by design | Jun 20, 2016 | Absher, Columnist
By Sally Absher If Oklahoma is the “Sooner State” then Tennessee must be the “Later State.” At least, concerning passing legislation to end the use of the highly controversial “value added model” (VAM) in teacher evaluations. Brian Washington reports on...
by design | Jun 20, 2016 | Columnist, Ferguson
By Dr. Jim Ferguson At the beginning of the movie Gladiator, the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is on campaign battling barbarians in what is current day Vienna, Austria. To a Roman, someone not a Roman was a barbarian, just as Hebrews referred to someone not Jewish...
by Ralphine Major | Jun 20, 2016 | Columnist, Major
By Ralphine Major Almost! The sights and sounds indicate as much, and the calendar is catching up. The official start of summer happens this week, June 20. Jesus even mentioned the season in Matthew 24:32: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet...
by Joe Rector | Jun 20, 2016 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector On “60 Minutes” the other Sunday, a young boy played jazz piano with the stars of the genre. He amazed even the pros with his abilities to understand the music and to include his own interpretations, something difficult for most seasoned veterans. Last...
by design | Jun 20, 2016 | Columnist, Moore
By Rosie Moore Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet, And so are you. I had this written in my autograph book in school by a number of guys (and I’m not bragging!). June is the month when the budding roses start to bloom, in most areas. They lift their faces...
by Mark Nagi | Jun 20, 2016 | Columnist, Nagi, Norman
By Alex Norman And welcome to the down time… On Sunday the NBA season came to a close with Game 7 between the Warriors and the Cavaliers. This article is being written before that game tips off, so remember that if Cleveland doesn’t win, that’s further proof that...
by design | Jun 20, 2016 | The Daily Focus
Ed and Bob’s Night Out in Knox County will be enjoying ice cream in Rocky Hill this month! Knox County At-Large Commissioners Ed Brantley and Bob Thomas will be at Bruster’s Real Ice Cream at 7670 South Northshore Drive on Wednesday, June 22nd from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to...
by design | Jun 19, 2016 | Archived Editions, Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
Summer Concert Series Kicked Off at New Harvest On June 16, Knox County launched a new summer concert series, Third Thursday Concerts at New Harvest Park, with world-renowned dobro player Phil Leadbetter and Friends (pictured right). The free concerts, held June...
by design | Jun 19, 2016 | Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ken Lay Knoxville’s newest bike trail was officially opened in a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning. The city, along with Knox County and the Legacy Parks Foundation, celebrated the grand opening of the Devil’s Racetrack Downhill Trail and two other trails on...
by design | Jun 19, 2016 | Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Mike Steely steelym@knoxfocus.com How do you celebrate 150 years of church history? Founded the year following the end of the Civil War the First United Methodist Church of Knoxville has a long and proud history. During the years the congregation has had many...
