The Knoxville News Sentinel has sunk to new lows in their bizarre crusade to discredit Tim Burchett.

You may recall the KNS hit piece from a couple of weeks ago that, among other other things, accused Finance Director Chris Caldwell of hiring a "ghost" employee named Benjamin Bean.

Late Monday afternoon, Mr. Bean was leaving Chris Caldwell's residence after visiting there to walk his dog when he spotted three individuals in a red Nissan Leaf parked at a nearby Greyhound bus station parking lot. The individuals appeared to be taking photographs of Mr. Bean.

(Mr. Bean told us he was staying with a friend while waiting for a new apartment to become available after his lease ran out, but his friend's apartment doesn't allow dogs. So Chris Caldwell, who also has a dog, offered to keep Mr. Bean's dog for him, and he goes there regularly to visit and walk his dog.)

Mr. Bean approached the individuals to ask why they were taking his picture. The driver got out and identified himself as Jack McElroy (the Knoxville News Sentinel's editor) and asked Mr. Bean if he was living with Chris Caldwell, saying it would be a conflict of interest if he was. Mr. Bean said no, he was just there to walk his dog. McElroy was recording the confrontation and when Mr. Bean asked why he was being recorded, McElroy said "we need proof."

(Mr. Bean later identified one of the other individuals as Brad Mayes after being shown a photo of Mayes with another group of people.)

Mr. Bean said that he had already been interviewed by the paper for the story a couple of weeks ago, and they asked him if he was "romantically involved" with either Chris Caldwell or Tim Burchett. He told them he wasn't.

Apparently that wasn't good enough for Jack McElroy. He's now stalking a county employee to get "proof" to further the KNS agenda. This is an invasion of privacy and unethical journalism.

And Mr. Bean is understandably concerned about being followed around and photographed by people he doesn't know. So concerned that he's had to move from his friend's place (which is near Chris Caldwell's residence) to an Airbnb.

A stinking trainload of human waste from New York City is stranded in a tiny Alabama town, spreading a stench like a giant backed-up toilet — and the "poop train" is just the latest example of the South being used as a dumping ground for other states' waste.
...
In Parrish, the mayor hopes the material in the train cars is removed before the weather warms up.

"We're moving into the summer, and the summer in the South is not forgiving when it comes to stuff like this," she said.

And, oh by the way...

Each year, U.S. coal plants produce about 100 million tons of coal ash and other waste; more than 4 million tons of it wound up in an Alabama landfill following a 2008 spill in Tennessee.

What can be said? As beautiful and desirable as it is to live in the South, our own politicians are money grubbing idiots unless, of course, accepting money for better healthcare.

Washington is on track to become the first place in the country to allow people as young as 16 to vote in federal elections, including for president, as the nation glimpses the emerging political power of the generation that follows millennials.

DC May give 16 year olds right to vote

Everytime I log into Facebook, I get this animated ad. What's curious is that the Comments are almost all negative.

Knox County Public Library invites the public to join Join Dr. Nick Geidner for a discussion of Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future by Joi Ito and Jeff Howe. Bring your lunch or pick up something downtown. Drinks are available for fifty cents. Reading the book is optional.

In Whiplash, Ito and Howe lay out the unprecedented changes in a world that is more complex and volatile today than at any other time in our history. The tools of our modern existence are getting faster, cheaper, and smaller at an exponential rate, just as billions of strangers around the world are suddenly just one click or tweet or post away from each other. When these two revolutions joined, an explosive force was unleashed that is transforming every aspect of society, from business to culture and from the public sphere to our most private moments.

The League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County and the Alpha Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, are hosting a forum for at large county commission candidates. John North of WBIR will moderate, and the candidates will be available for interviews at the conclusion of the forum.

Candidates:

Larsen Jay, Ronnie Rochelle and Tori Griffin (At-Large Seat 10)

Justin Biggs, R. Larry Smith and Daniel Gerke (At-Large Seat 11)

T-Mobile to pay $40 million over false ring tones on rural U.S. calls

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - T-Mobile USA Inc (TMUS.O) agreed to pay $40 million on Monday to resolve government claims that it failed to fix problems completing phone calls in rural areas and used false ring tones, which are banned, to give the impression faulty calls were actually getting through, the Federal Communications Commission said."

Tuesday ...

The justices will decide whether to overturn 50 years' worth of rulings that forbid states from imposing sales taxes on whatever their residents buy from out-of-state retailers. Ending the ban could bring billions of dollars in new revenue to the states.

Paying billions more online: Supreme Court takes up internet sales tax case

From the Knoxville Newspaper Guild facebook page (click image for bigger):

Would you like fries with your McPaper?

I wish there were occasional rail excursions once a month or so year round between Knoxville, Nashville, Asheville and Chattanooga. Seems like there is track. All the cities would benefit.

A couple of comfortable rail cars would be needed. Bathrooms, AC or heat, etc.

Music City Star

Tennessee Central

Tennessee Valley Rail

CWG at the Nashville Scene shares with us some fascinating personal details about some of the new members of the Board of Trustees. They say they are horrified about Sex Week but why? Do they want to keep it all for themselves?

(link...)

As we come up on $10 Billion in lost federal money ...

