http://www.blounttoday.com/news/news/?partner=RSSblounttoday.com Stories: Newsen-usnewshttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/our-heroes/?partner=RSSThe Blount County Chapter of the American Red Cross will honor 11 individuals for their service to the community and to others during a special breakfast on Thursday, March 25. The 8th Annual Red Cross Heroes Breakfast, in addition to offering the opportunity to salute local heroes, is the Red Cross’s largest fundraiser and allows the community an opportunity to support the Red Cross as it responds to disasters and emergencies in Blount County. In addition to the award winners announced today, the Betty Proffitt Hale Community Impact Award will be presented during the breakfast. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:50:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16865-733848featured_videosStaff WriterMaryville, TNOur heroesblounttoday.comour-heroesurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16865-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/river/?partner=RSSThe supporters of the Little River Watershed Association who spent a gala evening at the Hilton recently gave a lot of “green” to support more “blue.” The Little River Watershed Association’s annual gala brought more than 170 people to the gala at the Airport Hilton. With approximately $20,000 grossed before expenses, executive director Mark Whited said there will be money to work toward becoming a “Blue Way.” colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:46:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16864-733848featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNFor the riverblounttoday.comriverurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16864-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/westerling-resigns-american-cancer-society/?partner=RSSMarian Westerling, the American Cancer Society senior development manager responsible for the Blount County Relay for Life, submitted her resignation on Tuesday citing health and personal reasons. She also staffed Downtown Knoxville and West Knoxville relay events. “My last day is April 9, and there will be a replacement announced. I have been so honored to work with so many wonderful, wonderful volunteers, and I will miss working with them,” Westerling said. “I’m grateful to have worked for such a wonderful organization for so many years.” Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:44:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16862-733848news/localStaff WriterMaryville, TNWesterling resigns from American Cancer Societyblounttoday.comwesterling-resigns-american-cancer-societyurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16862-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/rick-shepard-receive-2010-leadership-blount-commun/?partner=RSSLeadership Blount has named Rick Shepard, City President of United Community Bank, as the 2010 recipient of its Community Leadership Award. Instituted in 2000, the Community Leadership Award recognizes individuals whose sustained actions and leadership reflect Leadership Blount’s commitment to life-long service. Shepard will be honored at the annual Community Leadership Award Breakfast on April 16, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Maryville. The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:42:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16861-733848news/localStaff WriterMaryville, TNRick Shepard to receive 2010 Leadership Blount Community Leadership awardblounttoday.comrick-shepard-receive-2010-leadership-blount-communurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16861-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/blount-today-adds-online-obituaries/?partner=RSSBlount Today has added online obituaries as an additional service to readers. The website can be found at www.blounttoday.com. Tessa Bright Wildsmith, lead graphic designer, said the obituaries are online only. “It is one of those community services that we felt should be given to the public free-of-charge. It is something people always want to read and send to family and friends and we wanted to offer them to our readers free of charge,” said Bright. Photos are included online if the funeral home emails a photo with the obituary. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:41:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16859-733848news/localStaff WriterMaryville, TNBlount Today adds online obituariesblounttoday.comblount-today-adds-online-obituariesurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16859-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/airport-authority-gets-contract-buy-former-delmar-/?partner=RSSThe Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority has a contract to buy the former Delmar Haynes auto dealership property on Alcoa Highway for more than $5 million and intends to raze the dealership buildings, which sit at the edge of a McGhee Tyson Airport runway. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:41:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16860-733848news/localEd MarcumMaryville, TNAirport authority gets contract to buy former Delmar Haynes dealership propertyblounttoday.comairport-authority-gets-contract-buy-former-delmar-urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16860-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/sabrina-fair-sets-stage-more-success-foothills-pla/?partner=RSSValentine’s Day weekend was a good one for the cast and crew of the Foothills Community Players. The troupe put on their production of “Sabrina Fair,” which included a Friday night, Feb. 12, dinner theater and then shows on Saturday, Feb. 13, and a matinee on Sunday, Feb. 14. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:39:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16858-733848featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TN‘Sabrina Fair’ sets the stage for more success for Foothills Playersblounttoday.comsabrina-fair-sets-stage-more-success-foothills-plaurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16858-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/stitching-passion/?partner=RSSSpread across the foot of the bed, quilts are treasured family heirlooms, stitched by great-grandma’s hand to keep the family warm on cold winter nights. Displayed on rods and mounted on walls, quilts are works of art, bits of fabric pulled together with intricate stitching to tell a story or express an artistic theme. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:38:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16857-733848featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNStitching passionblounttoday.comstitching-passionurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16857-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/air-buddies/?partner=RSSOn March 6 a group of puppies from Blount County got new homes in Rochester, N.Y., thanks to a group called Pilots-n-Paws and the Blount County Humane Society. Volunteers from the Blount County Humane Society met two Rochester, N.Y., pilots at TAC Air and handed over more than a dozen puppies. The pilots placed the small animals in cages in the two planes and returned to New York. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:36:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16855-733848featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNAir buddiesblounttoday.comair-buddiesurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16855-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/good-food-good-cheer/?partner=RSSA new fundraiser brought an almost-sold out evening when the Bishop’s Table spread its fare to more than 100 people. Guests enjoyed food prepared by the shops at The Market at Washington and High, wine and beer tastings and the light Jazz music of Barry Roseman. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:36:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16856-733848featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNGood food, good cheerblounttoday.comgood-food-good-cheerurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16856-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/17/animal-transformations/?partner=RSSThe 50 children who gathered at Maryville United Methodist Church on March 6 were acting just like animals, and the adults were smiling and encouraging them to do more. Primary Players Children’s Theater Group will be taking to the stage at Maryville High School for their production of “Dr. Dolittle” on Friday through Sunday, March 26, 27, and 28. To prepare, members of the cast attended a workshop on applying makeup to transform them from children into animals. