White Pine
Politics
TDOT provides update on I-40 in Cocke Co., says traffic will be pushed to Westbound lanes
COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — According to Mark Nagi, a spokesperson with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, crews are working to reopen I-40 in Cocke County. TDOT said traffic remains closed to Westbound travelers until Mile Marker 447 with Eastbound travellers unable to go further than Mile Marker 440. According to TDOT, crews will be working for the next two weeks to return traffic to I-40 in the form of one lane in each direction between the Tennessee and North Carolina state line and Mile Marker 447.
Cocke County EMA requests local, active servicemembers to ask for 'PTAD Orders' to help hurricane relief efforts
COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — Emergency management leaders in Cocke County requested active servicemembers from the county to ask their commanders for special orders allowing them to return home and help with hurricane relief efforts. The Cocke County Emergency Management Agency posted on social media requesting they ask for Permissive...
Proposed plan to move students out of Jefferson Elementary School would impact 3 other schools
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Parents, teachers and community members continue to voice concern about conditions at Jefferson Elementary School that WBIR first reported in August. Since then, a push at Jefferson County Board of Education meeting resulted in board members passing a resolution asking Director of Schools Tommy Arnold to complete a plan for how to move students out of the building.
TWRA: Section of Douglas Reservoir closed for debris cleaning
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — Flooding from Hurricane Helene in the North Carolina mountains and parts of Tennessee has caused floating debris buildup in the Douglas Reservoir, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. This reservoir in Sevier and Jefferson counties is the inflow point from the Nolichuky Pigeon and French...
Supplies not being confiscated by TEMA, FEMA
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are not confiscating supplies according to Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis. Mathis posted on his Facebook page — and has said in one of his briefings — TEMA and FEMA are not confiscating supplies. He has indicated any reports to the contrary are false. A post made by TEMA said, “Thanks to the overwhelming support from the community,...
Loudon County continues to show up for hurricane relief
On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane … and quickly spread across the Southeastern United States, leaving power outages and destruction in its place. Then, by Sept. 28, the storm’s heavy rainfall and winds had caused floods throughout North Carolina and East Tennessee … wiping out roads and towns. The death toll throughout the South continued to rise daily late last month and...
Salvation Army launches FORTS shelter in the Tri-Cities to assist in flood relief efforts
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — For the first time in Tennessee, The Salvation Army deployed its new FORTS (Fold-Out Rigid Temporary Shelter) unit in the Tri-Cities in response to Hurricane Helene. A release from the organization said the unit is serving as an Incident Command Post at the Salvation Army Thrift Store parking lot in […]
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