Eight years flies when you’re having fun. Tomorrow, September 1, 2026, starting at 10 a.m. at the Tennessee Theatre, Knox County officials will be sworn in. The county commission will convene at 1 p.m. in the City County Building to elect a chair. I’m pulling for Terry Hill who has been chair before and runs an efficient meeting.
County Mayor: We will say good-bye to Glenn Jacobs as Betsy Henderson is sworn in as Knox County’s first female chief executive. After a rocky start (chief of staff and director of parks & rec), Jacobs got things settled down for his remaining tenure.
Jacobs’ achievements include (1) honoring his pledge for no increase in property taxes; (2) building and opening a state-of-the-art regional forensics center; and (3) keeping his people out of jail, always a good idea. What’s next for the big guy? Probably an appointment by Gov. Marsha Blackburn to the U.S. Senate, where professional wrestlers have been historically underrepresented.
Sheriff: Tom Spangler will hand the keys to the sheriff’s office and roughly 1,100 jail cells to Brent Gibson. Spangler, who is battling pancreatic cancer, leaves with his personal integrity intact even as 11 men associated with the office, including former Sheriff Jimmy “JJ” Jones, were indicted and await trial. Spangler will be remembered for keeping his No. 1 campaign promise – a significant raise for deputies.
Brent Gibson played center for the Vols and he’s been serving as a coach for Gibbs High School. There he was on the sidelines Friday night, helping the Eagles beat visiting Halls. Word on the street is that Justin Pratt, senior pastor at Clear Springs Baptist Church, will be replacing Kimberly Glenn as the media point-of-contact for the Sheriff’s Office. Pratt is a long-time chaplain for the office. (And Gibson attends Clear Springs.)
I guess if the sheriff can coach on the side, the preacher can spin on the side.
Trustee: Justin Biggs will leave after one-term. He was defeated in the Republican Primary by Nick McBride. Biggs picked the wrong role model. He should have served like Ed Shouse.
Nick McBride has been professional in every job he’s held. Nick follows good role models – Sherry Witt and the original Steve Hall.
Richie Beeler has experience in county government, but he’s never held the top job. Now he will, coming in as county clerk, replacing the term-limited Sherry Witt. Richie will do fine, but if he gets in trouble, help is right down the hall. Sherry Witt was elected without opposition as register of deeds.
Fleischmann applauds NIST award for quantum workforce development fellowship
Chuck Fleischmann
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded $4.2 million in federal funding as directed by U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann to strengthen the quantum workforce, marking a significant investment in the future of quantum technology in the United States, Fleischmann reports.
“The program will recruit outstanding talent and provide rigorous, specialized training to the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers,” Fleischmann said. The funding will support fellows, providing them with hands-on experience and advanced training in quantum computing and related fields. In addition, a portion of the grant will provide computing time, ensuring fellows have access to state-of-the-art quantum resources essential for their research and professional development. This article explains a bit about the science of quantum physics.
Fleischmann represents TN District 3 in the House (Oak Ridge and Chattanooga). He chairs the Energy and Water Development subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
Notes & quotes
Jay Leno will be at the Tennessee Theatre on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets here.
Legacy Luncheon for the Parks is Friday, September 25, 2026, with speaker Conor Knighton, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and author of a book about his visits to all U.S. national parks. The event is at Johnson University from 11:30-1 p.m. Ticket info here.
Outdoor Knoxville lists hundreds of activities, many free, all outdoors.
Quote: “I find that when I tell lawyer jokes to a mixed audience, the lawyers don’t think they’re funny and the non-lawyers don’t think they’re jokes.” ― John Roberts, chief justice of the United States
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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. Let’s Talk – Law archive.
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