Featured Stories

Blount County school districts outperformed the statewide average in the latest Tennessee Department of Education School Report Card, released in late January. But the scores are calculated using a formula that requires context to fully understand, said Maryville City Schools Director Mike Winstead. The results also carry economic implications for …

Past Stories

By Mathaus Schwarzen Business Reporter If everything goes according to plan, Blount County will soon have a Costco Wholesale, three Walmart Supercenters and a BJ’s Wholesale Club — five big-box retailers, or a 66% increase from 2025. That growth has left many Blount County residents wondering why national retailers are …

Julia Sayles has learned a lot about coffee prices this year.  Her company, called Kindred Coffee, opened in August. She offers a mix of drinks from the back of a specially designed trailer – a business location chosen because of the lower overhead needed to break into the local scene. …