Thanks to Hurricane Laura who is currently swirling in the Gulf, this week’s middle school and high school schedules have changed. The MCMS Raider will not play this week. Their Thursday night game against Huntland has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date. Instead, the MCHS Raiders will take on Community that night. The gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Senior Night festivities will happen at 6 p.m. and the Raiders will kick off against the Vikings at 7 p.m.
Raiders blank Cascade
Raiders snagged their first win under new Head Coach Kris White last Friday night earning a 15-0 shut out win against Cascade.
Kyler Parker led the Raiders with 109 all purpose yards. Both Brayden Cashion and Dylan Scruggs made it into the end zone for six points and Raider kicker Chase Bradford was one of two for the night.
Tyler Smith led the Raiders in rushing yards with 78 followed by Parker (39), Cashion (17), Dawson White and Scruggs (15) and Kaden White (3). Scruggs led in receiving yards with 45 followed closely by Cashion with 43. Other Raiders snagging passes were D. White (28) and K. White (19).
On defense, D. White, K. White, and Smith led with 11 total tackles followed by Donavin Pearson with 10. Seven of K. White’s tackles were solo tackles and he also snagged an interception. Ryder Morey, Hayden Carter,Cashion, Zac Carawan, and Joseph Trice contribute four tackles each; Will Harder, two tackles, and Noah Whitaker, Scruggs, and Tanner Parks got a tackle each.
Game two against Community
Cornersville handled Community in Unionville 36-6 last Friday. Sloppy play be the Viking combined with dogged third down and fourth down conversions by the Bulldogs found Community in a field position hole for most of the night. The Raiders will want to keep an eye on Viking QB Dallas Grooms and his favorite target McCade Miller on Thursday.
For those who can’t make it to the game, you can listen on Raider County 95.9 and 105.1 FM, on the NFS Network, or watch The Lynchburg Times Facebook page for score updates. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
Moore County students will experience their first eLearning Wednesday tomorrow and the Moore County Public Library wants locals to know they are here to help. {File Photo}
LYNCHBURG — eLearning Wednesday’s will kick off tomorrow and the Moore County Public Library (MCPL) wants you to know that they are here to help. On Wednesdays, the library will transform into an virtual learning help center.
Last Wednesday, Moore County Schools announced that all students would learn virtually each Wednesday in order to give teachers a mid week opportunity to catch up from the demands of dual teaching both in person and online as well as get students prepared should COVID force school closures. (Read our full coverage of that decision by clicking here. )
Library staff will provide paper, pencils, as well as tech support for those who feel unsure about the elearning process. Students should come with their passwords in hand as the library staff will not have independent access to this information. The MCLP WiFi is an open network that does not require a password. Parents must remain with their children at all times. Snacks will be allowed but not in carpeted areas.
The library will still follow its social distancing guidelines on eLearning Wednesdays and therefore, spots are limited. All seating will be on a first come, first served basis. Parents who wish to utilize the library on these days should call 931-759-7285 to reserve a spot. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
The Raiders really wanted to give first year Coach Kris White his first W as the MCHS head coach and the boys in Columbia blue did just that with a shut out win in Lynchburg tonight over the Cascade Champions, 15-0.
With no preseason scrimmages, Raider fans knew the first couple of series might be a little bumpy and they were. Moore County fumbled on the third play from scrimmage to hand Cascade the ball.
The Champions didn’t do much with it — going a quick three and out and handing the ball over to the Raiders on downs.
With Raider QB Kyler Parker in control, Kaden White and Tyler Smith put together a first down before Parker completed a long pass to Brayden Cashion to put the Raiders on the board. Chase Bradford’s first PAT of the season connected to give the Raiders an early 7-0 lead with 6:43 remaining in the first.
Cascade managed a little momentum on the next series before Donavin Pearson got a big third and 10 stop. He forced a fumble but Cascade recovered only to punt on the next play.
