When the pandemic started and deaths were beginning to be counted,
on May 30, 2020, there were 5 deaths reported.

In 7 months an additional 288 deaths have been reported.

In one month, from December 26, 2020, to January 23, 2021,
there have been an additional 144 deaths reported.

Highest percentage jump in deaths in the 45-64 age group, from 39 deaths to 67, a 72% increase.
Highest increase in number of deaths in the 75+ age group, from 173 deaths to 260. 87 deaths in 29 days.

I cannot imagine what more can be said to convince those not practicing safety during a pandemic. Obviously they do not care about their fellow man.

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As of May 30, 2020, there were 5 deaths from COVID-19.

As of December 26, 2020, there have been 293 deaths in Knox County from COVID-19.

9 in the 18-44 age group (3%)
39 in the 45-64 age group (13%)
72 in the 65-74 age group (25%)
173 in the 75+ age group (59%)

As of January 23, 2021, there have been 437 deaths in Knox County from COVID-19.

10 in the 18-44 age group (2%)
67 in the 45-64 age group (15%)
100 in the 65-74 age group (23%)
260 in the 75+ age group (60%)

Highest percentage jump in deaths in the 45-64 age group, from 39 deaths to 67, a 72% increase.

As reported on January 22, 2021, "Knox County Health Department workers will have administered 6,000 COVID-19 vaccines by" the end of day on January 24, 2021.

At this rate, it is estimated Knox County has averaged approx. 171 vaccines a day. This would mean that it would take 7.5 years to vaccinate all 470,000 residents of Knox County. Plus, they still have to give out the 2nd dose of the vaccine for 470,000 people.

We can only hope they are ramping up to administer a heck of a lot more vaccines in the future.

Although, according to the State of Tennessee, the state as a whole is doing better. It is reported that nearly 500,000 vaccines have been administered across the state. That would equate to approximately 14,285 vaccines a day. This would mean that it would take 1.5 years to vaccinate all 6.8 million residents of Tennessee. Then, of course, there is the second dose that has to be administered with 25 or so days of the first dose.

Wonder where the vaccines are going in the state?

Then there is this from the same WATE article, "Monroe Co. man shares vaccine experience, highlights struggles rural communities face."

It starts with figuring out how to get a vaccine.
You call phone numbers, can't get through. You try to make an appointment online, which not everyone is able to do. Then, if you do make an appointment there is not method to keep you up-to-date as to where you are in that line.

Sec. 2. Immediate Action Regarding Federal Employees, Contractors, Buildings, and Lands. (a) The heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall immediately take action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to require compliance with CDC guidelines with respect to wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and other public health measures by: on-duty or on-site Federal employees; on-site Federal contractors; and all persons in Federal buildings or on Federal lands.

Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing

... Minimum Wage for Contractors (the Executive Order or the Order), beginning January 1, 2021. Beginning on that date, the Executive Order minimum wage rate that generally must be paid to workers performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $10.95 per hour, while the required minimum cash wage that generally must be paid to tipped employees performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $7.65 per hour

Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors, Notice of Rate Change in Effect as of January 1, 2021

Coyotes are on the prowl in East Tennessee. It's mating season and homeowners are already catching them on doorbell cameras.

How to stay safe as coyotes are out and about in East Tennessee

The Tennessee River, a 652-mile tributary of the Ohio River, is notoriously polluted. In 2019, researchers said the river was more like a river of plastic, according to CNN affiliate WVLT, possibly with more broken down bits of plastic than any other river in the world.

Volunteers remove more than 9,000 lbs of trash from Tennessee River

Experts call Tennessee River "River of Plastic"

Tune into DTV on Friday evening at 9:30 PM for a lively discussion about election integrity in Knox County. Attorney Luke Ihnen, KCDP's chair of Election Integrity leads a discussion by Knox County Administrator of Elections Chris Davis, Tammy Kaousias, current member of the Knox County Election Commission, Retired Administrator of Elections Cliff Rodgers, and retired Voting Machine Technician Frank Schingle on election integrity and the checks and balances in the election processes in Knox County that give confidence in the outcome of elections across Knox County.

DTV airs on the following cable channels at 9:30 PM on Friday, Jan 22.
AT&T Uverse: Channel 99
Comcast NBC Universal: Channel 12
WOW! Channel 6
Charter: Channel 193

DTV streams live (here!)

Vice President Harris

There is a great sigh of relief across this great nation.

Pruitt fired for cause (NCCA violations), Fulmer retiring as AD.

