CHICAGO (December 31, 2009) – With two weeks remaining in U.S. Cellular’s Calling All Communities campaign, the competition for 10 schools to share $1 million will be a battle to the finish. Last week’s release of the Top 100 schools seemed to generate a surge in school participation. Could recent record-breaking voting totals indicate a Top 10 shake-up? U.S. Cellular officials say anything’s possible. “We call it the ‘Destiny Christian’ factor,” said Jack Brundige, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in Tennessee, referring to the small Oklahoma school that had never appeared on any Top 20 list last year but rallied enough votes in the final days of the campaign to win. “The Top 10 has been fairly steady for weeks, but that changed this week. Clearly, schools are making an organized, large-scale push for the final two weeks of the campaign. School spirit and community might are ultimately going to decide this race.” More than 6,300 votes were cast in one day early this... (more...)

Delicious facts about Pizza Author: Akash Pizza is an Italian dish that came into existence in the 16th century. The pizza was also called as Pizza Margherita after the name of Italian Queen Margherita as she was a true lover of pizza. Pizza in short is a round bread often covered with tomato sauce and cheese. Other toppings depend on place, culture and taste. It can be made nutritious depending upon the use of toppings. There are different varieties of pizza present all over world. Italian pizza generally made up of tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil. It is cooked in a wood-fired oven, giving pizza a unique taste. American pizza is very similar to Italians. It has a thick crust, topping of cheese and perhaps pepperoni and barbecued chicken. In India, it is a popular fast food. Here its taste contains a combination of western spirit and Indian soul. The most popular pizza toppings here are paneer, tandoori chicken and capsicum. Today pizza industry is a huge industry of... (more...)

December 30, 2009 – City Council approved an ambitious energy services agreement with Ameresco Tuesday night providing for improvements that will save the City of Knoxville millions of dollars while reducing its energy consumption and carbon emissions. The savings generated by the $19 million energy conservation package will pay for the costs of installing and maintaining the improvements in less than 15 years. Ameresco, a Massachusetts-based energy services company with offices in Knoxville, has been working with the city for more than a year to develop the plans. Through this project, the city will upgrade 99 city-owned buildings, as well as 37 ballparks/athletic fields and 3 public golf courses in and around Knoxville. The project is designed to save money in energy and maintenance costs, and will take advantage of special funding options... (more...)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 30, 2009) – There’s a week left in the month. Quick: how many minutes are left on your cellular phone plan or have you already gone over? U.S. Cellular’s new Overage Protection will make sure there is no need to panic by sending you a free text message when you’ve used 75 percent of your minutes or text messages, and another when you reach 100 percent. “Overage Protection is the latest example of how we strive to have our customers’ backs,” said Alan D. Ferber, vice president and chief marketing officer for U.S. Cellular. “It’s a free, simple and efficient way to help our customers manage their cell phone use and stay within their budgets. They can feel safe knowing they won’t be surprised when their bill arrives.” Ferber also noted that wireless plans structured for multiple users, like families, can make it difficult to track usage. “According to Jupiter Research, 74 percent of teens are on a family wireless plan. With the growing use of... (more...)

December 29, 2009 – Last year the City of Knoxville’s Community Development Department and its partner agencies built, renovated or repaired more than 250 houses, provided down payment assistance to 15 first time homebuyers – many with young families – and obtained 18 blighted properties for redevelopment. It also provided technical support to non-profit organizations, funded façade improvements that helped eight businesses in struggling commercial districts improve their appearance and helped the Mayor’s Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness find permanent housing for nearly 300 homeless individuals. And that’s just a partial list of Community Development’s accomplishments aimed at furthering its mission to revitalize the city’s low-and-moderate income neighborhoods according to a highly-favorable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Review of the department’s activities during its Program Year... (more...)

