Except for women.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is warning East Tennessee of potential hammerhead flatworms in the area.

“A long, slimy flatworm with a weird-looking head sounds like something from a science fiction movie,” TVA wrote on their website. “But it’s real and it has been documented in the Knoxville area.”

"TVA provided these tips to get rid of hammerhead flatworms:

1. Do not touch it with your bare hands or cut them because they will regenerate.
2. Cover the flatworm with ale or rubbing alcohol.
3. Put on gloves then pick up the flatworm and put it in a bag.
4. Place the bag in the freezer."

We can only assume there is a final step to remove them from the freezer and dispose of them.

However, who wants to put an invasive species in their freezer?

Apparently hammerhead flatworms arrived in the United States in the early 1900's. It is believed they came from Southeast Asia in landscaping materials.

One more thing affecting the global economy. Bet it's Biden’s fault.

From WATE,

"The Knox County Health Department is asking people to take precautions after noticing an upward trend of COVID cases. Health officials say the number of cases has been slowly going up for the past couple of months."

KCHD is "reminding people to social distance when possible, wash their hands often and mask up when needed." They "expect to see the higher numbers continue, they have hope that it will end soon."

KCHD also mentioned case numbers could be higher since many people are probably using at-home tests that do not get counted.

Finally, KCHD "suggests getting vaccinated against COVID if you have not done so." Only 58% of Knox County residents over 18 are vaccinated with 2 doses. Only 27% of those residents hsve received a coronavirus booster.

Senator Chris Coons seems like he would be a good president.

Allen Toussaint performing "Yes we can" on Austin City Limits. "Yes we can" was originally release in the early 70s.

From Jeff Yarbro, State of Tennessee Democratic Senator,

July 1 means a slew of new laws will take effect in Tennessee.

Here's a list of Tennessee's new laws for 2022 that will take effect on July 1

TDOT spent millions changing Alcoa Hwy between Woodson Drive and Maloney Road. Going south there is only one access to the neighborhoods and businesses. Going north there are two access roads but a little convoluted.

The powers that be wonder why the businesses can't get customers. Even with the construction over it is not real easy to access neighborhoods and businesses. They've tried putting up a few signs that are not very effective.

"Jeff Welch from the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the Knoxville Knox County Planning Commission said the key to bringing more businesses to the area around Alcoa Highway is to bring more people to live there."

I don't know how more people would bring more business if the people can't get to the businesses. The new road transformation did not put much consideration towards community. Oh, and as I have said before, if you miss the Montlake exit going south you have to go 10 Plus miles to get back to the area.

Sure, more residents are the answer.

Tomorrow (June 30th) the difference in our congressional race comes into sharp contrast. Tim Burchett has a high-dollar, corporate-oriented fundraiser courtesy of the owner of the largest house in Knox County (40,000 sq ft). Mark Harmon is having a celebration of his campaign with supporters and friends in a bowling alley, Strike & Spare Fountain Lanes, 3315 N Broadway in Knoxville (behind Senior Taco), 7-9pm. Come by for fun, bowling optional.

Pander Bear

From WATE,

"According to the TN Department of Children’s Services 2020-2021 Annual Report, they provided residential childcare, including foster care, to 7,778 children."

According to "Dr. Walt Mauldin, Executive Director of Smoky Mountain Children’s Home in Sevierville", “right now there are 9,119 children and young people in state custody.”

Whether it is 7,000 to 9,000, how well is the State of Tennessee doing to take care of children in state custody? Children that are no longer able to live with their birth families.

"Smoky Mountain Children’s Home is a private faith-based foster care and adoption agency that has been in existence for over 100 years." “There are approximately a little over 100 [children] in our foster care program, [and] about 32 in our residential program.”

There are approximately 1.5 million children under the age of 18 in Tennessee. 9,000 of those children have no permanent home. 13.6% of people in Tennessee live in poverty. In Tennessee in 2019, there were nearly 90,000 pregnancies. Of those, nearly 6,000 were females aged 15-19. In 2019 there were just over 80,000 live births. Of those live births, 44% of the mothers were unmarried.

This should all be kept in mind when more births are required by the state. There will be more need and funding for healthcare, mental health care, low income support, and of course foster care.

