By John Duncan Jr. Several years ago, I attended a meeting in a small but ornate room on the first floor of the Capitol just below the House floor. This room was called the “Board of Education” by Sam Rayburn, the longest serving speaker of the House. He used the room to have drinks with […]
By Joe Rector Being confined can begin to affect anyone after a while. This COVID-19 is infecting millions, killing thousands, and depressing an entire country. Cases are again on the rise, and before long, we might be back where we were during the worst of times, and that means things will close down again. […]
When debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers. Socrates <a href=”mailto:fergusonj@knoxfocus.com”>By Dr. Jim Ferguson </a> It happens every quadrennial October just before the Presidential election, so why should we be surprised that history repeats itself? This time it’s not some tape of male locker room braggadocio, a decade old DWI […]
By Tom Mattingly In the days of Gen. Robert R. Neyland (and perhaps even before then), Tennessee wore its orange jerseys on the road. It was an article of faith. That notion came to an abrupt end with an SEC’s “Gentlemen’s Agreement” in early 1971, giving the home team the choice of taking the school-colored […]
By Steve Hunley One of the more interesting local races is that between State Representative Gloria Johnson and challenger Elaine Davis in the 13th House District. Johnson served one term in the House, beating Gary Loe in 2012, before losing reelection two years later to Republican Eddie Smith. Johnson ran again in an attempt to […]
A Tennessean on the U.S. Supreme Court By Ray Hill I daresay few of my readers recall a Knoxvillian once sat on the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Edward Terry Sanford served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1923 until his unexpected death in 1930. Sanford had been the judge […]
By Mike Steely The Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park is about a two-hour drive from Knoxville, depending on what route you take, and is well worth a visit. There are lots of interesting sites to see along the way if you wish, like Brushy Mountain Prison, Frozen Head State Park and Wartburg […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson There is no difference between communism and socialism except the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by force, socialism – by vote. It is merely the difference between murder and suicide. Ayn Rand I made myself watch it as an exercise in civic duty. Presidential […]
By Mark Nagi So… I’ve figured out that I’m at a point in my life in which I need to start doing more things for myself. That doesn’t mean I’m shirking all of my responsibilities, selling the house, buying an RV and heading out wherever life might take me until I’ve spent every last dime. […]
By Tom Mattingly It was 99 years ago this past month, September 24, to be specific, that Tennessee played its first game in a new arena called “Shields-Watkins Field,” sometimes referred to in its early days as “Shields-Watkins Stadium” or “The Shields-Watkins Field.” Emory & Henry came to town to help christen the new stadium. […]
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