News
January 21, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Motorists and patrons of Cotton Eyed Joe might expect to see a new sign at the long-time entertainment venue at 11220 Outlet Drive.
Chuck Ward, owner of Cotton Eyed, is looking to improve its existing sign, so he took the old sign down with plans to replace the neon with LED lighting.
“When you’re getting four or five hundred calls from people complaining … voicing their opinion about the sign, you want to get it fixed," he said.
“This sign was put up 33 years ago, and it’s an eyesore. It doesn’t work,” Ward said. “The neon’s out of it because of the transformers or things of that nature.
“So, we started taking bids about two years ago to redo it,” he said. “And, the gentleman who originally built it came to me and said, ‘I can redo it.’ So that’s who we went with, Tony Saples with Neon Services.
“He came out, looked at it and we discussed a couple quotes,” Ward said. “We decided we’d let (Saples) do it.
“It’s been about six months in the works to take it down just because of the weather, and he’s very busy.
“Finally, this week we got a chance to take it down, and here we are,” he said. “It’s in his shop, getting ready to be refurbished.
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January 21, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
West End Center owner Tommy Vann can move forward with Phase 3 of the development after the Farragut Municipal Planning Commission unanimously approved a site plan for a new 9,600-square-foot building Thursday, Jan. 15.
The building, at 171 West End Ave., will sit at the south intersection of West Point Drive and West End Avenue and tie into the existing
West End Center. The project also will require modifications to portions of the parking lot and an existing detention basin.
The item had been postponed in November while the applicant — The Architecture Collaborative on behalf of Vann — finalized a stormwater plan. With that now completed, Town Community Development director Mark Shipley said the project is ready, pending several conditions.
One condition still requires action from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, which must approve a text amendment allowing the building’s façade to meet design requirements by averaging masonry percentages across elevations. Current rules require 75 percent face brick on each exterior wall, but existing West End
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Keeping Warm, Part 3 of 3
January 21, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Heat shortages and rising utility costs can put individuals and families at risk during the winter — especially when heating systems fail or budgets fall short.
Utility providers such as Lenoir City Utilities Board offer assistance programs to help customers facing financial hardship, LCUB public relations specialist Autumn Luna said.
“These programs are designed to assist customers who may be experiencing financial hardship and are struggling to meet their needs,” Luna said. “By collaborating with community partners, we aim to offer practical solutions that help promote stability and peace of mind for those we serve.”
LCUB’s Community Assistance Program provides help with utility bills and, in some cases, medical expenses, food, clothing and housing. Customers apply through Mid-East Community Action. Application packets are available at any LCUB office, and eligibility requires supporting documentation.
Local organizations partnering with LCUB include the Good Samaritan Center of Loudon County, The Salvation Army and Knox County Community Action Committee.
LCUB also operates the Neighbor Aide Program, which assists qualifying households with utility bills through voluntary customer donations. Contributions are administered by the Good Samaritan Center, and LCUB matches donations up to $1,000. Donations may be added to monthly bills.
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from the Town
January 21, 2026 by Wendy Smith
Last spring, Town of Farragut residents participated in Polco’s National Community Survey, a benchmark survey that has been administered in towns and cities across the United States. The results of the survey were overwhelmingly positive:
• 97% rank Farragut as an excellent or good place to live;
• 95% rate their neighborhood as excellent or good as a place to live;
• 94% rate the quality of K-12 education as excellent or good;
• 93% rate the overall quality of Parks & Rec opportunities as excellent or good.
While it would be easy to rest on our laurels, the survey also indicated the areas where residents would like to see improvement:
• Community Design: 61% rate the overall design or layout of Farragut's residential and commercial areas as excellent or good;
• Mobility: 50% rate the overall quality of the transportation system as excellent or good.
We want residents to know that we listened to this feedback. Here are two projects that are under way in 2026 to address these challenges.
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January 21, 2026 by
Monday, Jan. 5, a Battle Front Trail resident reported that a check he placed in his mailbox was stolen and fraudulently altered. The complainant had mailed a check to American Express between Dec. 21-23, 2025. After receiving a late payment notification from the credit card company, he discovered the check had been mobile deposited with the payee name changed from American Express to a suspect's name. The incident involves charges of theft, forgery and fraud by false pretense. The financial institution involved also was listed as a victim in the case.
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