Sherri Sanderson of Knoxville and Dean Newton are marketing a new software program created by Sanderson. The program streamlines communications with doctors.    

    It was the Greek philosopher Plato who once observed “Necessity is the mother of invention.” This expression certainly applies to Knoxville native, Sherri Sanderson, who was an expectant mother that saw the need for a software solution that would streamline communications between doctors and their patients.  

   Late in her pregnancy, Sanderson became frustrated with playing phone tag with her physician. The pregnancy was regarded as high risk which caused Sanderson some concern. When calling her doctor she found herself going through the routine of phone prompts and answering the same questions repeatedly.

    “During one visit, I asked, do you have a system that would allow patients to communicate with their doctors electronically, without playing phone tag with you?”  Sanderson said. “He replied ‘No, but we need that.  Can you build it?’”

   Sanderson hit upon an idea. With her background in computer engineering and software design, she went to work designing a solution that would integrate with an existing doctor’s website, allowing a patient to set up an account and begin communication via the web and mobile devices.  But, this system was much more than communicating through e-mail. The system allowed the patients to enter their information which would be saved in the system and streamline communication, not only with a particular doctor, but any doctor. The integrated system allowed the patients to feel more in control of their healthcare and better connected to their doctors. Patients could securely get prescriptions filled, pay their bill, pre-fill-out and maintain medical forms, set up appointments, ask medical and billing questions, without playing phone tag.

   The new solution allows doctors to save money and manage resources better. Most doctors’ offices have a nurse or other staff member that spends most of their time writing down voicemail messages, returning phone calls and managing paperwork. The new solution would allow them to concentrate their energy on other tasks, delivering better service fulfillment to their patients in the office. After four years of development, and rigorous testing, Sanderson unveiled her software solution and NurseLineMD was born.    

  NurseLineMD’s DoctorDirect solution is a cloud-based system that has taken medical care from the dark ages into the age of mobile devices and anytime, anywhere communication, and can be implemented with any doctor’s current website. Patients can enter their personal information into a secure system that complies with HIPAA laws and ensures privacy. Patients are given greater access to the medical professionals caring for them and patients can better manage their own needs. Patients access a dashboard which allows them to manage their own information. They can request appointments, prescription refills, pay their bill, ask questions and other necessary medical queries and get a response in a quick and timely manner.  DoctorDirect means no more busy signals when calling the doctor, no more will the patient be put on hold, and causes less stress on the patient and health care provider. The solution is certified in privacy and security by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

   “DoctorDirect can work as a standalone solution, allowing a practice to fulfill federal requirements at a fraction of the cost of an EHR system” Sanderson said. “It has the flexibility to integrate with an individual practice’s web presence and can be customized to an existing practice’s image or branding to enhance the user experience.”

  Sanderson has enlisted the help of a long-time friend and colleague, Dean Newton, who is helping manage the business aspects of the program and develop market strategies.  Newton has a history of incubating companies and helping bring new products to the market. “The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in east Tennessee and we are doing our part to make sure innovation and new technologies are “home grown” right here in Tennessee” states Newton.

For more information about NurseLineMD, visit the website at www.nurselinemd.com or call Sanderson at 865-748-3747.   

  A rare skunk squirrel has been spotted in Sevier County. The small furry animal resembles a skunk and squirrel hybrid and is sometimes referred to as a piebald. It is extremely rare and this may be the first time the animal was reported in Sevier County.

 

Rare Squirrel. Ducharmy Nuttavatus Species.

 

                       

   The Statue of Robert-Houdin outside his home in France.

 

In 1856, the natives of Algeria were beginning to raise a rebellion to expel the French armies that had held them under colonial control. The rebels’ fervor was fueled by the religious holy men of the region that were encouraging rebellion by performing miracles. Vast armies of rebels began to form bringing great concern to French Emperor Napoleon III.

   In an effort to put down the rebellion with minimal bloodshed and expense, Napoleon III decided to fight magic with magic. In a bold move he ordered a most unorthodox tactic that averted war and saved lives. He sent a magician to Algeria to frighten the rebels into putting down their weapons. 

  For this great display of magic he sent the man now regarded as the father of modern magic Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. Born in France in 1805, Robert-Houdin was the preeminent conjuror who defined magic and took it from the marketplace, where many magicians performed, to the theaters where he sold out performances regularly.

    In this battle of magic versus magic, the Emperor hoped Robert-Houdin could perform tricks that would baffle the most skilled conjurer in Africa and thus dissolve the excitement of the rebels. Robert-Houdin's tricks, it is said, succeeded in breaking up the influence of the holy men. In fact, the rebels became afraid of Robert-Houdin.

   Robert-Houdin met the rebel leaders and many of their men at a designated location on a makeshift stage to demonstrate the power of the French army. In one illusion, he allowed an rebel to shoot at him with a marked bullet, but instead of killing him, the magician caught the bullet between his teeth. The astonished  rebels quickly realized their guns would be useless against the French.

  As a grand finale Robert-Houdin demonstrated how he could make their most powerful man as weak as a baby and that his power was greater than that of a shaman. He presented a small empty box with an iron bottom that anyone could lift. He then asked the rebel leader to send forth his strongest soldier. A large burly man stepped forward and walked toward the magician. Robert-Houdin instructed the man to lift the box which he did with ease. He then put the box down and the magician told him “I will now take away your strength and you will be as weak as a baby.”

  The Large man was unaware that Robert-Houdin had turned on an electro-magnet under the stage making the box immovable. The mighty warrior strained to lift the small box but was unable to do so. Finally, gasping for breath, the warrior gave up. The rebels failed to notice the clever magician when he turned off the electromagnet. Robert-Houdin then bent down and lifted the metal box with one hand. The warriors gasped in astonishment. The magician had proved that through will power, he could make it impossible to lift for the strongest Algerian warriors.

    The rebels quickly realized their magic was no match for the French magic. They quickly mounted their camels and rode into the mountains and the rebellion was no more.  Through magic, the French had averted war and bloodshed and brought peace to the troubled region at least temporarily.

    Michael Williams is the author of a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

     The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

     The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

 Jenelle Arthur of Pigeon Forge appeared on American Idol Wednesday.

    A Pigeon Forge woman is on her way to Hollywood after dazzling the judges on Wednesday’s edition of American Idol.  Jenelle Arthur, 22, wowed the judges on the popular TV show with her rendition of “Where the Blacktop Ends.”

    Arthur has appeared at Dollywood and has appeared at Country Tonite and the Smith Family Theater in Pigeon Forge.

  This is Arthur’s third season making it on American Idol. She made it to Hollywood in season 10 and to Las Vegas in season 11 before she was eliminated.

   Wednesday, Arthur impressed the judges who praised her performance. Nicki Minaj told Arthur “I think you are really, really special, and you already seem like a star.”

Keith Urban, who wrote and recorded Arthur’s song choice, remarked "Yeah. I love that song. I loved it. Beautiful voice. Great control. Gorgeous baby."

Randy Jackson compared Arthur to Leann Rimes saying "the vocals were amazing, like a young LeAnn (Rimes)."

Mariah Carey closed out the panel, saying the performance was "fantastic. Very pretty. Really pretty voice and really pretty demeanor. Really nice."

