and Rescue Squad Secretary Phil Haffcke.
SUN FILE PHOTO
The Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad building on West Church Street has served as the squad’s headquarters since 1973.
SUN FILE PHOTO
The walls of the meeting room at the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad building are covered in photos of the squad’s past efforts in Greene County dating from the 1950s to present day.
AIDNET Wraps Up Helene Recovery
BY AMY ROSE STAFF WRITER
AIDNET of Greene County celebrated the end of its 14-month recovery from Hurricane Helene in December 2025.
Twenty-three local leaders attended an emotional 40-minute meeting at the Greene County Partnership, where speakers shed tears recalling the disaster, and the group applauded the community’s response.
President Jeff Idell estimated total recovery costs of up to $7 million in AIDNET funds, in-kind services and spending by churches and other organizations.
“It was a huge task,” Idell said, giving credit to AIDNET volunteers and thanks to God for a successful recovery. “We only accomplished this by God directing us and leading.”
Prior to the public meeting, the AIDNET board of directors met and closed the last five of 66 total applications, according to Wendy Peay, treasurer.
“They’re all back in their homes,” Idell said in a celebratory tone. He noted that a few of the applications did not qualify for assistance, and AIDNET provided assistance for approximately 60 homeowners.
Idell recapped AIDNET’s process beginning early on the morning of Sept. 28, the day after flood waters raged through Greene County.
While AIDNET typically deals with long-term recovery, for its third disaster since 2001, Idell decided to activate early and help with emergency response.
“I can’t tell you how much that meant,” said a tearful Heather Sipe, executive director of the GreenevilleGreene County Office of Emergency Management.
Sipe was one of three leaders Idell called on to speak during the meeting. Other speakers were Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison and Jeff Taylor, president and CEO of the Greene County Partnership.
Sipe and Idell both recalled the first two weeks after the disaster.
“It as the most stressful time of my career,” Idell said. “We were just going at it. We were working hard.”
“We just had to make sure our community was taken care of,” Sipe recalled.
Both Idell and Sipe mourned the loss of Boone McCrary, Greene County’s only fatality. McCrary was swept away in the raging Nolichucky River while trying to rescue someone.
“To look at what our county went through and just have one fatality was amazing,” Sipe said. “It ended up being the worst disaster our county has ever seen.” While other recovery
remains, the work that has been done could not have been accomplished without AIDNET, Sipe said.
Morrison acknowledged the leaders involved for their courage to make tough decisions, roll up their sleeves, jump in, and do things they would not ask someone else to do.
“I could not be more proud of our team,” he said.
Morrison then read from a statement he had written about AIDNET, which said, in part: “When Hurricane Helene tore through our community, it left behind more than just broken homes. It left behind uncertainly, fear, and a sense of loss that touched every corner of our county. But in the days that followed, something powerful began to happen. Our neighbors — you — stepped forward.”
He added, “Your presence in our hardest moments has been a constant reminder that Greene County never faces its trials alone.
“You brought more than just tools and supplies. You brought comfort, encouragement, and a deep sense of community.”
He added, “Thanks to your hard work, families are back in their homes. Children are sleeping in their own beds. Meals are being shared around kitchen tables that you helped restore. And perhaps most importantly, hope has returned to places where it was nearly lost.”
Looking ahead, Morrison said, “And now, as this mission of AIDNET comes to a close, we know you stand ready should the call come again. That readiness, that spirit of service, is what makes you such a vital part of our community.”
Taylor said AIDNET set the standard for disaster recovery.
“It truly is a community effort,” he said. “That is the fabric; that is the culture of Greene County.”
Idell thanked everyone involved in all the details for AIDNET’s success, from managing the warehouse to developing online applications.
He also thanked donors, including industries, banks, businesses, churches, and civic organizations and expressed appreciation for valuable partnerships with relief agencies and other nonprofit organizations.
Idell estimated AIDNET spent $2 million of its donations, provided another $2 million in in-kind relief, and when considering other expenditures from churches, for example,
the recovery project totaled between $6 million and $7 million.
“It was a God-sized project,” he said. “I said that from day one.”
In addition to Idell and Peay, the AIDNET board included: Brandi Glasscock, secretary;
Megan Malone, Rebecca Tipton, Robin Shepherd, and Whitney Winters.
Among the other key players for AIDNET’s response to Helene were: case coordinators
Doug Jennings, Tom Smith, Robert Bailey,
Nathan Reynolds, and Rick Crum; and Jana Wills and Abby Cole Keller, who are running the new My Neighbor’s House organization that AIDNET started in 2025 to carry on relief efforts.
Mark and Laura Pendleton and Greg
Nunn volunteered at AIDNET’s Restoration Depot. The warehouse was open for a few months to collect and distribute construction materials and other
Aconcise guidehighlightingcounty officials, featuringelected leaders, their roles, responsibilities, and contactinformation to helpresidents understandand engage with local government
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AIDNET President Jeff Idell speaks at the final meeting for Hurricane Helene recovery in December 2025.
As The Numbers Of Homeless People Increased, So, Too, Did Assistance Provided
BY NELSON MORAIS STAFF WRITER
Homelessness in the area, which appears to be growing in Greeneville, continues to be a topic of concern for many people.
A Point-In-Time count of homeless people in Greene County conducted in January showed the total number of homeless men and women to be 82.
That figure compares to 87 in 2025 and 81 in 2024, according to PIT counts done those years. The number has increased dramatically since 2021, when 10 people were counted in a PIT survey. Of those, 9 were considered “sheltered” and 1 “unsheltered.”
In 2025, 30 of the people counted were sheltered and 57 unsheltered, according to PIT’s figures. The number for this year has not be released yet.
In addition to those numbers, Mike Hartsell, chair of CANUP (a Coalition Addressing the Needs of Unhoused People of Greene County), which is one of two main nonprofit organizations in the area that are helping homeless and other low-income individuals, estimates that during the fall and winter of the 20252026 academic year for Greeneville City Schools, 28 students were considered homeless.
When taking into account accompanying siblings and parents or other adults, the figure would be 56 individuals who are “housing insecure,” Hartsell said.
In the county school system, during the same period, just under 30 students were noted to be homeless. Again, with accompanying family members, parents or other adults, “a similar number of housing individuals” could be 56.
Hartsell said in February he based those figures following phone conversations with Angelia Manuel, director of the Family Resource Center with Greeneville City Schools, and Alisha Ricker, Family Resource Director/Homeless Liaison with the Greene County Schools system. Danny Ricker, director of the Opportunity House homeless shelter on Irish Street in Greeneville, said a total of 234 people were assisted last year, with 133 of them being new clients. The total number of nightly stays at the shelter was 2,703 in 2025, he stated.
Five found housing and 13 found employment, Ricker stated. He said the job count was low because a sizable number of clients had mental health issues, were on disability or just at the Opportunity House for a few days. Ricker said 48 of the 133 new clients had mental health issues.
