March 31, 2010 – Tomorrow, April 1, is National Census Day and the City of Knoxville encourages its residents who haven’t responded yet to fill out their 2010 Census questionnaires and drop them in the mail. The simple form contains just 10 questions and takes just 10 minutes to complete but by filling it out Knoxville residents can make a difference in the future of the city. That’s because Knoxville,   Read More ...

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn.—Marking a milestone 25th anniversary season, Dollywood opens on March 27, 2010, with the addition of Adventure Mountain, America’s largest challenge course. “Everyone knows that I’m a dreamer, and the 25th anniversary of my Dollywood theme park is the continuation of a country girl’s dream of a special place where families can experience and enjoy all that my Smoky Mountain home has to offer,” Dolly Parton said. “I’m   Read More ...

March 31, 2010 – The City of Knoxville’s Community Development Department is hosting a bus tour of the department’s projects from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6. The City of Knoxville Community Development Department staff is hosting the bus tour for Knoxville City Council, the Neighborhood Advisory Council and the board of directors of the Partnership for Neighborhood Improvement. The bus leaves from the Women’s Basketball Hall   Read More ...

March 30, 2010 – The intersection of Vine Avenue at Gay Street will be closed for at least three weeks for road and utility construction beginning on the morning of Monday, April 5. The closure will mean that people using the Sterchi parking lot will have to enter and exit it via Walnut Street until the work is completed. State Street, located on the east side of Gay Street, will   Read More ...

Great Smoky Mountains Superintendent Dale Ditmanson has announced that the popular Cades Cove Loop is expected to reopen Saturday, April 24, about a month earlier than had been projected.  Ditmanson credits capable management and aggressive efforts by the contractor, APAC-Atlantic, Inc., Harrison Division, and the cooperation of the Federal Highway Administration, in conjunction with financial incentives built into the contract for the early completion. In recognition of the completion of   Read More ...

Update (3/31/2010): There have been persistent visitor reports that they have heard that the main road across the Smokies, Newfound Gap Road (US 441) between Gatlinburg,TN and Cherokee, NC is closed.  It is not. The Park had a small slide on Monday which closed the road overnight, but it re-opened to all non-commercial traffic Tuesday a.m. Update (3/30/2010): The Newfound Gap Road opened as planned this morning at 7 a.m.    Read More ...

6th Annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition Accepts Entries Sevierville (TN) – The 6th Annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition honors the songwriting of Sevierville’s favorite daughter, Dolly Parton, and is hosted by the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. During this competition, contestants must sing a song written by Dolly Parton in the style of his or her own choosing (country, rock, rap, bluegrass, etc.). Contestants may enter in the 13 and up   Read More ...

March 30, 2010 – The City of Knoxville’s Engineering Department will host a public meeting concerning the proposed Westland Drive Improvements Project from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, April 13, at the First Church of God. The church is located at 6708 Westland Drive. Preliminary plans for the project will be available for public review at the meeting and staff members from the city’s Engineering Department and from Vaughn & Melton, the   Read More ...

(Gatlinburg, Tenn., March 30, 2010) – Springtime in Gatlinburg is bursting with exciting events that capture the spirit of the Smokies. Celebrate Easter during a sunrise service over the Great Smoky Mountains. Delight in the spirited sounds of music that reflects southern Appalachian heritage. Honor our nation’s heroes. Take a guided hike to discover some of nature’s abundance of wildflowers, or stroll along the Parkway while you sample tasty Street   Read More ...

Kenya native Geoffrey Kiprotich, who resides in Atlanta, Ga., won the sixth annual Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon on Sunday, March 28, finishing the 26.2-mile race with a time of 2:23:22. Andy Baksa of Knoxville, Tenn., came in second at 2:23:58, and Alan Horton of Knoxville, Tenn., was third with a time of 2:26:26. In the women’s category, the top spot went to Kathy Wolski of Knoxville, Tenn., for the second   Read More ...