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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that all park areas, except the Foothills Parkway and Spur, will remain closed until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All access to the park, including trails and roads, were originally closed on March 24 through April 6, in alignment with efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 across the region. The ...

City and county officials released a statement today asking businesses in the tourism sector to stop marketing vacations to the area in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. A Message From the Mayors of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center, Sevier County and Sevierville read: “We are requesting that businesses in the leisure travel/tourism sector please stop soliciting ...

In a statement on Friday, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters asked tourists to put their vacations to the area on hold and stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic closures, including most businesses, attractions and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “Normally at this time of year, we are enjoying the beautiful weather and all the visitors in Sevier County,” ...

The mayors of Sevier County and Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center, and Sevierville on Thursday declared a State of Local Emergency for Sevier County, Tennessee. This declaration is executed by political subdivisions of government, both City and County, to comply with Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s request to open the Sevier County Emergency Operations Center, to allow cities and the county ...

Citizens who need to file an unemployment application, but lack a computer or internet service, may visit certain Sevier County Library branches to file their application. Sevier County citizens who have been laid off due to the coronavirus, COVID-19, can file for unemployment. The easiest way to file is to access www.jobs4TN.gov, from home by using a computer, tablet or ...

The Sevier County School System announced that the current school closure will be extended for another month to slow the spread of COVID-19 cases. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, recommended all public schools remain closed until April 24. The Sevier County School System confirmed on Wednesday that it would comply with the request, instead of resuming ...

Great Smoky National Park is closing all public access to slow spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, after experiencing a surge of visitors that defied previous park efforts to reduce congestion and crowds within the park to comply with health official’s guidance for social distancing. Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that all park areas, except the Foothills Parkway and ...

Tennessee health officials confirmed a second Sevier County COVID-19 case on Saturday. The Saturday, March 21, 2020 COVID-19 update from the Tennessee Department of Health included a second confirmed case of of COVID-19 in Sevier County. A total of 371 cases are now confirmed in the state, with 140 cases confirmed in Davidson County. The agency noted that cases among ...

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is addressing Coronavirus-related delays in state firearms background checks. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation would like to explain the reasons for delays customers and firearms dealers may have experienced this week while securing a firearms background check or appeal in the state, and the steps being taken to ...

A Sevierville police officer is recovering from injuries sustained during a traffic stop when the driver of the vehicle fled the scene. According to the Sevierville Police Department, Officer Travis Byram stopped a vehicle for an apparent altered license plate on Dolly Parton Parkway near Industrial Park Drive at about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2020. He observed what ...