Which Way to Grow? How Two Highways Could Reshape Blount County’s Future
Local governments across Blount County are preparing to spend millions of dollars on a highway that may not open for another decade. Supporters say the investment is about more than building the Pellissippi Parkway Extension. Together with the ongoing Alcoa Highway relocation project, they argue the construction will shape where the county grows, improve access […]
Sellars Becomes Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Charles “Charlie” Sellars has been named superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after more than a year as acting superintendent, park spokesperson Katie Liming announced in late February. Raised in Clyde, North Carolina, Sellars became acting superintendent in January 2025 after former superintendent Cassius Cash resigned to become CEO and president of the […]
GSMP Survives Proposed Funding Cuts
The National Park System remained open and funded thanks to federal appropriations approved Jan. 23, despite a partial government shutdown in early February. The Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act ensured $2.88 billion in funding for the country’s national parks through the end of FY2026 – a figure mostly steady with […]
