News
July 22, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
The Goddard School, 125 Loudon Road, can move forward with plans to expand its building.
Farragut Municipal Planning Commission voted Thursday, July 16, to approve the school's site plan for a 2,800-square-foot addition to its existing 8,200-square-foot building. The approval is contingent on meeting several requirements.
"The proposed addition would provide space for 26 additional children and four additional employees," Town Community Development director Mark Shipley said. However, he noted the expansion would create a parking shortage of two spaces.
Shipley said the shortage could affect the adjacent dental office, which owns part of the parcel but occupies a separate building north of The Goddard School.
"The Planning Commission may consider a reduction provided the applicant can show that the lower amount can accommodate the parking demands that are typical for the uses throughout a majority of the year," Shipley said.
"The parking provisions will need to be coordinated with the dental office owner, as well, to ensure that they are OK with the two-space deficit being created by this addition.
"There needs to be something in writing from the dental office owner that they understand this addition will create a two-parking-space shortage, and they're OK with that because they could be impacted if there's overflow parking," he added.
Another concern involved the amount of fenced outdoor play space required under the Town's zoning ordinance.
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July 22, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Two Knoxville businesses collaborated on a recent national exhibit, Great American State Fair, in Washington, D.C., to showcase Tennessee and won Best of Show.
Designsensory of 1740 Commons Point Drive, and Graphic Creations, 213 E. 4th Ave., joined together to create an exhibit representing all three sections of the state for the free exposition taking place from June 25 to July 10 at the National Mall to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the country’s beginnings.
“All 50 states were represented plus six territories,” Graphic Creations president Jim Caughorn said, adding every state had a pavilion.
The Great American State Fair and a 2012 Medal of Honor Convention are “probably the two most proud projects for our company to be a part of,” Caughorn said. “… to put our footprint on that is quite remarkable.
“I don’t think there are too many projects that you could put a stamp on that would be bigger that that in terms of a moment of pride and excitement,” he added.
“The project simply wouldn’t have happened without incredible local partners,” said Brad Carpenter, Designsensory vice president of engagement marketing. “Graphic Creations was instrumental in fabricating the exhibit walls and
helping engineer the structure, TV placements and neon installation.
“Their expertise allowed us to move quickly without sacrificing quality,” he said.
“What this project really demonstrated is what Knoxville does best. When there’s a challenge, local businesses step up, collaborate and find creative solutions together,” Carpenter said. “This wasn’t the work of one company, it was the result of talented people across our community coming together with a shared goal.
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July 22, 2026 by Jake Nichols
Jack Tate settled into the Farragut baseball dugout at Siegel High School on Friday, May 22.
That night, Tate used his iPad to chart the final moments of Farragut’s state championship win over Houston High School.
Forty-three days later, he carried the same iPad into Covenant Health Park.
The pattern is a relatively new one for Tate, who returned to the Knoxville Smokies last year after more than a decade away.
“I was incredibly happy they came back to Knoxville,” Tate said from his perch on Saturday, July 4. “When the construction started, I would drive down here and park at the Shell station every other Sunday, looking down to see what progress they made.”
His sports career began at 13 when he served as a batboy for the Knoxville Sox — then an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox — at Bill Meyer Stadium in 1974.
“The years I was the bat boy were the best years of my life,” Tate added. “I was there for every home game and would sometimes go on the road.”
Tate witnessed several historic moments through 1980, observing Harold Baines’ first steps toward a Hall of Fame career and Tony La Russa’s managerial debut in the minor leagues.
A 1978 Bearden graduate, Tate kept statistics for the baseball and basketball teams in high school. He took an unpaid assistant job in the Bulldogs’ dugout in 1982, beginning a career that would lead to a longtime assistant role and even a state tournament appearance as Bearden’s head coach in 2012.
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July 22, 2026 by Jake Nichols
University of Tennessee will soon offer a new credit-hour pathway for students, as the UT Board of Trustees has endorsed a 90-credit-hour degree option as opposed to the traditional 120-credit-hour format.
The UT endorsement follows the pathway’s establishment by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which opened an avenue for schools to offer reduced-credit undergraduate degrees — allowing for programs with fewer than the traditional 120 hours while maintaining academic quality and rigor.
“The 120-credit-hour standard has become the default, but that does not mean it is the right answer for every student, every employer or every workforce need,” a Tennessee Press Service release read on the shift. “As costs rise, workforce shortages grow and students ask if there is a faster, more affordable path to an in-demand career, we have a responsibility to lead with new solutions.
“And, if students can graduate with 25 percent fewer credit hours, by definition that means they can graduate with 25 percent less debt, enter the workforce sooner and begin earning income earlier.”
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July 22, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Early voting has arrived and Farragut residents can cast their votes at Farragut Community Center, 239 Jamestowne Blvd.
