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In this part of the state, few achievements are as awe-inspiring as the construction of Kentucky Lake. Nestled amidst the picturesque Tennessee Valley, this colossal man-made reservoir stands as a testament to human ingenuity, foresight and determination. Not only was it an ambitious project but it is essential to remember the challenges overcome and the impact it has had on the lives of countless citizens, the region’s economy, and the prosperity of the states of Kentucky and Tennessee.
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By Jason Martin
jmartin@mckenziebanner.com | 7/25/23 |
I always think about Chandler King on December 7. He is the only person I have ever actually known who was at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day in 1941. Of course, he never said a word about it to me.
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By Kesley Colbert
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12/5/23
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Sometimes I think I have lived my life backwards. Spring break is a perfect example. We’d never heard of “such a thing” in 1962. We thought it was mandatory to go to school every weekday from January 3rd until school ended in late May. If it didn’t snow a foot or two, or the boiler blew up, we were in the classroom studying Chaucer or heating some chemical compound with a Bunsen burner or conjugating verbs or following some guy named Byrd to the North Pole...
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By Kesley Colbert
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3/21/23
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Tennessee’s history is filled with numerous trailblazers. Yet, one individual not only blazed a trail in history, but she also blazed a trail outside our atmosphere. In 1978, she was one of the females selected as part of the first group of astronauts to include women. She went on to log over 720 hours in space.
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3/21/23
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10 YEARS AGO — Mitchell Lunn broke his leg when stealing third in a game against Clarksburg.
*Gleason Bulldog Chase Ezell got a two-run homer against Central.
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3/20/24
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I was running past the courthouse a couple of days ago with the early Saturday morning sun bouncing off my face. After a long hot summer, the air finally held a hint of that marvelously crisp “first touch” of fall. It was wonderful, but still a fairly routine Saturday morning in this stage of my life...until my mind got to moving faster than my legs.
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By Kesley Colbert
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10/4/22
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In the mid-20th century, the American hospitality landscape underwent a transformation, thanks to the visionary entrepreneur Kemmons Wilson. His pioneering spirit and commitment to excellence culminated in the creation of Holiday Inn, a brand that would redefine the standards of the hotel industry and helped create jobs throughout the south including McKenzie.
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By Jason Martin
jmartin@mckenziebanner.com | 12/5/23 |
Sitting in the media workroom Friday afternoon, I witnessed Alcoa win its ninth consecutive TSSAA Football Championship with twenty-two overall championships. Instantly, I hear chatter about how they should move up to 4A or even 5A. Then after McKenzie was defeated, I walked back into the media workroom feeling rather dejected. After a few minutes, I was thinking about how it would be nice not to have to play South Pittsburg ever again because they need to be playing in 2A or 3A. After all, it’s just not fair.
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By Jason Martin
jmartin@mckenziebanner.com | 12/5/23 |
In last week’s story about Sam Houston, I briefly touched on Houston’s involvement with the Cherokee Nation. He somewhat assimilated with the Cherokee and became a trusted ally. What I failed to mention is why the Cherokee Nation was sent to Oklahoma and needed a liaison.
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By Jason Martin
jmartin@mckenziebanner.com | 2/14/23 |
Phil Cook was never not in my life...
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By Kesley Colbert
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7/26/22
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There was some controversy over where President Joe Biden and the First Lady were seated at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. I believe they were 14 rows from the front. And many politicians, pundits, court watchers and regular folks took this as some type of slight to a sitting American president.
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By Kesley Colbert
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9/27/22
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People hear a couple of my stories and immediately say, “You must have had the most wonderful childhood.” And they are absolutely correct. I grew up at a wonderful time, in a wonderful place, with a wonderful family...surrounded by astonishingly wonderful friends.
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By Kesley Colbert
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3/14/23
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I opposed Jill Holland when she first ran for mayor.
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7/26/22
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One of the most distinguished and memorable females in Tennessee history has to be Pat Summitt. From her stare that sends chills down your spine to her eight national championships coaching the Lady Vols basketball team, Summitt was the epitome of class on and off the court. The legendary status of a coach is upheld by her list of accolades which include membership in the Basketball Hall of Fame, coach of the year, coach of the century, winningest coach, mentor and philanthropist.
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By Jason Martin
jmartin@mckenziebanner.com | 3/14/23 |
The current heat wave across the South has got folks talking more about the weather in the last couple of weeks than college football, gas prices or the latest political jokes coming out of Washington put together. And I live in Florida. Everyone is a hot weather expert down here...
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By Kesley Colbert
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6/28/22
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It is difficult to watch Tennessee courts roll back the meaning of the sunshine law.
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By Deborah Fisher
Tennessee Coalition For Open Government | 7/26/22 |
Let me start by saying that I am not taking anything away from the Lady Rebel championship this year, but I wanted to take a few moments to remind and/or make our readers aware they were not the first female basketball team from Carroll County to win a state championship.
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By Jason Martin
jmartin@mckenziebanner.com | 6/28/22 |
This week, I decided to pull an archive I’ve not looked at since working on this column. Much to my surprise 1981, was something of an interesting year for McKenzie and Carroll County.
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By Jason Martin
jmartin@mckenziebanner.com | 7/26/22 |
I tell you near ’bout every week that McKenzie, Tennessee, is the best place on earth to “be from.” Without a doubt. Without hesitation. And without reservation. Of course, I don’t do it with very good sentence structure. Or proper English.
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By Kesley Colbert
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5/3/22
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Politics is a dirty business and at times it resembles a soap opera. Naturally, there are scandals of various natures that present themselves at every level. I’m always interested in a good political scandal which is one reason I wrote about Ray Blanton last year.
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By Jason Martin
jmartin@mckenziebanner.com | 3/19/24 |