Some 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon every year, and almost all of them see it from the top down. It’s impressive. However, not nearly as many have viewed it from the bottom up, rafting along the roughly 270 miles of the Colorado River, a mile or so below the rims.

The recent standoff between the Sevierville police and a felon from Florida occurred immediately outside my home on Sunday, May 19.  Having our windows open to enjoy the weather, my family knew immediately that something very serious was taking place, and I could hear the majority of what was exchanged between the police officers on scene as they attempted to communicate with the individual for nearly two hours.

The coverage is staggeringly sad, but so important to watch and read about. The people in Moore, Okla., a suburb of Oklahoma City, have seen how uncertain life can be. In an instant, homes, families, belongings, treasures are gone, swept away by a powerful tornado that took out the city and left houses and businesses and schools in shambles.

Here is a great way to help your national park, get some good exercise and produce some work of which you'll be proud. Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the 21st annual National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1 with a volunteer opportunity to participate in Appalachian Trail Work Day.

Most of the national parks in the United States were presented to the people by the United States government. The parks in the west were already on government land. All the Federal Government needed to do was to designate them as national parks and present them to the people.

The used book sale held at the King Family Library in Sevierville during six days in April netted $3,756.04. These funds will be shared equally among the three Friends of Sevier County Libraries groups who organized the sale: King Family, Kodak and Seymour.

More than one-third of youth under the age of 21 killed in alcohol-related fatalities died during the months of April, May and June — prom and graduation season. That's according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's p to responsible adults to do all they can to stop such senseless carnage.

They call it the Spring Fling, but that may not be the name given to it by sportswriters from across the state who have to find a way to cover athletes in spring sports competing for state titles and trophies at venues all over the city of Murfreesboro. This is how the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association has set it up.

The groceries are in the barn. A whole lot of them, thanks to local residents who supported Sevier County Food Ministries through Saturday’s Letter Carriers Food Drive.

There are so many topics in the news to write about, that I had a hard time making a decision. I’m happy that so many of you appreciate my views, even if we disagree.

Area military veterans will be distributing poppies May 24 and 25 in observance of Sevier County Poppy Days. It is an event that deserves the support of the community.

We in the news business forget sometimes that readers don’t really understand or appreciate what goes into producing stories and deciding where they go in the paper.

As many in Sevier and surrounding counties are aware, over the years Dale Carr has given generously of his time, talents and resources to both individuals and organizations in need. April 20 witnessed yet another unselfish act on his part when he came to the aid of the Friends of NRA.

The cheating scandal that has rocked the Memphis school system does not speak well for the quality or integrity of that public school system. Public schools needs the best teachers they can find. What they don’t need are teachers who needed to resort to cheating to get certified.

My thanks goes to all the postal carriers in Seymour and around the country for their efforts in helping to stamp out hunger.

The May 13 edition of the Weekly Standard relates a statement made by President Barack Obama on Oct. 30, 2012 as follows:

With a supermajority of Republicans in the House and Senate, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam seemed to have it made when he took office two years ago. Instead he sometimes has to act as traffic cop to save the state from foolish and overreaching legislation passed by members of his own party. Fortunately, he is prepared to do that.

Perhaps it’s naive to think that any government agency can be unbiased, its employees free of the prejudices and personal agendas that mark so many people. The Internal Revenue Service was thought or hoped by some to be one of those agencies. Not any more. As much as people profess to hate it, they now have reason to distrust it.

I left Sevier County in 1985, after five years spent reporting the news and voicing my opinions in The Mountain Press. I wouldn’t say I never looked back, for I thought often and positively about my years here. But I never got around to coming back — until April.

Sevier County is blessed with some wonderful, entertaining and classy festivals each year, but maybe none quite like Sevierville’s annual Bloomin’ Barbeque and Bluegrass. The event will be held Friday and Saturday this week and promises to be as fun as any of them.

It should be clear to everyone with or without school-age children that we have to do something to improve the quality and intensity of public education. This country, as great as it is, is falling behind other nations in comparative student test scores and benchmarks. That cannot be allowed to continue.

I had always thought that the day my mother died in my lap, with my arms wrapped around her, was the worst day of my life. I was 17, she was 54. That was June 9, 1973.

During my eight days in the Grand Canyon, cut off from the outside world, I did what folks don’t usually do these days: talk to other people, making real conversation. Instead of watching TV, reading a book or playing a video game, everyone on the trip passed the time at night engaging the others.