News Hole [ˈnüz ˈhōl] — The vast media chasm that devours and records bits of timely information from around East Tennessee and beyond. This is a sporadic roundup of thought-worthy morsels scoured from its depths.
There are still a bunch of leaks at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, two of which recently resulted in workers’ skin being contaminated with uranium solution, a new report finds.
***
None of the three couples that sued the state of Tennessee over issues of marriage equality still live in the state, but the results of that court case have been felt across the country.
***
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center in Knoxville has a new overlord. Bruce Hayes has been named the new executive director. He replaces Larry Rossini, who retired in March.
***
When the city of Knoxville put out a call for bids for companies to manage the civic auditorium, convention center, and Chilhowee Park, only one firm responded–SMG, Inc., an international management firm. City Council voted last week to award SMG that contract, potentially worth more than $400,000 over five years.
***
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy spoke in Knoxville last week. It’s the first time a person in that position has visited Knoxville since 1992. The hot topic on his mind? Opioid abuse and addiction. He also talked about that Zika virus thing.
***
The city of Knoxville is seeking a $6.3 million grant to update traffic lights along N. Broadway. WBIR decided to conduct a totally scientific study, taking a ride to see how many red lights it would catch between downtown and Fountain City. It got stuck at 7 out of 19 lights, down from 9 out of 19 in 2014, the last time it played traffic scientist.
***
Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Creative Commons
Former Mercury staff reporter Clay Duda has covered gangs in New York, housing busts in Atlanta, and wildfires in Northern California. And lots of stuff about Knoxville.
Share this Post