TRANSCRIPT:

“It’s Friday. Time for another weekly update. SchoolMania is today. We will be in the parking lot of the Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park, handing out 2,500 bags of school supplies from 3-6 pm or until supplies run out. Vehicles can enter the park at 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive and follow a one-way traffic flow to exit on Magnolia Avenue. Gates open at 2 p.m., and we'll start distributing bags at 3. Each bag contains over 60 dollars of school supplies all donated thanks to the generous support of many businesses, charities, and churches.

This year, volunteers and Knox County team members packed a whopping total of 6,500 bags, so if you can't make it today, numerous faith-based partners will hold similar events around the county tomorrow to distribute the remaining bags. Please check the County's website for more info. Big thanks to everyone who makes this event possible!

Earlier this week, we announced that our Highway Department will begin work next summer on a roughly $2 million project on Harding Valley Road around the Pellissippi Parkway. The project should take one to two years to complete and will cost considerably less than most comparable road projects, which cost upwards of $20 million and often take five to ten years to finish. Our teams plan to convert a three-lane section of the road to five lanes, doubling our capacity while maintaining the center turn lane for safety. Many thanks to the folks at Engineering and Public Works whose outside-the-box thinking on this project will address a problem in a timely AND fiscally conservative manner.

Congratulations to Carly Pearson, who received the 2024 Spirit of the ADA Advocate of the Year Award. Great work, Carly. We’re very proud of you. Speaking of great work, I was happy to attend Parks and Recreation’s annual appreciation luncheon at Three Ridges Golf Course. Congratulations to Teammate of the Year, Doug Bieber, and Team Leader of the Year, Richard Oglesby. Please don’t forget that tomorrow is the final day of early voting. Election day is this coming Thursday, August 1st. Please visit the Knox County Election Commission website for information on polling locations, hours, and other voter resources. Until next Friday, I hope everyone has a great week.”