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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Knox County lessons about a trustworthy trustee
Several Knox County trustees have run into ethical difficulties over the last 25 years. (Photo of Old Knox County Courthouse: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) At a recent Knoxville Smokies baseball game, I had a brief but nice chat with Ed Shouse, former Knoxville City Council member, former Knox County Commissioner, and former Knox County Trustee. I congratulated him on being one of the few recent trustees not facing scandal. He chuckled, shook his head, and said, 'You've just got to remember it's not your money.' It is sage advice for anyone doing public service, especially in the trustee office, established in Knox County's charter for collecting property taxes, disbursing and accounting for county funds and investing money quickly and wisely to earn interest and profits for the county. We in Knox County like electing all sorts of administrative offices — register of deeds, county clerk, property assessor, even court clerks — but have experienced angst regarding a lot of recent trustees. A Knox News article noted that when current trustee Justin Biggs was elected in 2022, he hired several friends and gave them raises ranging from 30% to 71% — effectively expanding the office payroll from Shouse's time, 2014 to 2022, by nearly $400,000. Knox News also recently revealed how Biggs and his staff ride and travel in style, racking up travel expenses that well exceeded the county rate. In 2023 Biggs leased six new Ford Silverado 1500 pickup trucks equipped with four-wheel drive for which the county paid $397,968, about $200,000 more than what taxpayers pay for vehicles used by other county offices. GPS data, according to Knox News, shows trustee staff using county vehicles for personal use. Biggs says he has reimbursed the county $3,500 for excess expenses, though it is not clear if that is the total owed for all involved. The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasurer is investigating. Any follow up to that investigation will be handled by Blount County's District Attorney. Biggs, anticipating tough questions from Knox County commissioners, skipped an appearance before the finance committee, instead sending an office legal assistant. He nevertheless is seeking re-election to his $164,904 a year job. Most of the Republican establishment has been keeping some distance from his campaign; many likely prefer his primary opponent, Register of Deeds Nick McBride. Former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe has called on Biggs to resign. Trustee shenanigans also likely affected our congressional delegation. From 2010 to 2013 our trustee was John Duncan, III, son and grandson of longtime congressmen John and Jimmy Duncan from Knox County. Most political wags thought the trustee gig was a stepping-stone to a third-generation run for Congress. Duncan, III, however, got in trouble by awarding bonuses for certification and training programs for himself and others on his staff; many of the courses had not actually been taken. Duncan, III resigned the day he pleaded guilty to felony misconduct in 2013; he received probation with an option for diversion. In 2014, a judge dismissed his case after he completed the diversion terms. The biggest trustee scandal was that surrounding Mike Lowe, serving as trustee from 1994 to 2007. Lowe pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft related to 'ghost employees' — associates on the payroll who didn't work. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the scheme robbed county taxpayers of more than $750,000; the TBI also said these associates kicked back some of the money to Lowe. The former trustee, years after leaving office, also admitted to funneling title work to an associate who would overcharge the county, and give Lowe a cut of that, too. Lowe was sentenced to ten years in prison, but was behind bars for roughly seven months before the rest of his sentence was changed to supervised probation. Shouse ended 34 years of public service on Aug. 31, 2022. His eight years of integrity as trustee mirrored similar upstanding behavior in other public offices. When selecting a trustee or other position of trust, one good guide is to look for trustworthy behavior and proven integrity, someone who knows it's not his money, to use Shouse's words. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
State investigators visited Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center in April
