A rafter on the Little Pigeon River got a horrific surprise Tuesday when he found a dead body floating in the water under the Grassy branch Bridge near Pittman Center.

    Detectives were called to the scene at approximately 4:30 where they found a white male who was pronounced dead at the scene. A vehicle was found near the scene and is believed to have belonged to the deceased. The vehicle was impounded. The body was removed from the water by members of the Sevier County Rescue Squad and transported to LeConte Medical Center where an autopsy will be performed by the Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death.

     According to Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals, no signs of foul play were found at the scene but the case is still under investigation. The identity of the W/M is still under investigation at this time. The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Pittman Center Police Department.

  Faced with a $3 million deficit, the Sevier County Board of Education made some tough choices to cut costs and elminate the shortfall. The board met Monday to approve the cuts.

 The cost cutting measures center around postponing much needed purchases on expenses such as text books and computers and adjusting utility costs while tapping into an excess school fund.

  Setting aside text book purchases will cut $1.8 million from the budget. delaying new computer purchases reduces the deficit by another $400,000. Adjusting utilities and natural gas purchases cuts the deficit by an additional $200,000. The BOE also voted to reduce diesel fuel costs by $50,000.

  The Board voted to withdraw $199,000 from the fund balance to offset the deficit.  This withdrawal reduces the fund to minimum  amount of reserve funds required by state law which is 3 percent of the annual operating budget.

 School officials plan to purchase school supplies with revenues derived from a 3 percent increase in sales tax collections. The county will make computer purchases using a federal grant that was recently awarded in the amount of $232,000. 

  The board approved a purchase of 19 acres of land in Seymour at a cost of $250,000 and a purchase of 5.9 acres in Caton's Chapel for $40,000. 

  The second annual Smoky Mountain Civil War Relic Show will be held this Friday at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center in Pigeon Forge.

  Attendees can peruse an array of authentic Civil war era swords, muskets, uniforms, pistols, rifles, photographs and other artifacts.

  Living history camps will be presented by the 8th Tennessee U.S. regiment and the 63rd Tennessee Confederate regiment. An artillery demonstration with an actual canon will be fired every hour.  

 The National Civil War Museum will display several pieces of ironclad ships including the C.S.S. Jackson and the C.S.S. Georgia. Meet reenactors portraying the wives of presidents Davis and Lincoln and much more.

  For ticket information or to become a vendor call  800-223-6707.

Artillery demonstrations will be performed every hour at the Civil War Relics Show .

The Walters State baseball program has had several players
over the last decade sign professional contracts after being drafted in the
Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. They added two more to the list this summer.

Cody Geyer was selected in the 14th round (424th overall) this June by the
Arizona Diamondbacks after a standout freshman campaign. Geyer hit .350 with eight home runs, 15 doubles and 47 RBIs at the plate, and he was 1-1 with a 2.76 earned run average on the mound. Cody signed with the Diamondbacks earlier this summer and has been in Phoenix preparing for fall league play.

Geyer joins Chris Costantino, who signed with the St. Louis Cardinals on
Tuesday, as professional signees from the 2011 Senators club.

All business and property owners affected by the construction of this phase are invited to attend a project meeting with City staff, the design firm, the contractor and utility companies on Thursday, August 11 at 3 p.m. at City Hall to hear details on the sequencing and schedule for construction and procedures for secondary utility reconnections which are the responsibility of the affected property owners.

The Parkway work area extending from the end of Phase V at the Gatlinburg Convention Center to the boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park will concentrate on boosting aesthetic improvements including new public sidewalks and furnishings without the clutter of utility lines and poles.

 As in the previous five phases, the construction of underground duct banks to house electrical, telephone and cable television lines will affect vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area.

The Underground Utilities and Streetscape Project is a joint effort of the City, the design firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc., the contractor Efficient Electric, and local utilities involved in the undertaking. City officials appreciate your patience and tolerance during the period of construction and are confident the lasting enhancements are worth the short term inconveniences.

The entire Phase VI project is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2012. Construction will be halted during the peak visitation periods of Labor Day, the last two weeks of October, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter and Memorial Day.

At approximately 1,850 feet in length, Phase VI is the largest single Underground Phase to date. Plans call for the work to be done in 200-300 foot sections, with every effort being made to minimize inconvenience to both businesses and visitors. With the exception of the section under construction being reduced to two lanes, all four lanes of traffic will remain open.

