The Gatlinburg Inn where the tune "Rocky Top" was penned in 1967.   

    Susan Whitaker, the director of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development was on hand Tuesday at the Ole Smokey Distillery to dedicate the Rocky Top Trail. The trail is the 14^th of 16 trails developed to get the tourist off the beaten paths so that they may enjoy other aspects of the Volunteer State along the back roads. 

   The Rocky Top Trail is the result of a partnership between multiple state agencies and city and county officials. The end product is a brand new tourism asset - a 282 mile trail made up of sites and attractions in Knox, Sevier, Blount, Cocke, Jefferson, Loudon and Monroe counties showcasing East Tennessee’s history, culture, landscape, music and cuisine.

   Executive Director Vicki Simms of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce hosted the event. Both Commissioner Whitaker and Assistant Commissioner Toks Omishakin, Tennessee Department of Transportation, made special remarks. Bluegrass band, Monroeville, performed, including a rousing rendition of “Rocky Top,” which has been adopted as one of the state's official songs, to close the ceremony.

    “The trails initiative is one of the most comprehensive programs ever to be launched from our department,” said Whitaker. “We know millions of visitors are traveling to this region every year. Our goal with the Rocky Top Trail is to encourage travelers to get off the beaten path and explore some of Tennessee’s hidden gems. We want more visitors, staying longer and spending more in Tennessee.”

    The trail officially begins in Gatlinburg at the Gatlinburg/Great Smoky Mountains National Park Welcome Center where guests can pick up brochures, maps and coupons before heading out to discover Tennessee’s back roads. Included on the trail is the Gatlinburg Inn where the song “Rocky Top” was written in 1967 by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant during their stay at the hotel. Visitors can stop in the hotel lobby and pick up brochures and see artifacts relating to the region's colorful history. The song became popular at the University of Tennessee's sporting events since the early 1970s.

    Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation’s Knoxville Visitor Center on Gay Street is also a primary trail hub. However, visitors can choose to begin their trip at any point along the path. Once on the trail, travelers can explore 282 miles through East Tennessee.

    Appalachian arts and crafts are abundant on the Rocky Top Trail. Visitors can hone in on their artistic skills with staff and artists at the Arrowmont School of the Arts and Crafts, or visit Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, the nation’s largest organization of independent artisans with more than 100 members. Spirit of the Hand in Dandridge features the work of 150 artisans from around the region and country.

   On Rocky Top, travelers can explore Greats Smoky Mountains National Park, catch an exhilarating class 3 or 4 ride on the rapids of the Pigeon River in nearby Hartford; see the beautiful scenery from up above on one of the many zip lines in the area or for a cooler experience, go below into Forbidden or Tuckaleechee Caverns.

   For more information about the Rocky Top Trail and other Tennessee Trails and Byways, visit the  web Site at www.tntrailsandbyways.com.  The 27 page Rocky Top brochure highlights 130 points of interests.

  Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis today announced a new jobs database to help connect job seekers with Tennessee employers.

   Jobs4TN Online is a virtual recruiter, automatically notifying job seekers when jobs they may qualify for are posted and notifying employers when candidates who fit their needs register.

   The online database contains positions from job orders placed directly by Tennessee employers, from corporate Internet sites, and from major job search engines. Jobs4TN Online also identifies available green jobs.

   “The unemployment rate for Tennessee is at its lowest since November 2008 and has fallen below the national rate, but it is still too high,” Haslam said. The governor committed to developing a new jobs database during his gubernatorial campaign. “With Jobs4TN Online, those without a job will have quicker and better access to job openings related to their skills, and as we work to make Tennessee an even better place to expand and start a business, we want to help employers find the employees they need.”

   Jobs4TN Online makes available labor market information, including demand occupations, education requirements and salaries for positions, labor force projections, and training program graduates. Information can be tailored to focus on specific communities, metro statistical areas or statewide. Employers and job seekers are encouraged to log in to Jobs4TN Online at www.jobs4tn.gov.

   “This system is much more than a traditional job search engine,” Davis said. “Jobs4TN Online offers extensive information for interviews, lists of local training providers, and the capability to create and send resumes.”

   The state’s previous job search site, the Source, included job orders received by Tennessee Career Centers and jobs listed by Fortune 500 companies. Jobs4TN Online uses a more robust search that provides first-run jobs from newspapers, government sites and private job boards, and the amount of jobs listed in Tennessee has gone from 30,000 to more than 85,000.

