Local

State legislators approved two Sales Tax Holiday weekends for 2020, one for clothing, computers and school supplies, and another weekend for restaurant sales. The Tennessee General Assembly has approved two sales tax holiday weekends to help Tennesseans save money and support the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The first tax-free holiday weekend focuses on clothing and other back-to-school items. It ...

Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters signed an executive order Tuesday mandating that residents, employees and visitors wear a face covering in public. At a press conference in downtown Sevierville, next to the famous Dolly Parton statue adorned with her own mask, local officials joined Mayor Waters as he announced he was issuing a countywide order requiring the use of face ...

Local law enforcement vow to enforce litter laws in an effort to reduce the amount of trash accumulating on Sevier County roadways. Due to an increase of litter, trash, and cigarette butts in our area, the Sevierville Police Department and Sevier County Sheriff’s Office are partnering with Keep Sevier Beautiful in an effort to keep our roadways clean. Effective immediately, ...

Park officials say a man drowned in the Oconaluftee River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park while trying to rescue a younger family member. Park Rangers responded to a drowning in progress call just before 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2020 behind the Mountain Farm Museum in Cherokee, N.C. Witnesses said that 32-year-old Bulmaro Morales, of Dudley, N.C., heroically ...

The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the person or persons who shot and attempted to behead a farmer’s bison over the weekend. On Monday morning, Sevier deputies responded to a call from Edward Ingle on Dinkins Road in Seymour reporting that someone shot one of his bison and tried to cut it’s head off. Ingle told deputies that ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a medical emergency involving a bicyclist on the Foothills Parkway who suffered a cardiac arrest. According to a release, park rangers responded to a medical emergency involving a bicyclist on the Foothills Parkway at 11:16 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2020. The bicyclist identified as 59-year-old Michael Barker, of Seymour, was riding ...

Park officials were joined by Second Lady Karen Pence and Deputy Secretary of the Interior Katherine MacGregor at Clingmans Dome to talk about the mental health benefits of being outdoors and announced the next phase in the park’s plan to restore public access to more roads and picnic areas.  Mrs. Pence is the Lead Ambassador for PREVENTS, an interagency task ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will begin a phased reopening and says it has implemented new safety measures in facility operations and services to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as areas reopen to the public. Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Great Smoky Mountains National ...

The Tennessee Army National Guard used a hoist to rescue the pilot of a small plane that crashed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Friday morning. Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a report of a small plane crash approximately 6 miles west of Clingmans Dome at approximately 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 10, 2020. The single ...

Tennessee’s governor issued a Stay at Home order Thursday in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases as the state races to increase hospital bed capacity for an anticipated surge of cases later this month. On April 2, Gov. Bill Lee issued an executive order requiring all people in Tennessee to stay at home except for when engaging ...