MEDIC Regional Blood Center is kicked off Blood Bank Madness with participating blood centers across the nation beginning Monday, March 6.

Inspired by the collegiate level basketball tournament, the second annual Blood Bank Madness includes 10 teams competing for the champion title to see which donor base rolls up their sleeves for some friendly competition.

“Everyone at MEDIC loves competition, and we love college sports so this is a great way to celebrate both while collecting much needed products,” said communications and public relations director Kristy Altman. “Donating blood products saves the lives of your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues, and your donation could help us bring home the title.”

Each week, two blood banks will compete in head-to-head matchups from March 6 through April 2. Points are calculated by the number of blood donations that each blood bank receives each week. The blood center that has the largest gain in donations compared to the same week in 2022 will move forward becoming one step closer to receiving the championship title.

MEDIC will be matched against ImpactLife. Results will be announced every Tuesday via social media at @medicbloodcenter. The final winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 4. Participating teams include:

• Carter Blood Care (North, Central and East Texas)
• Community Blood Bank (Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York)
• Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (South Texas)
• Houchin Community Blood Bank (California)
• ImpactLife (Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin)
• Inova Blood Donor Services (Virginia, DC and Maryland)
• LifeServe Blood Center (Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota)
• LifeSouth (Florida, Alabama, Georgia)
• Medic Regional Blood Center (Tennessee)

Appointments are preferred, but walk-in donors are welcome. Donors can call 865-524-3074 to schedule their appointment or visit medicblood.org/donate or download the new MEDIC donor app to search for a drive closest to them and schedule their appointment. For more information on MEDIC Regional Blood Center, please visit our website at https://medicblood.org/ or by phone at 865-805-2008.

Fort Kid Park reopens in Downtown Knoxville after getting some much needed improvements.

Fort Kid offering new ADA improvements, connectivity to the Knoxville Museum of Art and a play structure designed following extensive community input.

Some other improvements include an accessible play surface, fort tower and slide, fully-accessible merry-go-round and more.

The upgrades cost nearly $1.3 million and was funded by donations from Thomas Boyd, the Downtown Knoxville Alliance and Visit Knoxville.

Knox County Election Commission to begin issuing petitions for City of Knoxville Elections on Monday, March 20

Individuals who wish to run for office in the 2023 City of Knoxville Elections can pick up a petition from the Knox County Election Commission beginning Monday, March 20^th, 2023. The offices on the ballot will be:

• Mayor
• City Council At-Large, Seat A
• City Council At-Large, Seat B
• City Council At-Large, Seat C
• City Council, District 5
• Municipal Judge

All terms of office are four years.

The qualifications for each of the offices listed above are:

KNOXVILLE CITY MAYOR

•           Must meet basic qualifications of TCA 8-18-101; and

•           Shall have attained the age of twenty-five (25) years at the beginning of the term

•           Be a resident of the City of Knoxville for one (1) year next preceding the deadline for qualifying for election and continue to reside therein during the term of office

KNOXVILLE CITY COUNCILPERSONS

•           Must meet basic qualifications of TCA 8-18-101; and

•           Shall have attained the age of twenty-one (21) years at the beginning of the term

•           Be a resident of the City of Knoxville for one (1) year prior to taking office

•           If representing a District, must reside in the district for one (1) year prior to taking office and shall continue to live therein during the period of service

•           No person shall be eligible to serve in the office of councilmember who holds any other elective public office or who is a City of Knoxville employee

KNOXVILLE MUNICIPAL JUDGE

•           Must meet basic qualifications of TCA 8-18-101; and

•           Be at least thirty (30) years old

•           Be a resident of the City of Knoxville for three (3) years immediately prior to election

•           Licensed to practice law in the State of Tennessee

The requirements as set forth in TCA (Tennessee Code Annotated) 8-18-101 are:

All persons eighteen (18) years or older who are citizens of the United States and of this state, and have been inhabitants of the state, county, district, or circuit for the period required by the constitution and laws of the state, are qualified to hold office under the authority of this state except:

(1)        Those who have been convicted of offering or giving a bribe, or of larceny, or any other offense declared infamous by law, unless restored to citizenship in the mode pointed out by law;

(2)        Those against whom there is a judgment unpaid for any moneys received by them, in any official capacity, due to the United States, to this state, or any county thereof;

(3)        Those who are defaulters to the treasury at the time of the election, and the election of any such person shall be void;

(4)        Soldiers, seamen, marines, or airmen in the regular army or navy or air force of the United States; and

(5)        Members of congress, and persons holding any office of profit or trust under any foreign power, other state of the union, or under the United States.

The Election schedule for the 2023 City of Knoxville Primary Election is as follows:

• Monday, March 20, 2023 – First day to pick up a nominating petition from either KCEC office
• Thursday, May 18, 2023 at NOON – Candidate Qualifying Deadline

• Thursday, May 25, 2023 at NOON – Candidate Withdrawal Deadline
• Wednesday, May 31, 2023 – First day to request an absentee ballot
• Monday, July 31, 2023 – Final day to register to vote before election
• Wednesday, August 9, 2023 – First day of Early Voting period
• Tuesday, August 22, 2023 – Final day to request an absentee ballot
• Thursday, August 24, 2023 – Final day of Early Voting period
• Tuesday, August 29, 2023 – Election Day

In the City Council elections, the top two vote getters in the primary move on to the General Election.

In both the Mayor and Municipal Judge elections, the top two vote getters move on to the General Election UNLESS one candidate receives 50% plus one, in which case only the top vote getter moves on to the General Election.

The 2023 City of Knoxville General Election will be on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.

For more information, visit https://knoxcounty.org/election/ or call the Knox County Election Commission at 865-215-2480.

Rural Metro fire officials are investigating an early morning house fire in North Knoxville.

Crews called to the 8700 block of Stanley Road in Halls this morning (Monday).

Officials say one resident told them she turned on a light and heard an odd sound then later discovered smoke in the attic.

All residents and pets were safe outside when crews arrived.

The evacuation order is lifted for Parrottsville in Cocke County following a propane leak caused by an overturned propane truck which closed State Route 340 for hours at Allen Chapel Road.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation says a one mile evacuation was ordered yesterday for homes on South Highway 340 and lasted for several hours. Many residents weren’t able to return home until after 7 last night.