By Mike Steely steelym@knoxfocus.com The USS Tennessee floated along Battleship Row, next to the Arizona and the West Virginia, in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. The ship was struck twice by bombs as its crew fought back. But she stayed afloat. After repairs...

By Sally Absher The main focus of last week’s Board of Education meetings was the approval of a contract for incoming Interim Superintendent, Buzz Thomas, with a proposed salary of $195,000. Thomas will be starting in his role as Interim Superintendent on June 15,...

  By Mike Steely steelym@knoxfocus.com Although the city may adopt a budget that is 4.5% above this year’s figures there’s no property tax increase proposed for next year. One of the bouts of applause during Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero’s “State of the City”...

By Mike Steely steelym@knoxfocus.com A flower shop doesn’t have to be huge to be successful and Always in Bloom on Sutherland is a great example. Jenny Austin and Leonard Palladino started the business in 2005 and Austin and her employees were busy last week taking...

By Ray Hill Huey Long was, by almost all accounts, a brilliant lawyer.  To whom did he turn when he needed a good lawyer?  The answer would be John Holmes Overton of Alexandria. John H. Overton was a descendant of the famed John Overton of Tennessee, a contemporary of...

By Ken Lay Two big innings propelled Hardin Valley Academy’s baseball team to a crucial District 4-AAA victory Wednesday night. The Hawks scored five innings in both the third and sixth frames and those big offensive outbursts were enough to net HVA a 10-1 win over...

By Ken Lay Three unanswered second-half goals spelled victory for the Halls High School boys soccer team Tuesday night in the Black Oak Ridge rivalry. The Red Devils overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit and notched a 3-1 victory over Central at the Halls soccer field. The...

By Steve Williams The story of Baylee Williams’ softball career could be inspiring and motivating for some young and small players taking up the game. “I was maybe 7 years old when I first started playing and probably the smallest on every team,” said Williams. “Just...