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As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back at the stories that mattered most close to home.

These are the moments, milestones and everyday scenes that defined Blount County in 2025, as seen through the eyes of reporter Rebecca Raney.

Walland house fire

Blount County Fire Protection District officials confirmed on Jan 20 that three bodies were recovered from the remains of a house fire on Payne Hollow Road in Walland.

The deceased were later identified as Cas Ivan Farley, 61, Delmar Marty Farley, 59, and Norma Kay Farley, 65.

On Jan. 21, Johnny Ray Wilburn, 56, Nebo Mountain Road was arrested and later, indicted in June.

The state’s key evidence against Wilburn includes audio recordings Cruze turned over to police. In them, Wilburn is allegedly heard admitting to the killings, arson and later thefts from the Farley residence, although defense attorney Rick Owens had disputed the claims.

Former magistrate placed on leave

Blount County Juvenile Court Judge Kenlyn Foster placed former Magistrate Diane Elizabeth Lashmit on leave on Aug. 17, 2023, according to a memorandum sent to Blount County Government Human Resources Director Jaclyn Johnson.

The leave placement came just days after Lashmit allegedly attempted to destroy evidence against her son, Julian Paul Gerdeman, according to an indictment filed against Lashmit in the United States Eastern District of Tennessee Court on Feb. 5 charging her with one count tampering with the proceedings and one count accessory after the fact.

Gerdeman was sentenced to 16 years in prison on April 16 for several counts of possession and distribution of child pornography.

The return of Walmart

Plans to develop a second Walmart location in Maryville were resurrected on June 16 after the city’s municipal planning commission unanimously approved a preliminary site plan for a Walmart Supercenter located at 2805 E Lamar Alexander Parkway.

The proposed site plan included a primary development spanning more than 200,000 square feet and a 16-vehicle fuel center and convenience store located nearby.

Developers planned to add an access drive west of Garrett Lane on East Lamar Alexander Parkway, as well as to relocate the current Woodland Acres Road roadway approximately 275 feet west in order to allow for an additional three access drives to the supercenter and connection to Amerine Station Road.

Splish splash pad

Maryville City officials revisited plans to install a splash pad within city limits during a work session Aug. 15.

Preliminary models showed plans for a 3,500 square foot installation at the site of the current John Sevier Pool baby pool, but received pushback from the community over the location.

City officials went back to the drawing board, looking at seven different locations: Pearson Springs, Sandy Springs, Jack Greene Park, Bicentennial Park, Everett Park, Amerine Park and East Westwood Park.

Because of concerns over flooding, Pearsons Springs, Jack Greene and Bicentennial Park were marked as risky development locations.

After discussion, City Council seemed inclined toward Sandy Springs but decided to table the discussion until after the start of the new year.

The big box comes to Alcoa

On Oct. 24, Alcoa city officials revealed the scope of a three-year project among the city, real estate company RealtyLink and representatives from multinational big-box retailer Costco Wholesale.

Preliminary blueprints indicated the building itself would encompass over 150,000 square feet of retail space, with more than 850 parking spaces and a fuel center along the Faraday Street border.

Mockups reviewed by planning commissioners indicated that the site plan had four entrance/exit points: two along Werner Avenue to the north, and two along Tesla Boulevard to the south. Both points along Tesla Boulevard will be bordered by traffic lights to the east and west, with city officials indicating Friday that they will be responsible for the installation of the light at Tesla and Marconi.

A projected opening date was tentatively set for the end of 2026.

Maryville officer injured during presidential motorcade

A Maryville Police officer is back at home and recovering after sustaining life-threatening injuries during Vice President J.D. Vance’s motorcade through Blount County on Nov. 14.

As the motorcade was traveling down East Lamar Alexander Parkway at Merrit Road near the Volunteer Auto Group of East Maryville location, Maryville Police Field Training Officer Justin Brown, who was driving a motorcycle, and an unidentified THP officer in an SUV collided.

Brown sustained critical injuries and spent weeks recovering in the hospital.

The accident is currently under investigation by the THP Critical Incident Response Team. No further details have been released.

Ring the alarm

At the end of October, an anonymous letter was posted to social media alleging serious financial, legal and ethical deficiencies within the Blount County Fire Protection District reportedly stemming from Chief Doug McClanahan’s leadership.

In their letter, firefighters alleged that after Station 10’s completion, “several citizens paid twice for service fees, (and) no efforts were made to notify these customers of their double payments or to issue refunds/credits.”

That was in addition to the over $5,000 which the Comptroller’s Office reported missing and/or misplaced in April.

McClanahan resigned from his position on Nov. 3, with commissioners Benny Kirby and Tom Daffron also putting in resignations, leaving Gerald Kirby the sole commissioner.

In a Nov. 7 email, Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell appointed Jerry Phillips and reappointed Daffron as interim board members.

After a heated BCFPD meeting Nov. 18, where firefighters called for Kirby’s resignation, Kirby and Daffron resigned.

Mitchell made his second set of interim appointments this month, appointing a pair of county commissioners, Quentin Caldwell (District 7-A) and Nick Bright (District 6-A), as interim members of the board.

As for hiring an official fire chief, commissioners announced they would review applications from qualified individuals until Jan. 1, with a decision to be made as soon as possible.