Today's News

The sound of balls crashing into pins and the chatter of friends and rivals fills the air at Tri-City Lanes in Midtown.
“Who are you going to find down here?” said Allen Slaughter, who works at Tri-City. “Doctors, lawyers, school teachers, you name it.”
“We are just one big extended happy family because everyone gets so close to each other,” said Loretta Carrington. She recently participated in the coffee league, one of the leagues that have been around since the bowling leagues started in 1964.

District Attorney General Russell Johnson said last week he isn’t ready to soften his stance on probation violators.
The Roane County Jail faces the prospect of decertification due to overcrowding. Many people are in jail for violating probation.
“A lot of it is they’re testing positive on drug tests, or they’re picking up new charges,” Johnson said. “That just goes to show why those folks need to be in there longer if they’re not conforming to the rules and re-offending.” 

Life can be humbling.
I’d been in “a mood” since late last week, when I received a notice from the property assessor’s office increasing the assessed value of my modest — at best — 1950s ranch house by more than $20,000.
They said the house I paid about $94,000 less than a decade ago was now worth nearly $145,000.
You’d howl about this if you could see my house.

Roane County seniors who are aging into Medicare or are newly retired may benefit from an upcoming Medicare 101 workshop.

The workshop, beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Mid-East Community Action Agency Senior Services Department at 1362 N. Gateway Ave., Rockwood, will review information about Part A, B, C, and D of Medicare and options available for Medicare coverage.