Mayor salutes 8-year-old hero. 

Asher Holmes, age 8, received a “life-saving award” from the city of Knoxville on August 15, 2026. Mayor Indya Kincannon visited with him at Pleasant Ridge Elementary School where he is a student.

“When two children experienced a near-drowning emergency at an apartment complex pool earlier this summer, Asher acted without hesitation. Seeing a child in danger at the bottom of the pool, he entered the water, made the rescue and helped set in motion the life-saving care that followed.

“Knoxville is proud of you, Asher. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition,” said Kincannon.

The mayor presented awards to five individuals including Asher. The others included KFD first responders.

State awards $1M to colleges to help vets, families

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has announced $1 million in grant awards to eight Tennessee higher education institutions to expand resources, strengthen mental health and well-being support, and assist more campuses to better serve military-connected students. Details here. Grant recipients include:

  • Austin Peay State University
  • Belmont University
  • Carson-Newman University
  • Lipscomb University
  • University of Tennessee Health Science Center
  • Walters State Community College
  • Tusculum University
  • University of Tennessee Southern
South-Doyle students to march in D.C.

South-Doyle JROTC has been selected to represent the state of Tennessee in the 2026 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., an honor reserved for only a small number of units across the country.

Over Memorial Day weekend, cadets will march down Constitution Avenue alongside more than 5,000 participants in front of an anticipated crowd of 300,000 spectators. The trip will also include visits to historic landmarks and a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

“It’s insanely monumental to me,” said Cadet Lt. Col. Johnathan Alvarez, battalion commander. “My goal as a leader has always been to leave a legacy for future cadets, and this is something we’ve all worked incredibly hard for.”

South-Doyle JROTC, under the direction of Senior Army Instructor MAJ(R) Marcus Vartan, was selected in part because of its extraordinary commitment to service and leadership both in and out of the classroom. In 2021, the battalion set a national record by retiring more than 6,000 American flags, while the program also maintains high rates of cadets earning ROTC scholarships or continuing into military service after graduation.

“For many of these cadets, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience our nation’s history firsthand while honoring those who served before them,” said SSG Juan Alvarez, Army instructor, a South-Doyle graduate and former cadet. Students helped raise nearly $50,000 to make the trip possible, with support from community sponsors and donors to ensure every cadet could attend at no cost.

KCS lists Merit Scholarship winners

Knox County Schools students are among the recipients of prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarships awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, recognizing exceptional academic achievement, leadership and potential for success in college. Selected from more than 15,000 finalists nationwide, students are chosen based on academic records, PSAT/ NMSQT scores, school and community involvement, essays and recommendations.

Recipients of the 2026 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship include:

  • Jelena Armsworth — L&N STEM Academy
  • Yejoon Ham — Bearden High
  • Nuoyan Li — Farragut High
  • Sophia Chen — Farragut High
  • Adithya Vignesh Sastry — Farragut High

Students from Farragut High and L&N STEM Academy were also among the latest recipients of Corporate-Sponsored Merit Scholarships, which are funded by businesses, foundations and organizations across the country to support study in fields such as engineering, science and technology. All KCS corporate-sponsored winners received a Battelle Scholarship, including:

  • Jessie An — Farragut High
  • Albert Liu — Farragut High
  • Isabel Kao — Farragut High
  • Hisato Kurosaki — Farragut High
  • Zhiyan Leyton Lu — Farragut High
  • Emily Xu — Farragut High
  • Lucas Guss — L&N STEM
  • Nicholas T. Yarkhan — L&N STEM
In memoriam

LaVaughan Heath

LaVaughan Pulliam Heath, of Knoxville, has passed at age 94. She and her husband, Harold Heath, were school counselors at Clinton Junior High School in Anderson County. She also worked at Norwood and Karns junior high schools in Knox County. LaVaughan Heath attended Carson-Newman College before graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1953. She later earned her master’s degree from UT and continued her education to whin a dissertation of completing her doctorate. The Heaths were married for almost 72 years and together they raised three sons. LaVaughan and Harold ware devoted University of Tennessee sports fans and longtime football season-ticket holders. After retirement, the couple traveled extensively together throughout the United States and overseas. Services were held on August 18, 2026, at Click Funeral Home, Middlebrook Chapel. Obituary is here.

John W. Morton

John Winslow Morton, of Norris, Tennessee, formerly of Campbell County, passed away at age 87 on August 8, 2026, at UT Medical Center in Knoxville. He spent 48 years in education, retiring from Anderson County Schools in 2017. He served in the U.S. Army and obtained his bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Cumberland College. Later in life, he completed his master’s degree at Union College. John married Patti Danner in 1986 and they shared many adventures, including pulling a tiny camper with a motorcycle on a cross-country trip. A celebration of life was held on August 17 at Cross-Smith Funeral Home in LaFollette. The obituary is here.

Elaine Steele

Elaine Davis Steele passed on Friday, July 24, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee, at age 77. A Knoxville native, she was a product of the Knoxville City Schools, graduating from Austin High in the class of 1966. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Knoxville College and a master’s degree from Lincoln Memorial University. She taught in the Knoxville City Schools for several years before retiring from teaching in Atlanta, Georgia. Family members include a daughter, Maureska Steele, and a sister and brother-in-law, Natalie and George Underwood. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 22, at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, 414 W. Vine Ave., Knoxville. The obituary is here.

Notes & quotes

Cars for Canines will be Saturday, August 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST at Melton Lake Park. Sponsored by Explore Oak Ridge, the classic car show will benefit Oak Ridge Animal Shelter and Anderson County Humane Society. Food trucks, live entertainment, low-cost microchipping and rabies vaccinations. Free admission for spectators. Pets on leashes or in carriers welcomed. Info here.

Bluegrass Festival at Big Ridge State Park is set for Friday, August 21, 6-10 p.m. Free admission, food trucks, craft vendors and music by five local groups. Bring your lawn chair. Info and updates here.

Knox Asian Festival is Sunday, August 30, 2026, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. at World’s Fair Park. Tickets and details here.

Outdoor Knoxville lists hundreds of activities, many free, all outdoors.

Quote: Someone will tell the story of the school. Be the author of that story. Use social media to share successes, be transparent when “bad” things happen and visit classrooms/hallways regularly. – Todd L. Brist, middle school principal, Watertown, South Dakota.

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Sandra Clark compiles obituary links and writes daily at KnoxTNToday – the Let’s Talk series includes topics of law, neighbors, schools, leaders and outdoors. Enjoyed this article? Read more Let’s Talk – Schools by Sandra Clark.

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