Sunspherebook@aol.com

The new book When All Hell Breaks Loose; Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes by Cody Lundin is a must read for all families. Lundin and his Aboriginal Living Skills School have been featured on such shows as Dateline NBC, CBS News, USA Today, The Donny and Marie Show, and CBC Radio One in Canada, as well as on the cover of Backpacker magazine. Also, Dual Survival, where Lundin stars with co-survivalist, Dave Canterbury, has been a hit show for the Discovery Channel. When not teaching for his own school, he is an adjunct faculty member at Yavapai College and a faculty member at the Ecosa Institute. Cody is the only person in Arizona licensed to catch fish with his hands. He lives “off the grid” in a 700 square foot, cave-like, solar earth home he built himself approximately sixty miles from Prescott, Arizona.

When asked why he wrote the new book, Lundin said that his other book 98.6; the Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive was doing well, and the publisher offered to have another writer help him with a second book directed towards urban survival. He said he waited over a year before he decided the time was right for another book.

Lundin said he loves cities and since most Americans live in or near a large city he thought, “Joe and Jane America need to know what to do when the grid goes down. What supplies will they need?”

Lundin said that surviving in any situation is more psychological than physical. It is 90% psychology. He believes that fear can kill you.

The book mostly discusses home survival after a disaster, but it also tells you what to do if you are caught away from home. Lundin said that he never leaves his home without taking a survival kit. He suggests that extra clothing, snack food, a way to make a fire, comfortable shoes. a sharp knife and plastic bags are basic for any survival kit. He said that women need to be especially careful that they do not get caught away from home with only high heel shoes to wear. “You won’t make it one city block walking in high heels,” he said.

He said that specific situations such as floods, hurricanes or earthquakes require basically the same survival skills. You need to keep the temperature of your body regulated through clothing and shelter, you need to drink water, and you need food. In regards to regulating body temperature, Lundin said that hypothermia (getting too hot) is the largest killer in outdoor situations in his home state of Arizona. He says a person can be dead within 3 hours to 3 days in the desert. Water—you cannot live without clean water. In order to disinfect water you only have to bring it to a boil or use iodine or chlorine bleach.

Food—-the easiest way to store food is in cans. It is easy to eat and cans can be opened in a variety of ways. He recommends a 2 to 4 weeks’ supply of food for each person in the family. He also discusses what to do with poop and dead bodies—two topics that draw much criticizes from skeptics.

He believes that reparation is the key in all situations. He said it is too late to learn how to swim after the waters have risen.

Lundin said to never leave home without telling your family where you are going. He said if you are going on a hike or on a trip for more than one day, you need to take the following items along with you: a container full of water, a reflective mirror, zip loc bags, large trash bags, iodine or chlorine bleach, a lighter or matches, a flashlight, a blanket and enough snack foods to last 3 days. Lundin said that less than 7% of Americans are prepared for any disaster.

At one point, Lundin offered his services to FEMA but received a letter telling him he was not needed by the government. Lundin said that just shows that the typical citizen should not look to the government to save him/her in any disaster. “It is your responsibility to survive,” he said. “It is up to you to prepare.”

Talk of the Town for July 29 by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Remember to shop at the Teen Challenge Thrift Store that opened at 2017 North Broadway. They need your support and will pick up your donations if you call 865 360 3165.

Medic Blood Bank is getting low on blood and is seeking donations. The office at 1601 Ailor is open daily and they especially need type 0 negative blood. Call 865 524 3074 for more details.

Note to all kids who love to play in the water fountains at Market Square—-The play fountains at Market Square will be turned off during Shakespeare on the Square performances by the Tennessee Stage Company. The fountains will be turned off every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from July 14th to August 14th beginning at 7:00 p.m. Thankfully, the water fountains at other sites at Neyland Drive, Krutch Park and World’s Fair Park will not be affected.

Note to all veterans: The 5th Annual East Tennessee Veterans Business Conference will be held August 2, 2011 at the Y-12 National Security Complex New Hope Center at 602 Scarboro Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Registration begins at 7.30 am and the conference ends at 4 pm. Registration is free, but required. Businesses interested in exhibiting are encouraged to sign up early because space is limited.

The day-long event sponsored by the Y-12 National Security Complex will help veteran-owned companies learn how to do business with federal, state and local governments, agencies and other companies, from small businesses to prime federal contractors.

A drought that spreads from Arizona to Florida began last year and is continuing with no relief in sight. Texas is said to be as dry as if the land had been cooked under a broiler. Cotton fields that should be full of mature cotton plants contain nothing but dust. Many are comparing this year’s drought to the great drought of the 1950s. Look for cotton prices to soar as production is way down.


