By Ray Hill Jim Nance McCord is yet another figure from Tennessee’s political history who is little remembered today. Yet he was both a Congressman and governor; he also served in the Cabinet of Governor Frank Clement. Jim McCord was born in 1879 in Bedford County, Tennessee. McCord left the family farm when only seventeen […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson I’ve become accustomed to writing my Focus essay on Wednesday afternoons after I’ve made hospital rounds and I’ve finish business chores. However, grandbabies change your life. My two girls were fortunate to have my stay-at-home wife, Becky, when they were growing up. There’s nothing better than a mom to watch over […]
By Alex Norman The Super Bowl is over, and millions of football fans are asking the same question… What am I going to do with my life? Well, you could always spend more time with your family, start a new hobby, and perhaps begin taking those yoga classes you always wanted. Who am I kidding! […]
By Steve Williams About this time every year, after the last football game of the season has been played, we hear fans moaning about the long wait ahead until next season. It’s a depressing time for many. You would think they had been sentenced to only cold and darkness, bread and water, for the next […]
By Sharon Frankenberg, Attorney at Law Whether you are rich, poor or somewhere in between, you should make plans for the future. It may be uncomfortable to think about but we may not always be healthy and all of us will die someday. It is important to decide what should happen if we become unable […]
By Ralphine Major He was scheduled to speak on Super Bowl Sunday last year, but was given a trip to the Super Bowl instead. A few months later, he captivated an entire congregation for nearly an hour with his riveting story and testimony. It is a story of hopes and dreams, football and shattered dreams, […]
By Sarah Baker It was sixth grade, and I probably weighed sixty pounds soaking wet. The rowdy cafeteria was being monitored by Coach Mike White, whose piercing blue-eyed stare and thunderous voice left no need for a whistle or a megaphone. I was hungry and grouchy, looking at the length of the line from the […]
Hamilton’s unfortunate legacy lives on at UT By Richie Beeler The University of Tennessee athletic department is approximately $200 million in debt with a cash reserve of $1.95 million, according to a report from CBS Sports released last week. That puts UT in the worst financial shape of any athletic department in the Southeastern Conference, […]
By Ray Hill Few politicians enjoyed the lengthy career Hiram W. Johnson carved out in California. Johnson’s time in public office was stormy, yet he remained enduringly popular. By the time of his death in 1945, Hiram Johnson was a living icon in his home state. Johnson was born on September 2, 1866, the […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson In the late 17th century the English philosopher John Locke wrote a treatise on what would become known as the “social contract.” In his paper Locke influenced many Enlightenment thinkers, including Thomas Jefferson who wrote our Declaration of Independence. Jefferson echoed Locke stating, “governments are instituted of men deriving their just […]
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