The Texas Roadhouse franchise in Alcoa has been purchased by the Texas Roadhouse Corp. parent company. The company has acquired a number of franchise in recent years as part of a corporate strategy to improve profits.

With the change in ownership, the restaurant will be closed for lunch during the week. It will still be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for lunch.

From last night's Commission WorkSession

Also at Thursday's work session, County Mayor Jerry Cunningham told commissioners they would be getting a communication from the county's attorney on the settlement of a lawsuit stemming from an automobile accident involving a Blount County Sheriff's Office cruiser.

Link...

Point goes to the KNS for at least showing up at the meetings.

Ummm.. unless of course the DT is now going with a very early deadline for print? Ummmm..

Update- the DT now has their version of the workshop on their website.

At TennViews...

Daily Times reports:

Today jurors in U.S. District Court in Knoxville found Blount County Schools not liable in a discrimination lawsuit.

Plaintiffs also admitted two of the students had been given the option of leaving their classes five minutes early so they would not be subjected to racial slurs and threats of violence.

Gee, what an option.

As mentioned in comments.

Take a walk in downtown Maryville today, Friday the 26th, from 5:30PM to 8:30PM -, and visit local businesses with displays from local artists (paintings, sculptures, glass blower, photographer, ceramics, and wood block prints).

Live music, Stringliners Big Band, at Capitol Theater and The Traveling Stones at the Pistol Creek Gallery.

The Last Friday Art Walk was founded by Fine Arts Blount.

Lots of folks came out for the Maryville Daily Times 125th Anniversary party and celebration of editor Dean Stone's 84th birthday. Several local dignitaries gave speeches honoring the paper and Mr. Stone.

I have always said that a county the size of Blount County is lucky to have a quality newspaper. I don't agree with about 90% of their editorial policy but at least they are putting out a paper every day, and the Daily Times is the paper of record for Blount County.

As such, we the readers and citizens of Blount County have a responsibility to tell them how they're doing. We should show our approval when they get it right and let them know when they go off course. The voice of The People (and their subscriptions) can carry a lot more weight than the influence of a self-promoting few, but it takes some effort.

More photos after the jump...

Everyone is invited to the birthday party at 307 E. Harper Ave. and the parking lot adjacent to Greenbelt Park.

The event will feature free food, fun, music and special events.
Music will be provided by The Dixie Highway Band, The Russell Family, Keith Nixon and Jeff Barbra.
Festivities will begin at 3 p.m. and end at 6 p.m.

Check out todays Daily Times 126-page souvenir section devoted to the history of The Daily Times.

The celebration is also for Editor Dean Stone's 84th birthday!

...at KnoxViews

What a gorgeous day it was yesterday! The sky was beautiful, the air was clear, the weather was oh so wonderful.

Adults, teens, children, and dogs enjoying an evening at Alcoa's Springbrook Park.

Forgive the pictures taken with a cellphone. I couldn't resist sharing the delights of our citizenry enjoying a wonderful Sunday in the park.

More pics after the jump...

It's nice. I think it is expensive. Identify and I'll give it to you. Some distinguishing mark. 986 9966

I suppose anyone who is interested and still cares has seen the report that courts in Blount County have decided to not hear any cases represented by Mike Meares' sister.

Not only is this childish and vindictive, it is a blatant attempt to destroy a person's career and take away their ability to earn a living.

It is also a public admission that the Blount County judiciary cannot and has no intention of being fair and impartial. Let that be a lesson to anyone who opposes the Blount County establishment.

I suppose if you have business before the court and your name is on the public record as a Meares campaign donor you now have to ask for a change of venue?

At what point does a county government get so over the top out of control that it becomes a natural disaster and the governor has to declare martial law and send in the National Guard to restore order?

(It's a rhetorical question.)

At any rate, the voters of Blount County have spoken. Do you think they see now what they keep voting for? Probably not. Most of them are probably real proud of their accomplishment. Way to go.

Federal Civil Rights trial against Blount County schools will start Monday. Link...

Update Monday morning- jury seated - Link...

At the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, Townsend, Tennessee

Livestock Show
Vegetables and Produce
Baked Goods
Canning
Honey Show
Metal and Woodworking Projects

Admission $3.00 per person
Free to Heritage Center members and children under 6

Very scary!

From the Maryville Daily Times:

"For some inexplicable reason, on Sept. 23, no vital signs were recorded after 7 p.m." the suit alleged. "...
...
"Additionally the staff admitted that they had insufficient staff to observe and care for (Boone)," the suit said. "They explained their shortness of staff and called the family to help them, which the family did."

But at some point before Boone's family arrived at the hospital, he died, and his wife was the one who found him unresponsive in his room and alerted the staff, the suit claims.

It is hard to fathom what this family is experiencing.

