A bunch of people have left the newspaper business recently, but not many are entering the field.
Actually, I know only two – Lesli Bales-Sherrod and her husband, Jimmy Sherrod. We don’t give them equal billing because Jimmy has a day job. He’s the pastor at Central United Methodist Church in Knoxville.
I met Lesli when she worked as a writer/editor for Pellissippi State Community College. She’s smart, friendly and eager to do good work. Earlier story here.
Lesli and Jimmy bought The Standard Banner in Jefferson County from the Gentry family, owners since 1956. The paper itself is 100 years old – 1926-2026.
Could these young folks survive? Could they maintain the high standards of the paper? We got our answer when the Tennessee Press Association handed out awards for 2025. Here is Lesli’s report on social media:
Standard Banner earns highest journalism award
“For the sixth consecutive year – and 13 of the last 20 years – The Standard Banner has earned the highest journalism award in Tennessee for nondaily newspapers with city populations of 7,500 to 24,999.
“In addition to the General Excellence Award, The Standard Banner brought home 15 awards for issues published in 2025: four first-place, five second-place, four third-place and two fourth-place. I’m particularly proud of our first-place finishes for Local Features – based on long-form Accent and Bliss! stories by staff writers Steve Marion and Mark Brown – and for Best Sports Writing, which was well deserved by Sports Editor Dennis Barker Jr.
“Jimmy and I were also tickled to receive a couple of awards ourselves. I brought home a second place for Best Single Editorial for my column “When national news hits close to home, we look for local impact,” in which I reflected on working at The Standard Banner on September 11, 2001, including interviewing two Jefferson City businessmen who were in New York City for meetings when the Twin Towers fell.
“And Jimmy, in his first newspaper position since high school!, brought home a fourth-place award for Best Personal Column. In “Memories rush back after Friday Night Lights,” Jimmy recalled his days covering our high school football games for The Patriot Press and his first trip back to Leroy Shannon Field as publisher of The Standard Banner, 31 years later.
“One of the highlights, he wrote, was reconnecting with our former classmate, Head Coach Spencer Riley, who had sat next to Jimmy in Algebra II the day he was signing with the University of Tennessee football team and used the class period to practice his signature. (Spencer, the starting center on the undefeated 1998 UT National Championship team, graciously allowed Jimmy to use that anecdote in the paper!)
“The Tennessee Press Association contest, which has been co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee System for 86 years, featured 1,088 entries submitted by 68 member newspapers and online publications. Entries were judged by the Maine Press Association this year, and General Excellence Awards were determined by assigning points to each award received. Sixteen other newspapers and online publications received awards in Group II with The Standard Banner, but no other paper came close to our 15 awards (the next highest number among our peers was 10).
“I cannot stress how much putting out a newspaper is a TEAM EFFORT. Each person on our 10-person staff plays an integral part in making something from nothing – from scratch! – every week, and we could not do it without every single one of them.
“Thank you also to my parents, Danny and Nicki Bales, who helped us make this dream a reality last year and have been our biggest cheerleaders.”
I’m a proud subscriber to The Standard Banner and you should be too if you want this news source to last another 100 years. Subscribe here.
News from West Hills
Betsy Henderson, Beau Hawk
Betsy Henderson (R) and Beau Hawk (D), candidates for Knox County Mayor, will participate in “Conversation with the Candidates” sponsored by the West Hills Community Association on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from 7-8 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene on Vanosdale Road across from West Hills Elementary School.
The election is Thursday, August 6, 2026, and early voting starts Friday, July 17.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and light refreshments will be served. The objective is to provide a civil discussion of issues facing county government and the citizens of Knox County, including West Hills. Other neighborhoods are also invited to attend.
The format will be informal and conversational. Lee Hume (president of WHCA) or another board member will moderate the conversation.
National Night Out celebration will be Tuesday, August 4, 2026, on Sheffield Drive near West Hills Elementary School.
News & Quotes
Cades Cove will host two events on Wednesday, July 8. Cycle the 11.1-mile loop on vehicle-free Wednesdays – sunrise to sunset; Cades Cove run, 6:30 a.m. Info: Knoxville Endurance at 865-643-2840. Details online.
Outdoor Knoxville for running, rafting and things that start with other letters is free online at Legacy Parks Foundation here.
Karns Community Fair will be Saturday, July 18, at Karns High School, 2710 Byington Solway Rd., Knoxville. Carnival Midway – 10-5 p.m. with Pendleton’s playground, rides, slides, games and classic carnival foods; Inside Vendors – 10-4 p.m. Details here.
Quote: What his imagination is to the poet, facts are to the historian. His exercise of judgment comes in their selection, his art in their arrangement. – Barbara Tuchman, historian
