Julie Rochelle, incumbent, retains her seat on the Alcoa City School Board. Brandy Bledsoe is a newcomer and won the second seat on the Alcoa City School Board. Congrats to both.

Still waiting on final results for Alcoa City Commission. Current commissioner and mayor, Don Mull, has a one vote lead over newcomer Tanya Martin. Absentee ballots are still being counted. Vaughn Belcher and Clint Abbott Jr., both incumbents are ahead with 1,927 and 2,009 votes.

Update: Tanya Martin wins by 5 votes. Congrats Ms. Martin.

Saw a gentleman riding up on a horse to go to the liquor store in the Rockford area of Blount County. A beautiful, sweet horse he is.

Early voting starts today for the Nov. 6th mid-term elections.

Here are the Blount Co. times and locations.

Here is the Blount Co. sample ballot.

Remember to bring an approved, government issued photo ID. Here are the acceptable forms of photo ID.

Oct. 30th is the last day to request an absentee ballot. Note that anyone age 60 or over can vote absentee, no other reason needed. Here's the Blount Co. absentee ballot request form.

Here are the Democrats running for office:

Jay Clark is running for State House District 8. (Facebook, website, donate)

Susan Sneed is running for State House District 20. (Facebook, website, donate)

Renee Hoyos is running for U.S. House of Representatives District 2. (Facebook, website, donate)

Karl Dean is running for governor. (Facebook, website, donate)

Phil Bredesen is running for U.S. Senate. (Facebook, website, donate)

A little history on the development of the old Alcoa West Plant site, in descending date order.

October 3, 2018
'Agrihood' Springbrook Farm will offer food-centric lifestyle in Alcoa

September 29, 2017
'Impressive': citizens react to long-awaited plan for former West Plant site

April 11, 2017
'A long time coming:' Alcoa finally breaks ground on former West Plant site
“Let’s build a downtown!”

September 16, 2014
Alcoa gets Sam’s Club: Big-box retailer plans store at Alcoa Highway-Hunt Road
Didn't happen.

August 31, 2013
City of Alcoa's plan to "build a Turkey Creek-type retail complex as Phase I in the ALCOA West Plant site."

April 27, 2012
Alcoa West Plant project open house - Day two
City of Alcoa presents information on the proposed Alcoa West Plant redevelopment.

March 15, 2012
Clearing a decades old pine tree barrier alongside the Alcoa Hwy to make way for Alcoa city center.
According to various fuzzy news reports, they apparently suggested that removing the tree barrier would make the property more visible and thus more marketable.

May 20, 2008
Developer announces "Downtown Alcoa"
"In the next six to nine months we should be in a position to begin development," said Jon Kinsey, former Chattanooga mayor and president of Kinsey, Probasco, Hays. "It is right at the entrance to the Knoxville airport and it is surrounded by two significant highways, so we feel it is an opportunity to really do something world class for that area and provide a new downtown for the city of Alcoa, which does not have one presently."

Bad timing I suppose in that there was a major Recession starting in 2008.

How much longer will it take for this development to happen? Will it happen?

Take a look at Northshore Town Center, which appears to be something they are looking to replicate in Alcoa. It took a very long time to get that project going.

Then there's the Pellissippi Place R&D business park. Prior to 2008, this was an enormous project with large investments by Knox County, Blount County, and the City of Alcoa. There were plans for a riverwalk, fountain, residential, and commercial development. Ten years later, after government spending on roads and infrastructure, there is a single business in the back of the development. Pretty good looking entrance though.

As reported in The Daily Times, Maryville, TN, Weigel's has requested a site plan approval for the development of a convenience store at the corner of Hunters Crossing Drive and Middlesettlements Road.

This would be nice. We've been hoping for a Weigel's near Alcoa for some time. There had been one planned several years ago on Alcoa Highway near the motor mile. Still nothing there. Maybe it will happen this time.

