Why am I running for city council?

That’s a great question. I care about this community. I value the uniqueness in each of us and the small town hospitality that lives in the heart of this town.

Carthage and Smith County are going through growing pains. Every town does. We can’t have the coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques without growth. BUT that doesn’t mean we have to lose our smalltown heart.

In any town there are always negatives, but we can’t let them win just because it’s easier than speaking up for what is right. I will always speak up.

Someone being harassed for crazy hair and piercings, I will say something. Someone getting teased for reading a bible before their meal at a restaurant, I will say something. Someone threatening kids, I will do something. And I will continue that theme on the council. I will push for good and address the bad when it arises.

I am not a Democrat or Republican or even a Libertarian. I am a staunch independent. I hate all of the nastiness at the national political level, and I do not want to see it creep any further into our small town. That’s why I am running.

I own and operate The Rogue and Raven in town.
I am chair of Smith County Events Committee.
I am around all the time and happy to answer any questions you have. Stop by and see me sometime.

You won’t be seeing yard signs with my name on them. Not because I can’t get them. I’ve had about 20 people offer to donate so I can. I don’t want money wasted on signs. I’ve told everyone the same thing. Donate it to a nonprofit. They need it. If money has become the only way to win elections in our small town, we’re worse off than I thought.

You also won’t see me doing anything I don’t already. I won’t be going to extra events to “campaign”. I already go to a lot of them. I help with many of them. I won’t be bothering you at your homes unless you ask me to come speak with you. I understand the sanctity of home and the need to have your own peaceful space. We’re a town of a little over 2000 people. If you don’t know me and want to. Let’s talk sometime!  

Already know me and want to see me on the council? Great! Thanks! Tell your neighbors why! (article and graphic submitted by Stephanie Winfree)

Hello. My name is John Potts and I am seeking re-election as the Mayor of the Town of Gordonsville TN. In the last four years, I have done my best to improve our hometown. I have been active in the community serving on the Gordonsville Events Committee and being involved in the Halloween Bash, the community Easter Egg Hunt and the recent community police event. I have done my absolute best to maintain good relationships with other towns and county departments. I have been honored to serve on the Board of Directors for UCHRA and UCDD. I have been an active member with the Chamber of Commerce, Rural Planning organizations and Joint Economic Development Board.

Other improvements to our town include the following: operated within budget for the last four years and only spent money where it made sense to do so, helped secure 3/4 million dollars in grants for improvement to our sewer system, replaced aging playground equipment and shelter at Ivy Agee Park with ongoing improvements currently going on now, crucial paving at busy roadways including JMZ, Spicer and Transport Drive, helped to secure 100K dollars from TN Central to help with this paving operation, helped secure .8 acres of land on Bentley Harris Way to extend the road for future industrial sites.

I have been able to estblish good working relationships with multiple developers looking to build in our area. We can see that growth is coming to our community and part of my responsibility as Mayor has been to maintain our small hometown feel while overseeing appropriate growth and change.

I have been able to increase equipment in our Gordonsville Maintenance Department to reduce the need for more expensive contract work. I have supported our Police Department on the purchase of automobiles and other equipment such as AEDs, bodycams and digital ticketing devices that can better serve our residents and help keep our community a safe place to raise a family. I have supported our Police Department in applying for and being successful in obtaining numerous grants.

We have been able to change out the aging streetlights to LEDs for future cost savings. We have improved sidewalks around our community.

Alongside our council members, we have given the supervisor of each department the support to run move effectively and efficiently. We have more money from low interest accruing accounts to money market accounts that draw larger rates and improve our town’s fiscal security. We have recently received a 50k planning grant to address future transportation needs. I have s supported our local volunteer fire department in being able to purchase a much-needed ladder truck. I have helped secure 50 k dollars from FEMA/TEMA on a bank erosion project. We were able to purchase two much needed tornado warning sirens to help keep our residents safe in storms.

As you can see, I have been busy representing you, the citizens of our great town, to the best of my ability. It has been an honor to have been your mayor for the last four years and I humbly ask for your vote in November. Go Big Blue! (article and photo submitted by John Potts)

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes that receiving a flu vaccination is important to protect yourself, family, and community from the flu. The CDC recommends that a yearly flu vaccination for everyone 6 month and older with occasional exception. Since it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to kick in, now is the time to get vaccinated. It is recommended to get vaccinated by the end of October.