Hartsell said CANUP’s office at 1103 Tusculum Boulevard in Greeneville “has become a steady hub of activities for our volunteers and our
clients.”
He stated their pantry is stocked weekly by church and community groups with meal packs and food.
Clients can take a shower, do a load of laundry and register with Amy Blackwell for services.
Hartsell said Blackwell’s role as outreach specialist, the group’s only fulltime employee, “really blossomed” over the past year.
He stated that following state and federal funding cuts driven by DOGE, which supported her salary through the AmeriCorps program based in ARCH, CANUP’s board committed to fund her 100 percent.
Hartsell said sufficient funds were garnered from other private and public sources, including United Way of Greene County. In 2025, CANUP delivered 5,992 meal packs and hot meals; had over 98 new client intakes for housing assistance; provided emergency housing in motels to 20 clients; provided additional housing assistance to 27 adults and 12 children; and over 50 distinct clients received food assistance each month.
This January, one client completed her 13th month of continual use of
a micro shelter donated by CANUP.
He said CANUP has seen grown “community interest and acceptance for the need to find solutions to affordable housing, increases in rent, the cost of borrowing and the mental health and addiction challenges faced by many of our clients.”
CANUP held their first public fundraising event, a music jamboree, at the Capitol Theatre in November.
“Thanks to the generous support of individual (CANUP) board members who offset the costs of the entertainment and food, all proceeds went to client services,” Hartsell stated.
CANUP was founded three years ago out of the community’s “grassroots concerns” for unhoused neighbors, and initially met in the former Tabernacle Church sanctuary, now owned by the Tabernacle Mission Soup Kitchen, Hartsell said.
Two of their volunteers who passed away last year were remembered at an appreciation dinner held at First Presbyterian Church: Pam Conley and Lisa Coffey.
Tusculum University’s varsity basketball team spent their volunteer “Nettie Day” replacing
paving stones at the front entrance of the CANUP office.
Hartsell said, “Our Board is working to move CANUP forward to a sustainable financial model.”
He called it a “work in progress as a nonprofit organization grows out of an organic grassroots community expression of love and concern for fellow citizens who have stumbled into a ditch beside the road, only to find themselves staring at stars every night because of homelessness.”
Hartsell added, “I find the work challenging to bring so many important and necessary groups along and into the conversation of how we as a community can respond and move toward our goal for a compassionate world for all and where ‘net-zero’ unhoused is a reality.”
The CARE Center – “CARE” stands for Community Action Reaches Everyone – has since 2023 also helped homeless and lowincome people in the area.
The Center, located at 766 W. Andrew Johnson Highway in Greeneville, is open three days a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 8 a.m.5:30 p.m. It serves three
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS
The Opportunity House homeless shelter served a total of 234 clients, including 133 new ones, in 2025, according to its director.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL HARTSELL
Tusculum University’s varsity basketball team replaced paving stones at the front entrance of CANUP’s office on Tusculum Boulevard in Greeneville as their “Nettie Day” volunteer day project last year.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL HARTSELL
About 75 people attended CANUP’s first public fundraising event, which was held at the Capitol Theater in November, and featured music and a charcuterie.
PHOTO BY RICHIE GREENE
Christine Huss, center, received a recognition plaque on behalf of Youth Builders for their support of CANUP’s mission in 2025 and 2026 last month at First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville. At the left is CANUP chair Michael Hartsell, and on the right is Becky Myers, a Youth Builders member.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS Rhonda Castro, director of the CARE Center, is shown in March inside a new, expanded area of their thrift store on Bernard Avenue.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS
The CARE Center, which has helped homeless and other low-income people since 2023, is located on West Andrew Johnson Highway in Greeneville.
hot meals each of those days, has two showers and a washer and dryer.
Director Rhonda Castro in an interview in early March that the Center, which had been open 7 days a week, chose in January to cut back to 3 days “to encourage them (the clients) to do something for themselves – encourage independence” on their own time.
However, she noted the Center is open during the days when the weather falls below freezing to provide an indoor heated location. Transportation is also provided to Asbury United Methodist Church, if requested, to stay at the temporary warming shelter there those nights. The CARE Center runs the shelter, which has already been open 67 nights during this winter, according to Castro.
Among other achievements, the CARE Center served 487 hot meals at its location on Thanksgiving, and gave out 48 food boxes. At Christmas, it served 362 hot meals and 278 presents were handed out, she said.
Among other events, the CARE Center held four benefits for individuals, including one cancer patient, and raised money for four funerals.
It held a tea party for young mothers, serving them food and giving them pedicures, manicures and haircuts, plus diapers, wipes and
clothes for babies – all at no cost.
Castro noted that the Center helped one woman who was addicted to drugs and homeless. A volunteer drove her from Greeneville to Chattanooga. She entered a drug recovery program, got a job and entered nursing school.
“She’s doing good. She got grants for college,” Castro stated.
The Center has held CPR and First Aid classes. Participants included volunteer staff members and some clients, according to Castro.
The Center’s thrift store at 412 E. Bernard Ave. in Greeneville helps support the organization and recently began expanding to an adjoining space where furniture is sold.
Castro noted that everyone who works for the Care Center is a volunteer. She has held a job as registered nurse while running the Center.
“No one is paid” and no government funding is provided, Castro said. “It’s totally funded by the Lord and the community.”
The Care Center, in addition to providing food and clothes, gave out 42 tents and over 28 sleeping bags in the last 14 months, Castro stated.
It has also provided propane gas, “not just to the homeless, but to the community in need,” she said.
From CHURCHES | page E2
damage during a fire Oct. 23, 2006, then subsequently underwent a major remodeling and was rededicated Jan. 6, 2008.
“Looking back over the past 150 years, one can see Tate Chapel as a frontrunner in living out the ideals of Christianity,” a church history booklet notes. “Its foundation was born from the deep desire of African American Christians to create a place where worship, praise, and prayer could be freely expressed, and where Christian education would nurture deeper spiritual growth.”
Tate Chapel celebrated its 150th anniversary with special morning and afternoon services held Oct. 28.
The Rev. Pfungwa Muyambo, a native of Zimbabwe, Africa, has served as the pastor at Tate Chapel for nearly three years. During the morning anniversary service, Pastor Muyambo preached on the goodness of God.
“The goodness of God is not only a story of the past – it is a living reality for today. As we look around, we see lives touched, children being nurtured, families being supported, and the love of Christ being shared,” he said. “Each act of kindness, each prayer lifted, each song of praise testifies again: God is good, all the time … With grateful hearts, we proclaim with the psalmist: ‘O
taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.’”
The Rev. Cecil C. Mills, Jr., senior pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Greeneville, was the guest pastor at the afternoon service and based his message on the Scripture, Matthew 16:13-18.
During his talk, Mills said he was honored to be part of the anniversary celebration, saying Tate Chapel UMC has been “a Christ-given staple to this community.”
Looking out at the people sitting in pews, Mills said, “It’s beautiful in here, but the people are” the church, not the building.
