by design | Aug 16, 2021 | Columnist, Steely
By Mike Steely When my wife and I heard the bridge at Bald River Falls would be replaced later this year we decided to take the drive to Tellico Plains and visit the roadside cascade. We’ve been there a couple of other times and know the area pretty well. We set out...
by design | Jul 26, 2021 | Columnist, Steely
By Mike Steely Re-enactors can add so much to a historic place and Martin’s Station Fort, within southwest Virginia’s Wilderness Road State Park, is no exception. My wife and I drove from Knoxville recently. I’d wanted to visit the fort for some time, having read...
by design | Jul 18, 2021 | Columnist, Steely, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Mike Steely Water towers around our nation can be unusual, either in shape or how they are painted. In Collinsville, Illinois, there’s a water tower in the shape of a ketchup bottle. Happy faces smile from water towers in several states and at least two states have...
by design | Jul 11, 2021 | Columnist, Steely, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Mike Steely Senior Writer steelym@knoxfocus.com Years ago, before the automobile, many bridges in our area were covered to protect them from the elements. Few of those continue to exist but there are some here and there that are still in use. It’s interesting to...
by design | Jul 5, 2021 | Columnist, Steely, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Mike Steely Lots of folks in our state are in search of their roots and many often find their ancestors were basically Scots-Irish with a touch of Northern Europe mixed in. Some find Native American or other races in the mix. Yet, in the founding and early days of...
by design | Jun 27, 2021 | Columnist, Steely, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Mike Steely I don’t fish very often, not as much as I’d like to. I’ve fished deep sea, from ocean beaches and piers, with my kids and wife or by myself, and caught just about every variety of fish. Nowadays I fish occasionally and usually from the banks of the...