   Jobs4TN Online can be accessed anywhere with a computer and Internet access. Tennessee Career Centers across the state have free computer resource rooms with guidance on job searching. For anyone not comfortable with using a computer, referrals can be provided in person at the center once they have registered for services. To find the nearest Tennessee Career Center visit http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/cc/cccounty.shtml.

   Also, Tennessee Career Coaches are another available resource. They are mobile career centers with computer workstations and access to the Internet anywhere by satellite. Three mobile units operate in east, west, and middle Tennessee to provide job searching resources to those attending job events or to those that don't have access to the Internet. The Career Coaches’ schedules can be found at http://www.getonthecoach.tn.gov/.

TUCSON, Ariz. --- For a second straight week, Tusculum College is the No. 2 ranked team in the country according to this week’s Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Coaches Poll.

  Tusculum has been nationally-ranked for 13 consecutive weeks, including the last six in the top-five. The No. 2 national ranking continues to be the best in program history, while TC’s 46 win are the most in the country.

   The Pioneers (46-8) are receiving 464 points, 16 behind top-ranked Tampa who continues to hold down the top spot. The top six remains the same in this week’s poll, including No. 3 St. Mary’s (Texas), No. 4 Mount Olive, No. 5 Central Missouri and No. 6 Francis Marion. Armstrong jumped four spots in this week’s poll and is the No. 7 team in the country after winning last weekend’s Peach Belt Conference Tournament title. Minnesota State-Mankato is eighth followed by Delta State and St. Cloud State to comprise this week’s top 10.

    Of schools listed in this week’s top 10, four will be competing at this week’s NCAA II Southeast Regional in Mount Olive, N.C., including the Pioneers, host Mount Olive (44-8), Francis Marion (37-16) and Armstrong (40-14). Rounding out the six-team, double-elimination regional includes 20^th-ranked Lander (37-18) and No. 21 Catawba (39-14).

   Western Oregon is 11^th, followed by Lynn, West Chester, Angelo State, Indianapolis, USC Aiken, LeMoyne, Grand Valley State, Lander, Catawba, Southern New Hampshire, North Alabama, West Florida, Franklin Pierce, Colorado Mesa, UC San Diego, Nova Southeastern, Southern Arkansas and Kutztown.

    Tusculum (No. 2 seed in region), who is making its sixth NCAA postseason appearance, will open regional play on Thursday when they face Catawba (No. 5 seed in region) at 3 p.m. from Scarborough Field on the Mount Olive campus.

   According to Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals, The identity of a Sevier Co. woman that perished in a house fire on Sunday morning has been confirmed. Seals states that the autopsy confirmed that the victim was Jessica R. Myers, age 30, who resided at the address where the fire occurred. The autopsy also confirmed that Myers died of smoke inhalation and there were no signs of foul play found. The cause and origin of the fire is still being investigated by the Sheriffs office Fire Inv. Unit and State Bomb and Arson investigators.

    The Sevier County Public Library System (SCPLS) King Family Library’s Spring Local Author Series continues in May. SCPLS Kodak Branch Manager, John Alexander, a published author, is part of the library system’s Spring Author Series at the King Family Library.
    Alexander's research and re-telling of the ghost lore of the Washington, DC area has won a National Award from the Ohio State University Institute for Education by Radio-Television for Documentary Excellence and has sold an estimated 300,000 books. GHOSTS! Washington Revisited is sold by most national booksellers and in the Smithsonian Institution and Mall Bookstores in Washington, DC. The book, amply illustrated with almost two hundred old photos, isn't your typical ghost book. Alexander has placed these old tales within cultural, social, and historical context.
    Alexander’s second book, co-authored with Jim Slade, is Firestorm at Gettysburg: Civilian Voices June-November 1863. It looks at that historic Civil War battle from the inside out: through the eyes of the townsfolk who lived through it. Half the town was between the warring armies. The other half was behind enemy lines. With the use of letters, diaries, old newspaper articles, and other reminiscences, Alexander and Slade place the reader amidst the blood, mud, and mayhem. Many of the leading voices are those of women of strong character coping with situations they had never anticipated nor could have hoped to prepare for.
    Many of these female accounts focus on the homes where soldiers fled when wounded in the fighting. It wasn't that uncommon to have rebels in the attic and yanks in the cellar---neither knowing of the others' presence. Firestorm at Gettysburg is the story of the townsfolk, in their words and with their photographs. The photographs Alexander found are remarkable. Many are published here for the first time.
Alexander will be in the King Family Library's Grand Reading Room at noon, Wednesday May 16th to talk about writing and to sign copies of his books for those wishing to purchase copies. For further information about the event or the Spring Authors Series, please call 453-3532 or email Cassie Graesser at cgraesser@sevierlibrary.org.