Following her audition, Arthur exited the studio where she was teased by Ryan Seacrest. The host held the door preventing her from getting.

“You can’t get out unless you have a golden ticket,” Seacrest said. “Then you better open it up, Honey, ‘cause I got one,” Arthur responded.

  Arthur will be performing in the weeks to come hoping to make it to the finals. Her audition can be seen on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAi2kQ199fs.

                       

  The City of Sevierville Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a man suspected of forging checks in numerous counties, including Sevier, Anderson, Knox, Jefferson, Hamblen, Blount, Loudon, Marion, Greene and Campbell.

 According to SPD Detective Kevin Bush, the suspect has allegedly forged at least twenty-six handwritten “starter” checks, mainly in convenience and tobacco stores.

 The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6’2” tall and 190 pounds, about 55-years old, with salt and pepper hair and a mustache. He is a cigarette smoker.

 Anyone with information regarding this suspect is requested to contact Detective Bush at 865-453-5507. The SPD does not recommend that citizens approach suspects in any manner.

 

Styx performed to a sold out audince at Cherokee Friday. 

  The iconic rock group Styx rocked the Grand Event Center at a sold out concert at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Friday night. A standing room only crowd roared with excitement as the band took the stage and began belting out the classic rock tunes that catapulted the band to fame throughout the 1970s and ‘80s.

   The band showed no signs of slowing and seemed ageless as they regaled the fans with “The Grand Illusion”, “Lady” and other classic favorites.

  Prior to the show, the band sold raffle tickets to give away an electric guitar signed by the band members. The money raised by the sale of raffle tickets went to benefit Rock for A Cause, a charity the group has supported. One half of the proceeds raised y the raffle was donated to a local scholarship to help music students who would otherwise not be able to attend music school. The other half of the raffle funds will be contributed to the charity and will be disbursed at the end of the year.

   The band continued to rock the house with other memorable hits such as “The Best of Times”, “Too Much Time on my Hands” and “Come Sail Away” before leaving the stage. The expectant audience wasn’t ready to call it a night and Styx returned to the stage for an encore. The audience roared with delight when the band performed the classic “Renegade.”  

James "JY" Young and Ricky Phillips   

 

Tourists will be forced to travel an alternate route after the Newfound Gap Road washed away last week. Photo coutesy National Park Service. 

  Torrential rains last week caused a portion of U.S. Highway 441 to collapse as a result of a rockslide. The portion of road that slid down a massive 50-foot gap was approximately 100 yards in length. The gap in the road, known as Newfound Gap, is located near mile marker 22 between Collins Creek and Webb Overlook, on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

  The landslide was a result of a deluge of rain that has saturated the southeast. According to the National Park, spokeswoman Molly Schroer, approximately 90,000 cubic yards of material washed away in the landslide.

  It's not clear how long repairs will take. Federal authorities hope to make a preliminary assessment this week next week to determine how long repairs will take. More than 7 inches of rain had been recorded at Newfound Gap in the hours preceding the landslide.

   Officials anticipate Newfound Gap Road will be opened to visitors from the park's Gatlinburg entrance to the Newfound Gap parking lot soon. The open road will extend to Smokemont on the North Carolina side. For current road closure reports, call 865-436-1200, ext. 631, or follow @SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.

Flooding was reported in numerous areas across East Tennessee including Hattie Branch Road 

  Torrential rains has flooded many areas in East Tennessee and forced schools across the region to close. Heavy rainfall Monday night closed many roads or made them impassable.

   The National Weather Service reported rainfall amounts up to 3 inches Tuesday and predicted 1-2 inches Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Flood warnings were issued throughout East Tennessee and remained in effect for the region through the evening.

   The Little Pigeon River reached a crest of 10.8 feet Monday night which was down from Monday’s highest level of 13 feet.

  In  Sevierville flooding was reported on Burden Hill Road, Apple Valley Road, White School Road and River Divide Road.

   In Pigeon Forge, River Divide Road was and Tiger Drive resembled a lake. Trees and power lines were reported down on Sugar Hollow Road. Flooding was reported on Boogertown Road, River Divide Road, and Battle Hill Road.

  Gatlinburg appeared to experience the brunt of the flooding when excess runoff water caused the partial collapse of Stone Fence Lane and forced the evacuation of three rental cabins.

  Residents in Seymour reported flooding on Happy Creek,  Long Branch Road and Heather Lane.

 Webb Creek, Jones Cove Road and River Song Way in the Pittman Center area were evacuated.

   The American Red Cross Disaster Action Team opened a shelter at the Pigeon Forge Community Center for anyone who has to evacuate due to flooding.  

  According to Bob Stahlke, Sevierville rescue personnel rescued two people from a car behind the Tanger Outlet Mall. Two employees of the outlet center drove their cars into standing water in the parking lot, and quickly realized the water was much deeper than they anticipated. A firefighter retrieved both drivers and took them safely to higher ground. No injuries were reported.

 Sevier County Schools, Jefferson County and other area schools were closed Tuesday due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

           

                  Liquor by the vote continues to Stir Debate

   Voters in Pigeon Forge will soon go to the polls again to vote on the controversial liquor by the drink referendum after a judge threw out the election results Thursday amid charges of improprieties. 

  The referendum passed by 100 votes in the Nov. 6 election, but a community group later sued the Sevier County Election Commission and election officials, alleging that voter fraud tainted the results.

Chancellor Tellford Fogerty ruled Thursday that the election must be set aside and voided. Fogerty determined that poll workers made mistakes in determining who was eligible to vote in the election, but found no evidence of fraud.

"Whatever mistakes were made were good faith mistakes, innocent mistakes but nevertheless mistakes," Chancellor Fogerty said in his issuing his ruling.

The court ruled election results were "incurably uncertain." The Sevier County Election Commission came to the same conclusion Wednesday night.

Shortly after the election, an anti-liquor group, the Concerned Citizens and Churches of Pigeon Forge, sued the Sevier County Election Commission. Seventeen poll workers were given depositions which revealed confusion and errors in tallying the votes as well as determining who was eligible to vote.   

The judge concluded there was no intentional fraud in the election, a claim made by the plaintiff, Concerned Citizens and Churches of Pigeon Forge (CCCPF). The anti-liquor group brought to the attention of the court that 289 more people voted than there are residents registered to vote. The commission admitted to the chancellor that the vote was faulty

"There was no question errors were made at the polling places, predominately on Election Day," said Dennis Frances, attorney for the Sevier County Election Commission.

A new election will take place within 45 to 60 days for residents to vote on the referendum again.

"This is a case that should be decided by the ballot box, not the jury box, and it's going to be decided shortly," said attorney, Greg Isaacs.  

The new election will likely take place around Mid-March, and would be a stand-alone election. The cost of the new election is estimated to be around $4,100.

 

                                   

          Mary is executed. (Photo courtesy Erwin record)

      Erwin, Tennessee was the scene of one of the most bizarre public executions in American history. The condemned was a female elephant named Mary who was reported to have killed as many as eighteen people by popular accounts. Actual accounts and historical documents proved that she had killed only one person. This was the only crime she was known to have committed with certainty. It was the public hysteria that had concocted the rumors of the other seventeen killings. The man Mary killed was Walter “Red” Eldridge, her handler.

