GOVERNMENT/POLITICS A4 | FEATURES A6 | YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS A3 | BUSINESS A7
A great community newspaper.
powell
VOL. 50, NO. 37
SEPTEMBER 12, 2011
INSIDE www.ShopperNewsNow.com
|
www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow
|
twitter.com/shoppernewsnow
Businesses boost CTE Career training available to all
CTE at Powell
By Greg Householder Remember the old high school dilemma: vocation education versus college prep? Today’s students can have both. Career and Technical Education (CTE) is now available to every Knox County high school student. And under the leadership of Don Lawson, the program is evolving new offerings with a business support system that makes the courses relevant to today’s workplace. Last week, Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre joined the celebration as Home Depot and O.G. Hughes and Sons presented Knox County with $15,000 worth of tools (from Home Depot) and $7,500 in onboard tool storage (compliments of O.G. Hughes and Sons) for the CTE jobsite truck.
Takin’ it to the streets Madeline Rogero hits the road in search of votes. See page A-4
Locks of Love Teacher has hair cut for good cause. See Sandra Clark’s story on page A-9
Dream catcher Seth Dunaway leads fund drive for Powell High School. See A-2
ONLINE
DO YOU
LIKE?
The CTE students graduate at a rate of 92 percent – better than the systemwide average of almost 87 percent. The newly-stocked truck reflects the diversity of the program these days. The Ford F350 Super Duty was purchased by the school system as a wreck. The kids in the auto repair and auto body classes fi xed it. The students in the graphics classes designed and created the decals. Lawson said the truck will be shared among all CTE programs and students will benefit from the latest tools. Lawson said 70 percent of Knox County high school students take three or more CTE courses and 90 percent take at least one course. The CTE students graduate at a rate of 92 percent – better than the systemwide average of almost 87 percent. For a complete listing of CTE programs, visit the CTE Partnership website at www. ctepartnership.org.
Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre accepts a pipe wrench from Home Depot Pro account representative Stan Rudder (right) as Knox County Schools CTE director Don Lawson looks on. Home Depot donated tools worth $15,000 to stock the jobsite truck. O.G. Hughes and Sons Inc. donated onboard tool storage worth $7,500 for the truck. Photo by Greg Householder
Fed bucks feed county government
TELL US!
By Larry Van Guilder
The Shopper-News is now on Facebook!
For fiscal year 2011, Knox County’s budget topped $647 million. According to the county’s chief financial officer, the federal government supplied about 8.5 percent of that amount. John Troyer says the federal contribution to the county last fiscal year was about $55 million, with roughly $41 million going to schools and another $14 million dollars spread around various county departments. With budget-cutting running at a fever pitch in Washington, what do county residents stand to lose if the federal well runs dry? Grant Rosenberg heads Community Development for the county. Rosenberg’s department funds local grant programs through two sources of federal money, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). HUD funds were reduced by 12 percent this
Check us out for updates, photos and more! www.facebook.com/ ShopperNewsNow
4509 Doris Circle 37918 (865) 922-4136 news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Larry Van Guilder lvgknox@mindspring.com ADVERTISING SALES Patty Fecco fecco@ShopperNewsNow.com Darlene Hutchison hutchisond@ ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 4509 Doris Circle, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 8,314 homes in Powell.
The offerings under Knox County’s Career and Technical Education program at Powell High School serve up something for everyone. Powell-specific programs include: ■ Animal Systems: Pre-Veterinarian and Production Animals, both offered at Byington-Solway. ■ Business Technology: Business Financial Management, Banking and Finance, Interactive Multimedia, Business Management and Web/Multimedia Management/Web Master. Business Technology courses are available for 10th through 12th grade. ■ Fashion Design ■ Counseling and Mental Health Services, and Family and Community Services ■ Health Science: Diagnostic Services and Biotechnology Research and Development ■ Marketing: Recreation, Attractions, Sports and Entertainment ■ Engineering and Technology ■ Trade and Industry: Carpentry and Cosmetology, both offered at Powell High; and Welding, Precision Productions 13.1, Automotive Technology, Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), Electrical, HVAC and Criminal Justice, all offered at Byington-Solway. ■ Environmental and Natural Resources Systems, offered at South-Doyle High School; Plant Systems: Horticulture Production and Landscape Design, both offered at North Knox CTE. These Agricultural, Food and Natural Resources programs can be taken all four years (9th-12th grade). For a detailed listing of programs available in Knox County, visit the CTE Partnership website at www.ctepartnership.org/. – Greg Householder
program year, and CDBG were cut more than 16 percent. Rosenberg anticipates more cuts next year in the range of 10-15 percent. The federal money funds a laundry list of programs and services, including money for renovating or building housing for seniors and low to moderate income families. Currently, Rosenberg says, money has been set aside to replace a roof at the YWCA and renovate the Pleasant Tree apartments managed by Child and Family Tennessee. Other recipients include the Volunteer Ministry Center dental clinic, the Helen Ross McNabb Center and the Public Defender Community Law Office. Rosenberg notes that the housing programs provide an additional benefit. When the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee contracts for construction services, jobs are created or maintained.
Continuing cuts in federal funds will be felt across the board, but arguably hit housing hardest. “It limits affordable housing for seniors,” Rosenberg says, just as the baby boomer generation is hitting retirement age. The school budget is already strained, and the future looks grim enough without additional cuts in federal funds. The current budget includes a one-time boost of $8 million from the Education Jobs Program. The money primarily is used to fund teacher salaries and benefits. According to the line item detail in the school budget, $6.8 million of those funds are directly tied to teacher compensation. To maintain the same level of instruction next year would require an 8-cent property tax increase. The Knox County Health Department received nearly half of the $14 million disbursed to the “rest” of the county apart from schools.
Dr. Martha Buchanan manages a $24 million budget, and federal dollars supply about 25 percent of the department’s operating costs. Federal money goes to programs for “everything from TB to STDs to immunizations,” Buchanan says, but she expresses confidence in her department’s ability to carry on even if the spigot is turned off tomorrow. “We’ve got a great team at the health department,” she says, and it may need to “work smarter.” “Fortunately, we’ve had some ‘heads ups’ from our state partners (about possible cuts),” Buchanan adds, and if necessary the department will reorganize and restructure. Every department head in Knox County may not share Buchanan’s confidence, but her forward thinking outlook is a must. Federal funding of state and local programs is in a downward spiral and the bottom is nowhere in sight.
Party the night away! 131 y or Em E.
. Rd
33
131 d.
WY .
yR
sF
E. Em or
rri
Maynardville HWY.
No
7228 Norris Freeway Knoxville, TN 37918
Timothy Butcher, P.T., CSCS Physical Therapist and Clinic Director
Fun for ALL GROUPS of ANY AGE. Half and full lock-ins available
377-3176 • 377-3187 (fax) Check us out on Facebook.
Immediate appointments available.
859-7900
mercy.com