      Jimbo Whaley will be among several bluegrass acts to perform at the eighth annual Bloomin' Barbecue and Bluegrass festival in Sevierville.

    Sevierville, TN – The streets of Sevierville will come alive with great music, activities and delicious barbecue from all over the United States this Friday and Saturday at the eighth annual Bloomin’ Barbeque and Bluegrass festival.

    This family-friendly event is free to the public and will bring barbeque cook teams from all over the United States to Sevierville to compete for $15,000 in cash and prizes and the title of Tennessee State Champion in the Bush’s Best Tennessee State Championship Cook Off. Rounding out the event is toe-tapping bluegrass music, incredible arts and crafts, kids’ games and the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition honoring Sevierville’s favorite hometown girl, Dolly Parton.

    Friday night, take a little time to visit with the barbeque cook teams you’ve seen on cable TV stations, such as the Food Network, as you stroll through the “Que Zone.”  

    Then make sure you bring a lawn chair for the free bluegrass concerts with rising stars and legends of the bluegrass genre. Past headliners have included Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Del McCoury and more.

     Saturday morning, start the day early and watch as championship cook teams turn in their competition meats. Then stay for the announcement of winners at 4 p.m. During the competition the teams will cook an estimated 2,832 pounds of meat including 20 pounds of pulled pork, 24 pounds of brisket, five pounds of chicken and 10 pounds of ribs each. Winning teams will receive recognition in Chicken, Ribs, Pork and Brisket as well as specialty categories like “Anything Bush Beans”, “Anything Wampler’s Farm Sausage”, Sauce and Dessert.

    An expanded Kids’ Zone and the Bluegrass Music Tent, sponsored in part by The Music Outlet, add fun and enrichment for the kids and families who attend the festivities. The Kids’ Zone includes attractions like climbing walls, bounce houses and old-time toys while the Bluegrass Music Tent gives kids and kids at heart the chance to touch and play bluegrass instruments such as banjos, fiddles and more. Instructors will be on site to help. Both of these attractions will be open until 9 p.m. each day of the event.

    A highlight of  the event is the 8th Annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition Finals held on Saturday. Finalists from around the nation will sing their hearts out for a chance to win prize money, a recording session in Nashville, Tennessee and a guitar autographed by Dolly Parton. This competition, the only one of its kind that festival organizers know of, honors the songwriting of Dolly Parton. Competitors, male and female, must sing a song written by Dolly Parton who has recorded more than 3,000 songs. Contestants must perform the song their own style whether it’s rock, rap, country, bluegrass, swing, soul, or other genre.

   Admission and concerts are free. For more information about Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass, call (888) 889-7415 or visit us online at www.BloominBBQ.com.

  A body has found in a home that burned Saturday night in Sevier County. Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals states that the fire occurred at 4236 Meadow Drive in the Kodak Community and during a search through the rubble Sunday the body was found by members of the Northview/Kodak Vol. Fire Department.

   Investigators from the Sevier Co. Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee  State Bomb and Arson Section were on scene this morning and most of the day trying to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The body was removed and transported to the U. T. Forensic Center for identification and cause of death. The victim is believed to be that of a female resident of the home but a positive identification is pending the results of the autopsy. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

This week's winner of the make me laugh for the movies contest is Jack Smart of Pigeon Forge.

Last week's funny pet photo featuring a funny pet costume prompted Jack to send in a photo of his dog Paco who is dressed as Yoda from Star Wars.

Make Me Laugh For The Movies is a weekly contest sponsored by Reel Theaters. The rules are simple. Send us a funny story, funny photo or anecdote about a personal experience and if we publish it we will send you two free tickets to Reel Theaters Movies on the Parkway.

Please make the stories brief and suitable for the family. The Sevier County News reserves the right to reject any story for objectionable content. Winners will announced each Wednesday.

Send all entries to Sevier County News

635 Wall Street,

Sevierville, TN. 37876 or e-mail themto seviercountynews@gmail.com

Reel Theaters is located at 713 Winfield Dunn Parkway in Sevierville. For more information call (865)453-9055 or visit them on the Web at reel-theatres-sevier.com.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Staring elimination in the face after a stunning second round loss in the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII tournament, the 11th ranked Walters State Senators turned their play up a notch.

