🏛️ City Hall Meets Tonight on Main Street Rezoning, Early Voting Continues, Homecoming Is Tomorrow

Or: Ord. 321 and Sludge at 5, Ballot Window Day 2, and Leave Early for Friday’s Parade

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Thursday, October 15, 2026

Yesterday’s “tomorrow” is tonight. Dunlap City Hall meets at 5 p.m. with Ordinance No. 321 (1466 and 1494 Main Street) and a sludge mitigation proposal on the posted agenda. Early voting is day 2 of the Oct. 14–29 window — Sequatchie’s site and hours are still not clearly online, so call 423-949-2431 before you leave work. Homecoming is tomorrow (parade morning, football 7 p.m.). School-board outcomes from Monday’s Griffith meeting are still not posted. Official 2027 Social Security COLA is 3.6% — one line for anyone planning around aging parents; Boomers own the deep dive.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Tonight, Thu., Oct. 15, 5 p.m.: Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners, 15595 Rankin Ave. Agenda: Ord. 321 Main Street rezoning + sludge proposal. City Hall 423-949-2115.
• Through Thu., Oct. 29: Early voting day 2+. Call Election Commission 423-949-2431 for site/hours. Photo ID: TN or federal.
• Fri., Oct. 16: Homecoming parade morning (library weekly lists 9:30 a.m. — call ahead). Football 7 p.m. Gusty/cooler per NWS.
• Mon., Oct. 19: Still not Sequatchie County Commission (November per Tribune). Neighbor: Bledsoe Commission 7 p.m. Pikeville.
• Seniors: ACT Event 3 paper Oct. 27; TN Promise due Mon., Nov. 2 via collegefortn.org.

🏛️ City Hall Tonight at 5 — Ord. 321 and Sludge on the Posted Agenda

The City of Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners meets in regular session tonight, 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 still on the posted agenda:

• 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.

As of this morning the meeting has not happened, so there are no decisions to report yet. The agenda still 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 — tonight at 5 is when you hear the details firsthand. 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: Leave work with enough cushion to be in the Commission Room by 5 if Main Street 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. We will share what was decided once it is published.

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

🗳️ Early Voting Day 2 — Still 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. Today is day 2. 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 Jasper schedules — 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 if you have not already, 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 / City Hall

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

Do not put Monday, Oct. 19 on your work calendar as a Sequatchie County Commission meeting unless the county posts one. 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.

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 — 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: Keep Oct. 19 scratched for Sequatchie. If you care about fair-building work, roads, salt budgets or opioid-abatement spending, watch for the November agenda and call 423-949-3479 once the exact day posts.

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

🏫 School Board: Still Waiting on Monday’s Outcomes (Short Update)

The Sequatchie County Board of Education met in regular session Monday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at Griffith Elementary. As of Thursday morning, neither Dunlap.Today nor the district board-agenda page had posted meeting outcomes or minutes. We will not invent votes. The Oct. 12 agenda PDF remains linked from sequatchieschools.net. Agenda items families were watching included first readings on school medicines, the emergency allergy response plan and opioid-antagonist use; the District Improvement Plan and TISA Accountability Report; and discussion of district property at 76 Jones Drive.

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. 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 minutes still not posted

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

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

Tomorrow morning parade, Fri., 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). Leave extra minutes Friday morning — buses and parade traffic slow downtown. Deeper game coverage lives in the Valley GenX Sports & Youth edition. NWS has a cooler, gustier Friday afternoon into a Saturday-night low near 38 — jackets for outdoor Friday night if you are staying through the game.

Seniors: Free school-day ACT Event 2 paper window was Tue., Oct. 13. 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.

National School Lunch Week wraps Friday, Oct. 16. Confirm meal setup or allergy notes: 423-949-3617. Neighbors: Marion and Hamilton County schools are on fall break through Friday — mixed-county households still need a childcare plan today and tomorrow.

