East Tennessee Now

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...

Frank Murphy interviews Brandy McDonnell, the Founder and Executive Director of STRIDE Equine Therapy in Kingston, Tennessee. The organization will hold its first major fundraiser, Riding for the Roses, on Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Blue Point Stables, 675 Buck Creek Road in Kingston. Tickets are $60 or two for $100.  Attendees can watch the live broadcast of the Ken...

Frank Murphy interviews artistic director Dr. John Orr and assistant director Andrew Duncan of the Knoxville Choral Society. The organization's 75th Anniversary Celebration Concerts will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2026 at Central Bearden Church, 6300 Deane Hill Drive, Knoxville; and at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at the Community Church at Tellico Village, 130 Chota C...

Frank Murphy interviews Drew Degges of the Volunteer Alzheimer's Foundation about the 16th annual Forget Me Not 5K to benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation. The race will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026 starting and finishing at the Village Green Shopping Center in Farragut. The race course goes through the Village Green subdivision, which includes part of the Farragut Dogwood Trail. Sign up at&n...

Frank Murphy interviews Carter Brown, Camp Director of Camp Ba Yo Ca in Wears Valley, Tennessee. Carter began serving at Camp Ba Yo Ca at age fifteen as a counselor and kitchen staff member. He received his Master of Divinity from Gateway Seminary and served as the Camp Director at another Baptist camp before returning to Camp Ba Yo Ca.  Camp Ba Yo Ca provides outdoor adventure activities to...

Frank Murphy interviews Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel, who was sworn in as Knoxville’s 27th Chief of Police on June 13, 2022. Prior to assuming command of the Knoxville Police Department, Noel was a Deputy Superintendent at the New Orleans Police Department, where he served in numerous leadership roles for over 25 years. After hiring over 100 recruits in 2025, KPD is back to full staffing...

Frank Murphy interviews Kelsie Crittendon, Executive Director of Sunshine Services. Its mission is to provide person-centered supports for individuals with developmental disabilities that promote independence, inclusion, and empowerment to reach their personal vision of happiness and life satisfaction. Learn more at https://sunshineservicesknox.org/ A fundraiser titled Golden Hour: An Evening to S...

Frank Murphy interviews Celia Gruzalski, Executive Director of Tennessee Memory Disorders Foundation and Clinic which provides its patients with evaluation and treatment for neurodegenerative dementia syndromes, including Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss and other cognitive concerns. Learn more at  https://tmdf.org/ TMDF supports health initiatives and educational empowerment through ad...

Frank Murphy interviews Tracey Torres of Appalachian Bear Rescue and Jay Proulx of The Shed Smokehouse & Juke Joint about the upcoming Rockin' for the Rescue Benefit Concert. The event will be held on Sunday March 29th, 2026 from 12 noon to 7:00 p.m. at The Shed, 1820 W Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, Tennessee. Tickets are $40 and are available at https://appalachianbearrescue.org/ The bands...

Frank Murphy interviews M. Janice Mitchell, founder, and Dr. Ace Edewards, conductor, of the Scruffy City Orchestra. A free concert celebrating the orchestra's tenth anniversary will be performed on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 711 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville. After the concert, the audience is invited to enjoy light refreshments at a fr...

Frank Murphy interviews Lindsey Shanton, executive director of  Sevier County Partners in Progress Education Foundation, and board member Robbie Fox, who is also the mayor of Sevierville. The Sevier County Partners in Progress Education Foundation is a non-profit corporation chartered by the State of Tennessee in April 2016.  The purpose of the organization is to establish a scholarship...

Frank Murphy interviews Steve Hodges and Frank Venable about the 13th Annual Shakin' Not Stirred Gala, which will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at The Venue at Lenoir City. Steve Hodges is the founder of the KiMe Cure Neurological Disorders Fund. Frank and Lisha Venable are the event hosts. Sportscaster Mark Packer will be the emcee. Tickets and information are available at https://www.pa...

Frank Murphy interviews Ken Martin, Artistic Director of the Clarence Brown Theatre and Head of the Theatre Department at the University of Tennessee, about the opening of the new Jenny Boyd Theatre. The first production in the new theatre is Cabaret , with performances February 11 to March 1, 2026. Upcoming productions are The Royale in the Jenny Boyd Theatre from March 25 to April 12, 2026; and...

Frank Murphy interviews Akima Club of Knoxville president Cindy Connor and Akima Cabaret chairperson Donna Brown about the Akima Cabaret 2026, titled "The Wizard of Hawz." In the show, a couple who hates country music goes moonshine tasting in Gatlinburg only to find themselves transported to the colorful land of Hee Haw. The Akima Cabaret is held every other year. Performances will be at the Mill...

Frank Murphy interviews Shannon Herron, Marketing & Creative Director of Dogwood Arts, and Landon Shewmake Owner and COO of BlueWing Homes, about the Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show. The 48th annual House & Garden Show will be held on February 6, 7, and 8, 2026 at the Knoxville Convention Center. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors/veterans, and free for children 12 and under.&...

Frank Murphy interviews Kirstin Kropilak and Abigail Jumper of the Knoxville Academy of Medicine Alliance (KAMA) about their legacy fundraiser, Doc Rock for Health, which will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at the Mill & Mine. Tickets are available at https://kamalliance.org/docrock   KAMA is a non-profit organization established in partnership with the Knoxville Academy of Medicin...