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Tenn. gas prices jump by 10 cents
Fuel prices in Tennessee rose by 10 cents on average over the past week, outpacing a national five cent jump. The average cost per gallon in Tennessee was $3.10 Monday, July 1, according to a press release from AAA — The Auto Club Group. The release quotes spokesperson Megan Cooper as saying, "Gas prices are proving to be volatile as we head into the Independence Day holiday, thanks to a recent rise in oil prices." ...
Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers concessions opportunity
The National Park Service is offering a concessions opportunity at LeConte Lodge in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park service will award a 10-year contract to a vendor. The contract will touch on lodging and food and retail services. Site visits to LeConte Lodge will be available July 11; those interested must register in advance and can do so by contacting William Gordon, interior Region 2 concessions management specialist by phone at 470-445-0625 or via email to william_gordon@nps.gov
Maryville man arrested after allegedly threatening baby's safety
A Maryville man has been arrested after allegedly threatening the safety of his baby. According to a Blount County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call at 6:08 p.m. June 27. The caller advised deputies the disturbance was taking place at Lorraine Lane, Maryville. Dispatch told deputies the man said everyone would die if law enforcement showed up. When deputies arrived at the caller’s residence, they spoke...
Local city governments balance employee wages, benefits
It’s a challenge to find and keep good employees. That’s according to Greg McClain, the city manager for Maryville. He’s been with the city for years and seen the economy in its ups and downs. In a legislative briefing for local business owners earlier this month, he said the employment challenge is something the public and private sectors face. Workers anticipate larger paychecks as wages continue rising to keep up. ...
Christy Martin: Louisville a historic town of change
Blount County has changed tremendously in the last 80 years. Those of us who travel its roadways and streets see the changes in building, roads, traffic, schools, and every piece of its infrastructure. There is one place, however, that had its topography changed like no other. Louisville was once a thriving community on the banks of the Tennessee River. It was within rock-throwing distance of Knox County on the opposite bank. Early White settlers called what we know as Louisville, Gillespie’s Landing after Robert and...
Road repair planned Tuesday on Dragon, U.S. 129
Road work planned for Tuesday, July 2, could affect traffic some traffic on a part of U.S. Highway 129 known as "The Dragon" in Blount County. According to a release from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the work will be done at mile marker 6 southbound and mile marker 2.5 northbound between Tabcat Creek and the North Carolina state line. The work should be complete by the end of that day, the release states.
Blount County Schools experiences security breach
On June 17, Blount County Schools sent a letter to all its employees to alert them of a security breach. The letter, signed by Director of Schools David Murrell, stated that on June 7, BCS discovered “unauthorized access” to its payroll system. The letter reported that 34 employees had their personal information tampered with by the culprits. ...
Developer takes a win in Centennial Church Road neighborhood dispute
The Blount County Planning Commission has lost a legal fight to prevent construction of a 60-home subdivision near the proposed extension of Pellissippi Parkway. Sugarland Creek, a planned subdivision off Centennial Church Road, will move forward after a February Blount County Circuit Court judgement that the county’s regional planning commission erred when it denied developers the right to proceed with the project. Blount County Planning Commissioners last year rejected developer Travis Fuller’s early-stage map of the subdivision, citing an expired permission. ...
Alcoa announces Independence Day schedule
The City of Alcoa will make the following adjustments for the Fourth of July holiday. Residential Solid Waste and Brush Collection: July 4, no residential collection. Thursday will be collected on Friday, July 5 with no change to Friday’s collection for residential waste. Tuesday brush routes will be collected on Monday, July 1. Wednesday brush routes will be collected on Tuesday, July 2. Thursday and Friday brush routes will run...
Kittenpalooza event offers low-cost kitten adoption Saturday
Due to the large number of kittens awaiting adoption at the Blount County Animal Center, there will be a one-ay adoption event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 29. All spayed and neutered kittens will be $20. According to Friends of the Blount County Animal Center, there are 160 adoptable kittens, slightly more than at this time last year. The organization is stressing spaying and neutering to reduce the number of unwanted pets. The center is located at 233 Currie Ave., Maryville.
Republican Party Headquarters to open July 1
The Blount County Republican Party Headquarters Grand Opening will be from noon to 6 p.m. Monday, July 1. The Headquarters is located at 307 E. Harper St. Maryville. Candidates will be available for meet and greet time with interested voters. There will be campaign materials available, and volunteers are ready to assist with election questions and voter registration information for the upcoming early voting and Aug. 1 election day. Candidate meet-and greet-times are available at www.blountgop.com
Blount County Schools Board votes on budget cuts
Tensions were high at a special called Blount County Schools board meeting Tuesday night to discuss and vote on adjustments to FY 24-25 budget items. After the original budget passed in May, the district found itself in a $1.2 million deficit and the board voted to make cuts to several programs under General Purpose School Fund 141 to remedy the deficit. “After the setting of the tax rate at last...
Blount Memorial Hospital marks major financial progress
Six straight months in the black could mean Blount Memorial Hospital marks one of its best years for finances in recent history. The hospital so far in the 2024 fiscal year is operating at a loss of about $313,000. But that figure represents a major upward shift from last year, when Blount Memorial’s losses were over $10 million. It’s an even more abrupt break with the year before, when a $40 million debit helped fuel bitter disagreements with the Blount County government over hospital leadership. ...
July law changes will empower DA, domestic violence victims
Starting July 1, the threshold for stricter DUI punishments will be lower in Tennessee. That won’t mean much for the average citizen, but for Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond, it’s another arrow in the quiver in the fight against crime. “The law has always been that if an individual comes back with a blood alcohol content above 0.2%, the mandatory minimum length of time that person serves increases...
Arts group unveils sculpture collection in Maryville
Arts have arrived in the greenway near Maryville’s downtown through temporary sculpture installations. The artwork, which come from the Knoxville-based nonprofit responsible for the Dogwood Arts Festival, will remain in the greenway for a year before they’re replaced with new pieces. Dignitaries gathered to unveil the works near the Greenway Pavilion Tuesday morning, June 25. The installations are part of Dogwood Arts’ “Art in Public Places” program — a cooperative...
Maryville Housing Authority marks end of first summer reading program
An agency that provides Blount Countians with affordable homes used the summer break to help keep the children it houses eating and reading. Maryville Housing Authority kicked off its inaugural summer reading program June 3. The program, designed for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, is meant both to offer a service to kids and to help build community among neighbors. It operates two days per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and sits alongside the housing authority’s summer lunch program. ...
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The Daily Times, an award-winning daily newspaper in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, has served Blount County, Tennessee, readers since 1883. The Daily Times is a family-owned newspaper based in Maryville, Tennessee, near Knoxville, providing quality news and information to the communities it serves, with an emphasis on local news in the Blount County area.
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