    Playing some of their best ball of the season, the Senators used an offensive explosion over the last four games of the tournament, culminating in a 9-2 win over sixth ranked Columbia State in the championship game Friday afternoon at the Chattanooga State Baseball Complex.

    Walters State recorded 13 hits in the title game, giving them 57 hits in the last four games played in the tournament.

    On the mound, the duo of Milan Mantle and Zach Walton were dominant. Mantle (7-1) went six innings and gave up only two earned runs on three hits while striking out 12 batters in his longest outing of the year. Walton kept his spotless earned run average intact by working three scoreless innings to get his first collegiate save.

   With the win, the Senators improve to 52-9 on the season after going 5-1 this week in the tournament. The title win is also the sixth TCCAA tournament crown for Coach Ken Campbell in his 13th season.

    The loss drops the Chargers to 42-12 on the season. Both teams will play in the NJCAA East Central District tournament next weekend at Middle Georgia College in Cochran, Ga., with a spot in the JUCO World Series up for grabs.

    After two scoreless innings to begin the game, Walters State got on the board in the third. Marcus Davis, who smacked a double off the right field wall in his first at-bat of the game, drew a two-out walk before Jake Ellison ripped a line drive two-run homer to left-center to put the Senators up 2-0.

    The lead doubled in the fourth, as Walters State chased Columbia State starter Logan Gray from the game. Michael Davis led off the inning with a double, and Reid Mathews followed with an RBI double to plate Davis. Ryan Webster added an RBI single, pushing the lead to 4-0.

    Mantle held the Chargers without a hit until Alex Vondohlen laced a single in the fifth, and he kept them off the scoreboard until the top of the sixth. Columbia State loaded the bases with no outs, and two runs scored on a hit batter and a fielder’s choice before Mantle recorded his 12th and final strikeout to get out of the inning with a 4-2 lead.

   The offense got the runs back and more in the bottom half of the sixth. Andrew Allen started the two-out rally with a two-run single, and Kendall Keeton followed with an RBI single. Marcus Davis drilled a run scoring double to right, making it 8-2.

    The Senators closed the scoring in the eighth. Allen led off the inning with a double, and after two outs were recorded, Ellison lined a double to the gap in left-center to run the tally to 9-2.

   Walton allowed only one base runner in his first two innings before putting two on base in the ninth, but he got a grounder and a fly to center to end the game.

   Allen had three hits to lead the Senators, while Ellison, Mathews, Michael Davis and Marcus Davis each had two hits apiece in the win.

    Columbia State had five different players record a base hit in the loss. Gray (3-3) was the loser, giving up four earned runs on five hits in three innings.

    Dolly Parton Will Be Grandmarshall of the homecoming parade

Great American Country to include event in show about military family

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (May 10, 2012) – Dolly’s Homecoming Parade, Pigeon Forge’s annual salute to hometown superstar Dolly Parton on Friday (May 11), will get national television exposure when the Great American Country cable network includes it in a show being shot this week in the Great Smoky Mountains resort town.

GAC cameras will capture some of the parade festivity for “Operation Pigeon Forge: A Family’s Story,” the working title of a special about a military family facing an overseas deployment. The special will air this summer.

The family is expected to trade the anxiety of deployment for the excitement generated by thousands of spectators who come to see Parton on parade.

It is the 27th annual Dolly’s Homecoming Parade, the largest in more than a decade, according to organizers. It will include everything from a submarine to a NASCAR racecar to a float themed to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” movie.

It will cover a three-mile route on the Parkway starting at 6 p.m.

“Dolly, of course, is the biggest attraction, and the theme of her float always is a secret,” said Leon Downey, executive director of the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, which organizes the parade.

“However, I’m not going to be surprised if this year’s float involves eagles, since Dolly just inaugurated Wild Eagle, a $20 million roller coaster, at Dollywood,” he continued.

Guaranteed attention-getters include the Smoky Mountain Submarine – a 65-foot-long replica that will carry veterans of submarine service – a NASCAR racecar belonging to Knoxville native Trevor Bayne and the “9 to 5” float entered by the Rogersville Playhouse.

Also in the mix are the human-powered Tennessee Party Bike, antique vehicles, floats from various Pigeon Forge theaters and attractions, twirling groups, equestrian units and beauty queens in convertibles.

Marching bands from Pigeon Forge High School, Sevier County High School and Lexington High School in Lexington, Ala., will provide traditional parade music and pageantry.

The parade will occupy the northbound lanes of the Parkway, starting at Traffic Light 6 and ending at Traffic Light 3.