On the next Raider series, first game missteps reared their head again. QB Parker put together a couple of long passes to Dawson White to get the Raiders third and goal. Moore County then fumbled the ball at the goal line with 20 seconds left in the first half.
One the next series, the Raiders crowded the end zone as Cascade played deep in their own territory and managed a safety to give them a 9-0 lead.
In the second quarter, the Raiders put together a first down effort with run plays by Tyler Smith and Dawson White before Parker hit a wide open Dylan Scruggs for a first down.
On the next play, a tipped pass found its way to Scrugg in the end zone to give the Raiders six more. With 9:59 remaining in the second quarter, the Raiders scored the final points of the night.
At the end of four, the Raiders snagged a home victory and its first W for Coach Kris White. The Raiders played disciplined football and clearly feel comfortable under their new head coach. Though the offensive sputtered in this first outing, the defense showed grit with smart tackles and never giving up on plays.
After the game, Coach White told The Times that he was really happy with the Raiders effort tonight.
“We knew we were gonna make mistakes and some things would be out of our control but the one thing we could control was effort. I felt like they did that,” he said.
The Raiders play at home again next Friday against Community. It will also be Senior Night. Kick off is at 7 p.m. •
Monster will expand fiber in two segments. One will begin Hurricane Creek Road and move towards Cobb Hollow and the Smith Chapel area. The second phase will begin in Lois near Short Creek Road and make a loop on Tanyard and back around to Highway 50. {Art Provided}
Good news is coming for households struggling to get adequate Internet connections in the rural areas of Moore County. Monster Broadband – a local Internet Service Provider founded by two Moore County High School graduates – just received a $1.1 million grant to expand fiber coverage in Moore County.
“Our mission from the start was to get the highest Internet speeds possible to the folks living in rural area that tend to get forgotten by the larger providers. This grant will allow us to expand our fiber to hundreds of Moore County households,” co-owner Charles Johnston said.
Johnston and Steve Baker, two MCHS class of 1990 graduates, launched Monster Broadband in 2009. Last year they launched their first fiber network in the Ridgeville subdivision along Tims Ford Lake. Since then, they’ve brought fiber speeds of up to 250 megabytes per second to over 500 homes in both Tennessee and Texas, where Baker now lives.
Members of Monster’s fiber crew works along Hinkle Lane near the Blue Gill Grill. The TN Emergency Broadband Fund grant will allow them to expand 26 additional miles inside Moore County. {Photo Provided}
The Monster award is part of $61 million to be awarded in Tennessee as part of the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund. The grants are funded through the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund allotment from the federal government and distributed through the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
ECD received 84 applications for $89.1 million in funding. Following review and a public comment period, 62 projects representing $61.1 million were funded.
Monster plans to expand fiber in two segments. The one will start at Hurricane Creek Road then onto Cobb Hollow Road, Raysville Road, Price Hollow Road, Bobo Hollow Road, Woosley Road, and then across Highway 55 to Hilltop Circle before ending at the Smith Chapel subdivision.
The other begins in Lois at Short Creek Road then onto Marble Hill Road, Little Bean Hollow Road, Galloway Lane, Tanyard Hill Road before looping around on Bull Run Road back to Highway 50.
The other
Pursuant to federal guidelines, these projects are limited to those that would enhance access to individuals and families affected during the COVID-19 pandemic by the lack of broadband access in their area. Eligible entities included those authorized to provide broadband services in Tennessee, and eligible areas were limited to those unserved or underserved locations lacking all equipment necessary to provide a broadband connection capable of supporting telemedicine, distance learning, and telecommuting.
“We are so thankful for the opportunity to step up and do our small part in helping our state, county, neighbors, and friends,” said Baker. “The Coronavirus battle is new to us all, the battle to push broadband in underserved areas has been a task we have been fighting for 11 years. As we stated in our application, we have never applied or considered a grant before, times are different now and the need for our services has never been greater.”
