Randy has the personal view of a historic evening.

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The Harriman Mystery company deal moves forward.

While city officials know what the company makes, they're keeping mum. But even they say they don't know the identity of the company.

KNS Story

Anybody want to tell us who this is and what they do?

Judy Abels Giles will be at our Yard Sale location, (Calvin Cheeks old Ford Dealership Building) on Gateway across from the Hosiery Mill at 10 AM tomorrow (Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008 to accept any donations.......Thanks, Ray

Files such as these can be posted in a new blog post by using the "file attachments" link in the options. Scroll down until you see it.

I have to travel and can't post the rest until I return. feel free to give it a try. If anybody messes something up, I can fix it when I get back to my office.

The more I look at Heath Shuler's development's swap of dock rights from one property it owns to another and the additional fees he paid TVA in order to do so, the more I think it is totally above board. My associates have done exactly the same thing with TVA and it is a common arrangement. Not only that, since it brings additional property value to Roane County, we Roane Countian's should be applauding the deal.

Randy and Michelle are having a big time in Denver. If you are having to watch the convention on anything but C-span you aren't seeing it. Even with C-Span Randy's inside look is amazing. Be sure and check it out by clicking the 08DNCC logo on the left, but here's a particularly good inside take:

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Is it just me or does anybody else get ticked off at the drivers that do not use headlights in the rain? It is the law that if you have your wipers on, you have to have your headlights on. Also, in low visibility conditions (fog etc) lots of people don't use their headlights. It isn't just here it is in Knox, Anderson and other surrounding counties. It is also not uncommon to see law enforcement failing to burn their headlights in rain and low visibility. I have not ever heard of anybody being stopped for this either.
Maybe it is just me, but it really gets on my nerves.

Remember the handy weather link in the right column down below. The radar loop is a good tool to see what's coming your way.

Local Weather

Ted Kennedy was good and inspiring to see, but Michelle Obama brought the house down and left even some of the hardened TV pundits with misty eyes.

WOW!

In other goings on, our main man in Washington, Lincoln Davis, hosted a reception for Tennessee Delegates in Denver. Lincoln praised the Democratic Presidential ticket and discussed his accomplishments in his home district, but he did not mention the Tennessee governor's race coming up in 2010.

The Tennessee delegation to the Democratic National Convention had its first luncheon Monday at the elegant Denver Press Club, hosted by Middle Tennessee Congressman Lincoln Davis.

On the other hand, Kim McMillan, who has already formed an exploratory committee, made no secret of that fact and said she would use her reception to spread the word about her candidacy.

We need rain in a big way. Some folks are worse off than we are, though.

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... or arbitrarily and unfairly?

State layoffs have started because of state budget woes.

WBIR.COM reports on this, and the firings started in the state Dept of Human Services.

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By Ray Collett

Hello Readers,
More email is coming in, (and I love it) from our readers about our first jobs, well ANY jobs that we had is more than welcome. This one came in from Linda Majors Breazeale, (Class of '66).

Two petitions are being circulated to put two items on Rockwood's next election ballot. One is to permit liquor by the drink, the other is to permit liquor off premises. These petitions are only to let the voters express their opinions. Any thoughts or predictions? Ray Collett

Russ is putting the Roundup together this month.

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From the Roane County News web site:

There was a tense moment when Patton got into a shouting match with Roane County Sheriff Jack Stockton in the parking lot. In addition to his “big stick,” Patton, who is a much larger man than Stockton, also had a pistol holstered on his side.

The tense exchange of words caused Stockton to take his gun out of his holster, but he never aimed it in Patton's direction.

I have heard that Stockton did not actually completely draw his weapon but simply unstrapped it and gripped it at the ready as Patton approached him with his stick.

District Attorney, Russell Johnson, has stated publicly that he will not carry forward any case brought by Constables in Roane County.

Harriman 28 , Monterey 14

Oneida 28 , Rockwood 14

Midway 40 , Claiborne County 12

Silverdale 40 , Oliver Springs 21

Did Kingston play?

