Hartz Mountain Corporation has announced the recall of their 8-ounce bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs due to possible salmonella contamination.

Look for bags with lot code BZ0969101E.

According to CNN, Hartz is urging those who find the contaminated treats to immediately throw them out. I think I would return them to my dealer for a refund instead.

Ex-library head told he was to be fired

This meeting is the open meeting of the chair and vice chairs of the Knox Co. Democratic Party. This is also known by those in attendance at the August 19th Executive Committee Meeting of the KCDP as the "fact-finding meeting." Everyone is invited to come and observe the proceedings, including media!

The U.T. campus was party central this afternoon as the Volunteers kicked off their first game of the Derek Dooley era.

Democratic candidate for Tennessee governor Mike McWherter made the rounds, visiting with fans, tailgaters, the U.T. College Democrats, and 7th Senate District candidate Randy Walker. He then made his way through the Vol Walk to visit with the U.T. Knoxville and U.T. Martin "We're all family" alumni party at Circle Park. The Vol Walk was huge. When Derek Dooley made his way through the crowd (sorry, no photos), it was like the second coming of Elvis.

Click the image above for more photos. (If you pay attention, you'll see Trace "Newscoma" Sharp and Squirrel Queen visiting with Blount Co. Democratic Party chairman Tony Webb.)

Because U.T. Martin is near Mike McWherter's home town of Jackson, we asked him who he was rooting for. "Whoever has the ball," he said. Campaign spokesman Shelby White said that for some reason they had not received their invitation to watch the game from Haslam's Pilot skybox.

Randy Walker was hanging out with the U.T. College Democrats. He told us he's excited about how the campaign is going but he is not taking anything for granted and is working hard. He said that he is getting widespread bipartisan support throughout the district, and the feedback is that voters in the 7th Senate District are looking for a more serious candidate who knows about business and job creation.

We also ran into Matt Padget, Mark Padgett's brother, who was making the rounds with Mike McWherter's entourage. Matt said we could quote him that Mark Padgett is a "likely candidate" for Mayor of Knoxville.

Matt said that Mark is being urged to run by the business community, because of Knoxville's net job loss over the past few years and the fact that we need to bring in more high-profile, private enterprise jobs. "Voters want a business manager, not a non-profit manager," he said. He also said voters will be impressed when they learn more about Mark's business background and his success building a county government software company that boasts Davidson County as one of its largest clients.

Politics aside, Volunteer Fans were out in force on the U.T. campus this afternoon. It looked like there were three times more people than would fit in Neyland Stadium, all out to support the Vols and Coach Dooley.

The KNS Game Day Vol Report has a cartoon by Daniel Proctor with a rendering of the Tenntanic for Dooley's 2010 UT Vols.

I just don't get it. Why be so negative? Is it because of the first of their Five Big Things on the Game Day Vol Report front page? Per the Sentinel, "What does a Derek Dooley team look like? Fans and media are largely in the dark, so tightly has the new coach kept the Vols under wraps."

I'm not a big sports fan, but geez. It's the Vols, your local home team.

Due to overwhelming response, the Mike McWherter for Governor rally featuring Bill Clinton has been moved outdoors to the Hall of Fame Park adjacent to the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Nashville. The rally is Thursday, Sept. 9th at 6:30 PM CDT. It is free and open to the public but RSVP/registration is required. You can register here...

WATE reporting...

PREVIOUSLY: S&S Cafeteria cashier shot and killed in robbery attempt

Click image for bigger and more...

The fighter jets are leaving McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base this afternoon. We heard one of them taking off around 2PM. Then a bunch more took off at various intervals. They turned towards the east. Headed home? These were taken from my back porch, with the aircraft about 1.1 miles away.

PREVIOUSLY: Expecting trouble?

Baby,I hate to sing a "song sung blue" for our Party.

And I believe it aint over till it's over is true.

But folks,the fat ladies warming up in the bullpen.

When the EPA chose not to hold a public hearing on new coal ash regulations in the community most impacted by the irresponsible handling of coal combustion waste, the people of Roane County organized their own. RoaneViews has a report on the "People's Coal Ash Hearing" held at Roane State Community College last night.

PREVIOUSLY: Senator Alexander A Little Late to the Party

Pam Strickland's debut column for the Knoxville News Sentinel is about the value of libraries and the prospects for a new one downtown under the new Burchett administration.

I saw this on CNN about zero energy housing going up in two days.

http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/09/02/n_nyc_green_home.cnnmoney/

Made me curious about zero energy houses in the Knoxville area.

