🏛️ Courthouse Corner: Sequatchie's School Board Meets Monday, Highway Safety Grants Reach Dunlap and the Valley, Chattanooga Lines Up Two Old Landmarks for Demolition, and a Fake State Email Gets Called Out

Or: A Plain-English Saturday Look at a Monday School Board Agenda, Grant Money for Safer Roads, Two Tired Old Buildings, a Halloween Prank on State Letterhead and the Two Dates That Matter Most This Week

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Saturday, October 31, 2026

Saturday’s courthouse news is like cleaning out the truck before a busy week. You find the receipts, sort out what’s useful and set aside what needs a closer look. The Sequatchie County Board of Education meets Monday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. Its agenda covers the bus garage roof bid, an overview of internal school audits, three student health policies and selling property on Jones Drive. The Tennessee Highway Safety Office is handing out $25 million in federal grants statewide, including $10,000 each for Dunlap police and the Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department, with more going to Pikeville, Marion, Rhea and Hamilton agencies. Chattanooga’s council will look at paying to tear down the old Lamar’s motel and restaurant and the old Farmers Market building. Hamilton County has a couple of new items for Wednesday. And the state’s liquor and hemp regulators say an official-looking email sent Saturday morning is a fake. Through it all: clocks fall back tonight, and Election Day is Tuesday.

We label each item Local (Sequatchie County or Dunlap), Neighbors (nearby counties) or Statewide/Federal. Items on an agenda have not been voted on until the vote happens. This is not an endorsement of any candidate, measure or project, and we don’t tell anyone how to vote. We just explain what was decided and what it means at home.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Tonight: clocks fall back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Set them back before bed.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3, is Election Day. Vote at your own precinct and bring a photo ID. Sequatchie and Bledsoe polls are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sequatchie school board: Monday, Nov. 2, 6 p.m., 878 Cordell Drive, Dunlap. It’s open to the public.
• Safer roads money: Dunlap police and the Sequatchie Sheriff each get $10,000 for impaired-driving enforcement.
• Got an email “from the state” saying hemp rules were lifted? It’s fake. Don’t click it.
• Nothing here asks you to do anything new or worrisome. It’s mostly agendas, grants and reminders.

🏫 Sequatchie’s School Board Meets Monday: Bus Garage Roof, Audits, Health Policies and Jones Drive (Local, Update)

The Sequatchie County Board of Education holds its regular meeting Monday, Nov. 2, at 6:00 p.m. at the board office, 878 Cordell Drive in Dunlap. The agenda is posted on the school system website with a letter dated Oct. 29 from Director of Schools Sarai Pierce. Sam Hudson chairs the board and Gregory K. Johnson is vice-chair.

Here’s what’s on the list, in plain English:

• A visit from the soccer team: Coach Blevins and the Sequatchie County High School girls’ soccer team are scheduled to speak to the board.
• Bus garage roof bid: We told you earlier this month that the board was asking for sealed bids to re-roof the school bus garage. Now the roof bid for the bus garage south property is up for discussion. A road project for the same property is also on the agenda.
• Internal school audits: The board will get an overview. Think of it as checking the books on school accounts like clubs and fundraisers.
• Policies: The board will give a first reading to policy 4.700, Testing Programs. It will give second readings to 6.405, Medicines; 6.412, Emergency Allergy Response Plan; and 6.4052, Administration of Opioid Antagonist. That last one covers the overdose-reversal medicine schools keep on hand.
• Jones Drive: The board talks again about selling the property at 76 Jones Drive. In October, the board approved selling an unused Jones Drive tract next to the new bus garage.
• Also listed: an Agricultural Facility Addendum and personnel information.

What it means for you: If you have a child in Sequatchie schools, the health policies matter most. They spell out how medicine, allergy emergencies and overdose-reversal medicine are handled at school. If you live near Jones Drive or the bus garage, Monday’s discussion shows where the property and roof plans stand. Policies usually take two readings, so a second reading is normally the final step. The board’s next regular meeting is Monday, Dec. 7, with a working session Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 5:30 p.m. at Patron restaurant.