“The entire route is available for spectators, and everyone will get to wave to Dolly. Her float includes a speaker system, and she chats with fans all along the parade route,” Downey said.

For information about all aspects of Pigeon Forge and other city-sponsored events, visit MyPigeonForge.com or call toll-free to 1-800-251-9100.

 

     CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Walters State Lady Senators set their sights on the first ever Tennessee Community College Athletic Association title and trip the NJCAA World Series when the season began in February.

     On Wednesday, the Lady Senators fell just short of their goal, as they were defeated 2-0 by No. 2 Chattanooga State in the TCCAA-NJCAA Region VII tournament title game played at Chattanooga State.

     Walters State opened the day with a 5-2 victory over No. 15 Volunteer State, the defending league champions, to advance to the title game where one swing of the bat proved to be enough for the home standing Lady Tigers.

     Shelby Johnson’s two-run home run in the top of the third was the only run producing hit of the game and helped Chattanooga State advance to the NJCAA World Series in St. Georg, Utah, next weekend.

     With the win, the Lady Tigers swept through the tournament and improved to 56-4 on the year. The loss brings an end to the most successful season in Walters State softball history, as the Lady Senators set a school record with a 46-7 record.

     Walters State freshman pitcher Kelsey Weddle, in her most pressure packed starts of the season, pitched gem in a losing effort. She allowed five hits, three of which were infield singles, and struck out three while making only one mistake in the 71 pitches she fired.

     Chattanooga State’s Ashley Czechner, who was named the tournament MVP, was just a little better, scattering four hits with four strikeouts in seven innings worked.

     The Lady Senators had a pair of base runners in scoring position in the fourth with one out but failed to score, and they had two more on in the sixth and came away empty handed. They made one last effort to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh on a double by Latosha Rectenwald with two outs, but Czechner got a popup to end the game.

    Rectenwald and Brittany Hefner each had two hits in the contest to lead the Lady Senators at the plate.

    In the opening game of the day, Lindsay Loudermilk belted a solo homer in the sixth inning to break a tie and Haley Taylor added a two-run shot later in the inning to give the Lady Senators insurance in a 5-2 victory over Volunteer State (47-9) to end their season.

     Loudermilk had a big game with her game winning homer and a two-run double in the third that gave Walters State the lead. Taylor and Hefner each added two hits in the win.

     The Lady Pioneers scored their first run on an error and Heather Daniel added an RBI double in the fifth to tie it before Loudermilk put the Lady Senators ahead to stay in the sixth.

Ashley Rhyne got the win after giving up two unearned runs on eight hits while striking out nine batters in a complete game effort. Rhyne, Loudermilk and Hefner were each named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts.

    Shelby Jo Fenter, one of the nation’s top pitchers, was saddled with the loss after allowing five earned runs on six hits in 5.1 innings.

INDIANAPOLIS --- For the first time this season, Tusculum College is the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Poll announced officials Wednesday.

 The Pioneers (46-8) moved up one spot to atop the region rankings, ahead of Mount Olive, who was the No. 1 team in last week’s poll. Armstrong and Francis Marion hold onto the No. 3 and No. 4 positions, while Catawba moves up a spot to fifth, while USC Aiken dropped one position to sixth. Lander and Georgia College stay at seventh and eighth, respectively in this week’s rankings.

 The regional ranking is used for selecting the six-team regional tournament, which will be held at a campus site, yet to be determined. Tournament champions of the South Atlantic Conference, Conference Carolinas and Peach Belt Conference will receive automatic berths to the NCAA postseason. Three at-large bids will also be awarded to comprise the six-team, double-elimination regional, which will be held May 17-20.

 Tusculum and Mount Olive have already clinched the automatic bids for the SAC and Conference Carolinas, respectively. The Peach Belt Tournament began Wednesday in Columbus, Ga. and will conclude later this weekend.

 Tusculum is also ranked second in the country in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Coaches’ Poll, which is the Pioneers highest national ranking in school history.

 Tusculum fans will be able to view the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show on-line at www.TusculumPioneers.com and at www.NCAA.com this Sunday night at 10 p.m. (EST).

 TC’s 46 wins are the second most in school history and tied for the third most in conference history, matching the 46-win campaign by Wingate in the 1995 season. TC needs one more victory to match Catawba’s 47 wins in 2006 and four more to match the 50-14 slate posted by the Pioneers in 2007.