(link...)

‘Vaccine tourism’ stirs anger as coronavirus cases surge

Florida downplays reports of medical tourism for vaccines

Thinking About Traveling Just to Get Vaccinated? You Need to Read This First

Congratulations, Hendrell Remus!

DTV's Renee Hoyos hosts John and Nancy Stewart as they share their reminiscences of work in the US Capitol in the 1960's. This discussion will be aired on Community TV on Friday, Jan 15th at 9:30 PM.

The contrast of John and Nancy's memories juxtaposed on the mayhem at the Capitol last Wednesday will be strong reminders of the tragedy we witnessed. Tune in for a walk in the Capitol in Washington DC in different times. Careful because this discussion will be a stark reminder of how the sacred nature of our Capitol was sullied by the acts of an out of control mob last Wednesday.

The DTV show will air on these listed channels on Friday, Jan 15 @ 9:30 PM
Comcast Channel 12
Charter Channel 193
Wow! Channel 6
ATT U-verse Channel 99

or it streams live (here)

The Secret Service who’ve pledged to give their lives to protect Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have for years been instructed not to use any of the seven bathrooms in the Trump/Kushner home.

Instead, the Secret Service has spent $100,000 in taxpayer money to rent a $3,000-per-month basement studio apartment nearby with a bathroom so that agents can use the toilet.

Jared and Ivanka Aren’t Sharing Toilets With People Who’ve Agreed to Die for Them

Trump is now the only president to be impeached twice. The vote was 232 for impeachment, 197 against, all Republicans, with four not voting (all Republicalans). Ten Republicans voted for impeachment.

Our local congressional representative, Tim Burchett, issued the following about his vote last night regarding the 25th Amendment.

"Congress does not have the constitutional authority to invoke the 25th Amendment, and Vice President Pence said he will not do so."

Not exactly. Section 4 of the 25th Amendment reads, "Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal offices of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office..."

Congress also plays a voting role if the President disputes the conclusion. Further, Congress is quite capable of passing a "sense of the House" resolution about what should happen. Thus, Burchett's statement is incomplete and misleading (and trying to cover his outrageous Trumpism, ignoring Trump's incitement of insurrection).

COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the State of Tennessee is, like everything else, shaping up to be a chaotic mess. The latest example is their appointment scheduling "plan."

Whose "genius" idea was it for the State of Tennessee to use signupgenius.com to schedule vaccine appointments in the counties that don't have their own health department? (Sevier Co. example.) Go look at their "about" page and staff profiles. Seriously? Bloomberg says their users "more typically organize potlucks, carpools and bridal showers." Signupgenius also says they are not HIPAA compliant.

Also, their site is secure, but they don't have their own SSL certificate. Instead, they use a generic, blanket Cloudflare SSL certificate that isn't issued to their own domain. So not only do you have to trust the State of Tennessee website to send you to a legit offsite URL (with no warning), you have to trust that site, and in turn trust Cloudflare, and that's assuming you even know all that's happening.

There's not a better, more established, more appropriate, more secure company? The state can't host their own or a third-party app? Who at signupgenius.com is the friend of Bill or the friend of a friend of Bill? This effort will fall apart when vaccines are actually available, any money spent on it will be wasted, and counties will be left on their own, scrambling to figure out something else. 

Update: Knox County is now using Signupgenius:

(link...)

Reads like a third world country...

Manning was taken to a hospital 5 hours after the beating...

The lawsuit claims that the county has adopted a policy of releasing prisoners who are injured and taken to the hospital because by releasing them the county is not responsible for their medical bills.

Cocke Co. sheriff and jailers face class-action lawsuit, accused of failing to protect "hundreds" of assaulted inmates

According to the city, people who live in the 700, 800 and 900 blocks of Phillips Avenue – between Barber and Empire streets – are having a tough time finding street parking because it's taken up by patrons of nearby businesses, especially at night. In some cases, vehicles are sometimes blocking alleys and driveways.

“There’s been a lot of recent investment in the South Waterfront commercial district, and unfortunately, that’s caused some growing pains,” said Rick Emmett, the City’s Downtown Coordinator, who also serves as a liaison between South Waterfront stakeholders.

Local residents can now sign up for tags to hang from their rearview mirrors. The city has now allocated street spaces on Phillips Avenue for those vehicles with the tags. Signs were posted in the area this week.

Glad SoKno is moving on up. Just wish there was more future planning instead of reacting. Just think if lots more condos, townhouses, and businesses are added to the area. Where will the throngs park?