Day: August 21, 2002

Public television seems to constantly be in the midst of an on-air fundraising campaign. It has recently come to the attention of programmers that the current method of using healthy pitch-men is outdated and doesn’t reach the entire audience of potential donors. Taking a cue from the South African PBS units utilizing an HIV-infected female…

Yves Johnson was driving his golf cart on Saturday when it veered off the path and careened into the Smith-Coughlin house on Lyons View Pike. A spokesperson from Cherokee Country Club told reporters that the investigation is ongoing, but it appears that the golf cart penetrated the house and then began what could only be…

The new convention center in downtown Knoxville was designed from start to finish to be a reflection of the artistry, culture, and heritage of the area. From the tile mosaic of the Smokies to the trout-themed escalator area, every aspect of the convention center was painstakingly planned. Bill Landry, of the Heartland Series, was consulted…

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is rumored to have held a secret meeting early this week to discuss moving the 2006 Winter Olympics from Torino, Italy to Knoxville. When the vote was originally cast (June 19, 1999) for Torino, the new Knoxville convention center had not yet been completed. Now, due to its completion and…

Late Sunday, two teens were arrested on the I.C. King Park bike trail while fleeing officers. According to the report filed by Officer Billy Doyle, the youths had been electrofishing from a small boat just offshore. When confonted by the patrol boat, they oared straight to shore and ran for their truck, which failed to…

Our sources indicate that Chris Whittle is in second-round negotiations to purchase Knoxville’s most famous landmark, the Sunshpere. Chris, founder and chairman of Whittle Communications (sold to K-III Communications in 1994) and founder of Edison Schools (1992) apparently intends to bring one of the successful Edison Schools to Downtown Knoxville. ‘Although the Sunsphere is not…

A Knoxville-native mouse, disclosed only as ‘Jerry’ by court-appointed lawyers, filed a lawsuit on July 26th alleging that the movie ‘Stuart Little II’ was harmful to his health. Hours after attending the movie that he reportedly looked forward to for weeks, even saving his allowance to take the entire family, ‘Jerry’ rushed out to play…

Knoxville planners designed the Knoxville Convention Center to draw outside dollars to East Tennessee and early indicators point to better than expected success. The National Ice Fishing Association (NIFA), has announced that the 2003 NIFA convention will be held in Knoxville, TN. The convention is scheduled for August of 2003. When asked why Knoxville was…

The City of Knoxville has unveiled plans for Mount Knoxville in an attempt to capitalize on the high number of tourists visiting Sevierville and maximize the impact of the new increased sales tax through souvenir sales. The plans call for a large sculpture (likened to Mount Rushmore) to be cut into Sharps Ridge, just miles…

To boost the lagging popularity of the UT Athletic Department, NASCAR will be added to the lineup of sports offerings in 2004. UT Athletics states that football remains popular but a measurable decrease exists regarding student involvement with volleyball, lacrosse, ballroom dancing, and calf-roping. Renovations to Tom Black Track will begin in the summer of…

The list of names in the running for Knoxville’s 2003 mayoral race continues to grow. Several impressive names have either joined or expressed interest to date, including Bill Haslam, Bud Gilbert, Mike Ragsdale, and Tom Varlan. In a surprise twist a national celebrity has entered the race. Spaceghost made public his intention to enter the…