Officials with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have some updated information into the search for a missing Florida man.
68-year-old Gordon Kaye of Tampa was last seen near a backcountry campsite on April 23 with search teams focused on trails and areas in and around the Deep Creek Campground. Crews are prepared to continue search operations on Monday. He is an experienced hiker, camper and hunter and had reserved a campsite at Deep Creek Campground for 14 days.
More than 120 people from 29 agencies and three states are helping the National Park Service in the search which will resume today. (Monday).
Anyone with information is asked to please contact Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dispatch at 865-436-1230 or Swain County Dispatch at 828-488-2196.
Officials with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have some updated information into the search for a missing Florida man.
68-year-old Gordon Kaye of Tampa was last seen near a backcountry campsite on April 23 with search teams focused on trails and areas in and around the Deep Creek Campground. Crews are prepared to continue search operations on Monday. He is an experienced hiker, camper and hunter and had reserved a campsite at Deep Creek Campground for 14 days.
More than 120 people from 29 agencies and three states are helping the National Park Service in the search which will resume today. (Monday).
Anyone with information is asked to please contact Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dispatch at 865-436-1230 or Swain County Dispatch at 828-488-2196.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that Greenbrier Road, Porters Creek Trail, Brushy Mountain Trail, and campsites 31, 32, and 33 are now open to public use. Old Settlers Trail and Grapeyard Ridge Trail re-opened to public use earlier this month.
Ramsey Cascades Road and Ramsey Cascades Trail will remain closed until the trail is safe to open to hikers. Trail crews are rerouting sections of the trail and rebuilding foot log bridges that were washed out last summer during a July 2022 flood event.
Greenbrier Road was closed beyond the ranger station after the road and area trails and culverts sustained damage during the flood event. Earlier this year road crews repaired the road, stabilized the slope, and replaced culverts.
A man was arrested on Wednesday after he reportedly shot at a truck, according to a report obtained by WVLT News.
At around 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, officers responded to a possible shooting on the I-75 South entrance ramp on Emory Road. When officers arrived they spoke with Trey Bailey, who was standing outside his truck on the on-ramp.
Bailey told officers that he was driving west, and a truck had been tailgating him. Bailey said that when both vehicles pulled up to a red light, the passenger in the truck started yelling at him and threw a full cup at his car.
Bailey told officers that he saw the passenger pull a gun and heard him shoot a round. The report said that Bailey then pulled his gun and fired back at the truck. When both vehicles got on the on-ramp, Bailey told officers that the truck ran him off the road.
Another officer spoke with the driver and passenger in the truck. Tyler Johnson, the driver of the truck, told officers that he was in a road rage incident with Bailey. Tyler Johnson said that Bailey pulled up on the truck’s right side and threw a drink at the truck.
The passenger, Peyton Johnson, threw a drink back on Bailey’s car, and Tyler Johnson said that Bailey then pointed a gun at the truck and fired one round.
When the cars went to go on the on-ramp, Tyler Johnson told officers that he rammed Bailey’s car as Bailey was trying to pass on the right because he was afraid that Bailey would shoot again.
A witness told officers that the incident happened behind her at the red light for the I-75 South ramp. She told officers that she saw Bailey throw his drink at the truck then saw him pointing his gun out the driver’s window at the truck.
Two other witnesses saw Bailey point and fire his gun at Tyler and Peyton Johnson, according to the report.
Bailey was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and two counts of reckless endangerment in a vehicle.
KCHD to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month with Safe Bar Training
WHAT: Knox County Health Department (KCHD), along with the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee, the Title IX Office at University of Tennessee, and the Family Justice Center are continuing the Safe Bar TN training to prevent sexual violence and create safe nightlife spaces. The next training will be with new local business, Yee-Haw Brewing Co. Interviews will be available with Yee-Haw’s bar manager and KCHD’s violence prevention health educator.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 3 at 11:15 a.m.
WHERE: Yee-Haw Brewing Co.