Though Monster does not have a timeline for the projects yet, they will announce roads as they go live and are install ready on their Facebook page. Click here to like their page and stay up to the minute. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
The Raiders hope to get their first win under new head coach Kris White tonight in Lynchburg. They face off with the Cascade Champions at 7 p.m. {File Photo}
Friday night lights returns to Doug Price Field tonight but there will be lots of changes this year at Raider home games to attempt to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19 in the community.
The Raiders kick off their first season under new head coach Kris White against the Cascade Champions at 7 p.m. White is Moore County’s new, former coach. White launched his coaching career at Riverdale High School before heading to Moore County as an assistant. He left the Raiders in 2009 to take an assistant position with Oakland High School and then Knoxville Catholic High School. Moore County will be his first head coaching position.
Who the 2020 Raiders will be is still anybody’s guess. Coach White has a solid track record and he brought a couple of athletes with him to Moore County – namely his two sons: senior Kaden, age 18, and freshman Dawson, age 15. Both will wear jerseys for the Columbia blue and white this season.
Without the benefit of pre-season scrimmages both teams will likely come out needing to work out the kinks. If previous years are any indicator, Cascade will play conservative, grind-it-out football. In the end, the team that makes the fewest mistakes and controls the clock will likely earn the W.
TSSAA requirements for attendance
Moore County Athletic Director Josh Deal reminds Raider fans that the TSSAA will require all those attending to wear a mask and have their temperature checked prior to entering Raider Stadium. Once inside, officials ask that fans leave two empty seats between you and anyone not in your immediate family.
For those not comfortable attending in person, Joe Abraham and Jonah Deal will call the game on both 95.9 and 105.1 FM. The two local radio stations transform from Whiskey Country to Raider Country every Friday night during football season. Locals can also watch the Moore County Sports Network student broadcasting team on the NFS Network. The Lynchburg Times Facebook page will also post live score updates throughout the game.
Kick off happens at 7 p.m. on Friday and pre-game activities will begin around 6:45 p.m. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
All Moore County students will learn remotely on Wednesdays beginning August 26 to help teachers catch up and students to be better prepared should COVID force school closures. {File Photo}
It’s a move Moore County Director of Schools Chad Moorehead said that has two intended purposes. One, it’s meant to give teachers a mid week opportunity to catch up from the demands of dual teaching both in person and online. Two, as active case counts rise in Moore County, eLearning Wednesdays are meant to get students prepared should COVID force school closures.
“This school year has been and will continue to be a challenge for everyone involved,” said Director Moorehead. “We ask for patience and understanding as we make decisions that we feel will be most beneficial for our teachers and students. The school board has voted to make school attendance as flexible as possible and has preserved parent choice with each vote. We will all have to work together to make this year successful.”
Things change quickly this school year
Moore County Schools aren’t the only school system forced to rapidly evolve this school year. Tullahoma City Schools welcomed student back on July 29. Nine days later on August 7, the system announced it would be moving to a hybrid schedule because the active cases threshold in Coffee County exceeded their school closing trigger of 0.5 percent.
Today, Franklin County School announced a similar measure to eLearning Wednesday’s stating that “due to the volume of virtual learners and the added cleaning burden due to COVID 19, each Friday will be designated a virtual/distance learning day for all students.”
On August 11, the Moore County School Board voted to revise their own school closing trigger to based on individual school absenteeism rates rather than the amount of community spread. (Read our full coverage of that meeting here.)
Yesterday via their social media page, Moore County Schools announced that beginning Wednesday, August 26 all students at Lynchburg Elementary, Moore County Middle School, and Moore County High School would become remote learners for that single day and would not report for in-person learning.
Teachers, students, and parent feel the strain
According to Tennessee state law, all students must complete 180 days of instruction to matriculate and each instructional day must a minimum of 6.5 hours. From the beginning, the Moore County Board of Education voted to start the school year under a hybrid plan that allowed parents to choose either in person or distance learning depending on their individual situation.
According to Director Moorehead, around 20 percent of students now learn remotely. This means teachers give classroom instruction all day and then go home to help remote learners at night.