The replacement of the steel bridge at the intersection of Parkway and Leconte Street is one of the most challenging components of Phase VI. Construction of the new Leconte Street Bridge will begin immediately after August 15 and is expected to take four months, during which that street will be closed to through traffic and Parkway will be likely down to two lanes in this area. Widening of the turning radius from Parkway to Leconte Street is part of the project as well.

New street lighting, benches, trash receptacles and signage will be strategically placed along the street as new sidewalks on public right-of-ways and distinctive crosswalks are installed. Several planters will be placed to accommodate seasonal plantings and small trees.

Following a Public Workshop held on May 12, a Public Hearing on July 12 and unanimous approval on two readings, the City Commission approved a Resolution which allows an assessment of a portion of the cost to property owners abutting the project.

With a projected cost of $7.8 million that covers both design engineering and construction, property owners in the improved areas will be assessed 20 percent of the cost, approximately $1.52 million, which may be paid over the 15 year timeframe of the City bonds or on a lump-sum basis. State statue dictates that the cost recovery be prorated on an assessed-value basis, which will necessitate the annual review of assessed property values and subsequent reapportionment of each property owner’s prorated division of payment as necessary.

Additional improvements in Phase VI include the replacement of the City sewer line on the East side of Parkway, replacement of a section of water line near Ski Mountain Road, the undergrounding of utilities a short distance on the south side of Ski Mountain Road at Traffic Light #10, and the placement of power lines underground along the National Park boundary between Parkway and River Road.

  One of the oldest malls in the county is facing a foreclosure auction on the steps of the Sevier County courthouse. Belz Mall will be auctioned off  at noon on August 23.

  Located on Teaster Lane, the mall has long been beset with a large number of vacancies. The retail mall was built in 1987 and originally maintained by Pigeon Forge Associates until 1996. It was sold to BVT/ WELP Development who managed it until 2007.

By the time FOM Pigeon Forge bought the property in 2007, the mall was experiencing a high number of vacancies, due largely to the development of  Tanger Five Oaks Outlet Center which attracted numerous tenants.

  Investors with FOM hoped to return the mall to profitability but suffered a major set back when the world economy took a downturn in 2007 spurring the onset of the Great Recession. Compounding the company's woes was a fire that severely damaged the Old Time Pottery Shop, the mall's largest anchor store. Old Time Pottery has not reopened since the fire which left a large section of the mall vacant.

  The foreclosure stems from a $28 million loan to the owners by Capmark Bank. The property up for sale includes the original building as well as an annex across the road which includes a Nike Store, Dress Barn and other shops.  Ownership of the mall is expected to be returned to the bank. 

 In a written statement,  Andy Groveman of Belz Enterprises said "Pending the formal transfer of the title to the lender, the mall should see no decline in management services. The current owner does not expect to recover its investment, but intends to work cooperatively with the lender to avoid any unnecessary disruptions in mall operations."

    Most residents know they can call 9-1-1 to get immediate assistance in the event of an urgent police, fire or medical situation. Emergency services personnel in Gatlinburg are now able to take that reassurance to the next level.

   With its new Reverse 911 Community Notification System, the Gatlinburg Fire Department can alert residents, businesses and visitors about a potential emergency circumstance and rapidly notify specific geographical areas of town by telephone with minimal impact on emergency services personnel.

  “This system enhances our ability to notify the general public and will serve as an adjunct to our flood warning system and the evacuation procedures currently listed in the City’s emergency plan,” said Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller.

   How does Reverse 911 work?In the event of an emergency, the GFD can identify the affected area and record a message that describes the situation and recommends the protective actions residents should take. The Reverse 911 system can automatically call all listed telephone numbers within that geographic area and deliver the recorded message.

    “The Reverse 911 system is an immediate asset to all communities and the county as a whole,” said John Mathews, Emergency Management Agency Director for Sevier County. “This technology enables us to notify the citizens and visitors concerning hazards in their immediate area.”

   Funded by the Sevier County E911 Board under the direction of Vince Loveday, the system uses existing telephones to alert citizens. There is no need for people to buy a specialized warning device. System administrators can also program additional telephone numbers into the database, allowing the addition of unlisted telephone numbers and cell phone numbers to the system.

   The system can deliver text messages to TTY/TDD devices as well. This feature has the potential to greatly enhance the City’s ability to warn and protect citizens who are deaf or have hearing challenges.

