🗳️ Early Voting Opens Today, City Hall Agenda Is Posted, County Commission Moves to November

Or: Ballot Window Is Open, Main Street Rezoning Is on Thursday’s Agenda, and Oct. 19 Is Off

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Yesterday’s preview is obsolete. Today’s facts are simpler: early voting is open, Thursday’s City Hall agenda is posted, and the County Commission date we kept hedging needs a hard correction.

Here is the short stack: early voting for the Nov. 3 election runs today through Thursday, Oct. 29 — call 423-949-2431 for Sequatchie’s site and hours (still not clearly online). Dunlap City Hall meets tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. with Ordinance No. 321 (1466 and 1494 Main Street rezoning) and a sludge mitigation proposal on the posted agenda. Do not plan on a Sequatchie County Commission meeting Monday, Oct. 19 — the Tribune reported the next regular session for November. School-board outcomes from Monday’s Griffith meeting are still not posted. Seniors: ACT Event 2’s paper window was yesterday; Event 3 paper is Oct. 27; TN Promise apps are due Nov. 2.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Today – Thu., Oct. 29: Early voting. Call Election Commission 423-949-2431 before you leave work. Photo ID: TN or federal.
• Thu., Oct. 15, 5 p.m.: Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners, 15595 Rankin Ave. Agenda posted: Ord. 321 Main Street rezoning + sludge proposal. City Hall 423-949-2115.
• Mon., Oct. 19: Not Sequatchie County Commission (November per Tribune). Neighbor note: Bledsoe Commission meets 7 p.m. in Pikeville.
• Fri., Oct. 16: Homecoming parade morning (library weekly lists 9:30 a.m. — call ahead). Football 7 p.m.
• Seniors: ACT Event 3 paper Oct. 27; TN Promise due Mon., Nov. 2 via collegefortn.org.

🗳️ Early Voting Opens Today — One Call Before You Leave Work

Early voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 state and federal general election runs Wednesday, Oct. 14, through Thursday, Oct. 29. Tennessee does not require an excuse to vote early.

Sequatchie County Election Commission:

• Administrator: Jerrie Holland
• Address: 68 Spring St., Dunlap
• Phone: 423-949-2431 · Email: seqelection@bledsoe.net
• Listed office hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (early-voting hours can differ — call ahead)

Counties set early-voting locations and hours locally. Sequatchie’s full schedule was still not published clearly online as of this morning — call ahead before you rearrange a lunch break. Bring a current or expired photo ID issued by the State of Tennessee or the federal government. A college ID or out-of-state ID does not count.

On the ballot statewide: state and federal races plus three proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution (yes/no each). Sequatchie voters see U.S. House District 4 and Tennessee House District 31; there is no state Senate seat on the ballot in Sequatchie this cycle (odd-numbered districts only). Confirm your own sample ballot at GoVoteTN.gov — addresses can split districts inside one county.

Absentee by mail requires an approved excuse; written requests must reach the Election Office by Saturday, Oct. 24.

Neighbor notes: Bledsoe County has posted early-voting hours at the Pikeville courthouse (3150 Main St., Suite 700); Bledsoe election office 423-447-2776. Marion has posted a Jasper schedule at the Election Commission on Academy Ave. — if you vote there, confirm late-window days. Sequatchie hours are set separately; always call our office.

What it means for you: Treat early voting like a Tuesday grocery run, not a Saturday rush. Call 423-949-2431 this morning, put your photo ID with your keys, and glance at the sample ballot before you go. This is not an endorsement of any race or amendment.

👉 Read more (Tennessee Firefly: Sequatchie voting) · GoVoteTN · Dunlap.Today: Early voting opens

🏛️ City Hall Tomorrow at 5 — Agenda Posted: Ord. 321 and Sludge

The City of Dunlap has posted the agenda for the regular meeting of the Board of Mayor and Commissioners, Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5:00 p.m., in the Commission Room of the George L. Wagner Municipal Building, 15595 Rankin Ave. The meeting opens with prayer and the Pledge; public comment on the approved agenda comes near the start.

