Teachers’ cars are in the parking lots. The sounds of the band practicing have returned to Holly Hills, the neighboring subdivision. The soccer girls are practicing when I drive by headed to breakfast. Middle and high school football players are on the practice fields. All of our schools have fresh wax on the halls. These indicate that the class of 2023 are about to begin their senior year. Students will attend the traditional half-day August 2nd and begin a full day schedule August 3. I want to welcome all of our new and returning students for what is going to be an exciting year. more

Did you hear the one about the U. S. Representative who took the oath of office for the current session of Congress with his hand on a Superman comic book? That’s like some kind of amazing story from another planet! I didn’t get his name. But I am pretty sure he is from California. more

Under the expanded multi-million dollar program, students that already attend private schools could receive $7,000 of tax-payer dollars towards their tuition. That only makes sense to the parents of private schooled students. It will do nothing but hurt public schools. more

After the opening of the Sesquicentennial vault was a bust thanks to water damage. I decided to look through the Banners 1972 archives and find a little memorabilia for our readers. more

Growing up I heard a tale of two gun-toting outlaws from out west robbing the little bank on the square. Which in my mind gave way to the romanticized idea of a John Dillinger or Bonnie and Clyde sweeping into town with Tommy guns blazing followed by a high-speed chase; woe the imagination of a child. Needless to say, this week I set out to find what I could of the real story. Even though it wasn’t Bonnie and Clyde that knocked over the bank, it was still a pretty darn interesting story. more

Gosh, how well I remember the day Daddy drove the 1960 Chevrolet up into the yard. It was green; which we barely noticed. What we did notice was that it was brand new. We’d never had a new car. Ever! more

Congress has an opportunity to pass legislation that benefits all local citizens, businesses and even protects our democracy. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, LJSA for short, should be included as part of any upcoming reconciliation bill that Congress is considering. The LJSA is a well-thought-out bill that would provide needed support to local news organizations, including local newspapers, to ensure their viability as they continue to make progress toward a digital future. more

We did not celebrate this holiday when I was a kid. And I really don’t know why we didn’t. Lord a’mercy, things moved at such a slow pace back then you’d a’thought nothing could get by us! more

Occasionally a story will come across my desk that I find interesting and file away for safe keeping. The story of Ray Melchiorre came through from Bethel University’s Sport Information Department a few weeks ago, naturally it was a Monday and there was no time to read it. This weekend, while I was attempting to find a muse for this week’s article I came across the story again in my email. I found it to be a pretty good read and I would like to share it with our readers this week. more

In the town of Savannah, Tennessee, a star was born on November 16, 1874. Mary Elizabeth Patterson would go on to become a trailblazer in the world of entertainment, leaving an indelible mark as an actress whose talent and tenacity transcended the limitations of her time. more

The thing I like best about Thanksgiving is the sameness of it. Now, you say that about most anything else in the world and it is a condemning statement. Nobody wants the same old, same old... more

As hate and death continue in the Middle East, please allow me to share the following two passages of scripture with you, my Neighbors: more

As a little boy, my parents used Super Drugs as their pharmacy. I can remember walking in the front door and seeing all the little knick-knacks and other gift items which I was not allowed to touch. Barbara Ferguson was usually working the front register. more

I miss McKenzie in October. more

Andrew Jackson’s two terms as president, which spanned from 1829 to 1837, were marked by a series of pivotal events and policies that left a lasting imprint on American history. His tenure in office was not without controversy, as he navigated critical issues such as the Nullification Crisis, the Indian Removal Act, the Bank War, the Peggy Eaton Affair, the Spoils System, and the expansion of suffrage. more

$144 Million, that’s how much money could/will leave Tennessee public schools and flow into the pockets of private (for-profit) schools within the first year of the school voucher program, the money will “follow the student.” According to Governor Bill Lee’s proposal, the state will pay up to $7,000 annually per student that has the means and desire to attend a private school instead of the public school in their area. more

You ever ponder on why, when and where you were put on earth. Is it the luck of the draw? A mystic cosmos ordering by some natural selection process! Or simply someone had to fill that hole. Maybe a higher power… more

McKENZIE (April 4) — Lynn Watkins, director of McKenzie Special School District, is retiring on June 30. During the April 4 meeting of the Board of Education, Watkins offered to serve as a consultant to the yet-to-be-selected director of schools, whose term of office begins July 1. more

This is one of those “you would have had to been there” stories. We were not used to many frills out at the end of Stonewall Street. Daddy worked hard every day just to provide the necessities of life. more

The four production facility sites were located in valleys away from the town. Site managers believed the valleys provided additional security along with containment in case of accidental explosions. The Y-12 area, home of the electromagnetic plant, was closest to Oak Ridge, one ridge away to the south. Farther to the south and west lay both the X-10 area, which contained the experimental plutonium pile and separation facilities, and K-25, the site of the gaseous diffusion plant and later the S-50 thermal diffusion plant. more