Note to family and caregivers of hospitalized patients:
If it is at all possible, have someone with the patient every possible moment. Many patients get scared, cranky, antagonistic, hard to deal with. Being in the hospital can be quite unsettling. Most patients don't know what is going on around them. Many of them are so drugged up they can't communicate effectively. The majority of hospital employees probably do a good job and provide good care. Though, they do not know your family member, friend, loved one and sometimes things fall through the cracks. Again, if at all possible, try to have someone there with the patient to communicate with hospital staff, to comfort the patient, and to (as best you can) ensure the patient gets the best care possible.

This week's "lipstick on a blog" edition of the Tennessee progressive blog roudup, at TennViews...

On my way to the Blount County Farmers' Market, I drove by Washington and High Street to see if the previously announced "indoor Farmers' Market" was open.

Much to my delight, The Market is open. I spoke with Dan Mizell, the originator of the concept. He said the store had been open three days. There was quite a bit of activity. Patrons were plentiful.

The Market is open six days a week. The Market is closed today. Definitely give them a try. It's a great opportunity to support local businesses.

So goes the nation, so goes Blount County. In my travels today, I recorded gas prices at a few local stations. Prices ranged from $4.49 to $4.69. The higher prices were at a Shell station, which I believe are typically higher, and a smaller store where I would guess they don't have the supply-chain the larger stores have.

Friday, before the hurricane, I purchased a full tank of gas at one of these stores for $3.59/gal. What a difference a day makes.

At the end of the day I passed by one of the stores and the price had not changed.

The Blount County TPO Regional Mobility Plan 2035 meeting was held at the library. There were eighteen attendees and three presenters. Jeff Welch and Amy Brooks were two of the three representatives from Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). At least four of the attendees were either local government employees or press. At least one representative of CAPPE was in attendance.

The first half was a slide-show presentation regarding the function of TPO, the areas they cover, previous meeting participant action items, area growth, and principles (e.g. preserve and manage).

We are informed by someone familiar with the case that the Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Alcoa.

The case involves the death of a Mr. Satterfield's daughter from mesothelioma, a highly lethal form of cancer that is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos. The lawsuit alleges she contracted mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos fibers brought home on the work clothes of her father, an Alcoa employee, as a "direct result of negligent acts and omissions" by Alcoa and co-defendant Breeding Insulation.

The ruling upholds the Tennessee Court of Appeals reversal of Blount County Circuit Court Judge W. Dale Young's dismissal of the case. The appeals court had previously overturned Young's dismissal, reinstated the case, and ordered Alcoa to pay for the appeal. There is no word yet on what's next or whether the case will be remanded back to Blount County Circuit Court.

Developing...

UPDATE: We just spoke with attorney Greg Coleman who represents Doug Satterfield, the plaintiff in the case. He said it is a big victory, most importantly for Mr. Satterfield and the Satterfield family.

Mr. Coleman said the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that Alcoa owes a duty to Amanda Satterfield, the late daughter of Doug Satterfield, regarding exposure to hazardous workplace materials (asbestos in this case).

In an unprecedented ruling that Mr. Coleman said "changes the law in Tennessee," the State Supreme Court also ruled that such duty also extends beyond the employee and immediate family members to anyone having "close and repeated contact." This would include, for example, a maid who routines does laundry contaminated with hazardous materials, or people exposed from riding in a car pool.

The ruling effectively expands the "class of persons" to include anyone with close and repeated contact. Mr. Coleman said it is the first case of its type in the state.

The court told Alcoa that there should be limits, but that Alcoa had to make a case as to why their duty does not extend to this class of persons.

With the State Supreme Court ruling, the case is remanded back to the Blount County Circuit Court and Judge W. Dale Young.

Attached is the full Tennessee Supreme Court ruling.

The deadline for registering to vote in the Nov. 4th election is October 6th.

The easiest way to register is:

1. Print out this form.
2. Fill it out.
3. Mail it in.

The above form works for any county in Tennessee. The county election commission offices, addresses, and phone numbers are listed on the back. It must be postmarked no later than 10/6/08.

If you have friends, family, co-workers, etc. who need to register, print out copies of the form for them, help them fill it out, and make sure they mail it in no later than October 6th.

You can also print out multiple copies of this form and use it for voter registration drives.

If you are outside Tennessee, this form works for any state in the U.S.

Here is a page with information for overseas and military voters.

Here is a comprehensive directory of all U.S. state and local election officials.

Here is the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Voter Information Center page.

REGISTER. VOTE. REGISTER OTHERS.

Help spread the word. Here is a zip archive of the netroots voter registration drive button, HTML to display this button on your website with a link to this page, and the HTML text of this page for posting on your own blog or web site. Post it, forward it, promote it.

Forty-one percent of working-age adults, or 72 million people, reported a problem paying their medical bills or had accrued medical debt, up from 34 percent, or 58 million, in 2005.

Do you know that health insurance provided by an employer in the State of Tennesse on the average costs nearly $4,000 a year for an individual?

Do you know that over half of small businesses in TN do not offer health insurance?

Do you know that the less you earn the less likely you will be offered health insurance through your employer?

Do you know that over half of construction industry businesses do not offer health insurance?

Do you know that many people can't/won't change jobs because they need the employer provide health insurance?

Have you ever had private health insurance?

