BEST BANK
•Peter Millar
•Johnnie -O
•Southern Tide
•Local Boy
•Har tSchaf fner &Marx
•TommyHilfiger
•Michael Kors
• 34 Heritage
•Patagonia
•Birkenstock
•Johnston &Murphy
•Florsheim
•Skechers
•New Balance
•UGG
• Sof f
•Born •Kizik
•Tribal
•Foxcrof
•Clarks
•Levis
• Duck Head
EMPLOYMENT
AGENCY
CUSTOMER
DRIVEN STAFFING
RANDSTAD OF ATHENS
EVENT VENUE
THE BARN AT FAITH FARMS
COUNTRY COVE VENUE
SOUTHERN EVENTS
EXCAVATING COMPANY
EXCAVATING
VALLEYSCAPE
LANDWORKS LLC
SULLENDER
EXCAVATING STEPHENS
e deepl appreciate our choice o Companion Funeral & Cremation Ser ice. our support is in aluable to all o us. e are honored to be oted #1 Best Funeral Home, Best o the Best 2026!”
Monday -Friday10am-5:30pm Saturday 9am-5pm •Sunday 1pm-4pm 1130Tennessee Ave, Etowah, TN 37331 (423) 263-1603
January 1, 202 6throughDec ember 31, 20 26
StanWebbJeb Best Michael Zavarick
FRIED CHICKEN
PIZZA PLACE
AMR of Athens, Tennessee proudly thanks the citizens of McMinn County and the surrounding communities for your continued trust and support We are honored to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our EMS team Emily Alexander was recognized as the 2026 Best of the Best – 1st Place EMT Kansas Evans and Tyler Hafley were recognized among the Top 3 EMTs. Your professionalism, compassion, and dedication to patient care represent the very best of AMR and the Athens community
Top 3 Medical Clinic
Top 3 Nurse Practitioner
Alicia Fulbright MSN, FNP-C
Top 3 Physician Dr. Nathan Trentham #1 Best Physician Assistant Houston Yates
Thank You For your confidence in voting us 2026 Best of the Best. We take pride in providing quality care to our patients.
PAINTER
JUSTIN BRANHAM
PAINTER (Commercial)
PEDIATRICIAN
Spencer’s Auto Body ROBERT
Rob’s Painting
Tim Bennett Painting
We know every patient is unique. That’swhy our care starts with you.Whether it’saroutine check-up or acritical procedure, we delivertreatment that’scentered on your health, your goals and your recovery. The doctors, nurses and clinical staff at Starr Regional Medical Center bring togetherpersonalized expertise and advanced medical technology to help you get back to the things you care about most.
Youaren’t just adiagnosis. And we’re not just cardiology, orthopedics or emergency medicine. We specialize in first steps and walks down the aisle. We specialize in what matters most. We specialize in you
CARLA PATTON
Silver Key Realty
HEATHER JARAMILLO
Crye Leike Realtors
GARRETT BYRD
Silver Key Realty
SPEECH THERAPIST
CJ COLEMAN
Athens City Schools
HANNAH MOORE
Starr Regional Medical Center
MALLORY SANCHES
Starr Regional Medical Center
VETERINARIAN
A Celebration of the Businesses and People Who Make Our Community Great!
Every community has businesses, organizations, and individuals who go above and beyond to serve their neighbors. They are the places we recommend to friends, the professionals we trust with our families, and the local establishments that make our hometown special.
That is why we are so proud to present this year’s Best of the Best Awards.
Unlike many recognitions, these honors are not chosen by a panel of judges— they are chosen by you. Thousands of votes from members of our community determined the Top 3 finalists in each category, making this a true reflection of the businesses and people who have earned the confidence, loyalty, and appreciation of those they serve every day.
Being named among the Top 3 is an accomplishment in itself. It represents months and years of dedication, hard work, outstanding customer service, and a commitment to excellence. Whether a business takes home first place or is recognized as a finalist, each honoree should be incredibly proud of the trust and support shown by the community.
This special newspaper section celebrates those achievements and preserves them as a lasting record of local excellence. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of supporting hometown businesses that invest in our neighborhoods, create jobs, sponsor local events, and strengthen our local economy.
Our Best of the Best Awards event which was held on June 11th, gave us the opportunity to gather together and recognize these deserving winners in person. It was an evening dedicated not only to announcing rankings but also to celebrating the spirit of community and the relationships that make our area such a wonderful place to live and work.
To everyone who cast a vote—thank you for participating and helping shine a spotlight on excellence in our community. To all of the nominees and winners—congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. Your hard work and commitment have not gone unnoticed.
Congratulations to the 2026 Winners!
We are honored to share your stories and celebrate your success, and we look forward to the 2027 Best of the Best Awards celebration.
Athens Utilities Board is the proud sponsor of the Best of the Best banquet. We want to congratulate all the winners and thank you for choosing our community to reside and serve.
DO THE BEST YOU CAN UNTIL YOU KNOW BETTER. THEN, WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, DO BETTER.
-MAYA
ANGELOU