DeRon Jenkins celebrated with friends the opening of his HoneyBaked Ham store in Lenoir City on October 25, 2025. Jenkins, the store’s franchisee, hopes this is his first of many locations. Jenkins played cornerback for the Volunteers football team from 1992-95, alongside Peyton Manning, Al Wilson and coach Phillip Fulmer. He then played in the NFL.
Jenkins, a proud “Vol for Life,” co-hosts HGTV’s Flip or Flop Nashville.

The store is located at 870 US-321. It donated $500 to the Boys and Girls Club of Loudon County to show support for the community. More photos here.

Knoxville Choral Society

Knoxville Choral Society to present ‘Sacred Songs for Sacred Spaces’

The Knoxville Choral Society invites the community to Sacred Songs for Sacred Spaces on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 711 S Northshore Dr., Knoxville.

The program features luminous sacred choral works designed for resonant, contemplative spaces. Admission is free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Register here.

Under the direction of Dr. John R. Orr, the evening will highlight choral artistry shaped by the Cathedral’s extraordinary acoustics. The Knoxville Chamber Chorale will open the concert with a short set, followed by the full Knoxville Choral Society performing a program of sacred works spanning centuries of devotional music. Featured selections include Peter Anglea’s radiant Jubilate Deo, Brent Wells’ arrangement of It Is Well with My Soul, Elaine Hagenberg’s My Song in the Night, Kyle Pederson’s Soon We Will Be Done, and Joseph Haydn’s Achieved is the Glorious Work from The Creation.

“This concert is about letting the space help tell the story,” said Orr, artistic director of the Knoxville Choral Society. “The Cathedral’s architecture invites singers and listeners into a shared experience of resonance, text and stillness, ideal for music that celebrates joy, praise and reflection.”

COUNCIL AUTHORIZES GREENWAY CONNECTOR, BRIDGE TRAFFIC STUDY

Knoxville City Council authorized on October 14, 2025, Mayor Indya Kincannon to proceed with two important engineering projects – a unique greenway that will connect Fort Sanders and Tyson Park, and a study of changes in traffic patterns since the Gay Street Bridge closed.

Greenway connection: CDM Smith will design an innovative connector that links the Fort Sanders neighborhood with Tyson Park, Third Creek Greenway and on to an extensive network of greenways

  • The bicycle and pedestrian shared-use path includes a tunnel under the elevated CSX railroad tracks, in the vicinity of Clinch Avenue
  • A 2015 City Bicycle Facilities Plan ranked the connector as its second most important project among 120 projects
  • The design services contract is for up to $980,770; the Knoxville Regional TPO 2050 Mobility Plan estimates the overall project cost, with property acquisition and construction, to be $9.3 million

Gay Street Bridge Traffic Study: This $96,100 study will evaluate the effect of the Gay Street Bridge closure in June 2024 on traffic patterns on the Henley Bridge, Chapman Highway, James White Parkway and other streets in the area

The study will include evaluation of pre- and post-closure traffic data, community engagement with a web-based survey, and a cost-benefit analysis; the findings will help guide the city on the design and type of bridge if, potentially, a new bridge is built to replace the 127-year-old existing bridge

  • CDM Smith was selected as the most qualified of four companies that expressed interest in conducting the study
  • Due to structural defects, the existing bridge can no longer support the weight of motorized vehicles; however, a $2 million stabilization repair will allow it to reopen by the end of 2025 for limited use by bicyclists and pedestrians.

Eric Vreeland provided information for this report

The Office of Aging is getting old; to celebrate 50th year

‘Aging: A Family Affair’ will provide practical information on issues related to aging, as the Office of Aging marks 50 years of service. The event will be 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Thursday, November 6, 2025, at Rothchild Conference Center, 8807 Kingston Pike, Knoxville.

The 50th celebration will be at 11:30 a.m. Highlights include health screenings by UT Medical Center along with 80 vendors to discuss programs and services.

Registration is $30 per person and includes:

  • Light breakfast
  • Keynote session
  • Your choice of workshops (choose 3)
  • Lunch
  • Resource Expo
  • Free health screenings from The University of Tennessee Medical Center

Register online at knoxseniors.org or call 865-524-2786.

Notes & Quotes

Bill Snyder’s musical memorial, open to all, will be 2 p.m. Sunday, November 2, 2025, at the Tennessee Theatre. It will feature artistry on his beloved Mighty Wurlitzer. Doors open at 1; concert 2-4 p.m. Free.

Dollywood magically moved from Harvest Festival to Smoky Mountain Christmas. Presented by Humana, it features a winter wonderland glowing with over six million lights, towering Christmas trees and festive music around every corner.

Evan Bernstein, a national leader in combating antisemitism, will speak at noon Friday, October 31, 2025, at Arnstein Jewish Community Center, 6800 Deane Hill Drive, Knoxville. He also will speak on Sunday, November 2, at Temple Beth El with breakfast at 10 a.m. Info: 865-690-6343 or office@jewishknoxville.org

Fountain City Christmas Parade float applications are due today (Tuesday, October 28). Register at www.fountaincitychristmasparade.com if you have not done so already! Touch base with Charlie Pratt if you have any questions at this email: charles.w.pratt@mwarep.org

Quote: Air has no Residence, no Neighbor/ No Ear, no Door/ No Apprehension of Another/ Oh, Happy Air! – Emily Dickinson (1830-86)