Norris Highlands

Puncheon Camp

Tim Knight — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:24:02 +0000

As we were researching areas along the White Lightning Trail, we came across this old schoolhouse. It is located next to Puncheon Creek in Washburn, TN (Grainger County). The community of Washburn was apparently known as Puncheon Camp and was named Washburn in 1898. Up until 1801, it had been the County Seat for Grainger County. The school building is on private property and will likely torn down due to the hazards of its condition.

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Cumberland Gap Ranger receives prestigious national award

News Feed — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:54:55 +0000

CUMBERLAND GAP, Tenn. — Sunlight breaks through the morning fog revealing traces of the misty forest. In the distance birds are singing, as a squirrel bounds from the ground and, in an instant, scrambles up the nearest tree. The scene is set. Through the trees a shadowy figure bounds toward the camera, “Wow! Welcome to another wild outdoor adventure!”

So begins another riveting episode of Wild Outdoor Adventures with Ranger Carol Borneman, a weekly show featured on Channel 22 in Middlesboro, Kentucky. Her smile is captivating, her knowledge is spellbinding, her enthusiasm is contagious… and now she is being recognized for her extraordinary efforts to bring the stories of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park to life

A hint of winter on Norris Lake

Tim Knight — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:24:18 +0000

Could it be that Winter has arrived at the lake? Its cold outside, the lake is so choppy there are little waves breaking on the rocks across from us, and the boats are rocking, including ours. I love it. The buoy line is askew – way out of line with the wind blowing houseboats and floating cottages around like sticks, and the sky is full of dark clouds. Charles called around 10:00 saying he had walked out of the marina in a driving rain earlier this morning and it was a good thing he had the umbrella. Supposed to see snow flurries by Thursday.

Oak Ridge supercomputer is world’s fastest

Tim Knight — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:18:27 +0000

KNOXVILLE, TN (AP) – The Cray XT5 supercomputer known as Jaguar at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility has become the fastest in the world.

It will be listed as No. 1 on the TOP500 list of supercomputers that will be formally announced Tuesday.

Homecoming at Museum of Appalachia is a fall tradition for many

News Feed — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:01:44 +0000

NORRIS – A small get-together three decades ago has grown into a fall tradition that now attracts thousands of visitors.

The 30th annual Tennessee Fall Homecoming on the grounds of the Museum of Appalachia is expected to draw as many as 50,000 people during its four-day run.

Virtually nonstop bluegrass, Gospel and folk music on five stages will play 9 a.m. to dusk today through Sunday.

Source: Knox News

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Cumberland to Celebrate Heritage at Daniel Boone 275th Birthday Party

Tim Knight — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:26:57 +0000

On Friday, August 7th, 2009 Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (NHP) will host a birthday party to commemorate the 275th anniversary of the birth of Daniel Boone. Although his actual birthday is October 22nd, this unique celebration during Indian Summer will feature a walk with “Daniel Boone” through the Cumberland Gap. During this 1½ mile hike, follow part of Boone’s Wilderness Road, climb to the saddle of the gap, and descend the other side of the mountain to attend his birthday party. At the end of the journey, share in a celebration that includes a giant, glowing birthday cake decorated to retrace Boone’s 200 mile-long path now known as the Wilderness Road.

Southern Nationals stretch run goes through East Tennessee

News Feed — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:10:13 +0000

After seven exciting races, the O’Reilly Southern Nationals Series is ready for the final three events on the 10-race mini-series which ends in East Tennessee.

During the first seven events, there have been five different winners including Vic Hill (Wythe Raceway), Jonathan Davenport (Carolina Speedway), Casey Roberts (Hartwell/Swainsboro & Screven Speedways), Tony Knowles (Fort Payne Speedway) and Chris Madden (Crossville Raceway). Already over 100 different drivers have raced with the O’Reilly Southern Nationals Series and a tight point battle is heating up for the final three race swing which starts Tonight (July 23rd) at Cleveland Speedway paying $3,500 to win.

The ninth stop on the tour following Cleveland Speedway will be at the Loven Family’s Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN on Friday Night July 24th which pays the event winner $5,300. Following Volunteer Speedway will be the finale event at the Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN which pays $5,300 to the race winner on Saturday Night July 25th.