👉 Read more: Sequatchie County Schools board agenda page

🚓 Highway Safety Grants Reach Dunlap, Pikeville, Marion, Rhea and Hamilton (Statewide + Local + Neighbors)

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office is distributing $25 million in federal grants for highway safety education and enforcement. The money comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and covers more than 350 grants, plus about $3 million in media grants for statewide safety campaigns. Here’s what agencies close to home received:

• Sequatchie County (Local): Dunlap Police Department, impaired driving enforcement, $10,000. Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department, impaired driving enforcement, $10,000.
• Bledsoe County: Pikeville Police Department, high visibility enforcement, $5,000. Pikeville Volunteer Fire Department EMS, extrication equipment, $12,500. That’s the gear used to free people from wrecked vehicles.
• Marion County: Sheriff’s Department, $32,000 for impaired driving enforcement and $20,000 for traffic services. South Pittsburg Police, $5,000.
• Rhea County: Rhea County Sheriff’s Office, $79,916.10 for child passenger safety and $15,000 for impaired driving. Dayton Police, $12,000. Spring City Police, $5,000.
• 12th Judicial District (our district): the District Attorney’s office, $374,776 for DUI prosecution.
• Hamilton County: Chattanooga Police, $176,000. Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, $100,000. 11th District DA, $451,000 for DUI prosecution. Signal Centers Family Forward, $25,000 for child passenger safety. Collegedale, Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy, Signal Mountain, East Ridge and Lookout Mountain police also received grants.

For comparison, last year’s round gave Dunlap police $20,000 and the Sequatchie Sheriff $19,999.10, so this year’s local awards are smaller. The news lists we checked didn’t show Grundy or Van Buren agencies. That doesn’t mean they got nothing, only that they weren’t in those lists. On Wednesday, the Hamilton County Commission is set to formally accept its sheriff’s $100,000 award, with no local match, and add it to the sheriff’s budget.

What it means for you: Expect to see officers working sobriety and traffic enforcement, especially around holidays. It’s paid for with federal highway safety dollars rather than local property taxes. The Rhea child-seat money usually pays for car seat checks and seats for families. If you’re in Rhea County with a little one, call the sheriff’s office and ask about it. Practical takeaway: plan a sober ride, buckle everybody, and don’t be surprised by a checkpoint.

👉 Read more: SValleyNow — Several local police departments receive grants

🏚️ Chattanooga Lines Up Two Old Landmarks for Demolition: Lamar’s and the Old Farmers Market Building (Neighbors)

Chattanooga’s proposed agenda for Tuesday, Nov. 10 includes a resolution to add $300,000 to the city’s on-call demolition contract with Tower Construction, LLC, for a revised total not to exceed $700,000. The city says the increase covers two commercial structures. The council previews next week’s items at its meeting this Tuesday.

The Chattanoogan reports which two buildings they are:

• The old Lamar’s Restaurant and Motel on M.L. King Boulevard: about $308,661 to tear down. It opened in 1970, closed in 2017, had a fire in 2022 and has been boarded up since.
• The old Farmers Market (“curb market”) building on East 11th Street, behind the police precinct: about $83,972.

Both would come down to the base concrete. The same proposed agenda also includes retiring police K-9 Baba from service, more design work on the Lakeside Safe Routes to School project, and several rezonings up for first reading.

What it means for you: If you drive into Chattanooga for appointments or shopping, two long-empty buildings may finally come down. That’s a cleanup that usually makes a block safer and easier to redevelop. For a lot of folks the Lamar’s name brings back memories, so it’s a fine time to pull out an old photo and tell the grandkids about it. Nothing is final until the council votes.

