Two unidentified firefighters display "cookies" they won for competing in a contest of skill at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud.

   Firefighters and first responders who took part in battling a massive blaze that swept across more than 400 acres of land last week were recognized at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud Friday night for their efforts.

  “We wanted to show our support and appreciation for what they did,” said Rob Scheer, president and CEO of the GSMLF. “How can you not recognize a hero? They rose to the challenge at great personal risk to themselves and, after what they went through, we felt they needed a night out to kick back and relax.”

  The fire broke out on March 16 and firefighters were brought in from across the state as well as from bordering states. More than 300 firefighters worked in 12 hour shifts to battle the inferno for more than two days. When the fire was finally extinguished more than 80 homes had been damaged or destroyed.

  Dozens of fire fighters enjoyed a night of fun, great food and entertainment compliments of the Lumberjack Feud. When the firefighters and first responders were asked to stand to be recognized by the show’s emcee, ranger Danny Black, the were given a tumultuous applause by a grateful community.

  The show is a competition between two families of lumberjacks vying for logging rights in the Great Smoky Mountains. The two families are comprised of actual ironjacks that have competed on the national circuit.

  Several firefighters attending the show found themselves drawn into the competition when volunteers from the audience were needed for various competitions. In one such competition Paul Blake of the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department was selected to square off in a pole climbing contest. Blake was fitted with spiked boots and other gear needed for climbing before he climbed more than 30 feet up the pole narrowly edging out his competitor.

  “This was awesome,” said Blake. “It’s been a lot of fun. This shows community support.”   

Firefighter Paul Blake of Seymour won the pole climbing contest. 

Paul Blake is congratulated by lumberjack Andrew Mattison.

As many as 100 firefighters were scattered throughout the theater for a night of fun to recognize them for their service above the call of duty.

An orange glow from a massive fire could be seen for more than a mile.

   Dozens of firefighters from several area fire departments are battling a massive fire on Black Bear Cub Way in Pigeon Forge. The massive blaze cast an orange glow that could be seen for more than a mile.

    According to fire officials the fire broke out at approximately 4 p.m. as a brush fire then quickly spread to several cabins in the vicinity. Crews are battling to contain the spread of the fire which has destroyed at least six cabins and damaged more than 30 more. Emergency personnel have evacuated nearby cabins and officials say several homes in the area are at risk.

No injuries have been reported and officials are asking that people stay away from the area as several emergency vehicles need access to the road.

       David Acuff                     Maranda Acuff

       Devin Sullivan                  Daniel Gonzales

        Stephen Gross                Craig Stevenson

    The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office has rounded up suspects in a number of burglaries in the area in three separate arrests.

    A  Morristown couple has been arrested and charged with burglarizing several rental cabins in Sevier County. According to Sheriff Ron Seals,  on Monday Feb. 25th at app. 8:41pm Officer Jerry Huskey was patrolling in the Smokey Cove Cabin Resort and observed a man jump from a balcony of a rental cabin.

    The male subject jumped into a vehicle and sped off.  Huskey stopped the vehicle and after a search of the vehicle Huskey found three stolen flat screen TV’s that had been taken from area rental cabins. The man was identified as David C. Acuff, 28 of 534 Sunrise Ave Morristown and his wife Maranda A. Acuff,  25 was a passenger in the car. Both were charged with aggravated burglary and possession of Burglary Tools. Both were booked into Sevier County Jail and a bond was set. They are awaiting a March 18th hearing in General Sessions Court.

     A Sevier County man is in custody at the Sevier County Detention Center and has been charged in connection with burglarizing 6 homes in the Boyds Creek Community.

    According to Seals, Craig Stevenson, age 21, of 2470 Native Dancer Way, Sevierville was arrested on Monday Feb 25, by the Sevier Co. Sheriff’s Office Detective Division after an investigation was conducted into the recent burglaries of homes in the Stables Subdivision.

   Detectives developed Stevenson, who also resides in the Stables Subdivision, as a suspect and then found where he had sold several items of stolen property from the burglaries. Stevenson has been charged with six counts of Aggravated Burglary.

     Also charged with one count of aggravated burglary was Daniel Gonzales Jr. age 52 ,of 2478 Native Dancer Way who was an accomplice to Stevenson in one of the burglaries. Stevenson is being held in Sevier Co Jail awaiting arraignment before a Judge. Gonzales is also being held pending arraignment. The investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Johnny Bohanan the Sheriff’s Office at 865-428-1899

  Two Sevier County men were arrested in connection with a home burglary on Meadows Drive. Sheriff Ron Seals states that on Feb 4th,a burglary was reported to the Sheriff’s Office on Meadows Drive in Sevier County.

   Officers arrived on the scene and found that someone had entered the home and took several items of value. A TV  that was among the missing items was recovered the following day by a citizen that found it lying beside the road in the Gatlinburg area.

