By Steve Hunley Once again the State of Tennessee has been embarrassed by the failure of TNReady. Taxpayers spend $30 million annually to fund TNReady, which is supposed to help gauge the progress of students. It seems every year there is a problem with the...
By Mike Steely steelym@knoxfocus.com Developer Rick Dover and his partner, Charles Carlyle of Boston Development, shared their tentative plans for the redevelopment of Knoxville’s former State Supreme Court building with city council members Thursday afternoon....
By Ray Hill By 1934, Republicans were not much of a factor in statewide elections in Tennessee. The political landscape in the Volunteer State had changed with the resignation of Senator Cordell Hull, who had agreed to serve as Secretary of State in the administration...
By Ken Lay Ben Baumgardner has always dreamed of playing professional ice hockey. He may now get the chance to lace up his skates and play in NHL arenas. He came one step closer to realizing his lifelong dream recently when he signed a contract to play for the Essa...
By Steve Williams The better the weather, the better Josh Sobota performs in the discus and shot put events. That was the case recently as the Bearden High senior set personal records in both events. He threw the discus 194 feet, 7 inches – his personal record – at a...
School Budget Pandemonium By Focus Staff There was pandemonium at a recent meeting of the Knox County Board of Education. Last week, the board met in both work and regular sessions to discuss the budget proposed by Superintendent Bob Thomas. Thomas and the board are...
By Steve Hunley Lord have mercy! To read the editorial penned by Buzz Thomas in the Knoxville New Sentinel a week and a half ago, one would think the world as we know it was coming to an end. Fortunately, it’s more of a case of Chicken Little and “The sky is falling!...
By Mike Steely steelym@knoxfocus.com Twenty-six flights and more than 3,300 military veterans: the numbers backing the history of Knoxville’s Honor Air are impressive but the real story is the precise organization it takes to run events behind the scenes. Prestige...
By Ray Hill Clearly, one of the most important and powerful positions in the American system of government is Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives. The last Tennessean to occupy this vital post was Joseph W. Byrns. Joseph Wellington Byrns was born July 20,...
By Ken Lay As a softball player at Hardin Valley Academy, Jayden Blosser has competed on the state’s biggest stage. Blosser, a senior catcher for the Lady Hawks, has played in the Class AAA State Tournament as a freshman. She’s also been a part of two district...
Since 1982, Smoky Mountain...
By Steve Williams Karns is...
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More than 20 volunteers...
By Adam Sullivan It’s not...
Rosie Moore celebrated her...