VOL. 52 NO. 27
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IN THIS ISSUE
KCS to get $1.2 million grant Knox County Schools has been chosen for a $1.2 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but Sandra Clark ponders how much more upheaval that will buy.
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See Clark’s column on page 4
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Smith not running Knox County Commissioner R. Larry Smith says he’s not a candidate for trustee, not now or in 2014. “I was outspoken during the time the trustee (John Duncan) was under investigation, but not because I wanted his job,” said Smith. “I think it’s absurd that county employees could get $3,000 every year for eight hours of continuing education, and it’s even more so when they have someone else take their tests.” Duncan III resigned last week after pleading guilty to official misconduct. Smith runs an insurance agency and owns commercial rental property in Halls and Fountain City. – S. Clark
Burchett to visit Fountain City Fountain City Business and Professional Association will host Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett from 11:45 a.m. until 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, in the fellowship hall of Central Baptist Church on Broadway. Everyone is invited. Lunch is $10 while supplies last. Info: president@ fountaincitybusiness.com/.
Free dog wash set for Saturday Celebrities will lend a hand from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 13, when the Ogle, Elrod and Baril law firm sponsors the third annual free dog wash in the parking area at Food City in Hardin Valley. While there is no charge for the wash, dog owners are asked to contribute to the Great Dane rescue organization. Jason Baril says the first dog wash raised $3,000 and last year’s event, when more than 500 dogs were washed, brought in $5,700. Veterinarians will perform additional services, including nail trimming and rabies shots at half-price. Info: 546-1111.
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Red, white and blue and wet all over By Cindy Taylor In spite of the forecast calling for a 100 percent rain chance, hundreds of folks joined in the July 4th festivities in Powell. The sun almost broke through the clouds as the cars and trucks decorated in red, white and blue made their way down Emory Road – participants tossing candy to the surprising number of folks who lined the streets. Sarah Hepler sang our National Anthem and state Rep. Bill Dunn led in the Pledge of Allegiance at Powell Station Park. Once the parade passed, people were treated to food, drinks and fun at the park – all for free. Vendors from the Powell Business and Professional Association set up tents with lots of goodies to pass out. Kids enjoyed free face painting, while Belle of Disney fame had free magic wands for all. “Remember to practice only good magic,” she said. The Powell Lions Club has sponsored the event for more than 50 years, and while the turnout may have been less than usual, a good time was had by all.
Callie Goodwin, 5, is enchanted by Disney’s Princess Belle. Photo by Cindy Taylor
Blueway for Beaver Creek By Sandra Clark A 6-mile greenway on water called a blueway is being proposed along Beaver Creek in Karns. County officials will be at the Karns Community Center, 7708 Oak Ridge Highway, from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, to present the plan and seek input. Ultimately the blueway could extend for some 40 creek miles from Clayton Park in Halls to Melton Hill
Park with takeout points at 4- to 10-mile intervals. The first phase will be built from the Legacy Parks Foundation’s park on Harrell Road to the Karns Sports Park, said Heath Haun, an employee in the stormwater division of Knox County’s Engineering and Public Works Department. “This is a stormwater demonstration project,” said Haun, and expansion
will depend on how many people use it and its effects on flood control. “The blueway will make it easier for families and outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy Beaver Creek,” a public waterway that begins and ends within Knox County. “Folks can go as a complete novice with a life jacket and be safe.” Beaver Creek is essentially flat with an average water depth of two feet,
By Betty Bean County Commissioner Amy Broyles walked a fine line while moderating a meeting with Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones and some 100 supporters of Knoxville’s immigrant community. The topic was the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287 (g) program, which Jones could decide to adopt this month. Jones and Captain Terry Wilshire, who directs the intake center and will supervise 287(g), said only corrections officers and an ICE supervisor will participate in the program. Both said it will benefit all concerned, because suspects will be allowed
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Haun said. The creek can be 4- to 6-feet deep, while riffles are as shallow as two inches. “There a canoeist or kayaker would just “step a foot out and step back in.” To qualify as a blueway in Knox County, the body must be a “water of the state.” It must have public access along with scenic and/or recreational value. It must be navigable by small watercraft and there must be no prohibition
against water contact. Haun said debris jams will be removed and some bank stabilization may occur later in the demonstration project. “With regular use and maintenance of the blueway, jams that contribute to flooding can be cleared efficiently. “And it’s a nice way to link the communities of Halls, Powell, Karns, Solway and Hardin Valley.” Info: 215-4750.
No business like jail business
Jimmy “J.J.” Jones to post bond while awaiting deportation hearings in Louisiana or Memphis, rather than waiting out the time in jail. Jones also
promised that his officers will not “profile” people on the street. Broyles, one of two Democrats on the commission, said she was there to be a neutral moderator and to allow an open exchange of ideas. She had many supporters in the audience, all of whom oppose 287 (g), described as “One of ICE’s top partnership initiatives, (which) allows a state and local law enforcement entity to enter into a partnership with ICE, under a joint Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The state or local entity receives delegated authority for immigration enforcement within their jurisdiction.”
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Members of the audience were unconvinced that deputizing jailers as ICE officers is a good idea. They said 287 (g) has a record of failure in communities where it has been tried – particularly in Nashville, where a court ordered Metro Davidson County to pay $200,000 to an undocumented Mexican woman who went into labor and gave birth while shackled in jail (she was charged with driving without a license and being held for ICE). Others said immigration reform already underway could make 287 (g) obsolete before Jones gets it started. Jones said he is not responsible for abuses in
U.S. District Judge Tom Phillips has asked city and county officials to form a task force to study ways to relieve jail overcrowding, and the long-simmering To page A-3
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other jurisdictions. Audience members accused him of not doing his homework. “Why do you feel comfortable doing this when you do not know how citizens feel about this issue?” asked one speaker. “I just hope that when I make this decision that it is the right decision,” Jones said.
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