    Sevier County Detectives investigated the case and developed two suspects. On Sat. Feb 23, the suspects were questioned and gave incriminating statements. The suspects are identified as Devon R. Sullivan, 18 and Stephen R. Gross, 21 both of 2226 Meadows Drive Sevierville. Both have been charged with one count of Aggravated Burglary in connection with the burglary and were arraigned before a Magistrate. A $5000 bond was set and they were booked into jail. An April 5th hearing date has been set in General Sessions Court. Anyone with information pertaining to the case is asked to call Det. Jim Huddleston at the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Inv. Division at 428-1899.

Sherri Sanderson of Knoxville and Dean Newton are marketing a new software program created by Sanderson. The program streamlines communications with doctors.    

    It was the Greek philosopher Plato who once observed “Necessity is the mother of invention.” This expression certainly applies to Knoxville native, Sherri Sanderson, who was an expectant mother that saw the need for a software solution that would streamline communications between doctors and their patients.  

   Late in her pregnancy, Sanderson became frustrated with playing phone tag with her physician. The pregnancy was regarded as high risk which caused Sanderson some concern. When calling her doctor she found herself going through the routine of phone prompts and answering the same questions repeatedly.

    “During one visit, I asked, do you have a system that would allow patients to communicate with their doctors electronically, without playing phone tag with you?”  Sanderson said. “He replied ‘No, but we need that.  Can you build it?’”

   Sanderson hit upon an idea. With her background in computer engineering and software design, she went to work designing a solution that would integrate with an existing doctor’s website, allowing a patient to set up an account and begin communication via the web and mobile devices.  But, this system was much more than communicating through e-mail. The system allowed the patients to enter their information which would be saved in the system and streamline communication, not only with a particular doctor, but any doctor. The integrated system allowed the patients to feel more in control of their healthcare and better connected to their doctors. Patients could securely get prescriptions filled, pay their bill, pre-fill-out and maintain medical forms, set up appointments, ask medical and billing questions, without playing phone tag.

   The new solution allows doctors to save money and manage resources better. Most doctors’ offices have a nurse or other staff member that spends most of their time writing down voicemail messages, returning phone calls and managing paperwork. The new solution would allow them to concentrate their energy on other tasks, delivering better service fulfillment to their patients in the office. After four years of development, and rigorous testing, Sanderson unveiled her software solution and NurseLineMD was born.    

  NurseLineMD’s DoctorDirect solution is a cloud-based system that has taken medical care from the dark ages into the age of mobile devices and anytime, anywhere communication, and can be implemented with any doctor’s current website. Patients can enter their personal information into a secure system that complies with HIPAA laws and ensures privacy. Patients are given greater access to the medical professionals caring for them and patients can better manage their own needs. Patients access a dashboard which allows them to manage their own information. They can request appointments, prescription refills, pay their bill, ask questions and other necessary medical queries and get a response in a quick and timely manner.  DoctorDirect means no more busy signals when calling the doctor, no more will the patient be put on hold, and causes less stress on the patient and health care provider. The solution is certified in privacy and security by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

   “DoctorDirect can work as a standalone solution, allowing a practice to fulfill federal requirements at a fraction of the cost of an EHR system” Sanderson said. “It has the flexibility to integrate with an individual practice’s web presence and can be customized to an existing practice’s image or branding to enhance the user experience.”

  Sanderson has enlisted the help of a long-time friend and colleague, Dean Newton, who is helping manage the business aspects of the program and develop market strategies.  Newton has a history of incubating companies and helping bring new products to the market. “The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in east Tennessee and we are doing our part to make sure innovation and new technologies are “home grown” right here in Tennessee” states Newton.

For more information about NurseLineMD, visit the website at www.nurselinemd.com or call Sanderson at 865-748-3747.   

  The City of Sevierville Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a man suspected of forging checks in numerous counties, including Sevier, Anderson, Knox, Jefferson, Hamblen, Blount, Loudon, Marion, Greene and Campbell.

 According to SPD Detective Kevin Bush, the suspect has allegedly forged at least twenty-six handwritten “starter” checks, mainly in convenience and tobacco stores.

 The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6’2” tall and 190 pounds, about 55-years old, with salt and pepper hair and a mustache. He is a cigarette smoker.

 Anyone with information regarding this suspect is requested to contact Detective Bush at 865-453-5507. The SPD does not recommend that citizens approach suspects in any manner.

Tourists will be forced to travel an alternate route after the Newfound Gap Road washed away last week. Photo coutesy National Park Service. 

  Torrential rains last week caused a portion of U.S. Highway 441 to collapse as a result of a rockslide. The portion of road that slid down a massive 50-foot gap was approximately 100 yards in length. The gap in the road, known as Newfound Gap, is located near mile marker 22 between Collins Creek and Webb Overlook, on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

  The landslide was a result of a deluge of rain that has saturated the southeast. According to the National Park, spokeswoman Molly Schroer, approximately 90,000 cubic yards of material washed away in the landslide.

