• Wear light-colored clothing to see ticks better. Make sure you wear long pants and tuck your long-sleeved shirt into them to make it harder for a tick to find you. Use a sticky lint roller to remove ticks on your clothes.
• Use EPA-approved repellent as directed on the label.
• Avoid areas where ticks are likely to be, such as shaded, overgrown, grassy, and wooded areas. Like us, they dry out in open, sunny areas.
• After you return from being outside, inspect your body for ticks and shower within two hours.
• Put clothes and washable gear in a dryer on high heat to kill ticks and then wash them.
• Talk to your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products for your pets.

• Use clean tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
• Apply even, consistent pressure to pull the tick away from the skin. Avoid jerking or twisting the tick, as this could cause the tick’s mouthparts to remain in the skin. Avoid squeezing the back end of the tick because this could cause the tick to inject more saliva and pathogens into the bite site.
• After removal, thoroughly clean the bite wound with soap and water, rubbing alcohol and/or hand sanitizer.
• Contact a medical provider after a tick bite (or suspected bite) if you have a fever or rash within 30 days or if you have other medical concerns related to your health or infection at the bite site.

Sgt. Jeff Clark and youth members from The Salvation Army Knoxville Corps will visit residents of the veterans’ home to share donuts, conversation, and their appreciation for the sacrifices these men and women have made. The visit honors the legacy of the original “Donut Lassies”—Salvation Army volunteers who served donuts, coffee, and encouragement to American soldiers on the front lines during World War I.

National Donut Day traces its roots to World War I, when Salvation Army volunteers known as the “Donut Lassies” served American troops in France. Working with limited supplies and makeshift equipment, they famously fried donuts in soldiers’ helmets while also providing coffee, encouragement, and a welcome reminder of home. In 1938, The Salvation Army established National Donut Day to recognize their service and the lasting difference they made in the lives of countless soldiers. Today, the observance continues as a reminder of the importance of compassion, service, and caring for others.

“For The Salvation Army, National Donut Day has always been about more than donuts,” said Sgt. Jeff Clark of The Salvation Army Knoxville Corps. “The Donut Lassies showed Christ’s love through simple acts of kindness and compassion during a difficult time in our nation’s history.”

The event is made possible through the generosity of local businesses, including Dunkin’ and Beaver Dough-Jo of Karns, which donated donuts for the veterans.

“We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate National Donut Day than by spending time with the men and women whose service helped protect the freedoms we enjoy today,” Clark said. “It’s a privilege to hear their stories, spend time with them, and simply say thank you.”

The Salvation Army of Knoxville has been serving this community for more than 125 years. We provide shelter, food assistance, case management, youth programs, disaster relief, and year-round support for individuals and families facing hardship. All programs are funded entirely by local donations, and all donations stay local. For more information, visit SalvationArmyKnoxville.org.

The weekend’s main festivities will take place at Knoxville’s long-standing nonprofit music and arts venue, The Pilot Light, with two special performances scheduled just a few blocks away at The Point. In keeping with KCM’s mission of public access, the entire festival is completely free to the community.

For 50 years, KCM has provided gavel-to-gavel coverage of local government meetings, ensuring Knoxville and Knox County residents have full access to local democracy. Beyond public broadcasting, KCM has served as an essential community platform, empowering residents with media and storytelling life-skills training, and offering an outlet for local nonprofits, educational institutions, and grassroots groups to share their values.

“Serving Knoxville since 1975, KCM has been a beacon of government transparency, civic engagement, and free speech in our community,” said [Spokesperson Name/Title]. “We look forward to celebrating this massive milestone with the community we love, and we look forward to serving Knoxville for the next 50 years.”

The 50th Anniversary Celebration will feature an incredibly diverse, eclectic lineup spanning traditional storytelling, puppetry, independent film, animation, immersive sound experiences, and live musical performances. Highlights of the multi-media lineup include:

• Knoxville Histories & Traditions: Presentations from the East Tennessee History Center, traditional storytelling from Tommy Oaks (“Daddy Amos’ Dogs”), and a performance by Jon K. Shell on the Great Highland Bagpipe.
• Archival Improvisations: Special live improvisations set to historic KCM archival footage by Matt Nelson and the Out Series.
• Music & Sound Art: Performances by a wide array of artists, including Big Kitty, Sensor Ghost, Joseph Allred, Duck Butter, Maspeth, Bare Trees, Rubens Ghenov, and FKA ICE.
• Special Showcases & Features: A regional hip-hop showcase featuring Loch Brown, Geonovah, and Junie; a Jackson Avenue Gospel Revival; animations paired with live music by John Kelly; and an exclusive sound installation by Artist-in-Residence Lintang Radittya.
• Community Engagement: Interactive sessions including Community Storytelling with Ari Clibanoff, alongside performances by Maddie McCollough, Lots of Hands, and MSHR.

