By Steve Hunley Democrat Candidate Has A Lot To Learn The quality of those candidates running for county-wide office as Democrats is astonishing. It is hard to imagine they could possibly be any worse. Take the example of Dylan Earley, who is running for Knox County Commissioner-at-Large against incumbent Larsen Jay. Earley appears to be […]
By Steve Hunley Safe Space? Really! Last week the Knoxville edition of USA Today published an article trying to make a cause out of the arrest of David Hayes. Hayes was arrested by deputies from the Knox County Sheriff’s office outside a meeting at the City & County Building where Knoxville officials were discussing the […]
By Steve Hunley Merit Council Running Amok The antics of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Merit System Council members – – – Gina Oster, Jim Jennings, and Jim Wright – – – continue to illustrate an unelected board run amuck. Readers will remember last week’s announcement the merit council has finally set a hearing date […]
By Steve Hunley Merit Council Hearing… Finally? It may well be one of the seven wonders of the world or perhaps a sign of the coming apocalypse, but the Knox County Merit System Council has finally scheduled a hearing on Martha Dooley’s case. Readers will recall Dooley is an employee of the Sheriff’s Department who […]
By Steve Hunley Redistricting 2022 One of the big developments recently was the announcement the Tennessee General Assembly’s redistricting committee has already approved a redistricting plan. The plan makes some interesting changes in the legislative map, including here in Knox County. As was speculated in The Focus earlier this year, state Representatives Gloria Johnson and […]
By Steve Hunley Double Standards and Lack of Institutional Knowledge Readers will recall Gina Oster, candidate for the Knox County Commission to succeed term-limited Randy Smith in the Third District, was a candidate for the GOP nomination for the Tennessee House of Representatives against Eddie Mannis. Oster cried foul when she lost the Republican nomination […]
By Steve Hunley Whoops! Wrong Sheriff Tools in the wrong hands can be dangerous. I see now why my momma always cautioned us against running with sharp objects and Facebook surely can be a sharp object indeed. In a Facebook post since deleted or removed, Scott “Scooby” Moore accused Sheriff Tom Spangler of having […]
By Steve Hunley Inside Tennessee: Herrera vs. Shears WBIR’s Inside Tennessee recently hosted a conversation between the respective political party chairs in Knoxville. Republican Daniel Herrera and Democrat Matt Shears are both young and vocal; both seem to really like the limelight and like attention; both are highly partisan, as is always the case for […]
By Steve Hunley A Strange Event Evidently Christine Cruz recently held some kind of event at Cherokee Country Club. Originally billed as a “Let Freedom Ring Fundraiser,” it was to feature Robby Starbuck from Nashville, who is a candidate for Congress. Thing is the Tennessee General Assembly hasn’t redrawn the lines for the congressional districts […]
By Steve Hunley Merit Council has become Political Council Anybody who reads The Knoxville Focus regularly already knows the Sheriff’s Merit System Council has become a tar pit of politics. It may well be beyond reform and the truth is for years it has been dominated by the very people it was supposed to eliminate: […]
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.