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Seven Days

Wednesday, Feb. 20
The president of the University of Louisville reveals he's a finalist for selection to be the next president of UT. Uh, didn't we get a basketball coach from the U. Of L. not so long ago? Anybody remember how that worked out?

Thursday, Feb. 21
Despite the protests of Mayor Victor Ashe, the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership roundly endorses the "Orange Route" over the "Blue Route" for a regional beltway northwest of the city. Victor should have known that if you call anything orange around here, it attracts almost unanimous backing.
The UT chapter of a national fraternity has its charter suspended over comments the chapter president made to a campus newspaper reporter to the effect that members hired strippers and allowed cock fighting and other gambling, including staging wino fights, at the fraternity house. Are these frat boys to be allowed no fun at all?

Tuesday, Feb. 26
Florida's men's basketball Gators defeat the Vols for the second time this season. UF athletic department officials immediately ask UT if there might be a second date open on the Vols' football schedule this fall.
When it's reported that the Knox County Commission would like to "bury the legal hatchet" ending litigation between Commission and the county's school board, it brings to mind the immortal words of cornpone philosopher Kin Hubbard: "Nobody ever forgets where he buries the hatchet."
After a two-month delay, a new strip club announces it is ready to open its doors in the Old City. Is this that "convention center-related development" we've heard so much about?

Knoxville Found

(Click photo for larger image)

What is this? Every week in "Knoxville Found," we'll print the photo of a local curiosity. If you're the first person to correctly identify this oddity, you'll win a special prize plucked from the desk of the editor (keep in mind that the editor hasn't cleaned his desk in five years). E-mail your guesses, or send 'em to "Knoxville Found" c/o Metro Pulse, 505 Market St., Suite 300, Knoxville, TN 37902.

Last Week's Photo:
This is a detail of the pediment of the Mechanics Bank building on the Tennessee Theater block of Gay Street. Built in 1882, the bank became famous the same year when its president, Thomas O'Conner, stood in the bank's doorway and blasted both Joe Mabrys, senior and junior, with a shotgun. Junior, an attorney, responded, before he died, by shooting O'Conner with a pistol. Several bystanders in the crowded street, including an innocent horse, were slightly wounded by stray shot. All three prominent Knoxvillians were buried at Old Gray the same day. The incident captured the imagination of Mark Twain, who included an account of it in his book, Life on the Mississippi, published a few months later. Though this marble facade dates from a later era, the building itself is apparently the original. First correct identification came from City Councilman Rob Frost—whom, we presume, is glad to be living in an era when city leaders by and large refrain from shooting each other on the street. Rob, a frequent Knoxville Found contender, wins his second Metro Pulse T-shirt. We figure he's trying to get enough for everyone on Council.

Meet Your City
A calendar of upcoming public meetings you should attend

KNOXVILLE'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.
Thursday Feb. 28
11:30 a.m.
Isabella Towers
1515 Isabella Circle
Second of a series of 12 monthly board meetings to be held in neighborhoods and facilities throughout the community that are served by KCDC

CENTRAL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
Thursday Feb. 28
5-7 p.m.
Fairbanks
607 Market St.
Listening session for public comment and sharing of ideas on downtown issues.

KNOX COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Monday March 4
5 p.m.
Andrew Johnson Bldg., 1st Floor
912 S. Gay St.
Work session.

KNOXVILLE CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday March 5
7 p.m.
City County Bldg., Large Assembly Room
400 Main Ave.
Regular meeting.

KNOX COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Wednesday March 6
5 p.m.
City County Bldg., Large Assembly Room
400 Main Ave.
Regular monthly meeting.

Good Homes?

Interstate shooting victim angry her shooter is still not charged

Sandra Steele's jaws are wired shut, forcing her to spit her words out through clenched teeth and making it difficult to understand her. But she is very clear about what happened the morning she was shot.

It was Sunday, Feb. 17, and she and her son-in-law Frank Owens had driven down to Maryville from their home in Waverly, West Virginia, to take her elderly mother to her sister's home for an extended visit. They decided to get an early start on the trip back.

Owens, 28, took the wheel of Steele's 1998 Ford Taurus because his mother-in-law wanted him "to learn how to drive in the big city." Steele, 52, was in the passenger side of the front seat. A widow and one of eight siblings, Steele had made the trip plenty of times before, and didn't anticipate any problems as they headed north on Alcoa Highway and over the Buck Karnes Bridge into Knoxville. But confusion set in when they got into the interchanges near downtown.