KCM extends its deepest gratitude to the local event partners, artists, and volunteers who have made this milestone celebration possible. Residents, media creators, and supporters of independent local culture are all invited to come out and celebrate 50 years of community-driven media.

For more information about the event timeline, programming schedules, or how to get involved with Knoxville Community Media, please visit www.knoxcm.org.

About Knoxville Community Media (KCM)

Established in 1975, Knoxville Community Media is a non-profit public access media center dedicated to fostering democracy, free expression, and civic engagement. KCM provides the residents of Knoxville and Knox County with comprehensive coverage of local government, media literacy training, and a vital public platform to share their unique stories, beliefs, and dreams.

Downtown / South Knoxville Connectivity Study

Magnolia Avenue intersections

What’s Next Knoxville?

Get Engaged … with your City!

As I wrote last week, my grandson Madden graduated from high school. My compliments go to the administrative staff at Station Camp High School. Their efficiency made for an enjoyable ceremony that lasted little more than one hour. With the help of the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department, a crowd of more than one thousand folks quickly exited the parking lot and headed for various activities.

I attended 30 graduation ceremonies during my years as a teacher. This latest one was similar to those from years ago, and the senior class was, in many ways, like the first one I attended in 1975. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Position holders spoke, the same as in past years. The class president welcomed the families and faculty, and then the salutatorian and valedictorian for the class gave their speeches. All three had written speeches and practiced them multiple times. I’m sure some faculty person had rehearsed with them and reminded them to look at the audience. Yet when they rose and stood in front of an overflow crowd, all three students eyed the written speeches as if the lines on the paper would protect them from stage fright. When those teens dared to look up, they mumbled and stumbled through their lines. Finding the correct line on the paper copy of the speech sometimes led to seconds of excruciating silence. The “cream of this year’s crop” learned that sometimes the hardest thing in the world to do is to speak to a live audience.

The themes in each speech were the same: friendship, survival, maturity, and hard work. Remarks about the difficulty of life during those eighteen years caused me to smile. Yes, some of the worst events take place in high school, but these younglings will soon find out how much more difficult life can be. They’ll experience making decisions on their own, trying and failing, and changing courses as better pathways emerge. Handling college or a job will test their mettle. Plenty of lessons are waiting to be learned in the coming years.

One of the speakers commented on high school friends and how they fade away as life goes on. Few students who are close now will remain so in the next five or ten or fifty years. New people will enter these graduates’ lives, and to some, the surprise of losing a high school sweetheart will be equaled by the finding of a new, stronger, closer partner.

Some students will work for a while before deciding to continue their education. The military will be the perfect fit for a few, and college will be right for others. By and large, the majority will find their callings in some skilled vocation. They will prove that college is not for everyone. Being happy in the chosen work field is more important. The ACT or SAT is not a requirement for every person’s success or failure.

Growing up is hard. I fooled around in high school, and that made college more difficult. I wouldn’t have changed a thing I did back then; when I reached college, I worked harder than I’d ever worked, and the difference in my GPA from high school to college soared. Plenty of days, I was miserable and wished to be home in the comfort of family and friends, but I knew that my destiny was teaching English in high school, and that road could be traveled only by obtaining a degree. I hope that all graduating high school students, especially my grandson, discover what their callings are sooner rather than later.

More important things lie ahead for our young people. I hope they are willing to reach their goals and that they have the strength to change paths when a new one appears. Most of all, I hope that they will enjoy whatever course they choose and dedicate themselves to being the best possible in that area.

Yes, our high school students are to be commended for their achievements, but they should understand that so many higher, more spectacular things are coming in the years ahead.

By Justin Pratt,

Clear Springs Baptist Church Senior Pastor

History has a way of remembering powerful people. Reality reminds us of one sobering truth: every earthly throne eventually becomes a graveyard. The names of Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate and Caiaphas once carried enormous influence in the Bible’s early days. Armies obeyed them, crowds feared them, and political systems protected them.

Yet today, all three men are dead and buried. Their kingdoms faded. Their authority disappeared. Their titles became footnotes in history. But one man they stood against still lives.

In that same era and even in the same towns and villages stood another man, but not just any man. His name was Jesus Christ. Jesus walked into their world with no palace, no military force and no political office. Yet two thousand years later, the names of these rulers survive largely only because they crossed paths with Him. All of their stories still preach powerful lessons for our own lives.