Mills said his oldest memory of pastors at Tate Chapel UMC was of Pastor Franklin D. Johnson, who served in the church until 1962, when Mills was about 8 years old. “I’ve know them all” since then, Mills stated.
Greeneville Mayor Cal Doty read a city proclamation honoring Tate Chapel UMC’s 150th anniversary.
“I’m so proud to live in a community like Greeneville where faith is important. I hope it (Tate Chapel UMC) is here another 150 years,” said Doty. For more information about Tate Chapel, visit the church’s Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/ TateChapelUMC .
Building& Construction Guide
Library In Greeneville Celebrates 50th Anniversary In Its Current Location
BY SPENCER MORRELL
The Greeneville-Greene County Public Library marked 50 years at its current location at 210 N. Main Street in downtown Greeneville in November.
The current library was dedicated and opened on Nov. 9, 1975.
Library clerk Jonathan Cook did research on the current library by looking through old Greeneville Sun stories, and set up a display of the research at the library during an open house on Nov. 14.
He said that the library facility is mostly unchanged from when it opened in 1975.
“The floor plan and everything is pretty much the same. There’s not been any additions or anything. We’ve replaced the roof, done some plumbing work and remodeled downstairs, but other than that the bones of the building are the same,” Cook said.
The most recent major change at the library was the renovation of the Big Spring Room in the downstairs of the building, which was funded by the official Friends of the Library organization.
“It is a very nice community space now thanks to their efforts,” Library Director Erin Evans said.
The GreenevilleGreene County library was established in 1908, and was housed at the Carnegie Library on Summer Street from 1915 to 1975.
Prior to the Carnegie Library, the library had been a part of the Women’s Rest Room in two different buildings on Main Street.
Officials began looking to leave the Carnegie Library and find a new location due to outgrowing the space, and the building showing signs of age.
According to Cook’s research, thenGreeneville Mayor G. Thomas Love saw the site of a downtown car wash from his hospital window and decided it was the best spot for the community’s new library.
The cost of the new
library project was $360,000. The town contributed $80,000 and the county contributed $70,000. Another $40,000 was raised from the sale of the old building, and Magnavox contributed $30,000.
The remaining $140,000 was raised by Greene County residents over an 18 month period in what was referred to as “the biggest fundraising drive in the county’s history” at the time.
Ground was broken on the new library in May 1974.
The new library would include nearly 10,000 square feet, compared to the 2,500 square feet in the Carnegie Library.
Once the new library was constructed, in October and November of 1975 teams of volunteers and a local Girl Scout troop carried the entire collection of books from the Carnegie Library to the new library building on Main Street by hand.
When the new library was opened in 1975, Greene County had about 53,000 residents. Now the county has over 73,000 residents, and the library has grown with the county.
In 1975, the library had 2,345 patrons, a collection of 17,000 books and 49,000 checkouts, according to past statistics. In 2025, the library circulated over 128,000 physical and digital items, provided over 4,400 uses of the library’s public computers and issued 1,355 new library cards.
According to the library director, approximately 25 percent of Greene County residents have a library card.
Cook said the library remains an important place for learning and exploration, particularly for kids.
“Seeing so many kids pass through the summer reading program and who spend their summers with us. The kids that come in each week for story time. Teenagers that come in to do their homework and stuff like that. This
See LIBRARY | page E11
SUN PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRELL
The Greeneville-Greene County Public Library marked 50 years at its current location on Main Street in downtown Greeneville in November.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Two cheerful volunteers carry books down Main Street in 1975 as a part of the effort to move the GreenevilleGreene County Public Library’s collection from the Carnegie Library on Summer Street to the library’s new building on Main Street.
North Greene Utilities ‘Getting A Handle On Things’
BY AMY ROSE STAFF WRITER
North Greene Utilities, Inc. reorganized in 2025 to improve its financial struggles and provide more transparency to customers.
The work actually began in late 2024 when customers of the corporation that provides water in northern Greene County voted not to transfer operations to Greene County.
Instead, a committee was appointed, new officers were elected, and additional customer meetings were held.
The “first major hurdle” toward improving North Greene Utilities was crossed in June 2025 with the presentation of a new financial report.
Treasurer Chris Stone presented a statement of income and retained earnings during the 2 1/2-hour meeting in the cafeteria of Baileyton Elementary School.
The statement showed a loss of $222,510 for the 12 months ending May 31, with gross profit of $1.36 million and expenses totaling $1.58 million.
Despite the loss, the utility kept the water on, paid its bills, and did not raise rates, Stone said, drawing applause from the nearly 60 customers in attendance.
The statement also showed a cost of $361,191 for water purchased, which Stone called “a problem.”
The utility uses Lick Creek as its water source but also purchases water from other utilities, including Kingsport, Russellville, Old Knox and Mosheim.
Board members met earlier in 2025 with Mosheim officials who agreed to reduce the rate charged to North Greene. An outstanding bill from Mosheim was paid in full, Stone said, which also drew applause.
The original outstanding bill of $178,000 was one of several issues the financially struggling utility was facing in November 2024 when the board was restructured.
Stone noted the utility’s books had not been updated since 2022. A bookkeeper has been hired, a part-time manager has been hired, and a longterm goal is to hire a general manager.
Stone also presented a balance sheet showing assets, liabilities, and capital totaling $4.3 million.
In other discussion, Stone said the utility plans to transition from reverse osmosis treatment to new ceramic technology for its filtering process.
Board members have traveled to Oak Ridge to see how the new technology is used there, Stone said.
“I just think that’s the best thing we can do to serve the community,” he said.
Board President Dale “Bud” Tucker said this transition is a long-term goal when funding is available.
Tucker listed more immediate goals to be accomplished through American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds made available during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The plans include replacement of water plant membranes, refurbishment of one of the water tanks, installation of a new booster pump station at Brown
From LIBRARY | page E10
being a community center and a place where kids are given the chance to grow and explore and find new things is a powerful and meaningful thing,” Cook said.
Evans said that the library remains a vital part of the community that offers more than books. She said the library serves as a place for those without internet access to use the internet.
“It’s imperative that a community have a public space like this that is free to anybody. It’s a safe space. Anybody can come here. There is no obligation to purchase anything. In addition to traditional library offerings, we have the public access computers (and) we offer many office services. We now do notary services and scan to email. Anything that somebody needs to get done, we can help
Springs and Lonesome Pine Trail, and if funds allow, line work at Albany Road.
“We’re trying to do some things to improve the process, but it is a slow process,” Tucker said.
The board shared copies of a General Customer Information brochure that lists many details related to rates, payments, fees, connections, and other procedures. Copies are available at the office.
The agenda had included action related to election of board members for the coming fiscal year. Tucker said all board members are willing to continue serving.
In addition to Tucker and Stone, board members are Jason Crawford, Mark Klepper, and Tim White.
In August it was announced that the utility had a violation of a federal drinking water standard after a water test shortly Hurricane Helene in the fall of 2024.
