The Great Smoky Mountains allows educators to bring their students on a virtual field trip to the national park. The park offers free distance learning programs for K-12 classrooms and home-schooled students nationwide through February. Several different seminar-style virtual Smokies-themed programs are available this winter. A complete list of virtual programs is available on the …
Category: Government
Pikeville Fire Chief Retires after 47 Years of Service
After 47 years of service, with 26 years as Pikeville’s Fire Chief, Paul Swafford has retired. He will remain an honorary member. He was instrumental in many of the department’s successes and formed two mutual aid associations during his time. He twice served as President of the Tennessee Firemen’s Association and served with the Tennessee …
New Tennessee Law for Vehicle Interlock Devices
A new law in Tennessee aims to keep drunk drivers off Tennessee roads. The law now gives police more information for those who use an ignition interlock device. Many convicted DUI offenders have them. They must blow into the device if they want their car to start. Under the new law, any such device will need GPS …
Historic Fire Truck Reunited with Original Department after 20 Years
The Mullins Cove Volunteer Fire Department is preparing to retire its front-line fire truck, a 1984 Maxim S Model, and reunite her with her original fire department, the Canterbury Volunteer Fire Department, Canterbury Ct. For the last 15 years, the 1984 Maxim, affectionately named “The Beast”, faithfully served the Mullins Cove and River Canyon Rd …
All Area Tennessee County Unemployment Rates Fall in November
According to new data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, county unemployment rates dropped in most of Tennessee’s counties in November. Eighty-nine of the state’s 95 counties recorded lower rates for the month. Unemployment remained the same in three counties in November and increased in three counties. Area Counties: Marion County was 4.5 …
Increased Punishments for Distracted Driving in Tennessee
In a new Tennessee law that began Monday, drivers in Tennessee could face a greater penalty risk for driving while distracted. The law will increase the number of points charged for distracted driving citations. The so-called Eddie Conrad Act was named after a middle Tennessee businessman who was killed after being hit by a distracted driver in …
Tennessee,Georgia and Alabama among States with Highest Levels of Respiratory Illness
Respiratory illness around the country spiked last week, just as families and friends gathered to celebrate the holidays. Tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a 16% jump in people testing positive for influenza last week, plus a substantial rise in reports of other respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 and RSV. Seven had the …
Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative Wins Award
Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative was recently honored with a TECA TopTenn Communication Award for educating and informing electric co-op members. The honor was presented during the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association (TECA) annual meeting in Nashville. The SVEC Marketing and Communication team won the “Best Photo” award for their entry “Night Storm,” which depicts SVEC’s Marion …
Help Available for SNAP Benefit Fraud Victims
Were you a victim of skimming, cloning, or similar SNAP fraud? Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers who believe their benefits were compromised by card skimming, phishing, or similar fraud tactics can submit a reimbursement request via the One DHS Customer Portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov/csp. This option is available to Tennesseans whose benefits were stolen after …