Herod Antipas teaches us that curiosity without repentance changes nothing. Herod was fascinated by Jesus. Scripture tells us he wanted to see Him perform miracles. He enjoyed listening to spiritual conversations, but fascination never turned into surrender. His problem is like so many today: he wanted entertainment, not transformation. Modern culture is filled with people just like him who are interested in faith, inspired by sermons, emotionally moved by worship, yet unwilling to yield their hearts to God truly. It is possible to stand close to the truth while remaining spiritually lost.

Pontius Pilate teaches us that neutrality is still a decision. Pilate knew in the deepest part of his heart that Jesus was innocent. He even publicly admitted it. Yet instead of standing firmly for truth, he sought to appease the crowd and protect his political future. He literally washed his hands while simultaneously condemning an innocent man. Our generation still struggles with the same temptation. Many people remain silent when courage is required because speaking truth may cost popularity, comfort or advancement. But history consistently proves this reality: avoiding a moral decision is still making one.

Caiaphas may be the least recognizable of the three, but his life offers a valuable lesson. He teaches us that religion without humility becomes dangerous. Caiaphas was the high priest, the man expected to recognize the Messiah first. He knew the Scriptures. He understood theology. He carried religious authority, but his pride blinded him. Instead of worshiping Jesus, he worked to destroy Him because Christ threatened his control and tradition. It is entirely possible to know religious language while missing the very heart of God. Church attendance, titles and outward appearance cannot substitute for genuine surrender.

All three rulers shared something in common: they tried to preserve their own power.

Herod secured pleasure, Pilate sheltered his position, and Caiaphas safeguarded his traditions.

In the process, they rejected the Son of God, who stood directly in front of them.

Remember this: the story does not end with dead rulers and sealed tombs. Three days after the crucifixion, one specific stone rolled away. It was the stone that had been placed at the tomb of Jesus Christ. The Roman Empire could not stop it. Religious leaders could not silence it. Death itself could not hold Him. Jesus Christ rose from the grave victorious over sin, hell and death. The resurrection forever separated Him from every other ruler in human history. Kings have lived and died. Presidents will continue to come and go. Empires rise and collapse. Graveyards are filled with powerful names once thought untouchable. There is still only one empty tomb.

That is the wonderful hope of the Gospel.

Christianity is not built upon the memory of a dead teacher but upon the living reality of a risen Savior. Jesus is not merely a historical figure to admire. He is the living King who still changes hearts, forgives sinners, restores families and offers eternal life to anyone who calls upon Him. Herod is dead. Pilate is dead. Caiaphas is dead. But Jesus Christ is alive. And that changes everything.

A Day Away By Mike Steely

Maybe my interest in curious East Tennessee town names is because I’m from a little town with an unusual name. I was born in Jellico, Tennessee, an 1880s coal mining and railroad hub on the Kentucky border. I found that the name comes from the angelica plant that early settlers were said to use as a tea substitute and not from the similarly-named Tellico, which was derived from the Cherokee name for that place.

I’ve been all over our region, and I’m always curious as to how places got their names. I’ve written on place names before and continue to discover how or why places were named.

Take Friendsville and Friends Station, for instance, both named for the Quaker Society of Friends, and both settled by those progressive-minded Christians.

Petros is best known for Brushy Mountain Prison, now a tourist attraction and the former home of many murderers, including James Earl Ray, who murdered Dr. Martin Luther King. But the name “Petros” apparently comes from Peter Peroulas, a Greek immigrant who operated a general store in that former coal mining community.

Ten Mile, between Sweetwater and Spring City, is named for Ten Mile Creek, said to be ten miles long. It was formerly called “Ten Mile Stand,” a pioneer term for a roadside tavern or inn.

Vonore was formerly Upton Station, and the name comes from the German word von, meaning of, and ore for the mining that took place there.

Tuckahoe is a name that pops up across the nation and Knox County’s community gets its name from the Native American word for the starchy root arrow arum or is also translated as “it is round.”

Knox County’s Karns community was formerly Beaver Ridge and is named for the first Knox County Schools Superintendent, Thomas Conner Karns.

Niota was the hometown of Harry T. Burn, the state legislator who changed his mind and voted in favor of women voting. His one vote ratified the law in the state and also the U. S. Constitution amendment. The town’s name was originally Mouse Creek or Mossy Creek, and “Niota” was taken from a fictional Native American Chief in a dime novel, “Nee-o-tah.”