The tea party-backed Republican freshmen are said to have the run of the House this week with a plan to let the government borrow another $2.4 trillion – but only after big and immediate spending cuts and adoption by Congress of a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. The plan is known as “cut, cap and balance.” It requires immediate spending cuts, a cap on spending by the federal government and a new amendment that will require that the federal budget be balanced. Sadly, the plan will pass in the House where the Republicans control the votes, but has no way of passing in the Senate where Democrats control the votes. During the administration of George Bush-#41, the government owed 40% of the gross national product; during Clinton’s 8 years, the government owed 39% of GNP, during George Bush-#43, the government owed 43% of the GNP, UNDER OBAMA THE GOVERNMENT OWES 70% OF GNP, AND HE WANTS TO BORROW MORE.

Don’t waste your time or money on the movie Horrible Bosses. I only watched it because it was free over the internet. I find no humor in three employees planning to murder their bosses; who writes this stuff? Murder is not a topic for humor in my book. The movie Bad Teacher is as horrible as Horrible Bosses. I find no humor in a teacher using pot and booze at school and cheating on achievement tests, although these things happen far more frequently that they should. The last new movie I have seen recently that I enjoyed was Water for Elephants. It has a lot of violence, but the scenery and acting are superior and it was based on a true story.

That Computer Guy—-Omer Hussain by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Let ‘s face it, in this age of advanced technology including everything from iPhones, iPods, laptop computers and dvd recorders, if we use these gizmos and gadgets, at some point, we are going to need that guy—the guy that knows all about how to repair these items. For me, luckily, I met Omer Hussain and, man oh man, am I glad.

Life in my world of computer repairs before Omer was fairly bleak. I tried those store geeks and even paid $150 per hour to have a couple of them visit me in my home. After all, that is where I use my computer. Oh sure, I tried taking my computer to the store, but, even if they fixed my problem in the store, once I got home, nothing made sense.

After assessing my computer problem, one geek who visited my home told me that all I could do was to get a new computer. Ha—not the answer I wanted. At another point, one geek told me the problem could not be solved. Not the answer I wanted, either.

So, I faced life suffering with aggravating computer and cell phone problems until my daughter met Omer through a friend of hers who works for a store that sells cell phones. When I contacted Omer he was friendly and easy to talk to and he assured me that he could repair most problems. He asked me to meet him at a local coffee shop and I did. I found him to be an attractive twenty-something gent with a big smile. He arrived with a backpack full of tools and quickly hooked up his laptop to my cell phone and immediately told me what was wrong with it. He asked if I wanted to order the part I needed and when is said that I did, he had it ordered before I took a sip of my drink—my kind of guy.

Actually, it was the most recent power outage we faced a couple of weeks ago that made me realize I truly did need a good cell phone. I had tried to use a cell phone a few times before, but I had difficulty keeping up with it. It seemed like every time it rang, I was in the car and the phone was in my purse, or it I was at home, people would call my land line and if I didn’t answer, they would call the cell phone——what a waste! But, after feeling completely locked out of all communications when our power was out for over three days, I decided to try using a cell phone one more time. My daughters were convinced I’d do better using a cell phone if I had an iPhone, so they made arrangements to give me one they had, only it needed to be repaired. Enter Omer.

Omer is the owner of Omer’s Repair Service located on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. He is the son of a local doctor who moved his family to America from Pakistan many years ago. Omer’s brother is following his father’s footsteps into the medical field, but high tech was Omer’s calling. He says his son, age 3, also has the techy gene as he can already use his dad’s gadgets. Omer performs repairs on all Apple and Microsoft based computers, all iPhones, iPods, and most other mobile devices. He gives free estimates and charges about $25 per hour for most repairs; plus parts, of course. His e mail address is

You can also find Omer’s Repair Service on Facebook. Here are a few comments about Omer that will give you an idea of what his customers think about him:

Madeline Rogero 

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com

Knoxville mayoral candidate Madeline Rogero holds a “significant” lead in the upcoming mayoral primary, according to a July 22 poll for the campaign by Public Policy Polling (PPP) of Raleigh, N.C.

In the poll, Rogero has received 40 percent of the vote, while former city councilman and county commissioner Ivan Harmon trails with 20 percent. Businessman Mark Padgett is third with 13 percent, and two other candidates split five percent. Twenty-two percent of the respondents were undecided.

Rogero, the city of Knoxville’s former community development director, holds a 5-to-1 lead among Democrats, and leads among independents by a 3-to-1 margin.

Rogero is viewed favorably by a 60 percent to a 19 percent margin, significantly outpacing both Harmon and Padgett.

