On Tuesday, Haletown Fire and Rescue responded to a wildfire at 8250 Hwy 156. Upon arrival, firefighters found a significant fire threatening two structures. Sequatchie and Jasper Highlands fire departments reported to the scene for mutual aid, and TN Forestry bulldozers cut a larger firebreak to contain the fire. After an intense fight to protect …
The Marion County Sheriff’s Department Detective Division is sounding the alarm on a rising threat: a new “SMISHING” scam targeting iPhone and Android users. These scams, which have surged in our area over the past few months, involve fraudulent text messages designed to steal your personal and sensitive information, including passcodes and credit card details. …
Cody Smith, former director of the 12th Judicial Drug Task Force, which serves Franklin, Bledsoe, Grundy, Marion, Rhea, and Sequatchie Counties, had his bond revoked on March 10. He was fired in 2021 amid a TBI investigation into drug and money seizures in Sequatchie County. As the Times Free Press reported, the Rhea County Sheriff’s …
Just before 3 Monday afternoon, Haletown Fire and Rescue responded to a brush fire on Shellmound Rd. While en route, they were informed that a camper and an outbuilding were in the path of the fire. Sequatchie and the Jasper Fire Department responded to the fire as mutual aid. Upon arrival, a parcel of the …
As we reported, 41-year-old Jonathan Belk has been charged with criminal homicide after allegedly stabbing 18-year-old Billy J. Floyd of Jasper, TN, to death. Authorities report that Belk discovered Floyd with his wife, 31-year-old Jada Gholston, leading to a violent confrontation on Saturday morning in Sequatchie County. According to the sheriff’s office, the incident unfolded …
On Friday night around 6:45, Haletown Fire and Rescue responded to a structure fire on Gouger Lane in Whiteside. Jasper Highlands Fire Department also responded for mutual aid. The house was engulfed upon the firemen’s arrival, and the surrounding woods were also on fire. The hard-working firemen quickly controlled the blaze. The unoccupied home had …
Jasper Middle School is enforcing the rule that you must have an actual school-issued car tag to pick up your student from campus. They will no longer load students into vehicles if the number is on a picture, written on a piece of paper, if you’ve memorized it, etc. If you don’t have your tag, …
The Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide that is believed to have occurred early Saturday morning (March 8, 2025). Deputies were dispatched to the Emergency Room at Erlanger-Sequatchie on the report of a female with stab wounds that were determined to be non-life-threatening. Deputies determined the victim received the wounds at a residence …
SVEC has been made aware of scams directed at its members. SVEC does not call our members to demand money over the phone. They encourage members to never give personal information to anyone they cannot completely identify. They also encourage members to hang up and call SVEC’s local number to inquire about any account concerns. …
At Monday night’s February County Commission meeting, local resident Mack Reeves addressed the commission over concerns about decreased water levels and flow in two rivers that dissect the Sequatchie Valley in Marion County — the Sequatchie River and the Little Sequatchie River. Reeves, a former schoolteacher who now works as Attendance and Transportation Supervisor for …
