Community Spirit

Gatlinburg school celebrates century long legacy

Submitted by Emily Stroud on Tuesday, October 30th, 2:43 pm

This weekend, Gatlinburg will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School.

The school has preserved its history even as it looks to the future.

A mural at the school entrance captures the wilderness educators encountered a century ago.

As a service project, members of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women had pin pointed a southern Appalachian community where they thought they could make a difference.

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Dozens of classic cars benefit church van crash victim's family

Submitted by Steve Butera on Sunday, October 21st, 7:35 pm

A pink 1970 Dodge Challenger sits in front of The Diner in Sevierville Sunday afternoon.

That eye-catching pink painted vehicle was a favorite of Courteney Kaliszewski, one of the two victims from the September 16 church van crash.

"Courteney loved by car, my '70 challenger," said Ted Farmer, a friend of the Kaliszewski family. "...and she loved riding in my car."

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Race for the Cure offers registration discount this weekend

Submitted by Steve Butera on Friday, October 19th, 12:28 am

It's been an annual tradition on the streets of Knoxville for more than a decade, and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is hoping East Tennesseans will turn out once again this month to help those fighting breast cancer.

For years, this race has seen tremendous growth. In 2010, they hit a record 14,000 participants. Last year, they were down to 11,600. Organizers hope that drop doesn't continue this year.

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Smokies visits about 9 percent ahead of last year

Submitted by WBIR Web Staff on Thursday, October 18th, 3:14 pm

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) -- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park entered the fall foliage season with nearly 9 percent more visitors, year to date.

Figures released by the National Park Service showed 963,317 people came to the park in September -- a 9.2 percent increase over September 2011.

Through the first nine months of this year, visits were up 8.9 percent, meaning 602,000 more people have come to the Smokies this year than in the first three quarters of 2011.

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CNN Money lists Sevierville among best retirement spots

Submitted by WBIR Web Staff on Wednesday, October 17th, 3:49 pm

CNN Money selected Sevierville for its top 25 list of great retirement spots.

It says the city's biggest draws are great fishing and hiking, along with easy access to the Smokies. CNN Money notes Sevierville is best for people looking to retire in a "resort area."

Other nearby cities that also made the list include Athens, Georgia, Huntsville, Alabama, and Lynchburg, Virginia.

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