GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Due to dry conditions, low relative humidity, a continued high fire danger, and forecasted high winds, the National Park Service (NPS) is instituting an immediate ban on all campfires and charcoal use in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This fire ban will remain in effect until further notice on both the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the park. This is consistent with the National Weather Service Red Flag Warning in our area.
Campers, backpackers, and visitors using picnic areas may continue to use cookstoves with compressed gas canisters and gas grills that feature an on/off switch. Stoves and grills must be attended at all times.
The NPS is collaborating with multiple agencies in response to current and predicted weather and fuel conditions. Visitors are urged to exercise extra caution while recreating on public lands, including national parks and national forests, in North Carolina and Tennessee when fire danger is elevated.
For the latest information regarding the fire ban in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, please visit the park’s current conditions webpage.
The highly anticipated JONASCON, Jonas Brothers revealed tour details for their massive “JONAS20: LIVING THE DREAM” tour – a powerful, full-circle celebration of their 20-year journey from performing in malls to headlining the biggest stadiums in the world. The brothers, who just released their new single “Love Me To Heaven,” exclusively shared the tour news this past Friday on Good Morning America.
“We’re beyond excited to hit the road and celebrate 20 years of music,” said the Jonas Brothers. “Our fans have been with us through every chapter, and this tour is our way of honoring them, the memories we’ve made, and the ones we’ll create together. We can’t wait to make this our biggest, most unforgettable tour yet.”
Marshmello will join the tour for the 10 iconic stadium shows, bringing his chart-topping hits — including his iconic collabs with the brothers — to life in a high-energy set that keeps the party going all night. In addition, The All-American Rejects and Boys Like Girls will join as special guests in select cities.
Kicking off August 10th at MetLife Stadium, this 43-date tour promises a one-of-a-kind experience for fans. The band will return to iconic venues like Dodger Stadium in LA, Rogers Centre in Toronto, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Globe Life Field in Arlington, while also debuting at several new stadiums and arenas from August through November.
Each night will take fans on a full, career-spanning journey — with dedicated sets from every chapter of Jonas including Nick Jonas & the Administration, Nick Jonas’ solo career, Joe Jonas’ solo work, and DNCE — all leading up to an unforgettable headlining performance from the Jonas Brothers.
⭐ Fans can sign up for the Artist Presale now through Wednesday, March 26 at 10 AM ET at livemu.sc/jonasbrothers. The Artist Presale will run Thursday, March 27 from 10am local time to 3pm local time.
⭐ General on-sale begins Friday, March 28 at 10am local time at ticketmaster.com.
⭐The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, invitation to the pre-show VIP Lounge, specially designed 20 year anniversary Jonas Brothers VIP gift item & more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
JONAS BROTHERS: “JONAS20: Living the Dream” TOUR DATES
*With Marshmello
+With The All American Rejects
#With Boys Like Girls
Sun Aug 10 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium*+
Tue Aug 12 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park*+
Thu Aug 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park*+
Sun Aug 17 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium*+
Thu Aug 21 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre*#
Sat Aug 23 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park*#
Tue Aug 26 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field*#
Thu Aug 28 – Detroit, MI – Comerica Park*#
Sun Aug 31 – Arlington, TX – Globe Life Field*#
Sat Sep 06 – Los Angeles, CA – Dodger Stadium*#
Thu Sep 18 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena#
Sat Sep 20 – Portland, OR – Moda Center#
Mon Sep 22 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena#
Thu Sep 25 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center#
Fri Sep 26 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center#
Sun Sep 28 – Phoenix, AZ – PHX Arena (Formerly Footprint Center)#
Sun Oct 02 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena#
Fri Oct 04 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center#
Sun Oct 5 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena#
Tue Oct 07 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center+
Wed Oct 08 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center+
Fri Oct 10 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center+
Sun Oct 12 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum+
Tue Oct 14 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena+
Thu Oct 16 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center+
Fri Oct 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center+
Sat Oct 18 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center+
Sun Oct 19 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center+
Wed Oct 22 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena+
Fri Oct 24 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena+
Sun Oct 26 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center+
Tue Oct 28 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Wed Oct 29 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center+
Sat Nov 01 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena+
Sun Nov 02 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse+
Tue Nov 04 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center+
COLUMBIA, Tenn. – Sophia Nugent homered twice and drove in a career-high six RBIs to lead No. 7 Tennessee to an 8-0 run-rule victory over Eastern Kentucky Tuesday night at Ridley Sports Complex in Columbia, Tennessee.
The win improves Tennessee to 26-4 on the season as they took on EKU in the annual Midstate Classic. More than 3,500 fans filled the stands, with many cheering on local stars Saviya Morgan, Laura Mealer, Ryan Brown, and Aubrey Barnhart, all of whom hail from the Midstate.
The Lady Vols extended their win streak to six games and recorded their 17th run-rule victory of the season.
Nugent provided the offensive punch as she went 2-for-2, scoring twice, and hitting two home runs. She put Tennessee on the board with a two-run shot in the second inning, then blew the game wide open with a grand slam in the third.
