Large crowd honored former 9th Dist. Commissioner Mike Brown on Monday

Local leaders, movers and shakers and the community met Monday night to honor former Knox County Commissioner Mike Brown.

Brown, who represented South Knox County, opted not to seek re-election last year.

The event was held at Shoney's on Chapman Highway in South Knoxville.

There were a number of guest speakers and Brown will now need a trophy case to hold all the plaques and awards he received.

I'm posting a couple of photos, including some with Brown and his successor Carson Dailey, and Brown and his wife, Jan.

There's also a group photo and a picture of some of the glory Brown received.

The group photo includes commissioner and mayoral candidate Brad Anders, commissioners Carson Dailey, Randy Smith, Michele Carringer, John Schoonmaker, Commission Chairman Dave Wright, Mike Brown and Register of Deeds Sherry Witt.

Randy Boyd leaving state economic development commissioner post

Randy Boyd

Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd is leaving his state post as Gov. Bill Haslam's go-to person for economic growth and development in order to return to the private sector.

Boyd's time as commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development will end at the end of the month, according to a state announcement Monday afternoon.

Folks, this is the beginning. My guess is expect his gubernatorial announcement in February or March.

On Monday afternoon Boyd tweeted: "Sad to leave ECD, but we are all still Team Tennessee. It has been an honor to serve with so many amazing people. WE ARE TEAM TENNESSEE.

Boyd heads Radio Systems Corp., which he created, develops area real estate and also owns the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball team. He also chairs tnAchieves, the partner organization to Tennessee Promise.

More: Boyd buys Old City site

Haslam, former mayor of Knoxville, tapped Boyd in 2013 to serve as a special adviser in higher education, part of a strategy to boost post-secondary training of the state's workforce.

Boyd went on to become economic development commissioner, a post he held two years.

"The state of Tennessee has gained so much from Randy’s service. To put it simply: without Randy, there is no Tennessee Promise or Drive to 55 or a comprehensive approach to job growth via workforce development,” Haslam said in Monday's statement. “I will miss his energy, passion and deep commitment to bringing economic growth and success to every corner of the state, and I am grateful for everything he has done for Tennessee."

Boyd said in a statement that he was "thankful for the opportunity to serve the governor and the people of Tennessee."

"Now, I look forward to returning home to Knoxville to continue to find ways to best serve our state," he said.

City's 'Downtown Slides' contruction program starting in late January

Construction on the first part of Knoxville's "Downtown Slides" program will begin soon.

Work will start in late January or in early February, according to Kathleen Gibi, Public Affairs Specialist with the city of Knoxville's Department of Parks and Recreation.

The first slide will be installed outside of the Civic Coliseum parking garage on Howard Baker Jr. Boulevard.

PREVIOUS: Knoxville announces plans for "Downtown Slides" program

The slide will cost around $15,000, but will be covered using a Play Everywhere Challenge grant from KaBOOM!, a national non-profit that promotes incorporating balanced and active play into kids' daily lives.

No other slides are planned yet, but the city is working to identify other locations for the slides. The city will later ask for public input on where to put additional slides.

One potential location could be Morningside Park, but engineers have not yet inspected the location, Gibi said.

Knox County Schools in middle of systemwide radon testing program

Knox County Schools is in the midst of a lengthy, systemwide radon testing program.

The system is testing dozens of buildings including more than 80 schools, according to system spokeswoman Carly Harrington.

Knox County Schools began the testing and mitigation project in June. Among the schools now under testing is Adrian Burnett Elementary School, 4521 Brown Gap Road in North Knox County.

"We will test all of our buildings over the next several years," Harrington told 10News. "Radon testing is just one of several environmental testing/maintenance initiatives in which we engage."

Radon is a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Awareness and concern about its presence in homes and other structures have been growing in recent decades.

January, in fact, is National Radon Awareness Month.

The EPA now recognizes that high levels have been found in a number of schools across the country.

According to the agency: "A nationwide survey of radon levels in schools estimates that nearly one in five has at least one schoolroom with a short-term radon level above the action level of 4 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter) - the level at which EPA recommends that schools take action to reduce the level. EPA estimates that more than 70,000 schoolrooms in use today have high short-term radon levels."

A naturally occurring odorless gas, radon is ranked among the more serious environment health programs in the U.S.

It's thought to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in America. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Cancer can occur after long-term exposure to radon.