   The incorporation of the REVERSE 911 system represents the City of Gatlinburg’s continuing commitment to providing its residents with the most advanced technologies available to ensure that our local public safety is as effective as possible.Some of the many uses of the system include:Emergency EvacuationsMissing Person AlertsNatural Disaster AlertsHazardous Material LeaksSearch and Rescue OperationsNeighborhood Emergency IncidentsHomeland Security NotificationsThe telephone number database contains only those telephone numbers listed in the telephone book for Gatlinburg addresses who have not registered their phones for the National Do Not Call List (www.donotcall.gov). Unless manually added to the database, it will not include unlisted numbers, cell phones, Voice over IP (Broadband) phones, or those phones registered on the National Do Not Call List. Those phone numbers can be manually entered into the system linked to a specific address.

   Once linked, the cell phone or unlisted number becomes essentially fixed to that location. Citizens who have recently moved into Gatlinburg should register with the system and visitors can also temporarily register for a given time period.To register your address and phone number, stop by and fill out the form available at the Reagan Drive or East Parkway Fire Halls, or visit www.ci.gatlinburg.tn.us and click on R911 Registration Form on the right-hand side of the page to print then complete the registration form and return it to Fire Department Headquarters at 1230 East Parkway.

Communication within the Gatlinburg Fire Department has been enhanced with the acquisition of new radio communications equipment.

Funded by a $155,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 25 mobile radios for ambulances and fire trucks and 50 portable radios for individual firefighters are now in use.

“The new system includes additional repeaters within the City and greatly enhances emergency communication over our previous system,” said Fire Chief Greg Miller. “The new equipment is a welcome addition to our Department.”

The new digital trunking system conforms to new Federal Communication Commission requirements related to narrow banding on public safety communication channels.

Land mobile radio (LMR) systems utilized by municipal government have used 25 kHz-wide blocks of radio spectrum or channels. Mandated in December 2004 by the FCC, any non-federal LMR that is operating below 512 MHz must make the move to 12.5 kHz narrowband voice channels and more efficient data channels by January 1, 2013.

“We’re ahead of the curve,” said Miller. “We are thankful for the FEMA grant to get this system in place.”

Reducing channel width to 12.5 kHz narrowband and at the same time taking advantage of new technology allows more channels to exist within the same spectrum.

 Sevier County 4-H members Victoria Alexander, Breenen Jenson, Payne Looney, Heather McReynolds, Sean More, Lillia Poveda and Daniel Troutman attended UT Extension’s 4-H Electric Camp in Knoxville, June 28-July 1.

The students were among more than 265 youth representing counties from across the state. Delegates explored the world of energy, electricity and the basic sciences through fun-filled, hands-on learning experiences.

“The focus of the 4-H Electric Camp is to improve young people’s knowledge of electricity, energy conservation, alternative energy sources, electronics, computer applications and electrical safety” said Mike Buschermohle, a professor with UT Extension.  “They develop a better understanding of the important role electricity plays in their lives plus they have a lot of fun and they get to make many new friends from across the state.”

In addition to learning about electricity and other basic sciences, the conference featured recreational activities on campus, “The Magic of Science” presented by Ben Roy, “Million-volt Show” by Robert Krampf and an afternoon at Dollywood.

The 4-H Electric Camp is made possible through a unique partnership established between UT Extension; the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and its statewide member cooperatives; the Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association and its municipal power system members from across the state; TVA; and other industry donors.

The 4-H program is the youth development component of UT Extension and is also the state’s largest youth organization.  With more than 306,000 participants statewide, 4-H is available to young people in every Tennessee County.

     Sevier County 4-H recently had two teams to compete in the State 4-H Wildlife Judging Team Competition held at Reelfoot Lake in Tiptonville.  Sevier County teams placed eighth and tenth respectively in the State Event.

      The eighth place team included:  Jared Bruhin, Sevier County High School; Heather Hatcher and Lauren Jenkins, Pigeon Forge High School. The tenth place team included:  Julia Ferguson and Josh Gideon, Gatlinburg Pittman High and Daniel Hatcher, Pigeon Forge High School.

     In wildlife judging, 4-H members learn to identify common wildlife foods, interpret wildlife habitat from aerial photographs and make recommendations for on-site wildlife management practices for landowners.  Wildlife judging gives young people the opportunity to develop their decision making skills, while learning about wildlife management practices.