December 29, 2009 – Knox County Public Library invites you to start the new decade out by using your brain. This year, resolve to learn something new. From workshops and online databases to books on the shelf, the Library has resources available for just about any resolution imaginable. Here are few suggestions: 1) Make a will. Many people put off making their last will and testament, but now there are no excuses. KCPL has a host of books and online databases for various business or personal legal needs. Most popular subjects include bankruptcy, name change, power of attorney, wills, and sample letters. 2) Learn a language. Whether you want to learn Hindi or Hebrew, Swedish or Spanish, KCPL has audio language programs available on dozens of languages. Check them out in the Sights and Sounds Department at Lawson McGhee Library. 3) Join a local club or organization. KCPL has an extensive directory of local groups to help you find folks who share your interest whether that is beekeeping... (more...)

Fruit Salad Making Tips Author: DEIRDRE CAMACHO Fruit Salad Making Tips One of the most delicious desserts is actually the fruit bowl or the so called fruit salad. It is very much similar to the fruit platter, except for the fact that the fruit salad has a dressing, while a platter of fruits are just an assortment of cut fruits arranged on a plate. All over the world, the fruit salad can be considered as a favorite dessert, not only because of the sweet taste it provides, but also because of the many health benefits one gets from eating it. The fruit bowl is not merely a dessert, but may also be eaten as an appetizer. The fruits may either be covered in a sweet syrup or may be lathered with the own juices of the fruits. Not all restaurants have a fruit salad, fruit platter, etc. as desserts, so if you are craving for fruits, the best way is t learn how to make a fruit salad yourself. Making a fruit salad is not really difficult. You just have to make sure that you have all the necessary... (more...)

Well, this past week I was looking down into the holler toward Webb’s Creek thinking about that age old question; “Which came first… the rocking chair or the front porch?” If you hike a few hundred yards on Fighting Creek Nature Trail behind Sugarlands Visitor center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park you will come across a humongous odd-shaped sycamore tree on the left. It is located just a few steps before you cross the footbridge over the creek. Old-timers say that a pioneer kept pruning that big old sycamore to build rocking chairs until it grew in a most unusual way. Next time on Fighting Creek Trail stop on by and say hello to that “Rocking Chair” tree. American front porches go back to about the same early 1700’s as the rocking chair so I’m calling it a dead heat tie. Anyway, a front porch without a rocking chair would be like Gatlinburg without free samples of fudge. It just ain’t right. Front... (more...)

20 Foods you Need to Have Author: Jennifer Moore The one problem that most single men have is, they never have a well stocked pantry. This can cause major problems. If you don’t have a stocked pantry, you are more likely to fill up on snack food or even worse, fast food. You need to make sure that you have a well stocked pantry so that you can cook healthy meals without much effort. Don’t know what kinds of things that you should always have on hand? Well, no need to worry about it anymore. We will give you a list of 20 items that are must haves for you pantry. 1. Water his might sound silly, but always have some cold water on hand. Get yourself a pitcher or something that you can keep water in the ice box. 2. Milk. You should always have some low fat milk on hand. Cereal in the morning is a great way to get a good easy meal. 3. Fruit. Always have some fruit on hand. It is great for snacking. You can eat fruit and instead of potato chips. 4. Carrots. These are great for snacking.... (more...)

CHICAGO (December 24, 2009) – Two weeks ago, U.S. Cellular officials made the exciting decision to release the Top 100 schools vying for a share of $1 million in the company’s Calling All Communities campaign. It appears that sharing this coveted information inspired many schools to mobilize droves of voters putting pressure on the frontrunners to hold their ground. As promised, the Top 100 list has been released once more. The latest rankings show several schools moving up at a rapid pace with some significant shuffling in the Top 20 and Top 10 positions. More than 110,000 votes have been cast for 5,400-plus schools. Those ranking in the Top 100 have earned at least 180 votes. About 450 votes mark the threshold for the Top 50, and approximately 2,000 votes are needed to make the Top 10. Central Lutheran School in Newhall, Iowa, has captured the #1 spot previously held for the past four weeks by Seymour High School in Seymour, Tenn. Schools like Kalmiopsis Elementary School in Brookings,... (more...)