EPA guidelines call for tests in all frequently used rooms at or below ground level. The agency also recommends testing during cooler months.

You can learn more about EPA guidelines on radon testing here.

Inside TN: State rep. says organized retail crime a problem in Knoxville

From left: becker, Zachary, Daniel

Organized retail crime, a possible gas tax increase and matters tied to higher education.

Those are just a handful of the issues to be addressed during Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.

The guests are 14^th District state Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, and 18^th District state Rep. Martin Daniel, R-Knoxville.

The discussion comes as the General Assembly plans to convene again on Jan. 10.

At the top of the list for Zachary is passing an “organized retail crime” bill, something he’s crafted with local law enforcement, Home Depot and other lawmakers.

“Most people don’t realize that Knoxville is the No. 1 city in the nation for gift card theft and abuse,” he said. “It’s truly organized retail crime. You’ll have two people go to a Home Depot. One person goes in and steals a blower and comes out, and the other person goes in and returns it. So, the state loses tax dollars.”

The person who returns the item will get a gift card from the store which can be sold on the secondary market.

Zachary noted that arrests authorities made the week before Christmas netted roughly $50,000 in stolen merchandise.

He said most of the retail crime happens in West Knox County, particularly the Turkey Creek shopping complex because of its easy access to the interstate. 

The National Retail Federation notes that such crimes usually include a criminal enterprise employing individuals to steal large quantities of merchandise from a number of stores, and then a fencing operations coverts the items into cash. The items also can be sold online, at flea markets or even to other retailers.

Zachary and Daniel also said keeping an eye on the state’s $925 million budgetary surplus and whether to raise the state’s gas tax also will be two key issues this year.

“Everything depends on the details but the people of the district are telling me transportation is so important for business, tourism and safety . . . and they’re telling me they’re OK for up to a 10 cent per gallon tax increase,” said Daniel, adding that cars that use diesel fuel, batteries and hybrids “need to be brought in to pay their fair share.”

Zachary added that he recently polled his district and that 55 percent of the residents were opposed to an increase.

The tax increase, proposed by Gov. Bill Haslam, would help pay for some $6 billion in transportation infrastructure backlog.

In addition, Martin said he wants to reduce regulations “that impact individuals and businesses,” and he wants to call for an “efficiency audit” for higher education across the state.

The 30-minute political and public affairs program, which was taped Thursday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR.

Panelists include attorney Don Bosch, governmental relations expert Susan Williams and Theotis Robinson Jr., retired vice president of equity and diversity of the University of Tennessee system.

WBIR Anchor John Becker serves as the show’s moderator.

Ijams Nature names new director

Amber Parker

Ijams Nature Center today announced the hiring of Amber Parker as executive director of the 300-acre greenspace and wildlife refuge in South Knoxville.

Parker will join the organization Feb. 20.

Parker has more than 20 years of professional experience in the environmental education field, most recently serving as executive director for Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Wallops Island, Virginia, where she cultivated partnerships with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, NASA and other educational institutions and conservation agencies.

“Amber is going to make an outstanding leader for our organization,” said Kim Bumpas, board chair for Ijams Nature Center. “Through our extensive interview process, we found the perfect candidate.”

Ijams Nature Center is an award-winning urban greenspace located less than four miles from downtown Knoxville. The nonprofit organization ensures the preservation and maintenance of wildlife habitat, natural areas and facilities, as well as oversees and expands educational and recreational programming.

“I am proud and excited to join the Ijams Nature Center organization,” Parker said. “I look forward to working with such a passionate group of individuals as we all pursue the same mission of preservation and conservation. East Tennessee is one of the most beautiful regions in the country, and I look forward to making it my home.”

Parker succeeds Ijams’ previous executive director, Paul James, who resigned in September of 2016. Bo Townsend will continue to serve as interim director until Parker’s arrival in February.

“We are so grateful for Bo’s unwavering support of this organization,” Bumpas said. “We appreciate his willingness to return as interim director and stay with us until the transition is complete.”

Parker also has experience in East Tennessee. She served as special programs coordinator and education director at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont from 2001-08. Parker earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from North Carolina State University in 1994, as well as a master’s degree in environmental studies from Prescott College in Arizona in 2007.

Dinner to honor Commish Mike Brown

Mike Brown

Local leaders, movers and shakers and the community on Monday will hold a dinner to honor former Knox County Commissioner Mike Brown.