"I don't exactly know what happened, or why we got off the track,' she says. "But I looked up and saw a sign that said I-75 North and knew we were in trouble..." They pulled off the interstate to ask for directions back to I-40, and then returned to the interchange and entered the on-ramp, still trying to get their bearings.

"We were in the slow lane going back up on 275 and a car went to pass us. I had time to look to my left and see this bright flash of light, and then it was just all this blood and pain. The bullet came in through the driver's side back window...Frank really did great. He kept me talking to keep me from going unconscious. I was going numb, and I really thought I was going to die."

They exited the interstate and drove around downtown Knoxville in a frantic search for help. They didn't see a soul. Then Steele remembered that she had a cell phone, so they stopped near a church and called 911. The police report says an officer responded to a call from a parking lot at 620 State Street at 4:30 a.m. and found Steele bleeding from her left ear. She was transported via ambulance to UT Medical Center, where Owens joined her. It was determined that she had a gunshot wound and that the bullet was lodged in the left side of her jaw.

That, says Steele, is when the police took Owens away. "At one point in the hospital, the detective came in and told me 'He's going with me for awhile.' Frank had this sick look on his face."

Steele's sister, Nancy Weaver, is angry about the way Owens was treated: "They took him to an interrogation room and questioned him. Accused Frank of trying to buy drugs. That's taking somebody innocent who was shot at and asking them what they're doing wrong."

John Gill, special counsel in the Knox County District Attorney General's office, says he knows nothing about such an interrogation.

"We're trying to find out what the heck's going on with that. You need to talk to KPD about that. We were not aware of that situation, and I think the police were just trying to find out where they had been."

Steele's doctor at UT Hospital told her that the bullet could not be removed because it is dangerously close to a nerve. She was released on Monday afternoon. Later, she and her family would find out that two young men had come forward and admitted being involved in the shooting. Another who had been in the car will probably be a material witness.

The aftermath of this confession brought more consternation to Steele and her family when they saw KPD Chief Phil Keith on television and being quoted in the newspaper speaking sympathetically of the alleged perps as "young people" who got to drinking and made some "bad decisions," mentioning something about getting together with the defense attorneys to decide what charges would be placed. A quote from attorney Bob Ritchie referring to his client, the alleged shooter, as "a fine young man from a fine family" didn't sit well, either. Nor did explanations that the bullet in Steele's jaw had ricocheted off a street sign.

Next, family members say they were told that they could not be given the names of the suspects.

"They're not telling us anything," said Nancy Weaver on Monday, Feb. 25, more than a week after the shooting. "Not the police nor anybody else have been very forthcoming with us, except to say not to expect too much more than probation on the sentencing because the boys haven't been in trouble before. At first, we were told we couldn't know their names because they are underage. Then they said they can't release the names until the shooter makes a statement."

On Tuesday, Feb. 26, Peggy Atchley, a victim/witness co-ordinator with the attorney general's office, called Weaver's home in North Carolina, where Steele is staying. She gave them the suspects' names and set up an appointment for Steele to come to Knoxville to discuss the case and apply for victim's compensation money available from the state. Does this make them feel better?

"Not really," Nancy Weaver says. "We know their names now. That helps, but it doesn't exactly make you feel better."

According to news reports, the suspects and the material witness told investigators that they had been out drinking and partying and that the shooter was riding in the back seat of an SUV shooting at street signs with a .22 caliber rifle, which has now been surrendered to the police. Attorney Herb Moncier's client was driving, and the material witness, who will likely not be charged, was in the front seat. The three claim that Steele's car got in harm's way when it passed them as Ritchie's client was squeezing off a shot at a sign.

"The truth of the matter is when my client saw on TV what had happened [that Steele had been shot in the head], he was shocked and horrified," says Moncier. "He contacted his family and wanted to turn himself in. It was suggested that he should first contact an attorney, and he was in my office by 8:30 that morning. By 10:30 he was at the police department."

Moncier at first questioned Steele's contention that she did not know the identity of her assailants, saying that his client had written her a letter of apology. But then he conceded that the letter "probably didn't get mailed." He believes his client deserves credit for surrendering, and finds nothing untoward about the fact that no one has been charged 10 days later.