  It's not clear how long repairs will take. Federal authorities hope to make a preliminary assessment this week next week to determine how long repairs will take. More than 7 inches of rain had been recorded at Newfound Gap in the hours preceding the landslide.

   Officials anticipate Newfound Gap Road will be opened to visitors from the park's Gatlinburg entrance to the Newfound Gap parking lot soon. The open road will extend to Smokemont on the North Carolina side. For current road closure reports, call 865-436-1200, ext. 631, or follow @SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.

Flooding was reported in numerous areas across East Tennessee including Hattie Branch Road 

  Torrential rains has flooded many areas in East Tennessee and forced schools across the region to close. Heavy rainfall Monday night closed many roads or made them impassable.

   The National Weather Service reported rainfall amounts up to 3 inches Tuesday and predicted 1-2 inches Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Flood warnings were issued throughout East Tennessee and remained in effect for the region through the evening.

   The Little Pigeon River reached a crest of 10.8 feet Monday night which was down from Monday’s highest level of 13 feet.

  In  Sevierville flooding was reported on Burden Hill Road, Apple Valley Road, White School Road and River Divide Road.

   In Pigeon Forge, River Divide Road was and Tiger Drive resembled a lake. Trees and power lines were reported down on Sugar Hollow Road. Flooding was reported on Boogertown Road, River Divide Road, and Battle Hill Road.

  Gatlinburg appeared to experience the brunt of the flooding when excess runoff water caused the partial collapse of Stone Fence Lane and forced the evacuation of three rental cabins.

  Residents in Seymour reported flooding on Happy Creek,  Long Branch Road and Heather Lane.

 Webb Creek, Jones Cove Road and River Song Way in the Pittman Center area were evacuated.

   The American Red Cross Disaster Action Team opened a shelter at the Pigeon Forge Community Center for anyone who has to evacuate due to flooding.  

  According to Bob Stahlke, Sevierville rescue personnel rescued two people from a car behind the Tanger Outlet Mall. Two employees of the outlet center drove their cars into standing water in the parking lot, and quickly realized the water was much deeper than they anticipated. A firefighter retrieved both drivers and took them safely to higher ground. No injuries were reported.

 Sevier County Schools, Jefferson County and other area schools were closed Tuesday due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

                  Liquor by the vote continues to Stir Debate

   Voters in Pigeon Forge will soon go to the polls again to vote on the controversial liquor by the drink referendum after a judge threw out the election results Thursday amid charges of improprieties. 

  The referendum passed by 100 votes in the Nov. 6 election, but a community group later sued the Sevier County Election Commission and election officials, alleging that voter fraud tainted the results.

Chancellor Tellford Fogerty ruled Thursday that the election must be set aside and voided. Fogerty determined that poll workers made mistakes in determining who was eligible to vote in the election, but found no evidence of fraud.

"Whatever mistakes were made were good faith mistakes, innocent mistakes but nevertheless mistakes," Chancellor Fogerty said in his issuing his ruling.

The court ruled election results were "incurably uncertain." The Sevier County Election Commission came to the same conclusion Wednesday night.

Shortly after the election, an anti-liquor group, the Concerned Citizens and Churches of Pigeon Forge, sued the Sevier County Election Commission. Seventeen poll workers were given depositions which revealed confusion and errors in tallying the votes as well as determining who was eligible to vote.   

The judge concluded there was no intentional fraud in the election, a claim made by the plaintiff, Concerned Citizens and Churches of Pigeon Forge (CCCPF). The anti-liquor group brought to the attention of the court that 289 more people voted than there are residents registered to vote. The commission admitted to the chancellor that the vote was faulty

"There was no question errors were made at the polling places, predominately on Election Day," said Dennis Frances, attorney for the Sevier County Election Commission.

A new election will take place within 45 to 60 days for residents to vote on the referendum again.

"This is a case that should be decided by the ballot box, not the jury box, and it's going to be decided shortly," said attorney, Greg Isaacs.  

The new election will likely take place around Mid-March, and would be a stand-alone election. The cost of the new election is estimated to be around $4,100.

 The Lumberjack Feud won the prize for most entertaining float 

     The City’s Department of Tourism has recognized a prestigious group of entries in the 37th annual Gatlinburg Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade as the best of the best in six specific categories.

  More than 100 parade entries including floats, balloons, marching bands, twirling groups, horse clubs, emergency units and rolling vehicles participated in the 37th annual Christmas parade on Friday, Dec. 7 in downtown.

A crowd in excess of 60,000 spectators of all ages gathered for the popular parade, with the results of the judging as follows:

Leconte Award (Best Professional Entry)

First – Santa Claus

Second – Dixie Stampede

Third – Ober Gatlinburg

Mountaineer Award (Best Non-professional Entry)

First – Tennessee Operation Lifesaver

Second – Lumberjack Feud

Third – Appalachian Bear Rescue

Best Marching Band

First – Gadsden City (Alabama) Titan Band

Second – (tie) William Blount (Maryville) Marching Governors and South Iredell (North Carolina) Viking Band

Third – Loretto (Tennessee) High School Band.