👉 Read more: Chattanoogan — 2 Chattanooga landmarks to be demolished

🏢 Hamilton County’s Wednesday Meeting: A Library Update, a Talk on Data Center Rules and a Few New Line Items (Neighbors)

On Tuesday we walked through the big items on the Hamilton County Commission’s Wednesday, Nov. 4 agenda, like the Veterans Treatment Court grant and Seniors’ Night Out. The commission meets at 5 p.m. Eastern (4 p.m. Central). Here’s what else is on the list:

• Two presentations: an update from the Chattanooga Public Library, and a talk from the UT Center for Local Planning on data center ordinances. That’s how a county can write rules for where big computer server buildings go and what they must do.
• Building and kitchen upkeep: a Daikin HVAC system for the Cromwell administration building ($192,542) and a large stationary cooking kettle and equipment for the sheriff’s office ($54,056.99).
• Software: OpenGov software for Public Works, $1,204,268.94 over five years.
• Health department: a continuing state contract of up to $175,000 for medical case management, and an application for up to $300,000 in federal money for a telehealth nutrition program run through the Homeless Healthcare Clinic.
• A nice touch: championship rings, up to $1,200 each, for Signal Mountain High athletes who won events at the state track meet and Ooltewah High‘s state champion women’s golfers.
• Also: rezonings on Maplewood Lane and two Ethics Committee appointments.

What it means for you: Most of this is ordinary housekeeping, like replacing the furnace and buying a bigger soup pot. The data center presentation is worth watching even from the Valley. Counties all over Tennessee are being asked about these projects, and how Hamilton County approaches it could shape the conversation in our neighboring counties.

👉 Read more: Hamilton County Commission agenda (PDF)

📧 “That Email Is a Fake”: TABC Says Hemp Rules Were Not Lifted (Statewide)

Saturday morning, an official-looking email on what appeared to be Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission letterhead claimed that all hemp product restrictions had been lifted, that kratom was cleared for sale and that store inspections were no longer required. TABC quickly called it “A FAKE.”

Aaron Rummage, TABC’s director of legislation, policy and communication, said hemp restrictions remain in effect. The agency told licensees that its laws, rules, licensing requirements, product restrictions, inspections and enforcement are all still in place, and asked them not to click any links, reply or rely on the message.

What it means for you: If you run a store that sells hemp products, nothing changed. Keep following the same rules and keep your inspections on the calendar. For everybody else, it’s a good reminder that a fancy letterhead doesn’t make something official. Check the agency’s own website or call the number you already have, not the one in the email.

👉 Read more: Chattanoogan — No, hemp restrictions are not being lifted by TABC

🕰️ Tonight and Tuesday: The Two Dates That Matter Most (Statewide + Local, Reminder)

Tonight: Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks go back to 1 a.m. You get an extra hour of sleep, and it’ll be darker earlier in the evenings.

Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day. Early voting is over, so vote at your assigned precinct, which may not be where you voted early. Bring a state or federal photo ID. A Tennessee driver’s license works even if it’s expired. In Sequatchie and Bledsoe counties, polls are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you’re in line when polls close, stay in line and you can still vote. You can look up your precinct and sample ballot on GoVoteTN.

What it means for you: Two simple jobs. Turn the clocks back tonight, and put your ID by your keys for Tuesday.

👉 Read more: GoVoteTN — find your precinct and sample ballot

⏳ Still Waiting and the Week Ahead

• Marion County Commission (Neighbors): Written minutes from the Oct. 26 meeting still aren’t posted. We’ll report decisions once they are.
• Chattanooga City Council (Neighbors): Tuesday, Nov. 3, 3:30 p.m. Eastern, including the final vote on the $29.3 million budget amendment. The demolition item is on the proposed agenda for Nov. 10.
• Hamilton County Commission (Neighbors): votes Wednesday, Nov. 4.
• Rhea County Commission (Neighbors): workshop Tuesday, Nov. 10, and regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17, both at 6 p.m. Eastern at the Phil Swafford Building in Dayton.
• Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners (Local): meets on the third Thursday, which is Nov. 19. The agenda hasn’t been posted yet.
• Election results (Statewide + Local): counting starts after polls close Tuesday night. Results are unofficial until certified.