    This stranger than fiction story began in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Sparks Brothers Circus, where Mary was employed arrived in the little town in September, 1916 to begin a three-day engagement. 

   Charlie Sparks, owner of the circus, billed Mary as the most talented elephant ever to perform. Five tons of pure talent, she could play 25 tunes on the musical horns without missing a note. She was the pitcher on the circus baseball game and boasted an impressive batting average of .400. She was Sparks’ favorite, his cash cow and a favorite with the public.

    The killing of Eldridge and the events leading up to it have long been debated by historians and retold by storytellers. The truth has been distorted and the actual facts are somewhat mired in inaccuracy.  

     By some accounts, Mary was moody because of an abscessed tooth. Some accounts state that Eldridge, during his brief tenure with the circus, was known to be abusive with the elephants. He was little man with a large stick with a hook at the end of it and he felt like a giant when he made the mighty behemoths cower. Apparently, Mary had had enough of the abuse. 

     An account published in the Johnson City Staff on September, 13, 1916 reported, Mary “collided its trunk vice-like about Eldridge’s body, lifted him 10 feet into the air, then dashed him with fury to the ground…. and with the full force of her beastly fury is said to have sunk her tusks entirely through his body. The animal then trampled the dying form of Eldridge as if seeking a murderous triumph. Then with a sudden…swing of her massive foot hurled the body into the audience.”

     When word got out that a rampaging elephant had killed someone, panic broke out in the streets. Soon, rumors were circulating that an enraged elephant had killed 18 people and was still on the loose.  Dozens of concerned citizens armed with shotguns began walking the streets searching for the behemoth. Women and children were urged to stay indoors until the creature could be caught or killed.

    Fortunately, the law intervened and quickly quelled the public hysteria. They informed the crowd that Mary had been captured and disputed the rumors of a raging elephant by announcing she had killed only one person. Police assured the crowd everything was under control and asked that everyone return to their homes. The nervous citizens dispersed and police were able to begin their investigation.     

     Once Mary calmed down, she stood in her cage eating a healthy portion of hay. The owners of the circus were then summoned to meet with local public officials to discuss Mary’s fate. They wanted to discuss the best way to handle the affair and appease a nervous public. Many in town were concerned Mary could escape and go on another rampage and kill again. They wanted her destroyed. There were some who disagreed and believed she should be spared. They firmly believed Mary had been provoked and was merely defending herself.

     Mary sat quietly in her cage. No one knows if her animal instinct sensed danger or if she sensed that her life was in peril. Her fate now rested in the hands of the city officials and the circus owners.

     The local authorities deemed that Mary should be destroyed. They knew little about these mammoths and felt they had legitimate safety concerns. It would have been economically in the best interests of the circus owners to simply leave town and spare Mary’s life. After all, she was worth $20,000 and could perform for thirty more years.  However, the local authorities were adamant. Charlie Sparks realized that if he refused to destroy the elephant then other cities might not grant him a permit to put on a show with the possibility of a rogue elephant going on a rampage.

     Now, the question was how to destroy Mary. No one in town had an elephant gun. Attempting to kill her with smaller guns could take numerous shots and could potentially erupt into a bloody and violent affair.  It simply wouldn’t be humane. Another suggestion was to hook her to two opposing trains and dismember her or crush her between two trains. But, both suggestions were dismissed because they were deemed too cruel. The only other option was hanging. But where could the execution be carried out?  It would take a large crane to hang her. There were no cranes in Kingsport that would support her immense weight. After careful consideration it was decided that Mary should be taken to Erwin, Tennessee where a large crane was available at the CC&O Railroad depot. 

     On the day of the execution, September 13, 1916, Sparks held a matinee to a disappointed audience who wanted to see the famed performing elephant. He didn’t miss an opportunity to use Mary’s horrible misfortune to his advantage. The circus owner sought to assuage their disappointment by promising them they would be allowed to witness Mary’s execution at no additional cost thus satisfying his paying customers’ morbid curiosity or thirst for blood.  

      Following the show, the five elephants walked trunk to tail down Love Street where a crowd of more than 2,500 curious onlookers and reporters had gathered. Mary’s foot was chained to a rail while the other four elephants were escorted off.  Moments later, a chain suspended from a crane and fashioned into a noose was slipped over Mary’s head and around her neck. She suspected nothing. Suddenly, the order was given and she was hoisted into the air. Wade Ambrose, who was 20 at the time, later recalled he heard bones and ligaments cracking in her foot. They realized they had not released her foot from the rail. She was lowered just enough to release her foot then hoisted into the air again. She gasped and thrashed desperately. Then the chain suspending her immense body snapped and she fell to the ground and was stunned into a dazed silence. Slowly, she sat upright, immobilized by the pain of a broken hip. Seeing Mary loose, and not realizing she had a broken hip, the crowd shrieked in horror and scattered. Then a man ran up Mary’s back like he was climbing a hill and attached another chain. She offered no resistance when they lowered the crane and hanged her a second time, successfully, before the expectant crowd.

    Her lifeless body hung in the rail yard for 30 minutes before it was finally lowered as a grave was being dug by a steam shovel. As the grave was being prepared, a veterinarian briefly examined Mary and discovered she did indeed have two abscessed teeth. Her body was dropped into the shallow grave. The exact location is now unknown as it was largely forgotten by the passing of time and the erosion brought on by the gentle rains that washed away the mound of dirt covering the unfortunate elephant.              

                            

 

   

    The iconic rock group, Styx, is coming to Harrah’s Casino in Cherokee Friday January, 18. Styx exploded on the music scene in the late 1970s and reached the peak of their popularity in the 1980s with a string of hits including “Lady”, “Babe”, “Come Sail Away”, “Renegade”, “Show Me the Way”, “The Best of Times”, “Mr. Roboto” and numerous other memorable hits.

    In a telephone interview lead guitarist James “JY” Young discussed the upcoming show, the band’s current tour and their latest projects.

      “We perform 110 shows a year for the past 15 years,” Young said. “We’ve never played in Cherokee before but it sounds like a great place where people can enjoy a great concert, drink and get a room rather than drive off into a river. We toured  England with Journey and Foreigner in 2011. Now, we are touring most of North America and continue to sell out arenas with no end in sight.”

   Young graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology with a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering before joining the band nearly four decades ago.

  “I always levitated toward music,” Young said. “My dad had an ear for music and was a skilled piano player. Engineering was a fallback plan. If the music hadn’t worked out as it did I would have worked in the family business. The technical skills are serving me well now that everything has become more computerized. I am little ahead of others.”

  The band played Knoxville last year at the Tennessee Theater where they played to a capacity crowd. Although Styx has been performing since the 1970s, they continue to attract a new legion of fans.

  “When I see those young fans who are discovering our music for the first time I am flabbergasted, astounded and delighted,” Said Young. “We are the soundtrack for people’s inglorious misspent youth. The music still resonates with a young crowd and still appeals to a growing minority of fans under the age of 25. Live performing is what we do because we love it. It’s a joy not a chore.”

  Over the years the band has had several members that have left and were replaced. Young is the only member that has appeared on all the band’s records. One creative member that left the band several years back was Dennis DeYoung. As late as 2011, Rolling Stone Magazine speculated on the possibility of DeYoung returning to the band. Young denied any possibility of such a reunion.

