According to the TN County Data Snapshot,

As of 9/10/2022:
471 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus. That is 6 deaths in 28 days. Nearly 2 deaths a week. A decrease over the previous 28 days where there were 11 deaths in 28 days.

As of September 10, 2022, Blount County, TN, has reported
45,034 cases of the coronavirus. 1,653 cases in 28 days. A 14% decrease in the number of cases per day (59) as compared to the previous report on 8/13/2022 (69).

Vaccinations reported, last updated 9/17/2022:

% with 2 doses - 54.0% (up from 53.9% on 8/17/2022, up from 53.7% on 7/24/2022, up from 53.6% on 6/25/2022).

% with at least 1 dose - 58.6% (up from 58.5% on 8/17/2022, up from 58.3% on 7/24/2022, up from 58.0% on 6/25/2022).

% have received the booster dose - 25.8% (up from 25.6% on 8/17/2022, up from 25.3% on 7/24/2022, up from 25.0% on 6/25/2022).

*** 7-day average Positivity rate is 25.2% 38.7% as of 9/10/2022. *** (TN County Data Snapshot).
A decrease from the 38.7% rate on 8/13/2022, which was a slight increase from the 38.4% rate on 7/16/2022.
Positivity rate preferred to be below 3%.

Continued...

The City of Alcoa continues uncontrolled and costly development with 1,083 new apartments/townhomes in the next 4 years. This is in addition to the 269 apartment complex added behind Lowe's in 2014.

According to the TN County Data Snapshot,

As of 8/13/2022:
465 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus. That is 11 deaths in 28 days. Nearly 3 deaths a week. An increase over the previous 28 days where there were 7 deaths in 28 days.

As of August 13, 2022, Blount County, TN, has reported
43,381 cases of the coronavirus. 1,925 cases in 28 days. A 57% increase in the number of cases per day (69) reported previously on 7/16/2022 (44). This is the 4th reporting period where there have been a large increase in number of cases per day.

Vaccinations reported, last updated 8/17/2022:

% with 2 doses - 53.9% (up from 53.7% on 7/24/2022, up from 53.6% on 6/25/2022, up from 52.84% on 5/22/2022).

% with at least 1 dose - 58.5% (up from 58.3% on 7/24/2022, up from 58.0% on 6/25/2022, up from 57.82% on 5/22/2022).

% have received the booster dose - 25.6% (up from 25.3% on 7/24/2022, (up from 25.0% on 6/25/2022, up from 23.48% on 5/22/2022).

*** 7-day average Positivity rate is 38.7% as of 8/13/2022. *** (TN County Data Snapshot).
A slight increase from the 38.4% rate on 7/16/2022, which was an increase from the 25.3% rate on 6/18/2022, which was an increase from the 14.7% rate on 5/14/2022, which was an increase over 7.3% rate on 4/23/2022 and the 4.9% rate on 4/2/2022.
Positivity rate preferred to be below 3%.

As of 12/27/2020:
Ninety-four Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 05/14/2021:
One hundred Ninety-six Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 07/12/2021:
200 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 08/2/2021:
203 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 08/11/2021:
207 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 08/27/2021:
212 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 09/22/2021:
235 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 10/20/2021:
265 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 11/22/2021:
272 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 12/20/2021:
285 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 12/29/2021:
325 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 1/15/2022:
338 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 1/22/2022:
345 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 2/12/2022:
375 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 3/5/2022:
399 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 3/12/2022:
413 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 4/2/2022:
420 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 4/9/2022:
432 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 4/23/2022:
438 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 5/14/2022:
442 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 6/18/2022:
447 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 7/16/2022:
454 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

As of 8/13/2022:
465 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus.

The City of Alcoa is once again pursuing non-contiguous annexation. This time on the East side on Wildwood Road near where it intersects with Sam Houston School Road.

What are they thinking? It can't be just to "help" the property owners, can it?

From the City of Alcoa Facebook page:

Please be aware:

The City of Alcoa residents may experience discolored water due to a large water main break that occurred around 4:00 p.m. on August 2, 2022. Residents may experience this for the next 24 to 48 hours due to the main break. The City of Alcoa Public Works Department and Water Treatment Plant are working to alleviate this issue. If you are having a discolored water issue, please run cold water for five (5) to ten (10) minutes in a bathtub, a sink, or a hose outside.