What it means for you: Pin three things: confirm tomorrow’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.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: Homecoming Oct. 16) · 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 Is Past — Watch for the Next Weekly Report

TDOT’s Lower East / Upper Cumberland roadway report for Oct. 8–14 was still the latest posted as of this morning (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). Also watch: Popular Springs Road in Marion County closes Mon.–Thu., Oct. 19–22, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central for paving, weather permitting (SValleyNow). Hamilton County notes in the same TDOT package include I-24 eastbound pothole work tonight 9 p.m.–6 a.m. Friday (MM 179–183) if you are running that corridor.

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 when Thursday’s next weekly report posts.

👉 Read more (TDOT roadway report Oct. 8–14) · SValleyNow: Popular Springs closure · TDOT SmartWay

📌 Quick Pointers (Not the Lead Stories)

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

• Official 2027 Social Security COLA is 3.6% (SSA announced Oct. 14). Average retired worker: about $2,094 a month now to about $2,170 after, starting with January 2027 payments. Automatic — nobody needs a fee or gift card to “unlock” it. Deeper coverage lives in other editions.
• Medicare Open Enrollment opens today through Mon., Dec. 7. Free, no-sales help: TN SHIP 1-877-801-0044.
• Burn permits are required starting today statewide (home/real-estate edition covers that in depth). Skip windy Friday.
• Local brief: Dunlap Police warned Wednesday about texts pretending to be church leaders asking for Green Dot cards — not legitimate. Report: Dunlap PD 423-949-3319.
• Tue., Oct. 20: Free walk-in flu shots 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at 16939 Rankin Ave (call ahead 423-949-3619).

👉 SSA: 3.6% COLA for 2027 · Medicare Open Enrollment · SValleyNow: Dunlap PD scam warning

📅 Week-Ahead Government & Schools Calendar (Thu Oct 15 – Thu Oct 22)

• Thu., Oct. 15 (today), 5 p.m.: Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners, 15595 Rankin Ave. — Ord. 321 + sludge. Early voting continues. 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. Saturday night low near 38.
• Mon., Oct. 19: No Sequatchie County Commission (November per Tribune). Bledsoe Commission 7 p.m. Pikeville (neighbor). Popular Springs Road (Marion) paving closures begin.
• Tue., Oct. 20: Free walk-in flu shots 9–4 at 16939 Rankin Ave — health edition; keep watching for City Hall outcomes and any school-board follow-up.
• Wed., Oct. 21: Keep watching posted City Hall outcomes from Thursday and any board notes.
• Thu., Oct. 22: Early voting still open (through Oct. 29). Refresh TDOT / SmartWay if a new weekly report has posted.
• 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

• ✅ If Main Street or utilities matter: be at City Hall tonight by 5 (15595 Rankin Ave) or call 423-949-2115 tomorrow for outcomes.
• ✅ Call 423-949-2431 for early-voting site and hours if you have not voted yet; pull your sample ballot at GoVoteTN.gov; put photo ID with your keys.
• ✅ Keep Sequatchie County Commission off Mon., Oct. 19 unless the county posts otherwise — next regular session reported for November (call 423-949-3479).
• ✅ Confirm tomorrow’s parade time (library weekly lists 9:30 a.m.) before you leave work; plan jackets for a cooler Friday night.
• ✅ 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.
• ✅ 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; note Popular Springs (Marion) Oct. 19–22 daytime closures.
• ✅ Aging parents: COLA is official at 3.6% (automatic); Medicare OE opens today — SHIP 1-877-801-0044.
• ✅ Bookmark Dunlap.Today, sequatchieschools.net agendas, and dunlaptn.gov.

Practical rule: Show up for tonight’s posted agenda, call for the voting site, and plan Friday’s parade like a school-day commute — 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 tonight’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

What is on tonight’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.

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.

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 Thursday 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 is the homecoming parade?

Tomorrow morning, Friday, 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.

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 3 paper is Oct. 27 (confirm with counseling). TN Promise applications for the Class of 2027 are due Nov. 2 at collegefortn.org.

📎 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 Tonight’s Meeting Short and Friday’s Parade on Time

When the week compresses — a City Hall agenda that is finally tonight, a ballot window that is already open, and a homecoming morning that will eat the Friday commute — the useful move is the boring one: sit for Ord. 321 if Main Street matters, call for the voting site, and pin the parade minute before you leave work. 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.