The utility is required to take samples from throughout the system each quarter, and a sample taken at the end of a dead end line on Gap Creek Road showed the system’s haloacetic acids total was elevated above healthy limits.
Samples taken throughout the rest of the system were within limits, according to Tucker.
However, the sample bumped the system’s “locational running annual average” for total haloacetic acids to .0685 milligrams per liter during the April 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, compliance period, which is slightly above the maximum contaminant level of .060 milligrams per liter
As a result, the utility was required by law to notify its customers, and did so in part by publishing a public notice in the Sun.
According to the notice, some people with drinking water containing haloacetic acids in excess of maximum contaminant levels over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
“Haloacetic Acids are disinfection byproducts resulting from our chlorination of the water to minimize risk of microbial life in the drinking water. The EPA considers microbial contaminants as the greatest risk to the
them with that,” Evans said. Cook said the library has supported generations of Greene County residents.
“The library I think to me is all about connecting people with resources to help them grow and help achieve what they want, whether that be information or literature or classes. Making sure that people have access to what they need to grow and thrive is what the library is about. We want people not only to take that opportunity for themselves now, but to recognize the generations of opportunity that the library has provided for Greeneville and Greene County,” Cook said.
Evans said she hopes the library will continue to be a welcoming place for people of all ages.
“It’s never too late to learn new things, and if you’re curious, this is a place where you can continue to grow,” Evans said.
public. We are evaluating the results of the required disinfection and will continue to make an effort to reduce the disinfection byproducts without increasing the microbial risks,” the notice stated.
Tucker said the acids can build up at the end of dead end lines, such as the one on Gap Creek Road where the sample was taken.
“That’s why they have blow-offs at the end of lines. Every so often they are supposed to go in and blow them off and let them run because the water at the end of the lines is basically dead water. There is no customer there,” Tucker said.
The sample was likely taken prior to a blow-off, and Tucker said that the utility had used more chlorination after the floods in the fall of 2024 because the increased rainfall had stirred up Lick Creek, the utility’s water source.
“That sample was taken right after the floods, and because there was so much mud in the water and so much turbidity it necessitated the use of more chemicals. So we had a high reading just at that one point in the system, but that pushed our average over the limit,” Tucker said.
Tucker said on August all water tests since the flood have come up clean.
“We realize that it is a violation, and we take that seriously. This was only for a brief time and it was only from one site in our entire system out of multiple sites. It just tripped the average,” Tucker said.
Also in August, Tucker said “We’re getting a handle on things. Financially we have stabilized the system. We’re cash positive on our cash flow. We’re not getting rich, but we’re paying the bills and keeping the employees paid.”
In September 2025, it was announced that North Greene Utilities would receive additional loan funds from Greene County to buy new filters for its water plant after Old Knox Utility District agreed to transfer its funding share of the county’s interest-free loan program.
According to Tucker, the funding is for the purchase of new membrane filters needed for the utility’s water plant on Lick Creek before winter arrived.
In May 2025, the Greene County
Commission created an interestfree loan program to help local utility districts pay for larger projects and match grant funding.
The $300,000 loans to each utility district are to be repaid to the county over 12 months. The repayment term could be extended by the County Commission if deemed necessary. A utility district can transfer all or some of its loan funding to another district if desired in a given year, according to the program’s parameters.
Tucker said he met with Old Knox Utility’s general manager, Jonathan Stepp, along with the utility’s board, and they had “generously agreed” to transfer their loan allotment to North Greene.
According to Tucker, a long term goal of the utility is to “move away” from the membrane filters and install a new ceramic filter technology in the intake plant “as soon as possible.” The utility is hoping to make the change in the next three to five years.
Tucker said he was grateful to Old Knox for sharing its funding allotment and to Greene County for instituting the interest-free loan program. He also expressed thanks to the Town of Mosheim for adjusting the rate it charges to North Greene for water.
SUN FILE PHOTO
A crowd of North Greene Utilities customers gather in the cafeteria of Baileyton Elementary School.
SUN FILE PHOTO
This document provides general customer information on North Greene Utilities.
SUN PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRELL
Greeneville-Greene County Library Director Erin Evans, left, and library clerk Jonathan Cook stand behind a historic timeline of the current library building that was constructed in 1975. The library marked 50 years at its current location in November.
Depot Street Farmers Market Celebrated Its 10th Anniversary
BY NELSON MORAIS STAFF WRITER
The Depot Street Farmers Market in downtown Greeneville was humming with activity Sept. 13 as it celebrated its 10th anniversary that Saturday.
The Big Springs Masters Gardeners Association had a booth where people tasted several varieties of apples and then voted for their favorite one.
Some of the apples came from Buffalo Trail Orchard on Dodd Branch Road in Greeneville, where customers can either buy the apples or pick them off trees.
Other apples available for tasting came from North Carolina.
Some of the apples available at Buffalo Trail Orchard that got the most votes were EverCrisp and Mutsu/Crispin.
As for the apples from North Carolina, the favorites were Sheep’s Nose and Golden Russet.
Lyna White, market manager for the Farmers Market, said mid-morning that the 10th anniversary celebration was “doing good.”
A kids’ booth was available where children could taste apple butter and homemade apple sauce. The children also had the opportunity to write thank-you letters to their favorite vendors.
Jane Karuschkat, who has a TV show called “Raw Chef Jane,” gave demonstrations on eating healthy.
Sheila Cook, who lives in Greeneville, was at Karuschkat’s booth with her granddaughter Esther Cook, 2, who ate a salad.
Said Sheila Cook of the Farmers Market, “I love it. I go to it almost every week. I have lots of friends here.”
Dale and Megan Southerland, owners of Sunnyhill Greenhouses in Greeneville, were busy selling vegetables, mums and cool-season vegetables from their stand.
Said Megan Southerland of business on Saturday, “It’s been a good crowd. If it wasn’t for the community, the markets and vendors wouldn’t be here or the farmers surviving.”
She said the couple had been vendors at the Farmers Market over seven years.
Other stands at the farmers market sold vegetables, eggs, homemade jams, pineapple upside-down mini-cakes, gluten- and dairy-free donuts and pasture-raised chickens and turkeys.
“We had a really good turnout” Saturday, market manager White recalled later.
A kid’s and adult’s gift basket with vendor-donated products each went to regulars at the market, she stated.
White said in the past two years she has been involved with the farmers market, new customers have shown up, including people staying at the General Morgan Inn.
She stated, “Our Facebook community is growing, and we’re hoping to reach more customers.”
White said by each Friday night, their Facebook page (Depot Street Farmers Market) lists which vendors will be present on Saturday and other events the businesses are hosting apart from the market. New vendors can sign up for the Farmers Market on their Facebook page, or by emailing depotstreetmarket@gmail.com . The Depot Street Farmers Market’s Winter Market began in December and ends March 28.
The Farmers Market states on its Facebook page that its mission is to “provide our community a gathering place to connect with producers of the freshest and finest locally grown produce, specialty foods and artisan items.”
