I've heard from a number of sources over the past several years of the, sometime, abusive nature of Carol Petersen toward UT staff. None of it, in my opinion, rose to the level of a news story.

This latest revelation regarding a major University donor, and Petersen's "verbal abuse" of the donor, however, does.

It's one thing to snap at an employee about the use of a certain caterer, but it's quite different to bring a prominent donor to tears.

Knox County administrators have decided that the 8 Austin East High School football players - accused of shoplifting - will not be allowed to play Friday night?

I think it's the right decision.

I've heard a number of arguments both ways. On our website, we asked the question and got an overwhelming no response.

My father - who died two years ago - was a veteran. He fought in World War II and Korea. He never spoke much about the wars. In fact, only once did he open up to me.

I was just a teenager. It was sometime in the mid-70's, and it was the anniversary of D-Day. He owned a small restaurant in Madisonville and we were working together.

He was generally a cheerful man, quick with a joke and a laugh. But on this day, he was melancholy and moody.

After our day was done, I asked him what was bothering him.

And it was then that he told me the story of hitting the beach at Normandy.

My wife is constantly pointing to videos she's found on the Web that she thinks I'd be interested in watching.

This is one of those.

It's been viewed by more than half a million people already. If you haven't seen it, take the time and watch it.

It's a fascinating personal account of a person having a stroke and finding out what is - at least to her - all about.

It's told by a woman who happens to be a scientist who studies the brain. It starts a bit dry, but stay with it.

I can't imagine the pain the families of those four Scott High cheerleaders are feeling today. One family lost two daughters in the late Friday night car accident.

It's devastated the community. It's devastated us all.

And let us not forget the travelers in the other car. A woman who was looking forward to a new grandchild is gone; and so is the unborn child.

Every parent, who ever handed over car keys to a child, understands that there but for the grace of God could be any of us.

We tell our kids to be careful drivers. They usually say something like, don't worry.

A new group has formed to oppose the charter changes proposed on the November 4th ballot. Known as Amendments 3 and 4, those changes - if approved by voters - would have a profound effect on Knox County governance.

The group, Citizens Committed to Save Our Right to Vote, filed papers Wednesday and are now raising funds to help make voters aware of why they believe voters should turn back the two amendments.

The treasurer of the group is Frank Leuthold, a former Knox County Commissioner.

So how bad is it out there for pension funds and local retailers?

Former McWherter Chief of Staff, Billy Stair believes it's really bad, describing it as "freightening" and backs up his concerns with two examples.

Stair points to the State Treasurer who - on Tuesday - said Tennessee's pension plan lost - over a 24-hour period - one billion dollars.

And Stair says, for the first time in its history the ORNL Retirees' Pension is, as he described it, "under water," meaning the plan has fewer assets than liabilities.

Many of us - until recently - had assumed that the current economic crisis was a Wall Street problem and not a Main Street problem?

We all assumed that the markets would eventually correct, and life, as we know it, would continue.

Our politicians fed that belief by painting - an often - too optimistic picture of what was really happening.

Coming up on Tennessee This Week, Pilot CEO Jimmy Haslam explains his company's decision-making process and why gas prices climbed to the highest in the country last week.

He says hurricanes Gustav and Ike created a situation that saw gas supplies diminish and what was on the market increase in price rapidly.

For more tune in to Tennessee This Week Sunday at noon.

I was pumping gas early Saturday morning; and as I filled my tank, the clerk was busy changing the sign from $4.59 to $4.99 a gallon for unleaded.

"Are you going up on prices again?" asked a customer. "Yes, sir," said the worker, who didn't look too happy. He'd probably already been yelled at by irate customers and was expecting another tongue lashing.

"Bless your heart," said the customer.

Then the customer thought a moment and said, "Better yet, bless my heart!"