By: Isabella Pena      Starting on February 23rd, Monday, all students attending school in Morgan County can no longer bring metal cups or water bottles onto school grounds. It was stated on the Morgan County school’s Facebook account that metal bottles and cups were being banned, including Stanley, stainless steel, and Yeti bottles. Students are now expected to bring a plastic water bottle, which may be colored, but the sides must be transparent. If you bring a metal bottle

By: Isabella Pena      Soda cakes are a unique spin on the normal dessert you can make from the boxes of mix sold in a majority of grocery stores, combining carbonated drinks and cake together to make unique and new flavors. The recipe is simple, even more so than following the box instructions. All you need is a can of soda, which is 8 oz or 1 cup, and one box of cake mix. In a bowl, you combine all 8 oz of soda of your choice with your chosen cake mix, then follow the box i

By: Amber Stevens    Southern Grit was a remarkable experience! It’s located in the Old City Downtown in Knoxville, Tennessee. They offer various Southern dishes, including fried chicken, burgers, salads, shrimp and grits, and more. The service was excellent, and the food was great. I ordered a medium Nashville Hot Chicken Club, which had Havarti, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise with a side of fries. Everything there is homemade, including the sauces. If you want a good burge

By: Amanda Whitsell On Friday, May 31st, 2013, at about 4:30, a blip would form over Oklahoma; this blip would soon become the El Reno, the largest tornado in recorded history. At about 6:03, a funnel would touch the ground before going back up, but soon fall back down. The beast would move southeast at around 20 mph. The tornado's vortices would move erratically into the direct path of a tornado tour group. The tornado would almost hit this group; the monster was expecte

By: Isabella Pena      In recent years, incredible innovations and advances have been made across multiple fields of science and agriculture, all stemming from one group of organisms – fungi. Mushrooms and their roots, specifically, have started to gain increasing attention from researchers, being adapted from medicine to packaging in your mail.     Mushrooms that serve a medicinal purpose are ones such as Turkey Tail and Lion’s Mane. Turkey Tail has recently been getting mor

By: Tiffany Margolis

By Gage Snyder     In 2026, approximately over 64% of kids around the age of 13 have at least one type of social media account. There are many different opinions regarding kids using social media. One being that it's a bad thing for kids, because of all the uncertainty surrounding it. It's possible it could be dangerous since there is no guarantee that the person behind the account is safe, nor is it always the person they claim to be. There have also been many different type

By: Kenzie Gibson    For many families, a school is more than just a building; it’s a place where kids feel safe, supported, and connected. That’s why a rezoning plan for Powell Elementary School has raised concerns among parents in the community.    The Knox County School Board is considering moving some students to nearby schools to help reduce overcrowding at Powell Elementary. District officials say rezoning could help balance enrollment and improve learning conditions by

By: Tiffany Margolis    Valentine’s Day is the holiday that is about expressing love and affection through gifts, flowers, cards, and romantic gestures. However, a lot of couples don’t know what to get their partner for Valentine’s Day as they overthink if it’ll be something that they’ll like or if it will be good enough to give. But in reality, your partner usually won’t care what they get; they’ll just care that you cared about them enough to even think about what they woul

By Isabella Pena    A “sneckdown” is a term sometimes used in infrastructure, civil engineering, and other similar areas like urban planning. It’s a combination of the terms “neckdown” and snow, also thought to have different origins in Irish culture, like the Gaelic word for snow (sneachta).     The basic explanation of what a sneckdown is: “a buildup of snow on a road that has not been flattened and cleared by traffic, particularly at an intersection.” (Wikipedia). The reas

By Isabella Pena     The Pledge of Allegiance, which most of us repeat every morning, has been ingrained in our brains, but did you know that it is around 133 years old? Originally written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister and Democratic-Socialist, the pledge was published with the intention for not only American students to recite, but for any person, no matter what country they were in. Since then, there have been (2) two additions. The original Pledge of Allegiance re

By: Pablo Gonzalez Snowstorms can be very dangerous and unpredictable. That’s why it’s always a good idea to be prepared for one just in case. How will you know if you are having a snowstorm? If you see or hear: Blizzard WARNING, Winter Storm WARNING, WIND CHILL Temperature, Winter Storm OUTLOOK, Winter Storm Watch, and Winter Weather ADVISORY. You should get the things you will need. The emergency supplies you should get are: Food, Medicine, a to-go kit, a home kit, phon

By: Nathan Lambert With us reaching the peak of the cold season, there is going to be a massive winter storm coming to East Tennessee, and we need to prepare for it. The amount of snow supposedly supposed to fall is 3 inches, mainly over Interstate 40. With that, the closer you get to the Kentucky line, the worse the snow is meant to be. The snowfall is supposed to hit us from   Saturday morning to Sunday evening.  In this amount of snow, you will need to be careful o

By: Tiffany Margolis You can keep yourself and your animals safe and warm from the upcoming snowstorm by doing some stuff before it starts. But in such cases, you should make sure to keep up with the most recent updates on your weather app so you’ll know if anything starts to change. For yourself, there are a few things you can do to prepare and keep yourself the same, such as:  Go to the grocery store and stock up on foods but make sure they aren’t perishables because yo

By: Amanda Whitsell    Here in Knoxville, Tennessee, we are expecting to get one of the heaviest snows since 1993. A lot of people are excited for winter activities, but it's important to be prepared for the snow. It’s important to have at least 3 days' worth of non-perishable food and a gallon of water per person. If you heat your house with propane, it is important to have it all restocked and is a reliable way to get more, for the first day or so it should not be necessary

By: Gage Snyder which is that their cars do not have the things they need to help them in a snowstorm. Cold weather will drain your car's batteries faster, so it is very important that you have jumper cables or a portable jump starter with you at all times, not just in winter. The next thing you need to have is tools that you can use if something breaks. An example is tools to change your tires and jackstands to get your car up. Having duct tape is also very important and

By: Amber Stevens Power outages can last a while when they happen, so it’s a good idea to make sure that you have the necessities that you need so here’s 15 things you may need whenever a power outage occurs. First, Bob Vila says to stock up on batteries. Having backup batteries is good in case you need a flashlight or a radio. Second, check your flashlight. According to Jennifer Noonan, “Pitch the flashlights that don’t work, and make sure the working ones have new batte

By: Isabella Pena    When a large storm is approaching during any season, but especially during winter, it is essential to prepare any necessary supplies for your household to ensure everyone stays safe. Not many storms often force people to go without power, food, gas, or water, but you are better off being prepared for the worst than being unprepared during it. To be best prepared for inclement weather, it is best to have separate preparations for your car and house. In the

By: Axel Alejandro Rivas     Have you stepped outside and taken a deep breath of air? It should feel nice and refreshing, something that takes the edge off, not like any other drug. What if this oxygen had to be taken away from you in an instant? What if you felt your heart beat slowing down, gradually losing the ability to breathe in, while the carbon dioxide leaves your body, turning it into a shell? In the future, one thing is promised: death. Now you should ask yourself,

By: Nathan Lambert  The old viewpoint on health in America has changed with the Trump administration. The new Secretary of the Health and Human Services is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He's leading the charge to get rid of prior beliefs on saturated fats and meats in the old food pyramid model. The New Pyramid Sets the standards on protein, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies. Focus on where you get your fats and carbs from. The Old Pyramid  The base of diets should be carbs.   Li