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:34:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16854-733848featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNAnimal transformationsblounttoday.comanimal-transformationsurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16854-733848Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/15/art-literacy/?partner=RSSA local artist and a local bookstore owner are joining together to help raise money for two elementary school libraries that are in need of financial support. Lisa Misosky, owner of Southland Books in Maryville, and local philanthropic artist Ra Ra Schlitt are working together to help Walland and Rockford elementary schools. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:59:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16845-733846news/localJeff TaylorMaryville, TNArt for literacyblounttoday.comart-literacyurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16845-733846Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/15/friendships-celebrated-during-black-history-month/?partner=RSSWilliam B. “Billy” Thompson and Carl McDonald were friends. It should have been that simple, but it wasn’t. Thompson was black, and McDonald white, and, in the 1960s, friendships between the races were often seen as unusual. “This was someone who was very special in my life,” said McDonald. “He was black, and I was white. At the time, it was not common, but it developed into a friendship that lasted 41 years.” Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:57:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16844-733846featured_videosStaff WriterMaryville, TNFriendships celebrated during Black History Month blounttoday.comfriendships-celebrated-during-black-history-monthurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16844-733846Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/15/getting-taste-community-spirit/?partner=RSSThings were hot and spicy at First Church of the Nazarene on Feb. 6, and the visitors seemed to like it that way. The church was the site of the 8th annual CAPPE ChiliFest. The ChiliFest is organized each year by the Citizens Against the Pellissippi Parkway Extension as a community event and fundraiser. Cooks enter their chili for judging, which also includes a People’s Choice award that is determined by popular vote of those attending the event. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:56:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16842-733846featured_videosStaff WriterMaryville, TNGetting a taste of community spiritblounttoday.comgetting-taste-community-spiriturn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16842-733846Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/15/giving-back/?partner=RSSThe chance to help spread awareness of a law that has been on the books since 2001 and the opportunity to raise funds for the organization brought friends of A Secret Safe Place for Newborns to the Alcoa Chili’s restaurant in February. Secret Safe Place co-founder Shawna McConnell was pleased with the turnout and the enthusiasm of those who attended. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:56:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16843-733846featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNGiving backblounttoday.comgiving-backurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16843-733846Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/11/working-tips/?partner=RSSPlanners for the second annual Blount County Relay for Life Celebrity Waiters event had a goal of raising $25,000 for cancer research during the gala on Saturday, Feb. 27. They surpassed it by more than $15,000. “Blount County is an awesome county,” said Linda Whitehead, 2010 Relay for Life event chair. “They are really wonderful about coming together with events and raising money.” colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:13:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16832-733842featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNWorking for tipsblounttoday.comworking-tipsurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16832-733842Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/11/rolling-out-new-message/?partner=RSSOn Monday morning, March 8, when school buses rolled out for their appointed rounds in Maryville and Blount County, there was something new on the sides of the buses. Maryville businessman Steve Stilts is hoping people take notice. Stilts, along with his partners Rick Ford and Keith Pankey, recently started East Tennessee Ads, a company that sells and fixes miniature billboard-type advertisements on the exterior sides of school buses. The ads are situated on the back quarter panel of the bus, from the rear wheel well to the end of the bus. On Saturday, March 6, Pankey and Stilts put the adhesive ads on the buses owned by Dwayne Flynn and by John Clabough. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:12:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16831-733842news/localLance ColemanMaryville, TNRolling out a new messageblounttoday.comrolling-out-new-messageurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16831-733842Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/11/message-spring/?partner=RSSJohn Berry is excited about a fashion show. Not that he’s looking for a dapper new wardrobe. His excitement is building for a fashion show because of what the show will mean to those in Blount and surrounding counties who can not hear. Berry is founder of the Hearing and Speech Foundation and owner of Blount Hearing and Speech Services. As foundation founder, Berry helps coordinate the activities of the foundation and sees first-hand the life-changing difference the foundation makes for low-income clients who otherwise could not afford services. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:11:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16830-733842featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNMessage for Springblounttoday.commessage-springurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16830-733842Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/11/speaker-calls-curing-communities-focusing-strength/?partner=RSSWho would’ve thought a Leadership Blount summit on healthcare would end up focusing on how to cure sick communities. That’s what happened when Dr. John McKnight of Northwestern University explained the connection between public health and a community’s ability to rebuild itself. McKnight co-founded the Asset-based Community Development Institute of Northwestern University. One of the first aspects he covered was to explain how a group of medical professionals were asked to explain the five basic determinants of a healthy community. They listed them, in no particular order, as: Personal behavior, relationships, physical environment, economic status and access to medical care. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:10:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16829-733842news/localLance ColemanMaryville, TNSpeaker calls for curing communities by focusing on strengthsblounttoday.comspeaker-calls-curing-communities-focusing-strengthurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16829-733842Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/11/mother-love-members-host-celebration-heritage-and-/?partner=RSSPeople from across Blount County gathered at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Center on Feb. 27 to celebrate the African-American culture, enjoy good food, see art from Alcoa Elementary students and take in the latest trends during a fashion show. colemanl@blounttoday.com (Lance Coleman)Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:59:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16828-733842featured_videosLance ColemanMaryville, TNMother Love members host celebration of heritage and communityblounttoday.commother-love-members-host-celebration-heritage-and-urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-16828-733842Change0Usable