CLIMER COLUMN LINK COLUMN Wide Receiver U Biggest moments has lost a step in UT sports Free! Still think of UT as WRU? There was the Hail Mary at The title has lost its luster Georgia, hiring of a new AD Please during the last 20 years. and much more in 2016-17. P20 P18 take one. AP photo of receiver Peerless Price AP May 26 – June 1, 2017 Vol. 43 | Issue 21 KNOXVILLE EDITION www.TNLedger.com/Knoxville The power of information. KNOX • ANDERSON • JEFFERSON • CAMPBELL • CUMBERLAND CLAIBORNE COCKE • GRAINGER • HAMBLEN • BLOUNT • LOUDON • MONROE • MORGAN • ROANE • SCOTT • SEVIER • UNION Ledger FORMERLY WESTVIEW SINCE 1978 Your trip to the airport is about to get faster Alcoa Highway among first projects to break ground under Haslam’s IMPROVE Act Stories by Kathy Carlson begin on page 2 Adam Taylor Gash | The Ledger Community Calendar ............................6 More inside: Public Notices ........................7-15, 22–34 Find Public Notices Career Corner ..........................................3 Newsmakers ..........................................17 inside & online: News Briefs ..............................................4 Crossword...............................................21 www.TNLedger.com Guerrilla Marketing ...............................5 Behind the Wheel .................................35 Page 2 www.TNLedger.com/Knoxville MAY 26 – JUNE 1, 2017 Alcoa Highway jumps to head of roads list By Kathy Carlson | Correspondent lcoa Highway, a heavily traveled road that’s one of two to Knoxville’s airport, is on the list Afor widening in the 2018 fiscal year, according to the state Department of Transportation’s three-year plan. “This project is being built for safety reasons to accommodate growth,” says Amy Nolan, vice president of public policy for the Knoxville Chamber. Nolan says the chamber’s government relations committee and board supported the IMPROVE Act, which raised fuel taxes and fees on vehicle registration to secure funding for transportation projects. “We’re thrilled most of our legislative delegation agreed because it’s a long-term fix (for funding roads),” she adds. “It’s not (only) about building new roads but also about safety.” The project is already under way, but the IMPROVE Act funding helps assure it will move forward in a timely manner, Nolan says. Adam Taylor Gash | The Ledger State Rep. Eddie Smith, R-Knoxville, A TDOT sign cautions drivers along a segment of Alcoa Highway just north of UT Medical Center extending to Maloney Road. Doctors at UT Medical Center have long warned of the dangerous road, dubbing it “I’ll-kill-ya highway” due to the high frequency of fatal accidents over the years. The project is in its early says Alcoa Highway is the busiest non- phase of construction and is scheduled for completion in June of 2018. interstate roadway in East Tennessee. “Over 50,000 cars drive in one direction “Keeping a critical link of economic Smith views roads in Knoxville as with new surface, yet roads are still in each day,” he says. activity is also critical to the continued varying from good to in need of serious need of completion,” he continues. “The The road also is a critical link between growth of our region.” repair. last section of Western Avenue between Knoxville and Blount County, used TDOT’s three-year plan also calls for “If you drive on Interstate 40, portions Texas Road and Majors Road should by many Blount County residents to construction on a stretch of the relocated have been re-paved in the last few years, be going under construction soon as the commute to work in Knoxville and Knox Alcoa Highway in neighboring Blount but sections such as between Papermill money was set aside for this purpose last County. County to take place in FY 2018. That Road and West Town Mall are starting to year.” “Providing a safe, efficient route for project affects 1.3 miles of road from SR- show serious cracks and holes appearing in Both Smith and Nolan say work on these drivers and the hundreds of other 35 (Hall Road) south of Airport Road to a the road surface. PROJECTS >> PAGE 6 drivers is the first priority,” Smith says. proposed interchange at Tyson Boulevard. “State roads have started being paved First IMPROVE projects spread across Tennessee By Kathy Carlson | Correspondent IMPROVE Act. Now that the ink has dried on the A plan for tackling local bridge work IMPROVE Act, the state law that raises should be completed and released in June, additional funds for transportation Degges adds. The new state fiscal year projects, the real work begins – building starts on July 1 and extends to June 30, roads, fixing bridges, easing traffic and 2018. boosting safety. Looking at transportation projects Which of the 962 projects outlined in year-by-year, TDOT works from three- the law are ready to go, right now, and year plans built on longer-term