Community Issues

6 News reporter Harlow Sumerford fills in this week for Gene Patterson, who is on vacation.

On April 23, Knox County commissioners will take a look at the purchasing card audit in a special meeting. The audit revealed some questionable spending made by Mayor Mike Ragsdale and members of his staff.

Mayor Ragsdale issued a response to the audit, saying that he believes all of the questionable charges made by him and current staff members Mike Arms and Dwight Van DeVate were justified. Former Community Services Director Cynthia Finch has also responded to the audit and says that if the mayor's charges are cleared, then hers should be too.

Joining Harlow to talk about this and budgetary issues facing Knox County are commissioners Victoria DeFreese and Larry Smith.

The process and outcome of actions by the Knox County Community Grant Panel met with some criticism recently, including comments from a panelist who quit at the end of the process.

Tamara Shepherd sent a letter to commissioners outlining her concerns, saying there was a lack of documentation for the panel to review and that panel volunteers based decisions largely on anecdotal evidence.

Ms. Shepherd declined our invitation to appear, but two of the panel members, Dona McEvers and Carroll Logan, discuss the funding process.

6 News reporter Harlow Sumerford sits in this week for Gene Patterson.

Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale responded on Wednesday to the draft purchasing card audit report that revealed some questionable spending by the mayor and members of his staff.

In this week's program, the mayor's chief administrative officer, Dwight van de Vate, discusses the audit and steps the administration is taking to correct problems found in it.

Then Harlow sits down with U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who talks about a number of issues, including the presidential election and EPA air quality standards.

Mercy Health Partners Metro Division CEO Jeff Ashin talks about the recent announcement about changes at Baptist Hospital and a proposal to build a new hospital downtown.

Kathy Hamilton, a member of Knox Charter Petition, answers questions about why the citizens' group is pushing for changes to the Knox County Charter.

Then, Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership head Mike Edwards tells Gene Patterson about the importance of getting the right person to fill the Knox County Schools superintendent position. Edwards also talks about the upcoming Education and Employment Summit.

In the Final Word, Mike Cohen and Cortney Piper express their opinions about the secret recording made by Commissioner Paul Pinkston of County Mayor Mike Ragsdale.

If all goes as planned, Knox County Schools will have a new superintendent by the end of the month.

Roy Mullins, a longtime Knox Count administrator, has performed the duties of the superintendent for the past year. He replaced Dr. Charle Lindsey, whose contract was bought out by the school board.

Last week, the board picked five finalists and began interviewing them.

Joining Gene Patterson to talk about the search are school board chairperson Karen Carson, and board members Dan Murphy and Cindy Buttry.

The program concludes with State Sen. Tim Burchett and Community Coalition on Family Violence member Russ Jensen, who discuss new legislation intended to close loopholes in current domestic violence laws.

Through the first two days of early voting in the February primary, more than 2,400 people had cast ballots. Knox County Election Coordinator Greg Mackay predicts a record turnout on February 5. He believes at least 70,000 citizens will vote - and about 50 percent of them will vote early.

In the first segment of this week's program, 6 News political analyst George Korda joins Gene Patterson to talk about what's driving voters to turn out at the polls.

Then, Gene talks to Dr. James Humes, a former speech writer for five president and the author of a number of books, including "The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan." He was in town recently to speak at the East Tennessee Historical Society.

At the young age of 19 Trent Sanders started his own company to focus on getting young people involved in politics. He is Gene's final guest of this week's program.

The debate over pit bulls is back in the headlines because of the death of 21-year-old Jennifer Lowe. She was attacked and killed by two dogs belonging to her roommate in her home. Her roommate said she considered the dogs family pets.

Her death has once again re-ignited calls for the banning of pit bulls from Knox County. Joining Gene Patterson to discuss the controversy surrounding this incident is Dr. Michael Blackwell, dean of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and chairman of the Young- Williams Animal Center.

Later in the program, Sandra Cannon, with the Knoxville Area Urban League, discusses a new program to help local youth gain employment.

There's been a lot of conversation in recent weeks about the search for a new school superintendent in Knox County. A search firm has been hired by the school school board. The firm, Ray and Associates, is one of the largest executive search firms in the country, with more than 30 years experience. The board will receive a report on December 17 as it finalizes plans for the placement of ads and other issues regarding the search.

One group that has been very vocal, saying the next superintendent should be a person who can elevate the system from a good school system to a great one, has been the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership. Joining Gene Patterson in this week's first two segments is the head of the partnership, Mike Edwards.

Edwards also discusses other local issues that affect the recruitment of new businesses to the Knoxville area.

Political pundit and potential county commission candidate Lloyd Daugherty appears in the final segment. He is a former radio host and head of the Tennessee Conservative Union. Last week he picked up a petition to run for county commission.

Last week, Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale hosted the Second Urban Mayor's Conference, a gathering of county mayors from the state's largest metropolitan centers. Together, Knox, Hamilton, Davidson and Shelby counties hold more than 40 percent of the state's total population. As a group, they are a force to be reckoned with, but what advantage does that present those who live within their boundaries?

Gene Patterson discusses that question and more with mayors Ragsdale, A.C. Wharton, Jr. of Shelby County, and Karl Dean of Davidson County.

Each year St. Mary's Hospital and the Community Coalition on Family Violence host the Anita Gregg Luncheon. The event is named for Anita Gregg, who with her son were murdered by Gregg's estranged husband more than a decade ago.

This year's luncheon speaker was Rev. Al Miles, the author of a number of books on domestic violence. He appears in the program's final segment.

A number of lawmakers from around the state are lining up in opposition to changes in Tennessee's Open Meetings Act, better known as the Sunshine Law.

The opposition surfaced after a committee made up of local and state lawmakers proposed changes that would weaken the law, allowing at least some conversation among legislators outside the public realm.

This past week, Knoxville City Council members took up the issue with a resolution, essentially telling state lawmakers to leave the law alone.

Joining Gene Patterson to discuss the council's position on the Sunshine Law and other issues are Councilman Rob Frost and newly-elected Councilwoman Marilyn Roddy.

Later, Jane Peoples talks to Gene. She is the executive director of Safe Haven, a sexual assault crisis center. The 24 hour hour crisis line of the center is 888-522-5244.

The state's Sunshine Law was back in the news this week. A subcommittee studying the law says lawmakers need more room to discuss policy issues with fellow lawmakers outside the public domain.

A member of that subcommittee is Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond, who joins Gene Patterson in this week's first segment.

Then, perhaps you've never heard of shigella or the disease shigellosis until suddenly several cases of the disease started showing up in our schools. To discuss this outbreak and other communicable illnesses is Dr. Martha Buchanan and Dr. Kathy Brown of the Knox County Health Department.

We're honored to have Carol Scott in the final segment. She is one of the unsung heroes of Knoxville history.

A decade ago, tensions were high in Knoxville's Black community because of the deaths of three Black men in separate incidents while in the custody of Knoxville police.

In response to the calls for greater accountability of the police, then-mayor Victor Ashe created the Police Advisory Review Committee, an independent group of citizens whose job was to review complaints against the department and its officers.

The glue that kept it all together was its executive director, Carol Scott, who is about to retire from the city.