According to the CDC, less than half adults in the US received a flu vaccine in recent years. Obviously, some of us still need convincing about the need for flu vaccination.

Paul Edward Sax, MD, is the Clinical Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Sax lists five reasons to take the flu vaccination.

1. The flu is more serious than you may realize. The flu can be deadly. The following groups are at higher risk for serious illness from the flu:

· People with chronic conditions such asthma and diabetes.

· People with heart disease and those who have had a stroke.

· Adults 65 and older.

· Pregnant women.

· People who have HIV.

· People who have cancer.

2. The flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent illness caused by seasonal influenza viruses. The effectiveness of the flu vaccine varies from year to year but the CDC estimates that the flu vaccine reduces the need for doctor visit from flu or flu complications by 61%.

3. You should receive a flu vaccine that is appropriate for your age and other risk factors.

4. Last year’s flu shot won’t provide adequate protection from the flu this year.

5. The flu vaccine is covered by many health plans.

Flu vaccination is the best way to prevent getting the flu, says Dr. Sax. He says that you cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine. For information on the flu vaccine visit https://www.cdc.gov/.

Chicken Taco Soup

2-3 chicken breasts

1 can pinto beans

2 cans black beans

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can Rotel

1 large can petite diced tomatoes

1 package taco seasoning

½ block Velveeta cheese

Boil the chicken breasts and shred. Combine diced tomatoes and Rotel together in a pot on low. Cut Velveeta cheese in chunks and add to the pot to melt. Stir often and keep on low so the cheese won’t stick. Once cheese is melted and combined, add the pinto beans, black beans, corn, taco seasoning, and chicken and stir together. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Submitted by: Nancy Malone, Night Owls FCE Club.

photos and article submitted by Rachel Petty, UT Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development

On Thursday, September 26, 2024, eleven Smith County 4-H’ers traveled to the Rutherford County Community Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to test their knowledge of the poultry industry at this year’s Central Region 4-H Poultry Judging Contest.

Through our Poultry Judging practices, 4-H’ers learn how to evaluate live birds for their laying capacity, how to grade eggs by evaluating their interior, exterior, and broken-out quality, how to identify various ready-to-cook poultry parts, as well as how to grade those parts and whole chicken carcasses for quality. Our 4-H’ers also learn how to identify defects in further processed poultry products like chicken nuggets and chicken patties.

The various components of the Poultry Judging contest help our 4-H’ers develop their critical thinking skills, be better stewards of their own poultry flocks at home, and even prepare them for future careers in the agriculture industry.

Close to 150 individuals from all across the Central Region competed in this contest, and our Smith County 4-H’ers came home with quite a few awards!

Our Junior Team, made up of Charlotte Driver, Josie Harville, Aubrey Hicks, and Scarlett Hicks, placed 4th overall in their division. Josie Harville placed 6th individually.

Our Junior High Team, made up of Jay Driver, Tana Harville, and Turner Harville, placed 3rd in their division. Turner Harville was the overall High Individual in the Junior High division, and Tana Harville placed 6th overall.

Also representing Smith County was our Senior High Team of Easton Bibbings, Emmy Bibbings, and Levi Ferrell, and Junior individual Oakley Lawrence.

Gabe Harville, who competed nationally in 4-H Poultry Judging in 2022, was invited back to assist with the contest by helping with setup and listening to and judging Senior High Reasons.

What an egg-cellent day! Congratulations to all of these fine young people on a job well done!

If you have any questions about how to get involved in Poultry Judging or any other aspect of the 4-H Poultry project, please call the Smith County office of the University of Tennessee Extension at 615-735-2900 or email rpetty@utk.edu.

Recently, the Smith County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teamed up with the Upper Cumberland Neighborhood Amateur Radio Club to support the Run 4 Don event in Gainesboro. This event honors Donald Chaffin and raises funds for students pursuing a Christian education as well as for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research in hopes of finding a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Invited by event president and Smith County attorney Jeremy Hassler, the Smith County ARES group set up safety checkpoints along the 15K and 5K race routes. This collaboration served as both a training exercise and an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of amateur radio communication, which operates independently of traditional infrastructure like cellular networks or radio repeaters. The team established a primary communication hub, known as net operations, where its ten members provided race updates and reported incidents, including one unexpected encounter—a copperhead snake basking in the sun along the 15K route. Fortunately, the snake was safely encouraged back into the woods by the runners.