Brown, a native of nearby Thompson’s Station, sealed the run-rule victory with an RBI single in the fourth.
IN THE CIRCLE Karlyn Pickens (10-3) was dominant in the circle, tossing four innings of one-hit ball with three walks and seven strikeouts. Her performance lowered her ERA to 0.73 on the season. After Tuesday’s outing, Pickens has gone 71 innings without allowing back-to-back hits.
Freshman Erin Nuwer closed out the game with a scoreless fifth inning, recording two strikeouts.
NOTABLE PERFORMERS Senior McKenna Gibson extended her reached-base streak to 28 games, dating to the end of the 2024 season.
DUE UP Tennessee will return home to Knoxville for a three-game series against Arkansas, March 22-24. The series will run Saturday through Monday, with all games airing on SEC Network.
University of Tennessee Police say a student is charged after vandalizing dozens of cars.
UTPD says 29-year-old Skye Scialabba vandalized more than 40 vehicles on campus and several others off-campus according to the Knoxville Police Department. Authorities say the tires were slashed.
The student was taken into custody yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon on campus for felony vandalism in connection with slashing vehicle’s tires around campus.
The Tennessee Valley Authority says Norris Dam helped prevent millions in damage during recent flooding.
According to TVA, more than $89 million in flood damages were averted on the Clinch River downstream of the dam in Clinton.
TVA says the dam was able to manage several heavy rain events, including storing over 20 feet of water in Norris Lake to reduce downstream flood impacts.
TVA says if it wasn’t for Norris Dam, the Clinch River would have reached almost 18 feet above normal.
The heavy rain paired with strong winds resulted in nearly 25,000 households losing power on February 16th.
The flooding turned tragic in Eastern Kentucky, with 24 people dying from the floods.
Boyd Sports has partnered with the City of Knoxville and Knox County to develop a comprehensive parking plan for Knoxville Smokies games and other event days at Covenant Health Park, downtown Knoxville’s new publicly owned sports and entertainment stadium.
The collaborative parking plan features more than 1,500 dedicated parking spaces to serve Covenant Health Park, including 1,100 for the general public and 400 for staff, vendors and season ticketholders. There will be a free shuttle from designated parking garages provided by Knoxville Area Transit (KAT), offering visitors a five-minute ride to and from Covenant Health Park.
“Our teams have been working diligently to leverage the wonderful assets of downtown Knoxville and provide fans and visitors with convenient and affordable parking options,” Boyd Sports CEO Doug Kirchhofer said. “Thanks to the partnership of the City of Knoxville, KAT and others, we’re working to simplify the downtown gameday experience, offering free shuttles to and from Covenant Health Park from 1,100 spaces dedicated for event parking and from nearby garages. Reserved parking in the dedicated spaces will be offered for $5 in advance on the Smokies website.”
Located at 500 East Jackson Avenue, Covenant Health Park is situated just east of the Old City, connecting downtown and East Knoxville. It serves as the new home of Knoxville Smokies baseball and One Knoxville SC soccer teams and will serve as a venue for a variety of concerts and entertainment, private gatherings and other community events.
Urban planning models recommend one parking space for every 2.5 attendees at an event. With a capacity of roughly 7,000, a sellout event at Covenant Health Park would necessitate 2,800 parking spaces. Between the 1,500 dedicated parking spaces for Covenant Health Park and the nearly 7,400 additional available parking options surrounding the facility, there are nearly 9,000 area spaces identified.
“Knoxville is no stranger to welcoming big crowds downtown,” City of Knoxville Chief Operating Officer Grant Rosenberg said. “Just as we host thousands for UT football, Big Ears Music Festival, the Bassmasters Tournament and more, we will be able to accommodate those coming to Covenant Health Park – while preserving space for downtown workers and other visitors.
“In addition to infrastructure improvements, the City has been happy to work with all stadium partners to identify designated parking spaces and free shuttle services to streamline getting around downtown on game days.”
Visitors to Covenant Health Park are encouraged to take advantage of the following parking options:
§ Summer Place Garage will have 450 reserved, dedicated parking spaces available for a flat, prepaid $5 fee.
§ Free shuttle service running every 10 minutes
§ 0.7-mile walk
§ Langley Garage will have 650 reserved, dedicated parking spaces available for a flat, prepaid $5 fee.
§ Free shuttle service running every 10 minutes
§ 0.7-mile walk
§ In addition, there are nearly 7,400 affordable or free parking spaces, within about eight-tenths of a mile or closer to the stadium, at publicly owned garages, surface lots and on-street facilities. Parking at standard rates is available within a 10- to 20-minute walk from:
§ Market Square Garage (free shuttle service running every 10 minutes)
§ Locust Street Garage (free shuttle service running every 10 minutes)
§ State Street Garage
§ Jackson Avenue Lot
§ Dwight Kessel Parking Garage
§ On-street parking spots
§ And via free parking at the West Magnolia Avenue Parking Lots
§ Old City South Lot B, which is located directly across the street from Covenant Health Park, will have 70 reserved ADA-accessible spaces. These are free of charge for vehicles with valid disability license plates, placards and/or decals.