From Knox County, as of 6/18/2022,
and from State of Tennessee as of 6/18/2022,

since the inception of COVID-19, approx. 1/23/2020...

the Knox County Health Department reports 101,462 coronavirus cases and 31,100 probable cases.
2,338 cases in 34 days, averaging 69 cases a day. Three times as many cases per day as compared to the report dated 5/14/2022 (22 cases/day).

There have been 1,416 deaths due to coronavirus in Knox County.
That is up from 1,384 total deaths as of 5/14/2022.
32 deaths in 34 days. Nearly a death a day compared to the previous report of 2 deaths a week.

Deaths by age group (age breakdown as of 06/18/2022, Knox County count of 1,409 deaths ):

Note: Knox County reporting 7 fewer deaths than reported by the State of Tennessee

1 in the 0-17 age group (0%) (0% (+0) no increase since 5/14/22)
63 in the 18-44 age group (5%) (0% (+0) increase since 5/14/22)
294 in the 45-64 age group (21%) (1% (+2) increase since 5/14/22)
340 in the 65-74 age group (24%) (2% (+7) increase since 5/14/22)
711 in the 75+ age group (50%) (2.3% (+16) increase since 5/14/22)

As of 06/18/2022, there are
53 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in the Knox County region. Nearly triple the hospitalizations on 5/14/2022 (19 hospitalized).
A total of 2,765 people have been hospitalized in Knox County with Covid-19 since the State of Tennessee started reporting. 29 additional people in the 34 days.

As of 6/18/2022 there are
9 COVID-19 patients in ICU. More than double the number of ICU patients from 5/14/2022 at 4.

Hospitalizations are no longer below the low of 21 on 7/4/21.

As of June 18, 2022, ICU bed available capacity is at 15.5% of 317 total ICU beds.

As of June 18, 2022, the TN Dept of Health reports the average positivity rate over the past 7 days is 28.8% , nearly double the rate reported on 5/14/2022 (14.8%), which was double from the 6.9% reported on 4/16/2022.

Vaccinations reported, last updated 6/25/2022:

% with 2 doses - 58.4% (up from 57.65% on 5/22/2022, up from 57.61% on 4/21/2022, up from 57.53%on 4/5/2022)

% with at least 1 dose - 63.2% (up from 63.04% on 5/22/2022, up from 62.96% on 4/21/2022, up from 62.84% on 4/5/2022)

% with a booster shot - 27.6% (up from 25.84% on 5/22/2022, up from 25.66% on 4/21/2022, up from 25.54% on 4/5/2022, down from 25.57% on 3/17/2022)

President Biden on Saturday signed into law the first major gun safety legislation passed by Congress in nearly 30 years.

One month after the mass shooting of school children in Uvalde, TX.

... "includes incentives for states to pass so-called red flag laws that allow groups to petition courts to remove weapons from people deemed a threat to themselves or others."

... "expands an existing law that prevents people convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun to include dating partners rather than just spouses and former spouses."
...
"It also expands background checks on people between the ages of 18 and 21 seeking to buy a gun."

A black bear in Sevierville, Tennessee, died after it got into an unlocked car in search of food, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said Thursday in a news release.

Bear dies after getting trapped in a hot car while searching for food in Tennessee

Tennessee's "trigger law" will ban all abortions in the state in as little as 30 days, with no exception for rape, incest or mental health.

My opponent has joined the upper echelon of GOP crazy; Tim Burchett was one of only 20 voting against a mental health bill, joined by such lesser lights as Louie Gohmert, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The Hill

These people vote.

Jordan Klepper Shows Trump Supporters January 6th Hearing Clips

In the last few months, Yumekia Jones, a legal assistant at the Mississippi Center for Justice's Indianola office, has fielded an unusually high number of calls — a roughly 400% spike — from people in dire need of immediate financial assistance.

Most want to avoid payday loans, which offer quick cash against future paychecks without a credit check and come with an interest rate above 500%. But the rapidly increasing prices of food, fuel and rent gives them few options.

Predatory lenders are making money off rising gas and food prices

If a job can be done remotely, looks like Knoxville employers are going to have a hard time getting/keeping employees.

According to a May 2021 set, made available on June 15, workers in the Knoxville area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $23.70, which is about 15% below the national average of $28.01. This is reflected in 21 of the 22 major occupational groups.

Report: Knoxville workers make 15% below in earnings nationwide

Several old quarries around our area. This is an interesting use of one south of Nashville....

First Bank Amphitheatre

Bill Lee will be ecstatic!