Emerald Academy welcomes students for its 12th year By Ken Lay School is back in session for Emerald Academy and early last week, the students at Knox County’s charter school got the grand welcome as the school opened its doors for the 2026-27 school year. The school...

Early voting up almost 30 percent By Mike Steely Senior Writer steelym@knoxfocus.com Voting totals are up with 19,900 people casting ballots during the first six days of early voting. As of Thursday, 11,999 people chose the Republican primary and 7,614 chose the...

A New Home, A New Start For Knoxville Family By Jamie Schnell schnellj@knoxfocus.com On July 16, the Knoxville Leadership Foundation gathered with the Emerald Youth Foundation family for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that opened the doors to a new beginning. The ribbon...

North waterfront redevelopment, data center restrictions pass By Mike Steely Senior Writer steelym@knoxfocus.com The north bank of the Tennessee River in downtown Knoxville needs redevelopment, and the Knoxville City Council approved a long-term plan to do so Tuesday...

McNabb Center expands Centerpointe facility By Ken Lay The Helen Ross McNabb Center hosted a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony at its Centerpointe location, located at 5310 Ball Camp Pike, early last week. The sweltering temperatures couldn’t temper the...

Celebrate America’s 250th at Festival on the 4th Join your friends and neighbors to celebrate America’s 250th birthday at Festival on the 4th, presented by Y-12 Credit Union, on Saturday, July 4, 2026, 5-10 p.m. at World’s Fair Park. This free, family-friendly event...

Stephanie Cook honored at retirement reception By Ken Lay Stephanie Cook has spent nearly three decades as the City of Knoxville’s ADA coordinator, but she’s not going away. “I’ve been here a long time, 29 years,” said Cook, who was hired by former Mayor Victor Ashe....

City council approves building restoration, renews zoo lease By Mike Steely Senior Writer steelym@knoxfocus.com The old building at 825 North Central Street is getting some restoration funds from the City of Knoxville. District 5 Councilman Charles Thomas welcomed a...

Screen time, age-appropriate books focus of BOE meeting By Pete Gawda Limiting student use of computers and age-appropriate books were hot topics at the Thursday, June 4, meeting of the Knox County Board of Education, attracting a lot of attention from board members...

CHS alumni group hosts Wall of Fame induction breakfast By Ken Lay The Central High School Alumni Association recently held its first induction ceremony since 2019. Once an annual event, the induction breakfast returned on May 16 and seven CHS alumni received their...