I came across this UT zero energy project that looks to be in the process of building a house.

http://utzero.wordpress.com/

Are there any other homes or buildings in actual use in the area that are zero energy?

Click image for bigger...

View from Alcoa of a wildfire on Chilhowee Mountain near Montvale Rd. WBIR reports three separate wildfires burning in the Blount Smoky Mountains.

Seen at the McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base. Click image for bigger. Also, these.

I'm the Captain for Team St. James for the Volunteer Ministry Center's 13th Annual 5K Race/Walk on Saturday, Oct. 2. It's $20 per person to be a participant or a supporter. Participants can run in the 5K, walk the 5K, or walk a mile. Children can participate in the Kid's Fun Run. Or, like me, you can just be a supporter. You must fill out one form per supporter and supporters can be dogs and cats. Registration deadline is Sept. 15.

For those of you who don't know, VMC is a nonprofit on Broadway in Knoxville, just a few blocks from my church, St. James Episcopal, that helps the homeless find their way out of their life on the streets and into permanent supportive housing. VMC provides a number of services including three meals a day to those who are still homeless and medical and psychiatric care, helping their clients reconnect with estranged family and to take steps toward giving up drugs and alcohol.

Doing all that takes money, and this race is one of the ways that they raise money each year. St. James has traditionally been one of the churches to raise the most money by having the most registered runners and supporters, although we've backslide a bit the last couple of years.

But this year if we reach 175 registered runners or supporters, our rector, Father John Mark Wiggers, will KISS A PIG on the morning of the race. That's right, he's accepted a challenge posed by St. James parishioner and VMC Executive Director, Ginny Weatherstone, who also is going to kiss that same pig if the overall goal of raising $30,000 is reached.

So if you'd like to help with the St. James goal or just with the overall goal, go here to get a pdf of the entry form.

If you want to be part of the Team St. James, please mail the form and your check, made out to VMC 5K, to St James Episcopal, 1101 N. Broadway, Knoxville TN 37917. Or get the form(s) to me directly. If you don't want to join Team St. James, but do want to help VMC, the address is on the race form.

If you have any questions, ask.

P.S. I think we can get 200 registered runners/supporters, but JM wanted to play it safe. Help me prove him wrong... ;-)

CNN reporting Gulf oil rig explosion, people in the water...

UPDATE: Houston Chronicle reports Coast Guard responding, 80 miles south of Vermillion Bay off the central Louisiana coast. Explosion reported by a helicopter crew...

UPDATE: CNN reporting 12 people overboard, one missing...

UPDATE: New reports say all 13 crew accounted for, one injury. Rig is owned by Mariner Energy...

UPDATE: AL.com: Vermillion Oil Rig 360 is a gas and oil rig in 450 feet of water in South Timbalier Block 316, according to company records.

UPDATE: Mariner Energy is in the process of being acquired by Apache Corporation...

Metro Pulse with the presser...

UPDATE: We are told that Roddy asked every member of City Council to be on the host committee for her formal campaign launch at the Tennessee Theater. No word on how many accepted...

With such a high unemployment rate, illegal immigrants are leaving the state.

And, in Orlando, they are charging the homeless $2 - $10 for overnight shelter.

I'm not sure why anyone wants to be a candidate for the governor of Florida.

Because first they came for the hunters and gatherers...

Hurricane Earl intensified overnight and is once again a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145MPH. Hurricane strength winds extend 90 miles outward from its center. Minimum central pressure is 932MB.

NOAA says the storm is expected to begin weakening later today but will still be a major hurricane as it skirts North Carolina's Outer Banks late tonight and early tomorrow morning. It is expected to take a north/northeast turn Friday. Depending on it's track it could stay offshore causing less severe damage or it could make landfall anywhere along the mid-Atlantic coast.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for North Carolina. Watches are in effect for Virginia northward to Massachusetts.

According to news reports, evacuations continue along the Outer Banks and governors in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland have declared a state of emergency.

AFTERNOON UPDATE: Hurricane Earl has weakened and is now a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. Hurricane strength winds extend outward 70 miles from the center. Central minimum pressure is 947MB.

NOAA: "Additional weakening is expected tonight and Friday, but Earl is expected to remain a large and strong hurricane as it passes near the outer banks. Tropical-storm-force winds are expected to reach the North Carolina coast within the warning area soon. Even if the center of Earl remains offshore, hurricane force winds are expected to occur in the Outer Banks by tonight."