Brown, who represented South Knox County, opted not to seek re-election last year.

The dinner is set for 6 p.m. at Shoney's on Chapman Highway in South Knoxville.

The event is open to the public but I don't suspect that it is free. Heh.

Five apply for KCS superintendent

Five educators throughout the country have submitted applications to oversee the Knox County Schools system with only two weeks remaining to apply.

The applicants include educational consultants, former teachers and a superintendent of the year.
The deadline to apply is Jan. 13. The superintendent search committee, which includes school board members Amber Rountree, Tony Norman and Susan Horn, then meets Jan. 17.

"I think we should probably start seeing more apps come in now that the holidays are over,” said Rountree who is the chairwoman of the committee.

School members opted not to seek a recruiter to help fill the position, much like they did more than eight years ago when officials hired Jim McIntyre, a then-finance director in the Boston school system.

Instead, KCS began advertising the job Dec. 8 on its website and placed advertisements in national and regional publications.

As it stands, the school board has set an annual salary between $200,000 and $240,000.
McIntyre, who earned $228,000 stepped down in July. He took a job with the University of Tennessee.

The board picked Buzz Thomas, the leader of the Great Schools Partnership, to stand in until a replacement was named.

Thomas is not expected to apply for the job on a full-time basis and has publicly expressed an interest to go back to the Partnership by this summer.

Here’s a snapshot of the applicants who have submitted resumes as of Jan. 2:

• Catherine Beck: Assistant superintendent of the 3,500-student Summit County School District in Colorado.
• Cedrick Gray: A former ‘superintendent of the year” by the National Association of Superintendents, Gray stepped down as leader of the Jackson Public Schools, a 28-000-student system in Mississippi. He previously worked as the director of schools in Fayette County in West Tennessee but left in 2012 after questions about financial discrepancies in school spending arose.
• Andrei Ghelman: Secondary coordinator for the 47,000 student, 59 schools Collier County Public Schools in Naples, Fla. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. He previously worked as a teacher and principal for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.
• Thomas Graves: An educational consultant since 2010, he also served as the assistant superintendent of Washington County Schools in Abingdon, Va. From 2006 to 2010.
• Tonya Harris: Superintendent of the St. Louis charter school Preclarus Mastery Academy. The school, which for years had a high student absentee rate, has seen some improvements. Harris previously worked as an assistant principal in for District of Columbia Public Schools.

Looking at 2016 Inside Tenn. picks

So, here's some fun insight from Inside Tennessee, our Sunday morning political talk show. At the very end of 2015, the panelists were asked to predict their 2016 winners and losers. Dennis Francis, Billy Star, Mike Cohen, Mike Donila, Susan Williams and Don Bosch participated.

Below are the results. None of us, quite frankly, did all that well. I highlighted the spots were the prediction worked out.

I'll post our 2017 predictions later.

Local Winners

Dennis: Passed

Billy: University of Tennessee football

Cohen: Congressman Duncan and Tim Burchett

Mike D: Republican party (predicted clean Republican sweep in local races)

Susan: Tony Norman

Don: Randy Nichols and Sheriff Jones (predicted getting safety center off the ground)

Local Losers

Dennis: Knox County citizens if we do not open the safety center

Billy: Knox County BOE (based on all the sniping)

Cohen: Didn’t really answer. Talked about Tony Norman and dissatisfaction with past administration

Mike D: Jim McIntyre (based on board’s balance of power shift and the budget-limiting MOU he signed)

Susan: Jim McIntyre (based on Norman’s election)

Don: Jeff Ownby

Quick thoughts: Hard to give Cohen credit for Duncan and Burchett. Tim had little movement and Duncan easily won a race. There were way bigger winners than Duncan in the grand scheme. Also hard to give Dennis credit on his pick for loser. The county failed to open the safety center but citizens weren’t a clear loser.

