News
February 11, 2026 by Jake Nichols
Saturday, Feb. 7, dozens of lifelong Admirals and well-wishers gathered in Farragut High School Commons for the FHS Sports Hall of Fame’s 14th annual induction ceremony.
“This has become one of the
bigger events we’ve had here,” Farragut athletic director Donald Dodgen said. “The Hall of Fame committee does such an outstanding job. You look back and see their accolades, either as professional athletes or in business, and a majority of them I’ve had through here.”
The 2026 inductees included a swimming state champion, national champion and 10-time All-American; a 2022 first-round draft pick and current NFL free agent; a four-time All-State soccer player-turned-football punter; a two-time All-State centerfielder and state champion; a track and field standout who is now an aerospace engineer; a four-time All-State soccer player who went on to dish passes in the SEC; a three-time track and field state champion; a digital design teacher who has advised countless students; and a custodian who, in the summer of 2013, went beyond the line of duty to aid kids who roamed the FHS campus in need of help.
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February 11, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Economic development, education, workforce development, childcare and healthcare were among the number of concerns East Tennessee Chambers of Commerce want addressed in state legislature.
Six area Chambers gathered for a Regional Legislative Agenda Breakfast in Hilton Knoxville Airport, Alcoa, Friday, Jan. 30, to collaborate on what issues they want to bring before Tennessee General Assembly. One of those was Farragut West Knox Chamber, represented by its president/CEO Julie Blaylock.
“I thought the Blount Partnership did a wonderful job this year hosting the legislative breakfast,” Blaylock said. “I thought it was a fantastic event.
“I heard there were 400 to 450 attendees,” she said. “Our Chamber was certainly grateful to be represented.
“We brought a contingency of about 40 attendees with us, including our board of directors, Knox County staff, Town of Farragut elected officials and staff, as well as several of our business members. LCUB was with us. Our legislative committee representatives came with us.
“I thought it was a great morning,” Blaylock said. “I thought it was wonderful for them to have Mark Cate [owner of Stones River Group, formerly serving as Gov. Bill Haslam’s chief of staff] facilitate questions and answers from the legislators.”
With the Regional Legislative Agenda, the document and then the breakfast, “every year there are six Chambers that collaborate to create the legislative agenda document, and each Chamber now takes a turn hosting the breakfast and where it is presented,” Blaylock said. This year, Blount Partnership hosted the event.
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February 11, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Topgolf is starting the new year with new ownership in its Farragut location at 11400 Outlet Drive.
“Callaway Golf owned us before, and they still own about 15 percent of the company, which is similar to what it was before we [Topgolf] merged with them back in 2021 or 2022,” Topgolf director of sales Aaron Gicking said. “So, we're still going to have all their equipment, the golf balls, the golf clubs, all of that.
“[Callaway] are definitely more focused on the retail side of things, whereas, we are more entertainment and food and drink,” he said.
Still, “I'm very sure they were very happy with everything," Gicking said. “We continued to grow under their leadership, and we're going to continue growing even though we are now with the Leonard Green company now.
“They have a really strong showing for everything they've done in the past,” he said. “We're really looking forward to everything that is coming in the future now that they are here at Topgolf, too.”
According to a news report by Ella Masters of News and Events, Topgolf Callaway Brands sold a majority stake in its Topgolf business to a “private equity heavyweight, Leonard Green & Partners.”
Leonard Green & Partners, L.P., a Los Angeles-based private equity investment firm has acquired many companies, such as Whole Foods, Petco and David's Bridals, Gicking said.
Master stated in her article, “The deal values Topgolf at approximately $1.1 billion — a significant drop from the implied about $2 billion valuation when the two companies merged in 2021
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February 11, 2026 by Jake Nichols
Friday, Jan. 16, both Farragut teams struggled against Bearden in their first meetings this season.
Three weeks later, they pushed valiantly for different results.
Neither the Lady Admirals’ hot start nor the Ads’ late run proved quite enough, however, as the Bulldogs swept FHS in two matchups on Friday, Feb. 6, to lock up the top seeds in District 4-4A.
BHS won 64-58 in the girls’ game, storming back from a 12-point deficit. And Jeremy Parrott’s Bearden squad won 70-57, holding off a Farragut team that trimmed a 23-point margin to as little as eight.
Natalya Hodge led the Lady Bulldogs with 29 points while MC LeMarbre put up a career-high 25. They outscored a Farragut team that nailed a whopping 11 3-pointers, eight in the first half with four each from Zoe Porter and Gabbie VanAcker.
“Basketball is a simple game,” Bearden girls coach Justin Underwood said. “The team that wins is the one that plays harder and wants it more, and I think (Farragut) did in the first half. They shot the lights out of it, and their fans and kids were into it. But I felt like we started picking away at it in the third quarter. We know what we get in Natalya, but I thought MC was a huge lift for us.”
