News
Farragut Museum, renovated, comes to life at ribbon-cut
June 4, 2025 by Tammy Cheek
After almost 18 months closed for remodeling, Farragut Museum officially opened in Town Hall Saturday, May 31, with a ribbon cutting, tours and a historical program, paying tribute to Adm. David Glasgow Farragut.
“Welcome to the grand, exciting opening of the Farragut Museum,” said Parks and Recreation director Ron Oestreich, who oversees the museum.
“On behalf of the (Farragut) Board of Mayor and Aldermen, it’s my honor to welcome you to this special celebration and re-opening of the Farragut Museum,” Vice Mayor Scott Meyer said. “This is more than a museum, it’s a vital part of our community’s identity.”
It came about as part of a short-term exhibit for Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander’s Homecoming ’86 project”, Meyer related.
“It became the Farragut Folklife Museum after an outpouring of interest in the area’s history,” he added. “The first museum site was in the Town of Farragut office space in the former Russell Dairy building located behind what is now the Campbell Station Inn.
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Final of two parts on Knox County Commission clashes with local flavor
June 4, 2025 by Alan Sloan
KNOXVILLE — On one of her two major Knox County Government spending reduction recommendations concerning its fiscal year 2026 budget, Knox County Commissioner Angela Russell said she wanted a roughly $10 million cut from the roughly $700 million already in the proposed budget for Knox County Schools pending final KCC approval.
“I will (attempt to make) a motion to reduce the school funding to the minimum required by Tennessee state law,” she announced to her colleagues during a contentious Monday evening, May 19, Commission meeting in the City-County Building, downtown Knoxville.
County Mayor Glenn Jacobs is among government leaders expressing dissatisfaction with attempted cuts and reduced increases to the proposed budget by this 5th District representative, (which includes Farragut and Concord), with Russell having attempted — and failed by a vote of her peers — to include amendments intended to cut the proposed budget in what Jacobs and other Commissioners expressed as “late” in the process.
“The way they do the calculations, we were still going to be — if you listen to the recording of the meeting — we were still going to be required to give (schools) a $15 million increase,” Russell said about the state requirement during a phone interview with farragutpress in late May. “So I was just suggesting that we give them a $15 million increase instead of a $25 million increase.
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June 4, 2025 by Tammy Cheek
The Town’s proposed fiscal year 2026-2031 Capital investment Plan, with a total of $17.3 million in projects, got the nod of approval from Farragut Municipal Planning Commission during its meeting Thursday, May 15.
“The annual budget for the Town of Farragut must be approved prior to July 1, which is the start of the fiscal year for our community,” Town administrator David Smoak said. “Part of the budget process, which the Planning Commission participates in, is recommending to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen the capital projects to be considered over the next six years in the Town.”
He explained the CIP fund budget has $17,302,000 in projects it has planned to get under way in Fiscal Year 2026.
“These projects include security enhancements; Enterprise Resource Planning software upgrades; sand volleyball complex reconstruction; improvements to Boyd Station, which include a roundabout; Union Road improvements; intersection improvements at Campbell Station Road and Jamestowne Boulevard and Concord and Loop roads; and adaptive traffic signal upgrades throughout Town.
“Revenues for the CIP come from Town resources in the form of a $6 million transfer from the General Fund, $4,882,000 from CIP reserves and $6,320,000 from federal and/or state matching grants,” Smoak added.
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June 4, 2025 by Tammy Cheek
After some lengthy discussion regarding traffic along Grigsby Chapel Road, Farragut Municipal Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve St. John Neumann Catholic School’s plans to expand with a renovated gymnasium and an additional education building during its meeting Thursday, May 15.
Community Development director Mark Shipley said the site plan calls for a 7,108-square-foot classroom expansion and a 5,005-square-foot gym addition.
“As part of the project, some parking in the affected area will be modified and a turnaround/drop-off area will be provided,” he said. “There will also be some additional outdoor covered areas and sidewalk and landscaping modifications.
Bill Vinson, president of Community Tectonics Architects, originally presented the site plan during a Farragut Municipal Planning Commission Staff/Developer workshop in Town Hall Tuesday, April 29.
“The school addition has a new STEM Class, a science class, a learning class, a gathering area, an office and two restrooms,” he said.
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KCSO details told about missing man’s body ‘found under the fishing bridge’ at Northshore
June 4, 2025 by
More details follow from Knox County Sheriff’s Office report concerning a missing person, which was believed to be the person found dead near Northshore Drive about a quarter-mile west of the Concord Road-Northshore roundabout as first reported in our May 28 issue:
On Monday, May 26, “the reporting detective was advised by (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency) that their Rove equipment had located a deceased person under the fishing bridge on South Northshore Drive west of the Concord Road roundabout,” the report stated. He has since been identified as Narendra Patel, 12300 Cotton Blossom Lane in Knoxville.
“… Victim was transported to Regional Forensic Center for further examination,” the report further stated.
“There were no signs of foul play.”
KCSO reported that at 8:48 p.m., Sunday, May 25, a “complainant called the KCSO Teleserve Unit to report a missing adult at 12300 Cotton Blossom Lane. Complainant (said) the victim, her neighbor, told his mother … ‘I will be back in a little bit.’
“Complainant (said) the family had attempted to call the victim multiple times, but he would not pick up,” the report further stated. “The complainant (said) she and the family discovered the victim left his wallet and cell phone at the residence, along with a note that stated ‘My car will be at Concord Park.’
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June 4, 2025 by
• At 5:07 p.m., Saturday, May 31, Knox County Sheriff’s Officer units responded to a call of extortion at a Derby Run Drive residence. Upon arrival, officers met with complainant and victim. Victim explained “he had visited a website for eliciting prostitution, Max80.com, where he and his friends stayed to message with women,” the report stated.
“(Victim) received text messages from someone identifying himself as T--- G------ (suspect, who) stated that Jake must pay a ‘fine’ for wasting the sex worker’s time,” the report further stated. “(Suspect) further stated that he would send his ‘best men’ to ‘do their job.’
“(Suspect) then sent victim’s address and a list of (his) family members. Feeling threatened, (victim) sent $3,800, and then $3,500 to (suspect). (Victim) also received from phone number (860- 505------, a photo of Steven and then a photo of a dismembered body.”
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