Conversations

When Gatlinburg’s Santa Pat was young, Christmas was very different. There were many small independent Christmas shops, specialty stores, and year-round Christmas shops like his own: Santa’s Claus-et. “Our store here is partly for us…
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On November 21, 2017, Doug Overbey began his role as a United States Attorney. He represents the 94th federal district of the U.S. and by extension, the interests of the federal government in East Tennessee. He enforces laws enacted by…
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One of the basic truths of cooking in the early 21st century is that folks don’t learn it at home as much as they used to. This is foremost in Chef John Alunni’s mind as he guides The Cutting Edge Classroom cooking school in its goal to…
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In late January, former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade sat with Pete DeBusk, founder of DeRoyal Industries and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Lincoln Memorial University. He came from humble beginnings in southwest…
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After two terms as Knox County mayor, Tim Burchett has decided to throw his Carharrt into the ring to replace outgoing 15-term Representative Jimmy Duncan in Tennessee’s 2nd congressional district. As he concludes his final term and…
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This fall, the University of Tennessee welcomes incoming Athletic Director John Currie. As a new football season begins, the Vol faithful are eager to hear what Currie is bringing to the job, one with both a storied and controversial…
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George Korda: If your tenure as mayor ended today, what would you look back on with the greatest level of satisfaction? Madeline Rogero: I think our improvements to sustainability in the city and our community would be one; the massive…
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The phrase you hear Allan Benton use again and again to describe his product is “world-class.” That’s not self-aggrandizement; it’s aspirational. He uses it when talking about everything from the quality of the hogs he purchases to the…
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