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The prospect of an archery facility in New Market moved closer to reality with last week’s announcement that the municip...
09/07/2026

The prospect of an archery facility in New Market moved closer to reality with last week’s announcement that the municipality has been awarded an $896,225 grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Outdoor Recreation, for which officials had applied in April.

The total award of $1,046.225 includes $150,000 that will go toward building a playground in a city park that does not have one now.

In a joint telephone interview late Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Danny Whillock and Carson-Newman Intercollegiate Recreational Sports Director Hunter Sales said they are working together on the next steps for an archery facility that would be used by Carson-Newman’s team, but open to the public.

Read more about the plans for an archery facility and a playground at the roadside park near the New Market Volunteer Fire Department in the September 3 edition of The Standard Banner or at link in comments! Story by Mark Brown | Staff Writer

East Tennessee independence: The 1840s plan to separate and the Jefferson Countian behind itBy Steve Marion | Staff Writ...
09/06/2026

East Tennessee independence: The 1840s plan to separate and the Jefferson Countian behind it

By Steve Marion | Staff Writer

East Tennessee has a history of looking for a way out of Tennessee.

The first attempt occurred years before the state even existed, when frontiersmen including John Sevier established the ill-fated “State of Franklin,” which was never recognized by the United States and ended by 1788. Eight decades later, as the Civil War began, East Tennessee delegates at two conventions proposed separating from Tennessee because many of their citizens opposed leaving the Union. Their plan failed, too.

But there was also a third, lesser known attempt that was immensely popular among East Tennesseans in the early 1840s, and leading it was an unlikely duo: a Connecticut abolitionist named Ezekiel Birdseye and a scion of Mossy Creek’s first family, Jacob Franklin Peck.

Birdseye and Peck, co-owners of a sawmill business in Newport, had been amassing thousands of acres of land in the region with an ambitious plan that included more than financial gain. They wanted to establish a “free labor” experiment that would show that slavery was not only morally wrong, but also a major hindrance to the economic development of the region and its natural resources.

Read more about their plan in this week's edition of The Standard Banner, on newsstands now, or at link in the comments!

We have boots on the ground in Neyland today!Sports editor Dennis Barker Jr. is on scene to see two of Jefferson County'...
09/05/2026

We have boots on the ground in Neyland today!

Sports editor Dennis Barker Jr. is on scene to see two of Jefferson County's finest, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Nic Moore and freshman cheerleader Halle Hutchins for the Vols' 2026 opener.

Look for a story on the two JCHS alumni later this fall as they continue to rep Dumplin Valley on Rocky Top!

Rivalry games are meant to be intense. The 48th all-time meeting between the Jefferson County Patriots and Morristown We...
09/05/2026

Rivalry games are meant to be intense. The 48th all-time meeting between the Jefferson County Patriots and Morristown West Trojans lived up to that billing.

Check the comments and read up on how the Patriots' overcame mid-game woes and made a late stand to secure their sixth straight victory over the Trojans on Friday night.

09/05/2026

60 Seconds with Coach Riley presented by Barnes Vision. The Patriots gutted out a big win tonight on the road over rival Morristown West 29-27. Sports Editor Dennis Barker, Jr. caught up with Head Coach Spencer Riley immediately following the game to get his thoughts on the close victory. Jefferson County Patriot Football

09/04/2026

The Patriot Pregame Preview presented by Barnes Vision. The Patriots look to get back into the win column as they travel to take on rival Morristown West tonight. Sports Editor Dennis Barker, Jr. caught up with Head Coach Spencer Riley to preview the game. Read Dennis’ preview of the game in the link in the comments!

Jefferson County's own Lost Creek Band kicks off the 21st season of Dandridge's Music on the Town concert series tonight...
09/03/2026

Jefferson County's own Lost Creek Band kicks off the 21st season of Dandridge's Music on the Town concert series tonight. Shows begin at 7:00 pm each Thursday through October 15th. The Standard Banner is proud to support and be the official media partner of Music on the Town! Photo by Mark Brown.

Today's top story: The county’s former veterans service officer has filed a $300,000 lawsuit against Jefferson County an...
09/03/2026

Today's top story: The county’s former veterans service officer has filed a $300,000 lawsuit against Jefferson County and its County Commission chairman, alleging a “hostile work environment” that led to her resignation.

In the complaint filed last Friday in Jefferson County Circuit Court, former VSO Marissa King accuses Commission Chairman Jimmy Carmichael of a pattern of “aggressive and intentionally intimidating” behavior, which she says she reported to both the county mayor and county attorney, but the County failed to take corrective action.

The “abusive work environment was so intolerable” that she eventually left her position, the complaint states. King asks for a jury trial on the issues and an injunction requiring the county to adopt and follow a non-harassment policy.

Read the entire story in today's edition of The Standard Banner, on newsstands now, or at link in comments!

Since knocking off the defending District 2-AAA champs in their league opener, the Jefferson County Lady Patriots had sl...
09/02/2026

Since knocking off the defending District 2-AAA champs in their league opener, the Jefferson County Lady Patriots had slogged through a difficult stretch of three straight losses.

On Tuesday, though, they shook off the recent woes and pieced together one of their most complete performances in a season that is still young.

See how the Lady Patriots bounced back in a big way in tomorrow's edition of The Standard Banner. Don't want to wait? Visit the link in the comments to view the story on our website.

Coach Riley gave Standard Banner Sports Editor Dennis Barker three unusual words to hide in this week’s Patriots game re...
09/02/2026

Coach Riley gave Standard Banner Sports Editor Dennis Barker three unusual words to hide in this week’s Patriots game recap.

Find just ONE and enter to win!

Each week, one winner gets their choice of two passes to Mossy Creek Mini Golf or a three month digital subscription to The Standard Banner.

Plus, every entry goes into our grand prize drawing at the end of the season!

Read the story:
https://www.standardbanner.com/articles/featured-stories/squandered-opportunities-prevent-patriots-upset-bid/

Enter one of the three words here:
https://www.standardbanner.com/riley/ #//

Read it. Find it. Enter it. It’s that easy!

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122 W Old Andrew Johnson Highway
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37760

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