One Moore County teacher we talked to said her normal 40-60 hour work week in a normal school year has ballooned to closer to 90 hours.
“I have always worked hard to prepare lessons that are engaging, fun, and standards based,” they said. “Now I work 90 hours a week and my lessons are lackluster at best. I also don’t have the energy to deliver power-packed lessons that I did last year. Most of my time is spent corresponding with remote students and their parents. I give 70 percent of my time to 18 percent of my students.”
Another problem is that remote learning can lead to teachers feeling as if they are on call 24/7.
“We get emails around the clock,” one Moore County teacher said. “I feel obligated to answer emails whenever possible, but this 24/7 schedule is not sustainable. I finally had to turn off notifications on my phone so that I could get at least a couple hours of sleep. By the end of the week, sleep deprivation has taken its toll, and just speaking a sentence in front of a classroom of students is challenging.”
It’s this potential teacher burnout that Director Moorehead says he’s trying to avoid with eLearning Wednesdays.
“We are blessed in Moore County to have outstanding teachers that truly care about all of our children and we must take care of our teachers, so they can take care of our students,” Director Moorehead added. “The plan is to give the teachers these five days, spread over five weeks to make adjustments, and develop a system to deliver content to students that are in the building and those that have chosen not to be.”
It takes a village to raise a child
Director Moorehead posted the eLearning Wednesday notice yesterday around 4:30 p.m. Understandably, it left some parents frustrated with the sudden change. By the early evening, local moms and other community members were already offering to help on social media.
“I would love to offer my home and help to a couple of children in need of care and assistance during e-learning Wednesdays, if you need help feel free to message me. I’m grateful to work mostly from home,” said one local on social media.
Another local with a “smart teenage daughter and fiber Internet” also offered to help.
In the end Director Moorehead as well as all the teachers we spoke to expressed a sincere desire to help every child in our school system work their way through these unprecedented times.
“There is no “right” answer anymore,” one teacher said. “It’s just the right now answer.” •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
Randy Travis, John Anderson, Johnny Cash, Vern Gosdin, and Hank Williams … if modern country singer Josh Turner were to create his only Mount Rushmore of Country Music, those would be the five faces on it.
When he performs on Friday, October 2 at the Lynchburg Music Fest at its new venue near the Moore County, Lincoln County line in Mulberry, you just might hear songs that contain bits and pieces of all five. Festival organizers recently announced Turner as their Friday night headliner for this year’s event.
Igniter Productions expanded the 2020 event to a three-day festival held on a sprawling Moore County farm just off Louse Creek Road. The new venue will not only allow for social distancing but also more camping opportunities. Other new features for this year’s festival include a songwriting tent, as well as Whiskey Row and Wine Circle, where attendees can taste some locally-produced whiskeys and wines from both Lynchburg and southern, middle Tennessee.
Lynchburg Music Fest organizers recently announced Josh Turner as their Friday night headliner.Kip Moore will headline on Sunday night. The full line up will be released this month. {Photo Provided}
“More than just the sum of its parts – music, whiskey, and camping – Lynchburg Music Fest has a unique element to differentiate it from ‘just another’ festival. It has a strong songwriter element to add to the experience, consisting of both up-and-coming and award-winning writers,” said Jonny Hill, owner of Igniter Productions and Lynchburg Music Fest. “We are grateful this one-of-a-kind event continues to grow and can’t wait to see where the road leads from here.”
Hill says the festival plans to announce the rest of its 2020 line up including the Saturday headliner in August. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit their website. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
Election officials remind local voters that absentee ballots need to be requested by October 27 but sooner is better. {File Photo}
The sooner the better … that’s the word form local election officials concerning absentee ballots as the November 3 Presidential Election looms.
Due to COVID-19 health concerns, state election officials say they anticipated a higher than usual rate of absentee voting this year. In Tennessee, voters may request an absentee ballot for a myriad of reasons from being over the age of 60 to being a full time student. (Click here for a complete list of absentee voting eligibility categories.)
