PAGE APB The Knoxville Focus August 23, 2021 August 23, 2021 The Kwww.knoxfocus.comnoxvil le PAGE A1 PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT NICK CIPARRO - CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3. NICK CIPARRO, TREASURER OCUS FREETake One! www.knoxfocus.com F August 23, 2021 Phone: 865-686-9970 | PO Box 18377, Knoxville, TN 37928 | Located at 4109 Central Avenue Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37912 Pellissippi State opens Bill Haslam Center for Math and Science By Ken Lay Haslam were on hand for said that the new facility with BarberMcMurry Archi- Former Tennessee A rainy day couldn’t throw the festivities. will enhance the campus’s tects in thinking about what Governor and a damper on the excitement The community college math and science pro- this space might look like, Knoxville City at Pellissippi State Commu- welcomes students back grams and enable the col- not about only for teach- Mayor Bill nity College’s Hardin Valley this week and its math and lege to offer new classes ing and learning inside the Haslam speaks campus Tuesday. science students now have for its students. classroom, but for the kind at the dedication The inclement weather a new state-of-the art facili- “We made a strategic of collaboration that is nec- ceremony at the forced the school’s admin- ty to pursue their academic decision that if we’re going essary outside the class- opening of the Bill istration to shuffle to make endeavors. to teach science, mathe- room for our students.” Haslam Center changes but Pellissippi The building officially matics and teacher edu- Pellissippi State alum- for Math and State dedicated the Bill opened with a ribbon cut- cation, as well as have the nus Carlos Gonzalez was Science Tuesday Haslam Center for Math ting on Tuesday. It was built ability to offer new pro- extremely impressed with at Pellissippi and Science in a ceremo- by Denmark Construction grams like Water Qual- the 82,000-square foot State Community ny as donors, students, and designed by BarberM- ity Technology, we had to facility that holds 18 class- College’s Hardin administrators and former cMurry Architects. make this investment,” rooms, nine science labs Valley campus. Tennessee Governor and Pellissippi State Presi- Wise said. “We are really and six computer labs. Photo by Ken Lay. Knoxville City Mayor Bill dent L. Anthony Wise Jr. grateful for our partnership Continue on page 4 THE RIVALRY IS ALIVE AND WELL! PHOTO BY MIKE STEELY. District 9 Commissioner Carson Dailey is leading an effort to add “vaping” in tobacco use prohibition in Knox Coun- ty Parks and Greenways. He fended off questions during last week’s commis- sion work session. No vaping in county parks? By Mike Steely Senior Writer [email protected] PHOTO BY JAMES SPEARS Among all the agenda items before the Knox County Commission today Gibbs High students support their Eagles in a 25-20 win over county rival Halls Friday night in Corryton. It was one of several is the matter of tobacco products in rivalries played in The Focus’ coverage area in Week 1 of the 2021 high school football season. In the Gibbs-Halls rivalry, the county parks and greenways, or at Eagles and Red Devils have now played 46 times since first squaring off in 1950 and Halls has a 39-7 lead in victories. How- least in those places that have chil- ever, the two schools have played nine straight years since 2013 and Gibbs is 5-4 in that stretch, so the rivalry is as competitive dren present. as ever. Please see scores and game stories of other prep openers, along with the Week 2 schedule, in Sports and Recreation, The ordinance, introduced by Com- Section B. missioner Carson Dailey, includes not only tobacco but vapor products as well “on the grounds of county-owned or controlled public parks, public play- grounds, greenways or any public prop- erty accessible to the use by youth.” Kyle Ward & Afghanistan The proposal is based on similar state By Steve Hunley, Publisher An impressionable young American who regulations. [email protected] became friends with many local Afghans, The second reading was approved Ward recalls them wanting exactly what to be passed along to today’s meet- In 2008, Kyle Ward was a twenty-one too many Americans take for granted: ing “without recommendation” but saw year old senior in the second semester of basic freedoms. “They wanted to send much discussion in the brief commis- his final year of college. Ward had plans their children to school, be able to open sion work session last week. to finish college when news came that a their own businesses, have running Commissioner Randy Smith asked young man he had known for most of his water,” Ward