Items on the posted agenda include:

• Ordinance No. 321 — to amend the zoning map at 1466 and 1494 Main Street.
• Water, Wastewater and Street Department: discussion and approval of a sludge mitigation proposal (sludge is the solid material left after treating wastewater).
• Gas Department: an adjustment on one customer account (listed as 57-5320-00).
• Police, fire, gas, water and financial reports; approval of department reports.

The agenda does not say which way the rezoning would go or what the sludge plan would cost. If either one matters to you — especially if you live or own near those Main Street addresses — Thursday at 5 is when you hear the details. City Hall: 423-949-2115. To speak on something not already on the agenda, submit a request form at City Hall during business hours.

What it means for you: Skim the agenda tonight (it is on dunlaptn.gov/government). Show up if Main Street rezoning or utility work touches your property or commute. Short and on-topic beats a long rant — and listening quietly still beats learning the outcome on Facebook three days later.

👉 Read more (City of Dunlap: Oct. 15 agenda) · Public notice: Oct. 15 meeting

📋 Correction: County Commission Next in November — Not Oct. 19

Earlier editions flagged Monday, Oct. 19, as a possible Sequatchie County Commission slot based on the CTAS third-Monday-in-October pattern. That was a hedge, and it needs a hard stop.

The Dunlap-Tribune, covering the Sept. 21 regular meeting, reported the commission “is scheduled to meet again in regular session in November.” A resolution on procedural rules was postponed to that November meeting. As of this morning, the county events calendar still shows no October commission agenda.

Do not put Oct. 19 on your work calendar as a Sequatchie County Commission meeting unless the county posts one. County offices: 423-949-3479, 22 Cherry St. (Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.). Past meetings have streamed on BTC Fiber’s YouTube channel.

At that September meeting, commissioners approved grant-funded Fair Building work on Heard Street (restrooms and roof) — home to the Sequatchie Senior Center, Fellowship of Churches Food Bank, Fair Association and Children’s Advocacy Center. Watch the November agenda for follow-up.

Neighbor note: Bledsoe County Commission meets Monday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Bledsoe County Courthouse in Pikeville (public notice filed). That is Bledsoe’s meeting, not Sequatchie’s.

What it means for you: Scratch the false Oct. 19 Sequatchie date. If you care about fair-building work, roads, salt budgets or opioid-abatement spending, watch for the November agenda and call 423-949-3479 if you need the exact day once it posts.

👉 Read more (Dunlap-Tribune: Sept. 21 commission) · County events calendar · Bledsoe Commission notice (Oct. 19)

🏫 School Board: Still Waiting on Monday’s Outcomes

The Sequatchie County Board of Education met in regular session Monday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at Griffith Elementary (meal 5 p.m.), after shifting a week for fall break. The posted agenda included first readings on school medicines, the emergency allergy response plan and opioid-antagonist use; approval of the three-year District Improvement Plan and TISA Accountability Report; a Griffith student presentation; selecting a board legislative liaison; and discussion of district property at 76 Jones Drive.

As of Wednesday morning, neither Dunlap.Today nor the district board-agenda page had posted meeting outcomes or minutes. That is still normal two mornings later — it does not mean nothing happened. Watch for follow-up notes. The Oct. 12 agenda PDF remains linked from sequatchieschools.net.

Next dates already on the district calendar:

• Working session: Tuesday, Oct. 27
• Next regular meeting: Monday, Nov. 2

What it means for you: A first reading is not final. If your kid carries an EpiPen or takes medicine at school, those policy items were why Monday mattered. When follow-up posts land, skim them once — you do not need a speech to stay informed.

👉 Read more (Sequatchie Schools: Board agendas) · Dunlap.Today: Board night preview

🎒 Schools This Week: Homecoming Friday, ACT Event 3 Oct. 27, TN Promise Nov. 2

It is still Homecoming Week. Spirit days from district posts: Wild West (Wed) · Together Forever (Thu) · Go Indians (Fri).

