Since 2004, area men have an easy way of getting checked during National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September with “Eddie Check,” the Eddie Kirkland Memorial Blood Drive and free PSA screening for prostate cancer. This event combines a MEDIC blood drive with blood sample collection for PSA analysis in multiple convenient locations across east Tennessee. Nisus Corporation, a Blount County-based manufacturer of green products for the professional pest management industry, along with MEDIC Regional Blood Center, and Covenant Health’s Thompson Cancer Survival Center, is again hosting this unique event. Eddie Check is named in honor of prostate cancer victim Eddie Kirkland, father of Nisus Corporation president and CEO Kevin L. Kirkland. Nisus marketing vice president Jim... (more...)

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Proclaimed as the Most Popular Aquarium in US TripAdvisor.com’s Listing Ranks Gatlinburg Attraction as #1 GATLINBURG, Tenn. In its first listing of the nation’s aquariums, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is being recognized as the most popular aquarium in the U.S. by TripAdvisor,com’s travelers and editors. “This is great validation for us! In 2001, the year we opened, we were the most attended aquarium in the U.S. with more than two million visitors and we have remained very popular year after year,” said Steve File, General Manager of Ripley’s’ Aquarium of the Smokies, noting that since opening, more than 10 million visitors have enjoyed his attraction. “We’re located in the... (more...)

SHARKS HAVE BEEN SEEN IN SEVIER COUNTY SEVIERVILLE, TN – The United Way of Sevier County announces that ticket sales for the 6th Annual Great Gatlinburg Shark Race have now begun for the chance to win a 2009 Nissan Cube or one of five other fabulous prizes. The Great Gatlinburg Shark Race is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 3 p.m. at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. Rubber sharks will be dropped into the Little Pigeon River to race to the finish line. The first shark to cross the finish line will win the 2009 Nissan Cube grand prize. “Individuals who purchase a ticket for this year’s Shark Race have the chance to win a great grand prize, but there are also five other exciting... (more...)

After a one-year absence, a Christ In The Smokies Museum and Gardens is returning to Gatlinburg with an entirely new exhibition, responding to popular demand from visitors who mourned its loss.  For over 49 years the popular Christus Gardens in Gatlinburg entertained and informed visitors about the life of Christ.  But in 2008, the wax figure collection was sold to a Christian TV network and left Gatlinburg.   The location had been marked for a condo development; however the impact of the economy for the past year, forced the development to be postponed for the foreseeable future. “Hundreds, even thousands of visitors have expressed their sorrow... (more...)