Ooltewah, just north of Chattanooga, was formerly the county seat of the former James County and may have got its name from the Cherokee word “ultiwa” meaning principal ground or water town. It could also have come from a translation of “Owls Nest.” Chattanooga, by the way, gets its name from the Creek or Cherokee word meaning “rock coming to a point,” referring to Lookout Mountain.

Bulls Gap gets its name from an early settler and popular gun maker, John Bull.

The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie.

Mark Twain

By Dr. Jim Ferguson

No one in the universe, not even Allah, trusts the Iranians. During nuclear disarmament discussions with the Soviet Union in the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan repeatedly used the Russian proverb, “Trust but verify.” This aphorism may be an optimistic position with Iran, but we have to try. Eight prior presidents unsuccessfully tried to sanction and bribe the terrorist regime, which has been at war with the United States for 47 years, while sponsoring terrorism all over the world.

In 1979, Democrat President Jimmy Carter allowed the first Ayatollah to return from exile to lead the Islamic revolution, which deposed the Shah of Iran and declared war on the United States. Iranians then invaded our embassy and imprisoned Americans for 444 days. While there may be no congressional declaration of war with Iran, we have nonetheless been at war with them for the last half-century.

Repeatedly, presidents have maintained that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, but little changed until President Trump. Actions speak louder than words, and Trump will not let the terrorist regime have a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles to carry their apocalyptic jihad to the world. It’s that simple. To say that Trump’s policy has not been clearly articulated is an utter lie repeated by Democrats, their media apparatchiks and many RINOS.

Titular “experts” have opined that Trump should stop seeking a negotiated settlement and immediately resume the bombing of Iran. Of course, bombing will resume if the Iranian regime refuses to make a deal or fails to keep the agreement. However, the systematic destruction of power plants, bridges and additional infrastructure in Iran will be devastating and will likely precipitate a humanitarian crisis of starvation, thirst and disease. Perhaps Iran’s leadership and the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) deserve this, but I am sure there are innocent people in Iran who don’t. Consequently, Trump must do all he can to accomplish the primary mission, yet limit the suffering. The Iranian leadership has no comparable guardrails of decency or morality and cares little for its people. They recently shot and killed 35,000 protesters.

Sanctions of Iran, political isolation and the current naval blockade of Iranian shipping are analogous to a siege. The Biblical siege of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC by King Nebuchadnezzar’s army is a historical example. The Babylonian siege of Jerusalem lasted two and a half years with catastrophic results. An estimated one million perished from famine, disease and finally the sword when the Babylonians breached the walls. The Jews who weren’t massacred were enslaved for 70 years.

President Trump is trying to spare Iranians devastating privation, but he is unwilling to allow the apocalyptic mullahs to keep their “uranium dust,” reportedly sufficient for 11 nuclear weapons, and ballistic missiles able to deliver death to Israel, Middle Eastern neighbors, Europe or America.

I understand that Shia mullahs are fanatics, but you would think that Democrats would comprehend reality. However, Democrats are so blinded by their hatred of Trump and their pursuit of power that they would sacrifice everything on the altar of progressive socialist lunacy. As a result, it would be hard for me to decide who is more insane: Iranian mullahs or the Democratic leadership.

I’ve explained this before, but the ancestors of the Babylonians now reside in Iraq and are part of the majority Sunni branch of worldwide Islam. Current-day Iranians are descendants of the ancient Persian empire and are of the minority Shia branch of Islam. The power struggle and hatred between the Sunni and Shia began with the death of Muhammad in the 7th century AD. In the 1980s, Iran and Iraq fought an eight-year bloody war with 500,000 killed. Perhaps the Biblical prophecy of Ishmael’s descendants in Genesis 16:12 and Genesis 25:18 should be reconsidered.

Who do you trust is a question on everyone’s mind these days. In March 2026, the annual Edelman Trust Barometer was released by the multinational marketing firm as it has done for the last 25 years. I wasn’t surprised to read that 70% of the surveyed population are “hesitant or unwilling to trust those who differ from them in values, beliefs or backgrounds.” (You can find the gory details on the internet if you so desire.) Suffice it to say, trust in the institutions that hold a culture or a country together has been so tarnished that skepticism would be a kind way of expressing America’s current zeitgeist (Webster: the general intellectual, moral and cultural climate of an era). We don’t trust our institutions, the media, our leaders, our neighbors or each other.

Two hundred and fifty years ago, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams selected the Latin phrase “E pluribus unum” (Out of many, one) as the unofficial motto of the new country. The phrase was placed on the Great Seal of the United States and on national coinage. Perhaps they wanted to capture the zeitgeist (spirit) of the nascent land of immigrants and the disparate thirteen states of the new Federalist system.