 Tusculum’s .852 won-loss percentage is on-pace to be a new single-season school and league mark. The school record is .781 by the 2007 squad, while Catawba’s 38-7 record in 1992 was good enough for a .844 winning percentage.

                                  The Woods Family

  Most people that know Mike and Kim Woods describe the couple as caring, selfless and hard-working.   

    The couple started Helping Hands for Sevier Kids in 2009, an organization that provides Christmas gifts for many Children in the Area that otherwise would have done without.  The couple is usually the first in the community to volunteer when there is a need in the community.

  Now, the Woods family needs the community to step up and provide a helping hand. On February 29, Mike was cutting wood when the saw hit a knot hole. The saw blade sprang back and ripped deep into Mike’s hand severing several Fingers. Matters soon went from bad to worse because the couple had no medical insurance and the bills quickly escalated. Currently, the bills are a staggering $50,000 and rising. Mike is unable to work and is currently undergoing painful rehabilitation.

   This weekend the community the Woods family has so frequently volunteered to help is returning the favor by organizing a fund raiser to help the family with medical bills and costs of living.

   The fund raiser is an all-day event that begins at 2 p.m. on May 12, at the Sevier County Rescue Squad located at 1171 Dolly Parton Parkway.  The event will feature food plates, drinks, a bake sale, a cake walk, bounce houses, vendors, crafters, lots of Kids Activities and live entertainment.

    Raffle Tickets will be on sale to win tickets for many of the local attractions here in Sevier County.  There will be a silent auction for a variety of items donated from all over Tennessee. Some of the items will likely come as a surprise to many attendees.

   The couple’s sons, Bryson and Benjamin will be selling Limbstrong Bracelets to help support their father. Currently, they have already sold more than 150 of the bracelets.

   This will be a Long Recovery for Mike and he needs all of our Support at this time. In his typical selfless nature, Mike is thinking of needy children during his darkest hours. Mike is asking everyone that attends the event to bring a stuffed animal to be donated to the Sevier County Police Department for Children in Crisis. He has arranged to have an officer to pick up the Donations of the stuffed animals.

   The fund raiser starts at 2 pm and continues until the last person leaves, so come on out and visit with the Family and enjoy all the surprises his friends have in store for everyone. Bring a lawn chair and just sit and enjoy the day with the family and friends.

   Out of town guests can speak with organizers to get a discount on motel or cabin accommodations.

   Everyone is encouraged to come out and support Mike and see how he has handled calamity in such an incredible manner. His boundless faith has not been shaken and the family is glad to share their story as a witness to God for what they have been through.

  Please come out on May 12 at 2 p.m. to the Rescue Squad at 1171 Dolly Parton Parkway and support a family that has given so much to so many.

     The Sevierville Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance identifying a man suspected of committing fraud.

    According to SPD Detective Dweese Milliron, the suspect apparently made three separate withdrawals at two local Tennessee State Bank ATM’s in late March. This person is also suspected of using the victim’s debit card at the local Wal-Mart and K-Mart stores. The total amount of money and merchandise believed to have been fraudulently obtained from the ATM’s and local stores is over $4,000.

    Anyone with information regarding this suspect is requested to contact Detective Milliron at 865-453-5507.

     The Sevier County Sheriff’s Department is seeking help in identifying and apprehending a suspect in the robbery of Domino’s Pizza.

     According to Sheriff Ron Seals, On Monday May 7^th, at app. 2:30PM ,deputies with the Sevier County  Sheriff’s  Office responded to a reported armed robbery at Domino’s Pizza located on Chapman Highway in Seymour. Officers arrived on the scene and the clerk stated that a white male entered the store and displayed a handgun and demanded money. The employee gave the perpetrator an undisclosed amount of money and he then fled on foot. The robber is described as being 5’7”-5’8” in height with a slender build, wearing sunglasses, black hat with U.T. insignia, red shirt and blue jeans. An investigation is ongoing at this time. Anyone that has any information is asked to call the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at 865-428-1899 or 865-453-4668.

The Friends of the King Family Library will be celebrating their first anniversary at their Annual Member Meeting on Thursday, May 31st.  Current members, and those interested in the group, are all welcome to gather at 6:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Room of the King Family Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville. 
A brief business meeting, including the election of officers for the next year, and a report on the previous year’s activities and contributions to the King Family Library will be part of the meeting. A program will follow featuring Dr. Richard Dew, who retired after 30 years as a family practice physician and is now the Volunteer Medical Director for the Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic in Sevierville. 
Dr. Dew has written three books, including Medicine with a Human Touch, Putting Patients First.  He was recently honored as Home Federal Bank’s Sevier County 2012 Hometown Hero for his work at Mountain Hope.  He is also the founder of the newly formed Sevier County Writer’s Guild.
Refreshments and a silent auction featuring passes to Dollywood and other local attractions will also be part of the meeting. For more information, please contact Diane Johnson at djohnson@sevierlibrary.org or call the King Family Library at 865-453-3532.