  “When they are playing hockey on the river Styx we’ll have a reunion,” Young said. “With global warming there’s no chance of that. He is very creative but he wants to do things his way and he is set in his ways. We are set in ours.”

  Currently the band is planning a new video and a new song that will appear on You-Tube and on their web Site. Young said he hopes MTV will pick up the video. The band is primarily concentrating on concerts and less on recording.

 “We see our counterparts like REO Speedwagon, Heart and Paul McCartney selling out arenas but their albums are selling fewer than 100,000 copies. These days everybody is making records on their computers,” Young said. “It’s so easy to download music. Most people don’t buy records and CDs anymore. We pride ourselves on perfection. We prefer playing to a live audience.”

  Styx takes the stage at 9 p.m. at the Grand Events Center at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in Cherokee located at 777 Casino Drive. For ticket information call 828-497-7777 or visit the web Site at www.harrahscherokee.com.  

                                

                                PFC. Glenn Schoenmann

    The remains of a Korean War veteran, missing for 62 years is being returned to the Volunteer State for a proper burial.

   Private First Class Glenn Schoenmann was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division in the United States Army when he was involved in the infamous Battle of Chosin Reservoir in North Korea on November 28, 1950. The Grundy County native was captured and reportedly died as a Prisoner of War on December 29, 1950. Family members say Schoenmann’s remains were recovered in 2004, but the identification process was finalized in December, 2012.

Schoenmann was born in Palmer, Tennessee, but grew up in Tracy City where he attended James Shook School and worked on the Werner Farm with his family.  Schoenmann was  20-years old when he died.

 “The Schoenmann family has waited 62 years to give Glenn a proper burial, and we join them in remembering his service and sacrifice,” Gov. Bill Haslam said.  “As a state we mourn the loss of PFC Schoenmann, but we are grateful for his return to his home and family.”

   Veterans Affairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder  worked with the U.S Department of Defense to arrange the return of Schoenmann’s remains.

  “PFC Schoenmann’s courage and bravery to serve his country will be recognized and remembered by his fellow Tennesseans,” Grinder said.  “The closure for the Schoenmann family is continued proof we should never give up until all of our missing in action and prisoner of war service members have been brought home.”

   The body of PFC Schoenmann will arrive at the Nashville International Airport at 12:45 p.m. (CST) on Thursday, January 10, 2013.  Visitation will be Friday, January 11 from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. (CST) at Layne Funeral Home in Palmer.  Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday January 12 at Grundy County High School in Coalmont.  Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. at Grundy County High School with the burial to follow at the Brown’s Chapel Cemetery in Palmer.  In case of inclement weather, all services will be held at Layne Funeral Home in Palmer.

   Schoenmann is survived by his sister Edna Kilgore of Monteagle, Tennessee, brothers Ernest Schoenmann of Creave Coure, Illinois, Raymond Schoenmann of Tracy City, Tennessee and Carl Schoenmann of Winchester, Tennessee.

   “It just means a lot that he will be buried in the same cemetery with our mother, father and grandparents,” Raymond Schoenmann said.  “It’s finally uniting the family back together.”

 

George Washington was accidentally bled to death by well-intentioned doctors.

 

It seems inconceivable that a man of George Washington’s stature, who has become iconic in American history, would die in such an inglorious manner as medical bungling, but, such was the case. This was due to the primitive methods and lack of understanding of human physiology at the time.  

    On the afternoon of December 13, 1799, former President George Washington was returning home from a long, cold, wintry horse-back ride across his vast Mount Vernon Estate. He was achy, felt feverish and was hoarse. He had dinner with his wife, Martha, before retiring to the upstairs bedroom of his palatial home to get a good night’s sleep. Early the following morning chills awakened Washington. He awakened Martha who summoned Washington’s long time personal secretary, Tobias Lear, who immediately came to the aid of the stricken former president.

 Lear found Washington experiencing difficulty breathing and almost unable to speak. Lear began to administer treatment to the ailing Washington and made careful detailed notes of the final agonizing hours.

   During the 18th century, bleeding was a common practice. The belief was that infected blood would be removed from the body, which will regenerate new, healthy blood. Quite often, leeches were used for the practice, but, if there were no leeches available, then a vein would be cut open with a knife and blood would then be drained.

   Lear then sent a servant to summon Dr. James Craik. Lear gave the patient a mixture of molasses, vinegar and butter. But, Washington’s throat was closing up and he was having difficulty swallowing. Researchers believe he was suffering from epiglottitis, a condition that inflames the small tissue flap that blocks the entrance to the lungs during swallowing.

   A string was tied around Washington’s arm and the doctor sliced into a vein to remove a half pint of the patient’s blood.

 Washington showed no signs of rallying and a piece of flannel was dipped into a boiling pot of water and herbs. The hot, steaming poultice was then applied to Washington’s neck in an attempt to draw out infection. By some accounts the hot poultice scalded the ailing president.

  Shortly afterwards, Martha summoned a Dr. Haywood, a family friend who had experience at performing tracheotomies. Haywood lived a considerable distance from Mount Vernon and there was concern that he might not arrive in time.

    Craik diagnosed the condition as quinsy, a condition now referred to as strep throat. Many modern scholars disagree with Craik’s diagnosis in support of the epiglottitis theory.

 Craik then applied a blister of cantharides to Washington’s throat. Cantharides are Spanish flies ground up and boiled in water. They are used as a counter irritant in hopes of drawing out the infection. Too much of the chemical can result in kidney failure.

  He then ordered a gargle of vinegar and sage tea. He then asked Washington to inhale some vinegar and hot water steam. While attempting to use the gargle Washington almost suffocated. 

  Craik ordered a second bleeding. Again, a pint of blood was drained from the president. Craik then waited for approximately an hour. Washington’s condition seemed to be deteriorating. In response, the doctor performed a third bleeding. By now, the patient was in great discomfort and very weak. Craik examined his throat again and realized it was beginning to close up. Craik then sent for Dr. Brown and Dr. Elisha Dick to ask their opinions. They arrived by 3 a.m. Brown wisely advised against further bleeding.

   Brown recommended a tracheotomy. The two other doctors were adamant and a fourth bleeding was performed. This time an entire quart of blood was removed. Lear observed that the blood was slow and very thick. Washington was now extremely weak from the loss of blood and barely able to remain conscious. The end was near.

 Modern historians estimate the doctors foolishly removed 80 ounces (.63 gallons) of the president’s blood in 12 hours. This was about 35% of the blood in his body.

   At approximately 4 a.m. Washington summoned Martha to his bed and instructed her to get his will from his desk. 

   The three doctors wanted to remove yet another pint of blood but Washington refused. “I cannot survive another bleeding” he said. 

 At 5 a.m. Craik returned to the patient’s bedside and Washington told him “Doctor, I die hard but I am not afraid to die. I believed from my first attack that I should not survive it. My breath cannot last long. Tis, well,” said Washington. Moments later he gasped his last breath and died on December 14, 1799. 

  Dr. Haywood arrived shortly after Washington passed away. He was certain a tracheotomy would have saved him. He suggested he could give Washington lamb’s blood to resurrect him and then perform the tracheotomy.  Martha politely refused.