  The Reelfoot Lake site allowed 4-H members to judge and learn about the important role that wetlands play in the environment.  As a part of the event, 4-H members took part in educational sessions led by Kim Crews of the UT Martin Reelfoot Lake Research and Teaching Center; Carl Wirwa of the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, Tara Dowdy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a twilight pontoon boat tour of Reelfoot Lake.

  The City of Sevierville Parks and Recreation Department announces the temporary closing of the Sevierville Community Center Pool/Blalock Natatorium from August 1-14 for maintenance. During this temporary closing, lap swimmers with pool passes may use one lap lane at the Family Aquatic Center at Sevierville City Park from 6 AM-10 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

   Explore our world in the 2011 Tennessee Summer Reading Program: One World, Many Stories! Visit any branch of the Sevier County Public Library System during the months of June and July for special programs and stories. During the week of June 13 – July 20, children, young adults and adults are invited to visit their local branch library to participate in the summer reading program. The Sevier County Public Library System Summer Reading Program schedule is as follows: 
   King Family Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville @ 10:30 a.m. each week on Thursday. For more information, call Vickie Kelly at 365-1423. 
   June 23 – Away We Go: Travel to Africa with Daisy the Clown! 
   June 30 – How We Live! Cherokee Culture & History with Freeman Owle
   July 7 – Global Citizens: Story of the Titanic
   July 14 – Arts & Dreams: Bezalel School of International Dance
·         Seymour Branch Library, 137 W. Macon Lane, Seymour @ 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. each week on Monday. For more information, please call Spence Perry at 573-0728.
   June 27 - How We Live! Cherokee Culture & History with Freeman Owle
   July 4 – CLOSED for holiday. 
   July 11 – Morning & Afternoon Programs - Arts & Dreams: Bezalel School of international Dance
       Kodak Branch Library, 319 W. Dumplin Valley Road, Kodak @ 11:00 a.m. each week on Friday. For more information, contact Danielle Smothers at 933-0078. 
   June 24 - Away We Go: Travel to Africa with Daisy the Clown! 
   July 1 – How We Live! Cherokee Culture & History with Freeman Owle
   July 8 - Global Citizens: Story of the Titanic
   July 15 – Arts & Dreams: Bezalel School of International Dance

 

    Walters State Community College hosted the P-20 Apple Education Mobilization Summit at the Sevier County Campus. Local, state, and national leaders in     education and technology shared ideas on utilizing new technologies such as iPads and mobile apps in the classroom. 

                    Dennis Bega of the U.S. Department of Education

    The two-day summit ends today. Dennis Bega, deputy director of regional operations of the U.S. Department of Education, provided more than 130 summit attendees with a national perspective on the impact of mobile devices and apps in education.
 

  A Sevierville man was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery for allegedly molesting two young children, one of which he was supposedly caring for at a church.

 Juan Ramon Vergara, 40, of Summer Meadows Apartments is facing the charges stemming from at least two seperate incidents.

 The first incident occured when was attending a service at a local church and offered to take an 8-year-old girl and her 7-year-old brother to a backroom. The victim told investigators Vergara improperly touched her while they were in the back room. Her brother told investigators he witnessed the incident.  

 During the investigation, detectives learned of another incident in which a 7-year-old girl said Vergara improperly touched her. The child told investigators the improper touching occured on four occassions.

 Vergara was a friend of the victim's family and three of the incidents occured when the youth accompanied Vergara to a construction site where he worked with the victim's father. 

 The fourth incident occured at a party at the home of a friend.

  Vergara is being held in the Sevier County Jail in lieu of a $175,000 bond.

   The Sevier County News does not disclose the names of victims of alleged sex crimes or child abuse.

  The "Red-Headed Stranger," Willie Nelson, will be the headliner at the 2nd annual Country Throwdown in Knoxville Sunday June 19 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.

   The show is offering a diverse lineup featuring Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell, Lee Brice, and Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real.

 Willie Nelson is one of seven performers who will take the stage in Knoxville June 19. 

  The Knoxville show is the part of a nationwide tour that kicked off in Philadelphia on May 27 and concludes on July 4.

  In addition to the seven main artists performing on two stages, the Bluebird Cafe stage will feature six extraordinary singer-songerwriters. Fans will get to see these artists perform "in the round" sets at the Bluebird Cafe stage throughout the day.    