Most Entertaining Unit

First – Lumberjack Feud of Pigeon Forge

Second – Santa Claus

Third – Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Theater

Best Use of Lights

First – Sounds Good Electronics

Second – Tennessee Operation Lifesaver

Third – Lumberjack Feud

Spur Award (Best Horse or Animal Group)

First – Smoky Mountain Llama Treks

Second – Titanic Museum of Pigeon Forge

Third – Park Vista Hotel

 Picturesque scenery provides shutter bugs ample photo opportunities

   Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains can take a wonderful excursion through the Smoky Mountains and enjoy the most pristine and magnificent scenery in the region aboard the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.

    The train takes the visitor from Bryson City, North Carolina along more than 40 miles of tracks that winds its way through narrow canyons and across the river over a bridge and through the forest. The journey provides passengers views of majestic scenery of mountains, lakes, rushing rivers, more than 125 varieties of trees including hemlock, yellow buckeye, umbrella magnolia, oak, birch, sugar maple, mountain ash, Fraser fir, and short needle pine. Wild blackberries and blueberries are abundant in their seasons providing a feeding ground for wild life that abounds in the area. Photographers get plenty of opportunities to snap photos of deer and more than 100 species of fish and wildlife that inhabit the forest.

   With the approach of fall, the trees along the route become a dazzling array of color as the leaves begin changing color. The train passes through three historic small towns including Dillsboro, a village of shops and crafts in Bryson City, and Andrews, a scenic valley in the Snowbird Mountains. All were founded in the 1800s and have retained some of their original character, adding to their historic charm.

    The train offers special holiday excursions such as the Polar Express, the New Year’s Eve Excursion and the Peanuts Great Pumpkin Patch Express. The trip provides something for everyone. For the adventurous, there is a white water rafting excursion guaranteed to satisfy those seeking an adrenaline rush. For the shopper and souvenir hunter, a brief stop along the way provides shopping opportunities in a quaint setting at several local shops.

    Arriving in Bryson City, the traveler encounters a variety of shops, restaurants and historic sites in a quaint community reminiscent of Mayberry in the Andy Griffeth Show. Upon boarding the train, the traveler passes through a historic ticket depot that is more than 100-years-old and maintains its historic charm.

   The train departs the depot for a four hour ride that takes the traveler through the most beautiful scenery bordering the western edge of North Carolina, comprising more than 50 percent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This beautiful area also includes the southern crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pisgah, Cherokee, and Nantahala National Forests.

  The fun doesn’t end when the train comes to a stop in Bryson City. Next to the train depot is a train museum containing literally thousands of toy trains that will amaze any railroad enthusiast.   Smoky Mountain Trains is more than an ordinary museum. With its collection of 7,000 Lionel engines, cars and accessories, impressive operating layout, children’s activity center, and gift/toy shop, Smoky Mountain Trains has something for everyone. With every purchased train ticket your admission to the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum is FREE!

  For more information call 800-872-4681 or visit the web site www.gsmr.com.

This city is on display at the Train Museum in Bryson City

                               Teresa Flowers

                              Justin Ownby

   Two Sevier County residents have been arrested in connection with a cabin burglary that occurred on Azalea Trail on Nov. 5th. Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals states that after the burglary the pair was caught on video at Wal-Mart in Sevierville using the stolen credit card. A description of the pair was put out to police agencies and the media.

     On Friday Nov. 9th Sevier County sheriffs Officer Levi Morton spotted a similar vehicle on Allensville Road in Sevierville and after developing probable cause he stopped the truck and a further investigation by detectives, who responded to the stop, numerous items of evidence linking the pair to the burglary was found in the truck.

    The pair, identified as Justin L. Ownby, 21, and Teresa G. Flowers, 43, both of Sevierville was transported to Sevier Co Jail where they were charged with aggravated burglary and Possession of burglary tools. Justin Ownby was also charged with Possession of Sch. VI drugs and Flowers was also charged with driving on suspended license and violation of financial responsibility act. Both have a Dec. 10th hearing date in Sevier County General Session Court. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible.

    The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s help in identifying two burglary suspects. Sheriff’s Detectives are investigating a burglary that occurred on Nov. 5th where the Victims credit cards, along with other items, were taken and the cards were used in several locations in the county shortly after the burglary. The suspects are identified as a white male and a white female who are driving a two- toned dark silver or gray Chevy or GMC pick-up truck.

   Surveillance photos of the two were obtained from a local department store after the two reportedly used the stolen credit cards. Anyone with information is asked to call Lt. Det. Matthew Cubberley at 865-428-1899 or 865-453-4668.