     Dr. Craik immediately realized that mistakes had been made in Washington’s care. Twenty years later, in a letter to a colleague, he wrote, “Had we not taken that last quart of blood our friend, George, might have been alive now. But we were governed by the best light we had.”

   Michael Williams has written a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

      The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

 

  

 Batman is one of several monster trucks that will be featured at Monster Jam at Thompson-Boling Arena 

    The rip roaring excitment of monster trucks is coming to Thompson Boling Arena when Monster Jam roars into town on January 11 and 12.

    Monster Jam will feature USHRA Monster Trucks Metal Mulisha driven by Todd Leduc, Batman driven by Norm Miller, Black Stallion driven by Mike Vaters, Iron Warrior driven by Trey Meyers, Nitemare driven by Andy Hoffman and Full Boar driven by Ed Eckert!!

    Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, monster trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, monster trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Monster trucks can fly up to125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.

    The Party in the Pits on Saturday January 12, 5pm to 6:30pm gives fans the opportunity to get a view of the trucks up close and meet the drivers of the massive monster trucks.

    Monster Jam, sanctioned by the United States Hot Rod Association, is the most popular monster truck tour, performing to over 4 million fans annually at the most prestigious arenas and stadiums throughout the world. Monster Jam shows consist of three main fan-favorite elements – the pit party, racing and freestyle. The pit party gives all fans a chance to meet the stars of Monster Jam up-close while taking pictures and getting autographs.

 Monster Jam events are affordably priced for the whole family with seats starting at $7 for kids $20 for adults. Special Gold Circle seating available for $25 and Front Row for $40. Pit Passes for the Saturday January 12^th Party in the Pits are available at participating Advance Auto Parts locations. Tickets are also available at the Thompson Boling Arena Box office, www.knoxvilletickets.com or 865-656-4444.

 Monster Jam will be performing at the Thompson-Boling Arena on:

 Friday, January 11       7:30pm

Saturday, January 12   7:30pm

                          

    60 Years ago this week Hank Williams died on his way to a New Year's Day show in West Virginia after passing through Knoxville  

    On a cold wintry night on January 1, 1953, 17-year-old Charles Carr stood in front of a gas station next to his car speaking to the attendant about the passenger in his car. In the back seat lay the dead body of one of the most famous men in the United States, country music star Hank Williams, who had died at the age of 29.

   The passing of Hank Williams sent shock waves across the nation as fans mourned the loss of the young star. His passing was the end of a promising career but the beginning of a legacy that transformed the troubled singer to a legend of almost mythical status. Separating the myth from the truth can be challenging. To this day there are disputes as to what happened in those final hours.

     Hank Williams was born on September 17, 1923 in Mount Olive, Alabama in Butler County. He was the third child of Elonzo (Lon) and Lillie Williams. The couple’s first child, Earnest, died two days after his birth. Their daughter, Irene, was born in 1922, just 13 months before Hank.

   Lon, a World War I veteran, was absent throughout much of Hank’s youth. Lon died in 1970.

  Contrary to popular belief, Hank was not illiterate. He quit school in the 10^th grade to help support the family. He was able to read and write and began writing poetry in the first grade, although, he never learned to read music. His family relocated to Greenville where his mother bought the aspiring musician a guitar for $3.50. He learned to play from a black street musician named Rufus Payne, also known as Tee-Tot, who tutored Hank in exchange for meals or money. Payne was a major influence on Hank's later musical style. The Williams family moved to Montgomery, Alabama in the in 1937 and eventually lost touch with Payne who died in poverty in 1939.

    In 1937, Hank participated in a talent show at the Empire Theater where he won the first prize of $15,(The equivalent of $242 in 2012) singing his first original song "WPA Blues" a song he wrote.  

    After school and on weekends Hank sang and played his guitar on the sidewalk in front of the WSFA radio studios. His street performances caught the attention of WSFA producers, who occasionally invited him to perform on air. Soon, the producers hired the youth to host a 15-minute show twice a week.

    Hank’s radio show fueled his entry into a music career. His salary was enough for him to start his own band, which he dubbed the Drifting Cowboys.

    The band traveled throughout central and southern Alabama performing in clubs and at private parties. Lillie became the band’s manager. Hank dropped out of school in October, 1939 at the age of 16, allowing the Drifting Cowboys to work full time. Between tour schedules, Hank returned to Montgomery to host his radio show.

    Sifting through a plethora of books, articles and movies about Hank’s brief life, an image of a raging alcoholic emerges. But, as Hank’s daughter, Jett Williams, points out, this is inaccurate.

 “My father was not a raging alcoholic,” Jett said. “If he were a raging alcoholic, how could he have written all those songs and made all those recordings?”

   In truth, Hank was a young man who was born during the great depression whose family lived in poverty. He was presented with an opportunity to lift his family from the bonds of destitution. It was a daunting challenge for a teenager suffering from debilitating health problems. Hank suffered from spina bifida, a developmental birth defect caused by the incomplete closure of the neural tube. Hank’s spina bifida frequently caused excruciating back aches. The problem became more pronounced as he grew older and his pain became more chronic often leaving Hank racked with unspeakable agony. According to Beth Petty of the Hank Williams Museum, in Montgomery, Alabama, there were incidences in which Hank’s pain became unbearable and he would lie down in a fetal position and cry. According to Petty, Hank was traveling in a cramped car with several other musicians as much as 2,000-3,000 miles a week along old country roads in the era before the interstate which inflamed his pain.    

   In recent years, some medical professionals visiting the museum have suggested Hank may have suffered from marfan syndrome as well. Marfan syndrome is a disorder of connective tissue, the tissue that strengthens the body's structures. These disorders of connective tissue affect the skeletal system, cardiovascular system, eyes, and skin and often weaken the heart and lungs.

    Based on Hank’s medical history, it would appear he was not the drug addicted alcoholic depicted in print and movies. Rather, he emerges as a musical prodigy who wrote music that transcended the generations and spoke to the common man. While his mind was vibrant and creative, his body was sickly and dying a slow painful death. Living in an era in which little was known of marfan and spina bifida, he was administered pain killers such as morphine that proved to be addictive. Often, even the potent drugs were not enough to relieve the pain and he resorted to occasional alcohol use as well.      

  Hank’s star was on the rise and it all appeared to come to a halt with the outbreak of World War II when his entire band was conscripted into the service. Standing 6’1 tall and weighing 145 pounds and suffering from back problems, Hank was classified as 4-F and deemed unfit for service.      

  With the loss of his band, it appeared as though Hank’s dreams of musical success were dashed as well as his hopes. Hank had trouble finding their replacements and started drinking heavily, causing WSFA to dismiss him.

   Hank went to work singing in bars for soldiers. In 1943, he met Audrey Sheppard on a medicine show in Banks, Alabama. The two lived and worked together in Mobile. Audrey later told Hank she wanted to move to Montgomery with him to start a band together and help him regain his radio show. The couple was married in 1944 in a Texaco Station in Andalusia, Alabama, by a justice of the peace.

   Audrey became Hank’s manager for nearly a decade. In 1945, the couple moved to Montgomery. With her help, Hank started performing again for WSFA writing songs weekly to perform during the shows. As a result of the new variety of his repertoire, Hank published his first song book,” Original Songs of Hank Williams.” The book only listed lyrics, since its main purpose was to attract more audience. 