Then, in 1956, amidst the Cold War against godless communism, the Senate formalized the official motto for the United States as “In God We Trust.” The motto now appears on our currency, on various institutions and documents.

As I thought about trust last week, I wondered, do we still believe in our motto? G. K. Chesterton once observed, “When a man stops believing in God, he does not believe in nothing; he believes in anything.” Without a foundational belief or reference point, everything becomes relative. Men can become women, equality under law becomes the mandated equity of outcomes and “my truth” replaces reality.

I admit I am skeptical about a lot of things, especially what the media reports or politicians say. But that does not mean I don’t follow my own axiom: “Read widely, think carefully and sift everything through common sense, your own observations and experience as well as your conscience. This will bring you closer to the truth.”

Food for thought…

By Tom Mattingly

AUTHOR’S PREFACE:  In my quest to identify Tennessee football’s “Best of the Best, By the Numbers,” sometimes the best selection is clear-cut, e.g. linebacker Steve Kiner (1967-69) for No. 57 or Hacksaw Reynolds (1967-69) for No. 64. Other times, you might have to pick a 1 or 1a, as in this case. When I looked at the players who wore No. 27 over the years, the two best were linebacker and captain Aldra Kauwa Wilson (1995-98) and tailback and Heisman runner-up Francis Edward (Hank) Lauricella (1949-51). No other Vol player was even close. Both were All-American selections on national championship teams. Both were acknowledged leaders of their respective teams. Lauricella was a tailback, Wilson a linebacker. Both are members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

For the Tennessee Volunteers, the path to the 1998 national championship was a circuitous one, with a number of stumbling blocks along the way that might have decimated a lesser team. See for example the Syracuse, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Florida State games as prime examples. Those games could very easily have gone the other way. The margin of victory was that small.

There were powerful critics poised on the edge of their seats, waiting for the Vols to fold, to prove their time on the national stage was a mirage.

That didn’t happen.

When the spring game took place on April 18, 1998, fans, media, and coaches alike cited a number of question marks about the team, specifically the number of key players to be replaced. Gone were such notables as Peyton Manning, Marcus Nash, Terry Fair, Jonathan Brown, Trey Teague, Leonard Little, and others.

To be truthful, no one really knew this team was cut from championship cloth. The delightful thing about college football, however, is the constant state of renewal, when previously unknown or inexperienced players step forward to make significant contributions.

Looking back, there are times one player becomes the personification, the face of the entire team. In 1998, that player, that leader, was Al Wilson, the senior linebacker from Jackson, who literally “willed” the Vols to the national crown.

“When Al Wilson spoke,” wrote Marvin West, “he sounded as if he meant business.”

Wilson was a dominating defender (West called him a “fierce hitter with an overflow of intensity”), who had no quit in him. He was the glue, the man who held the team together.

As the season progressed, fans all across Big Orange Country started believing good things were about to happen. You couldn’t explain it, but you could feel it. The bigger the hurdle, the more and better the Vols responded.

Wilson’s mantra was a simple one: “Stay hungry.”

“As one of the team captains that year, I took it on myself to assume the leadership role that had been vacated when Peyton Manning and Leonard Little both graduated,” said Wilson. “Nobody knew who would step up and take over. I decided I was going to lead the team to be the best we could be.”

The key word was “team.”

“We weren’t separated by offense or defense. It was my job to go out there and lead by example with the hope the team would feed off it. The whole season was a highlight of my life.”

What was Al Wilson’s influence, his legacy? He expected a great deal from himself first, then a great deal from his teammates. He earned their respect.

Wilson exercised great leadership in the 1997 SEC title game in the locker room at halftime. The Vols trailed Auburn at the half, 21-10. Things did not look good for the Vols until Al took over. After a brief discussion of his disdain for losing, Al “named names” and spared no one in his analysis of the Vols’ first half performance, captains Peyton Manning and Leonard Little included. To say it was “scorched earth” would be an understatement.

Wide receiver Peerless Price said, “It was the greatest of speeches, one never to be forgotten.”

When you think about the 1998 team, think of Al Wilson and a team that never gave up, never gave in, despite the obstacles in their path. The team fed off his energy.

You could say that Lauricella was the best offensive player who wore No. 27, with Wilson being the best defensive player who donned that number. That might be an acceptable compromise.

In 1998, on the road to a national title, it all started in spring practice. It all happened under the leadership of Al Wilson.

No one knows the exact moment a team becomes a team destined for great success. All the little pieces have to fall together in exactly the right way. Sometimes it happens when you least expect it. For Wilson, it was a classic case of the man meeting the moment and the moment meeting the man.