Compass Points Podcast provides news, insights and analysis of Knoxville and Knox County government, politics and business. Content is updated every Sunday.
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Barking Shark Media And Barberian Productions Podcasts
In this week’s installment of the Compass Points podcast, Scott and Jesse talk about Knox County's progress toward a Unified Development Ordinance, City Council's upcoming vote on Chilhowee Park, County Commissioner Larsen Jay's campaign against abandoned utility poles, last week's unusual City Council candidate forum, and more. Share this FREE SER…
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The wrangling over the proposal to sell a chunk of Chilhowee Park to Emerald Youth Foundation continues. Scott and Jesse talk about the latest developments, plus the political jockeying around the city’s proposed sales tax increase, Knox County Commissioner Kim Frazier entering the county mayor’s race, proposed changes to Knoxville City Council’s p…
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This week, Scott and Jesse talk about Emerald Youth Foundation's ongoing efforts to win public support for their purchase of property at Chilhowee Park; the attendance and, more importantly, tax receipts for the Knoxville Smokies' first season in their publicly-owned ballpark; the return of Kristi Kristy to her former position as school board chair…
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The Tennessee Valley Fair got underway last Friday with an uncertain future. Scott and Jesse talk about the strained relationship between city officials and fair organizers. They also review recent developments regarding the proposed sale of a portion of Chilhowee Park to Emerald Youth Foundation, the Knox County Commission’s leadership votes and t…
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Knoxville City Council primary Election Day arrived last Tuesday. In this week’s installment, PR pro and political observer Mike Cohen joins Scott to break down the results and preview the upcoming general election. They also talk about the delayed Chilhowee Park-Emerald Youth Foundation land sale, the criminal case involving misuse of the Knox Cou…
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FREE CONTENT Free Content FREE CONTENT Go to CompassKnox.com for profiles on ALL CANDIDATES FOR FREE Knoxville City Council approved a deal for Muse Knoxville to move into the Jacob Building last week, while delaying action on Emerald Youth Foundation’s proposal to buy city property for a sports and activity center. In this week’s episode, Scott an…
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Compass co-founder and former podcast co-host Jesse Mayshark returns to talk with Scott about last week’s local events. They talk about the Tennessee Comptroller’s report that led to the indictment of Knox County Property Assessor Phil Ballard and another county employee. Scott and Jesse also look at two major investments in East Knoxville that Cit…
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*** SPECIAL INFORMATION*** ALL CITY ELECTION COVERAGE 2025 is FREE at CompassKnox.com share this podcast and this election coverage with WITH EVERYONE, share the great service that IS Compass! ***SPECIAL INFORMATION*** A Knox County grand jury charged Property Assessor Phil Ballard with official misconduct, but declined to indict Trustee Justin Big…
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Supply-and-demand isn't the only metric out of whack in Knoxville's housing market. In this week's episode, Scott looks at other disparities that East Tennessee Realtors has identified. He also covers a City Council candidate forum in Knoxville's 1st District, funding challenges for the region's public broadcasters, Congressman Tim Burchett's encou…
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City Council election activity has been gearing up with early voting set to begin on Aug. 6. This week, Scott goes through profiles of a trio of 6th District candidates and reports on candidate forums involving the 2nd, 3rd and 4th districts. He also talks about prominent West High School boosters attempting to get Rebels coach Lamar Brown reinstat…
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Some trends emerge when you take a close look at campaign finance reports. In this week’s installment, Scott identifies some in the most recent disclosures in the Knoxville City Council election, including one tongue-in-cheek contribution. He also reviews the 3rd District candidates, the impact of federal budget cuts on Knox County Schools, the inv…
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City Council members filed their 2nd quarter financial disclosure reports last week as campaigning is picking up. Scott takes a look at the numbers, and provides profiles of the candidates in the 4th and 2nd district contests. He also goes over the school board’s new cell phone policy, the city’s loss of a $42.7 million federal grant with the passa…
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The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees held its two-day annual meeting last week. In this week’s installment, Scott recaps the meeting, including the decision to move ahead with UT-Knoxville’s taking control of the bulk of Maplehurst neighborhood, the approval of a $3.74 billion system budget and the outlook for research funding in the Trump…
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Last week, Knoxville City Council approved putting a sales tax referendum on the November election ballot. In this installment of the podcast, Scott analyzed voters' choices. He also looks at Knox County Commission's approval of a new management structure for Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center, including a partisan tussle about oversight. Othe…
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DONT FORGET TO SHARE Compass Points, a free service of CompassKnox.com Cottage courts could soon be allowed in the City of Knoxville. In this week’s installment, Scott looks at the middle housing concept. He also turns his attention to the school system’s response to the West High School football staff’s underage sex accusations, Juneteenth in toda…
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Knoxville City Council gave initial approval to putting a sales tax increase referendum on this year’s election ballot. Scott looks at the proposal, detailing the spending plan for $47 million in new revenue annually if voters approve the tax hike. He also looks at Knox County’s plan for the future of the juvenile detention center’s management, the…
