By Mike Steely steelym@knoxfocus.com The birth of Knoxville and the push for statehood for Tennessee was a political struggle. While most residents in the “Southwest Territory” favored becoming a state, there were opponents in the U.S. Congress that wanted to delay...

By Ray Hill Part Two   To give one an idea of what life was like during the 1934 campaign, a lamb shoulder roast was 16 cents per pound; bran flakes were 10 cents a box; two pounds of trout fillet was 25 cents.  One store advertised a sale of women’s dresses - -...

By Ken Lay Despite trailing at halftime, the Powell High School boys basketball team didn’t press the panic button Tuesday night. “Gibbs came out and shot the ball well in the first half and I told our guys to just keep doing what we were doing in the first half,”...

By Steve Williams Over 10 years ago, Terence Scott went across the country to chase a dream.  In a month or so, he plans to move back home to do what he can to help Knoxville bring an end to a nightmare. The dream for Scott, a Central High All-State defensive back as...

By Dan Andrewsandrewsd@knoxfocus.comHave you ever woken up to sharks swimming above you? Recently, I had the privilege of experiencing that opportunity while staying the night at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg.  My bedroom for the night was a clear...