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October 2020 Constituent Update

News & Noteworthy Events in Knox County / Commission
This constituent update contains information on the work of Knox County Commission, news about recent experiences, community information and upcoming events. This newsletter is issued at the beginning of each month and generally covers activities of the previous month.

For a full week in September, reports and rumors of a tiger on the loose in Knox Co. filled the news and social media feeds across the country. We all needed a laugh to break the pandemic tension, so I had a little fun taking our son's incredibly large stuffed tiger to a few places around. First stop was the North Knoxville Business & Professional Association meeting, followed by a haircut in Halls at the Midway Barber Shop, and a final stop at the Vol Market #3 where owner Alan Frye properly bagged and tagged the vicious beast once and for all!
I recently attended a community meeting in Hardin Valley where constituents had a chance to view plans for road expansions on Cherahala Blvd. and Coward Mill Rd. These improvements will help alleviate traffic congestion on Hardin Valley Rd. and Pellissippi Pkwy. while also accommodating the new northwest elementary school which is planned for completion in 2023. You can view the entire report here.
At the beginning of the month, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center released its 2019 Drug-Related Death Report for Knox and Anderson Counties. The report includes data on drug-related death cases the Center investigated from 2010-2019. While the number of drug-related deaths in Knox County decreased 9.8%, raw data collected during the first two quarters of 2020 projects a surge in the opposite direction. The five most common drugs identified in drug-related deaths were synthetic opioids, methamphetamine, alcohol/ethanol, heroin and cocaine. You can read the entire report here.
I want to thank my colleagues on County Commission for electing me the Chairman for the 2020-21 legislative session. While some have told me the word "Cháirman" is just French for "a lot more work," I appreciate the honor and will do my best to serve the Commission with fairness and professionalism.
Congratulations to Knox County's newest eatery, Walk-On's. This sports-bistreaux brings with the flavor of Louisiana and matches it with an insationable appetite for sports. I had the pleasure of meeting their general manager, named "Vegas" during the soft-opening this month. Welcome to Knoxville!
It was a real pleasure to join dozens of volunteers across the Karns Community for a good old-fashioned clean up day. I joined the team from the Beaver Creek Kayak Club to clean a two mile stretch of Oak Ridge Highway. If you want to see how much trash we cleared in just under two hours, check out this quick video - you won't believe how much trash was hauled to the dump!
I want to take a minute to thank the team at Knoxville Wholesale Furniture for donating $25,000 to both the Knox County Sheriff's Officers and Knoxville Police Department. These generous contributions are for the "officer-down" funds supporting our law-enforcement officers protecting our City and County.
Congratulations to Seymour Volunteer Fire Dept. on their recent building expansion. The new facility will help the SFVD continue to serve the 120 square miles across Blount, Knox and Sevier Counties. Thank you for your service and the good work!
One of the best parts of my role as a Commissioner is officiating civil weddings and helping people start their lives together. Congratulations to Christen & Daniel - may you have many wonderful years together. Contact me if I can help you tie the knot too!

NAMI Knoxville (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is hosting a Facebook Live event on Monday, Oct. 5 to kick off the start of Mental Illness Awareness Week. The theme will be Mental Health: The Time is Now. The pandemic is taking a toll on people, and anxiety and stress levels are at an all-time high. Monday’s discussion will focus on how NAMI Knoxville plans to serve the community with support groups and classes for individuals and families affected by mental illness. NAMI Knoxville is dedicated to helping individuals and families affected by mental illness build better lives. If you'd like more information, contact Alisa LaPolt.

It looks as if the abandoned East Town Mall site has potential for new life and may also bring hundreds of jobs to the area. Hillwood Enterprises is planning a "eCommerce distribution and fulfillment center." During the recent online community meeting, the developer talked about some of the plans that are in place for the facility including rezoning the property to be an industrial site, working with engineers to fix the current stormwater draining issue and restructuring the parking lot to alleviate traffic issues. You can read more about in this WVLT story.
I'm not sure if it set a new record (I hope not), but I walked away from this month's Commission meeting at 1:49 am. WHEW! Here's an exhausted video from the empty halls of local government. Enjoy a small glimpse into democracy in action.
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Copyright © 2020 Larsen Jay - Knox County Commission, All rights reserved.

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 52331 / Knoxville, TN 37950

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