By Jeaneane Payne, Publisher

Top left: Gatlinburg Sewer Treatment Plant Disaster; Top right: Homeless man; Bottom left: Greenback Tornado; Bottom right: Homeless Christmas Brunch (Images by John Disque)

The Knoxville Daily Sun is one year old today. Launched on November 15, 2010, the Daily Sun has published over 1,200 articles and received just under one million hits to its website during its first year.

We have enjoyed many positive comments from our readers and experienced a strong following through social media. The Knox Daily Sun Facebook page currently has 2,481 friends from East Tennessee, several U.S. states, and various countries around the world.

Our series of feature articles on Homelessness touched the hearts of many people in Knoxville and surrounding areas. Response from businesses to help us provide basic necessities to homeless people was overwhelming. Cabin Fever Vacations in Pigeon Forge supplied hundreds of blankets which were distributed by KDS journalist John Disque who also wrote the homelessness series for the Daily Sun. KDS purchased bottled water, canned goods, and new clothing for families found living in tents in mountainous regions.

Along with our Homelessness series, our most read articles included those about the Gatlinburg Sewer Treatment Plant, a Christmas Brunch which fed over 650 homeless and impoverished people in Knoxville, the Mexican Mafia Drug Bust, the Greenback tornado, and Hurricane Irene.

The Dogwood Arts Festival section was the most popular in the "Image of the Day" section. This page featured landscapes around Knoxville of pink and white dogwoods, azaleas, and many beautiful flowers.

The Knoxville Daily Sun wishes to thank everyone in the community who have supported us during this past year with your readership, comments, and advertising. We look forward to bringing you up-to-date news on Knoxville and surrounding areas in the coming year.