Investigators with the state's watchdog agency conducted interviews at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center on April 7, Knox News has learned. Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury investigators talked to the facility's only nurse, Stefani Clowers, for an hour and a half that day. One month later, Bean, the superintendent of the facility named for him, gave Clowers a choice: Resign or be fired for "turning him in," she told Knox News. Clowers, a registered nurse, sounded alarms that facility leaders failed to follow medical best practices. She told Knox News she contacted six local and state agencies about errors in medication distribution and several instances where she felt children's lives were in danger. She repeatedly raised concerns to Bean and his lieutenant, Kay McClain, she said. Clowers refused to resign, was fired and then reinstated a day later under pressure from Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin, who warned Bean his dismissals of Clowers and information technology specialists Thomas Cordell exposed the county to potential lawsuits that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cordell also took the offer for reinstatement. Medication intended for the juveniles incarcerated at the facility regularly went missing, Clowers told Knox News, especially when she returned to work on Mondays after being away for the weekend. An entire bottle of Qelbree, a nonstimulant used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, was stolen, she said. Two types of medication belonging to another juvenile went missing for almost a month before showing up unused. "Mom brought them in as new meds on Oct. 4 and then they showed up on (Oct. 27) with the original receipt that she had brought them in on Oct. 4," Clowers said. "I reached out to the worker and verified they were brought in on the 4th. Where'd they go? They disappeared for 23 days." One time, in early 2024 when a tablet of hydrocodone prescribed for a juvenile went missing, Bean and McClain simply thanked Clowers for informing them, Clowers said. Hydrocone is a semisynthetic opioid that can be habit forming and its distribution is rigorously regulated by medical professionals. Before state watchdog investigators came to the facility April 7, no one followed up on Clowers' concerns, she said. Bean and McClain repeatedly ignored requests from Clowers to create a uniform medical protocol. "You can't say, 'There's going to be accountability here, but we're not going to have accountability here,'" Clowers said. Separate from the comptroller's inquiries, Jacobs asked Gov. Bill Lee on May 29 to direct the Department of Children's Services to take over operations at the facility. The move would buy time for the county to shift legal control to the Knox County Sheriff's Office, and the Knox County Commission will consider at its June 23 meeting an emergency measure to do so. Bean announced his retirement May 30 in a press release. Trustee Board member Billy Stokes said Bean told the chair of the facility's board of trustees that a "loss of confidence" in his administration "hastened his intent to retire." Clowers said she was confused when investigators arrived at the center. It's not like "comptroller of the treasury" is a widely known agency, she said. Ten investigators spent most of the day at the detention center, Clowers said, and Bean gave them a tour. Besides the time investigators spent interviewing her and the center's Prison Rape Elimination Act specialist, they spent most of their time in the administrative part of the building. Investigators asked Clowers about patients' medical charts, if there were specific cases they should examine, and how day-to-day operations such as recordkeeping and patient checkups were handled. When Bean fired Clowers, she said he referenced her cooperation with state investigators. Clowers worried about the safety of the children and teens in the center's care (the facility holds juveniles from the ages of 12-17). When children arrived at the detention center, they didn't go through a medical intake process. Those who came to the detention center through the Department of Children's Services arrived with a packet of medical information, Clowers said, but not those who were brought in by local police. Clowers told Knox News that only McClain, Bean's lieutenant, had access the medical packets from Department of Children's Services detainees. The only way Clowers could treat a detainee was if the child initiated a request through a handwritten request that was left in an unsecured basket. Bean, 84, has been the superintendent of the detention center since 1972. He's known for his old-fashioned way of running the center. Day-to-day operations are archaic, Clowers said. There's no buildingwide medical protocol, Clowers told Knox News. Hours worked are tracked through punch cards, and when Clowers requested time off, she filled out a form and left it in a basket. "You just take the day off and then you get the slip of paper back later," Clowers said. In her absence, no qualified medical staffers stepped in to treat juveniles, she said. A corrections officer fills in. "It's just so archaic, it's hard to explain to someone else," Clowers said. Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: State investigators visited Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Dolly Parton details 'loneliness' after husband's death - 'I see him every day'
Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, died on March 3, 2025, at the age of 82 after nearly 60 years of marriage Dolly Parton revealed her 'loneliness' after her husband Carl Dean's death earlier this year. He passed away on March 3, 2025 at the age of 82 after nearly 60 years of marriage. The couple had been married since 1966, after first getting together two years prior. In 2016, the pair renewed their vows to mark their 50th wedding anniversary. At the time of his death, a statement released on behalf of the superstar to announce the tragic news about her beloved husband said: "Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away on March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie. "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy. The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time." Almost three months on from his death, Dolly opened up about how she's doing, revealing she 'truly believes she's going to see him again someday'. The star confessed she 'sees him every day in her memories and in her heart' during a chat with The Independent. The 10-time Grammy winner went on to say: "I really feel his presence. "I just try to go on, because I know I have to. And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn't make up for the loss and the loneliness of it." Dolly previously shared an update with concerned fans, saying she was "doing better than I thought I would." Speaking to Knox News, she said: 'I've been with him 60 years. So, I'm going to have to relearn some of the things that we've done. "But I'll keep him always close.' The Jolene singer also emotionally revealed that Carl had 'suffered a great deal' towards the end of his life. 'I'm at peace that he's at peace, but that don't keep me from missing him and loving him… "It's a hole in my heart, you know, but we'll fill that up with good stuff and he'll still always be with me," she said. Later thanking fans for their kind messages, Dolly shared: "Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you've sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl. "I can't reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God's arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What an expansion for Whataburger! Knoxville gets 3 locations, from Powell to Turkey Creek
Whataburger is showing the rest of Knoxville some love, with the Texas-based fast-food chain planning two more spots in the city, in addition to the restaurant announced for the Strip. Knox News reported May 27 that Whataburger is coming to 1830 Cumberland Ave., located along the Strip near the University of Tennessee campus. A second Whataburger is set for far north Knoxville and another in Turkey Creek. Tennessee is home to 23 Whataburger restaurants: five in Clarksville, six in around Memphis and 12 in the Nashville area. MWB Restaurants, the franchisee opening the Knoxville restaurants, is planning at least one location in Chattanooga and three more in Alabama (Golden, Jasper and Owens Cross Roads). Here's everything we know so far about Whataburger expanding into Knoxville. Helen Morton, treasurer of the Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association, confirmed the burger chain is coming to 1830 Cumberland Ave. The Whataburger expansion also made it into a county clerk's list of new businesses. This location on the Strip will be in the lower level of the TENN student apartments, the same building that houses Raising Cane's. An opening date has not been set. Another Whataburger is coming to 500 Emory Road, according to documents included in a project management database at The documents list this property as the former Steak n' Shake in Powell. The third Whataburger coming to Knoxville will be in Turkey Creek at 310 Wild Geese Road. The restaurant also will replace a Steak n' Shake, which closed in 2024. Plans call for remodeling the building with a drive-thru, according to project documents. Joanna Hayes is the restaurant and retail reporter. Email: Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Whataburger fast food chain expands in TN with 3 Knoxville restaurants
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dolly Parton 'happy' Carl Dean is 'at peace'
Dolly Parton is "happy" that her late husband, Carl Dean, is "at peace". The 79-year-old singer was devastated when her spouse passed away in March at the age of 82, and while she will "miss him forever", the '9 to 5' hitmaker is comforted by the knowledge that her beloved partner is no longer in pain. She told 'Entertainment Tonight': "He did suffer a lot for the last few years, and there's a part of me that's happy he's at peace and at rest. But then of course, there's that part of me that will miss him forever and long for him every day. For the rest of my life, I'm sure." The 'Jolene' singer is "holding up" as she tries to adjust to life without Carl, who she married in 1966 after two years together. She said: 'Of course I miss him. I'm having to really go through a lot trying to figure out how to be without him because I was with him for so long. "I'm holding up, I'm doing as well as one can after 60 years, being with and loving somebody." To honour Carl, Dolly released new song 'If You Hadn't Been There' in tribute to his memory. She said: "When Carl did pass away, I thought, 'I gotta do something so I'm just gonna put that song out as a tribute to him." The country legend couldn't "believe the amount of support" she receved from fans around the world and thanked them for their kindness. After Carl died, Dolly vowed their love story would "never end". She posted on Instagram: 'I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story.' And, speaking a few weeks after his death, she told Knox News, 'I'm doing better than I thought I would. I've been with him 60 years. So, I'm going to have to relearn some of the things that we've done. But I'll keep him always close."
