The 18-piece Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble from the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America will perform a free concert at the Pigeon Forge Community Center on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 at 7 p.m. The ensemble – which has performed for heads of state and audiences across the nation – has a local connection. Master Sgt. Jerry Kelly, a guitarist, ...

To honor the incredible songwriting of Dolly Parton, her hometown will once again host the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition, now in its 11th year. This year’s competition will be sponsored by Sound Biscuit Productions and will feature contestants who are asked to sing a song written by Dolly in the style of his or her own choosing (country, rock, rap, ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park geographic information system specialists and scientists in collaboration with scientists from Tennessee, North Carolina and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), completed a three-year stream mapping project. Park scientists used a combination of aircraft-mounted scanners and a Global Positioning System verification system to re-inventory streams throughout the park. Using this modern mapping technology, scientists determined ...

NASHVILLE– Burning firewood is a good option to keep your home warm through the winter months. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture advises consumers to consider the type of wood, its origin and quantity before making that purchase. “Firewood is sold all over the state by vendors operating at varying levels – from large-volume vendors selling to commercial retailers like grocery ...

The 28th season of Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede promises to be the most exciting and unique yet, as all-new sights and sounds will create an atmosphere unlike any other. “I want to dazzle our guests in 2015 with a completely new atmosphere,” Dolly said. “My team is hard at work creating a new set, powerful new music, lots of amazing special ...

NASHVILLE – Manufactured houses are the scenes of relatively few fires every year in Tennessee, but those fires are among the deadliest, causing a disproportionate number of fire-related deaths. Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office officials are urging residents of manufactured homes – also known as mobile homes or trailers – to practice fire safety all year round. Currently, Tennessee has ...

NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s modern tradition for the top baby names continued in 2014, with Emma and William taking the number one spots for a fourth consecutive year as the most popular names given by new Tennessee parents. William has been the number one name chosen for baby boys born in Tennessee for eight straight years. Emma repeats as the most ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park welcomed over ten million visitors in 2014 for just the fourth time in 80 years, and the first time since 2000. In 2014, 10,099,275 visitors enjoyed the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an 8% increase over 2013. The numbers were spurred by strong July and August visitation as well as the highest October visitation in ...

Local business Tanger Outlets Sevierville hosted the Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center van Thursday to provide free mammograms. The mammograms were offered to 10 uninsured, at risk women from Sevier County. Tanger Outlets partnered with Relay For Life of Sevier County and Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic for the event as a continuation of the Pink STYLE Campaign. Relay For Life ...

“Art is the child of Nature,” said American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A new grant initiative created in partnership by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Park Service celebrates the intersections between the two in honor of the NEA’s 50th anniversary in 2015 and the National Park Service’s centennial in 2016. Imagine Your Parks will provide $1 ...