Have you or anyone in your family been on TennCare, CoverTN, Medicaid or other form of government provided heath insurance?

Have you ever been without health insurance?

On average, health care costs will go up by an estimated 5.7 percent next year for both workers and their employers, the study found. That repeats this year's 5.7 percent hike and a 6.1 percent jump in 2007.
...
Between 2003 and 2007, the average deductible for an individual grew from $250 to $400. For a family, it rose from $1,000 to $1,500, according to Mercer.

If you are not invincible, you will at some time in your life need decent health care. This does not just apply to senior citizens. Do you know how much it costs to ride in an ambulance? Do you know how much it costs to correctly fix a broken arm or broken leg?

The Democratic Party wants everyone to have accessible and reasonably priced health care. The Democratic Party wants to include those who earn the least as beneficiaries of health insurance. Why would you support any other platform?

(Sources: TN Dept of Commerce and Insurance and Health Insurance 2008

Daily Times: Cyclist dies on Dragon; second motorcyclist taken to UT Medical Center

Saturday's accident was the 12th Blount County traffic fatality, the ninth motorcyclist killed, and the third death on the Dragon for 2008.

Is this the kind of tourism we should be promoting?

(Background.)

At TennViews...

From Joe Gallagher:

THREE EVENTS -- SAME DAY

Blount Democrats, Concerned Citizens: Tomorrow, September 5, is our next First Friday Luncheon--11:30AM at Ryan's, Alcoa (near Wal-Mart). Please join us for another stimulating session featuring discussions about better government in Blount County and the nation.

Our program will be highlighted by a speaker from Barack Obama's Knoxville headquarters. Many Blount County residents have asked how they can help the Obama campaign and many already are doing so. I'm personally not certain if there is a co-ordinated effort in Blount County and this will be an opportunity towards that goal.

Dennis Weeter, a regular at the luncheons, will also speak about the environment--especially global warming. Dennis is an environmental engineer and an expert on matters dealing with clean air, clean water, plant life and other eco issues. I trust that he will explain the impact of ice packs the size of Manhattan Island floating in the seas.

We also will hear from our splendid County Commissioner, Wendy Pitts Reeves and next Tuesday's "Called Meeting" to appoint a replacement for David Duggan's seat in the Blount County General Sessions Court. Laura Rule, a Democrat, has applied for that position. Ms. Rule is most eminently qualified and we hope she receives proper consideration.

As usual, other matters of concern to our Blount County community will be open for discussion. Please attend.

2ND EVENT: Democratic Headquarters on Ellis Street is hosting its inaugural Friday "Happy Hour" from 5:00PM to 7:30PM. Bring your own soft drinks (beer and wine permitted) plus finger food/snacks and a lawn chair. This is an excellent opportunity for Democrats (and others) to socialize and discuss important issues.

3RD EVENT: CAPPE is holding a Benefit Concert at THE SHED, Highway 321, adjacent to the Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson & Buell in Maryville. The concert features: Maggie Longmire & Free Soil Farm; Jay Clark and the CC Stringband; The Lonetones; and The Bearded. THE SHED is a good venue and you will be with some like-minded residents who are concerned about the future of Blount county. $10.00 admission at the gate with food and beverages available for purchase.

Link...

well then....

Blount County Public Library
500 N Cusick Street; Maryville

Please join us as we continue our discussion of the future of mobility in the Knoxville region. We will review the feedback we received during the spring workshops and talk about how we want to get around the region in the future. This discussion will help us identify steps we can take as a region to achieve our common vision.

Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization Background.

small, short-haired black mixed terrior with white around mouth and on paws

Photo:

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 22) - Judge Thomas Phillips will conduct a hearing on the Alcoa, Inc. retiree benefits case Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 9 a.m. in U.S. District Court in Knoxville. Attorneys for both the company and the retirees have asked the judge to avoid a trial and rule in their favor on the case which impacts the health plans of 13,000 to 15,000 former aluminum company workers.

Hundreds of former Alcoa, Inc. employees are expected to attend Wednesday’s hearing in Knoxville.

According to the lawsuit filed on behalf of the Alcoa, Inc. retirees, the contract ratified nearly two years ago between Alcoa, Inc. and the United Steel Workers union imposes higher premium obligations, more deductibles and greater amounts of coinsurance on most — if not all — previously covered health-care expenses. The benefit changes were effective at the beginning of 2007 and apply to retirees who left the company between May 31, 1993, and June 1, 2006.

The contract was approved nationwide by a razor-thin margin. At Local 309 in Blount County, the vote was also close with 511 union members (51.7 percent) voting in favor of ratifying the contract and 478 members (48.3 percent) voting against it. Retiree benefits was the key point of contention.

The lawsuit charges that Alcoa, Inc. violated the retirees’ vested rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and breached its contract under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

Knoxville attorney Greg Coleman, who represents 14,000 Alcoa retirees nationwide in the case, said that Judge Phillips’ ruling would either end the case or send it forward to a trial.

Courtesy of Russ McBee over at at TennViews...