🗓️ Dates to Put on the Fridge

• Sun., Nov. 1, 2 a.m.: Clocks fall back one hour. Set them back tonight.
• Mon., Nov. 2, 6 p.m.: Sequatchie County Board of Education, 878 Cordell Drive, Dunlap.
• Tue., Nov. 3: Election Day. Sequatchie and Bledsoe polls open 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Bring a photo ID.
• Wed., Nov. 4, 4 p.m. Central: Hamilton County Commission votes.
• Tue., Nov. 10, 6 p.m. Eastern: Rhea County Commission workshop.
• Thu., Nov. 12, 1 p.m.: Sequatchie Opioid Abatement Committee, courthouse.
• Mon., Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m.: Sequatchie County Commission.
• Tue., Nov. 17, 6 p.m. Eastern: Rhea County Commission regular meeting.
• Thu., Nov. 19: Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners (third-Thursday schedule). Sequatchie Records Commission, 5:30 p.m.
• Tue., Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m., and Mon., Dec. 7: Sequatchie school board working session and next regular meeting.

✅ Your Calm Little Checklist

• ☐ Turn the clocks back an hour tonight. The oven and truck clocks count too.
• ☐ Put your photo ID with your keys for Tuesday, and check your precinct on GoVoteTN.
• ☐ If you have a student in Sequatchie schools, skim the health policies on Monday’s agenda.
• ☐ Delete any email “from the state” that says rules were suddenly lifted. Check the real website instead.
• ☐ Holiday driving is coming: plan a sober ride, and get the little ones’ car seats checked.

Practical rule: Tonight, the clocks. Monday, the school board. Tuesday, your ID and your own precinct. If an email says everything changed overnight, it probably didn’t.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Words From Today’s News

• Second reading: School board policies usually need two votes. The second one normally makes the policy official.
• Opioid antagonist: A medicine, like naloxone, that can reverse an opioid overdose. School policy covers who can give it and how.
• Internal audit: A check of a school’s own accounts, like club and activity money, to make sure every dollar is tracked.
• High visibility enforcement: Extra traffic patrols that are meant to be seen, so drivers slow down and buckle up.
• Extrication equipment: Rescue tools, sometimes called the “Jaws of Life,” used to free people from wrecked vehicles.
• On-call (blanket) contract: A standing agreement that lets a city hire a company for jobs as needed, up to a set dollar limit.
• Data center ordinance: Local rules for where large computer server buildings can go and what they must do about noise, power and water.

❓ FAQ

Can I go to Monday’s Sequatchie school board meeting?

Yes. It’s a public meeting, Monday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. at 878 Cordell Drive in Dunlap. The full agenda is on the Sequatchie County Schools website.

Does the grant money raise my taxes?

No. The highway safety grants are federal dollars passed through the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. Hamilton County’s $100,000 sheriff’s award requires no local match.

Why did Dunlap get less than last year?

Grant amounts change each year based on the applications and the state’s funding decisions. The published lists don’t give a reason. If you’re curious, Dunlap’s police chief or city hall at 423-949-2115 could explain.

Is Lamar’s being torn down for sure?

Not yet. The money is on Chattanooga’s proposed agenda for Nov. 10. The council has to vote before the work is approved.

I got the TABC email. What should I do?

Delete it, and don’t click any links or reply. TABC says all hemp rules, licensing and inspections are still in effect.

What time do polls close Tuesday?

7 p.m. Central in Sequatchie and Bledsoe counties, which open at 9 a.m. If you’re in line at closing time, stay in line and you can still vote.

🔗 Other Resources

• Sequatchie County Schools board agendas
• SValleyNow: highway safety grants by county
• Local 3 News: $25M in highway safety grants across Tennessee
• Chattanoogan: 2 Chattanooga landmarks to be demolished
• Chattanooga City Council agenda, Nov. 3, with Nov. 10 proposed items (PDF)
• Hamilton County Commission agenda (PDF)
• Chattanoogan: TABC says hemp email is fake
• GoVoteTN: precinct, sample ballot and voter lookup
• Tennessee photo ID requirements
• City of Dunlap government page
• Dunlap.Directory: find local businesses and services

🌿 Keep Learning, Stay Calm

This week’s government news reads more like a to-do list than a thunderstorm: a school board meeting, some grant money for safer roads, two old buildings ready to retire and one prank email that got caught quickly. Take what helps you, leave the rest, and if an item touches your road, your school or your wallet, a phone call to the right office beats a night of worry. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep tonight. For more plain-English local news every day, read Dunlap.Today.