orangenblack

Students who transfer to Oak Ridge have to pay tuition, also.

Don't blame you Swamp. I haven't been to Mossy Grove, just Joyner to see how my folks are. They have more than enough help right now, so I'd just be in the way. Good to see everyone's alive 'n kickin, but I still have a cousin in O.R. Hospital with 2 broken ribs and a punctured lung....this just in, on WECO radio, it's reported the cops turned a carload of California sightseers around and sent them South!! I've been neutral every year on this football matchup, but I have to pull for Wartburg this time. I expect to see one of the best games of the season, and as I mentioned before, T$$AA, SEND SOME REFS THAT KNOW THE RULES.

Swamp, I don't think they're allowed to do it either, but people continuously running up and down the road slowing down, taking pictures from the vehicle, obstructing traffic need off the road. In my younger days when James Earl Ray broke out of Brushy Mtn., a bunch of us hellionoids kept riding through Petros. A highway patrol told us if he saw us one more time we were getting a citation, so we didn't ask questions. For sure I read either in "the Oak Ridger" or the Senseless they were going to write citations for people slowing down and taking pictures from the vehicles. They're interfering with utility workers. [Edited by orangenblack on 11-13-02 2:17P]

Bush has officially declared Morgan County a disaster area, and FEMA is IMMEDIATELY issuing loans to tornado victims.

No, didn't get to see it, unfortunately because our cable TV has been out since Sunday. Just got through reading "The Oak Ridger" and MC sherrif Bob Gibson has urged sightseers and gawkers to "Stay out of Morgan County" for a few days. Also a rumor's going around the Highway Patrol on Hwy 27 are going to start issuing citations to people who were headed that way without justififiable reason. Hmmm. I didn't know they were allowed to do that, but it makes sense.

That's Ryan Jackson. He's a PK and lineman. Good kid. I know his family. He has a 9-10 yr old sister in Coalfield with a very rare disease. The Knoxville News Sentinel mentioned him on the back page of the "A" section of Tuesday's paper. [Edited by orangenblack on 11-13-02 12:20A]

The only fair way is to test everybody, or test no one. Test the entire student body. Test the custodians, faculty, coaches, bus drivers, substitute teachers, school board, cafeteria workers, and groundskeepers. Isn't that the only fair way? BUT, drug tests aren't foolproof. I know of too many people who have drank special $20 "teas" and other herbal hodgepodges and tested negative.

OS91, was it Ryan Jackson? Did he wear glasses? He lives in Mossy Grove. Or could it be Ryan Hamm? I saw both of them yesterday (Monday) on one of the channels.

I think Trousdale will win it, but I hope Smith County wins it all.

Well, they officially announced THE GAME IS ON, NORMAL TIME, 7:00 PM, EST.. But, Morgan County Schools are closed the remainder of the week. If I remember correctly, during a disaster cancelled school days don't have to be made up. Not sure.

A few minutes I returned home from the disaster area. It was what I expected. My 93 yr old great aunt was o.k. Only thing I saw out of place was a white handkerchief hanging in one of her maple trees, and she has water, electricity, and gas. About 1/8 of a mile away to the southeast were some fatalities--the Leoppers. House leveled, I mean not even a wall standing. Pictures are on Page A9 of todays Knoxville Sentinel. A half mile to the east was where most of the damage in Joyner and Petros occured. I have three cousins who live along highway 62, and their houses had been pretty much totaled. They're getting help. They had plenty of donated food, a whole picnic table full of stuff--bread, bottled water, soft drinks, cold cuts, and other snacks. Volunteer workers were assisting, and the power company was replacing poles. One cousin had been sleeping comfortably in his camper at night. He said some of the news media had been the biggest distraction to clean up efforts. Some sightseers had been blocking driveways and roads, and walking through yards without permission. He said the utility workers had been great, but the POLICE were one of the biggest nuisances about getting in the way and distractions. Anyway, everyone's o.k. We didn't go to the Mossy Grove community because it takes 3 or 4 hours to drive a few miles, plus, I didn't want to gawk. WECO 101.3 announced a few minutes ago donations needed most by the Wartburg Civic Center. Plastic, paper, and styrofoam cups, plates, knives and forks, trash bags, batteries, Tylenol, pillows, gloves, non perishable food, flashlights, etc. I wrote down another number for anyone who's in the construction business with surplus materials. Appalachian Habitat. Call 423-627-2507 or 423-665-7263. They need plywood, lumber, felt, shingles, hammers, battery operated drills, and anything that can assist in construction and remodeling.

I've seen my share of disaster areas during my lifetime, and the Lord has really taken care of me. I've been on the edge of 5 tornadoes and 3 floods. Once in Oliver Springs, twice here at home, once in Jefferson County, and once in Alabama. TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR!! Luckily I never lost anything. BUT THIS IS THE WORST OF ALL. So I'm very thankful. When you see floodwaters pick up a church and float it downstream, it's an eerie feeling. Some of you folks have seen and heard twisters and you know what I'm talking about. Anyone out there experienced this besides me?

My neighbor is a fireman and emergency worker, and according to him, there's at least 9 or 10 dead. No one's sure yet, but there's a rumor two deer hunters were found dead, the bodies were stripped naked from the wind. They'd killed a deer, and it had been blown into a treetop. Can anyone confirm this? Tank, a few minutes ago Channel 6 announced there's only one person missing now. I saw one of my cousins from Joyner interviewed about not having natural gas, water, and electricity, so I called my mom and she's coming out and we're going out to see what's going on. Both Hwy 62 and Hwy 27 are open now. We're probably not going to Mossy Grove, because I'd imagine there's a lot of sightseers jamming the roads.