Race organizers and local law enforcement expressed their gratitude to ARES for ensuring the safety of the participants, and many runners also thanked the members for their presence and support.

Smith County ARES consists of licensed amateur radio operators dedicated to assisting during emergencies, using events like this to hone their communication and deployment skills. The Smith County Amateur Radio Club meets monthly at the Smith County Chamber of Commerce building and offers a great starting point for anyone interested in learning about amateur radio and obtaining their license. They will hold a free licensing class on October 19th. For more information, visit their Facebook page or check this paper.

The Smith County Commission held its meeting on the evening of Monday, September 23, 2024

You can watch the full meeting below.

Thanks to Powell & Meadows Insurance Agency for sponsoring the live broadcast of this meeting.

Subscribe to Smith County Insider’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on meeting coverage, business spotlights, video features, and more!

Commission meetings are held in the Smith County Agricultural Center, 159 Ag Center Lane, Carthage, TN.

All meetings are open to the public and are streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.

The Smith County Board of Education met at 5:00 p.m. on September 17, 2024

You can watch the full meeting here – https://www.youtube.com/live/UXJzxKfvZCM?si=CGJkGP13LXdy43Ze

The live broadcast of this meeting is sponsored by Teresa’s Gifts.

Subscribe to Smith County Insider’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on meeting coverage, business spotlights, video features, and more!

The Smith County School Board meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. at the Smith County Board of Education, located at 126 Smith County Middle School Lane in Carthage, Tennessee.

All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.

The Gordonsville City Council held its monthly meeting on Monday, September 9, 2024

You can watch the full council meeting below.

Thanks to Teresa’s Gifts for sponsoring Smith County Insider’s live broadcast of this meeting.

Subscribe to Smith County Insider’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on meeting coverage, business spotlights, video features, and more!

The Gordonsville City Council meets at 6:15 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at Gordonsville City Hall, located at 63 Main Street in Gordonsville.

All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.

The River City Ball Committee is thrilled to announce that our cause applications are now live! You can find them on our website: therivercityball.org.

To date, we’ve proudly contributed over $100,000 back to our community! Each year, we are reminded of the countless organizations making a difference and the urgent needs they address. Reviewing the applications is always an emotional experience for us; we wish we could support every worthy cause. While we may not be able to fund them all just yet, we are honored to select one organization each year to receive proceeds from our event.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2025 River City Ball beneficiary. Here are the details:

• Deadline: Applications must be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce or emailed to rivercityball@outlook.com by November 1, 2024.
• Presentations: Completed applications will be reviewed by a panel, and selected applicants will present on November 4th at 5 PM. Each presentation is limited to 5 minutes, whether in person or via video submission. Please ensure your presentation highlights memorable aspects not covered in your application.
• Application Link: You can access the application here: www.therivercityball.org/s/stories/cause-application.

Feel free to reach out with any questions at rivercityball@outlook.com.

Please note that it is not mandatory to be a 501(c)(3) organization to apply; however, we do consider the effort involved in maintaining a non-profit during our review process.

Representative John Rose’s (TN-6) district staff will hold a series of local office hours for constituents to connect directly with caseworkers and receive assistance with federal agencies throughout the month of October.

During the local office hours, district staff will be available to answer questions and assist constituents with federal casework, such as social security and veterans’ benefits, steps for obtaining a passport, and more. Local office hours occur monthly. If you have questions, please contact one of Representative Rose’s offices so a staff member may help you.

“We are ready to assist constituents with federal casework and welcome anyone with questions to sit down with staff,” said Representative Rose. “My goal is to make the expertise of my staff and the resources of this office easily accessible to every person I represent.”

Details for local office hours can be found below and on Representative Rose’s website.

Thursday, October 17, 2024

TIME: 1:00pm-2:00pm

WHAT: Smith County Local Office Hours
LOCATION: Smith Co. Chamber of Commerce, 939 Upper Ferry Rd., Carthage, TN 37030

WHO: Representative Rose will be represented by Field Representative by Field Representative Lou Nave during this visit.