The historic Biltmore Estate has announced its plan to reopen on November 2nd after closing to repair damages following Helene.
Biltmore staff says it’s just in time for their seasonal Christmas at Biltmore.
The yearly holiday event lasts until January and features the estate covered in Christmas decorations from wreaths to garlands as well as thousands of ornaments.
They say for more than 125 years, Biltmore has been a witness to the resilience of this community. They say welcoming guests back to the estate provides critical support to the community.
A Holiday Experience Like No Other
November 2, 2024–January 5, 2025
A yuletide visit to Biltmore is a feast for the senses, featuring fragrant wreaths, glittering garland, and the sparkle of thousands of ornaments from Biltmore House to Antler Hill Village! Dazzling by day, the house is all the more magical during Candlelight Christmas Evenings, Biltmore’s most beloved of holiday traditions.
Select ticket options include Chihuly at Biltmore and FREE next-day grounds access.
The Southeastern Conference has fined the University of Tennessee after fans stormed the field following Saturday night’s win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The $100,000 fine, which was handed down yesterday (Sunday), is a result of SEC‘s policy that went into effect in June of last year.
Schools are fined $100,000 for their first offense, $250,000 for a second offense and $500,000 for a third offense.
This was Tennessee‘s first offense as the updated policy reset schools’ prior record for fines. Under the previous policy, Tennessee’s fine would have been $250,000.
TN Vols Football back in the top 10 in AP Poll Following Alabama win
The Tennessee Volunteers are back in the top 10 in the AP College Football Poll after defeating Alabama 24-17 in Knoxville.
The Vols are ranked No. 7 in the country, while Alabama dropped eight spots to No. 15 after the loss.
Oregon is now ranked as the No. 1 team and Texas fell four spots to No. 5 after being beaten by Georgia, who moved up to No. 2 in the poll.
Penn State and Ohio State are numbers 3 and 4.
Tennessee has a bye week and will take on Kentucky November 2nd in Neyland Stadium.
Roadway Closures as of October 18, 2024. Click on the map for a higher resolution image.
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) crews are working to assess damage, inspect all state-owned bridges, and repair connectivity in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which hit Tennessee on September 27, 2024. The counties with the most significant damage are Washington, Carter, Unicoi, Johnson, Greene, and Cocke, but this has a major impact across East Tennessee. Long-term closures will be in place across the region as many routes will require significant repairs and for others, a total rebuild.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) continues to deploy personnel at the request of affected counties and is coordinating with local officials to assess damages and ensure life safety needs are met. For more on efforts and resources provided by TEMA, click here.
Traffic Impacts
Updates about bridge, lane, and road closures will be posted to this page. For the most up-to-date closure information, please visit TDOT SmartWay.
If you own property along the highlighted State Routes impacted by Helene, TDOT needs to speak with you about right-of-way access during the rebuilding process. Property owners can contact us by emailing [email protected] or by calling 833-TDOTFIX (836-8349) and following the voice prompts.
Hurricane Helene
Disaster Hotline: (423) 830-2696
The Disaster Hotline is operational from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday – Saturday and 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. This hotline is available for community members, donors, and national/international organizations seeking information or requiring specific logistical considerations about disaster relief efforts.
If you are suffering a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
Apply for FEMA Individual Assistance:online anytime or by phone at 1-800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET.
Individuals may be eligible for FEMA’s Serious Needs Assistance, an upfront, flexible payment of $750 to help cover essential items while survivors are assessed for Individual Assistance eligibility. For more information about Serious Needs Assistance, visit FEMA’s website.
The Crisis Clean-Up Hotline (844) 965-1386 has been established for survivors who need assistance with clean-up efforts. This service is at no cost to the survivors who are requesting assistance. The hotline will be available until Oct. 25.
The Disaster Hotline, (423) 830-2696, has been established to serve as a unified regional hotline.
The Tennessee Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs reminds Tennesseans to be cautious and wary of disaster relief scams. You can find helpful tips on their website.
Do not enter damaged buildings or hazardous locations.
Restoring your ability to communicate is a critical priority. Always call 811 before you dig.
Report down or cut power lines and stay clear of the area.
If your house or property sustained damage, take pictures before cleanup efforts and contact your insurance company. TDCI’s Complaint Line for insurance: (615) 741-2218 or 1-800-342-4029.
Do not self-deploy to assist impacted areas. Wait for local officials to issue guidance.
Do not attempt to cross flooded roads or walkways. Turn around, don’t drown.
Loudon County, TN (WOKI) A Canadian woman is arrested Thursday in Loudon County, accused of bilking people out of at least $60,000 in a scamming operation.
Officials with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office say Soki Hangi of Quebec was part of a scamming operation spanning Loudon and Monroe Counties wherein the suspects were calling older adults, claiming to be their grandchildren.
LCSO says the suspects, posing as grandchildren of the victims, would call claiming they’ve been arrested and need money for bail.