I found out my relatives in Joyner are ok, but one is in the hospital with a punctured lung. Yesterday from the aerial photographs on Channel 10, I noticed her mobile home was missing. She lived behind her sister's house, which suffered no damage. Her trailer was blown into Hwy 62. I'm not sure if she was in it when it blew away. Down the road, their nephew's brick house was destroyed. It takes some strong wind to blow down a brick wall.

whoever that kicker is who won the game for mcminn county vs cumberland co. kicked a 53 yd field goal as time ran out. i can't remember his name.

Now I remember, it was Medford.

AK, I knew Ryan and his mother when they lived in O.R. They used to attend my church, then moved to Wartburg. This has been probably 5-6 yrs ago. Sure glad they're ok. [Edited by orangenblack on 11-11-02 9:06P]

Answer, I remember that old Thunderbird and rode in it when it was practically new. Last Thanksgiving weekend my girlfriend and I visited her sister in Trussville, AL. It was unseasonably warm. We went outside on Friday night and it was nearly 80 degrees at midnight. Perfect conditions for nasty weather. The next day a couple hours before the Vandy/TN game, there were dozens of twisters across Alabama. The power was knocked out for about 20 minutes, and we were upset because we couldn't see the ball game. Luckily, it came back on five minutes before kickoff. We drove out at halftime to survey the damage, and a mile and a half away a church steeple had been blown into U.S. Hwy 11. We had watch the twister cross I-59, and it missed us. There were only 4 deaths in the entire state of Alabama, so it wasn't nearly this bad. Another time when I was about 6 yrs. old, a twister touched down on Strutt St and blew the roofs off several houses. All it did to us was blow our swingset about 50 yards. We had golfball size hail, I remember it well. Your mom may remember, I'm sure Bruce does.

This game may be the most highly publicized playoff game this season, considering what's happened the last couple of days. I expect to see people from everywhere at this game--people who haven't watched an O.S. or Wartburg game in ages.

Guacamole, I think that was Ryan on the 6:00 o'clock news tonight helping sift through the rubbles. I had rabbit ears on the TV because the cable is out indefinitely, and the picture's not too clear. Anyone remember the great "hailstorm & twister of '95"? It was the same night of Coalfield H.S. graduation. The parking lot at the high school was full of cars and most all of 'em had windows knocked out by baseball size hail. Two houses up from me was almost destroyed where two huge maple trees were uprooted and crashed through the roof. I think the most damage was in Powell and Halls. My insurance bought a new roof and siding on the house, plus a few storm windows.

I didn't realize someone was killed in Briceville. Yep, I know where some of your relatives live on the River, the Hites and Codays. My mother's family moved to Coalfield from "da River" in 1944 and they knew your grandparents way before then. That be Coal Creek that runs through Lake City.

To anyone interested, click "The Oak Ridger" online: http://www.oakridger.com/ A map is available that traces the path. Once you get the map, click it to zoom in. I'm confused to whether it originated in DeArmond or Deermont. From there it hit Mossy Grove on Hwy 27, then eastward to Joyner. Then I think it went through the mountains of New River to Briceville, then to right outside Lake City (Medford) From what I gather, all Wartburg's football players are accounted for, but some their homes are damaged. Ryan Hamm and Ryan Jackson, to name a couple. So, during my lifetime, I've seen both Wartburg and O.S. declared disaster areas. When I was 14 yrs old, the great flood of 1967 hit O.S. I lived up in the hills of Norwood, high and dry. But my father and I watched the downtown area get bigger than the Tennessee River. The waters lifted a church off its foundation and jammed it into a bridge where the projects are located now across the road from city hall. Most of the downtown area was under 3-4' of water. Boats motored up and down Main St., the National Guard was also called in to prevent looting. [Edited by orangenblack on 11-12-02 6:04P]

Thanks, Goose, I don't think Matt's at home or he would be posting. I can't get through to Kentucky. My neighbors can't get through even to Wartburg on their phone, either, so I doubt we could get Matt. Anderson County Schools are closed, so he's probably not teaching today. We'll hear from him probably later tonight. I'm calling an aunt in Atlanta originally from McCreary County tonight, she probably knows something. Believe it or not, I slept through all this mess last night. I was watching NFL and they kept giving tornado warnings for Morgan County, and I fell asleep on the couch.

Tank, Brian & Goose can give you more information than I. I do know you can go in through the Coalfield side(Fairview Road) up to the "T" toward Mossy Grove. The damage is further, up near Highway 27 headed toward Wartburg. Still no way into Wartburg by Hwy 27....The TN Baptist Convention is setting up a shower unit at Calvary Baptist Church. Wartburg Pharmacy is donating first aid items. No word on how long the telephones and electrictity will be out. Morgan County Schools are closed again tomorrow. Myself, I need to know if anyone from the Scott County area has any information on the McCreary County, KY situation. One church was destroyed during evening service, but no one killed. I have several relatives in this area, too. In Pine Knot. Answer9, heard anything? I don't think anyone died in the Southern KY. [Edited by orangenblack on 11-11-02 2:47P]

Guacamole, is your ballplayer friend a kicker? My neighbor told me his mobile home was destroyed, but I think he is o.k.