PAGE APB The Knoxville Focus June 21, 2021 June 21, 2021 www.knoxfocus.com ONLINE AUCTIONPAGE A1 June 25, 2021 The Knoxville See photos at The Knoxville fountaincityauction.com Fountain City Auction (865)474-9931 OCUS FREETake One! www.knoxfocus.com F June 21, 2021 Phone: 865-686-9970 | PO Box 18377, Knoxville, TN 37928 | Located at 4109 Central Avenue Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37912 Tax break for Andrew Johnson Building OKed by city council By Mike Steely Senior Writer party consultant recommends pandemic but there’s no fund- [email protected] the deal. Welch said the city’s ing available to the developer The Knoxville City Council decision is based on the cost of for those. He said the short- approved of a tax break for similar projects. term micro-apartments being BNA Associates LLC for the Councilwoman Amelia Parker planned will be converted to purchase of the historic Andrew said that other financing has hotel rooms. Johnson Building Tuesday eve- not been pursued and asked Councilwoman Seema Singh ning but not without several why the city had to take part questioned the use of public questions. The 7-2 approval of in a county-owned property. funding and said the project the 12-year PILOT (Payment-In- Councilwoman Janet Tester- should look at private fund- Lieu-of-Taxes) saw much dis- man said the building would ing. Welch said “there is a risk” cussion. have 143 hotel rooms after and said BNA will be paying The Austin-East soccer team and coach Jonathan Netherland were honored Councilwoman Lynne Fugate five years. $110,000 per year during the by the Knoxville City Council Tuesday. Mayor Indya Kincannon presented asked if a tax break is neces- Knox County Finance Director PILOT program. a Mayoral Proclamation to honor the Roadrunners and their state cham- sary and Deputy Mayor Steph- Chris Caldwell said that hotel Councilwoman Lauren Rider Continue on page 4 pionship victory in the TSSAA Class A tournament. anie Welch said that a third rooms were planned before the County may keep Pugh CPA as auditor and discuss merit council changes By Mike Steely Senior Writer Pugh, Knoxville company [email protected] Pugh CPA audits a diverse group of companies and When the Knox County governments. The Cedar Commission meets in work Bluff Road company is cur- session today it will prob- rently represented at com- ably vote to give Pugh CPA mission and audit meet- another contract as the ings by Ted Hotz. county’s outside auditor. In March of this year the The firm has now audit- commission authorized ed the books for several Pugh, for an additional years because the audit $30,000, to investigate the committee and commis- 975 missing COVID-19 vac- sion changed their policy cines at the health depart- in order to keep the firm ment. overseeing what the county Knox County Mayor takes in and how it spends Glenn Jacobs acknowl- the funds. edged the city and attorney PHOTO BY KEN LAY. Founded in 1969 by Bill Continued on page 4 KCDC’s David Cook discusses potential upgrades to the Beaumont and Western Heights neighborhoods at an open house Wednesday night. How are Knoxville’s KCDC hosts open house: e-bike, e-scooter ‘Transforming Western’ rentals rolling? By Ken Lay “We began this 15-month pro- neighborhoods probably look the By Mike Steely Senior Writer that policy will probably be cess back at the first of the year same as they were built,” Bentley [email protected] renewed or changed after The Western Heights and Beau- and we’re in the middle of it,” KCDC said. December. mont communities are in need of a Chief Executive Officer Ben Bent- KCDC will look to finance the bulk If you’ve been down- But how’s the “electric facelift and Knoxville’s Community ley said at the meeting Wednesday of the neighborhood transition when town over the past couple bike” program going so far? Development Corporation (KCDC) is night. “We started getting input it applies for the US Department of of years you’ve probably The Knoxville Focus was seeking input from those who live, from the community virtually, via Housing and Urban Development noticed the electric bikes referred to Carter Hall of work, visit or have interest in the Zoom. Choice Neighborhood Implementa- and scooters on the streets the Policy and Business neighborhood about what upgrades The virtual meetings were made with riders or parked on the Innovation Department. He are needed in the Northwest Knox- possible by tablets provided by tion Grant. sidewalk. Only two compa- was asked about traffic vio- ville neighborhoods. KCDC. Additional philanthropic invest- nies are currently autho- lations since the program KCDC began the 15-month pro- “We’ve gotten some input and ment will also be required as part rized to rent those vehi- began two years ago and cess