These two surveillance photos were taken of the two suspects.  

                                   Terry Clabough

  Three men are in police custody in connection with three burglaries in the Seymour area.

  According to reports, Terry Clabough, of Blount County, was arrested in connection with a burglary that occurred on Illinois Ave. in Seymour on Saturday Oct 27th 2012. The property owner reported that someone went into his garage and took items from the garage and also from a car that was parked in the garage. A white male suspect was later caught on surveillance video at Big Lots in Alcoa and a Market in Walland using a stolen credit card from the burglary. On Wednesday morning Blount Co. Officers stopped a vehicle in their county and additional property taken from the Victim was found in the car that was operated by Clabough, who was subsequently identified as the subject in the video using the stolen card at the stores. Clabough was arrested at the scene and Sevier County Detectives charged him with Aggravated Burglary. Clabough also faces unrelated burglary charges in Blount and Knox counties. Clabough is currently being held in Blount County Jail.

   Two Knox County men have been charged in connection with two unrelated burglaries in the Seymour area. According to Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals, on Tuesday Oct. 30th a burglary was reported on Circle Drive in Seymour. Two white males, driving a red Oldsmobile, were caught on video surveillance cameras at the scene. The information was sent to surrounding agencies and on Wednesday the a vehicle matching the description was stopped by Knoxville Police Dept. and the two men were identified as the same suspects on video that burglarized the home in Sevier County on Tuesday. The two suspects were identified as David Lee Dozard, 31,of 5310 Avis Lane, Knoxville and Shawn F. Mitchell,30, of 8516 Pratt Road, Knoxville.

   Additional stolen items were found in the car at the time of the traffic stop that linked them to a second burglary that had just occurred on Alpine Road in the Seymour area. Knoxville police officers also found items from Knox Co. burglaries and the suspects had pharmaceutical drugs in their possession. Both men were charged with two counts of Aggravated Burglary by Sevier County Detectives and are being held in Knox Co. Jail to awaiting a hearing on the charges.

     Individuals can learn computer skills or have a free 30-minute consultation with a professional career counselor during November at Tennessee Career Centers. All classes are free to participants and funded through a partnership between Walters State Community College and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Reservations are requested.

    The Tennessee Career Center at Talbot is located in the Alpha Square Shopping Center on West Andrew Johnson Highway. Workshops planned there in November are:

•Job Readiness Series (plan your job search, develop resume and cover letter, interview techniques, impressive applications) – Nov. 6, 9:30-12:30 p.m. or Nov. 20, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

•Computer Literacy, Mouse Practice – Nov. 1, 9-9:30 a.m.

•Computer Literacy – Nov. 1, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

•Ex-Offender Job Readiness Workshop – Nov. 5, 19 or 26, 10-11 a.m.

•Computer Literacy, E-Mail Basics – Nov. 7, 9-10:30 a.m.

•Computer Literacy, Internet Basics – Nov. 7, 10:30 a.m.-noon

•Computer Literacy, Electronic Data Base Management – Nov. 8, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

•Computer Literacy, Electronic Publishing – Nov. 14, 9-11:30 a.m.

•Computer Literacy, Electronic Spreadsheets – Nov. 15, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

•Computer Literacy, Electronic Notes – Nov. 21, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

•Computer Literacy, Electronic Business Project Management – Nov. 27, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

•Computer Electronic Slide Presentations – Nov. 28, 2-4:30 p.m.

The Tennessee Career Center at Morristown is located in room 110 of the Clifford H. “Bo” Henry Center for Business and Technology. It is part of the Center for Workforce Education at Walters State Community College’s Morristown campus. Workshops planned in November are:

            •30 Minute Career Consultation (meet with a professional career counselor individually to discuss your job search, get feedback on your resume and job information) – Nov. 13 by appointment

           •Get to Know Your Career Center (see everything the Career Center offers with this orientation) – Nov. 15 – 9 a.m.-noon

          Both centers are part of the American Job Center network. Both offer resource labs with computers, printers and fax machines that job seekers can use at no charge. Centers also provide information about the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Tennessee Technology Center, Adult Education Program, Walters State Community College and Workforce Investment are available at the center. All services are free to anyone who is at least 18 years old.

          Anyone may attend the workshops at no charge, but reservations are required. To make reservations or to learn more, please call the Tennessee Career Center at Talbot at (423) 317-1078 or the Tennessee Career Center at Morristown at (423) 318-2341.

     Please note that the Tennessee Career Center at Talbot will be closed Nov. 12 in observance of Veteran’s Day. Both Centers will be closed Nov. 22-23 in observance of Thanksgiving.

                                    Curtis Lawson

    A Sevier County couple is in police custody in connection with several area burglaries following a car chase. According to reports, on Oct. 23, several stores were burglarized during the early morning hours in the Kodak area. The suspect and vehicle, a PT Cruiser, were observed on video surveillance.

