News
April 15, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Concerns regarding law enforcement coverage in the Town mount, leading Mayor Ron Williams, during the mayor’s report segment of the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Thursday, April 9 meeting, to ask Town administrator David Smoak to contact Municipal Technical Advisory Service.
Smoak will be asking MTAS to “provide an analysis of current duties and responsibilities of the Knox County Sheriff’s [Office] and primarily throughout Tennessee, particularly as it pertains to cities … that have no additional law enforcement,” Williams said.
“Also, I would like to ask MTAS to research what authorities cities have to reach agreements with their county sheriff for enhanced law enforcement coverage,” he added.
“Let’s do it,” Alderman Drew Burnette added.
“I think it would help give us a lot of guidance,” Alderman Alex Cain added.
“Our residents have been pretty vocal about the need of having sheriff’s coverage, patrols, in our community for some time now, and I think getting this moving is a great idea,” Alderman Joe LaCroix said.
“I agree,” Vice Mayor Scott Meyer said. “Fantastic idea.”
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Reveizes to chronicle journey through Spain
April 15, 2026 by Jake Nichols
“Someday.”
For almost 20 years, that word remained stuck in Carlos Reveiz’s mind.
In 2004, he heard about Camino de Santiago, a life-changing pilgrimage across Spain, from a fellow traveler in London on the way back from running a marathon with his brother. In 2023, after watching that same sibling endure a heart scare, Reveiz decided he was done waiting for “someday” to come around.
Reveiz and his wife, Nancy, packed their bags, flew to Paris, took an overnight train to the start of the pilgrimage in St. Jean Pied de Port and walked half the Camino Francés, the most popular choice among 200 different routes on Camino de Santiago.
That trip totaled more than 200 miles in walking alone. Now, three years later, they are doing the full length of the trip over a 47-day period and will be publishing journals for the farragutpress along their way.
“We definitely want to do that because there are so many things you forget,” Carlos Reveiz said. “You work all your life, so I wanted to stop saying I’d do it someday.”
Reveiz, a former insurance salesman and freelance photographer, is no stranger to being outdoors. He and his wife hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2020, and they have visited Yosemite National Park as well.
But this journey will be quite different, as they will walk 483.7 miles from the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.
Believed to be the burial site of St. James the Apostle, the cathedral serves as a welcoming point for pilgrims from all 200 routes. But it will not be the end of the journey for the Reveizes. They plan to continue on to Finisterre — at one point thought to be the end of the world — with a possible trip to another town, Muxia.
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April 15, 2026 by Staff Reports
Americans are preparing to observe 45th anniversary of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which was first proclaimed in 1981 by President Reagan.
“This week brings people together to recognize the impact of crime, honor victims and survivors and renews our commitment to victims’ rights and services,” said Jeanne Dotts Brykalski, whose parents were victims of a violent crime in 1998.
In an email in the “loving memory of Les and Carol Dotts and all victims of violent crime and their loved ones,” Brykalski stated: “Crime deeply affects victims and survivors in many ways: physically, financially, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and socially. No one should have to face that trauma alone.
“Across the country, law enforcement, victim service programs and volunteer grass root organizations help survivors rebuild their lives and support public safety.
“This has not always been the case,” Brykalski observed. “In the State of Tennessee, victims of violent crime and/or their loved ones were not allowed to attend parole hearings and protest early release of the violent offenders who maimed or murdered them or their loved ones until the early 1990s.
“This change came about due to the efforts of law enforcement and several volunteer crime victims’ rights and advocacy groups,” she stated.
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April 15, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen will be considering several changes in Town employment and Town fees as it decides whether to include them in the Town’s budget.
Town administrator David Smoak reviewed those changes during a budget workshop held minutes before the Board’s regular meeting Thursday, April 9. One proposed change is the addition of an economic development coordinator at a cost of $115,936 per year.
“This request is for the addition of a full-time economic development coordinator position within the Administration Department to support the Town’s
economic vitality, business engagement and commercial development initiatives,” Smoak said. “This is a new position designed to provide dedicated coordination and support for economic development efforts that are currently handled in a fragmented and reactive manner across departments.
“The Town of Farragut has experienced continued growth and increasing complexity in commercial development, redevelopment activity and business engagement needs,” Smoak continued. “While economic development functions currently
exist within various departments, there is no single position responsible for proactively managing business relationships, tracking development activity or coordinating economic strategy across the organization.”
He said adding the position would centralize those efforts and “provide a consistent, strategic approach to supporting the Town’s commercial base and long-term economic vitality.”
Additionally, “We are also proposing a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment and a 3 percent merit increase for the staff,” Smoak said. “The total impact would be $830,130.”
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April 15, 2026 by Jake Nichols
On Wednesday, April 8, Ashley Lynch was introduced as the new executive director for Shop Farragut/Farragut Business Alliance.
She replaces Vic Scott, who submitted her letter of resignation on April 4 to accept more responsibility with her primary job.
Lynch brings plenty of experience to the role, having worked with Shop Farragut president Candace Viox on a number of committees for more than five years.
Before being voted in as executive director, Lynch addressed the Shop Farragut board at Wednesday’s meeting. She mentioned she and both of her parents are Farragut High School graduates and she has lived in Farragut her entire life.
