News

It didn’t get a lot of attention, but last Friday, March 28, was the 35th anniversary of the nuclear emergency at the Three Mile Island plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. That incident, perhaps more so than any other, shaped the way Americans feel about nuclear energy in their communities. Today, former Dallas mayor and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk is trying to change opinions on nuclear power through his work with the advocacy group CASEnergy.

Legislation now before Governor Bill Haslam will require voter approval for towns and cities to annex new areas. House sponsor Representative Mike Carter said this legislation represents a success for average citizens in the legislative process.                           

A new report that ranks American cities on their ability to contain urban sprawl had few kind words for Tennessee’s largest cities, ranking most of them among the country’s worst.

  Have you donated yet? If just ensuring that your favorite public radio programs stay on this station isn’t enough to get you to donate, how about this? We have two more chances to win a VIP package to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Traditional Jazz Festival May 2-4!

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its latest policy report this week, finding that Tennessee children are lagging behind in educational attainment and overall well-being.

For the first time, the Foundation’s report, Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children, investigated how poverty, violence and other factors contribute to racial inequality.

It's Pet Pledge Day!  This is the day to celebrate and honor our animal-type companions with a pledge of support to WUOT.  

WUOT's Director of News Content Matt Shafer Powell has the following messages for our canine and feline fans:

Click here if you're a dog

Click here if you're a cat

Click here to contribute

It’s Pet Pledge Day! Today is a day to honor your furry friends while supporting the station you care about. But wait, there’s more!

If WUOT receives 350 pledges by phone, online or in person by 8 p.m. tonight, Frankie and Sunny will donate $1 for every pledge received and one pound of food to the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley!  That’s $350 for WUOT and 350 pounds of food for shelter animals! These public radio pooches are getting a little help from their friend, Mike, to make this challenge possible.

A Knox County judge will determine this week whether the staff of Criminal Court Clerk Joy McCroskey is legally immune to liabilities stemming from mistakes made in McCroskey's office.

Last October, reports began surfacing of wrongful arrests, unlawful detentions and other problems that were eventually traced back to errors made in McCroskey's office. One of the people arrested by mistake, Jodi White, is now suing the county for civil damages.

Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre is requesting a raise for teachers in next year’s budget after a year in which he often found himself squarely in their crosshairs.

The budget going before the school board this evening will contain a proposal to raise teacher salaries in Knox County by three percent.  Currently, the average Knox County teacher earns $45,609, which places the system 38th among Tennessee’s public school districts.

Political out-of-town junkets are often the target of pork barrel spending critics and voters. But an analysis of records shows that, at least in Knoxville and Knox County, elected officials are conscientious about reducing taxpayer burdens for their trips.