of renovating the area in Feb- tonight is the next step. Some of the grant and those funds would cles out to persons over said the city has not issued ruary as it sought community input people will feel comfortable coming be provided by individuals, compa- 16 years old. any traffic violations. via virtual and Zoom meetings due out but some people probably will nies and individuals. Recently the city council “Typically any issues to the COVID-19 pandemic. not.” Residential and community input extended a moratorium on have been able to go Last week, however, the first Transforming Western is in the will be combined and discussed at other companies or individ- through the scooter com- public meeting, an open house, was midst of the planning process as it another open house later this year. uals with “shared mobility panies,” he said. held at the Boys and Girls Club of is still actively seeking suggestions Stakeholders may participate in vehicles” through the end Asked if there were any Western Heights about the Trans- from neighborhood residents and an online survey at https://www. of this calendar year. The accidents involving the forming Western project. stakeholders. engagetheteam.com/western. two companies, Veoride scooters, Hall said, “We There, community stakehold- The initial process will culminate and Superpedestrian, were did receive a report of one ers could make recommendations in November as KCDC will apply for KCDC’s partners in the Trans- excluded from the morato- accident last year, but it about upgrades that need to be a $30 million federal grant to fund forming Western project include: rium in the city’s pilot pro- did not result in hospital- made in the neighborhood. Those the facelift for the neighborhoods, The City of Knoxville, Knoxville-Knox gram. ization. As far as the city is potential upgrades include housing which is sorely needed according County Community Action Commit- The city law office sug- aware, over the two years renovations, buildings, parks and to Bentley. tee and BarberMcMurry Architects gested the extension and Continue on page 6 green spaces. “The houses in these and Urban Design Associates. NOW HIRING The Knoxville Focus is seeking dynamic sales people with drive and a positive attitude. We offer lucrative commissions, flexible hours and a rewarding career in a fun atmosphere. 4110 Central Avenue Pike E-mail your resume to [email protected], Knoxville, TN 37912 865-687-6622 www.cvlcknox.org Subject: Focus sales team PAGE A2 The Knoxville Focus June 21, 2021 More thoughts on COVID-19 members of the U.S. House become very angry if it was the Danish study of 3,000 a mask outside healthcare 60% of what it is now. Yet From a distance for not wearing masks in pointed out that 99.9% of people showing statistical- facilities offers little if any British medical estimates the House Chamber. those under 65 who tested ly no difference between protection from infection” were that as many as four Is Knoxville heading towards socialism? As Sen. Rand Paul, a positive survived this virus those who wore masks and and that “it is also clear million died of flu then. medical doctor, has point- and that the CDC said 94% those who did not. that masks offer symbolic While every death is ed out, these masks have of so-called COVID deaths Of the 1500 who wore roles.” tragic, fortunately we have been more for political the- were with comorbidities masks, five caught the Dr. Fauci has been wrong had less that .05% die from ater than anything else. that could have been the virus, while only six of those about many things, but he this virus at the most. And As Jane Fonda said sev- cause of death. who went mask less caught was right when he wrote in the overwhelming majority eral months ago, COVID They also didn’t like to it. the New England Journal of who have tested positive By John J. Duncan Jr. was “a gift to the left.” hear that 90% of the so- Yet the Atlantic Maga- Medicine that the conse- have had very mild cases. [email protected] Many liberals might not called COVID deaths were zine, certainly not a con- quences of this virus would Nothing was shut down in admit it, but I think almost in people 80 or above and servative publication, had “be more akin to those of 1957, but we did not have Those who watch only everyone knows Donald may have been from simple one article almost making a severe seasonal influen- a constant drumbeat then the very biased, distorted Trump would have been old age, heart failure, pneu- fun of the fact that liberals za or a pandemic influen- from a 24 hour worldwide propaganda from CNN and re-elected if the COVID- monia, diabetes, or other were much more obses- za (similar to those in 1957 media trying to sensation- MSNBC probably did not 19 virus had not hit when causes.