The week moved quickly, but some stories deserve more than one day in the spotlight. Saturday Catch-Up brings together six KnoxTNToday stories you may have missed or may want to read again. Pour another cup of coffee and choose the stories that interest you.

Trooper Cedric Roach works to change behavior and save lives

Tom King introduces Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Cedric Roach, a Knoxville native, Fulton High School graduate, Marine veteran and law-enforcement officer nearing 20 years of service. Roach speaks candidly about the hardest part of patrolling crowded interstates: responding to fatal crashes and learning to carry those memories. His career—from explosive-detection work at UT to Vanderbilt’s trauma center and the THP—has strengthened his resolve to influence drivers before tragedy occurs.

Read Trooper Cedric Roach works to alter behavior, reduce fatalities

Beth Kinnane takes a nostalgic swim through Knoxville history

A sudden swing from record heat to frost sends Beth Kinnane’s aloe plants indoors—and sends her memory back to the glass-enclosed pool at the old Howard Johnson’s on Merchant Drive. One rescued aloe, descended from plants that once lived beside the hotel’s waterfall and slide, becomes the thread connecting vanished pools at HoJo’s, the Fountain City Lions Club and Goldrush Junction. It is a funny, affectionate look at the places where Knoxville summers once unfolded.

Read All the pools I’ve loved before

A Bearden dancer stands taller after scoliosis surgery

At 14, Brooke Taylor is three inches taller, back on the dance floor and learning to see her surgical scar as part of her story. Her mother first noticed the curve in Brooke’s spine during a family boat outing. When a brace did not slow the scoliosis enough, Brooke underwent spinal fusion surgery in April. The recovery required patience, but she has already regained her aerial—a hands-free cartwheel—and the activity she feared she might lose.

Read Bearden dancer stands taller after scoliosis surgery

Find fall color without the Smokies traffic

Thousands head toward the Great Smoky Mountains each fall, but some of East Tennessee’s best autumn scenery lies in the opposite direction. Close to Home points drivers northwest through Morgan and Scott counties, where winding roads, wooded ridges, old barns and quiet communities replace long lines of brake lights. Wartburg, Frozen Head State Park, Historic Rugby, Oneida and Big South Fork offer an easygoing fall trip—with much of the color visible without leaving the car.

Read Close to Home, Far from Ordinary: Fall colors without the Smokies traffic

Crockpot season brings sweet-and-smoky comfort

Aneisa Rolen’s BBQ Meatball & Pineapple Bowls deliver big flavor without a sink full of dishes. Frozen meatballs simmer with barbecue sauce, pineapple, red onion and colorful peppers before being served over rice. The pineapple balances the smoky sauce, while the vegetables add freshness and texture. It is a practical recipe for busy families, weekly meal preparation or any night when dinner needs to take care of itself—and the leftovers reheat beautifully.

Read BBQ Meatball & Pineapple Bowls: It’s Crockpot Season!

Puzzles, possibilities and ways to connect

Monday Connections closes this week’s Catch-Up with a quick trip through East Tennessee life. The roundup points readers toward Tennessee RiverLine and its work encouraging stewardship and recreation along the river, notes the Great Smoky Mountains’ more than 800 miles of maintained trails, and offers a few lighter stops along the way. There is also a reminder that one small gesture—thanking a volunteer, checking on a neighbor or inviting someone along—can matter.

Read Monday Connections: Fall events, community helpers and discoveries

Come back Sunday for Faith Along the Way, a quieter, faith-centered read for the weekend.

OUR TOWN. YOUR NEWS. Stories that connect our community. Read. Respond. Share.

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