Retired high school football coach Larry Kerr was honored by former players from Halls High School on June 13, 2026. Photographer Leah Shea McMahan captured more than 70 photos of former players with their coach for a special album. See it here.
Kerr was the Halls High coach in the school’s glory days. If memory serves, 1981-92. Halls actually won the 1986 state championship, and the community slogan, “Halls Has It,” was written with Kerr and his teams in mind.
After Halls, Kerr had a strong run as head coach at Anderson County High School. He was 98-34 at Halls and the guys just adore their coach. That feeling is mutual. Janie Kerr said her husband would enjoy the pictures.
CNS boosts ‘Dream it. Do it.’
Norris Middle School won first place in the 10th annual “Dream it. Do it.” competition sponsored by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce and Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), which manages and operates the Y-12 National Security Complex for the National Nuclear Security Administration.
“Dream It. Do It.” pairs eighth-grade students with local industries to produce videos describing the businesses. The videos are then judged to determine the winners. The goal is to introduce students to careers in manufacturing.
Celebrating 10 years of competition
Almost 500 students have participated over the 10 years of the program, with approximately half of them having already graduated from high school to enter college or the workforce.
Kristin Waldschlager
CNS has invested $60,000 into the “Dream It. Do It.” competition to assist with career and technical education.
“As a major employer in Anderson County and the greater East Tennessee region, Y-12 understands the value of investing in education,” said Kristin Waldschlager, CNS educational outreach specialist.
The program was initially offered to middle schools in Anderson County. Campbell County schools were added in the 2023-24 school year, and Scott and Union counties were added in 2024-25.
Top teams earn STEM classroom grants
The students’ entries were judged on a rubric to award STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classroom grants from CNS. Norris Middle School, which partnered with Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, took first place, winning $1,000 for use in the classroom.
Norris Middle’s video, “Methodist Medical Center: A Home for Everyone,” highlighted the skills and equipment needed to enable the hospital to treat patients. The humorous tale ended with a young couple heading home with their newborn daughter.
Clinton Middle School earned second place and a $750 grant for their work with GEON Performance Solutions. Their entry simulated a near-death experience to illustrate how GEON manufacturers make products, including parts, for items like lifesaving defibrillators.
Working with Clayton Homes of Appalachia, LaFollette Middle School took third place and a $500 grant. Their video focused on how Clayton Homes could help “MeeMaw” purchase an energy-efficient home at a reasonable price.
The public was also invited to vote on the videos to determine the People’s Choice Awards. In that competition, Horace Maynard Middle School received first place for their entry describing Tennova Powell. Their video imagined news reporting on a down-to-the-wire basketball game that resulted in injured players being treated by the hospital.
The other industry-school pairings included:
- Clayton Homes of Maynardville with Jacksboro Middle School
- Magna International with Jellico Middle School
- Aisin Automotive Casting Tennessee with Jefferson Middle School
- Telos Global with Lake City Middle School
- SL Tennessee with Norwood Middle School
- Techmer PM with Robertsville Middle School
In Memoriam:
Faye Cardwell
Faye Huskey Cardwell, an educator from Sevier County, has died at age 93. She met her husband, Glenn Cardwell, in first grade at Pittman Center Elementary School. She graduated valedictorian of her high school class and attended Berea College where she earned a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate. Faye and Glenn were married for over 63 years and she supported him as mayor of Pittman Center for 18 years.
Mrs. Cardwell taught at Pittman Center High School for seven years, then at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School for 24 years. She taught English and was the school librarian. She retired from teaching in 1986, and was inducted into the G-P Hall of Fame in 2022.
The family will receive friends from 3-5 p.m. Friday, June 19, 2026, with funeral service to follow in the West Chapel of Atchley Funeral Home, Sevierville. The obituary is here.