“While we still have much to do, I am certainly pleased with these results,” Rogero said in a statement. “The people I talk to every day around the city know that we have a great opportunity to vote to continue our work to create new jobs, grow our local economy and preserve Knoxville’s environment while we do it.”

According to PPP, the poll was taken among 600 likely voters July 18-20.

PPP was rated by the Wall Street Journal as one of the two most accurate during the last election cycle, and one of the most reputable pollsters in the country. 

The non-partisan primary will be held Sept. 27, with early voting starting Sept. 7. 

As of press time, Rogero, Harmon, Padgett and former city councilman Joe Hultquist were among the candidates scheduled to participate in a televised mayoral debate. 

Mical Jackson, right, receives help from Kristel Pratt, left, to manage his account with the Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union as part of the Project NOW program sponsored by Child & Family Tennessee and its partners. A press conference was held July 28 to recognized the program and its participants. (Photo by J.J. Kindred) 

By J.J. KINDRED

J.Kindred@theknoxvillejournal.com

Sadal Watts is moving up in the world.

After losing his first car, thanks to a partnership with Child & Family Tennessee (CFT), the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and the Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union, he will soon have a replacement in what he hopes will be a Toyota Camry. 

“I’m really excited,” said Watts, 18. “I lost my other car so this will give me a great  chance to get another one.”

Watts is part of a program called Project NOW (Navigating Opportunities That Work). It is one of several that CFT is involved with that help strengthen teens as they transition into adulthood and independence. 

Through the Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union, Project NOW helps youth and young adults from ages 14-24, who have been in foster care for at least one day after age 14, start saving for their future. 

Youth who participate in Project NOW will receive $20 in their personal accounts and $20 in their IDA (Individual Development Account) each time they participate.

Youth must be ages 14-24, having been in foster care at age 14 or later, to participate. They are also required to have at least 10 hours of financial literacy training, preparing them for using a checking and savings accounts, paying bills, building credit and being financially independent. 

Each year, Project NOW will match up to $1,000 in specific expense categories including housing, medical, vehicles, the education and training course, investments and microenterprise. 

In addition to the IDA, youth will receive a personal checking account, with $25 deposited, in which they are encouraged to use the account for depositing cash for their personal use, whether it be to pay bills, make purchases or cash withdrawals. Funds in this account will not be matched, officials said.  

A press conference was held July 28 at the TVA Credit Union branch near the Knoxville Center Mall to recognize the program and its participants. 

“We had a relationship already with Child & Family Services, and they had approached us to come and partner with them for the Jim Casey Project NOW program they were starting,” said Kimberly Long, a business development specialist with the TVA Credit Union. “The program is already in the state of Tennessee and has already begun in the Memphis and Nashville areas, and banks were partnering with them. This was the only credit union in the state that is partnering with Jim Casey Project NOW in Tennessee, and we were really excited to do that.

“We teach the kids about credit, how to use a debit card, how to establish credit, how to balance a checkbook and just different things to help them grow financially,” Long continued. “It’s been a learning experience for us and for them. It’s been a great partnership so far, and we’re looking forward to working more with them in the future.”

Shantel Standefer, CFT’s project coordinator for Project NOW, said the program just finished its third class, and continues to grow strong. Close to 20 youth have completed the program. 

“This is a financial literacy program to help kids and youth transition into everyday living and teaching them financial responsibility in order to succeed,” Standefer said. “They don’t have this information that a lot of us take for granted. They learn to balance their checkbooks. Who doesn’t know how to do that, but they don’t and they worry where their next meal is coming from and not really worried about writing a check the right way to pay rent. It is very vital and very important information to know.”

“Shantel watches everything I do with my bank account. I’m pretty much saving money to get matched,” Watts said. “Shantel does pretty much everything. If I have any questions and if she doesn’t know, she can find out pretty easily.”

Dan Hoxworth, president and CEO of Child & Family Tennessee, gave his praises for the program. 

“At CFT, our goal is to help people thrive and not simply survive by helping them achieve healthy lives both emotionally and physically and secure financial independence,” Hoxworth said in a statement. He was not able to attend the press conference. 

“We are delighted to partner with Jim Casey, DCS and TVA so that we can offer area youth a financial starting point for them to make investments in their own future. Without support from the community and our partners, our youth would not have this wonderful opportunity. We continue to leverage additional opportunities for youth and adults to be self-sufficient and engaged citizens in their community.” 