“The scammer will call, act as if they are the grandchild of the victim, and convince the victim that they (the supposed grandchild) have been arrested and need money for bail,” the office said. “The scammer is even using the same nicknames that the grandchild would call the grandparent (Grandpa, Mamaw, etc.) that helps further convince the victim that they are actually the victim’s grandchild.”
Hangi was reportedly acting as a courier, the person who would pick up the “bail money” from the victims.
Officials urge those who may also have been fooled by this scam to call police at 865-458-9081.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is sharing its findings after its evaluation of the Nolichucky Dam.
Crews were running inspections to see what needs to be fixed after massive flooding from Helene.
Crews say they used high-tech equipment like underwater remote control cameras and drones around the dam and engineers will continue to evaluate the area but so far no major damage to the dam structure has been found.
Nearly three weeks after severe flooding devastated parts of Tennessee and North Carolina, people are still pouring into the impacted areas and offering help.
Brian Minton owns a farm in Dandridge and has been to Asheville for several days over the last two weeks. He‘s shared what he’s seen on social media, and immediately received messages from people across the country offering their help.
Minton has trained mules on his farm and felt it would be a big help to bring them along on his trip to North Carolina. He then heard from several others who have specialized in training mules who wanted to join in and help.
“I told them I said, ‘Guys you can’t imagine what it‘s like, your life is going to change when you see this,’” said Minton.
There will be more than 25 miles and more than 25 people making the trip to Asheville first thing Thursday morning. People from Delaware, Kentucky, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee help make up the group looking to help.
Each of the farmers going has significant experience with mules and training them to help in a situation where they need to access a hard-to-reach area in the aftermath of a disaster.
“They’re very tough, and they’re very strong, and these are some very nice mules. And they can carry in 250 to 300 pounds of gear for everybody per mule easily,” said Arkansas farmer Max Bishop.
Bishop said the mules will help when they‘re in areas with washed-out roads because they’ll take the mules through the woods and steep terrain as they go to help others in need and work alongside first responders with recovery efforts.
It’s a group of cowboys from across the country who all heard about the devastation from the storm and wanted to put their area of expertise to good use.
“I’m blessed to have them I’m thankful for them being here and dang glad they’re on my team. Because we’re going to go up there and make a difference,” said Minton.
The group will leave Thursday morning and plan to stay in North Carolina for about a week. They‘ve also collected donations from across the country which they’ll be bringing to impacted communities.
The City of Knoxville says crews would be beginning the final phase of renovations for Cradle of Country Music Park this fall.
The park is located at Gay Street and Summit Hill Drive near the Arts District. It’s a half-acre green space in the center of downtown that will soon be getting a large piece of public art and several new mature trees.
The sculpture was designed by a New York studio and marks a more than $1 million investment for the space between the art and the landscaping.
This park pays tribute to Knoxville’s role in shaping country music and soon will be able to host music and small concerts under the trees and is expected to reopen in full late fall.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (TDOSHS) is issuing free replacement identification licenses and driver licenses to citizens directly impacted by the East Tennessee floods at the Elizabethton Driver Services Center, Unicoi Police Department and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s (TEMA) three Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCs).
Driver Services are available at the MARCs located at 466 Learning Road (or Learning Way) in Newport; 1749 HWY 19E in Elizabethton and 306 Forest Drive in Jonesborough. At the MARCs, individuals affected by Hurricane Helene can also access available resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal, state and regional partners. The MARCs are open Monday through Saturday from7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.
The TDOSHS Driver Services mobile unit is at the Elizabethton Driver Services Center, 1741 Hwy 19E Bypass, while the center is temporarily closed due to the storm. In addition to the free duplicate licenses for flood victims, any Tennessean can complete a road skills and vision test, obtain a regular driver license, commercial driver license, REAL ID, photo ID, or update, replace, or renew their driver license at the mobile unit. The mobile unit is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT and can only accept payment by credit or debit card.
The TDOSHS temporary location at the Unicoi Police Department, 3600 Unicoi Drive, provides Driver Services including free duplicate licenses to flood victims. This location is not serving the general public. The Unicoi Police Department temporary location is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT and can only accept payment by credit or debit card.
Due to storm damage, Driver Services are currently unavailable at the Greene County and Cocke County Clerk’s offices.
Citizens may also be able to complete many Driver Service transactions online. Visit tn.gov/safety/driver-services/online.html to learn more about the TDOSHS’s online services.
Three people are in custody after a shooting in Greene County.
Deputies with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office were called to the 7000 block of Old Stage Road for a burglary call on Friday.
Not long after the initial call, a woman called from the home saying she had been shot twice. When deputies got inside, they reportedly found a 24-year-old who had been shot in the hand and back, she is in stable condition.
GCSO says 23 year-old Mikaila Chapman-Delotto, 20 year-old Stephen Turner and 29 year-old Trevonde Conner are in custody.
Chapman-Delotto and Turner are facing charges for especially aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, theft and criminal responsibility for attempted first degree murder.
Conner is facing charges for attempted first degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, especially aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and theft.