For FHS, VanAcker scored 18 on six triples. The last one brought FHS back within two with 1:47 left before a late turnover allowed Bearden to salt the game away.
Lady Ads coach Jason Mayfield noted the output marked a result of VanAcker’s hard work, as it was her greatest total since returning from a brutal knee injury.
Meanwhile, Porter totaled 15 with 14 from KJ McNealy to put her alongside FHS guard Parker Lane in the 1,500-point club.
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February 11, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Mail thefts from the Farragut Post Office’s outside mailbox persist as the U.S. Postal Service and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office continue their investigations.
Another resident, Joseph DiMauro, emailed farragutpress, stating, “I read your article with much déjà vu, since we recently were also the victims of a mailed check that was stolen and forged.
“We posted it in the same mailbox outside of the Farragut Post Office that is in the picture with your article,” the resident stated. “Your reporting is quite spot-on, since we had to go through the same harrowing process that you describe.”
According to Kimberly Glenn, communications director with the Knox County Sheriff's Office, “There have been 21 reported cases within our jurisdiction in the last month.
“Nine of those were reportedly mailed out of the Farragut Post Office,” she added. “Based on the reporting, it would lead us to believe it is occurring daily.
“The numbers we are seeing are just a snapshot of the greater problem,” Glenn said. “We have a regional sorting center locally. The reports we see only apply to the victims who reside within our jurisdiction.
“The local USPS regional sorting center processes mail for a much larger
geographical area,” she said. “There are reports in other counties and states that we are not notified about.”
Glenn added the main reason for the frequent occurrence of mail theft and fraud is “likely financial gain with minimal risk.
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February 11, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Almost 70 people attended the Concord-Farragut Republican Club meeting at Fruition Cafe on Thursday, Jan. 5, to hear three candidates seeking Knox County offices. Larsen Jay, Knox County commissioner for At-Large Seat 10, is running for the county mayor’s seat. Meanwhile, retired Knox County Sheriff’s Office officers Mike Davis and Brent Gibson are seeking election as sheriff.
Other candidates and public officeholders also attended the Jan. 5 meeting.
They are among the candidates seeking 16 county offices in the Tuesday, May 5, primary election. There also will be 23 state seats and three Farragut seats on the ballot.
The Knox County candidates said they must address concerns including traffic congestion, jail overcrowding, education and public safety.
“Now is a critical time in our community, and it’s an opportunity for us to invest in good leadership,” Jay said. “It’s going to require good common sense, conservative leadership that keeps Knox County strong, safe and prosperous and moving in the right direction as we continue to grow.
“For eight years, I’ve served as your at-large commissioner, and you put your trust in me to represent everyone across Knox County,” he said. “I’m very proud of the work that we’ve accomplished.
“In that time, we’ve invested in new schools, raised
pay for our deputies and supported critical infrastructure projects,” Jay said. “We’ve done that all while keeping taxes low.”
“This race is not going to be about the next four or eight years,” he added. “It’s going to be about the next 20 or 40 years because the next Knox County mayor will be at a critical junction of growth and opportunity, where every decision made will pave the way for decades to come.
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February 11, 2026 by
• A theft and fraud case is under investigation after a check was reported stolen from a Farragut post office earlier this month. According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, a Farragut man reported Jan. 22 that a $1,900 check was placed in a mailbox at the Farragut Post Office, 11409 Municipal Center Dr., on Jan. 3. The check was intended for a homeowners association, but the intended recipient never received it. Investigators said the check was altered and fraudulently made payable to a suspect for the same amount. The altered check was then deposited electronically into a bank account. Deputies classified the case as felony theft, fraud by false pretenses and forgery. The complainant provided detectives with copies of the check and a bank affidavit as part of the investigation.
• A woman reported damage to her vehicle Jan. 22 while attempting to get gas at a station on Brooklawn Street. According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, a person of interest in a red SUV yelled at the complainant before throwing a can from the vehicle, striking the complainant’s car and leaving a small dent near the driver’s side door. Surveillance footage showed the suspect vehicle, a red Ford, leaving the scene, but the driver could not be identified. The case remains under investigation.
• Deputies responded Jan. 27 to a reported burglary at an apartment on Vista Terrace Way. Two victims told deputies they had not been inside the unit since late November due to health issues but discovered signs of forced entry and the apartment ransacked upon returning. Multiple items, including fishing equipment, coins and household goods valued at about $5,000, were reported stolen. Investigators said there was no record of an eviction, and forensics documented the scene. No suspects have been identified.
• An employee of a Parkside Drive barber shop reported vandalism Jan. 27 after discovering the rear door could not be unlocked. Deputies said the deadbolt had been blocked with a foreign substance, causing damage estimated at $300. Indoor security footage did not show anyone entering the business. The incident is under investigation.
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