For questions, concerns, or to report a water leak, please call (865) 380-4800.

I would have been nice if they had a warning to the citizens other than Facebook. Many, if not most, of their citizens don't use Facebook.

In 2017 glass recycling ended for Blount County residents.

It's back! As of July 15, 2022, Blount County began accepting glass at the recycling center at 331 Levi Street in Maryville. "Other than laminated safety glass, any glass type can be recycled at the center."

According to the TN County Data Snapshot,

As of 7/16/2022:
454 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus. That is 7 deaths in 28 days. Nearly 2 deaths a week. An increase over the previous 34 days where there were 5 deaths in 34 days.

As of July 16, 2022, Blount County, TN, has reported
41,456 cases of the coronavirus. 1,252 cases in 28 days. Almost double the number of cases per day (44) than reported previously on 6/18/2022 (23). This is the 3rd reporting period the number of cases per day has doubled.

Vaccinations reported, last updated 7/24/2022:

% with 2 doses - 53.7% (up from 53.6% on 6/25/2022, up from 52.84% on 5/22/2022, up from 52.76% on 4/27/2022).

% with at least 1 dose - 58.3% (up from 58.0% on 6/25/2022, up from 57.82% on 5/22/2022, up from 57.69% on 4/27/2022).

% have received the booster dose - 25.3% (up from 25.0% on 6/25/2022, up from 23.48% on 5/22/2022, up from 23.33% on 4/27/2022).

*** 7-day average Positivity rate is 38.4% as of 7/16/2022. *** (TN County Data Snapshot).
An increase from the 25.3% rate on 6/18/2022, which is an increase from the 14.7% rate on 5/14/2022, which was an increase over 7.3% rate on 4/23/2022 and the 4.9% rate on 4/2/2022.
Positivity rate preferred to be below 3%.

Continued...

August 4, 2022 - Federal & State Primary, County General,
Friendsville & Townsend City Election

Blount County Election Commission

Early Voting : July 15 - 30, 2022

Last Day to Request an Absentee Ballot : July 28, 2022

Election Day : Thursday, August 4, 2022

Sample Ballot for August 4, 2022 Election

Many years ago the City of Alcoa convinced TDOT that TDOT's plan to fix Alcoa Hwy. from Pellissippi Parkway to Hunt Road was not good for area business. Instead the city paid for a separate plan to waste 400 acres of land and 50-100 million dollars for a 2.5 mile "bypass" to ease traffic.

Part of the project has been recently completed. This section gave access to a planned downtown Alcoa, which has been in the works for 15 years or so. Currently there is an apartment complex being built, a new hotel is open, and two existing businesses in Alcoa are moving to the site leaving empty buildings elsewhere.

Not much of a downtown, but hey, money is flowing. More money from the city, and therefore taxpayers, will be needed. Especially since the maintenance of the old Alcoa Highway will be the responsibility of the city.

Yes, the City of Alcoa will have to take over the maintenance of Alcoa Hwy. From Pellissippi to the airport.

"The entire scope of the project, as recommended by the study, would include four lanes, attachment to the greenway system, linear open park space, bike lanes, new traffic light signals, medians with low maintenance landscaping, realigning the roadway, removing three of the six business access points and installing the same lighting as is in Springbrook Farm."

"But it is costly."

"City Manager Mark Johnson said in a briefing on Friday [June 24, 2022] that the extent of remodeling the roadway the city is able to do will be decided by how much grant money it receives."

According to the TN County Data Snapshot,

As of 6/18/2022:
447 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus. That is 5 deaths in 34 days. Just over one (1) death a week. About the same number of deaths a week as the last report dated 5/14/2022 .

As of June 18, 2022, Blount County, TN, has reported
40,204 cases of the coronavirus. 801 cases in 34 days. More than double the number of cases per day reported in the previous report dated 5/14/2022 (214 cases in 21 days), which was double the number of cases from that previous report dated 4/23/2022 (110 cases in 21 days).

Vaccinations reported, last updated 6/25/2022:

% with 2 doses - 53.6% (up from 52.84% on 5/22/2022, up from 52.76% on 4/27/2022, up from 52.70% on 4/6/2022).