TDOT and local municipalities have been pushing for Pellissippi Parkway to extend from Maryville Pike/Knoxville Hwy (SR 33) to Lamar Alexander Highway/US 321(SR 73). The "proposed extension would be approximately 4.4 miles."

As reported in The Daily Times of Maryville,

• In September, 2015, the TDOT Environmental Impact Statement estimated the cost would be $165.7 million.
• In April, 2017, the Knoxville Transportation Planning Organization Mobility Plan estimated the cost would be $194.2 million.
• In August, 2017, TDOT reported to FHWA the estimated cost would be $63.5 million.
• In September, 2017, TDOT reported a new estimated cost of $61.1 million.

Read the full report in The Daily Times. TDOT does try to explain how a road plan estimated cost can drop from $165.7 million to $61.1 million in two years. It appears TDOT has changed methods on how they estimate road project costs.

“It became apparent to TDOT planners and engineers that the [per-mile estimation] method did not provide many customization options for the proposed roadway features that could significantly affect the cost of a project such as roadway and shoulder widths, earthwork, bridges and retaining walls,” [TDOT Community Relations Officer Mark] Nagi said. “TDOT engineers suggested that the results did not provide the level of accuracy needed to compare different project alternatives, and proposed that the department investigate alternative estimation methods at the planning level.”

Huh.

From the Maryville Daily Times,

Investigators from the Tennessee Department of Health inspecting the site last month produced a 106-page report detailing instances in which the facility repeatedly had failed to implement basic safety measures against falling.

Asbury Place, a Maryville nursing home, has been fined $45,000 after regulators surveying the facility found it had violated standards for administration and basic services.

Asbury Place at Maryville, a 181-bed nursing home at 2648 Sevierville Road, has been prohibited from taking new residents effective Sept. 12.

From WBIR,
"The Commissioner of Health may suspend admissions to a nursing home when conditions are determined to be, or are likely to be, detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of the residents," the release said. "The order to suspend admissions remains effective until conditions have been and continue to remain corrected. A copy of the order must be posted at the public entrance where it can be plainly seen."

Asbury Place has been serving the elderly since 1956. They have been affiliated with Asbury Communities out of Frederick, MD, since 2016.

Join candidates Renee Hoyos and Jay Clark today for a community town hall.

Discussion will include the importance of fully funding public schools, affordable healthcare (Medicaid Expansion) and how it affects Seniors, Veterans, Women and Children, living wages and affordable housing, jobs and vocational training, environmental protections, and many other topics from the audience.

Tuesday, September 4
7:00 pm
At Chilhowee View Community Center
3229 Wilkinson Pike
Maryville, TN 37803
(About 5 miles southeast from downtown Maryville. Go Court Street to Wilkinson Pike to 3229 Wilkinson Pike.)

Blount County has a new Recycle Center.

It is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8:00am - 4:30pm.

It is Located at 331 Levi Street, one street down from the Blount County Operations Center off of McArthur Rd.

They also announced that they are now accepting:
4ft and 8ft intact "Fluorescent Bulbs" and "Oil Based Paints" for recycling. (No latex paints. Latex paints still have to be dried to be disposed into the landfill.)

They will host a "Household Hazardous Waste Day" September 22, 2018 from 8:00am-1:00pm. (Not sure if it will be at this location. Contact them first.)

Congratulations to Jackie Hill. We know she will be great on Blount County Commission. She is a great representative of the community.

I wish Tanya Martin had won as well. It was very close. She received 48.37% of the vote. I was also sorry to find out that Jeff Barbra, April White, Ginny West Case, and Kathleen Puckett didn't win. I'm really surprised the majority of voters in the Townsend area did not want Kathleen Puckett. She works hard to protect the community.

A free summer concert series held during the months of August and September in Springbrook Park. The series will focus on Americana, folk and blues genres featuring performances by regional and local musicians. Vendors will be on site.