State Winners

Dennis: Ron Ramsey

Billy: Sen. Randy McNally

Cohen: Randy Boyd

Mike D: Butch Jones (predicted player scandal that Butch would smooth out and 8-4 season and bowl win)

Susan: Randy Boyd

Don: Justice Jeff Bivens (predicted he would be chief justice of Supreme Court, said do all sorts of bad things)

State Losers

Dennis: All of us

Billy: Derrick Schofield, Department of Correction Commissioner

Cohen: Democratic party (state)

Mike D: Rest of the top brass at UT is going to have a bad year (reason I picked Butch)

Susan: Anthony Haynes (lobbyist for UT)

Don: 250,000 people who did not get healthcare (said Gov. won’t get it back or won’t get passed)

Thoughts: I blew the Butch Jones pick but when I made my prediction on how the team would go (8-4) everyone on the panel said they would do much better. Eat crow, people. (The bowl game doesn't count.) Ha. But, I killed it on predicting the rest of the UT brass being losers – see ya later, Cheek! See ya later, Hart! I can’t give credit for the Randy Boyd picks – not after the embarrassment of the Smokies baseball team and the behind the scene secrecy of the Regal deal that wasn’t popular with a lot of the public. Billy nailed it on McNally and Schofield.

National winners:

Dennis: Hillary Clinton

Billy: Hillary Clinton

Cohen: Hillary Clinton

Mike D: Hillary Clinton

Susan: All of you media folks (24-7 news is having a field day)

Don: Whoever Hillary Clinton pics as her vice presidential candidate (“Someone’s about to get a ticket to the big show.”)

National losers:

Dennis: National Republican Party

Billy: National Republican Party

Cohen: Donald Trump (“He won’t be elected president of the United States.”)

Mike D: National Republican Party

Susan: Donald Trump

Don: National Republican Party

Thoughts: We all blew it on the winners. Going to disagree with Susan. It was a tough time for the media with Trump, his crazies and the knuckleheads who change “fake news” for everything they disagree with.” We also all blew it on the losers.

Politician of the Year for 2016

Dennis: Hillary Clinton

Billy: Hillary Clinton

Cohen: Hillary Clinton

Mike D: Hillary Clinton

Susan: Whoever the Republican nominee is

Don: Hillary Clinton

Biggest surprise

Dennis: Nothing comes to mind

Billy: One-in-three chance of a third candidate running for president

Cohen: Whoever wins the 4^th District commission Republican seat

Mike D: One of those commissioners will do something silly and might not be around

Susan: Bring the Lady Vols logo and name back

Don: Jimmy Duncan chooses to retire from Congress

Final thoughts: Dennis was the big winner the previous year when we made his predictions. He didn’t do as well this time around. In fact, he scored a goose egg. Mike D and Susan won with three points.  Don and Billy got two points and Cohen got one. Personally, I think we all sucked. Ha. We blew it on the national picks and politician of the year (except for Susan) and none of possibly surprises rang true.

City to get more development in 2017

Suttree Landing Park

Knoxville can look forward to further development and ongoing projects in the new year.

Three specific projects are set to hit major milestones in 2017.

The Cumberland Avenue reconstruction process, which began in April 2015, is scheduled to be complete sometime in late 2017. The city is investing $17 million in the project, which intends to fix long-term chronic problems in the area.

Construction on the north side of Cumberland Avenue is already complete. Further progress is expected on the south side in the next year.

Another project, the South Waterfront, will see more than 1,300 people begin to move in during the 2017 year. In 2016 the city opened Suttree Landing Park and Waterfront Drive on the waterfront. That project cost $6.6 million. It's one of several going in between the Henley and Gay Street Bridges, which include apartments and a public riverwalk.

Next spring, work will begin on Knoxville's Magnolia Avenue streetscapes project.
The city will invest about $8 million to add streetscape amenities to several blocks of Magnolia Avenue between Jessamine Street and North Bertrand Street. Those amenities include a gateway art piece, medians and bus pull offs.

Other projects seeing development in 2017 include the Pryor Brown Garage, Marble Alley Lofts, Regas Square, the State Supreme Court building, the Farragut Hotel and the Tombras Group building.

Politics: Looking back at 2016

As 2016 comes to a close, 10News is taking a look back at the political scene.

It was definitely a year to remember, with historic elections, campaigns, and new leadership for our country.

The race for the White House started in 2015 with a large field of candidates vying for the Republican and Democratic nominations for president.

The huge crowd gathering at Donald Trump's Knoxville campaign stop in November 2015 was a sign of things to come in the following year.

Donald Trump ultimately won the electoral votes in Tennessee and across the country, allowing him to claim victory against Democrat Hillary Clinton for the presidency. Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2.5 million votes.

Related: Trump campaign bus stops in Knoxville

2016 marked a year of controversy and close campaigns for several state representatives from East Tennessee.

