By Steve Williams Phil Morton worked a long time as an assistant district attorney and prosecutor in Blount and Knox counties until he retired in 2020. Along the way he took up umpiring Little League baseball games and reached its top level in 2004 when he worked...
By Ray Hill Hamilton Fish Kean doubtless is unfamiliar to most readers, but he served in the United States Senate and was part of a political dynasty that exists to this day. Kean’s son Robert Winthrop Kean served in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty...
The Rotary Club of Bearden has announced its Board of Directors for the 2026–2027 Rotary year, effective July 1, 2026. The new leadership team will continue the club’s longstanding commitment to service above self through community projects, youth programs,...
By Pete Gawda Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond has a passion for alleviating domestic violence. Last October, he announced the new Bridge to Safety program to help victims of domestic violence and, at his invitation, about 50 people gathered at the Randall E. Nichols...
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...
By Steve Hunley “Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms...
Seven Islands hosts Tennessee River Watershed Mussel Fest By Ken Lay Kodak --- Freshwater mussels took center stage recently at the second annual Tennessee River Watershed Mussel Fest. The event, which was held at Seven Islands State Birding Park on Saturday,...
By Ray Hill Joseph Irwin France was not at all a conventional politician, especially for his time. Depending upon one’s point of view, France could be seen as either a visionary or an eccentric. Senator France was adamantly against ratifying the Treaty of Versailles,...
By Mike Steely Senior Writer steelym@knoxfocus.com When Executive Director Warren Dockter was asked recently what exhibit in the East Tennessee History Museum draws the most attention or is surprising to visitors, he didn’t have to think long to answer. “I...
By Steve Williams Baseball was a bright spot for Kevin Lane’s family on their vacation trip to Cooperstown, New York. Kevin, the head football coach at Central High, and his wife Nicole watched their son Briggs and his teammates finish in the final 40 of 104...
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...