A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 10,712,673 visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2015 spent $873,886,500 in communities near the park. That spending supported 13,709 jobs in the local area. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service. “In 2015, over ...

LeConte Medical Center hosted a “Meet and Greet” introducing new physicians to area physicians and other medical providers in the community. In conjunction with Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center (FSRMC) and Covenant Health, LeConte Medical Center (LCMC) provides a comprehensive array of healthcare services and quality healthcare providers in the community. Guests were welcomed by Jenny Hanson, president/chief administrative officer ...

Home Federal Bank named Sevier County teen Sterling Isaac Fisher and Blount County resident Tom Buchanan 2016 Hometown Heroes and presented $2,500 nonprofit donations in each of their names at a ceremony at the bank’s Seymour office, 11320 Chapman Highway, on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. Tom Buchanan, age 87, is a vibrant and faithful volunteer with the Senior Nutrition Program ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the dates for the firefly viewing event in Elkmont. The ticketed event will take place from Tuesday, May 31 through Tuesday, June 7, 2016. Parking passes will be distributed this year via a lottery system administered through www.recreation.gov. Since 2006, access to the Elkmont area has been limited to shuttle service during ...

The City of Sevierville has announced a new permitting process and website. The website will allow users to submit and track permits online rather than traveling to a designated permit office. Frequent customers are encouraged to setup their accounts now by visiting www.mygovernmentonline.org and selecting “Permits and Licensing.” Contractors and residents will have the ability to: Apply and pay online ...

Jack Hatfield, author of the Hatfield clan cookbook “Eat’n with the Hatfields,” will hold a book signing event in Pigeon Forge. Have you ever wanted to eat with the Hatfields of the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud? Now is your chance. Jack Hatfield will be visiting Pigeon Forge on Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27, 2016 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the temporary closure of the Abrams Creek entrance road due to damage caused by an uprooted tree. Approximately 20 linear feet of the Abrams Creek entrance road is partially washed out to a depth of over 3 feet. Park maintenance crews plan to repair the roadway by Wednesday, April 27, 2016. Trails remain ...

Hiring for positions at Dolly Parton’s Lumberjack Adventure Dinner & Show, Pigeon Forge’s newest dinner attraction, continues with a job fair at the facility on Monday, May 2, 2016 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. There are a number of great openings for cast member positions, including servers, bartenders, pre-show waiters and waitresses, kitchen staff, box office attendants, auditors and ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 23, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with special activities at Sugarlands Visitor Center, Cades Cove Visitor Center and Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The park is also hosting two InstaMeet opportunities with photographers who will share tips on creating unique social media posts using camera phones at ...

In honor of the National Park Service Centennial, the baggage claim area at the McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville has been transformed into an immersive visit to nine National Park Service units including Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Obed Wild and Scenic River, Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Stones River National ...