Covid-19 vs. Liberty, (2020) – Constitutional Questions for Public Review
Covid-19 vs. Liberty, (2020) Constitutional Questions for Public Review A Guest Editorial By David Seal We all have a civic duty to defeat the Coronavirus, a threat to public health and economic security. Adjusting our behavior in accordance with the advice of health care professionals, wearing PPE, working from home if possible, exercising good hygiene […]
This Enemy Has Two Faces
For most of us, we never saw this time in life coming. I personally feel like we have been sucker punched and am not inclined to be generous about the origin of the culprit. Really, it doesn’t matter that I am mad or that you are mad or that a whole bunch of people have […]
Time to fix the mistakes
We all know the old saying that hindsight is 20/20. Well, that is all great and grand but wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a little foresight for once in Jefferson County. This week two more of the inmates at Mountain View Youth Development Center (or whatever ghillie name it is going by […]
A Little Common Sense Goes A Long Way
It is almost that time of year when thoughts turn to spring cleaning. Out with the old and in with the new. Same goes with local and state junk. The stuff that clouds the mind and provides obstacles to we the people getting where we want to go is on the table for a good […]
We All Have Dreams
It is a new year and a new decade. The roaring twenties, millennial style, have come round again and it makes me wonder if this will be a feast or famine decade. Frankly, the past ten years have been more on the famine side until the last couple of years. Not that it was really […]
Enough Is As Good As A Feast
For several years now, I have watched as the County Commission has struggled to find the funds to provide for the financial needs of Jefferson County. Truthfully, we enjoy a reasonable tax rate and that is important to many who struggle to pay their property taxes. You only have to have a couple of discussions […]
Reading The Fine Print
Sometimes politicians can make much ado about nothing. And then, there are those times when questions should be asked and answered but none are forthcoming. We are presently sitting on both ends of the spectrum. Recently, Jefferson County declared themselves to be a county that upholds the Second Amendment of the United States of America. […]
Better Judgement
Have you ever wondered what the people in decision making positions are thinking? Personally, I have been scratching my head for a couple of weeks and I must admit that all that head scratching has been for nothing. I am still confused. September brought some of the strangest decision making that I have seen in […]
A Good Place To Start
Freedom to express oneself in speech or through other non violent methods is a fundamental part of being an American. It is one of the base things that set us apart from other nations and I believe in the right to non violent expression. But, isn’t there a place where reasonable adults draw the line. […]
We Cannot Stay Status Quo
Sometimes change comes hard. We all have the tendency to get set in a pattern, even if we profess it to be contrary to growth, and there we want to stay. After all, the more we stretch the more we feel the pain. Jefferson County is no different. We are in a time of change […]
It’s Hot
It doesn’t take a genius or even a weather man to know that the dog days of summer are fully upon us. All it takes is stepping outside anytime that the sun is up ( and well after the sun is down) to know that the heat is on. When the thermometer rises the amount […]
Is it Worth the Fight?
With the arrival of the dog days of summers comes the end of summer break for teachers and students across the area. The first partial week is under their belts and the start of the first full week of school means they are back in earnest. Any new school year brings its challenges and any […]
School Vouchers, More Questions Than Answers
Guest Editorial by David Seal I may be one of the few public school teachers that is not fundamentally opposed to school vouchers. In some states, giving public tax dollars to private institutions may be the best choice for providing a good education for students that are hurting from failing schools, especially if the voucher […]
Patriot Academy Seven Year Itch
It was just a few short years ago that a big change came to Jefferson County High School with the opening of the Patriot Academy. Controversial from the start, the Patriot Academy was the multi million dollar answer to overcrowding at Jefferson County High School proper. It was designed to house the freshman class of […]
Rabbit Ears?
Technology is a great thing, especially when it can take an arduous task and make it more timely and efficient. Unfortunately, that often isn’t the case. Many times I find myself thinking that activities would be easier with just a little more physical or mental exertion and a little less technology. Don’t get me wrong, […]
A Lump of Coal
Even though January first is still several months away, it is the first month of the new fiscal year. Santa brought us a nickle property tax increase and the promise of an argument on whether or not to purchase a building in downtown Dandridge for the relocation of the Mayor’s Office and the Finance Office. […]