It also says all of its products are grown or made within a 50mile radius of Greeneville.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS
The Depot Street Farmers Market celebrated its 10th anniversary in Greeneville on Saturday. Sunnyhill Greenhouses, a longtime vendor at the market, was present. Megan Southerland, right, talks to prospective buyers at the Sunnyhill stand. They sold vegetables, mums and cool-season vegetables.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS
Visitors to the Depot Street Farmers Market in Greeneville on Saturday had the opportunity to taste samples of a large variety of apples and vote for their favorites.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS
Visitors to the Depot Street Farmers Market in September enjoyed sunny weather and a variety of produce.
From WWII | page E3
Myers’ body was brought back and buried in the Midway Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery on Jan. 13, 1947, Doud said.
The cemetery, which is also being restored by the monument’s supporters, is located across the street from the monument.
Interestingly, Myers’ mother refused to attend her son’s burial, adamantly believing for many years afterwards that he was still alive and did not die in the war. In 1977, she passed away and was also buried in the cemetery, Doud said.
Amy Dall, secretary of the World War II Monument – Midway/Greene County, TN, Association, Inc., which has worked to restore the monument, cemetery and grounds, thanked those who have donated money and time to the group’s efforts.
Five people took turns reading their portion of all 99 names currently on the monument.
A moment of silence for those Midway servicemen and women who died in World War II was held while taps was performed.
The retiring, or casing of colors, by the West Greene JROTC, was then carried out.
Doud delivered finishing remarks, telling all present, “Don’t give up. … God bless you all.”
Afterward, several people looked up the names of their relatives or friends engraved on the marble war memorial.
J.L. Gardner attended the ceremony and said three of his father’s half-brothers’ names were on the monument.
He said he attended the initial dedication of the memorial in 1945 with his mother and father, about two weeks before his 6th birthday.
Hundreds of people, and maybe even 1,000, showed up for that dedication, according to news reports at the time.
Gardner said he doesn’t remember much of the 1945 dedication because he was “running around wild” like most kids at such a young age.
“I can’t remember much, except the old church that was across from” the monument, since torn down, he stated.
Gardner, who lives in Parrottsville, said he “was probably one of the few originally here” who attended the 80th anniversary ceremony.
He pointed out to a reporter the names of his uncles engraved on the monument: George Lowe, Orbin Lowe and Carmel Lowe.
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SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison spoke at a ceremony in September that marked the 80th anniversary of a World War II monument in Midway, saying, “Let it inspire us to live the legacy” left by the men and women whose names are engraved on the marble memorial.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS
Samuel Doud, president of a nonprofit organization that has worked to restore a World War II monument in Midway, said at a ceremony last September marking the 80th anniversary of the memorial that 99 names of men and women with Midway addresses who served in the war are engraved on it.
Boys & Girls Club In Final Stretch For New Facility
BY AMY ROSE STAFF WRITER
The Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County is in the final stretch of construction for its new facility.
The new 27,000-square-foot building at 413 E. Vann Road is scheduled to be open this spring, according to the latest update on the club’s social media.
The local club also received many awards in 2025.
Board member Carla Bewley was named national Liaison of the Year for her leadership and volunteerism with the club during the 2025 National Conference in San Diego, California.
Longtime Executive Director Scott Bullington was named the 2025 Tennessee Boys & Girls Clubs State CEO of the Year.
The award from the Boys & Girls Clubs Tennessee Area Council was presented during the Tennessee Area Council and Tennessee Hall of Fame dinner at Belmont University in Nashville.
Also at this event, board member Andy Schlesing was named 2025 Tennessee Boys and Girls Club State Board Member of the Year and board member Laura Pendleton was one of six inductees into the state Hall of Fame
The organization received the Program Excellence Award for Best Sports and Recreation Program in Tennessee for providing several sports programs, activities and clinics throughout the year.
The local Boys & Girls Club has been at the forefront of local youth development for more than 25 years, growing to serve more than 1,500 youths throughout the community, according to information from the club.
While the current facility has supported the existing membership base, the organization is unable to meet the needs of a growing membership, and they have not been able to accept all that wish to attend the Boys & Girls Club.
To meet these needs,
they decided to expand their reach and build a new facility to provide additional programs and services.
C&C Millwright has served as the general contractor, and Summers-Taylor took care of the excavation and will do the outside work to complete the facility.
The new facility will be located near two schools: Hal Henard Elementary and Greeneville Middle School and in front of Hardin Park.
This new facility will allow the organization to double its current capacity to serve children in a new stateof-the-art facility with modern amenities.
The current facility at 740 W. Church St. was opened in 1970 and has been great for the organization, but it’s only 10,000 square feet.
The new site will more than double the current space and also have access to more green space behind the new club site, as well as the
Hardin Park pool, fields and playground outside the club’s back door.
The Boys & Girls Club provides youth programs that focus on academic success, character and leadership development, the arts, health and wellness, sports and recreation and workforce readiness.
Many of the current programs will expand to offer new opportunities at the new site. An example is special supplies that will engage students in STEM activities, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.
The club will also coordinate with additional nonprofit program partners to provide services in the new facility.
The Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County addresses the needs of the young people of the community by providing a positive response to the growing challenges local kids face daily with award-winning
programs and activities and professionally trained staff to make the club a safe positive place for the children they serve, the club said.
A new Boys & Girls Club facility will enable the organization to serve kids more effectively. The additional space will help expand programs and services offered to youth members to help them stay on track to becoming a productive adult citizen.
Construction of the new facility is made possible by several generous donations from the community over the past few years.
The original founders of the local club, a group of concerned citizens, helped to start the organization in 1998. The club re-launched in March of 1999 after a brief closing with a
daily attendance of less than 10 and has grown to annually serve over 1,500 youths throughout the community.
For more information about the Boys & Girls Club, contact Bullington at 423-787-9322 or email gbgc@comcast. net . All information, updates, and important announcements can also be found on the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County’s Facebook page or website at www.ggcbgc.org .
SUN PHOTO BY AMY ROSE
This photo from March 5 shows progress on the new facility for the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Carla Bewley, left, is shown with her national award. Presenting the award is Boys & Girls Club staff member Jennifer Wilder.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Andy Schlesing holds his Tennessee Boys & Girls Clubs State Board Member of the Year Award. From left are Robyn Peery, director of organizational development of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Schlesing, and Barry VanDelinder, Tennessee Area Council chairman.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Scott Bullington holds his Tennessee Boys & Girls Clubs CEO of the Year Award alongside Robyn Peery, left, director of organizational development for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Barry VanDelinder, Tennessee Area Council chairman.
donated supplies.
The case coordinators worked in four zones Idell mapped across four geographical areas along the river’s span in Greene County.
Zone 1 was between the western border of Greene County and the Newport Highway, assigned to Jennings.
Zone 2 was between the Newport Highway and the Asheville Highway, assigned to Smith.
