Tune in Sunday to Tennessee This Week. Among the topics: wine sales in grocery stores. Right now Tennessee is just one of about 17 other states that ban sales of wine in its groceries.

Former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe - the current Ambassador to Poland - is being honored in Nashville next week.

He's in Nashville March 25 and 26. He's speaking to the Nashville Council of Foreign Affairs on the 25th. His topic: Poland's role in today's Europe.

He'll be honored with a resolution - sponsored by Senator Douglas Henry - for his service as a U.S. Ambassador on the 26th.

While in Nashville, he's also scheduled to meet with Governor Bredesen and former U.S. Senator Bill Frist.

One of the state's biggest critics of the recently passed federal omnibus bill - is also one of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation's biggest beneficiaries of the so-called pork contained within it.

Republican Congressman Zach Wamp has been a vocal critic of earmarks. He voted against the 418 billion dollar omnibus bill - in part - because of the more than 5 billion dollars in pork barrel spending.

Yet - the group "Taxpayers for Common Sense" point out that he sponsored 12 projects - totaling more than 6-million dollars.

Today's record breaking warm weather reminded me of one of the more crazy times I spent at the University of Tennessee.

It was a three day stretch in early March 1974. Like today - it was unseasonably warm and after months of cold, dreary weather, the warm stretch of days was a great break from the monotony of winter and studying.

It was so warm - especially at night -- that it seemed the natural thing to go outside and enjoy ourselves. And boy did we ever.

Knox County Commissioners Mike Hammond and Richard Briggs say they'll bring legislation that would move all budget functions from the county's fee offices to County Commission.

The two appeared together on Tennessee This Week, which airs Sunday on WATE at noon.

Commissioner Hammond says he's had conversations with legal experts who believe an ordinance - approved by County Commission - would be enough to transfer the budget functions and would not require a change in the Knox County Charter.

Interesting study on media bias out of Indiana University. We've heard about the "liberal" bias for so long that many take it for fact.

Maybe it's not. Here's a quote from an article by IU about the study:

The Knox County School Board's Ethics Committee has voted to publicly censure fellow Board member Bill Phillips. The measure passed unanimously.

Phillips pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of his wife. The original complaint filed in the case stated that Phillips drew a gun on his wife and threatened her life.

Both he and his wife now dispute that report. Phillips claims a combination of medicines caused his behavior.

UT President Dr. John Petersen is resigning from the University of Tennessee.

In a joint announcement this afternoon, Petersen and Vice Chair of the UT Board of Trustees, Jim Murphy, said Petersen will leave his post effective June 30, and that Dr. Jan Simek, who most recently served as interim chancellor of UTK, will fill the post for up to two years - pending a vote of the Board.

A 4:30 news conference is scheduled at UT. WATE will carry it live.

More speculation about UT President John Petersen and whether he will be retained by the Board of Trustees.

The Tennessean ran this story today. It offers nothing new, but allows the newspaper to stay out in front of the story - should it actually become a story.

We've been musing about the issue for weeks. Our sources say the decision has already been made, but so far Board Vice Chair Jim Murphy is keeping his cards close to his vest, saying no decision has been made.

On Friday, Young Broadcasting, Inc. - the company that owns WATE, WKRN in Nashville, and a number of other TV stations around the country - filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

Since the announcement, a number of friends have called or visited with me about the repercussions - both to me personally, and to our operations at WATE.

The conversations have mostly started in hushed, pat on the back, it'll be fine tones.

"Is everything OK?" they ask in a whisper, as if someone had just died in the family.

The answer is, at least for now, yes.