Kodak, TN – As May has been proclaimed Mystery Month by the American Library Association (ALA), the Kodak Branch of the Sevier County Public Library System (SCPLS) will host a new program focusing on classic mysteries and their authors – MURDER IN THE LIBRARY! If you love the Golden Age of Mysteries – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Dorothy l. Sayers, etc – and their wonderful books, then this monthly program will be right up your alley!
Mystery lovers are invited to unite and join the new Murder in the Library Group to set plans for the program on Thursday, May 17th at 2:00PM. During the first meeting, attendees will discuss the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as some of the more recent re-imaging of his works in television and movies. Additionally, the group will set times and dates for monthly meetings as well as future topics and authors! Traditional English refreshments will be served during the meeting.
Registration sheets are available at the circulation desks of the three Sevier County Public Libraries – the King Family Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville; the Seymour Branch Library, 137 W. Macon Lane in Seymour; and the hosting library, the Kodak Branch, 319 W. Dumplin Valley Road, Kodak. Please register for this introductory meeting of the Murder in the Library Group by the close of the work day on Monday, May 14. For more information, contact John Alexander, Manager, SCPLS Kodak Branch Library (865) 933-6078

 The roar of hundreds of motorcycles will echo through the streets of Sevierville on May 27 as veterans, friends, family and supporters descend on the Sevier County Courthouse to Remember the Fallen. This year marks the 12th annual event to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for God and country.

  The event begins as motorcyclists from all over the nation ride in and park at the courthouse square. Last year more than 1,000 riders appeared at the courthouse. Following the singing the "Star Spangled Banner" and "God Bless The U.S.A.," several entertainers including entertainer James Rogers, who appears frequently at Dollywood and other area venues, performed.

 The Remember The Fallen ceremony was begun 12 years ago by Ron and Sandy Giddis. Since that inaugural event, the attendance has grown immensely.

 During the 2011 event retired Major Doug Estey spoke of the sacrifices soldiers are prepared to make.

 "A soldier said I fight and die so that my son can live free tomorrow," Estey said. "From the day we are born we become heirs to a great treasure...some take it for granted...others know the high price of freedom."

  Estey played an audiotape of a battle that took place in Vietnam in 1967. The epic battle was later portayed in the movie "We Were Soldiers Once." Though the audio tape was intermittant with static, what could be ascertained was a chilling account of soldiers facing intense enemy fire and about to be overran when a rescue helicopter came to their aid defying orders from their superiors to do so.

  The two men who defied the orders to rescue the besieged soldiers were Captain Ed Freeman and Major Bruce Cadwell. The two men flew into the battle under intense enemy fire 13 times rescuing 26 men. During the rescue operation, Freeman was wounded four times.

"Imagine that are 19-years-old," Estey said. "You have been out of high school one year. You are now, lying on a battlefield wounded and dying. You think of your family 10,000 miles away. All around you is gun fire and the shouts of the enemy rushing toward you. You know this is it. This is the day you will die."

"Joy is multiplied when it is shared," Estey said quoting Mark Twain. "I believe that pain is divided when it is shared," he added.

Sevierville police officersplaced a wreath at the Armed Services Monument. The officers were accompanied by two Gold Star mothers who each shared the painful distinction of having lost sons in service to their country.

As the somber tune of Taps resonated throughout the plaza most stood at attention while others saluted in homage to the fallen.

  The event is free and will begin at 10 a.m. and last approximatley one hour. Afterwards the bikers will begin a 60-mile memeorial ride to the Veterans Overlook in Grainger County.

