2021

Knox County’s hunger ratings require us all to pitch in Five or six years ago, I started a new holiday tradition. On the day after Thanksgiving, I would visit my friend Billy Kidd, the late WIMZ DJ, as he kicked off his yearly “Camping…
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A look back at the life of a fellow presiding justice in the neighboring state of Alabama Of all those remarkable individuals I have met during my 40 years in local politics and the state judiciary, far and away the most interesting is…
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Alex Smith shares the beauty of life through oil paintings In early October, Knoxville native Alex Smith wandered through a First Friday crowd at the Emporium. His first local show since moving back to Knoxville in early 2019,…
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Challenging terrain speckled with stories of icy escapes On June 13, 1977, a handful of inmates from Brushy Mountain scaled the wall and melted into the Cumberland Mountains surrounding beautiful Petros. On their heels were every…
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COVID-19’s unexpected impact on the justice system You may be familiar with the phrase “Justice delayed is justice denied”. It’s a simple yet thoughtful concept that essentially means that if legal relief isn’t available in a…
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Of all the projects we undertake throughout the year, Best of the Best is the most intense. The first couple of years we used paper ballots that were included in the magazine. Candidly, it was a nightmare counting those, and there was a…
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Untold memories from former Vols gear us up for a new season with a new coach In the eyes of many, the last decade of mismanagement and a succession of bad coaching hires have tarnished the Tennessee football tradition. The fan base is…
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Mental health care services are vital to our community’s wellness My childhood dream was always to play professional sports. This aspiration was no passing fancy. It defined who I was, and I couldn’t imagine a life that did not center…
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A fresh cup reminds us of stories from times past On August 21, 1971, Sandra Sue Franklin and I declared our marriage vows. So, this year qualifies as our Golden Anniversary—50 years. In the last decade, most of our mornings together…
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Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture 2021 We have been flying on this last leg for roughly two hours heading to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture 2021 Air Show. Arrival at Oshkosh is…
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