DC, we are all thinking about you

Our thoughts and prayers are going out tonight to our friend and loyal SPJ member Duren Cheek, whom we are told is gravely ill. Duren served for many years with UPI, later working as a member of the Capitol Hill bureau of The Tennessean, where this reporter first met him as an intern. Duren has played a huge role in the Middle Tennessee Pro Chapter, such as being an integral part of the annual Gridiron show, and the annual benefit golf tournament he put on for the chapter was renamed as the Duren Cheek Invitational a few years ago. Duren, we are thinking about you.

Testimony ends in Knox County sunshine law trial

Case goes to jury on Monday, the News-Sentinel reports.

Federal shield law on tap for Senate Judiciary today

It's coming up on the Hill at 10 a.m. their time, which would be 9 a.m. here in Nashville. E&P has excerpts from some editorials from papers across the nation about the law. The bill is numbered as S. 2035.

'Gentleman's agreement': Shut out the public

More from the Knox County sunshine lawsuit trial:

"For the public to think their voice is going to be heard in that
appointment process — it wasn’t going to happen,” (County Commissioner Phil)
Guthe testified. “... As unsavory as that is, that’s just the way it was.”

That 'public scrutiny' sure can get in the way

I'm paraphrasing and expanding a bit on what he said, but his thought was that lobbying and debating is an integral part of the process, but a part that works best when the commissioners feel they could speak completely candidly, without excessive public scrutiny.

-- Eaststate blogger Rich Hailey (Shots Across the Bow), on his conversation
with Knox County Commissioner Greg "Lumpy" Lambert regarding the News-Sentinel's Sunshine lawsuit trial.

Tennessean columnist Chavez won't return despite beating cancer

Tennessean columnist Tim Chavez has beaten the cancer that kept his column sidelined for a while -- but the newspaper has done away with his job and instead will use the services of conservative talk show host Phil Valentine, Liz Garrigan says in The Nashville Scene. Also: WKRN-Channel 2 is tilting back toward a more traditional newscrew setup and away from its "video journalist" experiment, and has curtailed some of its blogging.

Addendum, Thursday AM: Blogger Sean Braisted responds on both topics; Mike Byrd at The Enclave sounds off on limitations to Channel 2's political blog.

The crack dealer, the editor, the mayor and the Bi-Lo

Russia has the Kremlin. Britain has Westminister. Knox County, apparently, has the parking lot of the Bi-Lo on John Sevier Highway. Yes, it's more weirdness from the Knox County/News-Sentinel Sunshine law trial, brought to you via the plaintiffs.