% with at least 1 dose - 58.0% (up from 57.82% on 5/22/2022, up from 57.69% on 4/27/2022, up from 57.61% on 4/6/2022).

% have received the booster dose - 25.0% (up from 23.48% on 5/22/2022, up from 23.33% on 4/27/2022, up from 23.19% on 4/6/2022).

*** 7-day average Positivity rate is 25.3% as of 6/18/2022. *** (TN County Data Snapshot).
An increase from the 14.7% rate on 5/14/2022, which was an increase over 7.3% rate on 4/23/2022 and the 4.9% rate on 4/2/2022.
Positivity rate preferred to be below 3%.

Continued...

According to the TN County Data Snapshot,

As of 5/14/2022:
442 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus. That is 4 deaths in 21 days. Just over three (3) deaths a week. Fewer weekly deaths than the last report.

As of May 14, 2022, Blount County, TN, has reported
39,403 cases of the coronavirus. 214 cases in 21 days/3 weeks. More than double the number of cases reported in the previous 3 weeks (110).

Vaccinations reported, last updated 5/22/2022:

% with 2 doses - 52.84% (up from 52.76% on 4/27/2022, up from 52.70% on 4/6/2022, up from 50.17% on 3/19/2022).

% with at least 1 dose - 57.82% (up from 57.69% on 4/27/2022, up from 57.61% on 4/6/2022, up from 54.87% on 3/19/2022).

% have received the booster dose - 23.48% (up from 23.33% on 4/27/2022, up from 23.19% on 4/6/2022, up from 21.98% on 3/19/2022)

*** 7-day average Positivity rate is 14.7% as of 5/14/2022. *** (TN County Data Snapshot).
An increase from the 7.3% rate on 4/23/2022 and the 4.9% rate on 4/2/2022.
Positivity rate preferred to be below 3%.

Continued...

Since 2008 the City of Alcoa has been pushing and spending to develop a city center.

The city wants to use a 252 acre site that used to be the Alcoa Aluminum Company West Plant. However, it definitely would take some time to develop since the site is "Classified as a brownfield, the site has a limited number of known environmental constraints affecting development placement."

Fourteen years later and who knows how many millions of dollars the entire project is still in the development phase.

As a positive for the city, a Texas Roadhouse is being built on the site to replace a smaller Texas Roadhouse across the street. In addition, a Food City is being built to replace an existing Food City two miles down the road. And, then there is a new apartment complex in development to add to the tax coffers?

TDOT spent millions of dollars to build "better" access to the site, which is located just south of the Alcoa Highway/Hunt Road intersection.

"City Manager Mark Johnson said land preparation will be complete once Alcoa is returned a check for $2 million and approximately 30 acres within Springbrook."

In addition, as has been said over the 14 years, tax generation, tax generation, tax generation.

"Outlined in the original agreement [from 2016], Alcoa estimated investing $8 million that ACDP (Airport Center Development Partners, LLC) would pay back over time as it sold property to developers. However, ACDP has yet to pay the city back for the $6.5 million the city spent." ... "Alcoa paved Tesla Boulevard, installed street lights, provided utility access and fronted other development costs for which ACDP would reimburse the city."

So is that $8.5 million that the City of Alcoa has spent of taxpayer monies over the past 14 years that has not realized any return? I would almost bet that the city has spent more than that.

"ACDP signed over their monetary responsibility to another company — TN Alcoa Primary, LLC.Along with the debt owed to the city, TN Alcoa Primary acquired ACDP’s remaining land assets within Springbrook Farm."

Then there is a lawsuit filed by "Plaintiff NAI Knoxville, Inc" in December, 2021, "against ACDP and other interwoven LLCs for the anticipated agreement change that materialized April 22 in Alcoa’s commission chambers." The lawsuit apparently alleges that the defendants are trying to get out of paying approximately $900,000 in "sale commissions on Springbrook Farm land."

It appears the city claims that "Three apartment complexes, a townhome community and the Mills Street houses will add 1,072 tax-assessed properties to the city." Not all of these residences will be in Springbrook Farm. However, the city has yet to explain how the increase in citizens will be managed for the school system. The Alcoa Schools are already near capacity. Is any increase in taxes going to be offset by an increase in the cost for a bigger schools system?

