As Chairman of the TN Conservation Commission I had the honor of thanking outgoing TDEC Commissioner Jim Fyke for his massive contributions to the Parks and Environment of Tennessee. After the devastation of our parks and the bottomed out morale level of the employees under the Sundquist administration, Fyke came in as Phil Bredesen's appointee and turned our park system from a huge hole in the Tennessee experience to the absolute best park system in the United States of America. As I finished reading the very long list of accomplishments and awards I looked at incoming commissioner Bob Martineau and said, "Commissioner Martineau, you have a very tough act to follow!" I have never seen a more deer in the headlights expression on the face of any human, than that on Martineau at that moment.

I hope everyone will take a moment and think about Jim Fyke and the monumental good things that an honest and dedicated public servant can do when he serves his people.

(link...)

With so much bull being put out about Trumpcare, we thought it would be a good idea to share this interactive map on how it will affect Tennessee and Roane County. While the details are concealed by Lamar Alexander and Mitch McConnell (Corker doesn't even know what is in the plan) the basics that have leaked out have been analyzed and put into an interactive map. It's ugly for Tennessee and Roane County!

The working map is here: (link...)

(link...)

The Roane County Sheriff’s Department responded to the majority of the calls with 1,292 followed by Harriman Police with 712, Rockwood Police with 671 and Kingston Police with 312 calls.

(link...)

In June in Tennessee days are 15 seconds longer than 24 hours. The earliest sunrise of the year is tomorrow morning, 7 days before the summer solstice.

But you knew that, didn't you?

This thing never looked like anything except a ploy for tax subsidies. A lot of Westel and Crab Orchard folks will be glad it's off the table for now.

Senator Alexander (who hates wind power, doesn't love solar, loves nukes):

“Apex’s decision to suspend a proposed project in Cumberland County is welcome news for Tennesseans who opposed littering the landscape with giant wind turbines over two times as tall as the skyboxes at the University of Tennessee’s football stadium. And the turbines are unnecessary for Tennesseans because TVA has said it doesn’t need new power for the foreseeable future.”

(link...)

“The report suggests that donors may have been misled, the event may have been used as a pass through to convert charitable donations to the Donald J. Trump Foundation into revenue for Donald Trump’s private businesses, and the event may have been used as a vehicle to profit Donald Trump’s private businesses,” Cohen said. “I urge you to investigate to determine whether federal laws have been violated.”

(link...)

The Roane County News actually has a pleasant front page today that shows a little bit of what a great place to live Roane County is. Crime was banished all the way back to page 5. Nice!

We'll see how long this lasts.

Next Saturday at the Princess Theatre a play, "How To Succeed In High School Without Really Trying"! Performed by area high school students in a grand collaboration. It's a dream come true folks; get out and support them!

The interesting thing is that Corker and Alexander made pretty bland statements that, when examined, don't support Trump. Diane Black attacked Democrats, of course.

(link...)

TRACTOR-TRAILER RIG CARRYING VODKA CRASHES ON I-40 IN ROANE COUNTY

(link...)

You get no better bang for your buck than tonight at the Princess.Jason Eskridge is not just one of the finest vocalists in Nashville, but a man who is dedicated to giving back to his community. Be a part of this!

Tickets $12 Online...$15 at the door.

Technically it's a dead heat but this is stunning given that Corker is an incumbent Senator! As he gets closer to Trump, he gets further from Tennesseans.

A poll of likely Tennessee Republican primary voters indicates U.S. Sen. Bob Corker’s reelection in 2018 is supported by 41.1 percent of those surveyed while 41.6 percent would rather “give someone else a chance,” according to Tennessee Star.

(link...)

Gone from being the only R Congressman in Michael Moore's movie to have a seriously moral stance on the Iraq war to a Trump attack mutt, Jimmy Duncan defies logic in going after a journalist.

From the Washington Post:

“A traditional president would have reacted carefully to the London Bridge terrorist attack by instilling calm, being judicious about facts and appealing to the country’s better angels,” Rucker wrote.