Tennessee allows absentee voters to request a mail in ballot in as few as seven days before an election but both election officials and postal officials warn that procrastination and absentee voting don’t mix.
All Moore County registered voter who would like to request an absentee ballot from the Moore County Election Commission must send a written request containing the following:
Name of the registered voter
Address of the voter’s residence
Voter’s social security number
Voter’s date of birth
Address to mail the ballot
The election in which the voter wishes to participate. If the election involves a primary, the political party in which the voter wishes to participate.
Reason the voter wishes to vote absentee. If applicable, a copy of the CDL containing the CDL number or the TWIC card must be included in the voter’s request.
Voter’s signature
Or to fill out a Request an Absentee By-Mail Ballot for the November 3, 2020 Election form, click here.
That information or form can be sent back to the Moore County Election Commission offices via U.S. mail at PO Box 8056, Lynchburg, TN 37352 or via fax to 931-759-6394. Tennessee does not provide ballot drop off boxes nor do they allow voters to hand deliver ballots to the local elections office.
If there are questions or problem with the information you submit, a local election official will return the application to you, so you can make corrections and resubmit.
The registration deadline to vote in the Presidential Election is Monday, October 5. Absentee ballots may be requested until October 27. In order to be counted, your ballot must arrive via U.S. mail, FedEx, or UPS at the Moore County Election Commission office no later than the close of polls on Election Day.
Questions? Call the Moore Election Commission at 931-759-4532 or email them at moore.commission@tn.gov. To visit the state’s absentee voting information website, click here. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Moore County … covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, the Lynchburg Music Fest, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
Bear Trace Golf Course is located on a picturesque peninsula inside Tims Ford State Park. Motlow College will hold their annual Foundation Golf Tournament there in September. {Photo Courtesy of Tims Ford State Park}
Motlow College officials want Moore County golfers to know that there is still time to register for this year’s Motlow Foundation Golf Tournament at Bear Trace on September 11. All proceeds benefit Motlow College Foundation scholarships for local students.
It’s a wonderful opportunity to both support a good cause and experience an outstanding local golf course. Designed by Jack Nicklaus and located inside Tims Ford State Park, the course features Champion Bermuda greens and 419 Bermuda fairways. The links were built to mimic the gently rolling pasture land that surrounds it. Golfers will also enjoy a view of Tims Ford Lake during their 18 hole adventure.
Golfers can enter several specialty contests like a hole-in-one and closest-to-pin contest in addition to the 18 holes. Tournament officials and Bear Trace employees will take every precaution to ensure golfers safety to reduce the COVID-19 threat.
The tournament is a four-person scramble with prizes for three places in two flights. The cost is $115 per person or $450 per team. Each player registration includes green fees, cart rental, mulligans, lunch, snacks, drinks, and a goody bag. Lunch will be served at 11 a.m., and tee time is noon. In the event of inclement weather, the rain date is September 18.
Please contact the Motlow College Foundation office at 931-393-1543 or MotlowFoundation@mscc.edu to register for the tournament, purchase a hole sponsorship, or donate a door prize. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Moore County … covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, the Lynchburg Music Fest, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
The public library will now close daily at 4 p.m. for cleaning and sanitizing. Currently hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9-11 a.m. {File Photo}
LYNCHBURG — The Moore County Public Library (MCPL) announced recently that they’ve updated their hours to accommodate daily cleaning and sanitizing. It’s an effort to keep the library’s doors open as active COVID-19 case counts continue to rise in Moore County.
The MCPL will now close daily at 4 p.m. for cleaning and sanitizing.
“No exceptions will be made for this critical hour of cleaning time, so please plan your visit accordingly,” their social media page stated.
Currently hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9-11 a.m. The library closes every Thursday and Sunday. If you prefer curbside services, call 931-759-7285.
Library officials remind patrons that hours are subject to change quickly and without notice in order to keep everyone safe. Masks are also available in the lobby if walk in patrons need one. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}
