The building at Western Plaza looks taller than 35 ft. Who introduced the legislation to remove the 35 ft height restriction on that section of Kingston Pike?

Last week, Sequoyah Hills and Bearden residents learned to their surprise that legislation to remove the height restrictions on new buildings (35 feet above the street) on the scenic route portion of Kingston Pike (at Western Plaza to be precise) was about to repealed by the state legislature. Most never knew legislation to do this had even been introduced. In fact, it had already passed the state Senate, was out of committee and was on the floor of the House.

Victor Ashe: Despite city maneuver, Western Plaza plans blocked

The company offers a crowdsourced shuttle bus service called Chariot that considers feedback from riders and determines where to route shuttles. Passengers book a $4 seat through an app, and Chariot's algorithms map out routes based on demand and where riders are going. Similarly, startup Via operates a crowdsourced commuting service in New York City, Washington DC and Chicago.

DTV Host Michael Davis, Tex Pasley and Rebecca Parr discuss the Face to Face Knox Program to ensure that those detained in the Knox County Detention Center can receive family visits in person and see their family Face to Face.

Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM for a discussion on the limitation of live visits to those detained in the Knox County Detention Center. DTV streams live on the Community TV web site or on cable/satellite at:
Comcast Channel 12
Charter Channel 193
Wow! Channel 6
ATT U-verse Channel 99

Or stream DTV on line (here!)

The Democratic National Committee filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Friday against the Russian government, the Trump campaign and the WikiLeaks organization alleging a far-reaching conspiracy to disrupt the 2016 campaign and tilt the election to Donald Trump.

The complaint, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, alleges that top Trump campaign officials conspired with the Russian government and its military spy agency to hurt Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and help Trump by hacking the computer networks of the Democratic Party and disseminating stolen material found there.

The lawsuit alleges that Trump's campaign "gleefully welcomed Russia's help" in the 2016 election.

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

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.