Chatroom

Kristi Burkhalter knows how to ad lib when she needs to…just ask the mother of three about her most embarrassing moment. “I rewrote the lyrics to our National Anthem at a sold-out Nashville Sounds baseball game. I’ve sung and/or acted ...

Before David Talley was a bicyclist, Young Life volunteer, real estate agent and restaurant owner, he was first and foremost…a baseball player. Born and raised in Blount County, he graduated Maryville High School and attended Maryville College and Palm Beach ...

Abbe Evans is an automotive account manager for Alcoa, Inc. In her line of work, she sells aluminum to auto manufacturers who turn the product into trunk lids. Evans understands the hard work put in by workers who process the ...

Not many people get attacked by a bear and live to tell about it. Richard Hatten of Maryville is the exception. In June of 2001 Hatten was camping at Elkmont when a bear pulled him from a hammock. “It was ...

Born and raised in Los Olivos, Calif., Brandon Bruce spent his childhood and teen years working on his family’s 20-acre ranch. He earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of California at Santa Barbara where he majored in political science ...

Kay Overbey, wife of State Sen. Doug Overbey, grew up in Kingsport, graduated from Dobbins-Bennett High School and earned a degree in social work with a minor in psychology from East Tennessee State University. A previous marriage brought her to ...

Jerry Blevins is enjoying retirement. After 49 years in the paint business -- 12 years with Sherwin Williams and 37 years at his own store, Blevins Paint Center, the newly retired businessman is spending time with family and enjoying more ...

Musician and retired Oak Ridge program manager Robert Higginbotham still remembers the first time he heard BB King’s music. “The first time I ever heard BB King, the music just about floored me. I was in Miami, and I was ...

Bill Henegar grew up in Blount County, graduated from Friendsville High School and spent six years in the U.S. Air Force. After his service, he returned home and started his construction career as a laborer. Henegar’s father, Malcolm, was in ...

Michael Bethea recently released his debut Gospel/Contemporary Christian CD with the independent Soul Play Records label. But to say he is a rookie would be inaccurate. The Mississippi native grew up singing in church before he signed with RCA in ...

Rev. William “Skip” White is the senior pastor of Friendsville United Methodist Church and the author of the novel, “Carry Me Not.” He was born and raised in North Dakota and earned his degree in Religion and Philosophy from Dakota ...

The recent economy has caused folks to become more conservative in their spending but nobody seems to have changed as much as Ebenezer Scrooge of “A Christmas Carol” fame. This Christmas finds Ebenezer Scrooge back to his miserly, grumpy ways. ...

Nelson Russell knows a thing or two about recreation and having fun. The 1982 William Blount High School graduate earned a BS degree in education with a focus in public recreation administration. While going through college, he interned with Maryville ...

Karen Zorio enjoys scrapbooking and reading but when she’s not baking and cooking, she and her husband, Mike, love to travel, especially to the beach. Karen came by her desire to be a beach bum honestly. She grew up in ...

When Angie Brown isn’t busy coordinating the Maryville Alcoa Christmas parade or taking classes to become a teacher, she is either piecing together the perfect scrapbook or piecing together a mystery. “As a hobby I do scrapbooking, and I also ...