"The City of Alcoa originated in 1918 as the first planned community in the State of Tennessee. A planned community is any community that was carefully planned from its inception. In the original plans, Alcoa, Inc., included one acre of park space for every 100 city inhabitants."

..."a 2-acre park to be named Centennial Park is planned for the middle of Springbrook Farms. "Johnson said each greenspace project will be completed as the city has room in the budget or receives grants."

That's 2 acres of park space for 1,092 residential units, not even city inhabitants. Whereas, to keep the City of Alcoa as desirable as it is now, there should be at a minimum 11 additional acres of park space.

We can only hope that some day this project will be a success and the City of Alcoa will continue to be an asset.

From the Maryville Daily Times:
After 11 years as the Director of the local Office on Aging, which falls under Blount County Community Action Agency, Joanie Shaver is stepping down. However, she is not stopping her efforts to help Senior Citizens in the local community. She is transitioning to oversee a project called Safer Homes for Seniors.

Blount County is lucky to have this woman from Michigan to help our Senior Citizens. She is an angel disguised as a not so ordinary citizen.

"They (Senior Citizens) are living on what they have now and there is no opportunity to get more,” Shaver explained. “That was a major revelation to me. They are at the end of their lives. A lot of times they are reaping what they have sown throughout their lives. If it wasn’t sown well, they are paying the price.”

"Subsidized housing, public transportation, health care and helping seniors get their earned benefits became Shaver’s focus."

"She created a senior exercise program."
"She also works to put out a senior services directory each year. "
She organized and started "the Senior Miles, or SMiles program that offer rides to seniors are low cost."
"She wrote a grant to fund a Benefits Enrollment Center that now has an infrastructure of employees trained to assist seniors or their caregivers... helping people sign up for benefits like food stamps or Medicare."
"Because of Shaver’s work, seniors in Blount County have received more than $4 million in benefits"

"As Shaver closes out her career as director of the Office on Aging, she is gearing up to oversee the Safer Homes program under BCCAA. A huge part of this is building ramp for seniors so they can stay in their homes. Shaver is partnering with a volunteer group at Habitat for Humanity and local churches. To date, they have been able to provide 20 ramps."

Many thanks to this woman from Michigan. We are lucky she landed in our community.

According to the TN County Data Snapshot,

As of 4/23/2022:
438 Blount County residents have died from the coronavirus. That is 18 deaths in 21 days. Nearly six (6) deaths a week, nearly a death a day. More weekly deaths than the last report.

As of April 23, 2022, Blount County, TN, has reported
39,189 cases of the coronavirus. 110 cases in 21 days/3 weeks.

Vaccinations reported, last updated 4/27/2022:

% with 2 doses - 52.76% (up from 52.70% on 4/6/2022, up from 50.17% on 3/19/2022, up from 50.13% on 3/10/2022, up from 49.94% on 2/12/2022).

% with at least 1 dose - 57.69% (up from 57.61% on 4/6/2022, up from 54.87% on 3/19/2022, up from 54.8% on 3/10/2022, up from 54.58% on 2/12/2022).

% have received the booster dose - 23.33% (up from 23.19% on 4/6/2022, up from 21.98% on 3/19/2022, up from 21.9% on 3/10/2022, up from 21.67% on 2/12/2022)

*** 7-day average Positivity rate is 7.3% as of 4/23/2022. *** (TN County Data Snapshot).
An increase from the 4.9% rate on 4/2/2022.
Positivity rate preferred to be below 3%.

Continued...

2022 Blount County Drive Electric Earth Day Celebration

Drive Electric Earth Day

Day: Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm EDT

Location: Maryville College
502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway
Maryville, TN 37804

This is an opportunity to talk directly with electric vehicle (EV) owners about their real world experiences with electric vehicles. Want to know what it's like to take a long road trip in an electric car? Our members have thousands of miles of road trip experiences. Curious about how to find a charger on the road and how long it takes to charge? The answers are here. What about maintenance? There's very little maintenance needed, and owners can tell you why.

You can see and compare various models of EVs in one place. Owners will have vehicles for show. Expected owner vehicles include Chevrolet Bolt and Volt, Energica and Evoke Urban Classic motorcycles, Nissan LEAF, and Tesla Model 3.