745 N Broadway
BACKGROUND: The Safe Bar Program launched in Knox County in early 2022. Training includes FREE, in-person education on bystander intervention and raising awareness about alcohol’s role in sexual assault. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, alcohol is involved in about half of all sexual assault incidents. In these situations, alcohol could be consumed by the offender, victim, or often, both.
“This initiative helps equip bar employees to recognize signs of potential assault or unwanted behaviors and how to safely intervene,” said Amy Rowling, KCHD violence prevention health educator. “We are grateful for the local bars participating in the initiative who are taking important steps to help create a safer community.”
Following certification, participating bars are given a flyer and window cling to display their safe bar status. Additionally, benefits for participating businesses include access to ambassadors and trainers for future guidance and promotion from Safe Bar TN’s website and social media platforms.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers are searching for a 69-year-old man in the Deep Creek area of the park.
Gordon Kaye from Tampa, FL was last seen in the lower loop of Deep Creek Campground this past Saturday and his family reported him missing on Wednesday.
He may be suffering from a mental health crisis.
Anyone who saw Kaye or has information is asked to contact Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dispatch at 865-436-1230 or Swain County Dispatch at 828-488-2196.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon presents her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year in her State of the City address.
The almost $433 million proposed budget does not include a property tax increase.
A main focus for Kincannon’s proposed budget is the need for housing in the city. $7.5 million dollars will go toward affordable housing, with $4.5 million allocated to “Transforming Western,” an initiative to overhaul Knoxville’s largest public housing community.
The budget sets aside $2 million for Lakeshore Park, $1 million for Lonsdale Park, and $4.5 million for the multi-use public stadium connecting East Knoxville to downtown.
Nearly $12 million was allotted to construct and maintain roads and sidewalks throughout the city.
Kincannon will present her proposed budget to the Knoxville City Council for the first reading on May 2, followed by a legislative budget hearing and public hearing on May 9.
The U.S. Justice Department files a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s new law banning transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care.
The federal government is seeking to invalidate the statute because they say “no person should be denied access to necessary medical care just because of their transgender status. The DOJ says the law violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause by discriminating on the basis of both sex and transgender status.
Under Tennessee’s law, set to take effect July 1st, doctors will be prohibited from prescribing puberty blockers or hormones, or providing other gender-affirming care to anyone under 18.
The largest expansion ever at Anakeesta is underway with a development designed to bring the whole family together.
Sounds of construction erect some of the largest birdhouses you’ll ever find. This is Birdventure where you can play in the birdhouse or slide down the side.
“This facility is really supposed to get our guests playing with the whole family. So it’s so it’s not just for children. It’s not just for adults it’s for it’s for everyone to really reconnect and, you know, get that true smoky mountain experience,” said Bryce Bentz, President of Anakeesta.
For Anakeesta, it’s about staying true to the Smoky Mountains and the ecosystem of plants and animals found naturally here.
“So all of the birds are endemic to the area. So we wanted to have an opportunity to bring those characters to life and to really have our guests interact with them on a, you know, more more close level,” added Bentz.
The Hellbender Mountain coaster will take you down steep terrain with twists and turns.
“You start at the top and you you’re going down the mountain, it’s our second mountain coaster here at Anakeesta. And it’s themed after the hill bender, which is a salamander here in the great smoky mountains. So we’re using that as our storyline concept for it. So I think it’s gonna be a really great storyline for it,” said founder of Anakeesta Bob Bentz.
It’s a double rail coaster that’ll take you through tunnels, twists and turns with a 360 degree view of the scenic Smoky Mountains.
“Because again, we’re on the side of a mountain with all these very, very steep slopes. We’re really pushing the limits of this mountain coaster. It’s probably the steepest and sharpest bends you could possibly have. And again, in a very unique experience,”
And this is just the beginning of this $35 M expansion project that’ll create hundreds of jobs.
“This is phase one and the next couple of phases we will add additional retail stores, additional restaurants, some banquet facilities, and additional splashpad play areas in the center of the plaza,” said Bryce Bentz.
Phase one will open later this year with plans for phase two and three still being developed.
