Alcoa Eyes New Fire Station Site Amid Growth
Alcoa officials have tentatively authorized a land purchase to replace a fire station in a growing service area, signaling continued investment in public safety infrastructure amid development. The purchase agreement, approved by city commissioners last month, is currently in the due diligence phase. The city would acquire land on Hawks Landing Drive to build a […]
Safety Fixes Planned for Lowes Ferry curve
Louisville is moving to fix a safety issue on Lowes Ferry Road as it works to protect access to one of its publicly-funded recreation assets. The town plans to install a series of low-cost safety measures within weeks at an S-curve near Poland Creek Campground, one of only two access points to the site. According […]
‘Let’s Be Blount’ Podcast Bridges Old, New in Growing County
Blount County is growing fast, and with this growth comes struggles. Realtors Brett Heppner and Eric Rice didn’t just understand that growth requires understanding — they launched a multiyear podcast project to help connect newcomers to the rich history and deep sense of community that many people cherish. Since launching the Let’s Be Blount Podcast […]
Townsend Eyes Rules on Rentals, Workforce
Townsend officials are preparing to use a new community plan to guide decisions on short-term rentals, workforce housing and future development in the city’s tourism-driven economy. The Community Plan Advisory Committee delivered the plan to the city manager’s office March 17. City Manager Don Stallions said he expects the city to begin using it to […]
Subs & Such Celebrates 43rd Birthday by Raising Money for Non Profit
Subs & Such will celebrate its 43rd year in business May 1 by challenging members of the community to help raise $43,000 to support Isaiah 117 House — a national nonprofit with a Blount County location that provides temporary shelter to foster children awaiting placement. In addition to donating 43 percent of the restaurant’s daily […]
Maryville Entrepreneur Launches Private Ground Transport Service
A Maryville entrepreneur has launched Blount County’s sixth ambulance service, filling a gap in non-emergency medical transport as the county’s population continues to grow. Jim Caughron, owner of CTS Ambulance Service, spent three years navigating state licensing requirements before receiving his permit from the Tennessee Department of Health. The company operates as a private ground […]
Commission Offers Free Real Estate Licensing Program for Students
Tennessee high school seniors can now launch a real estate career before graduation — at no cost. Now in its third year, the Tennessee Real Estate Commission’s High School Senior Real Estate Licensing Program is accepting applications for this free path to earning the base education required to sit for Tennessee’s real estate pre-licensing exam. […]
Chrisman to Open Slice & Tap Pizza Restaurant at Green Meadow Plaza
Collin Chrisman is preparing to open Slice & Tap Pizza at Louisville and Hunt roads in the Green Meadow Plaza this summer. “I’ve always wanted to get into business for myself,” Chrisman said. “It’s a great location and we know the area really well, but then I also just love pizza.” Although the previous tenant […]
Reducing Injuries on the Construction Site
Construction remains one of the highest-risk industries for workplace injuries — but the majority of these injuries are preventable. From a physician’s standpoint, the most effective safety strategies are not just about compliance — they’re about building systems that support the body’s durability, recovery and function over time. Here are practical, high-impact steps business owners […]
‘Let’s Be Blount’ Podcast Bridges Old, New in Growing County
Blount County is growing fast, and with this growth comes struggles. Realtors Brett Heppner and Eric Rice didn’t just understand that growth requires understanding — they launched a multiyear podcast project to help connect newcomers to the rich history and deep sense of community that many people cherish. Since launching the Let’s Be Blount Podcast […]
Maryville College Computer Science Pioneer to Retire after 25 years
Dr. Barbara Johnson, the associate professor who built Maryville College’s Computer Science major from the ground up, will retire at the end of the 2025-26 academic year after more than two decades shaping the program and its students. Johnson joined the Maryville College faculty in 2001, shortly after earning her Ph.D. from the University of […]
Tyler Brothers Farm Equipment Earns Blue Diamond Blue Chip Status
Maryville-based Tyler Brothers Farm Equipment, Inc. has been named a Blue Diamond Attachments Blue Chip Dealer, the highest dealer tier in Blue Diamond’s program, and will now carry the company’s full lineup of attachments, parts and accessories, with a flagship focus on brush cutters. The Blue Chip Dealer Program is reserved for top-tier dealers and […]
Greenback Nutrition Soft Launches New Store in Old Museum Building
Longtime Greenback resident Michelle Williams soft-launched Greenback Nutrition on April 7 in the former Greenback Museum space between the Greenback Diner and the new museum location on Morganton Road. “I’m working with the owner of Southern Twist, Christi Kawa, to provide our community with more options for healthy food,” Williams said. For the past 18 […]
Maryville College Expands AI Summit to Businesses and Nonprofits
Maryville College is bringing its second regional AI summit to the Downtown Center May 12–13, expanding beyond last year’s focus on classroom applications to include business and nonprofit uses of artificial intelligence. The summit will gather professionals to discuss how AI is reshaping day-to-day work and its varied cultural and environmental implications, with sessions tied […]
Local Food, Beverage Business Owners Find an Appetite for AI
In an industry where business owners contend with widely swinging input costs, demand sensitivity and labor challenges, artificial intelligence is no longer just for the larger chain businesses. Local business owners are using accessible and affordable tools to decrease risk, improve profits and create better customer experiences. Who is using it and what are they […]
Rustic Roots Kitchen Opening Across from Public Library, Greenway
Amy Fuentes and her husband, Bert, are working to renovate the former In and Out Pizza — later Rocky’s Jamaica Sunrise — building owned by George Ling on Cusick Street across from the Blount County Public Library to open Rustic Sunrise Restaurant this summer. “It’s going to be a full-service, homemade comfort food restaurant,” Fuentes […]
Gas Prices, Slow Growth Test Blount County Tourism Outlook
Blount County has maintained an annual 5-6% jump in visitor expenditures since the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, that growth may flatten. For Blount County, where visitors generated $610.9 million in direct spending in 2024, that kind of slowdown would typically raise concern. But on the ground, tourism operators are reading the shift differently. Local experts […]