Constable Patton needs to trade that stick in for a broom. That thing will never fly.

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What ever happen to the stop sign or the yield sign at Exit 356A? Vechiles fly off the I-40W ramp right on to Gallaher Road with out even slowing. Sure have seen some close calls at that site.

KINGSTON - A controversial constable branded as a rogue by other Roane County law enforcement officials was handed back his nonpaying job following a short hearing in Chancery Court this morning.

Mark Patton, 48, repeatedly thumped his chest and flashed the thumbs-up sign after special Chancellor Billy Joe White opined that Patton still had his job.

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Update: Apparently Patton and his stick gave a press conference at the courthouse and instigated some sort of confrontation with Sheriff Stockton. Can anyone fill us in? (this is totally rumor until confirmed)

The Chancellor ruled this morning that Roane County Commission never accepted Patton's resignation from his position as Constable prior to his revocation of that resignation. Therefore, there never was a vacancy, and he remains Constable. On a side note, this was predicted here nine months ago.

The Chancellor also ruled that Patton had not proven that there was any violation of the Open Meetings Act in connection with the Patton "resignation" and "appointment" discussions.

After the ruling, Patton put on his badge, retrieved his "big stick" from his car, and issued a statement to the media about said stick and local law enforcement.

The Roane County News broke the story, and indicates that more will be available online at the Roane County News site and in Monday's dead tree edition.

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This is a fairly big disappointment to a lot of people, but it falls to the County Attorney to guide the Commission in all things legal. When a Constable gets reinstated on the legal grounds that he tried to resign but the County mishandled his resignation, that is a pretty big snafu.

I suspect this will be the nail in the coffin for constables in Roane County. Too bad. It's a great asset.

The deadline to get your favorite recipes in the West Roane County Volunteer Fire Department's "Roane County Favorites Cookbook" project is August 25. Email your recipes to cookbook@westroane.com. See Link... for details, thanks!

I found the article in RCN interesting. I have no idea how Mr. Beets can think he does not have a conflict of interest. As a county commissioner (chairman) he should be protecting the county's interests in preventing annexation in the Midtown area. Instead, as Mayor of Kingston, he is pursuing annexation in the Midtown area and the City has entered into a law suit over it with Harriman over the issue. Mr. Williams should challenge Mr. Beets in regard to where his loyalties lie. There is no doubt that issues exist and will exist that put the two entities on the opposite side of the fence....what side will he be on. He is my county commissioner, and I feel that he ignores constituents on the west side of the bridge.
He may not be in violation of any existing law, but he is violating the spirit of the offices he holds.
Mr. Williams...keep up the fight.

Randy Neal, mentor, blog consultant, and superior photographer, to RoaneViews will be at the Democratic Convention to give us insight from the Tennessee point of "View".

Well, they've got into a legal pissing match, it would appear.
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Babahatchie Community Band is scheduled to have its annual Music 'N Melons in the Park concert on Sunday, August 24, at 4:00 PM. This celebration of the latter part of summer has been going on for nearly 20 years. They play a cool concert, then everybody has cold watermelon!

I have a question about the Rockwood dog ordinance...Who decides what kind of breed a dog is and can that decision be challenged by the dog owner?

Also, do the coyotes that live inside the city limits of Rockwood know that they will have to move? (I've seen several dead ones on the side of the main road)

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All of this leads me to renew my call for all proposed ordinances be posted in final form for citizen review and comment for a period of 30 days before they can be voted on.

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Randy's on a mission:

At the Democratic convention, 55 bloggers have been credentialed to embed with their home state delegations and follow their every move. As many as 500 more bloggers will set up camp at a nearby filing center hosted by Google, and countless others will be positioned around Denver keeping tabs on protests and any other angle that interests them.

Randy Neal of KnoxViews is Tennessee’s designated convention blogger. While the national press corps will be focused on floor speeches and the big picture, he’ll be glued to the state delegates, blogging their every move.

“I see my mission, basically, as getting their reactions, getting the things the national media coverage can’t focus on,” he said.

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