    On September 14, 1946, Hank auditioned for the Grand Ole Opry but was rejected. He and Audrey traveled to Nashville, to meet Fred Rose of Acuff-Rose Music who signed Hank to a six song contract.

   Hank signed with MGM Records in 1947 and released "Move It on Over", which became a massive country hit. In 1948 he moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, and he joined the Louisiana Hayride, a radio show broadcast that propelled him into living rooms all over the southeast appearing on weekend shows. Hank eventually started to host a show on KWKH and started touring across western Louisiana and eastern Texas, always returning on Saturdays for the weekly broadcast of the Hayride.

    Hank had a big year in 1949. He released "Lovesick Blues", which became a huge country hit, crossing over to mainstream audiences. On May 26, Audrey gave birth to Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams Jr.). Then on June 11, Hank made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where he became the first performer to receive six encores.  Within the year Hank released seven hit songs including "Wedding Bells," "Mind Your Own Business," "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)," and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It."

     In 1950, Hank began recording as "Luke the Drifter" for his religious-themed recordings, many of which are recitations rather than singing. Fearful that disc jockeys and jukebox operators would hesitate to accept these unusual recordings, Hank used this alias to avoid hurting the marketability of his name.  Most of the material was written by Hank. The songs depicted Luke the Drifter travelling around from place to place, narrating stories from different characters and philosophizing about life.

    Hank’s star continued to rise and he released  a string of hits including; "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy", "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me", "Why Should We Try Any More?", "Nobody's Lonesome for Me", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me?", "Moanin' the Blues", and "I Just Don't Like This Kind of Livin'". In 1951 "Dear John" became a hit, but it was the flip side, "Cold, Cold Heart", that became one of his most-recognized songs. A pop cover version by Tony Bennett released the same year stayed on the charts for 27 weeks, peaking at number one.

   In 1951, Hank fell during a hunting trip in Tennessee and suffered a back injury which caused him excruciating pain. He began using pain killers, including morphine, and alcohol to ease the pain. He continued to tour in uncomfortable conditions that aggravated his spinal problems and exacerbated his dependence on painkillers and alcohol. He underwent spinal surgery at Vanderbilt University which did little to eradicate his misery.    

    His drinking worsened and in 1952. In the spring of that year he met Bobbie Jett and had a brief relationship with her. Bobbie gave birth to Hank’s daughter, Jett, on January 6, 1953, five days after Hank died.

    During 1952, Hank experienced a perfect storm of circumstances that contributed to his chemical dependency. He met Horace Raphol "Toby" Marshall in Oklahoma City, who claimed to be a doctor. Marshall had been previously convicted for forgery, and had been paroled from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 1951. Among other fake titles he claimed to be a Doctor of Science. Marshall began treating Hank’s ailments and prescribed Williams with amphetamines, Seconal, chloral hydrate, and morphine. Hank was unaware Toby was a fraud. Hank’s drinking began to affect his performing and his personal life. In May, he divorced Audrey and on August 11, 1952, he was given a leave of absence from the Grand Ole Opry for habitual drunkenness. Roy Acuff told him "You've got a million-dollar voice, son, but a ten-cent brain."

    He returned to perform in the Louisiana Hayride where his performances were acclaimed when he was sober. His band, the Drifting Cowboys, began backing Ray Price and Hank began performing with house bands. By the end of 1952, Hank’s had started to suffer heart problems and possibly never knew how serious his condition was. Due to Hank's excesses, Fred Rose stopped working with him.

  There were some high points in 1952, for Hank. He recorded "Kaw-Liga," along with "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Take These Chains from My Heart" during his last session in September. In October 1952, he married Billie Jean Jones. Toward the end of the year, Hank had sworn off liquor and was attempting to clean up his act. Unfortunately, his heart was beginning to fail due to chemical dependency and other health related issues.

     He agreed to play four shows in two days: two shows in West Virginia at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium on the evening of Wednesday, December 31, 1952; and two shows in Canton, Ohio, on the afternoon and evening of Thursday, January 1, 1953. He left his home in Montgomery, Alabama, on Tuesday, December 30, for what became his final journey.

   The journey started in Montgomery, when Hank asked the owner of Liberty Cab Company, “Pitt” Carr, to drive him to Canton, Ohio. Pitt asked his 17-year-old son, Charles to make the 1,000 mile drive.

  “My father always took care of Hank” Charles Carr said. “He often bought him breakfast at a local café when he saw him in town.”

  Numerous books, movies and articles have been written over the years chronicling the events leading up to Hank’s death. No two accounts are in complete agreement. Today, 60 years after his death there is still much disagreement with what happened in those final hours even among witnesses and family members.

     One of the worst snow storms in recent memory had slammed the southeast impeding Hank and Charles as they made their way north toward Charleston. They arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee, shortly before noon on Wednesday. Running behind schedule, they decided to catch a plane the rest of the way to Charleston. Their plane took off from Knoxville but was unable to land at the Charleston airport because of fog and had to turn around to go back to Knoxville. In Knoxville, Carr phoned A.V. Bamford, the promoter of the concerts. They determined that, due to the distance and driving conditions, Hank would be unable to make either of the Charleston shows. Bamford instructed Carr to begin making his way to Canton in time for the 2 p.m. matinee performance the following afternoon.

  The two rested for a few hours at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville where Hank began to experience hiccups that contributed to his discomfort. Carr called the hotel doctor who came to attend Hank and administered a B-6 shot. Unfamiliar with Hank’s medical history, the doctor may not have realized that in rare cases, hiccups are a symptom of heart disease.

   Hank and Carr left Knoxville at about 10:45 that evening. Hank was not feeling well and had to be wheeled out of the hotel in a wheelchair by a bell boy. The two continued north and east along the same route that they had plotted earlier. They drove through Blaine and into Rutledge, Tennessee. While passing through Rutledge, Carr passed another vehicle and was pulled over by the police.  The officer escorted Carr to the home of the Justice of the Peace and told the judge Carr has passed illegally. The justice issued a fine. Carr asked how much the fine was and the justice responded “How much have you got?”

  “I told them I had $75 and they took all of it,” Carr recalled. “They wrote $25 on the ticket and the two men divided the other $50 between them.”

  Hank and Carr then continued on their journey through Bristol, Virginia then into Bluefield West Virginia where they made a stop at around 4 a.m. There they picked up relief drive Don Surface at a local taxi cab stand.

  Soon after entering Bluefield, Carr pulled into an all-night diner. He turned to Hank and asked if he wanted anything. Hank responded “I think I’ll take a nap.” He got out of the car momentarily to stretch his legs and got back into the back seat to sleep. Little did Carr realize he had just heard Hank Williams’ last words.

   Soon, Carr and Surface continued on their journey toward Oak Hill. Shortly before entering the sleepy little town, Carr noticed the blanket had slipped off Hank. With one hand on the wheel he reached back and attempted to pull the blanket up.

  “I noticed he didn’t look right,” Carr said. “His head was opposite to me. His right arm was across his chest. I started to move his arm and noticed some resistance.”

  Carr pulled into a Phillips Service Station and looked into the back seat. He went inside and found the attendant who was a man in his 50s.

   “He looked into the back seat and said ‘I think you’ve got a problem’” Carr said.