“But Donald Trump is no traditional president. He reacted impulsively to Saturday night’s carnage by stoking panic and fear, being indiscreet with details of the event and capitalizing on it to advocate for one of his more polarizing policies and to advance a personal feud.”

Pretty fair assessment actually and one that is pretty much universal everywhere but in Duncan's mind...Duncan on the floor of Congress:

“Apparently Mr. Rucker is so blinded by hatred for the president he cannot see straight and has written one of the most unfair, one-sided articles I have ever read.”

I guess if it isn't his side it's one sided.

(link...)

I wonder if Loudon and Blount County Realtors pay the Roane County News to put horrible news on the front page?

There are several good news stories in the RCN that would have looked great on the front page.

The Mayors of Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville support planet Earth.

Trump sides with Syria.

(link...)

de·re·cho

dāˈrāˌCHō/

nounUS

a line of intense, widespread, and fast-moving windstorms and sometimes thunderstorms that moves across a great distance and is characterized by damaging winds.

(link...)

I'm a Ron Woody fan but I have to question whether this is appropriate at this juncture. I appreciate Randy Boyd and personally think he's one of the good guys. But I also question whether he can stand up to the unmitigated crazy running loose int he TN legislature. Haslam certainly hasn't been able to. If someone else wins, will Roane County be punished? I just don't know. Let's hope this works out for us.

(link...)

I have long called for a public audit of the comprehensive economics of our industrial parks. It's my outsider's opinion that they suck the life out of communities when done badly. If I had the power, I would outlaw tax breaks of every sort for corporations all across America and therby level the playing field for business recruitment. Every tax penny given to corporations is one less for schools and public works. I hope folks will read the entire article but here's an interesting snip:

It is often assumed that taking farmland and turning it into an industrial park is a net economic benefit to a county. But usually the industrial park tenants get tax breaks and the county tax base relies on sales tax revenue and the property tax revenue that private property pays.

(link...)

In these bizarre times the man, who couldn't remember the name of the Energy Dept. on national TV during the GOP presidential debate, is now Secretary of that department. What this means is that our senators and congressmen need to suck up to Rick Perry bigly. They did a great job of that. Lamar first told a huge whopper, saying that Perry is a fast learner (No!). But then Lamar demonstrated that he is a very brave man by riding around in a printed car while Rick Perry drove. We should be proud of our elected officials. They are so smart that they knew better than to try to show Rick Perry the amazing science that is being done at ORNL and took him straight over to play with the toys.

We are thinking that Lamar, who is actually smart, told Rick Perry that the reason the toys weren't shiny is that the ORNL budget is too low and that Perry should get right to work on getting them more money in the federal budget...like maybe after Trump finishes destroying the EPA they have some extra to send our way.

(link...)

It's that time of year so I'm reposting this:

CONCLUSIONS:
Accurate identification of the pit viper species involved in snakebites is essential. Although envenomation by a rattlesnake (Crotalus species) may require antivenom and uncommonly surgery, a bite by a copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) rarely requires any intervention other than observation.

The unnecessary use of antivenom should be discouraged.

Got that? Do NOTHING aggressive whatsoever for first aid for a copperhead bite! Loosen clothing, remove jewelry, and transport the victim to get medical attention while reassuring them, while it hurts a lot, they are going to be fine.

(link...)

First aid for snake bites:

Should you be bitten by a snake, it’s essential to get emergency treatment as quickly as possible. However, there are some tips that you should also keep in mind:

Call 911 immediately.
Note the time of the bite.
Keep calm and still as movement can cause the venom to travel more quickly through the body.
Remove constricting clothing or jewelry because the area surrounding the bite will likely swell.
Don’t allow the victim to walk. Carry or transport them by vehicle.
Do not kill or handle the snake. Take a picture if you can but don’t waste time hunting it down.

First aid myths

There are also several outdated first aid techniques that are now believed to be unhelpful or even harmful:

Do not use a tourniquet.
Do not cut into the snake bite.
Do not use a cold compress on the bite.
Do not give the person any medications unless directed by a doctor.
Do not raise the area of the bite above the victim’s heart.
Do not attempt to suck the venom out by mouth.
Do not use a pump suction device. These devices were formerly recommended for pumping out snake venom, but it's now believed that they are more likely to do harm than good.