Seniors — advance the calendar: Free school-day ACT Event 2 paper window was Tue., Oct. 13 (online windows Oct. 13–16 and Oct. 19–23). If your school already ran it, you are done for Event 2. Event 3 paper is Oct. 27 — ask SCHS counseling which day Sequatchie picked. TN Promise (last-dollar community college / TCAT scholarship) applications for the Class of 2027 are due Nov. 2, 2026 through the THEC Student Portal at collegefortn.org. Sequatchie seniors are coordinated through tnAchieves.

Friday morning parade, Oct. 16: The library’s weekly post lists 9:30 a.m. (an earlier calendar line had said 9 a.m.) — call ahead or arrive early. Football: Community at Sequatchie, Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. (homecoming). Deeper game coverage lives in the Valley GenX Sports & Youth edition.

National School Lunch Week runs through Oct. 16. Confirm meal setup or allergy notes: 423-949-3617.

Neighbors: Marion and Hamilton County schools are on fall break Oct. 12–16 — mixed-county households still need a childcare plan through Friday.

What it means for you: Pin three things: confirm Friday’s parade time before you leave work, put ACT Event 3 / Oct. 27 on the counseling call list if needed, and put TN Promise Nov. 2 on the fridge. Leave extra minutes Friday morning — buses and parade traffic slow downtown.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: Sunday fridge list) · TN Promise / College for TN · MaxPreps: Indians schedule

🚌 Still Open: Bus Garage Roof Bids Due Oct. 26

The Sequatchie County Board of Education is still taking sealed bids to replace the roof on the school bus garage at 14999 Rankin Ave. Public notice (Oct. 1): about 9,000 square feet of roof — tear-off, decking replacement, roughly 3,000 square feet of new trusses, and white 24-gauge metal roofing.

• Bids due: Monday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. CT
• Site visit required before bidding, weekdays 8 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
• Licensed and insured; contractors handle permits
• Deliver sealed bids to 878 Cordell Drive, labeled ATTN: Scotty Holland, BG Roof Bid

What it means for you: Taxpayers: this is how school facilities get fixed — sealed bids, not rumor. Contractors: if you can do commercial metal roofing and have not done the site visit yet, the clock is already running.

👉 Read more (NoticeRegistry bid notice)

🚧 Roads: Oct. 8–14 TDOT Window Ends Today — Watch for Thursday’s Update

TDOT’s Lower East / Upper Cumberland roadway report for Oct. 8–14 was still the latest posted as of this morning (today is the last day of that window; a newer weekly report often lands Thursday). Sequatchie County resurfacing with flagger-controlled single-lane closures:

• SR-111 near Lewis Chapel Road to near East Valley Road (cold in-place recycling).
• SR-399 from the Grundy County line to near SR-111.
• SR-8 from south of Whitlow Road to north of Sherman Road.

Heading to Chattanooga at night? I-24 in Marion County (about mile markers 152–156) has single-lane closures Sunday–Thursday nights, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., with intermittent full ramp closures (at least one ramp each direction remains open).

What it means for you: Add ten minutes on Valley roads. Daytime is the easier I-24 window if you can shift the commute. Check SmartWay before a night run over the mountain — and refresh after Thursday’s report if it posts.

👉 Read more (TDOT roadway report Oct. 8–14) · TDOT SmartWay

📌 Quick Pointers (Not the Lead Stories)

For Gen X parents and taxpayers who also manage aging-parent logistics:

• Medicare Open Enrollment starts tomorrow, Thu., Oct. 15 (through Dec. 7). Free, no-sales help: TN SHIP 1-877-801-0044. Deeper coverage lives in other editions.
• Social Security’s 2027 COLA: As of this morning, SSA’s COLA page still showed last year’s 2.8% figure. The official 2027 number was due after today’s 7:30 a.m. Central inflation report — check ssa.gov/cola later today; do not trust a forwarded “unlocked” raise text.
• Burn permits start statewide tomorrow (home/real-estate edition covers that in depth).
• Local brief: Tribune reported a magnitude 2.1 quake southeast of Dunlap near Stonecave Road on Oct. 6 at 5:05 a.m. — low end of what people can feel; nothing to do about it.

