Tennessee
Green Hill handles rain, Summit with 20-0 shutout – Main Street Media of Tennessee
MT. JULIET – It’s said that April showers bring May flowers, but for Green Hill’s Hawks, an early September downpour assisted in holding Summit without a score in a 20-0 win on Friday night.
A pleasant Friday evening that had a hint of fall in the air at kickoff took a sudden turn early in the second quarter when strong rain showers arrived and lingered throughout the rest of the game.
“I really felt like we handled the elements about as well as we could,” said Green Hill head coach Josh Crouch. “It was a torrential downpour for the majority of the game.”
An uneventful first quarter where both sides entered opponent territory but had drives eventually stall transitioned to the second quarter during a lengthy Green Hill possession.
A 15 play drive that took over five minutes off the clock resulted in the Hawks (3-0) getting on the scoreboard first with Caden Chandler’s 26-yard field goal with 7:56 left to play in the first half.
After a Summit punt, Green Hill established another productive drive that would lead to the home team doubling their advantage just before halftime. A career long 36-yard field goal by Chandler gave the Hawks a 6-0 lead with 1:19 remaining in the first half.
Attempting to find an offensive spark, Summit quarterback Mason McElhaney had a deep pass intercepted by Jason Grant with less than a minute to play before halftime. Green Hill’s try at a last second score before the break ended the half on a Kannon Burroughs 25-yard pass to Aaron Mattingly that reached the Spartans’ 11-yard line.
The struggles continued for both offenses in the second half as the rain continued to impact the contest.
Green Hill’s three-and-out to start the half was followed by another McElhaney interception that was picked off by Will Milner. Two minutes later, the Hawks turned the ball over on downs before getting it right back by forcing a Spartans three-and-out.
Still leading 6-0, Green Hill’s run heavy attack led to the game’s first touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
A 10 play drive that lasted nearly six minutes ended in the end zone on a two-yard run by Burroughs. Chandler’s extra point put the Hawks up 13-0 with 10:39 to play.
A bouncing, wet football on the ensuing kickoff was misplayed by the Spartans’ return team, which allowed Will Butler to slide on the soggy artificial turf and scoop up the loose ball at the Summit 18-yard line.
Five straight Green Hill rushing attempts led to a one-yard score for Burroughs’ second visit to the end zone in the game. The PAT by Chandler would be the last point scored on the night in the home victory for the Hawks.
With the shutout, the Green Hill defense has held opponents scoreless two weeks in a row while not having surrendered a point in their last nine quarters dating back to the first week of the season.
“I’ve been really excited about the defensive side of the ball because they have been playing so well all the way back through the summer,” said Crouch.
“They are a really close, tight-knit bunch and you are seeing it on Friday nights.”
Summit finished the night with 114 yards of total offense. McElhaney completed five of his 18 pass attempts for 84 yards while also leading the team in rushing with 31 yards on the ground.
Receiver Luke Oliver caught four passes for 70 yards.
The Green Hill offense produced 312 yards as a team. Burroughs went 14-of-31 passing for 133 yards and rushed for 125 yards on 18 carries. Mattingly led the Hawks in receiving with five catches for 51 yards.
Green Hill is scheduled to play at Wilson Central on Friday, Sept. 13 while Summit (1-2) travels to Murfreesboro to take on Blackman High.
LaFollette fireworks disaster killed four in 1997
A shipping container storing fireworks exploded in LaFollette in June 1997.
Watching fireworks light up the sky with dazzling colors and configurations is such a thrill, we often forget that making those shows happen requires literally playing with fire.
Here in East Tennessee, we’ve had our share of fireworks disasters.
The smallest mistake can set off a monster chain reaction. It’s the tragic side of a favorite pastime that’s claimed lives and livelihoods through the years.
Benton fireworks factory explodes
Windows shattered and photos fell from the walls in nearby houses when an explosion destroyed an illegal fireworks factory in Benton in 1983. The boom was heard as far away as Cleveland, about 15 miles away, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported May 27, 1983.
Eleven people died in the explosion.
“It’s the worst thing I’ve seen since Vietnam,” Polk County Sheriff Frank Payne said at the time. “What happened was like a direct hit by a 500-pound bomb.”
The operation fronted as Webb’s Bait Farm, but really, illegal M-100 and M-80 fireworks were being produced at the site, the News-Sentinel reported. A month later, federal investigators called it the largest illegal fireworks factory ever identified in the U.S.
Owner Dan Webb, whose mother, brother and uncle were among those killed in the explosion, was sentenced in 1984 to 10 years in prison for manufacturing explosives without a license.
Pyro Shows depot blast kills four
A shipping container full of fireworks exploded at a popular pyrotechnics company’s storage facility in LaFollette June 5, 1997.
“At first, I thought it was an airplane crash. It rumbled five or 10 seconds, and then there was a massive explosion,” Campbell County Sheriff Ron McClellan told the News-Sentinel afterward.
The disaster at the Pyro Shows depot damaged nearby homes and businesses, along with a church. Four people were killed, all employees: engaged high school sweethearts Tim Petree and Allison Hale; Gretchen Wells, who, along with Hale, had been on the job for less than a week; and Luther Seiber, Caryville vice mayor and city councilman.
