Bud Counsil and his family work to clean-up the wreckage. (The Herald/ Joe King)

Seymour- When a sudden electrical fire broke out and destroyed the Seymour Flea Market May 3, Bud Counsil felt the crushing impact of the loss of his home, business, livelihood, and pets in an instant.

“It overwhelmed me,” he said. “I lost three dogs and four cats in the fire. Those dogs slept with me every day of their lives. That’s the hardest part of this whole thing. I lie awake in my bed some nights and just cry. Then, of course, there is all this other devastation.”

Counsil said he lost an estimated $500,000 due to the fire and got back about $100,000 after all the insurance claims had settled.

Bryan David Ford, Sr. (The Herald/ Submitted)

Seymour- Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong confirmed five men and one woman were taken into custody following the investigation into two meth labs in Seymour May 20.

The Blount County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Equestrian Cir. in Seymour at around 3 a.m. to the call of a robbery. When deputies arrived, there was nobody at the residence. Upon further investigation, deputies found what appeared to be a meth lab inside of the residence.

Investigators with the Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force responded to the scene and confirmed the meth lab. Investigators then neutralized the lab, and the Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force arrived to dispose of the hazardous waste. Methamphetamine at the residence by investigators.

A short time later, deputies found four people hiding in the woods behind the residence, and another individual was taken into custody while walking along Burnett Station Road at about 7 a.m. All five were taken into custody and booked into the Blount County Detention Facility.

The East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery is located in South Knoxville. (The Herald/ Archived Photo)

South Knoxville- Three veterans, whose remains have been unclaimed, will be laid to rest with help from the Dignity Memorial network of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers and the Missing in America Project.

The three Vietnam-era veterans will be buried at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, 2200 E. Governor John Sevier Hwy. 168 in Knoxville, where full military honors will be conducted starting at 11:30 a.m. May 24. All veterans and the public are invited to attend the service.

The three veterans to be buried are Sgt. Roger Dale Thompson, who served in the U.S. Marines from April 15, 1974, to May 14, 1978, and died Jan. 24, 2010; Pfc. Fred Lee Hall, who served in the U.S. Army from March 14, 1963, to March 1, 1965, and died Jan. 26, 2010; and Pvt. Gary Wilburn Sharp, who served in the U.S. Army from April 25, 1968, to May 20, 1968, and died April 24, 2011.

Following their deaths, the three men were taken to the East Tennessee Regional Forensic Center located at the University of Tennessee Hospital. Thompson, Hall are Sharp were not claimed by family or friends, so they were cremated by Knox County and remained at the forensic center for safe keeping.

(The Herald/ Archived Photo)

Earlier this year, the state Judiciary Committee debated Senate Bill 250 that would exempt Tennesseans from new and potentially unconstitutional federal gun laws. The crux of the bill said because the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear arms, the state would take necessary measures to ensure that right remains intact within its jurisdiction.

The authors of the bill and the bill’s sponsor believe we are witnessing an out of control federal government. Meaning, the constant passing of new taxes is child’s play when considering the constitutional violations perpetrated by the federal government.

For example, in 2012 congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allowing the arrest and indefinite detention of American citizens without a warrant, Habeus Corpus, or the right to access legal representation, all under the guise of fighting terrorism.

Freddy Pitner takes a moment to reflect on his time in the Army. (The Herald/ Joe King)

Seymour- With the coming of Memorial Day, a local veteran took some time to reflect on his experience in the army and commemorate those he served with who lost their lives.

Freddy Pitner, who enlisted in 1965, served in The Vietnam War in the 101^st Airborne Division as a member of the famous 327^th Infantry Regiment Second Battalion “No Slack”.

“I just got out of school at Sevier County High School and I knew I was going to be drafted anyway, so I joined,” he said. “I spent 13 months in Vietnam and left the service in 1967.”

The crowd goes wild at Hangout Music Festival. (The Herald/ Angela Karl)

Many people would be thrilled at the opportunity to spend days on a beautiful beach or listen to live music, so naturally combining these options created a slice of modern paradise.

The organizers for Hangout Music Festival had this thought and decided to host more than 50 bands, 13 of which performed during a Thursday kick-off party,  May 17th, 18th, and 19th.

Beginning in 2010, the festival already gained a multitude of fans. Although concert-goers realized many people attended Hangout this year, the full impact wasn’t felt until the whole crowd gathered for this year’s headliners: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Kings of Leon, and Stevie Wonder.

Kyle Loy Morrow. (The Herald/ Archived Photo)

Sevierville- Following a traffic stop and subsequent standoff of almost ninety minutes, Sevierville Police Department Emergency Response Team members found a man dead in his vehicle from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

SPD had been notified by North Carolina authorities at about 12 p.m. that known felon Kyle Loy Morrow, 51, of Florida was in Sevierville near Motel 6 located at 3385 Winfield Dunn Parkway.

Morrow was listed as missing and endangered by Florida authorities. According to Yancey County, NC Sheriff’s Office, Morrow had told a female acquaintance he was in possession of a handgun and was going to commit suicide if law enforcement officers became involved.

At approximately 12:18 p.m., SPD officers attempted to stop the burgundy Toyota Camry with Florida license plate matching the description given by NC authorities, that was observed traveling south on Highway 66 near Advance Auto Parts. The vehicle turned onto Huffaker Rd. and stopped a short distance later near the intersection with Grandview Dr., just outside the City limits.

(The Herald/ Archived Photo)

Blount County- Coming just weeks after KUB customers were targeted for a similar operation, the City of Alcoa issued a warning to its utility customers of a possible scam operation after a customer reported a fraudulent telephone call to collect money on an account May 20.

The customer received a call from a person falsely identifying themselves as being with the City of Alcoa Utilities.

The City of Alcoa does not telephone customers to collect payments by credit card or any other form.

Any offsite utility payment to the City of Alcoa is made only via the automated telephone payment system or by the online payment system on the City’s web pages.

The Lathams celebrated their first family reunion in 2012. (The Herald/ Archived Photo)

Seymour- Inspired by the success of their first reunion, a multi-generational family in Seymour is reaching out to replay the event.

The Latham family will hold a family reunion May 25 at Pleasant Hill Fellowship Hall in Seymour.

“We would like to invite all family and friends to our second annual family reunion,” said Wilma Latham.

Last year the first annual Latham Family reunion drew about 50 people in attendance.

Tennessee Healthcare Campaign Executive Director Walter Davis. (The Herald/ Submitted Photo)

Seymour- With changes revolving around the Affordable Healthcare Act continue to mount, one local resident will play a major role in eligibility enrollment.

Walter Davis has been named Executive Director of the Tennessee Healthcare Campaign to promote the major task of providing an understanding of how to enroll eligible people in the Affordable Care Act coverage.

“I’m excited to be part of such an amazing team and network of coalition partners and volunteers,” he said. “I’m humbled and appreciative of this opportunity to help lead such a well-respected organization during one of the most important times in our state’s history.“

Davis has lived in Seymour for 25 years having served as a trainer and former Executive Director of Maryville’s Southern Empowerment Project until 2007 when he took a position as Executive Director of the National Organizers Alliance in Washington D.C.