For more information on the O’Reilly Southern Nationals Series, please visit the series website at www.southernnationalsseries.com.
The O’Reilly Southern Nationals Series is brought to fans across the Southeast by many important sponsors and partners, including O’Reilly Auto Parts, Red Man Tobacco Products, American Racer Tires, Barry Wright Race Cars, Carolina Performance, DBR Performance Starters, Delph Communications, Fibertech Roofs by JB Performance, Graphic Impressions, GRT Race Cars, GW Performance, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Racing Shocks, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Ohlins Shocks, PPM Performance Products, Rocket Chassis, Schaeffer’s Oil, SHY Racing Suspensions, Star Graphix, VP Racing Fuels, Wiles Driveshafts, and Wilwood Engineering.

Position Name Points Hometown
1. Tommy Kerr 976 (Maryville, TN)
2. Jonathan Davenport 954 (Blairsville, GA)
3. Tony Knowles 952 (Tyrone, GA)
4. Dennis Franklin 944 (Gaffney, SC)
5. Jeff Cooke 908 (Spartanburg, SC)
6. Shon Flanary 832 (Church Hill, TN)
7. Dane Dacus 815 (Lakeland, TN)
8. Daniel Baggerly 748 (Rural Retreat, VA)
9. Austin Dillon 684 (Lewisville, NC)
10. Gar ****son 680 (Flinstone, GA)

2009 SCHEDULE:
Monday, July 13 – Wythe Raceway, Rural Retreat, VA (Vic Hill)
Tuesday, July 14 – Carolina Speedway, Gastonia, NC (Jonathan Davenport)
Thursday, July 16 – Hartwell Speedway, Hartwell, GA (Casey Roberts)
Friday, July 17 – Swainsboro Raceway, Swainsboro, GA (Casey Roberts)
Saturday, July 18 – Screven Motor Speedway, Sylvania, GA (Casey Roberts)
Monday, July 20 – Fort Payne Motor Speedway, Fort Payne, AL (Tony Knowles)
Tuesday, July 21 – Crossville Raceway, Crossville, TN (Chris Madden)
Thursday, July 23 – Cleveland Speedway, Cleveland, TN
Friday, July 24 – Volunteer Speedway, Bulls Gap, TN
Saturday, July 25 – Tazewell Speedway, Tazewell, TN

Rarity Mountain sees prices drop

News Feed — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:20:51 +0000

When David and Sharon Gordon bought a lot in the Rarity Mountain residential community in 2006, they paid $445,000 for the Jellico, Tenn., property.

But after a recent auction, that same lot changed hands for only $5,500, a massive discount and a striking example of the difficulties facing some of East Tennessee’s high-end residential developments.

The Rarity Mountain lot in Campbell County was one of several that hit the auction block on June 27 at a sale of properties foreclosed on by First Tennessee bank. The sale featured lots from four projects developed by Maryville-based Rarity Communities – none of the lots were owned by Rarity itself – and from a Campbell County project previously called The Villages at Norris Lake.

National Coal facing foreclosure

News Feed — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:15:17 +0000

National Coal of Alabama, a wholly owned subsidiary of Knoxville-based National Coal Corp., is facing foreclosure on its outstanding capital stock after defaulting on a $60 million credit agreement with various lenders, the parent company announced Monday.

None of the creditors, which include TCW Asset Management Co. and other lenders, have a lien or encumbrance on assets of National Coal Corp. or its other subsidiaries, officials said in a prepared statement.

Ausmus took long way back

News Feed — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:11:13 +0000

When folks from back in Tennessee phoned Aaron Ausmus in Los Angeles, they’d wonder why he had a hair-dryer going. Didn’t he still shave his head?

It wasn’t a hair-dryer. It was a 747.

“We lived in a little one-bedroom apartment in El Segundo, right by the (LAX) airport,’’ Ausmus said. “When planes were taking off the windows and mirrors would rattle.’’

He never had that problem growing up in LaFollette.

Ausmus left Tennessee in 2001 to launch his career as a strength-and-conditioning coach at Southern Cal. He’s back home now, UT’s second head strength coach of the young Lane Kiffin era.