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Knoxville City Council is poised to vote on whether to put a sales tax increase referendum on the November ballot. Scott digs into the details of the proposal, which would raise $47 million a year for infrastructure and housing needs. He also looks at the compressed time frame the county has to approve its zoning ordinance overhaul, the school syst…
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The best way you can support Scott, Compass Points, and CompassKnox.com is to share this free podcast...text it to some...and tell people about how important good local news coverage is. Richard Bean, who has run the Knox County juvenile detention center that bears his name for 53 years, resigned on Friday amid accusations of retaliation against wh…
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Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon has proposed raising the sales tax rate to fund infrastructure and affordable housing efforts. Scott reviews the proposal, which would require voter approval in a referendum, in this week’s installment. He also talks about the County Commission’s spirited discussion surrounding Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ budget …
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By Barking Shark Media and Barberian Productions
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Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs presented his $1.1 billion budget proposal last week. Scott breaks down the spending plan. He then looks at the local impacts of the Trump administration’s efforts to slash the budgets of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the looming effects of tariffs.…
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The Trump administration's decision to gut Americorps resulted in 52 Knoxville members losing their jobs. Scott takes a look at the impact to nonprofits in the area. He also reports on a rare tie-breaking vote Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon cast at City Council, the city and school system's budgets, the initial effect of the new stadium on Old Cit…
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Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon unveiled her $477.3 million budget proposal last Friday, and Scott breaks it down in this week’s episode. He also talks about philanthropists’ funding of affordable housing projects, the county swapping contractors to guide its zoning ordinance overhaul, and more. Scott also previews meetings of the County Commission…
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Pro baseball returned to Knoxville last week after a 25-year absence, and Scott has a review of the Knoxville Smokies' opening day at Covenant Health Park. He also looks into a state investigation of extravagant spending in the Knox County Trustee's Office, the proposed Knox County Schools budget for next year, and more. Scott also previews meeting…
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Clayton Home founder and philanthropist Jim Clayton has abandoned plans to build a science museum in East Knoxville. In this week’s installment, Scott looks at the decision and what’s next for the 11-acre site next to the Civic Auditorium and Coliseum. He also talks about the Justice Knox Nehemiah Action Assembly, a “rails to trails” lawsuit stemmi…
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Knox County school board Chair Betsy Henderson confirmed she's running for county mayor in 2026. Scott takes a look at what her entry into the Republican Party primary means in the race. Speaking of the GOP, he also talks about former state Rep. Martin Daniel's election as county Republican chair, as well as current Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs' …
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A group of prominent Democrats is circulating a petition in hopes of persuading Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon to run for Knox County mayor in 2026. In this week's episode, Scott looks at the effort and Kincannon's response. He also talks about Rural Metro's decision to charge a fee to non-subscribers for emergency responses, the regional draft mo…
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The city of Knoxville’s middle housing program is one year old, and in this week’s episode Scott delves into a report from Knoxville-Knox County Planning on its progress. He also looks into a proposal to expand areas where festivals can serve beer in the city, a statewide business survey, and the importance of Black sororities and fraternities to p…
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The Knoxville Smokies and the City of Knoxville announced the parking plan for baseball games at the Covenant Health Park. In this week's episode, Scott breaks down the plan, which involves dedicated downtown parking garages and free shuttles. He also looks at the Education Department's scrutiny of an antisemitism complaint at UT, County Commission…
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This week Scott breaks down another week of budget hearings for the City of Knoxville and a public meeting of Sheriff Tom Spangler and Commissioner Damon Rawls to discuss Sheriff's Office policies. UT President Randy Boyd goes public on concerns over Federal Funding in the UT system, whileEnergy Secretary Chris White made a quick visit to ORNL. In …
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Knox County is moving to a two-year property tax reappraisal cycle. In this week’s episode of Compass Points, Scott talks about what that means for taxpayers. He also talks about AMR’s performance in the first year of its ambulance contract with Knox County and new KPD Deputy Chief Joe McHale. He also looks ahead to meetings this week of the Board …
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This is a free service of CompassKnox.com spread the word by sharing today! Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon has established a formalized process for reporting waste, fraud and abuse in city government. In this week’s installment of the Compass Points podcast, Scott looks at the details. He also talks about the city’s financial health, a new composi…
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Knoxville officials say the Gay Street Bridge will reopen, but not to motor vehicles, and it will be replaced entirely within a decade. On this week’s episode of Compass Points, Scott talks about the plans for the historic bridge, as well as the dispute that led to the city terminating its contract with Turn Up Knox and the sign plan for the new st…