   On Thursday, Oct. 25, at app. 3:04 am dispatchers with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office received a burglar alarm at Pizza Plus on W. Dumplin Valley road in Kodak. A B.O.L.O. (be on the look out) was issued for a purple Chrysler PT Cruiser. A short time later, the Knox Co. Sheriff’s Office received a burglar alarm at a convenience store on Ashville Highway and the responding officer spotted the purple PT Cruiser leaving the parking lot.

    The Knox Co. officer gave chase and the vehicle headed toward Jefferson County on Hwy 11E. where the car was eventually stopped inside Jefferson County by Jefferson County and Knox County Sheriffs’ Officers. Sevier County Detectives responded to the scene where the investigation led to the arrest of the two occupants of the car. Both are in Custody in the Knox County Jail. Sevier County authorities have charged the pair with five counts of burglary of the stores in Sevier County. The pair will be transported back to Sevier County at a later date. Arrested were Curtis L. Lawson, age 31, and Fantasia D. Smith, age 25, both of 428 Keegan Drive Pigeon Forge

  The investigation is continuing and more arrests may be pending.

                                          David Cushman

                                              Timothy Uner

    Two Sevier County men were arrested after a traffic routine stop in which officers found scheduled narcotics, cash and a gun. Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals states that on Oct 11th at app. 10 am a Sheriff’s Office traffic officer stopped a vehicle on Chapman Hwy. at Shiloh Church Rd. for a seat belt violation. Officers checked the occupants of the vehicle and found that the driver had an active warrant for him for violation of probation in Sevier County. Officers then searched the car and found Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Alprolozam, Xanax, Valium, and Dilaudid along with a .38 pistol, $1546 in cash and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. Officers also found several unfilled prescriptions and appointment cards from several doctors and pain clinics in the region.

     Officers seized the items along with the car and arrested the occupants who were identified as David C. Cushman, 42, of 938 East Parkway St., Gatlinburg, and Timothy S. Uner, 49, of 3440 Huff Lane, Sevierville. Cushman was charged with eight of possession of Schedule II narcotics w/ intent to resale, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

   Uner was charged with 1 count of possession of a Schedule II narcotic w/ intent to resale, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of probation. Both were transported to Sevier County Jail where they were arraigned before a magistrate. Cushman is being held without bond and Uner is free after posting a $3000 bond. The pair will have a hearing in General Sessions Court on Nov. 9. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Chris Edington and Becci Gilmer of Crossville became the One Millionth riders on the Wild Eagle, Dollywood's newest roller coaster  

   When the Wild Eagle roller coaster pulled into the boarding area at Dollywood last week, two riders, Becci Gilmer and Chris Edington, were greeted with an unexpected surprise. As soon as the ride came to a stop confetti  began streaming down, cameras flashed, news reporters surrounded the puzzled couple and a representative of Dollywood stepped up to inform them they were the one millionth rider to ride the roller coaster.

  Gilmer and Edington of Crossville, Tennessee had been anxiously anticipating riding the Wild Eagle rollercoaster at the popular theme park. They rode in the front car of the roller coaster early in the morning and returned later in the afternoon to ride again. Having ridden in the front they decided to ride in the back this time. But the lines for the back car were too long and the couple decided to return to the front car. It was a fortunate decision.

  “We had to wait for two more turns before we could get on,” Edington said. “But, I am glad we did.”

   As the ride came to a stop the couple was surrounded by representatives of the media and Dollywood, other riders exited the ride expressing frustration for missing the opportunity to be recognized as the one millionth rider. “If I had only come up here five minutes sooner” one rider said as he departed.

  The Wild Eagle is Dollywood’s newest attraction. The $20 million ride was completed in March of this year. In only seven months  the attraction has taken one million riders over hills and loops along the track swooping down at dazzling speeds and simulating what it might be like to soar with the eagles.

  To recognize the excited couple’s participation on the park’s milestone achievement, the couple was presented with a travel voucher for $1,000 to fly to St. Louis and two passes to Silver Dollar City in Branson. In addition, they were presented with two season passes to Dollywood.

 “It was something,” said Gilmer. “We got off and everybody was screaming and there were TV cameras and reporters.. We were confused and I didn’t know what was going on. This was the smoothest ride ever. I always wanted to be on TV.  I guess I can cross that off my bucket list.”

The Oak Ridge Boys on the Red Carpet at Dollywood  

   The Oak Ridge Boys were honored Wednesday at Dollywood for their contributions to gospel music. The quartet was presented with the James D. Vaughn Impact Award in ceremony that kicked off the beginning of Dollywood’s National  Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration.

    “We are humbled and we are honored” said Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys. “God has been good to us. We are all singing good and all feeling good”

    The award was named in honor of James D. Vaughn who is credited with starting the gospel music genre in 1910. The Oaks gospel legacy started in World War II when the original Oak Ridge Boys began performing in Knoxville. The current line-up of the band began performing together in 1973. The Current line-up includes Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban. The current incarnation of the group will be celebrating 40 years of performing together in 2013.