§ Of note, all publicly owned parking garages and lots also have free ADA-accessible spaces, and all stadium shuttle buses are ADA-accessible.
§ Designated drop-off/pick-up points will be available for ADA guests along Willow Avenue, at the southwest corner of the stadium, and for rideshare customers along Florida Avenue at the east side of the stadium.
§ Bicycle and micro-mobility scooter parking will be available in Old City South Lot A.
Additional parking for Covenant Health Park employees and Knoxville Smokies permit-parking will be available in Old City South Lot A, the Old City North Lot and the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum Parking Garage. Use of these spots will not be open to the general public but will help alleviate use of existing parking spots frequented by downtown workers, visitors and others.
Boyd Sports and the Knoxville Smokies will continue to roll out details for Covenant Health Park visitors via its website at http://www.smokiesbaseball.com and social media. This will include driving directions, parking information and more.
In addition, the City of Knoxville, Visit Knoxville and Downtown Knoxville Alliance also provide insight for downtown visitors, including parking and transportation information, on their respective websites and social media channels.
The Tennessee House passes a bill that would place limits on buying junk food using SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
It’s not the first time the U.S. program that helps low-income families pay for food has faced threats limiting what qualifies for purchases. Other attempts to cut candy and snacks from SNAP have failed in the past.
The Tennessee Healthy SNAP Act would require the Tennessee Department of Human Services to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowing the state to end benefits for candy and soft drinks.
Some opponents say limiting what people can buy with SNAP is an attack on the autonomy of low-income Americans.
A USDA report put ranked “sweetened beverages” and “prepared desserts” as the second- and fifth-most purchased types of items by SNAP recipients, who receive, on average, $187 per month — or about $6 per day — from the program. That being said, those same foods ranked at number five and number six for non-SNAP households.
TN.gov relative information about the bill: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, relative to the food stamp program. Department of Human Resources – As introduced SB1154 and HB1236, enacts the “Tennessee Health SNAP Act,” which requires the department to submit a request for a waiver from the United States department of agriculture’s food and nutrition service to seek authorization to prohibit the use of SNAP benefits for the purchase of candy and soft drinks. – Amends TCA Title 71.
HB1236 passed Monday – Ayes 69, Nays 23
The definitions of “candy” and “soft drinks” would follow federal government guidelines. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, with the stated purpose of ensuring SNAP benefits are used to improve food security and nutrition.
The Cocke County Sheriff’s Office says 12 people have been taken into custody after an indictment charging 32 people on various drug charges is unsealed.
Officers began searching for those who were indicted once the indictments were unsealed on Wednesday and on Saturday, CCSO took the following 12 suspects into custody Saturday:
Crystal Crum, 41
Sale and delivery of Schedule IV drugs
Tracy Joseph Jones, 42
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Pauline Lundy, 67
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Jessica M. McKay, 36
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Sale and delivery of gabapentin
Sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance
Danielle Vasaturo, 25
Sale and delivery of cocaine
Alisha Arrington, 37
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Kaela Napier, 27
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Maleik D. Story, 28
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Christopher Finchum, 49
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
John E. Atkins, 31
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Jose A. Balderas, 20
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Sale and delivery of methadone
Sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance
Ashley Mayfield, 38
Capias for several drug charges
Their arrests resulted in officers seizing two firearms, $346 in cash and almost 3 grams of heroin.
The investigation unsealed 19 counts of sale and delivery of fentanyl, 14 counts of sale and delivery of methamphetamine, six counts of sale and delivery of cocaine, seven counts of sale and delivery of opioids and 14 counts of sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance.
CCSO says additional names will be released following their arrest.
A water main break is affecting some Alcoa businesses.
The City of Alcoa’s water department is working that break at the entrance of Hunters Crossing at Louisville Road.
Those in the area can expect some outages for the next several hours. Specifically, the city warned that businesses at Hunters Crossing would be affected which includes Chick-fil-A, American Family Care,T-Mobile Murphy USA, Maryville Modern Dentistry, Blaze Pizza and Hooters.
Some people in the area may also see muddy water from their faucets.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Describing their findings as “staggering,” detectives with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division make a big drug bust Tuesday in Knox County.
KCSO officials say investigators stopped several cars believed to be connected to a suspicious house, taking four people into custody and seizing several quantities of drugs to include 302 grams of fentanyl. Police also recovered 16 firearms and nearly $14,000 in cash:
302 grams of fentanyl (equivalent to 151,000 lethal doses)
88.5 grams of methamphetamine
14.7 grams of cocaine
7 grams of marijuana
$13,935 in cash
Court records identify those arrested as Aaron Barrett, Jamar Cortez, Gregory Seaton and Donta Stewart.
KCSO says the investigation is part of the ongoing 313 Initiative, a program in partnership with law enforcement agencies in East Tennessee and Detroit to crack down on drug crime in East Tennessee.
“The relentless efforts of our dedicated detectives continue to disrupt drug trafficking organizations that are poisoning our community,” KCSO said. “Every bust like this saves lives and helps keep Knox County safe.”
(Left to right) Aaron Barrett, Jamar Cortez, Gregory Seaton and Donta Stewart (Courtesy: KCSO)