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This podcast is a FREE service of Compassknox.com The Knox County school board approved a new K-8 school for northwest Knoxville last week, and Scott breaks down the project and its implications in this week's episode of Compass Points. He also talks about the return of the Bassmaster Classic to Knoxville in 2026 and touches on TVA CEO Jeff Lyash's…
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Gov. Bill Lee got everything he wanted out of last week’s special session on school vouchers, immigration enforcement and disaster relief. In this week’s episode of Compass Points, Scott takes a look at the results. He talks about the dispute between the city of Knoxville and a violence interruption nonprofit, funding questions about an eviction pr…
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The Knox County Commission created the county’s first residential infrastructure development district last week. Scott gives details on the district and talks about how it works to fund infrastructure in this week’s episode of Compass Points. He also delves into the expansion of the Knoxville Police Department’s co-response program. Other topics in…
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Share this free service of CompassKnox.com and go there and subscribe! U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn has abruptly decided to run for governor in 2026, automatically becoming the frontrunner in the Republican primary. Scott talks about her intent — she has yet to make a formal announcement — and its ramifications in this week’s installment of the Compa…
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The City of Knoxville’s quest to secure federal funding for the planned pedestrian bridge ended successfully last week with an award of $24.7 million from the Transportation Department. On this week’s episode of Compass Points, Scott goes into the details of the project and the next steps. He also takes a deep dive into a $27.6 million contract for…
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The city of Knoxville will learn the fate of two bridge projects in the coming weeks. In this week's episode of the Compass Points podcast, Scott takes a look at repairs to the closed Gay Street Bridge and a third bite at the federal funding apple for the proposed pedestrian bridge connecting the South Waterfront to UT. Also: We take a look at the …
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Tennessee's economic outlook remains strong, according to an annual report by economists at the University of Tennessee. But both economic and population growth are expected to slow in coming years. In this week's episode of the Compass Points podcast, Scott and Jesse take a look at the reasons. Also: Knox County Schools hears mixed feedback from p…
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Technical error deleted that last 10 min or so of the original episode. This week Scott and Jesse break out the egg nog and sing some Holiday tunes...well at least Jesse does. A brief look at some Planning Commission approvals, they morn the passing of Lillian Bean and discuss the history of the Bean Machine, an overview of the warming center sched…
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This week Scott and Jesse break out the egg nog and sing some Holiday tunes...well at least Jesse does. A brief look at some Planning Commission approvals, they morn the passing of Lillian Bean and discuss the history of the Bean Machine, an overview of the warming center schedlue and the conitned work on the 'master plan' Please have a safe and wo…
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What leads to a book ban? Knox County Schools recently identified 48 books for removal from library shelves to comply with a new state law. In this week's episode, Jesse and Scott talk about the evaluation process that led to the bans, and why different districts across the state are making different decisions. Also: a farewell to poet and Knoxvill…
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The Knox County school board spent all last week wrestling with changes to its policies on student harassment and discrimination. Specifically, the board's Republican majority wanted to remove all mentions of federally protected classes (sex, race, etc.), while its Democratic minority wanted to keep them. In this week's episode, Jesse and Scott loo…
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A controversial high-rise along Neyland Drive on the north side of the Tennessee River will a tax incentive from the City of Knoxville, after City Council approved a 10-year PILOT worth $12 million. Scott and Jesse emerge from their food comas to review the deal on this week's episode. Also: Knox County Schools receive good and bad marks from the s…
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Knox County Commission once again blocked Commissioner Rhonda Lee's effort to pass a resolution to "protect the innocence of children" — which many people perceived to be aimed at the LGBTQ community. In this week's episode, Jesse and Scott look at the debate and its implications — and hear a snippet of a dance remix of Lee's remarks that was poste…
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Please remember to share this free service of CompassKnox.com Parking, taxes and debt: The week after the election, local attention turned to some of the nitty-gritty issues of governing. Scott and Jesse take a look at new plans for downtown Knoxville parking; an increase in the city's hotel/motel tax; and an alarm bell about Knox County's rising d…
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Now that the elections are over ... what did they mean? In this week's episode, Scott and Jesse take a deep dive into the Knox County results, looking at how the presidential race played out countywide as well as high-profile local races and issues (like the state House District 18 contest, and the City of Knoxville's failed Amendment 2). They are …
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Reminder ELCTION COVERAGE IS FREE AT COMPASSKNOX.COM Early voting ended with a surge last week, easily surpassing early turnout in the 2020 election. In this week's episode, Scott and Jesse look at the available data and also talk about two races in particular: U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett's quest for a fourth term in Congress, facing Democratic candidat…
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Don't forget ELECTION COVERAGE IS FREE TO SHARE FOR FREE at compassknox.com It's election season! On this week's episode, Scott and Jesse take a look at early voting numbers at the halfway point and talk about developments in two state legislative races, for the 15th and 18th districts. Also, some competing endorsements for the City of Knoxville's …
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