Community
August 12, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
At least 50 youngsters ages 7 to 18 had an opportunity to experience drama firsthand and learn acting skills during Farragut High School’s Drama Camp at the school.
Tony Wooley, theater teacher who is going into his 10th year at FHS, provides the
program to area youngsters
to allow up and coming children an opportunity to learn about drama.
The camp teaches musical skills, stage craft, characterization and improvisation throughout the week, which culminated with a performance for family members and friends on Friday, July 31.
For FHS students, “it is my greatest pride that I do not charge my high school kids anything to be part of the [theater] program,” Wooley said about the theater class. “Lots and lots of organizations have to pay a ton.
“One of the ways we are able to offset those costs is the camp,” he said, explaining the camp is a fundraiser for the theater department’s projects.
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August 12, 2026 by Jake Nichols
Matt Beeler grew up on Big Kahuna seasoning.
He always appreciated his family’s secret recipe, which had been passed down from the 1960’s until it was served on wings at a family deli for the first time in 1982.
In 1997, Beeler opened a Big Kahuna Wings take-out spot near the University of Tennessee, and the rest is history.
Today, the brand boasts three locations, including one in Farragut. Aside from the restaurants themselves; though, one of Big Kahuna’s biggest calling cards has become an annual festival that began in 2013.
Much like the original business, the festival has expanded through the years.
What began as a small wing festival to raise money for charity has boomed into a competition involving more than 30 teams, more than 150,000 wings cooked and plenty of other entertainment and food options — including an explosive fireworks display to end the night.
This year, the festival will write its 13th chapter on Sunday, Sept. 6, as jt officially has become known as the Covenant Health Big Kahuna Labor Day Festival.
The date has also made it synonymous with the start of Tennessee football season, bringing in more people each year.
Beeler thanked Covenant Health for its “continued support” in a release, adding that Cumulus Radio, U.S. Foods, PrintFX and Visit Knoxville are just a few of the brands who continue to support the festival.
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August 12, 2026 by Jake Nichols
On Friday, Sept. 11, the United States will mourn on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that took place on Sept. 11, 2001.
The same evening, people across Knoxville and East Tennessee will have a chance to come together at World’s Fair Park for a night of remembrance, gratitude and music to mark the anniversary.
That night, PHILLIPS will present Tributes & Tunes: A Benefit Concert for First Responders.
The concert will take place that Friday, on the World’s Fair Park Performance Lawn with gates set to open at 6 p.m.
“Presented by PHILLIPS in partnership with Concerts For Our Own and the City of Knoxville, the event will honor those lost on Sept. 11 while recognizing the firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS personnel and other first responders who continue to answer the call throughout East Tennessee,” a release on the event stated.
“This is an invitation for all of Knoxville to show up,” said Aaron Snukals, Chief Happiness Officer of Concerts For Our Own. “We want families, friends, neighbors and first responders gathered together on the lawn — not only to remember what happened 25 years ago, but to express our gratitude to the people who protect and serve our community every day.”
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August 12, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Kimberly Lynch has a passion for the Love Without Reason mission, because she can relate to the children who benefit from the mission.
She shared her story with Rotary Club of Farragut during its meeting in Fox Den Country Club Wednesday, July 22.
As many children around the country, Lynch was born with a unilateral complete cleft palate. She had five surgeries to correct the condition.
She later learned the condition can strike anyone and does not relate to environment.
Love Without Reason is a Tennessee non-profit organization that “exists for two reasons:” to repair cleft palates on children and adults and to fight human trafficking, giving women the skills they need to support themselves, she said.
RCF Past President Jim O’Brien, who introduced Lynch, a full-time nuclear scheduler and volunteer for various organizations, met her while volunteering at Shangri-La Therapeutic Riding Academy.
“Over the last couple of years, I’ve come to appreciate who she is and what she does,” O’Brien said.
She recently returned from her latest Love Without Reason mission trip to Africa.
Lynch said the LWR group consists of more than 100 medical specialists and thousands of volunteers who have performed 1,400 surgeries since 2007 in India, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, United States, Nepal and Zambia while more than 300 women have been rescued from sex trafficking in its Project Butterfly program. Additionally, a water wells project was established to provide clean water and provide other innovative solutions.
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