Knoxville Mayor Daniel Brown, second from left, and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, center, greeted riders as they stopped through Knoxville July 27 as part of the Ride: Well Bike Tour that supports clean water awareness. (Photo courtesy of City of Knoxville)

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com

Knoxville Mayor Daniel Brown and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett greeted riders with the Ride: Well Bike Tour as they arrived in Knoxville July 27, as part of a 3,300-mile, cross-country ride to raise awareness and funds for the effort to provide clean water to communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

The ride supports Blood: Water Mission, an organization dedicated to developing clean water wells and supporting medical facilities and programs to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.

According to its website, Blood: Water Mission has worked with more than 1,000 African communities so far to bring clean water and improved health care to 600,000 people in 13 different countries.

The riders have been on the road since leaving San Diego in mid-June as part of Ride: Well’s Southern Tour. Knoxville wasn’t originally on the course but a last-minute change of plans led them here.

A separate Ride: Well Bike Tour is riding a 2,000-mile course along the Pacific Coast. The rides have raised more than $300,000 during the past two years.

The 15 or so riders were staying in Knoxville enroute to Virginia. The ride is slated to end on Aug. 7 in Virginia Beach.

More information about the Ride: Well Bike Tour is available at www.ridewelltour.org, and additional information about the work of Blood: Water Mission can be found at www.bloodwatermission.com.

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com 

The Sevierville Police Department (SPD) are actively searching for a man suspected of committing aggravated robbery on July 1. 

According to SPD Detective Kevin Bush, a man allegedly robbed a hotel clerk at The Resort Hotel, located at 225 Collier Drive, just after midnight. The suspect reportedly held a pair of scissors to the neck of the clerk and demanded money. The clerk complied and the suspect fled the hotel through a back door. No injuries were reported.

The suspect is described as a white male in his 20s, with a slender athletic build, tan complexion, and approximately 5’10” tall. He was wearing a black baseball style hat, long sleeve blue and white collared shirt, dark blue jean shorts, sunglasses and black gloves. The suspect may have fled in a white older model vehicle with damage on the passenger side.

Those with information regarding these incidents and/or the identity of the suspect is requested to contact Bush at (865) 453-5506. Citizens are cautioned not to approach or engage suspects, but instead to contact the SPD or local law enforcement agency; in emergency situations, call 911.

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com 

The Department of Revenue is reminding Tennessee residents that the sixth annual Sales Tax Holiday is scheduled for Aug. 5- Aug. 7.

Tennessee shoppers during these three days of savings can save nearly 10 percent on tax-free clothing, school and art supplies and computer purchases.

“The annual Sales Tax Holiday was designed with Tennessee families in mind, providing savings for families, especially as students begin to prepare for the upcoming school year,” Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement.

During the designated three-day weekend, consumers will not pay state or local sales tax on select clothing with a price of $100 or less per item, school and art supplies with a price of $100 or less per item, and computers with a price of $1,500 or less.

“As in years past, last year’s tax-free weekend was very successful, providing Tennessee taxpayers nearly $8.6 million in tax savings” said Revenue Commissioner Richard H. Roberts. “We are hopeful that all Tennessee shoppers will take advantage of the tax relief provided by the 2011 Sales Tax Holiday.”

Visitwww.tntaxholiday.com to learn more about the items exempt from sales tax. The Tennessee Department of Revenue also assists consumers via e-mail, Salestax.Holiday@TN.gov, and through its toll-free statewide telephone hot line, (800) 342-1003. Staff is available to answer questions Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time.

Examples of exempt items:

• Clothing: Shirts, dresses, pants, coats, gloves and mittens, hats and caps, hosiery, neckties, belts, sneakers, shoes, uniforms whether athletic or non-athletic and scarves

• School Supplies: Binders, book bags, calculators, tape, chalk, crayons, erasers, folders, glue, pens, pencils, lunch boxes, notebooks, paper, rulers and scissors

• Art Supplies: Clay and glazes; acrylic, tempera and oil paints; paintbrushes for artwork; sketch and drawing pads; and watercolors

• Computers: Central processing unit (CPU), along with various other components including monitor, keyboard, mouse, cables to connect components and preloaded software (Note: While the CPU may be purchased separately, other items must be part of a bundled computer package in order to be eligible.) iPads and other tablet computers are eligible for tax exemption, while video games and consoles are not.

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com 

Knoxville has been included in Kiplinger’s “10 Best Value Cities for 2011” joining cities ranging in size from Cincinnati and Charlotte to Cedar Rapids and Colorado Springs.

Knoxville was ranked fifth on this year’s list that “focuses on metro areas with vibrant economies, reasonable living costs and great amenities.” According to Kiplinger the common threads binding the top 10 cities were partnerships that created business environments that attract good companies, low housing costs and quality of life.