   “We are planning a tour to celebrate our 40^th anniversary together,” said Bonsall. “We are currently having a logo designed and making plans to get the tour underway.”

    While the Oaks are known for the multi-platinum hits such as “Elvira” and “Thank God for Kids”, they trace their roots back to gospel music where they got their start. In the early 70s the band scored hits with “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor”,  “King Jesus” and many others.

    The Oaks released their sixth Christmas CD this week entitled “Christmas time is Coming.” Currently the band is on a tour that will take them across North Carolina and Ohio. They will be performing in Greeneville, Tennessee in December.

    The morning started at Dollywood with the band making a brief appearance before a gathering of fans who were informed the Oaks were receiving the award. Later in the afternoon, the Oaks walked with more than 50 gospel recording artists on a red carpet that led to the Celebrity Theater where the Sothern Gospel Music Awards were held. Seven gospel artists were inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame.

     During the awards ceremony, the Oaks were formally presented with their award before an excited capacity crowd.                

    Dolly Parton, a past recipient of the award, was unable to attend the ceremony but made a statement on a video that was played to the audience. Parton apologized to the Oaks for her absence, but said she was proud of them and she loved them.

    “The Oak Ridge Boys are great friends of mine,” Parton said. “They have deep roots in Southern gospel and strong ties to East Tennessee. I am especially honored they will accept the great honor of the James D. Vaughn Award at Dollywood.”

   Following the acceptance of the award, the Oaks performed “Farther Along” before departing for their next concert.  The song is featured in an upcoming documentary about country music star Glen Campbell and his struggle with altzeimer’s    

   “We don’t make a living as gospel singers,” said William Lee Golden. “But, we cut our teeth on gospel music. It is a part of us. We keep it with us. We got together singing gospel music and it was our love of gospel that kept us together. We don’t do it because we have to. We do it because we love it.”

  The Federal Government has condemned the town of Centralia

   Imagine what it would be like to live in a town that had been condemned by the government. Imagine open fissures in the ground spewing up toxic carbon monoxide poison. Now, imagine how you would feel to know that as you walk down the street, the ground under your feet could collapse which could cause you to fall into a fiery pit where you would be incinerated.

  For the handful of people living in Centralia, Pennsylvania, this is a typical day. Centralia is a ghost town that was mostly abandoned by a majority of its residents who gradually left the town after a fire was ignited in the vast coal reserves that lie underneath it in 1962.

 Centralia is located in Columbia County and sits atop a vast deposit of coal. In 1962, the Centralia Borough Council hired five members of the volunteer fire company to clean up the town landfill, located in an abandoned strip-mine pit next to the Odd Fellows Cemetery. This had been done prior to Memorial Day in previous years, when the landfill was in a different location. On May 27, 1962, the firefighters, as they had in the past, set the dump on fire and let it burn for some time. Unlike in previous years, however, the fire was not fully extinguished. An unsealed opening in the pit allowed the fire to enter the labyrinth of abandoned coal mines beneath the town.

  The fire spread rapidly through the maze of mines and later became the topic of a book by David Dekok author of “Unseen Danger: A Tragedy of People, Government, and the Centralia Mine Fire.” DeKok describes the subterranean raging inferno as  “A world where no human could live, hotter than the planet Mercury, its atmosphere as poisonous as Saturn's.  At the heart of the fire, temperatures easily exceeded 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Lethal clouds of carbon monoxide and other gases swirled through the rock chambers.” 

  Efforts to extinguish the underground fire proved futile and the fire has now burned for 50 years. A seemingly endless supply of coal under the ground could burn for years to come.

   As the fire burned the residents went about their day-to-day lives. The fire was underground and thought to be of no threat to the citizens. As the fire continued to burn and the ground under the town grew more unstable, the Federal Government intervened and began claiming homes under imminent domain in 1992. The home owners were compensated for their properties and relocated to other towns.  All buildings in the town were condemned. Centralia's ZIP code was revoked by the Postal Service in 2002.

    Today, a few buildings remain. The factories where products were once manufactured sit idle. The school yard where children once played is silent. The local stores sit undisturbed years after the final sales were rung up. The local town hall sits eerily silent years after the last mayor and town officials locked the doors for the final time. The fire engines sit in the bay of the fire station useless to halt the raging inferno that lies beneath and threatens the town. The searing heat from beneath the streets, have caused the pavement and asphalt to crack and fissures have emerged spewing toxic gas into the air. The roads are now unsafe to travel and have been closed. The surface ground is now growing dangerously thin and has been known to collapse. Still. Despite these living conditions, the town is not completely abandoned.