  The attendant gave Carr directions to the hospital and he drove cautiously to the hospital to get Hank medical attention. Moments later, two orderlies came out with a metal exam table and lifted Hank’s lifeless body from the car and laid it upon the table.

   “One of them looked at me and said ‘he’s dead’,” Carr recalled.

   As the attending physician had Hank’s body taken to the hospital morgue, Carr gave hospital officials all of Hank’s information then calmly called his father and Hank’s wife, Billy Jean. 

 “Billy Jean told me not to let anything happen to the car. It was a good thing I called my father. Later that day the Associated Press reported that both Hank and I were killed in a car accident,” Carr said.

  Later that day the news service corrected the earlier report.

  Hank’s body was taken to Tyree’s Funeral Home across the street from the hospital. As word of Hank’s death spread through the little town, a small crowd of people gathered at the car. Some were hoping to find souvenirs. A local mechanic, Pete Burdette, offered to let Carr store the Cadillac in a bay at his service station, Burdette Pure Oil Station. Joe Tyree, the owner of Tyree’s Funeral Home, allowed Carr to sleep on a cot in a small apartment over the funeral home.

 “Joe Tyree and his family treated me like I was a member of his family. I don’t think he could have handled the situation any better,” Carr recalled. “Later that day I watched football on TV with several city councilmen at Joe’s home.”

     Almost immediately questions arose about the circumstances surrounding Hank's death. There was an unexplained welt on Hank’s head and confusion about the time and cause of death. Magistrate Virgil Lyons consulted with prosecuting attorney Howard W. Carson and decided to conduct a coroner's inquest in an effort to rule out the possibility of foul play. A group of local citizens were quickly assembled to serve on the coroner's jury. The inquest began at around 1 p.m., in an upstairs room at Tyree Funeral Home. The jurors were taken upstairs to see Hank’s body.

 The coroner's jury reached a verdict that there had been no foul play and that Williams had died of a "severe heart condition and hemorrhage." With this verdict, local police involvement in the case came to an end.

  At about 3 p.m. that afternoon, an autopsy was performed at the funeral home by Dr. Ivan Malinin, a pathologist from the Beckley hospital. The official cause of death was listed as heart failure aggravated by acute alcoholism. No traces of drugs were said to have been listed in the autopsy report.

   That afternoon, Hank’s mother, Lillian Stone, and Pitt Carr arrived from Alabama. The pair flew into Roanoke and took a taxi to Oak Hill because the Charleston airport was still fogged in. Mrs. Stone first stopped at the police station where she was briefed on the situation. She had legal papers that established her as next of kin.  Stone made all the arrangements to transport her son home. She chose a Batesville casket with silver finish and white interior. Stone went to her car and chose one of his white cowboy outfits to bury him in. Joe Tyree later said she was a "nice, stately-looking woman, very pleasant and composed. She held her grief." Later that day Billie Jean and her father arrived. 

    Stone arranged for Tyree and his assistant Alex Childers to drive the body back to Montgomery. She and the Carrs returned in the Cadillac. The hearse left Oak Hill at about 4:30 p.m., on January 2 in a misting rain. Tyree played the radio which reminded him of the impact of Hank’s music. All along the way radio stations played Hank’s music. Each time they pulled into service stations to refuel, the attendants would wipe the dirt off the license plate and see the West Virginia tags. They would then ask Tyree if they were carrying Hank back. They pulled into White's Chapel Funeral Home in Montgomery about 7 a.m. Tyree and Childers went to a hotel to get some rest. When they asked if there were any vacancies they were told every hotel in town was booked solid because people were coming in from around the world for Hank’s funeral. The two men went back to the funeral home where they laid down on some bunks and slept until noon before returning to West Virginia.

    In the pre-internet era communication traveled somewhat slower and many fans appeared at the concert in Canton unaware Hank had died. According to former Drifting Cowboy Don Helms, when the emcee announced Hank’s death to the crowd, a hushed silence fell over the crowd. The festive concert took the aura of a funeral home. Moments later, Hawkshaw Hawkins and other performers started singing "I Saw the Light," as a tribute to Hank, and the audience sang along.

  Hank’s body lay in wake at his mother's boarding house for two days. His funeral was held January 4, at the Montgomery Auditorium, with his coffin placed on the flower-covered stage. It was the largest funeral in Montgomery’s history. An estimated 25,000 people passed by Hank’s casket and the auditorium was filled with 2,750 mourners. He was laid to rest at the Oakwood Annex in Montgomery.

   His death at the early age of 29 created as much sensation as Elvis Presley’s death in 1977 and Michael Jackson’s death in 2009. Record stores all over the nation quickly sold out of all of Hank’s records, and customers were asking for any records he ever released.

   Sixty years after Hank’s death there is controversy over what happened the night he died that has created disagreement even among family members. 

  “It would be so easy to say he slipped away into the night,” said Jett Williams. “It would be so easy to say it happened the way they said it did. In my opinion there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding his death and a lot of unanswered questions. An autopsy report said his body was badly beaten and had many bruises on it. I am hopeful that one day the truth will come out.”

  Over the years there have been many that have suggested Hank had been beaten in those final hours of his brief life and that he was on drugs or drunk. Charles Carr disputes these claims.

  “There were no bruises on his head. There were no bruises at all,” Carr said. “He was never beaten.”

   Supporting Carr was the coroner’s inquest which found no evidence of foul play and no traces of drugs in his system.

   “Joe Tyree has said on numerous occasions that Hank was not bruised when his body was brought in,” said Beth Petty.

  Hank Williams Jr. has accepted Carr’s account of what happened. He once asked Carr to write him a statement declaring his father wasn't drugged or drunk at the time he died. Carr wrote the statement which gave Hank Jr. the closure he sought. 

   Hank’s Legacy

  It has been 60 years since Hank Williams died. His music has proven to be timeless attracting legions of fans that are discovering his music for the first time. His genius is that he wrote painfully personal songs that maintained a universal appeal.  He probed his own soul, truthfully and deeply touching the listeners.  Referred to by some as the "Hillbilly Shakespeare," he had a brief but phenomenally successful career, recording 225 songs, including 11 number-one hits and wrote an astounding 128 songs.  Among the hits he wrote were "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin'," and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry."

 “He was able to write songs and create lyrics that told people he knew how they felt,” said Jett Williams. “He was an innovator who created up-beat hits that were a head of their time. He wrote ‘Move it on Over’ nine years before ‘Rock around the Clock’ and the music of the two songs sound almost alike except the lyrics are different.”

   Hank’s music continues to attract new fans with each passing generation. His boyhood home, grave site and other tourist attractions related to him continue to attract tourists from around the world. The Hank Williams Museum attracts as many as 50,000 visitors annually. His cabin in Lake Martin where he wrote Kaw-Liga has been preserved and thousand s make the pilgrimage to his grave site each year. In Oak Hill a memorial that features a likeness of Hank mounted on a stone pedestal stands on the lawn in front of the local library and across the street from the now-defunct Pure Oil station.

“The simplicity of his music and the stories his songs tells continue to attract new fans,” Petty said. “We have had fans from more than 50 countries visit the museum. The songs were never translated into other languages. Many of our visitors can’t speak English but they know the lyrics to “Hey, good Lookin.’”  

