By Steve Hunley For years there has been a tug and pull about out of school time programs and whether or not it benefits the students. It will likely not surprise you some of those most solidly opposed to out of school time programs are some folks and the public school establishment. That debate has […]
By Ray Hill Congressman Joseph W. Byrns, Jr. had first been elected in 1938 and as befitting Tennessee’s “Hermitage District,” so-called because it contained the home of General Andrew Jackson, was solidly Democratic. Byrns was being challenged for the Democratic nomination in 1940 by his predecessor in Congress, Richard M. Atkinson and W. D. “Pete” […]
By Steve Williams The eighth annual Careacter Star Community Service Games had to be cancelled this year and that’s a shame. Not enough coaches wanted to step up and bring their teams to the charitable event this season for one reason or another. As of last Tuesday, only one team had committed to play. […]
By Mike Steely If you love to get out and go driving, especially while there is still some autumn foliage, there are a few places in our region that you can go… but can’t get anywhere beyond there. Until the Foothills Parkway segment was completed from Townsend to Wears Valley that park highway was a […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson There is a proverb which says, “familiarity breeds contempt.” The notion is the more you get to know someone, the more likely you are to see their shortcomings. I disagree with this old saw. I believe the more you know about someone or something, the greater your understanding and appreciation, even […]
By Joe Rector It’s been another hard few weeks for us in the USA. Impeachment inquiries continue, Mick Mulvaney confirmed the “quid pro quo” before trying to deny it, and US troops abandoned the Kurdish allies in Syria. We’re reeling from the bad news, and some feel downright depressed at the way our country is […]
By Ralphine Major She made her entrance ever so quietly this year. “Fall” opened her gifts of spectacular color much later than usual, making a bridge between summer’s stifling humidity and the harsh winds of winter. Long-time friend Bryce Williams, meteorologist/photographer, has permitted me to use, once again, one of his magnificent photos from the […]
By Jedidah McKeehan Lots of what attorneys do involves drafting, interpreting, and arguing over provisions in contracts. Attorneys get a bad rap in this area of the law because people feel that once attorneys become involved contracts become overly complicated and complex and they turn from one page documents to fifteen page documents. I cannot […]
By Alex Norman There are a few constants in life. Death will come to us all. The tax man will knock on your door every April. And the NCAA will remain an organization with major flaws… flaws that they have no real desire to fix. The most recent example is the case of Tennessee basketball […]
By Steve Hunley Knoxville had a city election last week for mayor and city council seats. There will be a new mayor and four new city council members. Out of 187,000 residents and 92,000 registered voters only 25,360 people in Knoxville cast votes for mayor. That means 13.6% of the total residents and 27.6% of […]
The opinions expressed by Focus columnists and those providing comments are theirs alone, and may not reflect the opinions of The Knoxville Focus or any employee thereof.