Local

A South Carolina man who pleaded guilty to the murder of a man last year inside the historic Smokemont Baptist Church in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison. During a hearing on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ordered 23-year-old Forrest Dakota Hill, of Easley, S.C., to serve 200 months ...

The tiny house trend is booming across the country, but the illegal conversion of ready-removable shed structures into living spaces could mean big headaches for buyers. In an effort to protect consumers, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office is urging Tennesseans to be aware of state laws governing ready-removable structures and not fall victim to persons trying to make big ...

The Boys & Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains will host a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony for their new Pigeon Forge Branch on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016 at 4 p.m. The ceremony will take place at 2456 Library Drive in Pigeon Forge, just behind the community center, and the public is encouraged to attend. The City of Pigeon Forge ...

Alan Bruhin, UT Extension director for Sevier County, is one of three statewide winners of the Tennessee Association of Agricultural Agents and Specialists Award. The award is also named for Dr. Billy G. Hicks, Dean Emeritus of UT Extension. The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture recently presented several awards to top faculty, staff, researchers and extension experts. Thirty-two people ...

The new Sevier County campus of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) will open on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 with a ceremony and ribbon-cutting beginning at 10 a.m. As a part of the strategic plan for Sevier County, recruiting a 4-year college and TCAT to the county was a priority. The governments of Sevier ...

We are trying to find a way to get a message to someone in the legislature that can change how overnight rental cabins are being classified as “single family dwellings” even though some have 16 bedrooms. They only pay the 25% tax basis instead of the 40% for commercial use. We are talking to our neighbors and friends, as this ...

A truckload of supplies bound for Smoky Mountain Children’s Home in Sevierville has been delayed indefinitely after a tractor-trailer from the organization God’s Pit Crew was involved in a horrific accident. According to Virginia State Police, the God’s Pit Crew tractor-trailer was traveling on Interstate 77 in Carroll County when it hydroplaned during a heavy rain, causing the truck to ...

A Seymour man that served as a music leader at a local church faces charges of sexual contact with a minor from the congregation. 35-year-old John L. Steger, of Seymour, was arrested after an investigation revealed he allegedly had unlawful sexual contact and solicited a minor, says the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. The parents of a 15-year-old juvenile contacted the ...

Police say a tourist visiting Sevierville was soliciting for sex and now faces prostitution charges. Officers from the Sevier County Street Crimes Unit arrested 38-year-old Jamie L. Boyle, of Orange Park, Fla., and charged her with Prostitution and Promoting Prostitution as a result of an undercover sting on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016. According to Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals, Boyle ...

These are the unofficial election results for the State of Tennessee Democratic & Republican Primaries & Sevier County General Election held August 4, 2016. Results are unofficial until certified by the Election Commission. A total of 4,429 ballots were cast in Sevier County, including 4,019 (90.74%) Republican ballots, 230 (5.19%) Democrat ballots and 180 (4.06%) nonpartisan ballots. State of Tennessee ...