City of Knoxville officials said crews will soon be thoroughly cleaning the streets of Fort Sanders.

City officials said the cleanup will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 13-14 and July 27-28 to take advantage of the majority of University of Tennessee students being off campus for summer break.

During the Fort Sanders Summer Roundup, which happens each summer, crews will complete work, such as refreshing street markings, replacing signs as needed, sweeping the streets, picking up trash and brush, and weeding the public rights-of-way.

In order to remove trash, grime and grit from hard-to-reach corners and crevices, officials said it’s mandatory that all vehicles be moved on clean-up days from the streets being swept and cleaned. Vehicles that are not moved prior to each day’s clean-up will be towed.

“The Fort always looks its best after the Summer Roundup, and we thank and appreciate the help and patience of the Fort Sanders residents who make this possible,” City Parking Manager Mark Elliott said.

Below is a list of impacted streets and when they will be cleaned:

• Saturday, July 13 (eastern end of Fort Sanders) and Sunday, July 14 (western end of Fort Sanders)
  • Grand Avenue
  • Forest Avenue
  • Highland Avenue
  • Laurel Avenue
  • Clinch Avenue
  • White Avenue
• Saturday, July 27
  • 18th Street
  • 19th Street
  • 20th Street
  • 21st Street
  • 22nd Street
  • 23rd Street
• Sunday, July 28
  • 12th Street
  • 13th Street
  • 14th Street
  • James Agree Street
  • 16th Street

Officials said traffic is expected to continue to flow on the affected streets, although some temporary short-term closures may occur as needed due to safety protocols.

Roughly 250 temporary no-parking signs will be posted in the days prior to the start of the street-cleaning work, officials said. In addition, flyers will be placed on hundreds of vehicle windshields and throughout the neighborhood prior to the start of the Fort Sanders Summer Roundup. Story courtesy of WVLT

A woman is recovering after she is scratched by a bear in Gatlinburg.

It happened over the weekend at the Super 8 Motel on Historic Nature Trail. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency says the woman left her hotel room and a bear was outside eating from an unsecured trash can and scratched her leg. The bear also had cubs and officials were able to get the bears out of the area.

TWRA says this is the second time something like this has happened at this motel. Just eight days ago, a man left his room and was scratched on his arm. The motel has been issued citation and provided with information on how to securely store their trash.

The Greeneville Police Department is investigating after a decomposing body is found in a culvert.

The body was found lying in a culvert in the 1700 block of Moore Avenue Saturday morning.

Police believe the body has been at there for about a week due to the state of the decay.

Due to the condition of the body, investigators can’t confirm anything more about the age or sex of the body.

The body was sent to the William L. Jenkins Forensic Center in Johnson City for identification and an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Motorists traveling on Alcoa Highway (US 129/State Route 115) in Knox County should be aware of upcoming road construction activities that will have a temporary impact on traffic.

Beginning on Monday, July 8 and continuing through Friday, July 12, the contractor will perform rolling roadblocks on Alcoa Highway (US 129/State Route 115) between Woodson Drive and Cherokee Trail. These rolling roadblocks will take place in short intervals (approximately 20 minutes each) and will be spaced out to allow traffic to return to normal flow between operations.  These rolling roadblocks will be intermittent daily between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and are necessary to allow crews to safely mobilize equipment and perform rock excavation and clearing activities.

In addition, beginning on Monday, July 8, and continuing through Friday, July 12, crews will be conducting flagging operations on the ramp from northbound Alcoa Highway (US 129/State Route 115) at the traffic signal at Cherokee Trail and along Cherokee Trail between the Alcoa Highway interchange and Medical Center Way.  The flagging operations will take place daily between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and are necessary to allow crews to unload materials and for trucks to safely enter and exit the work areas.

This schedule is contingent on favorable weather conditions.  Motorists are advised to expect delays and use extreme caution in this area as workers will be present.

As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and “Know Before You Go!” by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text, or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.