"The fact is that this case would probably never have been solved if my client hadn't come forward. What he did was almost unheard of. If they'd behaved like bad people, we'd never know who did this."

The question of who passed whom on the interstate could be crucial to the defense's accidental shooting scenario.

Gill says not to expect any charges this week, because the case is still under investigation. When asked what is left to investigate, given the fact that they have a confession as well as the weapon, he says, "we don't just accept confessions for what they are—but sometimes we're stuck with them." He says there is "a lot of partial information being circulated publicly" and said the lack of communication with Steele happened because his office didn't know how to reach her at Weaver's home in North Carolina. He says family members who have heard rumors that justice has been stalled because the suspects come from influential Nashville area families are wrong.

"We're going to bring the most serious charges we can bring, and when people finally hear the facts, they will know that we've done all we can do," he says.

Frank Weaver, Steele's brother-in-law, is unconvinced. "Accident? A rifle doesn't stick itself out a window. A rifle doesn't load itself. Even if he was just shooting at signs, they had to know that they'd hit a car, and they drove off and left her there. It's not an accident when you point a gun at a moving vehicle. They show up the next day with their high-powered lawyers, and here it is over a week later and nothing's happened. The doctors here told her she will have to wear that bullet for life. Her doctor at home says it must be removed because it is fragmenting.

"Sis is lucky to be alive," he continues. "It's not that we are looking for a pound of flesh, but we do think some kind of community service would do them some good. Maybe working with the poor and the elderly would teach them some compassion for human life."

—Betty Bean

Charter Chatter

Tennessee's drive for charter schools gathers steam

For the fifth time in as many years, the Tennessee General Assembly is considering legislation that would enable the creation of charter schools.

But, as a forum Tuesday night at West High School made clear, the prospects for Tennessee joining the 38 states that already have charter school laws remain uncertain. The reason for the uncertainty boils down to one acronym: TEA, the Tennessee Education Association. The statewide teachers' organization has not denied using its political influence to block previous charter bills, letting them stall and die in legislative committees.

At Tuesday's forum, organized by the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership and moderated by WATE anchorman Gene Patterson, TEA representative Al Mance insisted the organization has not "taken a position in opposition to charter schools." But he then went on to quote from multiple studies and news reports questioning the effectiveness of charter schools in other states. "Charter schools in state after state are underperforming public schools," he said.

Charter schools vary from state to state, but in general they are independent public schools. They can typically be established by institutions (such as universities and non-profit groups) or groups of teachers, parents and other interested parties. They are issued a "charter"—typically three to five years—by a local school board or the state Department of Education. During that period, they are given a great degree of autonomy in structuring the content and format of their educational program. But if they aren't performing well after the designated period, their charter can be revoked.

Charter supporters say the schools allow greater flexibility and innovation, and give parents a choice in where to send their children. But teachers' groups across the country have resisted the charter movement, on the grounds that such schools could erode the traditional public system.

Charter supporters at the forum called those fears unfounded. J.C. Bowman of the Nashville-based Institute for Public Policy noted that charter schools remain public schools, it's just the authority to supervise them that shifts from a central office to the local building. "The current system does not adapt easily to change," he said.

Bruce Opie, representing the state Department of Education at the forum, said a charter law would provide more options in dealing with schools that are struggling. The state currently has designated 96 schools as "low performing," which means they are at risk of being taken over by the Department of Education. Opie said some of those could instead be converted to locally controlled charter schools. Bowman noted that more than half the charter schools created in the United States are dedicated to serving exclusively low-income, at-risk students.

The proposed bill currently in the Legislature would allow the creation initially of just 18 charter schools in Tennessee, six in each of the state's grand divisions. Dedrick Briggs of the Memphis-based Charter School Resource Center said, "The legislation...does not require the formation of charter schools, it enables their formation."

Although no members of the Knox County school board attended the forum, Superintendent Charles Lindsey was present. Despite the evident misgivings of the TEA, Lindsey says charter schools are "imminent" in Tennessee. "Whether it occurs this year or next year, it'll come," he says.

Lindsey says he's most interested in the schools as an option for students who struggle in conventional schools: "I think it gives us another opportunity to deal with behavior problems in the classroom, and deal with it in another setting."

The TEA's Mance said at the forum that his organization is interested in "an educational solution" to providing greater school choice, not "a political solution." The coming debates in the Legislature may put that to the test.

—Jesse Fox Mayshark