Zone 3 was between Asheville Highway and Jones Bridge Road, assigned to Bailey.
Zone 4 was between Jones Bridge and the eastern border of Greene County, assigned first to Reynolds and later to Crum.
More than half of AIDNET’s cases were in zones 3 and 4. Some were located outside of the four zones.
For more information on AIDNET, visit “Aidnet of Greene County” on Facebook.
build a pool for the black community. At that time, blacks were barred from the Town of Greeneville’s community pool, which was located on the grounds of the present-day EastView Recreation Center on East Bernard Avenue.
The new pool was opened in August of 1954 in front of George Clem School, which served as a segregated educational facility for the black community at that time. The site where the pool was located is now a playground for neighborhood children and families.
FOSTER GRANDPARENT
PROGRAM
Another special anniversary recognition held during the past year was for the Foster Grandparent Program of Greene County.
The organization marked its 60th anniversary.
The Foster Grandparent Program provides seniors with opportunities to serve as volunteer mentors for children in schools and after-school programs.
“Averaging 15-40 hours a week, Foster Grandparents help young people increase their self-confidence and achieve personal independence so that they can learn to overcome their problems and become productive members of society,” according to the area program’s website.
To become a local Foster Grandparent volunteer, an eligible candidate must be:
• aged 55 or older;
• live in Greeneville or Greene County;
• meet income requirements, and
• pass a background check (paid for by the program).
For their volunteer service, Foster Grandparents receive
• an hourly stipend;
• a travel allowance;
• paid time off, and
• training.
For more information about the the program or the upcoming event, contact Rhonda Humbert, director of the area Foster Grandparent Program, at 423430-0704.
Visit https://fthra.org/programs/fostergrandparent-program to learn more.
From PROGRAMS | page E4
From RECOVERY | page E7
SUN FILE PHOTO
AIDNET President Jeff Idell speaks in the first public meeting held the Monday after Hurricane Helene hit Greene County in September 2024.
SUN FILE PHOTO
AIDNET volunteers and leaders are shown at the last meeting for Hurricane Helene recovery.
Effort Begun By
Some To Restore Roby
Auditorium
That
Has Been
Shuttered Over 20 Years
BY NELSON MORAIS STAFF WRITER
Efforts got underway in 2025 by some who seek to renovate the Roby Auditorium, which is attached to the Roby Fitzgerald Adult Center on College Street in Greeneville.
The Haberstick Auditorium, as it was most recently known, has sat dormant for over 20 years. The century-old theater closed in 2004 after being operated by Little Theatre of Greeneville Inc. since 1989.
Last July, a small group of residents who are a part of the Greeneville Theatre Guild and Greene County Heritage Trust were walked through the theater facility. They were apparently “intrigued and impressed” by the condition of the facility, then City Manager Todd Smith stated.
City Council member Matt Hensley said the group reached out to him and other town officials after a column by local historian Tim Massey entitled “Let’s Save the Roby Auditorium” appeared in the March 8 edition of The Greeneville Sun.
A short-term committee to explore potential options for rehabilitating the space, as well as possible costs associated with those options, was formed after City Council members agreed they could do so.
The committee subsequently presented those findings to City Council.
While some thought initially that the facility, which is owned by the Town of Greeneville, had been condemned, Greeneville Fire Department Assistant Chief Eric Price told City Council members in October it was never condemned, but “closed off” as a matter of public safety due to ingress and egress issues, lack of a sprinkler system and issues along the theater’s balcony railing.
At a City Council meeting in December, Roby Theater Committee member Marilyn duBrisk said when she arrived in this area in 1994 and helped with the choreography of the musical “Annie,” she was “so impressed” with the “incredible” theater, in particular its “wonderful” acoustics.
“She needs to be brought back up to code,” duBrisk said of the closed theater.
One engineer who inspected the auditorium earlier in 2025 said that, structurally, the auditorium is sound, but if restored, would need compliance with American With Disabilities Act standards, a new HVAC system, lighting and an alarm system.
Council member Hensley said the auditorium could become “a multi-use civic and cultural education space” and recommended four steps: a full schematic design for improvements; formation of a partnership council with the Greeneville Theatre Guild, Greene County Partnership, Greene County Heritage Trust, city schools, local businesses, nonprofits and neighboring local municipalities; the seeking of multi-source funding to cover the costs; and phased restoration of the auditorium.
At a January City Council meting, Hensley said no taxpayer money from Greeneville residents was being asked for presently. He was a member of the ad hoc committee that presented Council members with its research into the building in December.
“We want to understand exactly how much it would cost if we move forward,” he said, including searching for grants and assistance from other organizations, besides funding from the town.
In February, City Council members approved the formation of an ad hoc committee to research and come up with a proposed plan to renovate Roby Auditorium
Said architect David Wright, “I’m surprised the building is in as good a shape as it is,” with no water leaks.
Wright, who is initially offering his services at no cost as the design architect for the facility, stated, “We’re still in a search mode.”
Greeneville businessman and philanthropist Scott Niswonger said, “I think it’s critically important we preserve and put back in
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SUN FILE PHOTO
Some local citizens have shown an interest
restoring the Roby Auditorium in Greeneville, which has sat dormant for over 20 years. The Greeneville City Council approved the formation of an ad hoc committee to investigate possible renovation and cost-sharing possibilities when it met
SUN FILE PHOTO
In 2007, Gage Crum was 21 months old when he signed up for the Imagination Library at Kmart in the Greeneville Commons.
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Mother and daughter Kalyn and Lakyn Miller share a moment during a special presentation by the Greene County Imagination Library.
Child Advocacy Center Marks 25 Years Of Serving Children, Families
BY AMY ROSE STAFF WRITER
The Child Advocacy Center of the 3rd Judicial District celebrated a big milestone in 2025 — 25 years of serving children and families in Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties.
Located in Mosheim, the CAC has worked for a quarter of a century to carry out its mission: validate voices, support families, and empower children.
“The center provides a safe and welcoming place where children can feel supported and protected during some of the most difficult times in their lives,” the press release said. “Families are never left to walk this journey alone — the CAC is there every step of the way, helping make the investigative process as gentle and child-focused as possible.”
The CAC serves children and families during an active child abuse investigation, making sure both the child’s safety and the family’s needs
are prioritized. Part of that support comes through the services the CAC offers. Children are able to share their stories in a safe environment through forensic interviews, which are designed to be sensitive, respectful and focused on the child’s well-being.
Families also have access to therapy that helps children heal from trauma and begin to move forward. In addition, family advocacy services ensure parents and caregivers have the guidance, resources and encouragement they need during such a challenging time, the press release said.
To kick off the celebration, the CAC held a membership plaque presentation with the Greene County Partnership.
A Holiday Open House was held Dec.10, inviting the public to celebrate.
To learn more about the center, visit 3jdcac.com or follow the CAC on social media.
