East Tennessee Now

Frank Murphy interviews Nancy Welch, program manager of Volunteer Assisted Transportation, and Pat Housley, a volunteer driver for the organization. Volunteer Assisted Transportation is part of the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee.  CAC’s Volunteer Assisted Transportation is a non-profit, volunteer-driven program dedicated to providing accessible and affordable transport...

Frank Murphy interviews Mona Nair, Development Director of Blount County Habitat for Humanity and Tony and Hazel Hughes, chairpersons of the 14th Annual Homes FORE! Humanity Golf Tournament on Thursday, October 15th, 2026 at Lambert Acres Golf Course. Learn more about the golf tournament at https://blounthabitat.kindful.com/e/14th-annual-homes-fore-humanity-golf-tournament-presented-by-atmos-energ...

Frank Murphy interviews Maestro Brian Salesky, Artistic Director of the Amadeus Concert Ensemble, which will present its ninth season of free concerts as part of the Cathedral Concert Series at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 711 S. Northshore Drive in Knoxville. The performances will feature 29 works by 19 composers spanning four centuries of music.  The season&rsq...

Frank Murphy interviews Pedro Tomás-Mitchell, president of HoLa Hora Latina. The 25th HoLa Festival will be held on the Performance Lawn at World’s Fair Park on Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Admission is $4 for those 12 years and older.  Local vendors will be selling handmade, artisan crafts, art, home décor, apparel, jewelry, and other unique it...

Frank Murphy interviews Carol Evans, Executive Director of Legacy Parks Foundation. Legacy Parks works to expand parks, create trails and increase access to rivers. Since 2005, Legacy Parks has raised over $32 million for parks and open space, helped conserve 1,000 acres of forest and farmland, and added over 800 acres of parkland in the region. The foundation has five areas of focus:  Connec...

Frank Murphy interviews Kristy DuBose, executive director of The Koinonia Foundation of Tennessee, which provides a variety of programs designed to support, empower, and engage individuals with disabilities. These programs include recreational and social opportunities, educational workshops, skill-building activities, and community-based events that promote inclusion and independence. They serve i...

Frank Murphy interviews Mindy Savage of the American Heart Association and Matt Odom, chairman of the 2026 Greater Knoxville Heart Walk. This year's walk takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at Covenant Health Park, 500 E Jackson Ave, Knoxville. More than 3,000 people are expected to gather for the new Greater Knoxville Heart Walk experience, a participant-centered event focused on CPR read...

Frank Murphy interviews Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic's Executive Director Deborah Murph and Director of Marketing and Development Shaun Fulco. Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic provides quality healthcare for the medically uninsured who live or work in Sevier County, Tennessee. The clinic offers medical, dental, and behavioral health care as well as a medication assistance program. Lea...

Frank Murphy interviews Sara Keel, Program Manager for Knox County CAC Mobile Meals about their upcoming "Power of the Purse" fundraiser on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at Rothchild Catering and Conference Center, 8807 Kingston Pike, Knoxville. Donations of gently used purses are being accepted through August 31, 2026 at these locations during normal business hours: CAC Ross Building  &n...

Frank Murphy interviews Leslie Adams and Billy Stair of the Haiti Outreach Program, based at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Haiti Outreach Program will host a special, multimedia program of inspiring stories and music to benefit its medical mission on Sunday, August 23, 2026 beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Cathedral School gymnasium. The gym is located at the rear...

Frank Murphy interviews Sara Dickson, Development Manager at the Alzheimer's Association's Tennessee chapter. and Mark Dulniak, a volunteer with the Alzheimer's Association. Mark leads the Ales for ALZ campaign. During the month of August, 21 local brewery locations offer unique craft beers and special events with proceeds benefiting the 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer's. Find more information at https...

Frank Murphy interviews George Bove, Media and Public Relations Chairman for the Kerbela Shrine Temple, about the 49th annual Kerbela Shrine Circus on August 7, 8, and 9, 2026 in Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville. Complimentary circus tickets can be obtained by calling (865) 573-1901.  Proceeds from the sales of concession items at the circus support the Kerbela Shrine Te...