“It’s always great to be recognized as a great place to live,” said Mayor Daniel Brown in a press release. “Knoxville has been included on several best of lists in the last few years and we’re always pleased when that happens.

“At the same time, as a city government we don’t ever take those recognitions for granted. We want to keep doing things that make Knoxville an even better place for all of us to live,” he added.

A sidebar about Knoxville credited a rejuvenated downtown and a thriving entertainment scene, in addition to the low housing, tax and utility costs as being among the elements contributing to the city’s making the list. It opened by noting Knoxville, “offers college sports, the Smoky Mountains and an entrepreneurial spirit.”

All 10 cities are located in the South or Midwest.

Omaha topped the list followed by Charlotte, Nashville, Colorado Springs, Knoxville, Lexington, Little Rock, Wichita, Cedar Rapids and Cincinnati.

Kiplinger is a publishing company that concentrates on business and personal finance. Its products include a magazine, several newsletters focusing on specific business areas, financial guides and a website among other offerings.  The list is at http://kiplinger.com/slideshow/best-value-cities-2011/1.html.

(Photo courtesy of Loveless Cafe) 

By J.J. KINDRED

J.Kindred@theknoxvillejournal.com

As me, my wife Polly and our five-month old son were driving home after spending the weekend in Texas for a family reunion, I decided I wanted to make a little stop for a late lunch outside of Nashville.

I saw some segments about the Loveless Cafe on the Travel Channel and Food Network, both of which I watch religiously. I saw where their famous “Biscuit Lady,” the late Carol Fay Ellison (may she rest in peace), showed how she made her creations that the restaurant is known for and that go with most of their dishes.

The biscuits and the food looked so delicious that I had to try this place for myself. And how convenient it was that it was located near Nashville, where I had my first job in journalism and the college that I went to was nearby.

The restaurant is part of a mini complex that includes a gift shop and country market, and also used to house a motel. Upon our arrival, we noticed dozens of autographed pictures of celebrities that have eaten there. Literally a minute after we got seated, our waitress immediately gave us a plate with three biscuits on it, with samples of homemade strawberry, blackberry and peach preserves. We both took a biscuit half and I placed some strawberry on mine while Polly dove into the peach. Let’s just say that neither one of us were talking much as the biscuits melted in our mouth.

I went on and ordered the country fried steak with white gravy, along with green beans and garlic red-skinned mashed potatoes as my sides. Polly ordered the watermelon ribs with the exact same sides. Our food came very quickly, and as we dug in, everything was very hot and fresh. The green beans definitely weren’t from a can, and the mashed potatoes were made how they were supposed to taste. My steak was very flavorful and nice and crispy all around. Polly gave me a sample of her ribs, which she loved, and I couldn’t believe how flavorful and fall-off-the-bone tender they were. Even a little watermelon cube that was grilled with the ribs had an interesting, pickled taste to it. I even had a little bit of sides left because I was full, and Polly managed to finish them off for me. I don’t blame her one bit.

I had to double check and ask our waitress if the restaurant had been featured on either the Travel Channel or Food Network. She said they had been featured on both. They were featured on the Travel Channel’s “Breakfast Paradise,” as well as the Food Network’s “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” where he challenged Carol Fay to a biscuit contest, which he won only because he brought his own judges with him, I was told. (Personal note: It figures.) I was also told that the Food Network was planning to make another appearance with their show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

I can understand why the place has become so popular among locals and tourists alike. When I excused myself from the table, I looked around at all the newspaper and magazine articles written about them, and I saw celebrities such as Conan O’Brien, Willard Scott, Dolly Parton, Amy Grant, and countless others I couldn’t remember off the top of my head, have given their endorsement of the place.

I wish Polly, my son and I had time to go into the shops and look around the grounds more, but we had to get back home before it was too late. But I did manage to buy a jar of their peach preserves and take them home with us. It was so good that they may not last long around our house.

Polly told me she was glad we decided to take the detour and go to the Loveless Cafe. I’m glad I got to finally try it and drive back to Knoxville with a full stomach and a smile on my face. They will definitely have some repeat business from us. I just hope they never run out of biscuits.

George Hamilton IV, right, known as the International Ambassador of Country Music, will perform at Henderson Chapel Baptist Church in Pigeon Forge July 31. Pictured left is the church’s music minister and renowned performer Don Richmond. (Photo submitted) 

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com 

George Hamilton IV, known as the International Ambassador of Country Music, will make his way to Pigeon Forge’s Henderson Chapel Baptist Church for a free Concert July 31 at 6 p.m.