The early voting, which started Friday, July 17, will continue through Aug. 1. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday for two Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1; and closed Sundays.
Town residents will vote for mayor — Alex Cain or Louise Povlin; North Ward 1 —Dian Hall or Joey Ruffalo and South Ward 2 — Joe LaCroix or Greg Wiberley.
Also, there are seats open for Knox County seats: Republican nominee Betsy Henderson or Democrat nominee Beau Hawk; Republican Nick McBride and Democrat Stephen Hood for county trustee;
Republican nominee Brent Gibson is running unopposed; and several County Commission and judge seats, among others.
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July 22, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
The next phase of the Grigsby Park townhome development can move forward, but only after meeting a series of conditions imposed by the Farragut Municipal Planning Commission.
The Commission unanimously approved the preliminary plat for Phase 2 during its Thursday, July 16, meeting. The project is being built off Grigsby Chapel Road.
Town Community Development director Mark Shipley said Phase 1 originally included 14 platted home lots with a temporary turnaround that was contingent on construction of the next phase. One building containing eight townhome units has been completed.
Since then, "the remainder of Phase 1, as well as Phases II and III, have been purchased by a different developer/builder," Shipley said.
Phase 2 includes 18 dwelling units and a community amenity area with a small parking lot.
"The amenity area will ultimately require a separate site plan review and approval," Shipley said. "The preliminary plat presented at this time would provide for the new infrastructure — street, drainage, utilities and pedestrian facilities — needed to serve the proposed dwelling units in Phase II."
Planning Commissioners questioned grading work near the development entrance. The property owner said the work is intended to improve the appearance of the entrance. Shipley said the changes will require separate approval from the Visual Resources Review Board.
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July 22, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Rotary Club of Farragut took a trip to the past as Farragut Mayor Ron Williams, an RCF member, shared the Town’s accomplishments and changes over the past 10 years during the club’s meeting Wednesday, July 8.
As Williams plans to leave office in August, he recounted how the Town looked in 2016, when he entered the Town’s political arena, first as alderman and then as mayor.
“Years ago, when the Town was first founded, all of Kingston Pike had been zoned commercial … all the way to the Loudon County line,” the mayor recalled. “Even though you may have had a church or something … it was still zoned the way the group [of founders] did this.”
“We are fixing to go through another phase of [Future Land Use Plan updates],” Williams noted.
When he came into office, the mayor recalled, “We had a town that appeared to be in decline.”
He remembered the Town had 13 empty buildings, three burnt-down houses and a barn, an old gas station in the center of town, an old restaurant in which the roof caved in and the Avery-Russell House [now Campbell Station Inn] that “was falling down around itself with a dog pound right next door to it.
“Two of those houses were in Fox Den,” Williams recalled. “One block to the east, you had the old Kroger’s that was a graffiti palette for the skaters, and then if you went the other direction, you had the old Ingle’s that had been abandoned when they built the new one.
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July 22, 2026 by
• July 8 - Theft: A woman reported a Michaela For Congress political yard sign and an Apple AirTag hidden inside it were stolen from the backyard of her home on
Pryse Farm Boulevard on June 16. The complainant told deputies the tracker showed the items briefly stopped at an address before ending up at a landfill. She believed the theft was connected to another report involving stolen political signs.
• July 8 - Theft: A man reported his wallet was stolen or lost at a business on Kingston Pike between July 3 and July 4. The wallet contained cash, identification cards, gift cards and bank cards. Surveillance video may be available, and a related fraud report was filed after unauthorized use of the bank cards.
• July 9 - Theft of services: The manager of a hotel on Campbell Lakes Drive reported a guest left without paying an outstanding balance of $790.89 after a credit card used for the stay was declined for additional charges. The suspect left the property on foot after being confronted.
July 22, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
After a year of working with the Town of Farragut, the owner of a 0.63-acre parcel off Turkey Creek Road will be able to build a house on the property.
Dave Hall, representing the property owner, received unanimous approval to divide the 0.63-acre parcel into two lots, along with a variance exempting the owner from installing a sidewalk. However, the Town may require a sidewalk in the future at the Town's expense.
Farragut Municipal Planning Commission granted the approvals during its Thursday, July 16, meeting.
"I appreciate the way you all have worked with us on this long project," Hall said. "It's been a year."
Town Community Development director Mark Shipley explained the property's unique configuration.
"As you may recall, the parcel in question is bisected by Turkey Creek Road, with one portion along Fort Loudoun Lake and the other portion on the opposite side of Turkey Creek Road," Shipley said. "This arrangement of parcels is common along Turkey Creek Road and, in most cases, the portion that fronts on the lake includes a boat dock. In the case of the parcel in question, the portion abutting the lake has an existing home and the non-lake portion is vacant."
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