Frank Murphy interviews Fr. Charlie Donahue, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, and Cindy McLaughlin of the Irish Fest Committee about the 17th annual Irish Fest on the Hill. The festival will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday August 8, 2026 on the campus of Immaculate Conception Parish, 414 W. Vine Avenue in Knoxville. Tickets are $15 at the gate for adults. Children 12 and un...

Frank Murphy interviews Jess Shepherd, Melissa Mijares, and Jim Piehl of the Fresh Start Home Project. The projects mission statement is "Restoring Homes. Renewing Hope." Their goal is to complete one major home transformation each year for a deserving family in East Tennessee by bringing together volunteers, skilled tradespeople, local businesses, and community leaders. This year's inaugural proj...

Frank Murphy interviews Rebecca Gomez and David Snow of Theatre Knoxville Downtown, located at 800 S. Central Street in Knoxville. Rebecca is directing and David is starring as Mortimer Brewster in TKD's production of Arsenic and Old Lace , which opens on Friday, July 24, 2026 and runs through August 9, 2026. Tickets and information are available at https://theatreknoxville.com/arsenic-and-old-lac...

Frank Murphy interviews Jenny Flatford, artistic director of the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association, and Rebecca Renegar, a member of the ORCBA board of directors. A fundraiser for the organization, titled "Behind the Curtain," will be held on Friday, July 31, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. The event features performances by their current company of dancers as well a...

Frank Murphy interviews Susan Unbehaun, Executive Director of Ladies of Charity Knoxville, and Lisa Daley, Vice President of the board of directors. The mission of Ladies of Charity Knoxville is to provide emergency assistance to those in need. They operate a thrift store and food pantry at120 W. Baxter Avenue in Knoxville. The food pantry is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p...

Frank Murphy interviews Frank Graffeo, Chief Executive Officer of the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, Tennessee, and conductor Danny Griffin, who will lead a 45-piece American brass band for the "Independence 250 Concert on the Fourth" on Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 8:00 pm in the Heritage Center’s covered amphitheater. Admission is a suggested $10 donation to the Great Smok...

Frank Murphy interviews Beth Roskelly, Director of Development & Public Relations at InterFaith Health Center, 7005 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville. InterFaith Health Center provides accessible, affordable, and quality health care to the working uninsured or underserved, primarily through the support of individuals, the religious, health care, and business communities. Learn more at https://interf...

Frank Murphy interviews Will Meyer, vice president of the Museum of Appalachia, located at 2819 Andersonville Highway, Clinton, Tennessee. The Museum of Appalachia, which was founded in 1969 by John Rice Irwin, portrays an authentic mountain farm and pioneer village, with three dozen historic log structures, several exhibit buildings filled with thousands of authentic Appalachian artifacts, multip...

Frank Murphy interviews Executive Director Jennifer Harrell and Development & Communications Manager Lori Friel of Cancer Support Community East Tennessee. The organization's mission is to uplift and strengthen people impacted by cancer by providing support, fostering compassionate communities, and breaking down barriers to care. They provide free classes, workshops, and programs. Learn more a...

Frank Murphy interviews Katy Watt, president of Explore Oak Ridge, and actress Kadi Brazil, who portrays Katie the Calutron Girl in promotional videos for Explore Oak Ridge. Several of the videos are dedicated to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which was established in 2015 on the sites of three formerly secret communities located in Hanford, Washington; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and...

Frank Murphy interviews Kathryn Frady, Executive Artistic Director of Marble City Opera, Knoxville's chamber opera company, with the goal of bringing American chamber opera and innovative performances of traditional operas to new audiences. Learn more about Kathryn and her upcoming schedule at https://www.kathrynfrady.com/   Kathryn Frady will direct Marble City Opera's production of  Jo...

Frank Murphy interviews Hollie Cook, Director of Preservation Services at Knox Heritage. May is National Historic Preservation Month. The mission of Knox Heritage is to protect Knoxville’s unique character for future generations by preserving, restoring, and transforming historically significant structures and places.  Knox Heritage will hold its 2026 East Tennessee Preservation Awards...

Frank Murphy interviews Rob Patrick, executive director, and David Caudill, senior director of marketing and public relations, for the Knoxville Academy of Medicine Foundation which is the philanthropic arm of the Knoxville Academy of Medicine, the medical society for Knox County physicians. Knoxville Area Project Access (KAPA) is a program under the leadership of the KAM Foundation. KAPA is a bro...