Thursday, August 2, 2018 - 6-9 PM
Conservation Theory, Trisha Gene Brady

Thursday, August 23, 2018 - 6-9 PM
Daniel Kimbro, Drop Dead Dangerous, Jonah Riddle & the Carolina Express

Thursday, September 6, 2018 - 6-9 PM
RB Morris, Skinny Beaver & the Honeysuckle Playboyz

Thursday, September 27, 2018 - 6-9 PM
Tall Paul & Kristie Bobal, Robinella

Democrats continue to turn out for the August 2, 2018 election.

Blount County Early Voting Totals - 2018
14 days, 7/13/2018 through 7/28/2018

Democrats - 2,341
increase of 1,654 from 2014
increase of 1,383 from 2016

Republican - 7,944
increase of 1,667 from 2014
increase of 2,274 from 2016

Blount County Early Voting Totals - 2014
14 days, 7/18/2014 through 8/2/2014

Democrats - 687
Republican - 6,277

Blount County Early Voting Totals - 2016
14 days, 7/15/2016 through 7/30/2016

Democrats - 958
Republican - 5,670

Democrats are turning out to vote this year. Let's hope the trend continues through election day.

Blount County Early Voting Totals - 2018
10 days, 7/13/2018 through 7/24/2018

Democrats - 1,640
increase of 1,230 (300%) from 2014
increase of 970 (145%) from 2016

Republican - 5,186
increase of 1,151 (28%) from 2014
increase of 1,293 (33%) from 2016

Blount County Early Voting Totals - 2014
10 days, 7/18/2014 through 7/29/2014

Democrats - 410
Republican - 4,035

Blount County Early Voting Totals - 2016
10 days, 7/15/2016 through 7/26/2016

Democrats - 670
Republican - 3,893

Click on picture for more.

About 150 people turned out for the Blount County Democratic Party picnic yesterday. The weather was perfect. Everyone was in a good mood. Pistol Creek Catch of the Day provided music. We haven't attended meetings in a while so it was good to see some of our Democratic friends in Blount County, Tony Webb, Joe Gallagher, and more.

Jackie Hill (Blount County Commission, District 1, Seat A), Tanya Martin (Blount County Commission, District 1, Seat B), Jeff Barbra (Blount County Commission, District 4, Seat C), Kathleen Puckett (Blount County Commission, District 8, Seat B), Ginny West Case (Blount County Commission, District 5, Seat A), Susan Sneed (TN House 20th District), Jay Clark (TN House 8th District), and Joshua Williams (U.S. House District 2) all visited, gave short stump speeches, then worked the crowd. Craig Fitzhugh (Governor) had a representative on site as did Renee Hoyos (U.S. House District 2). Can't remember Fitzhugh's rep's name but she was a delight and brought signs and bumper stickers. Hoyos dropped by later in the afternoon. April White, the remaining Democrat on the ballot was probably there, I just missed seeing/hearing her.

We brought the Gracie girl, mini schnauzer, and found out for sure that Susan Sneed, Jay Clark, and Joshua Williams are dog people. I personally know Jackie Hill is as well in that she also has a mini schnauzer.

One thing someone mentioned was that Democratic early voter turnout is quite a bit higher than 2014. Let's hope the trend continues.

Everyone's efforts are truly appreciated. Thanks to the candidates for making the tough effort by running for office in Blount County and Tennessee. Good luck to everyone.

Jay Clark has stepped up to run for TN House of Representatives-District 8. District 8 includes a large portion of Blount County including parts of Alcoa, Maryville, Rockford, Walland, Wildwood, and Townsend.

Jay Clark has roots in the community and has taken time to be involved in a number of ways including being a previous member of the Foothills Land Conservancy Board of Directors and a previous member of the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization Mobility Advisory Committee. Both of which are important to growth in Blount County.

You can check out Jay and find out more about his statements on the issues at his website. He also has a Facebook page, Twitter account (@JayClark4TN), and an Instagram account (@JayClark4TN).

To help Jay Clark win and represent us in Nashville you can donate online or there is an address to mail checks, both at this website, Jay Clark for State Representative District 8.