👉 Medicare Open Enrollment · SSA COLA page · Tribune: Small earthquake

📅 Week-Ahead Government & Schools Calendar (Wed Oct 14 – Wed Oct 21)

• Wed., Oct. 14: Early voting opens (through Oct. 29). Call 423-949-2431. TDOT Oct. 8–14 report window ends today.
• Thu., Oct. 15, 5 p.m.: Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners, 15595 Rankin Ave. — Ord. 321 + sludge on posted agenda. (Medicare OE and burn-permit season also start — other editions.)
• Fri., Oct. 16: Homecoming parade morning (library weekly lists 9:30 a.m. — call ahead). Football 7 p.m. Gusty/cooler afternoon per NWS.
• Sat.–Sun., Oct. 17–18: Days of Yesteryear free tractor show downtown (weekend edition) — optional family calendar pointer.
• Mon., Oct. 19: No Sequatchie County Commission (November per Tribune). Bledsoe Commission 7 p.m. Pikeville (neighbor).
• Tue., Oct. 20: Free walk-in flu shots 9–4 at 16939 Rankin Ave (call ahead 423-949-3619) — health edition; keep watching for board follow-up notes and any new TDOT weekly report.
• Wed., Oct. 21: Keep watching City Hall outcomes from Thursday and any school-board follow-up.
• Looking ahead: Absentee request deadline Sat., Oct. 24 · Bus garage roof bids Mon., Oct. 26, 10 a.m. CT · Board working session / ACT Event 3 Tue., Oct. 27 · TN Promise / next board Mon., Nov. 2 · Election Day Tue., Nov. 3 · Veterans Day Wed., Nov. 11 (no school).

✅ Your Gen X Government & Schools Checklist

• ✅ Call 423-949-2431 today for early-voting site and hours; pull your sample ballot at GoVoteTN.gov; put photo ID with your keys.
• ✅ Skim the posted Dunlap agenda (Ord. 321 + sludge) if you might speak Thursday at 5 — or just listen. City Hall 423-949-2115.
• ✅ Scratch Sequatchie County Commission off Mon., Oct. 19 unless the county posts otherwise — next regular session reported for November (call 423-949-3479).
• ✅ Watch for school-board follow-up from Monday’s Griffith meeting; next regular board is Nov. 2.
• ✅ Seniors: confirm ACT Event 3 (paper Oct. 27) with counseling if needed; put TN Promise Nov. 2 on the calendar.
• ✅ Confirm Friday’s parade time (library weekly lists 9:30 a.m.) before you leave work.
• ✅ Contractors: schedule the bus-garage site visit before the Oct. 26 bid deadline.
• ✅ Build ten minutes into SR-111 / SR-399 / SR-8 trips; avoid night I-24 work zones when you can; refresh after Thursday’s TDOT report if it posts.
• ✅ Aging parents: Medicare OE starts tomorrow — SHIP 1-877-801-0044; check ssa.gov/cola for the official 2027 number later today.
• ✅ Bookmark Dunlap.Today, sequatchieschools.net agendas, and dunlaptn.gov.

Practical rule: Confirm the voting site, read the posted agenda, and delete the false Commission date — rumor is free, a wasted trip is not.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Local Government & Schools Glossary