A heated argument that turned physical played out on News Talk 98.7 last summer between incumbent Republican state Rep. Martin Daniel of District 18 and primary opponent Steven Hall, both of Knoxville.

"Steve Hall stood up. Martin Daniel shoved him," host Hallerin Hilton Hill declared during the live broadcast.

Related: Daniel shoves Hall on live radio

The incident led to an assault charge for Daniel, who ended up winning the August primary as well as the general election in November.

Daniel still faces prosecution for the assault charge, and he has a March court date in Knox County.

Longtime state Rep. Joe Armstrong, a Knoxville Democrat from the 15th District, was convicted in federal court of filing a false tax return in connection with an alleged fraud conspiracy involving tax stamps for cigarettes.

Soon after his conviction, he filed his retirement from the Legislature, and Knox County Democrats voted Rick Staples in November as his replacement.

More: Armstrong retires

Staples said: "We really need economic growth in the 15th District, and it's important to move forward with that right now."

The race for state House District 13 heated up between two-time opponents Gloria Johnson and Eddie Smith.

The last time Republican Eddie Smith and Democrat Gloria Johnson faced off for a Knoxville state House seat, the decision came down to fewer than 200 votes. The election in November was even closer: 154 votes.

Smith declared victory on election night, and Johnson later conceded after provisional ballots were counted.

More: A closer look at Smith-Johnson race

Several new faces joined local politics on the Knox County Commission in 2016, and as the search for a Knox County Schools superintendent continues, the makeup of the Knox County Board of Education saw major changes, shifting the balance of power more toward members with direct experience as educators.

Education: Looking back at 2016

2016 held some major stories in education, from an upset in the statewide standardized test, to a change in leadership for Knox County Schools.

They year began with a surprise announcement: that Knox County Schools superintendent Jim McIntyre would be stepping down.

RELATED: KCS Superintendent McIntyre to step down

"I would love to continue to do the job that I love doing," McIntyre said at a media conference. "However, the current political environment has become increasingly dysfunctional, at times overtly antagonistic and seemingly untenable."

The search immediately began for his interim replacement, and the Board of Education tapped Buzz Thomas, president of the non-profit Great Schools Partnership.

"They want to create the best school system in the South," Thomas said of board member, in an interview with WBIR 10News.

RELATED: Buzz Thomas takes over as interim superintendent of Knox County Schools

He took over in June, and board members are in the process of finding a permanent superintendent.
School board elections in September brought three new faces to the table, leading to a shift toward a more public approach to input on teacher evaluations and student testing, plus the creation of a Teacher Advisory Committee.

In February, the state's much-hailed online standardized testing platform failed, and the backup pencil-and-paper form the of test wasn't delivered in time.

"Ultimately, you have to make a call about whether this is going to be a good experience for students or not," state education commissioner Candice McQueen told a reporter at the time.

"Everybody's making the joke about, 'Tennessee Ready's not ready,'" concerned Knox County parent Leslie Kurtz said, in reaction.

RELATED: Parents, teachers frustrated by TNReady online failure

In April, Tennessee canceled its contract with the testing company Measurement, Inc. and began an emergency search process for a new company.

RELATED: McIntyre: 'Time to pull plug' on assessment contractor

It named Minnesota-based Questar Assessment to take over the state's TNReady test for the current school year.

"Questar's been around for about 40 years, and we literally have hundreds of successful assessments under our belt," Questar VP of State Solutions Marty Mineck told 10News.

RELATED: Teachers talk with TN's new standardized testing vendor

Throughout the year, Knox County district leaders have been fostering conversations about cultural competency and racial disparities in both discipline and academic outcomes - and how to make improvements.

As awareness of bullying, hazing and cyber-bullying continues to grow, many East Tennessee schools are working to combat that. Roane County Schools has programs in the majority of its buildings, to teach kids about kindness and the harmful impact of bullying.

RELATED: School district prevents bullying by promoting kindness

Throughout 2016, we saw the hearts and love of teachers, students, parents and administrators shine through, from the Beaumont Magnet Academy community pulling together to win a $100,000 grant for a new arts-inspired playground, to a Blount County schoolteacher who fostered and then adopted three former students.

RELATED: Beaumont Magnet Academy wins $100,000 grant

RELATED: Blount County family thankful for 14 children

All around, those involved in education in East Tennessee showed the Volunteer spirit in the classroom and community - and ready to be carried into 2017.