Chief operator John Condra, left, and Jerome Blalock point out the ultraviolet treatment equipment, left, and aerators in the new Monteagle, Tenn., wastewater treatment plant. The facility was flooded Tuesday during heavy rains.

Crews continue sewer cleanup

MONTEAGLE, Tenn. - Monteagle officials and work crews continued to clean up Wednesday at the town's new Wastewater Treatment Plant 3 after a malfunction early Tuesday flooded the facility's basement with four feet of wastewater.

Monteagle Mayor Marilyn Campbell Nixon said crews must clean up and disinfect the basement area before they can begin a full assessment of damage and search for the cause of the malfunction.

Meantime, crews at the plant manually are treating incoming wastewater according to state directives, Nixon said.

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation officials said Tuesday that full electrical power could be restored once a damage assessment is done and repairs made.

The basement of the new plant is where control panels, ultraviolet disinfecting equipment and other electronics are housed, officials said.

Veterans to get Legion of Honor

ROME, Ga. - Two Rome, Ga., residents are among 12 American veterans of World War II who will receive France's Legion of Honor on Sept. 27.

Isaac H. Storey, who served as a captain with the 10th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, and James C. Austin, a pharmacist's mate second class with LST-57, will be honored by Denis Barbet, the new consul general of France in Atlanta.

The National Order of the Legion of Honor, the highest honor in France, recognizes eminent services to the French Republic, according to a news release.

This presentation expresses France's eternal gratitude to those who courageously liberated it from oppression from 1944-45, the release states.

Raccoon rabid; dogs euthanized

MINERAL BLUFF, Ga. - A raccoon that fought two dogs Sept. 13 at a Fannin County home on Jasper Road in Mineral Bluff tested positive for rabies, and the unvaccinated dogs have been euthanized, a news release states.

There was no known human exposure to the raccoon, according to Jennifer King with the North Georgia Health District.

The Georgia State Laboratory confirmed late Tuesday that the raccoon, which the dogs killed, had tested positive for the rabies virus.

Environmental health officials notified all parties involved and are contacting area residents to inform them of the incident and to determine if others may have been exposed to the virus.