UPDATE: The chamber responded to our inquiry about the groundbreaking:

AMI has not broken ground on the site. It has until Oct. 19 to do so.

AMI has asked for an extension. The Industrial Development Board of Blount County (IDB) is considering this proposal.

The IDB is committed to working with AMI to get this project started.

Original post continues below...

When we last checked on the highly touted Blount County ammo plant deal, the land had been repossessed, the owners had sold all their interest in the company, and reports said they had abandoned any plans for expansion in Tennessee.

Despite all this, the Maryville Daily Times and the local chamber of commerce said in April that the deal was still on and that they were planning to break ground in October.

Well, it's October. Still waiting for the announcement of when we can expect the big groundbreaking...

As you may recall, the deal involved an estimated investment of $500 million to as high as $1 billion, and was expected to bring more than 600 high-tech, high-paying jobs. State and local incentives topped $20 million, although it doesn't appear any of that money was ever spent. Gov. Haslam, Randy Boyd and local officials were on hand for the big announcement ceremony. Perhaps they have already received invitations to the groundbreaking and are working out the details.

Atlanta-based private equity firm NRD Capital has announced an agreement to acquire Ruby Tuesday for $2.40 per share. The company will also assume all of Ruby Tuesday's debt. The deal is subject to the usual shareholder and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in early 2018.

Press release...

Background on NRD...

Please take a minute and watch this 60 Minutes story about how the drug industry has taken over our democracy and how MARSHA BLACKBURN, who is running for US Senate for Tennessee (Sen. Corker's seat), helped the pharmaceutical industry cut the legs from under the DEA by making them unable to prosecute drug distributors. If your family has been touched by drugs, you will be as angry as I am at this. It is not a Democrat or Republican thing - it is a crime against AMERICANS!

Current authorization for spending has expired for the CHIP Program (Children's Health Insurance Program). The CHIP program "helps lower- and middle-income families that otherwise earn too much to be eligible for Medicaid." It covers 9 million children across the country and 370,000 pregnant women a year.

Funding lapsed Sept. 30, 2017. Some states have only enough funding to last to the end of the year. "Minnesota, however, was among the most imperiled because it had spent all its CHIP money. State officials said Tuesday that the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was giving Minnesota $3.6 million from unspent national funds to cover CHIP this month."

"The funding renewal was not a priority among Republican leaders, who have spent most of this year trying to replace the Affordable Care Act and dramatically overhaul the Medicaid program. Some in Congress also thought the Sept. 30 deadline was squishy since states could extend their existing funds beyond that."

CHIP was created in 1997 as a joint state-federal health insurance program for low to moderate income children and pregnant women who are not Medicaid eligible.

"Under current law, the program has to be reauthorized every few years; Saturday’s deadline was the product of a two-year extension negotiated in 2015, the most recent episode of brinkmanship over whether Congress would act in time to avoid disruption. This time it failed."

The Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill this week to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for five years. Now it has to be approved by the Senate, the House, and the President.

Hopefully they will get this done before the end of the year.

EARLY VOTING: Wednesday, Oct. 18 - Thursday Nov.2
ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, Nov. 7

2017 City of Knoxville Regular Election

The Kern's Bakery building on Chapman Highway has a new lease on life, again. The property has been recently purchased by an investment group based in Asheville, Land of Sky Regional Center. Oliver Smith IV of Knoxville brokered the deal.

The 70,000-square-foot building will host more than a dozen tenants - including at least six restaurants, plus breweries and retail shops. Additionally, new multi-family units will be built behind the current building.

Downtown developer David Dewhirst and three partners purchased the building in 2015 for $312,500. The Asheville, NC, company paid $3.1 million for the property. Surely Dewhirst, etc., put some money into the building. Who knows? If not, they made a really good deal.

Many of us look forward to the completion of this project.

The vast majority of congressional members and staffers get their insurance through the Washington, DC, exchange, known as DC Health Link.

For most members of Congress, that means purchasing insurance through the DC exchange. In 2017, the exchange offered 57 plans in its gold tier, the tier from which the government requires members and staffers to purchase insurance.

How do Congress' lawmakers get health care?

DC Health Link

The first of two evenings of City Council Candidate Forums will air this Friday evening (October 13) on Community TV. Michael Davis moderates discussions with City Council Candidates Rebecca Parr, Stephanie Welch, Wayne Christensen, Andrew Roberto, James Corcoran, and Seema Singh Perez who are seeking to represent Districts One, Two, and Three on the next Knoxville City Council.

This candidate forum will air at 7:30 PM on Friday, October 13th and you can watch it live (here)

Or watch it on these cable channels:
Comcast Channel 12
Charter Channel 193
Wow! Channel 6
ATT U-verse Channel 99

Tune in and meet six candidates who are seeking your votes in the upcoming City Elections. Join us again on Friday, Oct 20 and meet the other five candidates asking for your votes in this election.

