Recent editorials from Tennessee newspapers:
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July 28
The Johnson City Press on mitigating floods in the area:
Despite the best efforts of humans, Mother Nature will have her way.
Living among peaks and ridges, Northeast Tennessee residents know all too well how rough weather can quickly turn into unexpected dangers. Though we may not have hurricanes to contend with, flooding always has been a fact of life in these parts.
The residents of the Old Mountaineer on South Roan Street found out the hard way Saturday night. A storm-driven mudslide from the ridge behind the former market and apartment building forced them to evacuate. The building soon was shifted from its foundation and collapsed. Thankfully, residents made it out without significant injury, but all were displaced.
That same night, Staff Writer Jonathan Roberts documented some of the flash flooding in the region caused by the heavy downpours, mainly in the downtown Johnson City area. Already-swollen Brush and King creeks were overwhelmed with water, rendering several streets in the area impassable.
That’s nothing new. Anyone who’s lived here long enough knows that a mountain valley town built over and around numerous creeks is bound to flood. Photos from Saturday night are eerily similar to those from more than 100 years ago. Also, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s lakes we enjoy were created in part to control the deadly flood-prone rivers and streams in this region. It’s an age-old war.
We do not envy the task of city’s public works officials.
In the last decade, Johnson City has made significant progress toward mitigating the flooding. The Founders Park and King Commons projects, along with storm drain capacity improvements and the giant detention pond at West Market and Boone streets, have made a big impact on downtown’s stability. We know businesses and residents are grateful for the massive undertaking afforded by the city’s stormwater fees.
Back in December, the City Commission again increased the stormwater fee to accommodate more flood mitigation projects, specifically to improve drainage on West Walnut Street, to prevent Cobb Creek from flooding Oakland Avenue and to handle flooding along Knob Creek Road.
Based on Saturday’s results, there’s still much work to be done downtown, as well. The sheer volume of water alone was enough to task the storm sewers, but debris appeared to quickly clog drains and culverts, especially along West Market and Montgomery streets and along West Watauga Avenue near Carver Park. Preventing those clogs would seem to be a priority. King Creek’s bed west of downtown and Brush Creek’s path along State of Franklin Road also must be addressed.
Downtown may never be totally flood free, but we commend city staff members for their efforts to date and for staying in the fight.
Online: https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/
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July 27
The Crossville Chronicle on school testing during the pandemic:
Schools across the state are trying to figure out how to open this new school year. Parents are trying to choose the best option for their child’s education and wellbeing.
And they’ve been doing so as the state continues to piecemeal waivers to grant school systems greater flexibility during this unprecedented school year. Just last week, the state told school districts their snow days could help make up for days missed due to COVID-19.
They also granted a blanket waiver that takes away the duty-free lunch Tennessee law provides all teachers. Director of Schools Ina Maxwell said Cumberland County would make every effort to ensure teachers had that important break, however.
The state requires 180 days of school. The state requires seven hours of school a day. The state requires attendance to be taken.
And, it seems, the state will also require TNReady tests to be administered this spring.
The state denied a request from Williamson County Schools to cancel TNReady testing this school year.
“We must be able to measure how our students are progressing to know where they need support and what areas to focus on, and the state remains committed to providing this critical data to educators and families,” Lee said in a letter circulated by Williamson County Schools.
Yet even as Tennessee doubles down on its standardized testing program, many colleges - including the University of Tennessee - have waived standardized testing for college admissions.
Colleges are accepting freshman based on their high school transcripts, not their ACT or SAT scores. Graduate schools are waiving GRE or GMAT requirements, as well.
Even before COVID-19, many schools were finding a holistic review of student performance is an appropriate indicator of student preparation for postsecondary or graduate study, instead of a how someone performed on one test taken on one day.
Our schools - our students and our teachers - have many obstacles to overcome this year. They could be switching to online learning in the blink of an eye. That won’t be easy in communities with “good” internet. It will be a greater challenge in Cumberland County, where access to internet service isn’t always available or reliable.
And we can look back to last spring to see that, even when tests aren’t on the table, our teachers are still working hard. This year will be no different.
Some school systems are already in session. Some are days away from welcoming students.
They need a comprehensive set of answers and they need relief. Waiving TNReady testing this year would provide a much-needed morale boost for teachers tasked with becoming online instructors in the blink of an eye.
Online: https://www.crossville-chronicle.com
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July 26
The Kingsport Times-News on early voting:
Early voting is underway for Tennessee Republican and Democratic Party members to choose their candidates for the Nov. 3 general election.
We strongly encourage you to vote. Primaries typically have lower turnout, but the ability to cast a secret ballot is our fundamental right, and we applaud those who exercise it. Then too, you help pay for primary elections and should get something for your money. As well, some counties tie their general election to the primary, and if you reside in Sullivan County, there are a number of seats you should help decide.
If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool party member, you might ask why your tax dollars are being used for the opposing party to select its candidates for state and federal office. Shouldn’t each political party develop and pay for its own process to determine its candidates?
Many states, including Tennessee, have an open primary process, which means that you can vote in the other party’s primary - which you might do, for instance, to help nominate a weaker candidate to face your party’s nominee in the general election. And a system dominated by the two major parties freezes out smaller political parties such as the Libertarian, Green and Constitution parties.
But for now, it’s what we’ve got, and in the primary election Aug. 6 voters will determine party candidates for the general election Nov. 3 for such offices as U.S. and Tennessee House and Senate. In Sullivan County, voters will also cast ballots for all 24 county constables, seats on the county school board for Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7, assessor of property, and judicial retention for the Court of Appeals, Western Division. There’s also a vacancy election for a public defender, and for a county commissioner in District 11.
Both parties have crowded ballots.
Democratic voters in Sullivan County have five choices for U.S. Senate to replace the retiring Lamar Alexander and three for the 1st Congressional District seat being vacated by Phil Roe. There are no contested races for the state legislature but many contested seats for the school board and constable races.
Republican voters have a huge ballot with 15 candidates for the U.S. Senate seat and 16 for Rep. Roe’s seat, along with competing school board and constable races.
The primary for the U.S. House seat is heavily contested because Republicans have held it for 139 years. The last Democrat to hold it was Robert L. Taylor from 1879 to 1881.
Your vote is important, and you should not take any election for granted. Your vote is your voice in the process which governs our country, and you should make yourself heard. Early voting locations for Sullivan County are the Election Commission office at 3258 Highway 126 in Blountville; the Civic Auditorium at 1550 Fort Henry Drive in Kingsport; and Slater Community Center at 325 McDowell St. in Bristol. The hours for early voting at all three locations are 9 a.m to 4 p.m. July 27-31, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Be sure to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
All poll officials will be wearing face coverings and are trained in social distancing protocols.
Online: https://www.timesnews.net
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