Ceremony Held To Recognize Hurricane Helene’s Impact And Community’s Resilience
BY NELSON MORAIS STAFF WRITER
Members of the community gathered Sept. 29 in front of the Greene County Courthouse in downtown Greeneville to not only remember the devastation Hurricane Helene brought to this area one year earlier, but especially the heroic efforts of first responders, organizations and residents who pitched in both during the storm and in its aftermath.
Ron Metcalfe with WGRV/Radio Greeneville emceed the event that included the mother of Boone McCrary, Debbie Fisher, lighting a candle in her son’s memory.
McCrary died after launching his own boat to selflessly try and rescue people stranded by the rapidly rising Nolichucky River the evening of Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. At last year’s ceremony, at 6:33 p.m., the time when the Sgt. Elbert L. Kinser/State Route 107 Bridge in Tusculum is believed to have collapsed on Sept. 27 of the previous year, a very large number of first responder vehicles parked on Main Street in both directions from the courthouse flashed their emergency lights and let out a cacophony of sirens for about a minute.
The crowd watched and listened intently as John Shell played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes while walking around the front of the courthouse.
The ceremony, which began at 6 p.m., lasted 45 minutes.
Following an invocation by county emergency services chaplain Danny Ricker, Nick Gunter sang “God Bless America.” A moment of silence was held in memory of McCrary. His mother, Debbie Fisher, accompanied by Sherrie Davis, McCrary’s supervisor in the ER at Greeneville
Community Hospital where he worked, took turns ringing a bell while a candle was lit in his honor.
Metcalfe recalled that Fisher, McCrary’s mother, “told me this week you can never tell people you love them enough.”
Tusculum Mayor Alan Corley recalled the “calm professionalism” he saw firsthand among public officials at the Emergency Operations Center, which began operating in Greeneville shortly before Hurricane Helene’s remnants hit Greene County.
Corley said there was “no panic in the room” of the EOC, where prayer was led daily by Ricker, and Greene County Office of Emergency Management Director Heather Sipe and Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison provided regular updates to the public.
Corley thanked a long list of agencies that responded to the storm, and said, “Some of our most important first responders were the residents” who brought food and needed supplies to affected residents, as well as to the first responders in action.
The first responders “did it not for fame, recognition or money, but because it was the right thing to do,” Corley stated.
Greeneville Mayor Cal Doty thanked the 101st Airborne Division based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, that arrived at the Greeneville Municipal Airport and then flew out to people in the region needing help, the many agencies that helped out and “the outpouring of donations locally” and regionally.
“Most of all, I’m proud to be a citizen of Greeneville and Greene County,” Doty said.
Sipe spoke, as well. She said so many citizens were “about the Father’s business” as they worked together
both during the storm and in its aftermath, demonstrating “perseverance, kindheartedness and resilience – the force that is the state of East Tennessee.”
Wendy Peay, a treasurer for the allvolunteer AIDNET disaster recovery group, noted that, fortunately, only six of the group’s 65 cases involving rebuilding homes remained, and those would be concluded soon.
She paid tribute to all the private organizations “that did good in our community” after the storm, including Trinity United Methodist Church’s “amazing” amount of emergency items given out at the church, the Crossroads Cowboy Church’s massive warehouse with donated supplies, Asbury United Methodist Church’s shelter they set up at the church for weeks, Ebenezer Methodist ChurchChuckey, and Southern Baptists who traveled to Greene County to finish rebuilding five homes in one week.
“I have never seen the outpouring of support in Greene County like in the last year,” Peay stated.
State Sen. Steve Southerland recalled seeing people rescued from atop a hospital in
Erwin during the flooding, and receiving a call from TVA around 1 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, issuing a “Code Red” on the Nolichucky River dam and telling him, “It’s imminent – the dam is going to break.”
To the relief of many, the next morning it was apparent the dam remained intact, he said.
Overall, said Southerland, “We all rolled up our sleeves and went to work” during and after the storm. “Everybody worked together. And that’s what it took.”
Morrison, the county mayor, said the storm grew in intensity before it reached Greene County and became “a roar that shook the very foundation of our lives.”
He said the Nolichucky River rose over 60 feet, “its highest level ever recorded.”
He recalled the loss of McCrary and his beloved dog, Moss, while trying to help others along the river.
Metcalfe concluded the ceremony by reminding those present what McCrary’s mother told him recently, “You can never tell somebody you love them enough.”
Afterward, church bells from First Presbyterian Church rang out continuously for several minutes.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Shown, from left, are: Amy Weems and Jeff Taylor of the Greene County Partnership; Daphne Reyes and Misty Graham-Stapleton of the Child Advocacy Center, Kendra Hopson of the Partnership, and CAC board members.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS
John Shell walked around the front of the Greene County Courthouse playing “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes during a ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene.
SUN PHOTO BY NELSON MORAIS First responders who pitched in during Hurricane Helene in 2024 gathered on the steps of the Greene County Courthouse following a ceremony that marked the oneyear anniversary of the storm.
Where We Stand 17 Months After Hurricane Helene
BY NELSON MORAIS STAFF WRITER
Greene was among the counties most seriously impacted by the flood. Others were Cocke, Unicoi, Johnson, Carter and Washington counties.
Phillips & Jordan, the primary contractor, began removing large piles of debris left in northeast Tennessee counties in the wake of the storm during the following month.
It completed the work in August 2025.
Mark Nagi, the Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesman, put the amount of trees, vegetation, sediment and man-made materials scattered across East Tennessee waterways into context.
In August, Nagi said the overall total was approximately 720,000plus cubic yards, or enough to cover the field in Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville with over 337 feet of debris, “more than 11 goalposts high.”
Nagi did not give a total amount for debris removed in Greene County by Phillips & Jordan, but stated that between Oct. 17, 2024 and March 8, 2025, about 31,000 cubic yards of debris were removed from Greene County roads.
The new Sgt. Elbert L. Kinser State Route 107 Bridge opened in May 2025, which was one month ahead of a completion date of June 23 that was projected by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The previous bridge was washed away during catastrophic flooding on Sept. 27, 2024, as the remnants of Hurricane Helene hit the region.
About 40 contractor and subcontractor employees worked
long hours at the Kinser Bridge site, including laborers, equipment operators, carpenters, welders, engineers and safety inspectors.
The new bridge stands as a lasting monument to its namesake, Sgt. Elbert L. Kinser, a Marine from Greene County who sacrificed his life to save other soldiers during the World War II battle of Okinawa.
TDOT communications specialist Alex Denis spoke at the new bridge’s dedication ceremony, which was attended by about 300 people.
Denis stated that the rebuild project was “the quickest we’ve ever been able to deliver a TDOT structure.”
Butch Eley, deputy governor and TDOT commissioner, said the existing bridge was completely washed away by river floodwaters that rose almost 70 feet and undermined the superstructure of the bridge.
Birds Bridge reopened in the fall of 2025.
TDOT reinspected it recently after additional remediation work was done.
Easterly Bridge, which was located off Poplar Springs Road before collapsing into the river during Hurricane Helene, has been approved for replacement, Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison stated in February.