“She has an amazing reputation and has worked with several events, The Pinnacle, was born and raised in Farragut, and loves our Town and businesses and the growth that’s happened in our community,” Viox said. “It was a natural fit.
“We needed to make sure we have an executive director who knows and loves our Town and appreciates the value of this community organization and knows that Farragut businesses come first.”
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April 15, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
The Union Road and Boyd Station Union Road improvement projects are moving along with Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen approving professional services contracts during its meeting Thursday, April 9.
Concerning the Union Road project, Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved a contract with CDM Smith Inc. to perform construction, engineering and inspection services for the project.
“We are hoping to go to construction on that later this summer,” Town engineer Darryl Smith said. “We want a CEI consultant with us when we do. The proposal has a fee of $953,136.
“That’s a fairly hefty fee, but keep in mind the project is 80 percent federally funded with a 20 percent local match,” he added, explaining the project is “funded through Surface Transportation Block Grants — with an 80/20 federal/local funding split — and must follow all requirements of [Tennessee Department of Transportation’s] Local Programs Development Office.
When asked if the contract was a TDOT requirement to have a CEI, Smith said it was not “an all-out requirement; it is a very heavily worded suggestion that if you don’t have the staff to properly manage the paperwork, you better get a [Construction, Engineering and Inspection] consultant to represent the Town in managing the project, overseeing all testing of materials and ensuring the project is constructed in accordance with TDOT's Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction,” Smith said. “We have completed the process of issuing a Request for Qualifications and selected CDM Smith as our preferred consultant based upon their qualifications.”
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April 15, 2026 by Jake Nichols
The Knox County Democratic Party District 3 Democrats hosted their first coffee hour at The Empty Cup, 9111 Executive Park Drive, Knoxville, on Saturday, April 11.
District 3 co-chairs Josh Golden and Andrew MacDonald created the event as a less formal version of their monthly meetings, which are currently being held at the Cedar Bluff Public Library.
“But that tends to be a bit more formal, and there’s a set agenda,” Golden said. “We’ve heard from people that they want more frequent contact. So as part of my vision for the district, I believe in building community continuously, not just during election years. So we want to vary it up with coffee socials, stuff at local breweries, things like that.”
A sign-in sheet and QR code sat on a picnic table near the gathering with a pro-Democrat sign to welcome people.
Two notable attendees were Bryan Goldberg, who is running for State House District 18, and Patricia Fontenot-Ridley, a member of the Knox County School Board. They were two of 17 attendees at the event, which went from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. that day.
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April 15, 2026 by Submitted by Candidate
Dear Farragut Residents & Citizens of Knox County,
There has never been a more important time to serve Knox County. As our community grows and new challenges emerge, we need a common-sense, conservative leader with the experience, education and vision to guide us forward. I am running for Knox County mayor because I believe in public service and remain deeply committed to our community. I want our children and grandchildren to have the opportunity to live and thrive here – something that requires steady, honest and accountable leadership. With a lifetime of hard work, 20 years of executive leadership experience, and eight years as an at-large Commissioner, I am prepared to lead Knox County into the decades ahead.
The role of county mayor is much like that of a CEO. The mayor is responsible for managing and overseeing a $1.2 billion annual budget, ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested wisely. This role also includes leading more than 12,000 employees across county departments and working closely with the Knox County Commission to pass laws and maintain policies that keep our community safe, healthy and moving forward.
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April 15, 2026 by
Concern over eminent domain grew after the Town included Turkey Creek Road and its 2026 capital investments program even though a lawsuit was filed to stop what residents perceived as the threat of eminent domain. The paragraph in the story on eminent domain, which ran in the Wednesday, April 8, issue of the farragutpress was incorrect. We regret the error.
Charlene Waggoner, sales executive with City Wide Facility Solutions, and farragutpress account executive, recently received the Ambassador of the Year Award from Farragut West Knox Chamber of Commerce. A photo caption in the April 8 issue of the farragutpress listed her titles incorrectly. We regret the errors.
April 15, 2026 by
• Theft, forgery and fraud reported in Farragut
A West Knoxville man reported a theft, forgery and fraud incident between March 21 and March 26 at 11409 Municipal Center Drive. The complainant said a check placed in a post office drop box was stolen and altered before being deposited. The check, originally written for $7,000, was reportedly washed and made payable to another individual. The complainant later discovered the payment had not reached its intended
recipient and opened a new bank account.
• Online scam leads to $3,400 loss
A Farragut woman reported a fraud case on Wexton Lane after attempting to purchase a dog through online contacts between March 10 and April 1. The complainant said a suspect later contacted her, claiming to handle shipping arrangements for the dog and requested additional fees totaling about $1,400. The complainant said she was provided a flight number and tracking information and went to the airport to retrieve the dog, but it never arrived. She advised the shipping costs were paid through her online bank account. The total loss is estimated to be around $3,400. The complainant later made contact with the legitimate breeder, who advised her that a suspect had duplicated her website and used it to carry out fraudulent sales.
The complainant was told multiple reports had already been filed with law enforcement and the FBI regarding the scam.
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