I don't understand why there is such an uproar over school funding in Tennessee, but it sure seems to be going on everywhere.

When will we start electing people to local office who understand that the quality of the work force is the number one thing businesses look at when selecting a community to start up in?

The Citizens of Cumberland County showed up in force and demanded that their Commissioners do their job and they did...well sort of.

Emergency personnel have been searching since Wednesday for a 90-year-old man who wandered away from his house.

Members of the Roane County Rescue Squad staged this morning along Dry Hill Road near the Morgan County line to search for the man.

Anyone have an update? These things are always tough on the family.

We have Two Congressmen in Roane County, Tennessee, one Democrat and one Republican, and it's hard to tell which is which sometimes.

Zach has a tiny bit of environmental awareness and Lincoln is rather conservative.

At any rate, it's now time for both of them to get together and vote local and not party.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment denied a $3.6 billion dollar project to build 2 coal-fired power plants, based on the anticipated health impacts directly from emissions as well as impacts on climate change.

SOCM joined other grassroots around the nation in a call-to-action for a five-year moratorium on new coal.

Tom McFarland is a friend of mine, so this is hard to watch.

"Present?"

"Average tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose 6.6 percent this year, again outstripping increases in financial aid and pushing students into more borrowing. Community colleges once again did the best job keeping the lid on prices."

Community College fees rose about a third less than the four year schools. That's a good deal for a lot of our kids...And yes, I have two kids in four year schools right now, and the checkbook feels my pain.

My kids played in these leagues and had a great time. Here's the official notice for Kingston:

(Other leagues send the info and we'll make sure it gets posted)

KINGSTON OPTIMIST BASKETBALL

It is time again for Kingston Optimist Basketball. This year is going to be a wonderful year and we all hope to have a record number of kids. In order to get the word out please forward this to everyone in your contact lists. We really need help getting the word out, so please email, call, and talk to everyone regarding the signup dates.

Lincoln's ambitions are making waves in more ways than one.

(Lincoln)Davis, a former state House and Senate member, represents a sprawling rural district that runs almost 200 miles from Appalachian Campbell County to Hohenwald, west of Nashville. Lately Davis has made a career of running to the right of Republicans, not an easy chore in Tennessee.

More

Riding a bike is tough to do in Roane county, even though a number of people do it. There's a hostility toward bikers that is hard to explain.

That last image got ahead of me somehow ??

How many times have you heard "There is a Meth lab in the neighborhood, but the cops won't do anything about it". There is a solution - I learned at the Safety pow-wow at the Wali-Mall today. Call this toll-free number and you get the Tennessee State Meth Task Force - 1-877-TNN-METH or 1-866-RID-METH. They are an impressive outfit:

www.rid-meth.org

I'm sure Commissioner James Harmon will catch some grief for daring to propose a magnet high school to replace Kingston, Harriman, and Rockwood high schools, but I for one really appreciate his courage.

Can he sell it to the people of Roane County? Let's hope somebody sells something that involves something better than what we have now.

I'm guessing that there will be two schools built and that Midway will be included in the consolidation.

We'll see.

Negative Power bills! I like the sound of that, even though my bill is pretty low for the size of my house. I've thought about going solar.

The Roane Chamber sent this out:

I want to keep RoaneViews as local as possible but so much that goes on at the Federal level effects Roane County for a number of reasons. Simply put, we live "downstream" of a lot of East Tennessee. Destroy water quality 50 miles north of us and it washes right down into the drinking water of Harriman, flows over to Kingston, and eventually down to Rockwood.

Drink Hearty, Citizens, National Coal stockholders will enjoy their new yachts, which they'll keep in Miami or Arlington, and not Watts Barr Lake.

What? (Are you crazy?)

The neighborhood is near the Rockwood jail, oddly enough.

Authorities have rounded up 8 of 14 people they have warrants for.

Who are the other six?

Juanita Jean

And yes, I think Fire Ants have gotten into Roane County.

Tuesday is Soup day at the Common Ground.

Wednesday is muffaletta day at Utopia Cafe. It's like an Italian sub only much much gooder.

Gentlemen...Set your taste buds!

And Ladies too!

KIPP = Knowledge is Power Program
There have been some exceptional discussions on the state of our Education in Roane County. How about a "New" idea ?
Roane County definitely has the Brains to pull it off.
www.kipp.org

Will Harriman swell up and crawl away from it's beautiful but dying old town center and swallow up all of Roane County's businesses?

If there's one powerful argument for Metro government, this is it.

Not trying to be mean or anything, I just mean you ought to get outside and walk around in this gorgeous September weather.

Try not to think about the fact that it's the Ides of October, not September...Just enjoy it while you have it.

Go for a walk today. I've already gone out for a spin around our hillside, which makes me wonder why we can't get a public greenways network going in Roane County? If Knoxville and Oak Ridge can do it, why can't we?

Help to map light pollution right here in Roane County. See: (link...)

For NASA's composite view of the lights of earth at night, see: (link...)

Hey guys,

I do not want to cause a ruckus,

This is a really neat place. I knew it was there, but when I went to really look at it, I was impressed by how very nicely it was executed. The fountain, the memorial, seats around it for convenience of those who wish to sit and linger in their memories... all wonderful.

I'll have some other pics soon, if this one works, of more in the park. There is also going to be another memorial for some very worthy individuals. More pics will be in image gallery soon.

This park, overlooking the Emory River, is one jewel in the crown of Roane County.

RB

I thought I'd give you something to make you think.

Are you Left Brained or Right Brained?

I'm

Hey Neighbors!

Where do we report the good stuff that happens in Roane County?

Kingston 4, Oliver Springs 0

But it was a better game than that score shows. OS is getting better each year.

Pictures

Update: Senior Night pix are up now

The West Roane County VFD Open House this Saturday will be extra special, with music, food, and live burn, vehicle extrication, and First Responder demonstrations.



Wylamena said some things that deserve more attention than just sitting in the comments.

So what IS the right thing to say when you come face to face with someone who just tossed trash onto our County?

Whoever walked around in the "Phil Meeyup" suit at the Fair deserves a medal of some sort. It has to be really hot inside there.

I think of Keep Roane Beautiful as a crime prevention organization. Every piece of litter is a crime. Tossed from a car, it is supposed to be a ticket and points, but I doubt if a ticket for littering has been issued in recent memory.

Keep Roane Beautiful can be reached at 865-882-0030 or krbinc@bellsouth.net

More bad publicity for Midtown. It's a great place, really, but things like this bring us down.