Farragut gives new life to Advance Knox plan
Scott Meyer, who said no in March, changes stance
Take that last vote and reverse it. Members of the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen, who faced tremendous political pressure after shooting down the Advance Knox Growth Policy Plan, have now approved the planning overhaul with a 3-2 vote.
Alderman Scott Meyer flipped his vote at the board’s Thursday meeting after he voted against it during the Farragut board’s March 28 meeting. Mayor Ron Williams and Vice Mayor Louise Povlin voted in favor of the plan for a second time, and Aldermen Drew Burnette and David White maintained their stances against it.
Meyer declined to explain his change of heart after the vote, but said April 3 his concerns with Advance Knox were addressed by Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. He told Knox News he wished he read the plan sooner.
The flip saves Knox County and Farragut leaders from a potentially ugly mediation fight. With the change, the update to the 20-year-old growth plan is close to final.
County leaders designed the plan to prevent rural land from being lost to development, ease strain on infrastructure and help the county grow in
In 2026, scientists from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville will take their work to the world’s biggest stage – or, rather, 16 of the world’s biggest stages.
A research team at the UT Institute of Agriculture is helping develop natural turf for the FIFA World Cup 26, set to be the largest global soccer tournament on record, with 48 teams playing 104 games in 16 stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
The grass grown by UT scientists could have a generational impact not just on the World Cup, which draws a viewership of half the world, but on soccer itself.
And yes, that’s grown. The World Cup does not use synthetic turf, even for domed stadiums that get little to no natural light. Half of the stadiums for 2026 are either enclosed or semi-enclosed. UT scientists are studying whether the experimental grass could be replicated other places.
An added challenge this time around is the continental sprawl of the tournament. The 16 stadiums – 11 in the U.S., three in Mexico and two in Canada – sit in three different climate zones and three different time zones. The 2022 World Cup, by comparison, was held in eight stadiums all clustered in the host nation Qatar, which is smaller than Connecticut.