said. “They loved the idea Dailey if he would accept a friendly life, a good friend he had gone to school of American freedom and democracy.” amendment, setting aside designated with and played sports with, had been The current situation in Afghanistan smoking and vaping areas in parks. killed in the service of his country. The is painful for Kyle Ward, who still carries Dailey replied “probably not” in the loss of his childhood friend had a profound with him losses that are deeply person- light-hearted exchange. impact upon Kyle Ward. After attending al to him from his deployments. Once Smith said a smoking area would his friend’s funeral, Ward went straight seen, things can never be unseen. Ward permit parents who smoke to take to the recruiting office to enlist. “My Dad has been somewhat quieter than usual their children to a park and watch was not happy,” Ward remembers. “He lately, which has been noticed by his them from the specially marked area. was really supportive afterwards, but at friends. Friends like Andrew Davis and Dailey replied the ordinance says “on first, he was not at all happy.” Still, it was Devin Driscoll check in regularly just to the grounds” and Smith, who indicated a choice Ward doesn’t regret. see how Ward is doing. he supports the general idea, ques- Kyle Ward went to boot camp and was “I’m just really angry and very sad,” tioned the wording that might include initially stationed at Langley and went into Kyle Ward sighs. “I’m sad for the people. “the entirety of public parks and gre- intelligence. Ward showed promise and Men and women have gone over there enways.” applied to the elite Joint Special Opera- and spilled blood and shed blood and lost Commission Chairman Larsen Jay tions Command and was accepted. Kyle friends. It’s just unbelievable how badly A young Kyle Ward in uniform in the Continued on page 6 Ward was twice deployed to Afghanistan. this has been botched.” service of his country. 2017 FORD MUSTANG Water Damage • Drywall • Additions • Wall Moving • Flooring • Kitchens CONVERTIBLE Call the remodeling professionals! From handyman projects to major renovations, we can do it! 865-315-0630 ARMSTRONG Licensed, Bonded & Insured 2026 N Charles G Seviers Blvd . Clinton, TN 865.457.0704 REMODELING FREE ESTIMATES www.rayvarnerford.com Bathrooms • Masonry • Carpentry • Decks • Fences • Plumbing • And more! PAGE A2 The Knoxville Focus August 23, 2021 The costs of the Afghanistan war and was one of the most the war.” was excited when he flew seen as modern-day Win- wrote on The Federalist From a distance respected members of his Our military adventure into Afghanistan on Christ- ston Churchills or as great website, even the “most administration. there has already cost over mas Day of 2001. war leaders. recent predictions were Disgrace in Afghanistan She told Ms. Bartiromo two trillion dollars and will Now, he says he Now we have seen the completely off” by the that the U.S. has never cost this much or more in “wouldn’t trade a handful $88 billion that we spent “experts” at the NSA the been successful at nation the future. of Afghan villages for one training and paying the CIA, and the Pentagon. building which is what we Linda Bilmes, a senior marine.” Afghan military and police tried to do for 20 years in lecturer in Public Policy at The really sad thing is go down the drain after Domenech also wrote Afghanistan. Harvard, told the Associ- that the war lasted as long they cut and ran at the first that the “Afghanistan skep- The lesson that we seem ated Press that repeated as it did and more people sign of trouble. tics who pointed out that By John J. Duncan Jr. to be unable to learn is that deployments there have were killed or maimed just And we have left behind we were throwing good [email protected] the people who live in a caused disability rates because it meant more mega billions in very expen- money after bad are total- country are the ones who more than double the rate money for the Pentagon sive military weapons and ly vindicated by this.” K.T. McFarland told Maria have to build it or rebuild of Vietnam veterans. and defense contractors. equipment, planes and Columnist Kurt Schlich- Bartiromo on August 15 it. No one else can do that She has estimated that And we have had too helicopters, so that now the ter said our military is now a that we should have gotten for them and it often cre- the U.S. will spend more many people in both Taliban is better equipped “woke joke” and we should out of Afghanistan in 2001 ates resentment when an than another two trillion Republican and Democrat- than all but a few foreign fire all the generals and shortly after we responded outsider even tries.