Hamilton has enjoyed one of the most illustrious careers in the history of popular music.  A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., he began his career in the late 1950’s as a teen oriented pop star with his first big hit, “A Rose and a Baby Ruth,” and toured with Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. When additional pop releases also hit the country charts, he joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1960, and was later signed to RCA Records by Chet Atkins. His 1963 release “Abilene” was  No. 1 on the country charts for four weeks, while simultaneously topping the pop charts. Hits such as “Early Morning Rain,” “Break My Mind,” “Truck Drivin’ Man” and “She’s A Little Bit Country” are just a few of the extremely numerous list which still continues in America and around the world.

Hamilton has released more than 100 albums to date. He has hosted national television series’ for CBS-TV, ABC-TV and the British BBC. He has performed the longest running international tours ever by a country artist, and in 1974, he became the first country artist ever to perform behind the Iron Curtain. His many appearances across the Soviet Union, Europe, Africa, the Orient, New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East, and other countries, earned him the nickname of “International Ambassador” by Billboard Magazine.

Hamilton  has also been inducted to the “Sidewalk Of The Stars” at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2006 was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

In the 1980’s, Hamilton was a frequent guest singer with the Billy Graham Crusades. His country gospel recordings have garnered the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award, and nominations again in 2004, 2005, and 2007.

Hamilton is a regular on the Grand Ole Opry. His recordings are consistently in the Top 10 Charts throughout Europe for both Christian and country music, and his tours continue to take him all over the world.

Hamilton’s appearance at Henderson Chapel will be a reunion for George and fellow recording artist Donny Richmond, who now serves as Henderson Chapel’s music minister.

Richmond, who counts Hamilton as a major musical hero, has performed alongside him in the past, and in 2006 Hamilton announced Richmond as one of his favorite artists. As part of the “mutual admiration society,” Richmond said  that Hamilton “is such a man of integrity — he is kind of like the Billy Graham of country music.”

In October of last year, Hamilton and Richmond performed together before a sold out crowd in Northern Ireland, and Hamilton wrote the liner notes for Richmond’s recent Irish release, “Love To Ireland,” which is also set for U.S. and international release in January of next year. Richmond’s “Gospel Jukebox” single from the album recently spent a record-breaking five weeks at No. 1 on the European Christian country charts. Hamilton currently has three different Top Chart Hits circulating internationally.

Henderson Chapel Baptist Church is located off Henderson Chapel on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com 

Less than three months after Mayor Daniel Brown announced the city of Knoxville’s new curbside recycling initiative, the program has signed up more than 15,000 households.  

“We are 75 percent of the way to our goal of 20,000 households and very pleased with the response from the community so far,” said David Brace, deputy director for public service, in a press release. “As of this morning, 15,252 households have made the decision to change their habits and support the city’s effort to reduce waste and landfill use.”

To reach additional customers, the city’s solid waste office will be signing up residents for the new curbside recycling program over the tax free weekend, Aug. 5-7 at both West Town and Knoxville Center malls. This additional sign up event is part of the city’s last push before the Aug. 14 deadline for the initial round of cart delivery.  

Participants at both malls can receive an in-home recycling bin to collect items, which makes it even easier to take recyclables to the cart.   

The first carts are scheduled for delivery in September with the curbside service starting in October. Those who sign up after Aug. 14, but before the 20,000 goal is reached will receive a cart later this year. Dates have not yet been determined for a second round of cart delivery but it is expected to be before the end of the year.

The program features:

• No sorting – all recyclables go in the cart together

• A rolling cart will be provided in September

• Pick up at the curb every other week will begin in October

• No additional charge to city residents

• RecycleBank – participants can earn points toward discounts on goods and services through this rewards program

Initially, the program is for the first 20,000 households that sign up. To do so and for further information, go online to www.doyourpartwiththecart.com or call 311.

(Photo courtesy of Beck Cultural Exchange Center) 

By J.J. KINDRED

J.Kindred@theknoxvillejournal.com 

The Knox County Audit Committee was asked unanimously by Knox County commissioners during its July 25 meeting to investigate all of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center’s finances.

Officials with the Beck Center welcomed the moved to clear their name of any wrongdoing among its financial dealings.

County internal auditor Richard Walls will investigate the organization’s finances, which could take close to two months and could go back a few years.

In the recently approved budget, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett  cut the Beck Center’s funding from $150,000 to $12,000. Officials for the center, which houses black history documents and heritage for Knoxville and also East Tennessee, have been encouraging county officials for months to reinstate the funding.

Beck officials and supporters had encouraged commissioners to reinstate the funds, however, there was major concerns about the center’s financial records, including IRS discrepancies. Beck failed to report last year’s $150,000 in funding from Knox County on its IRS 990 tax form. The salary of executive director Avon Rollins was also not reported.