Somehow the fact escaped the news cycles that the Haslam gas tax increase, which overwhelmingly burdens working people, gives a tax break to Tennessee's rich folks and big corporations. Are Republicans proud that Fed-Ex gets a huge tax break and you and I will pay more at the pump?

On the Federal level, Obamacare repeal turned out to be nothing more than a tax break for rich people and Big Pharma. Thankfully, even the right wing news folks found it so disgusting that they gave it a little coverage.

The latest transfer of tax dollars at the state level is Governor Haslam's privatization of state buildings and infrastructure, including our state parks and Universities. Universities will be forced to pay $1.9 BILLION dollars to Haslam's buddies as a result. Enter State Comptroller Justin Wilson riding his white horse of justice, demanding the answers to a few questions. Questions which Legislative Democrats have asked repeatedly and were ignored by the Governor.

Wilson, a Republican just so you know, has asked a few questions in a very public manner that the Governor will have a tough time refusing to answer... "Few" meaning 53 questions that responsible Tennesseans want to know.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever seen building maintenance improve and cost go down when it was turned over to an outside contractor? I don't think it has ever happened in the history of the world. It's kinda like charter schools, which are an overwhelming statistical failure, but since some politically connected folks can make a lot of money destroying public schools, they rise like zombies to torment our lives.

State Comptroller Justin Wilson is our Hero of the Week!

Via Tom Humphrey, who continues to be our Tennessee Hero and Patriot of the Century!

Opening Weekend For The Tennessee Medieval Faire Is A Hit!

I did not go to the Tennessee Medieval Faire until Sunday, but for a Mother's Day there was a large attendance.  I don't know how it compared to Saturday, but I'm sure the opening day was much larger.  I've posted a large number of photos on the Princess Blog to give you a sense of what you will see and experience at the faire.  After all, you still have an opportunity to experience the fun next weekend, and the largest weekend, Memorial Day, is yet to come!

(link...)

It sure looks like it! Chuck, making trades worth a few thousands, is pretty small time compared to Corker, who is making millions off these deals. This also tells us lifting the oil export ban was not such a good idea.

May 19, 2015 Senators unveil a bill to lift the 40-year-old oil export ban. Corker is an original co-sponsor of the bill. Aug. 24, 2015 Corker purchases between $1,000,001-$5,000,000 in Chesapeake Energy stock and sells it the next day.

(link...)

How Jeff Sessions became our AG is a story unto itself. Regardless, he is and has promised to inflame the war on drugs, particularly pot, in spite of that being against the wishes of a strong majority of Americans. When Sessions named Memphis as a city with a high crime rate due to pot, Congressman Cohen went all attack dog on Sessions and listed a number of flat out lies little Jeff told. In particular is the one about legalizing pot leads to higher crime rates. That is flat out untrue according to every study I can find. Here's a sample study conclusion:

The Free Thought Project has documented several other good things about Colorado’s cannabis legalization. Cannabis businesses have donated large sums of money to clean up highways, teen cannabis use has declined, prescription drug use is down, and deaths from opiate painkillers have declined dramatically. Highway car accident deaths are at their lowest ever, and even violent crime has significantly decreased. It is more difficult to attribute these last two to legalization, but the trends are nonetheless there.
(link...)

We, in this country, have to decide who we want to vote for in our elections...Elected officials who will serve the people? Or elected officials who will sell us out for the money given to them by the For Profit prison industry and the Pharmaceutical manufacturers of the opiates that are killing us?

Roane County HS :

732 TOTAL ENROLLMENT

19:1 STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO

Harriman HS

347 TOTAL ENROLLMENT

17:1 STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO

Rockwood HS

435 TOTAL ENROLLMENT

17:1 STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO

Oliver Springs HS

393 TOTAL ENROLLMENT

15:1 STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO

Midway HS

287 TOTAL ENROLLMENT

16:1 STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO