July 2008

I felt an odd "deja vu" moment at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Sunday.

More than a year ago, I was in Blacksburg, Virginia. I was there just hours after a lone gunman murdered more than 30 students and faculty on the campus of Virginia Tech.

It was a terribly sad time to be on that campus.

And a sad time to be in Knoxville last night.

While the numbers weren't the same, the feeling of loss was.

Lots of interesting points made today by the candidates at a forum hosted by the Halls Business and Professional Association.

Sheriff JJ Jones raised one of the most compelling, arguing that a large number of inmates in Knox County custody should not be in the system, but should be being treated for mental health and addiction problems at healthcare facilities.

Jones said, once in the system, these individuals lose their Tenncare benefits, forcing the County to pick up the tab - which in many cases - includes very expensive psychotropic drugs.

Late at night, I often sit on my back deck with my dog Fred enjoying the quiet of the evening.

After a long day in the newsroom, it's a nice way to decompress.

The other night, the sky was particularly clear and the stars were very bright. That's when I saw it, a shooting star. It erupted in flames, a big ball of fire, trailing across the sky.

It was only visible for a few seconds before flaming out.