Beck officials did file an amended tax return.

Burchett does not have any intention of reinstating the cut funding, no matter what the results of the audit are.

An abandoned home on Bluff Avenue caught fire during the early morning hours of July 26. The home had been abandoned for years, and no one was inside. (Photo courtesy of Knoxville Fire Department) 

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com 

A structure fire occurred during the early morning hours of July 26 at an abandoned house on 1226 Bluff Ave.

According to the Knoxville Fire Department spokesperson D.J. Corcoran, shortly after 2 a.m. an employee of the KenJo Market at Broadway and Grainger called 911 to report a fire coming from the house.

As fire crews arrived, they found fire and heavy smoke coming from the house, which was boarded up. An initial knockdown of the flames followed by a interior and exterior size-up of the work to follow was completed. Additional lines were drawn from the engine company and a interior attack was initiated. The fire was under control shortly there after.

No injuries were reported, and investigators were trying to determine the fire’s cause. The house has sat empty with no power supply and windows boarded shut for a number of years, according to Corcoran.

Sue Atchley (photo by J.J. Kindred) 

By J.J. KINDRED

J.Kindred@theknoxvillejournal.com 

Sue Atchley, the wife of former state Sen. Ben Atchley, was appointed by Knox County commissioners July 25 to fill the 6th District Tennessee Senate seat vacated by Jamie Woodson.

Atchley, 77, got the nod over four other candidates for the appointment, which included Carson Dailey, chairman of the South Knoxville Republican Club; John Ewart, executive director of the St. Mary’s Health and Fitness Center of Mercy Health Partners; and former attorney and local business consultant Tom Midyett.

A fifth candidate, Janie Vega, a legal secretary, did not show up for the July 18 public interview.

Atchley is serving until a special election is scheduled by Gov. Bill Haslam. Her husband served in the General Assembly for 32 years.

“I had no idea who would get the appointment,” Atchley told The Knoxville Journal over the phone July 27. “It was exciting, and I was on Cloud Nine for a while. I cried tears of joy. What an honor — I hope I can fulfill my duties with a little help, but that’s okay. I’ve got good help at my fingertips.”

Atchley has no interest in running for the full-time Senate seat. Knoxville City Councilwoman Marilyn Roddy, Becky Duncan Massey, sister of U.S. Rep. John Duncan, and former county commissioner Victoria DeFreese are the prime candidates for the permanent post.

Woodson stepped down from the Senate to become president and CEO of State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE).

“She gave me a call the next morning and wished me the best. She was very proud of me,” said Atchley, who along with her husband were already close friends with Woodson beforehand.

She said she would not do anything differently from Woodson, and is not sure what kind of role she will play at this time.

“I don’t know of anything at all,” Atchley said. “She’s done a remarkable job. As far as myself, first of all, I have to see which committee I will get assigned to and get a headway.

“I never pictured myself in this role,” Atchley continued. “I figured once we had been there 32 years that would be it. I felt like I had already been there and done that.

I don’t know too many families that have two senators under one roof. If one senator can’t do that, another certainly can. That’s my backbone there.”

Philip Jerome Locke

Daniel Pagan (photos courtesy of Knox County Sheriff’s Dept.) 

From Knoxville Journal staff reports

News@theknoxvillejournal.com 

A Knox County grand jury indicted two men July 20 that were charged in unrelated crimes.

Philip Jerome Locke, 22, was indicted on charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery for the attempted armed robbery of the Los Lagos Bar and Grill on Cherry Street in April of last year.

According to a police investigation, at approximately 3 a.m., Locke entered the bar and forced the owner into the back to get cash from the register.

After a scuffle, shots were fired, resulting in the owner and an employee receiving wounds. Witnesses beat up and held Locke until police arrived to arrest him.

The other indictment involved the stabbing death of a woman during a robbery attempt gone wrong. Daniel Pagan, 20, was indicted on a charge of second degree murder for the death of Dashawnta Murphy back in January.

Steve Sword (courtesy of Facebook) 

By J.J. KINDRED

J.Kindred@theknoxvillejournal.com 

Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Steve Sword has been appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam to fill the vacant judgeship of Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner, who resigned in January after a drug-related scandal.

Sword was one of three candidates sent to Haslam by a nominating panel for consideration to take the bench after Baumgartner resigned after pleading guilty to official misconduct for buying prescription painkillers from a convicted felon on probation in his court.

Baumgarter had presided over many high-profile cases in Knox County, including the Channon Christian-Chris Newsom murder trial from 2007 that resulted in many convictions.