They had been getting fireworks ready and loading them for use at the upcoming July 4 shows.
Federal agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ruled out negligence by Pyro Shows.
Through the years, Pyro Shows has had a hand in Boomsday – once a Knoxville Labor Day tradition – as well as fireworks at Smokies and University of Tennessee games.
Stowers Superstore goes up in flames
When a fire began at Stowers Superstore on July 6, 2014, fireworks began to shoot off from the site. Nearby Interstate 75 was closed in both directions as the explosives launched unpredictably.
Four or five people were in the Caryville store but managed to get out safely. The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported on July 8 that “the building apparently was constructed before current fire codes required sprinkler systems.”
The store was a total loss, with crews delayed by Fourth of July traffic. Fireworks were already shooting off and the entire building was ablaze when the firefighters arrived. In total, 65 firefighters from Campbell, Scott and Anderson counties fought the fire for around three hours.
Although the store was destroyed, its “attractions,” including a rocket, Ferris wheel and castle, remained on the lot, still visible from the highway.
Hayden Dunbar Evans is the storyteller reporter. Email: hayden.dunbar@knoxnews.com. Instagram: @knoxstoryteller.
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MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WCYB) — As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, weeks of community support and volunteer effort helped bring a historic project to Johnson County.
County leaders dedicated Tennessee’s first Charters of Freedom display on Thursday at Ralph Stout Park in Mountain City. The permanent exhibit features replicas of some of the nation’s most important founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the four pages of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The display was provided at no cost because it is the first Charters of Freedom installation in Tennessee.
For leaders with the Mountain City Veterans of Foreign Wars post, the project began as a way to mark America’s 250th anniversary but became something they hope will serve future generations.
“About four years ago, the VFW started sponsoring the Independence Day parade because nobody else was,” Mountain City Former VFW Commander Daniel Parsons said. “Every year we’ve built on it and made it bigger and better. Last year we said, ‘For America’s 250th, let’s leave something here for future generations.’”
After contacting Foundation Forward in North Carolina, Parsons said he wasn’t sure when the display might become available. Then, about six weeks ago, he received word that the foundation could have it ready in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
“It went from a dream to reality in just under six weeks,” Parsons said. “Local volunteers, masons and businesses all stepped up. It really came together fast.”
The Charters of Freedom project began about 15 years ago after the founders of Foundation Forward visited the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and wanted to give other communities the opportunity to experience those same historic documents.
“They wanted to bring that same experience back to their hometown,” a Foundation Forward Director Michael Unruh said. “What was supposed to be one display has now grown across the country.”
There are now 79 Charters of Freedom displays across 19 states. The Mountain City installation is the first in Tennessee.
Parsons said the exhibit was donated because it is Tennessee’s first.
“Because this is the very first Charters of Freedom in Tennessee, it was provided at no cost to the county or taxpayers,” Parsons said. “The foundation simply asked us to help pay it forward.”
Organizers said the display is intended to give more people the opportunity to see the nation’s founding documents, especially as fewer students have the chance to visit Washington, D.C.
“The farther you get from Washington, the fewer people get to see these documents in person,” Unruh said. “That’s the experience we’re trying to bring to communities like this one.”
The dedication ceremony drew visitors from across the country, including members of Parsons’ family.
“This is a great thing. This is absolutely beyond I expected. I am so happy. I almost cried with him when he choked up there in his speech,” said Daniel Parson’s sister, Norma Parsons McPherson.
Leaders also announced plans to bury a time capsule to commemorate the occasion.
“This is such a beautiful thing for our county,” Johnson County resident Buffy Cornett said. “I love my county that I live in, and I love our country. I’m so thankful for my freedom today. I have family that are Veterans and it’s all about them because of our freedom. “
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A First Alert Weather Day remains in effect through Sunday.
FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY – THROUGH SUNDAY
The Extreme Heat Warning is still in effect for most of Middle Tennessee, all of southern Kentucky, and all of West Tennessee until 8 p.m. Friday because the dangerous levels of heat and humidity continue.
A Heat Advisory is in effect for the Cumberland Plateau until Friday at 8 p.m.
High temperatures today will be in the mid to upper 90s, with a heat index between 105°-110° across most of the area. High elevations in the Plateau could keep that heat index around 100°.
Keep an eye on the sky for a pop-up shower or thunderstorm during the heat of the day. Not everyone will see rain, but any storm could produce heavy rain and perhaps a brief strong wind gust as well.
Dangerous heat and humidity will continue Friday and this weekend. High temperatures will be closer to the mid 90s with a heat index still over 100° each afternoon.
Spotty showers and thunderstorms will develop during the afternoon and evening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The main focus around storms will continue to be bursts of heavy rainfall, but there’s a slight risk we’ll have sudden strong gusts of wind with any of the storms.
Remain weather aware. If a storm comes your way and you’re outdoors, get inside quickly. Remember – when thunder roars, go indoors.
NEXT WEEK
The worst of the heat and humidity will back off Monday-Wednesday, but temperatures will still stay in the low to mid 90s with a heat index in the upper 90s to near 100.
More chances for daytime heating showers and storms through the first half of next week.
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