                                            Gretchen Gunter

SEVIERVILLE – Music instructor Gretchen Gunter has announced a revolutionary, playing-based approach to learning to play piano for the residents of Sevierville, using an innovative teaching method called Simply Music. Highly experienced as both a private instructor and classroom music teacher, Gunter completed extensive training to become a certified Simply Music teacher after discovering how quickly it allows students to start making music on their own.
“I have been fortunate to be involved in several effective ways of teaching, but I have never seen anything as powerful, as fast or as fun as Simply Music,” Gunter said. “Students are actually playing songs starting with their first lesson and they add new songs very quickly from that point on.”
“We are delighted to have Gretchen on board, and thrilled that she will contribute to the musical growth of Sevier County,” said Neil Moore, founder & executive director of Simply Music. “Gretchen’s enthusiasm will shine through in the lessons and I am excited about her students creating a new relationship to music.”
   For those interested in knowing more about Simply Music, Gretchen Gunter will be hosting a series of local Free Student Introductory Sessions in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Knoxville.
For introductory session dates or for more information, write to gretchenpiano@gmail.com or call 541-274-9807. www.facebook.com/playpianowithgretchen

About Gretchen Gunter
Gretchen’s love for music started at age 3 with violin lessons and continued throughout college, where she performed with a number of instrumental and choral ensembles. Her experience as a classroom music teacher and private instructor, coupled with a deep love for music, makes learning an exciting and interactive process. Through Simply Music, she discovered a new approach to music education that has made an enormous contribution to the progress of her music students.

About Simply Music and Play-a-Story
Simply Music is the largest playing-based music education institution in the world. It presents a piano learning method that looks at music in a totally new light. Created by Neil Moore, Simply Music first translates entire pieces into simple shapes and patterns that students can clearly see and easily play on the keyboard, quickly building an extensive repertoire in various musical styles. For information visit: www.simplymusic.com.

Play-a-Story is a musical journey in which you and your child travel through a storybook world. It uses the piano as its mode of travel, creating sounds, melodies, harmonies and rhythms to express the story... literally, students create their own musical soundtrack. Using the piano, students learn to interpret mood, color and nuance as the story unfolds. Play-a-Story teaches this by providing a foundational, systematic and creative experience that harnesses children’s intuitive, musical appreciation and interpretation.

PACE, Fla. --- The Tusculum College women’s golf team fired an opening round 310 and is in sixth place after the first 18 holes of the 2012 NCAA Division II South Regional on Sunday. The three-day, 54-hole tournament is being held at the par 72, 6,154-yar Stonebrook Golf Club and hosted by the University of West Florida.

   The Pioneers, who are making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, are eight shots out of first place. Florida Southern has the first day lead with 302, one shot better than Lynn. Barry is third with 305, while Saint Leo and defending national champion Nova Southeastern are tied for fourth with 308. Tusculum is sixth, followed by Rollins (312), Newberry (317) and UNC Pembroke (321) to round out the nine-team tournament field.

   Tusculum freshman Emee Herbert posted a two-over par 74 and is tied for seventh place and is five shots behind first round leader Abbey Gittings of Nova Southeastern, who carded a three-under par 69 on Sunday. Herbert’s round included one birdie, one bogey, a double-bogey and 15 pars, including a string of 11 pars in a row. Herbert (Johns Creek, Ga.), the 2012 South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year, posted her eighth round of 75 or better this season.

    Senior Katie Doane carded one of her best rounds of the year with a 77, which has her tied for 17^th place. The Sevierville, Tenn. native scored a double-bogey seven on the second hole and followed with back-to-back bogey’s the fourth and fifth holes. But she rebounded nicely with birdies on No. 7 and No. 8 as she wrapped up her outward nine with a two-over par 38. She gave three shots back with a bogey on No. 10 and a double-bogey on No. 12, but once again rallied and closed out her round with six consecutive pars to post 77.

    Senior Aly Pugh finished with a 79 and is tied for 26^th place. The Harrisburg, Pa. native recorded a pair of birdies on her opening nine to post a one-over par 37, but stumbled on a couple of holes on the back nine, including a double-bogey on the par-three 15^th as she finished with her 79.

    Junior Jillian Corum (Knoxville, Tenn.) and sophomore Sara Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.) each shot 80 and are tied for 31^st place. Corum’s round included a birdie on the par-4 eighth hole and nine bogeys. Howard’s round got off to a tough start, posting a 43 for her first nine holes. But she would rebound with a one-over par 37 on her inward nine, including birdies at the 10^th, 13^th and 15^th holes.

    The second round will be played on Monday, followed by Tuesday’s final round. Tusculum will be starting in the second wave of Monday’s tee times, beginning at 10:26 a.m. (EST) as the Pioneers will be playing along with Saint Leo and Nova Southeastern.

    The three low teams from the South Regional, as well as the low three individuals not on the teams advancing, will compete at the NCAA Division II National Championship in Louisville, Ky. on May 16-19 at Persimmon Ridge Golf Club.