Early voting commences on October 18th

Join the 6th district Democrats for an evening of policy discussion about environmental issues featuring Prof. Mike McKinney and 2nd Congressional District Renee Hoyos discussing her candidacy. The 6th district is in the west Knoxville Karns area where folks are canvassing once a month and organizing electorally. Contact 6thdemskcdp@gmail.com

Candidates James Mackler, Lauren Rider rise above shiny object stories

Mackler last week was in Knoxville the same day that Gov. Bill Haslam announced he was not running for the Senate seat, and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn announced she was. All three local TV newscasts were reminded of this opportunity, but none supplemented their Senate seat stories with a Mackler interview. If any had shown at the Blue Dots meeting that night, they would have seen a crowd roaring approval when he contrasted himself to Blackburn, presenting himself as a “servant leader who is not a career politician.”

The shiny object syndrome also can be seen in Knoxville’s District 4 City Council race. Lauren Rider secured 43.51 percent of the primary vote in a five-way contest. Her 889 votes were the most for any candidate in any district. Our system puts the first- and second-place finishers in a citywide runoff, but that distant second-place spot featured a tie. City Council broke that tie, but voters should ignore that distraction and stick with the district’s choice.

Drop in to the Public House from 6-8pm for informal conversation about SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice): who we are, our values, our work, and how we are learning to show up for racial justice in Blount County. Hosts for this Drop In are Crystal Colter and Nathan Higdon.

If you can't make it and want to learn more about SURJ, email us at blountcountysurj@gmail.com and visit our website (link...)

Jay Clark will launch his campaign for election to the Tennessee House of Representatives, District 8, with a kickoff at Smithview Pavilion (601 Smithview Dr., Maryville) on Tuesday, October 24 from 5:30-7:30pm.

A resident of Rockford, Clark is adjunct professor of biology at Maryville College and a well-known musician and performer.

The program introducing the candidate begins at 6:30pm and refreshments will be served.

(link...)
(link...)
JayClark4TN@gmail.com
865.336.2934

Knox County Public Library invites the public to join Brandon Hollingsworth for a discussion of All These Worlds Are Yours:The Scientific Search for Alien Life by Jon Willis, Wednesday, October 18, noon to 1:00 in the East Tennessee History Center auditorium. Books Sandwiched In is sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library. Reading the book is optional. Attendees may bring lunch. Drinks are available to purchase.

"As pervasive as the idea of extraterrestrial life (especially of the intelligent variety) is in our popular culture, it's important to remember that just half a century ago, the very idea was laughable," Hollingsworth said. "Once considered a fringe field, what we now call astrobiology is a credible scientific avenue for testing what we know—or think we know—about biology, cosmology and philosophy. In All These World Are Yours, Jon Willis traces the development of astrobiology and asks the reader to consider the possibilities and probabilities of life beyond our own world."

10/8/17 11:13am

It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.

Sen. Corker tweet

Updated - Later, same day
NYT - Bob Corker Says Trump’s Recklessness Threatens ‘World War III’

All but inviting his colleagues to join him in speaking out about the president, Mr. Corker said his concerns about Mr. Trump were shared by nearly every Senate Republican.

“Look, except for a few people, the vast majority of our caucus understands what we’re dealing with here,” he said, adding that “of course they understand the volatility that we’re dealing with and the tremendous amount of work that it takes by people around him to keep him in the middle of the road.”

Looks good ...

We will be heading to South Knoxville on Sunday, October 29th from 2-6pm! Join in the fun as we close the Gay St. Bridge and Council Pl. to Sevier Ave, wrapping around to Suttree Landing Park!

Open Streets Fall 2017 – South Knoxville

Could a city or county implement a law or does it have to be from state in Tennessee?

14 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving.

CELLULAR PHONE USE AND TEXTING WHILE DRIVING LAWS

Tennessee ranks number one in fatal crashes involving cell phones

Hurricane Nate is building an heading toward Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama/Florida.

In its 7 a.m., advisory, the National Hurricane Center said the Category 1 storm was located about 245 miles south southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and headed north northwest with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

"We are expecting Nate to continue to strengthen today (Saturday)," said Mike Brennan, senior hurricane specialist with the NHC. "We are expecting the hurricane to make landfall on the north central Gulf Coast late tonight or early Sunday morning."

National Hurricane Center

Our hearts are with those in the path of this storm.

One of things I have noticed, how many people have no idea what preventative care is currently covered under the Affordable Care Act. I have shown the list to several folks and they said they had no idea ...

Preventive care benefits for women

Preventive care benefits for adults

The healthcare.gov website seems to have been suspiciously reorganized in a manner that makes it seem much less functional

Attended Sam Bush show at Bijou last night. Nice show.

Does anyone know the two folks that sat in with the band in the encore. I couldn't understand when he announced the names.

Which brought up something, has anyone ever seen close captioning on a screen during a music concert? Like off on one side of the stage? I know the software that does it on the fly isn't always perfect, but its helpful.

Haslam will not run, Freeman out, backs Bredesen.