The Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) welcomed the Honorable Christopher D. Heagerty as its Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2026 during the law school’s graduation ceremony on May 7 at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium.

“Our graduating students provided input as to who they wanted to speak at their commencement, and Chancellor Heagerty was at the top of the list,” said Matt Lyon, dean of LMU Law. “We are thrilled that he agreed to be part of our celebration of the graduates and their families.”

Heagerty currently serves as Chancellor of Division III of the Knox County Chancery Court, a position to which he was appointed on January 23, 2021, by Gov. Bill Lee.

Chancellor Heagerty graduated from the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law in 1994. After a clerkship with Hodges, Doughty and Carson during law school, Heagerty was hired by the Carpenter and O’Connor firm, where he worked for six years as an associate and four years as a partner. He then practiced with Hodges, Doughty and Carson from 2004 to 2015, handling mostly civil litigation. He started his own firm in 2015, and a large percentage of his practice was in litigation cases.

AbbyGrace Rowe

Outgoing Student Bar Association President AbbyGrace “AG” Rowe of Medina, Ohio, was selected by her classmates to be the Class of 2026 graduate speaker.

The fourteenth graduating class of LMU Law is the largest in the law school’s history. The University conferred Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees on 105 graduates. Twelve of those graduates also received master’s degrees, having completed one of LMU’s three available dual degree programs for students enrolled in the J.D. program.

Ansley Letsinger provided information for this report.

Blotter

On May 28, 2026, a 36-year-old Maryville, Tennessee, man was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment by Judge Thomas A. Varlan, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, he will be on federal supervised release for two years.

Court documents showed that on May 9, 2025, the man drove to the Enbridge and East Tennessee Natural Gas LLC Natural Gas Substation in Maryville, Tennessee. He then scaled the chain-link and barbed wire fencing surrounding the substation. Once inside, he recklessly released numerous gas valves causing an immediate, high-pressure emergency release of large quantities of gas which caused the ground to shake. The man also intentionally damaged equipment used to monitor, meter and regulate the transmission of natural gas to commercial and residential consumers in Blount County. As part of his sentence, he is required to make restitution in the amounts of $23,236.27 to Enbridge Inc. and $15,456.12 to Atmos Energy. Details here.

Home Sales Report for April 2026

East TN Realtors released this information about home sales in its region:

  • East Tennessee home sales increased 8.9% in April from 2025.
  • The median sale price was $369,318 — down 2% from the previous year.
  • Total housing inventory has shot up 20% from April 2025.
  • Half of the homes sold were under contract in 32 days or less, up from 24 days a year ago.
  • 41.1% of homes sold for the asking price or above, with 18.2% selling for more than the asking price. 7.6% sold for at least $10,000 over asking and 2.5% sold for at least $25,000 over asking price.
  • The sale-to-list price ratio fell slightly to 98.7% compared to 99.3% a year ago.
  • New construction was 13.9% of total home sales, down from 14.4% in 2025.
In Memoriam

Joe Mont McAfee

Joe Mont McAfee, longtime Knoxville business attorney, passed away on May 17, 2026, at age 89. A graduate of Fulton High School and the University of Tennessee, Mr. McAfee joined the law firm his father founded in 1932 – Edgerton, McAfee, Armistead & Davis – where he represented such clients as White Stores, Weigel’s and Cherokee Distributing Co. His legal career spanned nearly 59 years. A drop-in reception to celebrate his life will be held at Cherokee Country Club on Sunday, June 21, from 4-6 p.m. Full obituary here.

Virginia Brogan

Virginia Bird Brogan of Knoxville passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Abilene, Texas, at age 91. She was the widow of attorney Beauchamp Brogan, who served as corporate counsel for both TVA and UT. Mrs. Brogan grew up near Crossville, Tennessee, where her father was agricultural extension agent and she was a farmer’s daughter. She was a graduate of the University of Tennessee in geology. The family will receive friends at a reception at Cherokee Country Club, 5205 Lyons View Pike, from 12:30-2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. Full obituary here.

Notes & quotes

Joyce Vance predicts an eventful week: “the government will have to get to work justifying its slush fund and its efforts to erase the cases against the most violent of January 6, even as it deals with another judge’s rejection of the “Trump Kennedy Center” the president tried to create.” Excerpts and analysis at Joyce Vance June 1

The Knoxville Area Urban League’s largest community event – Shoes for School on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at Covenant Health Park – will be bigger than ever and in a new location. Talk with a representative about how the event supports local students and involves a lot of community groups. Info here and donations here.

Reception to welcome Jesse Feld, new CEO of the Arnstein Jewish Community Center (AJCC), will be Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 3-5 p.m. on the Orwitz Room Terrace. RSVP appreciated.

Quote: “They could not buy my vote for 14 years, so they bought the seat.” – U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, after losing “the most expensive primary in history” on May 19, 2026, for re-election from Kentucky.

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