Sword was the nominating committee’s third pick in voting. Eight candidates were up for the post before the committee narrowed it down to three. Former prosecutor Scott Green and defense attorney Chuck Burks were the other candidates.

Sword has prosecuted a number of high-profile sex crime cases in his 15-year tenure with the DA’s office.

“I received the call from the governor (July 19) and received the official announcement today (July 20),” Sword told The Knoxville Journal. 

“I had always anticipated serving in some leadership role in the criminal justice system. The criminal court bench is one I had been considering. It’s not a big surprise, but at the same time, it’s not something that’s a big stretch.”

Sword said his experience as an assistant district attorney will help him ease into his new role.  

“I have an idea on how criminal court functions, but I have no idea how everything will turn out on the bench until I get there,” Sword said. “I have had good mentors on the bench, and I will take things from them and apply them to my own ideas on the justice system to move it more efficiently.”

Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood has been filling in for Baumgartner. Sword said no decision has been made as to when he’ll officially take the bench, but it could be as soon as Aug. 1.

Sword’s partners will take over his case load until his replacement is named.

By DAVE FORD

D.Ford@theknoxvillejournal.com

I’ve loved the game of football ever since I can remember. There are various pictures in my memory of watching the NFL as early as 5-years-old, and I can still see what the games looked like on that old television.

But I never took a chance and tried to play the game at an organized level. There were many, many days of playing catch with my dad, of learning how to throw a perfect spiral and studying how to run a perfect route. There were pass-catching techniques, footwork in the street and running untimed 40-yard dashes.

I didn’t know it then, but I was training for a game I would never play.

Sure, I made big plays in playground football with my friends. I was even crazy enough to play tackle football as a 30-year-old with a herniated disc in my lower back.

But I’ll always wonder what it must have been like to feel invincible under the Friday night lights. 

Those last three words have become synonymous with American pop culture. The book of the same name written by H.G. Bissinger about the 1988 Odessa Permian High School football team, which I’ve read twice, not only inspired the 2004 major motion picture but also the recently-cancelled television series that debuted in 2006.

However, the book inspired so much more than on-screen entertainment. It gave all of us a behind-the-scenes look at what everyday life is like in the state of Texas, especially in small towns like Odessa. Football is life and there is nothing else. The town represents Americana at its most gritty level. Roads stretch for miles with nothing on either side but dirt and decaying oil rigs that have been shut down for two decades.

Looking back, I didn’t attend more than a handful of football games when I was in high school. To me, I remember it being so much more of a foundation to build popularity if you showed up to socialize more than it was about the game on the field. In humble Pasco County, Fla., in the early 1990s, football was pretty big … but so was basketball and baseball. Before I reached Land O’ Lakes High School in 1990, the football program was never a district power. But for the next four years I was there, there were district titles at both the junior varsity and varsity levels. 

But unlike the real-life Permian Panthers or even the fictional Dillon Panthers and East Dillon Lions, winning state never came into play. 

Throughout the book, as well as the movie and TV series, FNL concentrated on the many difficult social aspects of not only being a high school football player but also trying to find one’s niche as a student among them as well, no matter the state. The guys come into school on Fridays wearing their jerseys, flaunting their jewelry, pulling up their sleeves to show off what they think are awesome looking arms, not carrying any books because that wouldn’t be cool and for an added touch of arrogance, some even wear sunglasses inside because things are just too bright to look upon with naked eyes. 

Then everybody is herded into the gymnasium for a pep rally to further inflate the team’s collection of big heads almost to the point of explosion. Of course, those who aren’t being glorified in front of the masses just take it as a free period away from the classroom. The head coach comes out, steps up to the microphone, looks into the eyes of the gathered crowd huddled next to each other on the bleachers and manages to say nothing important. However, whatever he says, it gets everyone juiced up for the game that night.

And so the ritual goes for 10 weeks at the beginning of school each year across America.

Listen, I was a major jock back then, so I’m not trying to take anything away from the pep rally ideal. And although I never had my day in the sun on the football team for which I unknowingly trained, I have some good memories of being a part of some very talented basketball and track teams.

Someday I hope to travel to Odessa, Texas to witness for myself what it’s like to see a town shut down its businesses early to watch the local high school football team. I want to get a sense for the overwhelming passion the people have for the game, the school and its players. Are mantras like  “Be perfect” and  “Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose!” really used day-in and day-out? I’d like to believe they are. 

Funny thing is, I’ve attended more games on Friday nights as a sports writer than I ever did as a spaghetti-armed teenager. Back then, I just might have missed out on something special.