 The Throwdown will have a full concourse of lifestyle attractions. A portion of all ticket sales will benefit Unite the United.

  The main stage will be located inside the Knoxville  Civic Coliseum and the Second and Bluebird Cafe Stages will be positioned outside on the plaza and main lawn. Doors open at 3 p.m.

  Drake White takes the outdoor stage at 3:40 followed by Lukas Nelson and the Real Promise at 4:35. Craig Campbell takes the stage at 5:35 and Craig Brantley performs at 6:50.   

  Performing on the Bluebird Cafe Stage on the Main Lawn is Austin Lucas, Brent Cobb, Dani Flowers, Adam Hood, Erin Enderlin and Caitlyn Smith who will take the stage at 4:05.

  On the Main Stage inside the Coliseum, Lee Brice will go on at 6:05 p.m. followed by Randy Houser at 7:30. The first singer-songwriter group tales the stage at 8:15. Jamey Johnson performs at 8:35 and the second singer-songwriter group goes on at 9:35. Willie Nelson takes the stage at 9:55.

  Tickets are $53 in advance and $56 on the day of the show. Tickets may be purchased  by calling 865-656-4444 or 877-995-9961.

    Due to popular demand, a second set of "Absolutely Beginning Computing" classes will be offered on Wednesdays at 9:30 am beginning on Jun 29 at the Anna Porter Library. The Wednesday classes will repeat the Tuesday class of the day before. Each class is limited to 6 users of library computers. Space is available for those who bring their own laptops. The library does have WiFi.  For more information see www.annaporterpl.org or call 436-5588.  Registration is necessary.
 

   Anna Porter Public Library in Gatlinburg will offer two series of free computer classes, one called "Absolute Beginning Computing" and one called "Using the Internet" on Tuesday and Thursday mornings beginning June 28 through August 4. Use of the library's computers is limited to six persons. Use of personal laptops is unlimited and the library does have WiFi.  Phone 436-5588 or email kentonappl@yahoo.com to register or for more information.
 
   "Absolute Beginning Computing" will be on Tuesdays at 9:30 am for six weeks starting on June 28. Attendance at all six classes is recommended but not necessary. Topics covered will be basic mousing and computer parts on June 28, keyboard skills, mouse practice, and "desktop" familiarity on July 5, internet basics on July 12 and 19, and email basics on July 26 and August 2.
 
   For computer users with some experience, classes on "Using the Internet" will be on Thursday mornings at 9:30 am for six weeks starting on June 30. The first class on June 30 will teach basic internet search techniques including directly finding a safe and human-selected web site, as well as random and more specific "googling". Using APPL's online catalog and the Tennessee all library catalog to locate specific books and materials will be taught July 7. This class will include renewing, requesting, and making purchase recommendations for specific books online. Resume writing and employment resources will be taught on July 14 and 21. Use of the Tennessee Electronic Library will be covered on July 28 and August 4. TEL is a collection of over 40 databases that provide access to over 400,000 magazine and newspaper articles, essays, podcasts, videos, e-books, primary source materials, and more! TEL is available free of charge to any Tennessee resident and is accessible 24/7 from any computer with access to the internet. 
 

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Pittman Center Fire Chief Jeff Nichols (far right) stands next to the department's fire engine that's been equipped with $8,000 worth of new radio equipment thanks to Firehouse Subs. Firefighters Kevin Bingham (far left) and Zakk Nichols display the new head sets. 

The Pittman center Community Volunteer Fire Department received more than $8,000 worth of equipment donations today from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and the Fire House Subs location in Sevierville today.

The department received a Fire com Headset communication System that provides hearing protection and better communication between 911 dispatches and firefighters when dealing with emergency calls.

“They do some great work of providing equipment, training and other things for emergency workers throughout the nation,” Sevier County Executive Larry Waters said of the restaurant's non-profit foundation.

“The headphones … provide hearing protection plus you've got dispatch in your ears,” said Pittman Center Fire Chief Jeff Nichols.

Nichols added the headsets have already been used on a call, and the firefighters found that the new equipment functions incredibly well in the field.

FSPSF was started by the restaurant chain's firemen founders after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. Since then, the non-profit has helped raise money for emergency equipment all across the country through donation drives and fund-raisers that include selling used pickle buckets for $2.