4th District County Commissioner Wendy Pitts Reeves has a great rundown on upcoming Blount County Commission committee meetings, with links to the agendas where available.

The "24th Annual National Night Out" (NNO), a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, 2007.

Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

The cities of Alcoa and Maryville and Blount County are not listed as registered participants. However, according to the City of Maryville Public Information Officer, Pam Arnett, they are having an event (6 PM) in downtown Maryville at the Theater in the Park, across the street from the courthouse. Hot dogs, drinks, information available. As our Blount County communities grow, it is a good idea to get the citizens and law enforcement together to keep our neighborhoods safe!

On a clear day...

Yesterday...

The air quality is bad, bordering on unhealthy, with no immediate relief in sight. One problem is that TVA can't generate as much hydro-electric power because of the drought, so coal-fired power plants are running overtime.

Now would be a good time to turn your thermostat up a couple of degrees and install a CFL light bulb or two.

Click read more for larger views...

The Maryville Daily Times reports that the Tennessee Department of Labor is providing funding for free GED tests to adults who qualify, and free Adult Education classes to help prepare. See this article for more details and contact info.

In that same article there is interesting news from the Parkway Drive-In (one of the few surviving drive-in theaters in East Tennessee). Starting Saturday they are hosting public used car sales. Individual sellers can show their cars for a flat fee of $25, and the sales are free and open to the public for used car shoppers. See the article for more details and contact info.

And congratulations to the Alcoa Fire Department, whose team brought home seven trophies and won Overall Champion, Fire Division in the 9th Annual Goodwill Fire and Rescue Challenge last Saturday. The competition features events that "challenge each fire department with strength, tactics and strategies that can be used in modern day firefighting."

Also, congratulations to Alcoa merchants for conducting alcohol sales responsibly. According to this Maryville Daily Times report, the Alcoa PD targeted 26 merchants in a sting operation last Thursday that netted only one violation.