state plans where and when can drivers start seeing that take into consideration the needs improvements? of local communities. A little over half The answers are beginning to emerge. of the budget for the state’s major roads comes from the federal government, so The short answer: Tennessee’s highway priorities also are n I-440 in Nashville guided by the work of federally created n Alcoa Highway in Knoxville regional transportation groups such as the n I-75/I-24 split in Chattanooga Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning n Widening of U.S. 78 in Shelby Organization or MPO. County “These were not new projects we just Those projects have gotten a big green Adam Taylor Gash | The Ledger dreamed up,” State Rep. Barry Doss, light for the upcoming 2018 fiscal year. Roads and bridges across the state are being improved and repaired with funds from the IMPROVE Act, R-Leoma, says of the projects listed in a combination of gas taxes and tax cuts passed by the Legislature this year. The long answer: the IMPROVE Act. Most have been piece of legislation similar to (the year before that it would be building on a state backlog list, which means Projects will be spread out over a 12- they are works in progress for which to 14-year time horizon, with priorities IMPROVE Act) was in 1986,” says Paul cars in Spring Hill, and Nissan had been Degges, chief engineer with the state operating its Smyrna car plant since 1983. the state has already spent money, be it unfolding over time. for engineering, buying rights of way or And the IMPROVE Act is more than Department of Transportation. The Better Roads Program was the state’s In 1986, the last year of then-Gov. biggest highway program to date. actual construction. state highway projects. The phased-in Doss, from Lawrence County in 6-cent hike in gasoline taxes – plus other Lamar Alexander’s administration, the The last big year for bridges was state passed the Better Roads Program, a 2009 when the state passed legislation rural southern Middle Tennessee, revenue sources – creates a new pool of carried the IMPROVE Act for Gov. transportation infrastructure funding for 13-year, $3.3 billion program that funded authorizing work on 200 state bridges. six interstate-type projects including Degges says that measure “pales in Haslam in the House. The chair of the counties and cities. House Transportation Committee, he “The last time there was a comparable I-840. comparison” to the 526 locally owned General Motors had announced the bridges singled out for repairs in the ROADS >> PAGE 19 MAY 26 – JUNE 1, 2017 www.TNLedger.com/Knoxville Page 3 Privatization fail Unwilling private sector gives park workers a win Two state parks are Tennessee,” explains Bowling, who doled celebrating victories out plenty of criticism on the proposal in an atmosphere of during legislative hearings this session. shutterstock uncertainty created In fact, the Fall Creek Falls plan Career Corner by the governor’s stalled earlier this year amid concerns penchant for about engineering, architectural work View from privatizing state and construction being taken on by Please, let your the Hill functions. the contractor, an unprecedented step By SAM Fall Creek Falls removing it from authority of the State STOCKARD drew no bidders for Building Commission. Bowling notes the child grow up a $20 million plan to vendor would have designed everything to hire a vendor who would tear down its meet its own business model. Ledger Today’s young people are more inn, construct a new one and take over Calling Fall Creek Falls the “tip of the thoughtful and kinder than many of operations for 10 years. Henry Horton spear,” Bowling says she believes these The power of the older job seekers they’re competing State Park, meanwhile, is set for $10 two turnabouts could represent a bit information. against. They care about making a million in improvements in the coming of a cooling off by Gov. Bill Haslam’s difference more than their own fiscal year, including upgrades to its administration, at least as far as privatizing Published weekly by Westview Newspaper, LLC Career personal finances or another self- hospitality facilities and a new visitors’ state parks. Corner serving endeavor. center, rather than a proposal to raze its State Sen. Jim Tracy, a Bedford County 222 Second Ave. N. Suite 101 From the outside, it seems that Nashville, TN 37201 By ANGELA inn and not rebuild. Republican, and Rep. Rick Tillis, a (615) 254-5522 COPELAND parents are pouring more of themselves “We can only speculate why no vendor Lewisburg Republican, met with the FAX: (615) 254-5525 into these young hearts and minds bid” on the Fall Creek Falls plan, says governor and his people earlier this year Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m than ever before. This effort is incredibly admirable.