News

Sugarlands Distilling Company is awarding grants to two local organizations that won top spots in its MoonShare program. The non-profit organizations Pets Without Parents and Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will each receive a $5,000 grant from Sugarlands Distilling Company in Gatlinburg. They were selected for the MoonShare program based upon public voting on the company’s Facebook ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to four open house opportunities to meet and welcome new Superintendent Cassius Cash to the Smokies. The open houses will be held in late February from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at each location. Two open houses will be held in North Carolina and two will be held in Tennessee. Cash ...

WASHINGTON – President Obama’s budget request for fiscal year 2016 – the centennial year of the National Park Service – includes $3 billion for the bureau’s critical conservation, preservation, and recreation mission. The budget boosts the National Park Service’s essential programs and operational needs by $432.9 million. “In 2016, the National Park Service will celebrate its Centennial by inviting hundreds ...

The Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association announced Monday that the Board of Directors and leadership voted to support the Insure Tennessee plan proposed by Governor Bill Haslam. “Obviously, this is a complex issue of health care coverage and all the details have not been completed,” said Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association leaders in a letter to state legislators. “Many questions ...

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam this evening addressed a joint convention of the 109th General Assembly as legislators began an extraordinary legislative session to consider his Insure Tennessee plan. The proposal, a two-year pilot program to provide market-based health care coverage to more than 250,000 Tennesseans who currently don’t have access to health insurance or have limited options, does ...

MARCH 3, 2015 UPDATE: The Amazing Race event to benefit United Way has been postponed to Thursday, April 30, 2015 due to the prediction of Snow/Ice/Cold temps for this Thursday. Grab three of your friends or family and compete in the United Way Amazing Race at NASCAR SpeedPark Smoky Mountains for a chance to win some amazing getaways while supporting a good cause. ...

MARCH 3, 2015 UPDATE: The Sevierville Police Department Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class schedule has been revised. The February 24 class was cancelled due to weather. Classes will now take place on March 3, 10 and 17, from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. each night. Women and girls can learn self-defense techniques at a free Rape Aggression Defense class offered by the Sevierville Police Department. The Sevierville ...

Great Smoky Mountains the star of Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, more than 400 programs on nature, culture and history offered. The 25th Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week runs Jan. 24 – Jan. 31, 2015 at LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge. The event features a series of exhibits, workshops, lectures, performances and walks celebrating the beauty, wildlife, culture and history ...

WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge is offering a Sevier County Days admission discount to locals. People who live in Cocke, Jefferson, Blount, Knox or Sevier County may take advantage of this local appreciation special to visit WonderWorks Indoor Amusement Park now through March 8, 2015. The Sevier County Days discount makes the general admission ticket $15 for adults and $10 for ...

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 ...