By Tamas MondovicsEDITOR

Following a review by citi-zen advisory panels with ex-pertise in the appro-priate arts disciplines and a review by the full 15-member com-mission, 12 grants were awarded to Sul-livan and Johnson County recipients.

Senate District 4 is reportedly receiv-ing grants totaling $171,065 from the Tennessee Arts Commission. The an-nouncement from Tennessee

State Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol) came earlier this month.

“I am pleased to announce these grants for deserving

organizations pro-moting the arts in our communities,” said Lundberg. “This investment will pro-vide children with a more complete education, stimulate economic develop-ment, and help attract tourists to our area.

These organizations do great work to cultivate the arts and

By Jill PenleyFREELANCE WRITER

To ensure teachers are bet-ter prepared for the virtual teaching, Johnson County Schools has announced they will push back the se-mester start date by a few days with the first half day be-ing on Friday, Aug 7, and the first full day the following Monday.

”This is to ensure our teachers are properly trained

in the virtual curriculum that our students will be utilizing,” said Dr. Misch-elle Simcox, Director of Schools. “Our goal is to be

able to provide our students, both in-person and virtually, the tools needed to access the online curriculum. During the first few days of schools, teachers will be asked to pro-vide their in-person students with the

information needed to do

6 56525 10651 4

THE TOMAHAWKMountain City, Tennessee 3768375 centsWednesday, July 29, 2020 Vol. 146 No. 31www.thetomahawk.com

Community Calendar ...........A2Public Safety ........................A4Sports ...................................A6Inside News ..........................A7From Page One ...................A8

First Responders ....B1,3,6,8Faith ................................B2Community Matters .........B4Agriculture .......................B5Service Directory ..........B4,5Classifieds Obituaries .....B7

INSIDE:

adsales@thetomahawk.com or 727-6121 ext. 22.Advertising Deadline: Fri, July 31, 12 PM

Publishing Aug. 5

Back ToSchool

EQUAL HOUSINGO P P O RT U N I T Y

www.fsbankmctn.com | 423-727-8121

Your Community Bank

We are praying for a safe and healthy school year for our students and teachers!

By Tamas MondovicsEDITOR

Tennessee Association of Utility Districts (TAUD) was pleased to announce the winner of its Annual Region One Best Tasting Water Con-test last week honoring Cold Springs Utility District.

The win was Cold Springs’ second in a row, at the an-nual competition held at the Blountville Utility District. The utility located at 625 Cold Springs Road in Moun-tain City, is managed by Jeff Crowder who was proud of the recognition.

“We feel good about win-ning the contest again,”

Cold Springs wins Best Tasting Water, second consecutive year

Royce Fout, Richard Hammons and Jeff Crowder of Cold Springs Utility District, Pat Riley, and David Hawk pose for a photo after Cold Springs wins the Annual Region One Best Tasting Water Contest. The win was the second in the row for the utility,

giving testimony to the region’s water quality. Photo submitted

By Tamas MondovicsEDITOR

Posted on the Johnson County Tennessee Govern-ment Facebook page, May-or Mike Taylor announced last Sunday that the County Courthouse had to be closed Monday, July 27, after two confirmed cases of CO-VID-19 were reported.

In a statement on the County’s Facebook page Taylor stated, “It has come to my attention that we do, in fact, have two confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus reported from the Johnson County Courthouse. At this time, we are doing every-thing necessary in our power to assure the safety of ev-

Confirmed COVID-19 cases close Johnson County Courthouse

Spreading their wings

Lundberg

Simcox

See Courthouse Page A4

Johnson County Schools push back start date to Aug 7

By Meg DickensSTAFF WRITER

Johnson County Mayor Mike Taylor announced Ex-ecutive Order Number 4 on

Tuesday, July 21. The order makes Johnson County the final Northeast Tennessee location to adopt a mask mandate. If social media is any indication the mask man-

date is an immense source of controversy

Executive Order Number 4 is in effect until the end of August 3, in correlation with

Mask mandate controversyCOVID-19 UPDATE:

Johnson County Center for the Arts to receive $25K arts grant

See Masks Page A4

See Schools Page A6

See Arts Grant Page A6

See Water Page A6

By Tamas MondovicsEDITOR

While the anticipated forecast was a bit questionable for the remainder

of the week, the dozens of paragliding pilots ascended on Tater Hill NC for the 15th Annual Tater Hill Open, Para-gliding and Hang Gliding Competition, could not ask for a better start.

Blues skies and beautiful scenery welcomed the pilots and their families to the competition, held on Tater Hill Mountain just minutes south of Moun-

Tater Hill Open draws pilots from across the nation for weeklong competition

A paragliding pilot touches down after a descend from Tater Hill Mountain NC, just south of Mountain City, TN during the 15th Annual Tater Hill Open, Paragliding and Hang Gliding Competition. The weeklong event saw dozens of pilots of all skill levels enjoying the comradery of fellow pilots, the hospitality of the locals,

and the beauty of the region. Photo by Tamas Mondovics

See Paraglidimg Page A8

By Meg DickensSTAFF REPORTER

People all around the United States are reporting receiving unsolicited seeds in the mail.

According to various news reports and social media outlets, the seeds appear to be coming from China and arrive in mislabeled packag-ing, most commonly labeled as jewelry, earbuds, or toys. Tennessee is among an esti-mated 27 states that are now

Multiple states issue warnings against suspicious seeds

People around the United States are receiving

mysterious seeds in the mail mislabeled as jewelry,

earbuds, or toys. A Johnson County resident reported

receiving one of these packages designated as

jewelry. Submitted photo.

See Seeds Page A4