       

          

                         Charles Carr comforts Irene Williams

  Hank's funeral was the largest in Montgomery's history. More than 25,000 people filed past Hank's casket.

     

   The car Hank died in is now on display at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery.  

    Michael Williams is the author of a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

    The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

     The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

The driver of a Rinehart transport truck escaped injury after his truck veered off the road on Dollywood Lane and crashed into a tree. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

  

   David Lewis of the Wilderness straps in Sevier County firefighter James De La Cruz who prepares to ascend the ropes.

         Members of the Sevierville Fire Department were on hand with employees of Adventure Forest at the Wilderness Resort to practice rescue techniques from a zip line this week.  Employees certified on the resort’s zip line escorted SFD rescue personnel to dizzying heights of as much as 30 feet to instruct the firefighters how to bring injured individuals down from the zip lines should they become incapacitated.

        The idea for the exercise came about when Billy Warr, general manager at Adventure Forest, proposed the idea to Sevierville Fire Marshall Tommy White.  The plan was to develop a rescue protocol from rope bridges and zip lines which have seen an explosion in popularity among tourists in recent years.

        During the exercise, firefighters found themselves walking precariously along small wooden planks suspended from 30 feet as well as rope loops, and narrow planks. Firefighters took the course over a three day period practicing emergency dissent of climbers on three courses.

    “The goal is to develop emergency take down techniques with the fire department that meshes with the resort” said Ryan Willis, Wilderness spokesman. “This training will help emergency personnel here and at zip lines in the area.”

     In one exercise an employee of the resort helped firefighters rescue an incapacitated climber who is lowered by rope to emergency personnel on the floor who administer first aid.

     More than 100,000 tourists enjoyed zip lines last year in Pigeon Forge. With an increasing number of tourists zipping across area resorts and attractions, the likelihood of such a rescue is increasing. 

   Two were found dead at a residence on New Era Road in what appears to be a murder-suicide. According to Sheriff Ron Seals, Sharon F. Whaley, 52, of 1805 New Era Road was found dead inside her home Saturday by relatives.

    According to Seals, indications at the scene revealed that she was the victim of a homicide. The second deceased subject has been identified as William B. Davis, age 51, who lived in a camper behind the Whaley’s residence on the same property. Evidence at the scene indicates that Davis took his own life inside the camper.

    Davis is the son-in law of Whaley and the investigation has revealed there was an ongoing dispute between the two. Evidence found inside the camper indicated that Davis was the perpetrator in the murder of Whaley and he then took his own life, after Whaley’s body was found by family members on Saturday morning.

   The investigation is continuing and investigators are awaiting the results of the autopsy that are being performed at the U.T. Forensic Center in Knoxville. The sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the Tenn. Bureau of Investigation.

 

The Post Office in Santa Claus, Indiana processes thousands of letters addressed to the jolly old elf. 

  Imagine living in a town where Christmas is celebrated year round. In Santa Claus, Indiana, as well as other towns with Christmas themed names, Christmas is a continual celebration where the spirit of the holiday season is embraced all year long. 

   Santa Claus, Indiana, is a small town of 2,500 that acquired its name by accident. The town was established in 1854 as “Santa Fe” but had its request to establish a post office denied because there already was a town with that name. From that serendipitous moment, they reconvened and “Santa Claus” was ultimately chosen and they’ve been working for well over 100 years to do right by their namesake and celebrate Christmas year round.

    Santa Claus is more than just a town name. Every street name was carefully chosen to have some sort of hint of Christmas in it. The streets are aptly named  Reindeer Circle, Prancer Drive, Ornament East and Rudolph Lane among many others. Every business in town has Christmas related names as well. Visitors can visit Santa’s Candy Castle to satisfy your sweet tooth, have a cup of coffee and listen to music at Silent Night Cafe or even grab some dinner with the family at Frosty’s Fun Center.

    Beyond the  phenomenally decorated homes of Christmas Lake Village and large Santa Claus statues that outwardly show  cheer; the people of this small town seem to carry within them the true spirit of Christmas all year. This is illustrated by a group of volunteers who call themselves “Santa’s Elves” who have replied to every single letter sent to “Santa Claus” since 1914. The town gets thousands of them from around the world.

   There are numerous other towns across the nation that share Christmas related names. Another noted township is North Pole, Alaska.

  The naming of this northern town was no accident. The town was originally named Davis Homestead but the city elders changed its name in 1952 in hopes of enticing toy manufacturers to the area. City elders hoped that toy manufacturers would come for the “Made in North Pole” bragging rights, despite its inconvenience, as a manufacturing site.  No companies came for the manufacturing rights, but a holiday tradition was born from this bold renaming measure.

  The North Pole’s claim to fame, of course, is its responsibility regarding children’s letters to Santa. Every year, North Pole middle and high school students respond to the letters that pour in from children around the world.

   In addition to Santa Claus and North Pole, there are numerous other towns across the nation that bear holiday themed names. Among them are; Christmas, Florida; Holiday, Florida; Noel, Missouri; Santa Claus, Georgia; Saint Nicholas, Michigan; Mistletoe, Kentucky; Garland, North Carolina; Holly, Washington; Evergreen, Alabama ; Jolly, Texas ; Elf, North Carolina; Snow, Utah; Bell, California ; Reindeer, Missouri ; Rudolph, Wisconsin ; Come, Ohio ; Star, Virginia; Wiseman, Alaska ; Shepherd, Illinois; Nazareth, Pennsylvania ; Bethlehem, New York ; Snowflake, Arizona;  Gift, Tennessee ; Christiana, Tennessee and Christmasville, Tennessee.

   Michael Williams has written a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

      The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

               

               An intersection in Christmasville, Tennessee 

 

 Gatlinburg Recognizes Fantasy of Lights Parade Winners

 

 The Lumberjack Feud won the prize for most entertaining float 

     The City’s Department of Tourism has recognized a prestigious group of entries in the 37th annual Gatlinburg Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade as the best of the best in six specific categories.

  More than 100 parade entries including floats, balloons, marching bands, twirling groups, horse clubs, emergency units and rolling vehicles participated in the 37th annual Christmas parade on Friday, Dec. 7 in downtown.

A crowd in excess of 60,000 spectators of all ages gathered for the popular parade, with the results of the judging as follows:

Leconte Award (Best Professional Entry)

First – Santa Claus

Second – Dixie Stampede

Third – Ober Gatlinburg

Mountaineer Award (Best Non-professional Entry)

First – Tennessee Operation Lifesaver

Second – Lumberjack Feud

Third – Appalachian Bear Rescue

Best Marching Band

First – Gadsden City (Alabama) Titan Band

Second – (tie) William Blount (Maryville) Marching Governors and South Iredell (North Carolina) Viking Band

Third – Loretto (Tennessee) High School Band.

Most Entertaining Unit

First – Lumberjack Feud of Pigeon Forge

Second – Santa Claus

Third – Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Theater

Best Use of Lights

First – Sounds Good Electronics

Second – Tennessee Operation Lifesaver

Third – Lumberjack Feud

Spur Award (Best Horse or Animal Group)

First – Smoky Mountain Llama Treks

Second – Titanic Museum of Pigeon Forge

Third – Park Vista Hotel