Gov. Bill Haslam asked Republican legislative leaders earlier this month if they would reconsider Medicaid expansion legislation, which was rejected when he initially proposed the idea three years ago, reports The Tennessean. House Speaker Beth Harwell and Senate Speaker Randy McNally were open to discussing the idea but others were not and the notion was dropped.

GOP legislators spurned renewed Haslam pitch for Medicaid expansion in private meeting

Come and support the excellent community projects that are being pitched. $5 gets you soup, salad and a vote!!

Projects being presented:

1. Fly Fishing Club
   West View Elementary School/Tim McGrath
2. Roses on the Road!
   Random Acts of Flowers/Mandie Beeler
3. Sports Equipment for Community Center for People Affected by Disabilities
   East Tennessee Technology Access Center/Sarah Cole & Joel Simmons
4. More than a Village
   City of Refuge, Inc./Kyle Ford

Read more about these projects - and learn more about Knoxville SOUP at our website: KnoxvilleSOUP.org

Go Vols

A University of California Study showed Tennesseans were the second most likely behind Texans to share fake Russian posts on social media.

Study finds Tennesseans are 2nd most likely to share fake Russian posts

Analyzing the Digital Traces of Political Manipulation: The 2016 Russian Interference Twitter Campaign

Tennesseans and Trump

Drive past Western Avenue and go up Richmond Hill. Near the top you'll find some tiny additions to Knoxville — 640-square-foot urban cottages, all part of the Richmond Orchard conservation community.

'Urban Cottages' offer new take on tiny homes

Attended my first, and maybe only MPC meeting today

Interesting sitting thru the various issues. Also a bit long and tedious. But part of it.

I was impressed with Elizabeth Eason several times. Listened and broke down cases to simple form and provided thoughtful, objective opinions. Any chance she would run for office?

Laura Cole had a couple good comments.

One commissioner said their job was only to determine the "best use of the dirt" in that spot. The implication seemed to be to disregard impact on things like schools, roads, quality of life, noise, pollution, etc. All that was someone else job. Several folks in the audience sounded shocked by that viewpoint, and rightly so.

Charles Lomax had a couple good moments. A couple more folks on commission are not on their web site that I thought had some good moments. I cannot recall their name.

Janice Tocher did a good job running the meeting. I might have preferred her with more input from an analysis and comment perspective.

Sitting thru the long meeting you seem to pick up on some consistent tendencies of some of the commissioners. A couple became a bit predictable over time. Everything looks like a nail if you have a hammer.

Confused by the number of elections in Knox County! Tune in to DTV on your community TV channel and learn more about 2018 elections from Election Administrator Cliff Rodgers and Assistant Election Administrator Chris Davis as the explain the various 2018 election, voter registration, and the current Knox County Primary election on DTV on Friday.

DTV's election program will air on Friday, April 13th at 7:30 PM the following channels:

Comcast Channel 12
Charter Channel 193
Wow! Channel 6
ATT U-verse Channel 99

DTV also streams live (here!)

The city's Office of Redevelopment Director Michelle Dawn Foster provided more info on the right of way acquisition for the Sevier Ave. Streetscape project, which includes a new roundabout at Sevier/Island Home Ave. and Foggy Bottom.

Here is the right of way acquisition list (pdf). It appears that most of the right of way involves a few feet on either side of Sevier Ave. for improved sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaping, drainage and the like.

According to this environmental statement: "The project would involve the acquisition of two single family dwellings. One of the dwellings is located on Sevier Avenue and the other dwelling on Island Home Avenue. These dwellings are located in the area that would need to be acquired for the construction of the roundabout."

One of the dwellings is at 1151 Sevier Ave. (my old home place). The other appears to be at 1209 Island Home Ave. (but don't quote me on that). The current property tax appraisals are $63,500 for the Sevier Ave. property and $30,600 for the Island Home Ave. property.

The city's project page lists the timeline as:

• Right-of-way acquisition: Winter 2017 to Summer 2017
• Bid and Award phase: Fall 2017
• Construction phase: Fall 2017 to Fall 2018

This has obviously slipped, and Ms. Foster said it would be updated on the project page. She said that the city's Real Estate Department "is working with the ROW Services Group during the ROW and acquisition process," and that "ROW acquisition may take up to 1 year. Once we put the project out to bid, construction may follow by Fall/Winter 2019."

Here is the full project plan engineering detail...

Press release...

The Federal Transit Administration has awarded Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) a $3.6 million grant to purchase electric buses and charging equipment. The grant will fund the purchase of the first fully electric buses in KAT’s fleet, which are initially planned to run on Route 17 along Sutherland Avenue.

The Knoxville News Sentinel has endorsed Kristi Kristy over School Board District 9 incumbent Amber Rountree. They think there are too many educators on the school board. Huh?

Anyway, we're sure Kristy is a fine candidate but Amber Rountree has done an outstanding job on the school board and deserves another term. She brings much needed energy and enthusiasm and a fresh outlook.

Rountree has shaken up the status quo and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Perhaps that is the real reason for the KNS endorsement.

RELATED: Sandra Clark is 3 for 3 so far on her KNS endorsement predictions.