Stimulus? What stimulus? Forgive Sevier Countians if they’re not feeling perky and positive about President Barack Obama’s purported economic stimulus plan.

Perhaps Robert McNamara has finally found peace, along with the soldiers who went before him.

Architect Duane Grieve has kicked off his campaign for the 2nd District Knoxville City Council seat, with a broad-based group of supporters attending a fundraising reception where incumbent Councilwoman Barbara Pelot publicly supported him as her successor.

Talk about bad timing. With great pomp and circumstance, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year - yet what’s going to be the No. 1 thing people all over America will remember about this crown jewel of southern mountains?

I was gone for two weeks on a cruise in the Baltic Sea so it’s been fascinating to catch up with Democrat Greg Mackay being reappointed administrator of the Republican-dominated Knox County Election Commission.

If firecrackers are on your agenda this weekend, remember these printed words of warning every male baby boomer can recite, verbatim, from his youth:

Where there’s smoke, there’s usually some sort of combustible material aflame or on the verge. Or there’s somebody blowing it. After reading the results of an audit of Sevier County government by the Tennessee Comptroller’s office, there could be both.

I spent all of last weekend hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and, as usual, saw some spectacular sights.

I was on the receiving end of three dope slaps last Wednesday morning, three days after the arrival of summer. The first occurred as I was driving along Kingston Pike near Cedar Bluff. A store marquee caught my eye.

As we backstroke through the remaining days of June, let me be the first to reveal an interesting tidbit of July trivia, called to my attention by Bill Hughes.