July 26, 2010 – In honor of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Mayor Haslam presented a proclamation declaring the day as “Recommitment Day” and for everyone in the city to work toward full accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities not just today but every day. The Mayor presented the proclamation at the DisABILITY Resource Center’s Spirit of ADA Awards Ceremony held at Knoxville’s first totally accessible playground, the Ashley Nicole Dream Playground. The Ashley Nicole Dream Playground opened in June 2005 and is named in honor of Ashley Nicole Manes, who suffered injuries in a 1999 automobile accident that left her paralyzed. The playground is the winner of the... (more...)

Each year, the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce honors and recognizes those businesses that preserve and enhance our city’s appearance and its image for our citizens. We invite you to nominate a fellow member (or your own business) for the 2009-2010 Sevierville Beautification Awards. Please read over the following guidelines before submitting your nomination. Guidelines for Beautification Awards New Construction Must be open by July 1, 2010 Must be located within city limits of Sevierville Interior and exterior could be considered Renovation / Restoration Renovation: To make as good as new, repair, rebuild Restoration: To bring back to a former... (more...)

Well, this past week I was looking down into the holler toward Webb’s Creek thinking about how life can be measured by the four stages of lawn care. Friends who aren’t familiar with my distant past might sorely question my expertise on this topic. After all, it is true that in the last 8 years I have spent no more than a total of three hours working in my “yard.” I once planted two wild onion plants called “ramps” that were given to me by a local mountain man and I also chopped down one tree….that’s pretty much it for the eight years. To be honest I’m not even exactly sure where my “yard” ends and the forest begins and I have never even stepped foot on most it. I do have wild grass, blackberries, raspberries and brambles and they seem perfectly content... (more...)

July 22, 2010 – Ajari, the Western lowland gorilla who made his public debut last month in the Gorilla Courtyard, can now be seen in the one-acre Gorilla Valley exhibit. The 285 pound blackback gorilla is exploring his new area, which now features a new climbing structure that was added to give the exhibit more vertical space. He will be alternating time in the exhibit with Bantu, the zoo’s 12-year-old male gorilla. Once Ajari has time to acclimate to his new surroundings, zoo staff plan to begin introductions between Ajari and Bantu. The decision to bring Ajari to Knoxville to form a bachelor group with Bantu was a social management recommendation of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Western lowland gorillas, which manages... (more...)

July 22, 2010 – Two of PBS’ biggest stars are visiting Knoxville Zoo this weekend! Sid the Science Kid and Buddy the Dinosaur will be meeting fans and posing for photos this Saturday, July 24, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Sid, the funny, energetic five-year-old who starts every day with a “big question” that needs to be investigated, is the key character in the popular PBS Kids show “Sid the Science Kid”. He encourages kids to ask questions and search for answers, just like real scientists do. “Sid the Science Kid” celebrates the excitement and curiosity preschoolers have about the world around them. Buddy, an adorable preschool age Tyrannosaurus Rex, takes viewers for whimsical voyages on his... (more...)

July 22, 2010 – The City of Knoxville’s Parks and Recreation Department is holding a “Splash Jam” for the children who have participated in the City’s Summer Playground Program this year. The Splash Jam will be at Ed Cothren Pool in Malcolm Martin Park at 1737 Reynolds St. on Friday, July 23, 2010 from 10 a.m. – noon. Kids will participate in the water running race, traditional swim race, shallow water retrieval, underwater frogman, four-person swim relay, diving, cannonball, and diving retrieval events in a friendly competition. The recreation center that wins the most events will be declared the overall winners. Approximately 150 children will participate in the event. Children who attend City recreation... (more...)

Tennessee’s 2009-10 freshman class contributed 42 members to the 2010 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll, as announced Monday by Commissioner Mike Slive. Since 2003-04, Tennessee has placed more than 40 freshmen on the list six times while exceeding 50 student-athletes twice including a school-record 54 in 2009. Each student-athlete must have: 1) a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above at the nominating institution; 2) be on scholarship or a letter winner; 3) have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit at the nominating institution; and 4) have been a member of the varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment. The 2010 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2009-10 academic calendar. Tennessee’s complete list of 2010 SEC... (more...)

July 21, 2010 – A Fort Sanders Stakeholders Meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 29 to review variances requested by Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center for proposed new signs and wayfinding measures on the hospital’s campus. The meeting will be held on the 2nd Floor Classrooms (A&B) at the Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, 1640 Cumberland Avenue Representatives from the hospital will make a presentation and there will be an opportunity for questions and comments. Other stakeholders will also have an opportunity to present updates. Anyone with an interest in the long range planning of Fort Sanders Neighborhood and surrounding areas is invited to attend. Related Stories:Fort Sanders Long-Range Planning Meeting Dec. 3Fort Sanders Long-Range Planning... (more...)

July 20, 2010 – The Knoxville Civic Auditorium-Coliseum will be hosting Get Motivated Seminars on Wednesday, July 21, 2010. This is a one-day event scheduled to start at 8:00 AM and conclude at approximately 5:00 PM. We are expecting approximately 10,000 guests and an additional 4,000 to 6,000 vehicles trying to get in and out of the downtown Knoxville area during the business commute hours. Please expect increased traffic impact in and around Downtown Knoxville, James White Parkway, Kingston Pike, I-40, I-275 and I-640 leading into downtown Knoxville. The Knoxville... (more...)

July 20, 2010 – The Knoxville Police Department’s Law Enforcement Training Academy is scheduled for an on-site assessment as part of a program to achieve accreditation by verifying it meets professional standards. Administered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), the accreditation program requires academies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services. As part of the on-site assessment, members of the community and agency employees are invited to offer comments by telephone by calling 865-215-1312 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on August 23, 2010. Telephone comments are limited... (more...)