• First reading: The first time a school board reviews a new or changed policy. It votes again before the change is final.
• Ordinance: A city law. Ordinance No. 321 on Thursday’s agenda would amend the zoning map for two Main Street parcels if adopted through the city’s process.
• Sludge mitigation: A plan to handle the solid leftovers from treating wastewater — usually disposal, hauling or treatment, not a street-sweeping project.
• Rezoning: Changing what uses a parcel is allowed under the zoning map (residential, commercial, etc.).
• Opioid antagonist: Emergency medicine (such as naloxone / Narcan) that can reverse an opioid overdose.
• TISA: Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement — the state formula that sends school dollars based on student needs.
• Early voting: Casting a ballot in person during a set window before Election Day; no excuse required in Tennessee.
• Sample ballot: A preview of the races and questions that will appear for your address.
• Constitutional amendment: A proposed change to the state constitution that voters approve or reject yes/no.
• Board of Mayor and Commissioners: Dunlap’s city governing board; regular meetings are open to the public.
• Sealed bid: A price submitted in a closed envelope by a deadline so bidders cannot match each other beforehand.
• TN Promise: Last-dollar scholarship that can cover tuition and mandatory fees at a Tennessee community college or TCAT after other gift aid.
• Agenda: The list of items a board will discuss and vote on; posted before the meeting when required.
• COLA: Cost-of-living adjustment — the automatic annual change to Social Security benefits based on inflation data.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I early-vote in Sequatchie County?

Call the Election Commission at 423-949-2431. Statewide early voting is Oct. 14–29; counties set sites and hours locally, and Sequatchie’s schedule is not clearly posted online as of this morning.

What is on Thursday’s City Hall agenda?

Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m., Commission Room, 15595 Rankin Ave. Posted items include Ordinance No. 321 (zoning map at 1466 and 1494 Main Street), a sludge mitigation proposal, a gas account adjustment, and department/financial reports. See dunlaptn.gov/government or call 423-949-2115.

Is there a Sequatchie County Commission meeting Oct. 19?

No — not as currently reported. The Dunlap-Tribune said after the Sept. 21 meeting that the next regular session is in November. No October agenda is posted. Call 423-949-3479 before you plan around any date. (Bledsoe Commission does meet Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in Pikeville.)

What happened at Monday’s school board meeting?

The board met at Griffith with public comment and first readings on medicine, allergy and opioid-response policies plus the District Improvement Plan and TISA report. As of Wednesday morning, no outcomes or minutes were posted online — watch Dunlap.Today and the district agenda page for follow-up. Next regular meeting: Mon., Nov. 2.

Are the medicine and allergy policy changes final?

Not from a first reading alone. The board would need to vote again before changes become final.

When are bus garage roof bids due?

Monday, Oct. 26, at 10 a.m. CT, sealed, to 878 Cordell Drive, ATTN: Scotty Holland, BG Roof Bid. Site visit required first.

What senior deadlines matter now?

ACT Event 2 paper window was Oct. 13 (confirm with counseling if your school is still in an online window). Event 3 paper is Oct. 27. TN Promise applications for the Class of 2027 are due Nov. 2 at collegefortn.org.

When is the homecoming parade?

Friday morning, Oct. 16. The library’s weekly post lists 9:30 a.m. (an earlier line said 9 a.m.) — treat the minute as call-ahead and arrive early. Football is 7 p.m.

📎 Other Resources

• Sequatchie County Schools board agendas: sequatchieschools.net/school-board-agenda · Main office 423-949-3617
• City of Dunlap: dunlaptn.gov/government · 423-949-2115
• Sequatchie County Government: sequatchiecountytn.gov · 423-949-3479
• Election Commission: 68 Spring St. · 423-949-2431 · GoVoteTN.gov
• TDOT SmartWay: smartway.tn.gov
• TN Promise / College for TN: collegefortn.org
• Sequatchie County Public Library: sequatchielibrary.org · 423-949-2357
• SSA COLA: ssa.gov/cola · Medicare OE: Medicare.gov
• Local news home base: Dunlap.Today

🌄 Keep the Meetings Short and the Facts Straight

When the week fills up — a ballot window that is finally open, a City Hall agenda that is actually posted, and a Commission date that needed correcting — the useful move is the boring one: call for the voting site, read Ord. 321 before Thursday at 5, and delete the false Oct. 19 Sequatchie date. We will keep watching the posted notices so you can spend the rest of your bandwidth on work, kids and the aging parents who still ask what the commission “really” decided.

For the next calm Sequatchie government and schools skim — and more Valley news you can use — keep reading Dunlap.Today.