A new bridge to replace it is in the design and engineering phase, which could be completed by the end of March, Morrison said. Other studies will need to be done, including ecological, environmental and archeological ones, he stated.
The historic Conway Bridge, located where Greene and Cocke counties meet, collapsed during the storm. Cocke
County authorities are in charge of replacing it, which is expected to take place, but may take years due to Cocke County’s limited finances, Morrison stated.
“The Easterly and Conway bridges are the big projects,” Morrison said.
The Greene County Highway Department continues to work on repairing roads that still remain damaged by Hurricane Helene, Morrison stated.
Laura White, superintendent of the Greeneville Water Commission, said in an interview in February that the water intake facility, which was submerged and damaged during Hurricane Helene, was back to delivering the amount of water it pumped prior to the storm.
Mayor Morrison said efforts are underway to establish what he called permanent “interconnectedness” both between Greene County and other water utility districts, such as Kingsport and Whitesburg, as well as among the various utility districts located within Greene County, in order to avoid a repeat of the water shortages experienced by residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“Recovery is ongoing” in Greene County, “and remaining projects are moving forward,” stated Heather Sipe, EMA director for the Greeneville/Greene County Office of Emergency Management, in an interview in February.
Sipe stated that all federal FEMA projects in the area have been awarded, obligated and filtered down to the state’s TEMA level for reimbursement requests from Greene County.
“In total, there were 14 projects that Greene County submitted through FEMA with support documentation,” according to Sipe.
Two additional projects that await approval through FEMA, which will not be awarded until the process is completed, are administrative costs and donated resources (also know as in-kind), she stated.
She said the amount of small and large projects in Greene County resulting from the storm and under FEMA’s jurisdiction is approximately $11.4 million.
Sipe said the Greene County Highway Department continues to work with engineers to keep the Poplar Springs/ Easterly Bridge rebuild “moving forward.”
She stated that FEMA/ TEMA requested a Scope of Work/funding change.
“Once the engineering/ sketching costs are submitted and approved, that request will be made to cover the total cost of the bridge rebuild,” Sipe said.
“This project was initially understood to be a Rapid Project, with expedited funding from FEMA to TEMA,” she stated.
Instead, Sipe said Greene County discovered it will be required to rebuild the bridge before any funding requests can be submitted.
Sipe stated that long-term recovery groups, including My Neighbor’s House, the regional American Red Cross based in Kingsport, United Way of East Tennessee Highlands “and many others continue to work with local community members, even 1 year and 5 months later.” Said Sipe, “We are forever grateful to these groups, as well as our local AIDNET crew, that worked tirelessly to assist local community members.”
AIDNET completed its Hurricane Helene-related projects in December 2025.
Sipe stated that she and Operations Officer Letisha Ricker continue to work with FEMA and TEMA through the recovery process “to ensure that the county is fully reimbursed for infrastructure and financial impacts endured by the county and the community” as a result of Hurricane Helene.
SUN PHOTO BY KEN LITTLE
An appreciative crowd of about 300 people attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Sgt. Elbert K. Kinser-State Route 107 Bridge in Tusculum last May.
PHOTO SUBMITTED TO THE SUN
Heather Sipe, EMA director of the Greene County Office of Emergency Management, left, and EMA Operations Officer Letisha Ricker, look over the devastated Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park in Limestone soon after it was destroyed by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
YMCA Dedicates Whitfield Wellness Center
BY AMY ROSE STAFF WRITER
The YMCA of Greene County dedicated the Herbert Whitfield, Sr. Wellness Center in May 2025.
The celebration highlighted the Y’s impact on the community through remarks from several guest speakers including former longtime Y director Terry Bellamy.
“What a blessing your family has been to our community,” Bellamy told the Whitfields, widow Ruth Whitfield and her children Chuck Whitfield and Claire Whitfield Tucker.
It was Ruth’s major gift that helped the YMCA surpass its capital campaign goal of $650,000.
“We’re so thankful for her gift and her family’s generosity,” Bellamy said.
The funds have been used to add family locker rooms, an all-purpose room and outdoor pickleball courts and to purchase property near the Y’s soccer park.
A heartwarming moment of the celebration came when three boys presented Ruth a collection of thank you cards made by young members of the Y. Her face lit up with a big smile.
The youth of the community were Whitfield’s reason for being a strong supporter
of the YMCA, Chuck said, noting that his father would be smiling down on the celebration from heaven.
The Whitfields moved to Greeneville in 1969 from Thomasville, Georgia, where Herbert was on the YMCA’s board of directors.
At that time, Greeneville’s Y was located next to Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Main Street and offered a place to play pool and lift weights, Chuck remembered.
Herbert was a founding board member of Greene County’s Y and played a key role for 35 years, Bellamy said.
“Quietly, behind the scenes, his contributions and support continued and were instrumental in our overall success,” Bellamy recalled.
The Whitfield family unveiled a plaque for the wellness center that says, “Named in memory of Charles Herbert Whitfield, Sr. for his passionate leadership in our YMCA as a Founding Director, as President of the Board and as a long time member.”
Donor Bob Leonard said, “Mr. Whitfield would be immensely proud of what has been accomplished here.”
Other donors who spoke were Brandon Hull, on behalf of Greeneville Federal Bank, and Tom
Wright, both of whom recalled being youth soccer coaches for the Y.
Hull said his son’s soccer team at Greeneville High School won the state championship, and “It all started at the Y.”
But the win was not as important as the youth’s practice, hard work, and learning how to be a part of a team, Hull said.
Wright is a former YMCA board president and was on the board of the Mary G.K. Fox Foundation when it gave $1 million for the youth gym at the Y.
“Perhaps the most impactful role I’ve played at the Y is being a coach,” he said, noting his team went from worst to first one season.
Wright said he hopes
those players remember the importance of hard work, dedication, and discipline.
The celebration was closed by Y Executive Director Mike Hollowell, who described the recent
improvements to the facility and thanked many supporters.
A highlight was a dance performance by a large group of young Y members to the disco song YMCA. They
Greeneville CommunityHospital
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donned sunglasses and performed the hand motions to spell the four letters. For more information on the YMCA of Greene County, visit www. greenecounty-ymca.org .
28,468 Emergency Department visits
4,897 Discharges
4, 258 Surgeries
427 Deliveries *FY25data
We offer awidevariety of services. Ages15 to 96, overhalfof volunteers serveyear-round.
beentreatedany better at Greeneville Community Hospital. Everyone wasconcerned formywellbeing. Iwouldn’t want to goanywhereelse.
–Patient
SUN FILE PHOTO
The Whitfield family unveils a plaque dedicating the Herbert Whitfield, Sr. Wellness Center. From left are daughter Claire Whitfield Tucker, widow Ruth Whitfield, and son Chuck Whitfield. At right is longtime YMCA director Terry Bellamy.
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Young YMCA members form the Y as they dance for the audience.