Ryan Witten with grandfather Dave Rider

Preparing athletes of all ages for success begins with a strong foundation in sportsmanship and good technique according to Ryan Witten, founder of Witten Huddle. Witten Huddle trains athletes in East Tennessee whether their goal is a college athletic scholarship or improved concentration and fitness. Witten and his wife founded the program in 2015 and offer small group and team training. He said their goals are to improve skills, concentration and regional collaboration.

They work on positive practice habits, tempo, body position, speed, agility, and more. He said their clients range from high school teams to home school students, and they also host flag football games for 1st – 6th grade students. In addition, they have ladies night, and a Stars Program for 8th graders. Among all the services they provide, he said they focus on contagious enthusiasm, accident prevention, and on each athlete doing their personal best on and off the field.

Jon Hartman

There are a number of major projects on the horizon for  the City of Elizabethton – all of which require local funding. It was great to hear from former Interim City Manager Jon Hartman on May 1, 2018 about the requests for the 2018-19 budget. Considerations included additional funding for Joe O’Brien Field to improve facilities for the Elizabethton Twins and attendees, as well as improvements to the Bonnie Kate Theater, Elizabethton Golf Course, Covered Bridge Park, and a new sports complex. In addition, he said the city is proposing a facade grant for downtown businesses, which would allow shop owners to apply for funding to make upgrades to the fronts of their stores. The city is also considering launching a Co-Starters Cohort, which would help educate aspiring entrepreneurs and could provide funding for new businesses.

Carter County UT Extension Director Vickie Clark

On April 24, Ut-Agricultural Extension Director Vickie Clark shared an update from the extension and from a new group Grow Carter County. Grow Carter County has earned Carter County a new distinction from the Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness. It joined a statewide network and was named a Healthier Tennessee Community for demonstrated investment in physical activity, nutrition and tobacco cessation in schools, workplaces and faith-based organizations. This distinction follows the group’s reception of a $5,000 grant from the foundation, which is funding initiatives like a water bottle refill station at Little Milligan Elementary School, a Story Trail near Downtown Elizabethton and a sound garden in a park near the Health Department.

Additionally, Clark gave an overview of the UT Extension Office’s services and updates from each. The extension oversees Family and Consumer Science services, agriculture services and 4-H programs. 4-H is serving 1,200 students in Carter County, and its forestry division will compete at the state level this year. She said the Extension also provides classes on parenting, finance, and nutrition. Recently, the extension partnered with the home school community to offer a new program On My Own Financial Classes (targeting middle and high school students), which they plan to offer in public schools soon. Overall, she said Carter County is making great strides through grassroots efforts and organizations to improve the health and quality of life for citizens of all ages.

Each year, 25 juniors from each Carter County and Elizabethton high school apply to be delegates in the year-long Carter County Leadership program. The program gives youth an opportunity to learn about local government, business and industry, education, and community service. On Tuesday, April 17, the current program president Molly Tipton and delegate Christian Price shared their experience with Kiwanis. They were accompanied by Chandrea Shell who organizes the program each year.

Tipton said she joined wanting to meet new people and to get out of her comfort zone. Price, likewise, said he knew he could be a leader and he wanted to step out and do it. Some of the projects completed by the group were supporting Isaiah 117 House and the Boys and Girls Club, as well as a lake cleanup project and others. “Our group projects showed us how to work together and not just independently,” said Tipton. “We learned about our community and government and how to be involved at the local and state levels. It’s been very eye opening.”

Danny O’Quinn, Assistant Director of Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Elizabethton, said programs are extremely successful and enrollment has reached record highs. The school offers 12 full-time technical programs including HVAC, nursing, diesel mechanics, millwright, pipe-fitting and more. On top of diverse programs offered in a state-of-the-art $16M facility, he said students are attracted to the school for affordability and high job placement rate. Last year, completion rate was 91 percent, and of those 91 percent of those began careers in their fields following graduation.

Part of the growth in enrollment, he said, is attributed to the new TNPromise and TNReconnect programs, which allow students to attend right out of high school with free tuition, and allow adults to return with financial aid. It’s an exciting time to be at TCAT, as they consider adding new programs like Cosmetology.

One of the perks of the school is the opportunity to earn NC3 industry certifications prior to graduation. These make students more experienced and more appealing to potential employers. All of the programs taught at TCAT Elizabethton are based on jobs available in this region. There are 27 TCATs in Tennessee.