Election Day Is Tomorrow — Don’t Let Misinformation Steal Your Voice
As Jefferson County heads into Election Day tomorrow, it’s more important than ever for voters to stay alert, stay informed, and stay grounded in facts. Local elections shape our schools, our roads, our taxes, and our daily lives — and unfortunately, moments like this also attract a wave of misinformation from individuals and groups who […]
Carson-Newman commencement celebrates Class of 2026, Robert Reedy Bryan Society inductees
Carson-Newman University held its Spring Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 1. During the event the University inducted five new members into the Robert Reedy Bryan Society, as well as celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2026. A total of 218 undergraduate degrees were conferred, as the graduates were addressed by keynote speaker and retired […]
Low Early Voting Numbers Persist In Jefferson County As Election Day Approaches
Low early voting numbers persist in Jefferson County, as Election Day approaches. Despite a full ballot and several highly contested local offices, voting totals are not keeping up the pace with the last highly contested election in 2018. Predictions for a large voter turnout have not come to fruition with only 3,023 votes being cast […]
79 Tennessee Counties Report Unemployment Rates Below 5%
Seventy-nine of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported unemployment rates below 5% in February even as most counties saw an increase in their rates over the previous month, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). In 87 counties, unemployment rates for February were up when compared with January rates. Rates […]
Jefferson County Raised to AA1 Bond Rating – Highest In History – Saves $4.2 Million Through Refinancing
The Jefferson County Commission will return to their previous meeting schedule of 8 meetings and 8 work sessions for fiscal year 2026-2027. For several months both citizens and commissioners have discussed the possibility of altering the current County Commission schedule of monthly meetings but no work sessions. Monday evening, upon a motion from Commissioner Huffaker […]
Early Voting Numbers Pacing Slow – District by District Counts
Early voting is in full swing in Jefferson County for the May 5, 2026 Primary Election. Opening day for early voting was April 15th and will continue through April 30th at both the Jefferson County Election office and satellite sites in New Market and White Pine. As of eleven thirty am today, Tuesday April 21st, […]
Budget Committee To Recommend Budget With No Property Tax Increase To Commission
The Jefferson County Budget Committee will send the proposed 2026-2027 fiscal year budget to the full body for approval with no property tax increase. Monday evening the Budget Committee voted unanimously to approve a budget proposal that utilizes a move of the equivalent of two property tax pennies that were previously designed for use in […]
TWRA Announces Availability of 2026-27 Clean Stream Grants
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) announces the availability of grant dollars to assist cities, schools, community organizations, civic groups, watershed organizations, conservation groups, and similar groups with stream clean-up projects during the 2026-27 fiscal year. Five grants, at a maximum of $1,000 each, are available for each of TWRA’s four regional Aquatic Habitat Protection regions (a […]
NASA Welcomes Record-Setting Artemis II Moonfarers Back to Earth
The first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century are back on Earth after a record-setting mission aboard NASA’s Artemis II test flight. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down at 5:07 p.m. PDT Friday off the coast […]
TN Promise Application Opened on April 1 for the Class of 2027
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) today announced that the TN Promise application is now open for the Class of 2027. For the first time, high school juniors can apply beginning April 1, giving students earlier access than ever before to the state’s last-dollar scholarship. The earlier application timeline allows students and families to begin planning […]
Tennessee Starts Year With Lower Unemployment
After a year of steady unemployment, Tennessee began 2026 with a slight decline in its unemployment rate from the previous month, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 3.5%, down one-tenth of a percentage point from December. The rate was […]
Tennessee Guardsmen rescue visitor in National Park
On Wednesday afternoon, April 1, a flight crew with the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion rescued a park visitor suffering from cardiac arrest in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Shortly after 2:40 p.m., Eastern time, the Tennessee National Guard and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency were notified of a park visitor having a medical emergency in need […]
Payroll employment increases by 178,000 in March; unemployment rate changes little at 4.3%
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 178,000 in March, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, in construction, and in transportation and warehousing. Federal government employment continued to decline. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The […]
Interstate Construction Halted for Easter Holiday Travel
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will suspend all interstate construction work on Easter weekend in anticipation of increased holiday travel. TDOT crews and contractors will stop all road construction work that requires lane closures beginning Thursday, April 2, at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, April 6, at 6:00 a.m. This will provide maximum roadway capacity to motorists […]
Grant Program Available to Protect Private Forestland from Development
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF) announces the application period is open for a special round of Forest Legacy Program (FLP) funding made available to landowners to protect privately owned forested land from development. “As conversion of forested land for development increases in Tennessee, the need to conserve critical woodlands grows,” State […]
