Community
July 15, 2026 by Jake Nichols
Just past 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, Glenn Jacobs stepped toward a microphone at Concord Park.
Only the Knox County mayor was not wearing his typical suit, nor was he wearing one of the outfits he donned for years as a professional wrestler.
Instead, he wore stockings, navy pants, a vest and a white wig, which sat just above the rounded spectacles he used to read the parchment within his grasp.
The colonial attire provided a fitting flashback as Jacobs read the Declaration of Independence, a prelude to the fireworks capping Saturday’s Celebration at the Cove to recognize America’s 250th anniversary at the Cove at Concord Park.
Presented by Visit Knoxville and Knox County, this event honored the United States’ rich heritage with a full day of family-friendly festivities, live music and a booming fireworks display over the water of Fort Loudon Lake.
“We started brainstorming this event probably around the first of the year, knowing the 250 would be a big year for us,” said Whitney Fitzsimmons, Knox County Recreation coordinator. “So we wanted to think of what we could do to have some kind of celebration on top of what was already on the calendar.”
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July 15, 2026 by Carlos Reveiz, Correspondent
After nearly a year of planning, my wife, Nancy, and I were finally on our way to begin the adventure of a lifetime — the Camino de Santiago.
Our journey began with an overnight flight from Boston to Paris. Since our overnight train to southern France didn’t leave until 10 p.m., we had nine hours to explore Paris. The hop-on, hop-off bus tour was the perfect way to experience many of the city’s iconic sights before boarding what turned out to be an incredible sleeper train to Bayonne. The next morning, after a short train ride, we arrived in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France — the traditional starting point for thousands of Camino pilgrims each year.
After watching countless videos and reading everything we could about this charming French village, it was surreal to finally stand at the beginning of our 580-plus-mile pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, with plans to continue to the Atlantic coast at Finisterre.
We spent two days resting and preparing for what many consider the most difficult stage of the Camino — a 15-mile trek over the Pyrenees Mountains with more than 4,500 feet of elevation gain to Roncesvalles, Spain. Mountain weather is famously unpredictable, but we were fortunate. The climb was challenging, yet every step rewarded us with breathtaking views that made the effort worthwhile.
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July 15, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
A similar crowd heard the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1776 declare the American colonies were separating from England, creating a new nation.
Farragut Museum Committee welcomed a crowd who witnessed the reading of the Declaration of Independence as part of a Sharing the Spirit of America program, which took place in Farragut Town Hall Wednesday, July 8.
The event also was an opportunity to celebrate the life of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, who was born July 5, 1801, in Stony Point, later called Lowe’s Ferry.
“On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia,” Farragut Mayor Ron Williams said. “This important document was written to formally announce and justify the 13 American colonies’ separation from Great Britain.
“Four days later, on July 8, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud in public for the first time by Col. John Nixon,” Williams said. “Because colonists could not witness the Continental Congress in real time, public readings were how ordinary citizens learned they were a new nation.
“Today, people across all 50 states and 16 U.S. territories will read the Declaration of Independence to commemorate its first public reading,” he said. “I am proud to be part of Farragut’s participation in the national America 250 event.
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July 15, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Rotary Club of Farragut turned a page, looking back on the past year’s accomplishments and new challenges for this year, as it presented the “changing of the guard” of officers during a ceremony in Fox Den Country Club Wednesday, June 24.
That included passing the gavel from 1999-2000 Past President Jim O’Brien to now Past President Candace Viox then to new President Brian Walker.
“I’m very proud and excited to continue being a part of the club,” Viox said before recapping the activities, projects and lives impacted during the past year with Rotary’s slogan, “Unite for Good,” in mind.
Those projects included Mission of Hope and Compassion Ministries food pantries, Alzheimer’s Association, Salvation Army, Rotary Youth Exchange, Donate Life America and the CART Fund.
Additionally, the club was instrumental in raising funds benefitting Operation Hero’s Hill, which is building homes for veterans, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, for which they not only raised money but also built beds for children who have no beds. This year’s build bed project was the largest ever, according to Viox.
Revisiting the past year, she praised her husband, Richard Rinehart, for his support, as well as others who were there to help.
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