This week in Hawkins history: Dave Klepper Graduates from FBI Academy

William H. Webster, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced in 1982 that two law enforcement officers of the 129th session of the FBI National Academy were honored in graduation ceremonies at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va.

W. Douglas Gow, special agent in charge of the East Tennessee Division of the FBI, said that two graduates were from the East Tennessee area.

One of these was David Winston Klepper, a detective sergeant with the Kingsport Police Department. Klepper was a graduate of Rogersville High School, and held an Associate of Science degree from Walters State Community College.

Judge Hyder Speaks in Hawkins CountyThe people of Hancock, Grainger, Hawkins, and Claborne counties had the opportunity to meet Judge Oris D. Hyder in 1962.

Judge Hyder was seeking the Republican nomination for Congress and travelled through the four counties on handshaking and speaking tours.

While in the area, he made major addresses at several venues, and even had a supper with a Veterans group in Grainger County Park. Hyder also attended a square dance in Rutledge.

Many residents came out in support of the judge and attended the events that he was a part of.

Rogersville Revitalizes Ancient Sewer System

The Rogersville Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously in 1982 to revitalize the city’s ancient sewer system and to extend lines to subdivisions to fulfill the contract made to the subdivisions.

A priority was Clay Street, where residents had for years suffered an overflow of sewage in their yards after hard rains. An interceptor line was constructed on Crockett’s Creek and on to the sewage disposal plant west of town.

To fund this project, the city borrowed $600,000 in bond anticipation notes.

For eight years, the property tax rate was stabilized at $2.25. The tax rate was reduced from $2.80 when the state carried out a reassessment program. The assessment was higher but the tax rate was reduced.

The board voted to renegotiate its contract with utility districts to whom the city furnishes water.

HUD funds were available to the city for the acquisition of two houses on Hasson Street that could not be rehabilitated. The Buttry family, which included nine children, was to be moved into one of the two houses that the city acquired. One of the houses was owned by John Curtis and the other by Sol Holcomb. The board toured both homes July 1982.

Harold Wilson was appointed to serve out the unexpired term of Dick Lambert on the Rogersville Planning Commission.

Virginia Klepper and J. B. Jones, a committee appointment by Mayor Jim Sells, submitted to the board a vacation plan for city employees.

The Old County StoreRockhill Grocery, which was located on Pressman’s Home Rd., was owned and operated by Glenn and Nola Capps in 1982.

The store consisted of the main grocery room, which had a selected of garden grown vegetables that Mrs. Capps bought from the local farmers, a game room with two pool tables and a couple of pinball machines, and a rummage sale room.

As you walked into the store, the first thing you noticed was a bulletin board, which was mounted on the front door, with community notices posted. For example: firewood for sale, hay to cut, rummage sale, revival, the list went on and on.

One tradition which had been carried on since Mr. and Mrs. Capps had owned the store was the hornet’s nest collection, gathered by local hunters. It was started in 1979 when one of the hunters brought just a small one because he thought it was cute.

Hunters then began trying to outdo each other in the hornet’s nest collection.

Another tradition that was carried on at the store was the contest for the largest tobacco leaf. 1981’s winner was Ben Shanks. Mr. Capps told the Rogersville Review “when they bring them in, we pin them up on a line with their names and the size of the tobacco leaf.”

Capps also said that the store was a community stopping place. The store provided the perfect setting for the local farmers and passers-by to stop in and gather around in a circle for what they called a “good old fashioned rib tickling, knee-slapping, wind ding of a time.”