by Mike Steely | Jul 31, 2017 | Columnist, Steely
By Mike Steely It took 92 years but Clarence Darrow finally stands opposite his historic opponent William Jennings Bryan in front of the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee. Bryan, the defender of Creationism during the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925, got a...
by Mike Steely | Jun 26, 2017 | Columnist, Steely
By Mike Steely One of the greatest court trials in America is being re-enacted as part of the Scopes Festival in Dayton in July. The 1925 trial, where a local teacher was charged of illegally teaching evolution, will be presented on various days from July 14th to July...
by Mike Steely | Jun 19, 2017 | Columnist, Steely
By Mike Steely What may be the oldest settlement in our region is only an hour or so away. The village of Tellico Plains is, indeed, a gateway to the lower Smoky Mountains. The little town is just south of Madisonville and is an historic site that is the entry to the...
by Mike Steely | Feb 27, 2017 | Columnist, Steely
By Mike Steely It sits by itself in a lonely spot in Oak Ridge, a symbol of peace between Japan and the United States and a reminder of Pearl Harbor and the dropping of atomic bombs that ended World War II. The Friendship Bell seems like a contradiction between the...
by Mike Steely | Jan 23, 2017 | Columnist, Steely
By Mike Steely Silver Springs, Florida, is about eight hours south of Knoxville and a long day’s drive. There’re lots of places to stop to eat or stretch along the way. Once you get through the nightmare known as Atlanta traffic the drive becomes pretty routine. If...
by Mike Steely | Sep 18, 2016 | Columnist, Steely, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Mike Steely Did you know that it’s quicker to fly from Knoxville to New York than to drive from here to Bristol or Nashville? Yep, in just less than two hours you’re there and what a change of cultures. My wife and I recently spent six days in New York City, the...