   Today only 10 steadfast residents remain of what was once a town of 2,700. Despite perilous living conditions these steadfast residents refuse to leave the town they have called home. The federal government has demolished most of the remaining public buildings and houses. These stubborn Centralians who remain now must drive to neighboring towns to get supplies and other necessities on the roads that have begun to collapse.

  Time will tell if these residents will bow to government pressure to leave or if the fire will burn out or consume what little remains of the town. 

    Michael Williams has written a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

    Williams has written for more than 30 newspapers and magazines including the Civil War Times Illustrated, The Civil War Courier, the Associated Press and the Knoxville Journal.

     The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

The air around Centralia is becoming toxic and the roads are beginning to collapse. 

 President Garfield is Shot. His death was a result of medical bungling.

  When the 20^th President of the United States James Garfield was cut down by an assassin’s bullet in 1881, doctors immediately began treating the president. Little did they realize their antiquated medical practices would result in an agonizing premature death for the president as well as an unusual defense for his assailant. In fact, some historians contend that Garfield might have survived had the doctors simply left him alone and not treated him. It was their ignorance of antiseptics that ultimately resulted in the President’s death. As an unusual side note, Garfield’s condition in his final days resulted in an invention that is now enjoyed in homes around the world.

    On the morning of July 2, 1881, Garfield was on his way to his alma mater, Williams College, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech. Garfield was accompanied by James G. Blaine and Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln. As Garfield was walking through the Sixth Street Station of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad in Washington at 9:30 am, he was shot twice from behind, one bullet grazed his arm and the other lodged in his back. The assassin was Charles J. Guiteau, an apparently delusional Federal office-seeker who had believed himself to be on close terms with Garfield even though he and Garfield had never spoken to each other. Guiteau  wanted to be appointed ambassador and when the appointment did not materialize, Guiteau believed he, the Republican Party, and the country had been betrayed and he began stalking Garfield.

    Guiteau was immediately pounced on by police and bystanders and subsequently arrested. Garfield lay on the floor in agonizing pain unaware of how serious his wounds were.  The first doctor on the scene was Dr. Smith Townsend. The well-intentioned doctor inserted an unwashed and unsterilized finger into the wound in search of the bullet. He unwittingly introduced an infection that was more lethal than Guiteau's bullet.

   Lincoln, Garfield's secretary of war, suggested that Dr. D. Willard Bliss, who had attended his father, be brought into the case.  Lincoln, in addition to being present when his father died, was in the station that morning with Garfield and was also with President William McKinley when he was assassinated in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1901.

   In the years following the Civil War, there was a theory in the medical community that germs could be spread by introducing unwashed hands to an open wound. It was common practice at the time for surgeons to use unsterilized instruments in multiple surgeries while wearing a bloody gown. One man who worked tirelessly to promote the theory of antiseptic surgery was Dr. Joseph Lister for whom Listerine was named. Lister taught that infection could be minimized by sterile instruments and washed hands.  Bliss, who was considered something of a quack, had little regard for the theories of Dr. Lister.

   Garfield was transported to the White House from the station. There for the next 80 days, Bliss and nine other doctors probed Garfield’s wound with dirty unsanitized hands and all were unsuccessful at locating the bullet.

  In a desperate measure to find the elusive bullet, doctors brought in Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone who attempted to locate the bullet with an electrical device he called the Induction Balance, a metal detector. Bell discovered what he thought was the bullet and had the doctors cut into the president to remove it. But, Bell was wrong. His metal detector had found a metal spring in the mattress under the president.

    Infection soon spread throughout Garfield’s body. The wound, which started as a small hole the size of a nickel, eventually became a massive canal that was red and inflamed and oozed pus constantly.              

    The infection caused Garfield’s heart to weaken. He remained bedridden in the White House with fever and extreme pain. As the heat of summer became more oppressive for the stricken President, a Navy engineer, with the help of Simon Newcomb, installed in Garfield's room an air blower over a chest containing 6 tons of ice, with the air then dried by conduction through a long iron box filled with cotton screens, and connected to the room's heat vent. This device was capable of reducing the air temperature to 20°F below the outside temperature. This crude device was the first air conditioner.

   Despite the best efforts to make the president comfortable, Garfield died on Sept. 19, 1881.He was 50 and had served a little over five months.

   At his trial, the wily Guiteau argued he did not kill the president. He only wounded him. The doctors actually killed Garfield. It was a defense that would have worked in modern times but not in 1881. He was hanged June 30, 1882, in the yard of the District Jail.

 Some historians agree that Garfield would have had a better chance of survival had the doctors simply left the bullet in his back. The ignorance of antiseptics on the part of Dr. Bliss, which resulted in the death of Garfield, led to a new phrase in the English language. Now you know the man who inspired the expression “Ignorance is Bliss.”

    Michael Williams has written a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

    Williams has written for more than 30 newspapers and magazines including the Civil War Times Illustrated, The Civil War Courier, the Associated Press and the Knoxville Journal.

     The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.