Tennessee
Food, water, shelter, roads: Where to get help in Tennessee after Hurricane Helene
Need information in Tennessee about Hurricane Helen devastation? Knox News is here to help sort things out.
We’re sharing information as we find it below.
Stay safe from floods by checking the weather warnings (we’re not out the woods yet)
Flood warnings are still in place at various locations for various reasons, and they expire at different times.
We have compiled them in one place so you can stay abreast of the changes.
Seriously: Stay off the roads if you can
North Carolina officials are continuing to advise that drivers do not go out on the roads due to the floods and the structure damage the rising water may have caused, and some of the same advice is true in Tennessee as well.
“We’re still urging people to stay at home,” said Kelse Edwards, a Communications officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. “There’s no good ways to travel around that area, basically in the western part of the state.”
A worry is that floodwaters have destabilized the ground under roads and bridges.
Tennessee State Troopers are on duty on Interstate 40 and other roadways across East Tennessee to stop drivers from entering flooded areas.
“You do not ever need to attempt to drive across a roadway that’s flooded, turn around and don’t drown,” said Lt. Bill Miller, a public information officer for the Tennessee Highway Patrol. “Your vehicle will be swept away very quickly in current swift moving waters.”
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Where to get food and water in Newport
There are still some areas without power, but officials are trying to restore all power as quickly as possible, according to Newport City Administrator James Finchum.
Water access is a more challenging issue. Intake for the water system is on the French Broad River. The operations building that powers the pumps is under water. Until the water recedes, officials cannot determine how long running water will be unavailable. This is the longest time access to water has been limited, Finchum said.
Drinking water and food supplies are being passed out to those who need it at the Professional Development Center in Newport at 601 W. Broadway St.
Hospital in Newport is at a limited capacity
Newport Medical Center is open and operating, though at a limited capacity due to the lack of water.
The emergency department, medical surgical unit, intensive care unit and labor and delivery unit are fully operational, according to Scott Williams, chief executive officer of Newport Medical Center.
Need shelter tonight in Cocke County?
The Cocke County Superintendent Manney Moore said Parrottsville Elementary School at 1901 Old Parrottsville Highway is still open as an emergency shelter. There are currently 20-25 people there and there is room to house 30 people comfortably.
Centerview Elementary School is closed. All occupants at that emergency shelter have been able to return to stay with friends or family.
The Newport Community Center at 426 Cosby Highway is also open as an emergency shelter for anyone displaced.
Check for school cancellations
Classes are canceled Monday at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, an East Tennessee community hit hard by floods.
The university campus itself will be open for other functions, but classes will not be held.
Greene County Schools will be closed all next week, Monday through Friday.
TBI establishes hotline for missing people
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has a hotline for reports of missing people: 800-TBI-FIND.
“Callers should be prepared to relay as much identifying information as possible, including names, phone numbers, vehicle identification, and last known whereabouts,” the TBI said in a news release.
TBI will coordinate with local police on any reports sent in.
Do not call about property, the TBI said.
Tennessee
Tennessee Republicans unveil monument honoring unborn children at State Capitol
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Tennessee Republicans unveiled a new monument at the State Capitol honoring unborn children.
The Roe v. Wade decision allowed states to set their own abortion laws and triggered Tennessee’s Human Life Protection Act, which bans nearly all elective abortions in the state. The law has saved about 10,000 lives each year since taking effect, according to Tennessee Right to Life.
The Tennessee Monument to Unborn Children is located on the southeast side of the Capitol grounds. Lawmakers say it recognizes unborn children whose lives ended through abortion and serves as a place for reflection and remembrance.
The monument was approved by the General Assembly in 2018 and was paid for entirely through private donations.
Republican leaders said the monument reflects Tennessee’s commitment to protecting unborn children and honoring the value of human life.
Tennessee
Dolly Parton makes surprise public appearance amid health battle
See Dolly Parton celebrate Tennessean Travel Stop grand opening
The country music legend opened the first location of her Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee.
CORNERSVILLE, Tenn. — Out on the street, the traffic started jumpin’ as travelers made their way to Dolly Parton’s Tennessean Travel Stop on opening day.
“Dolly is on her way,” Tennessean Travel Stop owner Gregory Sachs told the media gathered at the new truck destination in Cornersville, saying Parton would cut the ribbon at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24.
The anticipation had been building all morning at the new roadside destination along Interstate 65. The 80-year-old country legend arrived wearing a blue-and-pink fringe ensemble, complete with her signature stiletto heels.
The “9 to 5” singer used the moment to make a playful quip about travel stop competitor Buc-ee’s.
“I’m sure some of you want to know why I wanted a truck stop,” Parton said. “Well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers.”
Parton ended the brief ceremony with a ribbon cutting, marked by an explosion of multicolored confetti featuring her signature butterfly.
The message drew cheers from guests who had spent the afternoon exploring the property, sampling food from DLY BBQ and trying a “Cup of Ambition” coffee, waiting to see whether Parton would make an appearance. Earlier promotional materials for the grand opening had stated that the country music icon would not attend the public festivities.
The appearance marks one of only a handful of public events for Parton in 2026.
In March, the East Tennessee star returned to Dollywood to launch the theme park’s 41st season after stepping back from several appearances while recovering from health issues and grieving the death of her husband, Carl Dean. During that appearance, Parton told fans she had been rebuilding herself “spiritually, emotionally and physically.”
Parton, who has been open about dealing with kidney stones, said in May that she is working with doctors after “my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past three years.”
What is Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop?
Located at Exit 22 off Interstate 65 in Cornersville, Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop officially opened to the public on June 24. The flagship location is a partnership between Parton, her longtime manager Danny Nozell and Gregory H. Sachs, owner of the Tennessean Travel Stop brand.
Inspired by Parton’s decades spent traveling the country by tour bus and her East Tennessee roots, the destination combines fuel services, food, shopping, live music and Tennessee-themed hospitality.
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
Tennessee
ESPN updates NBA mock draft for Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Felix Okpara in second round
ESPN projects Tennessee basketball’s Felix Okpara and Ja’Kobi Gillespie to be picked back to back in the second round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. ESPN’s updated mock draft has Okpara at No. 41 overall to the Miami Heat and Gillespie at No. 42 to the San Antonio Spurs.
Nate Ament was the No. 13 overall pick in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Tennessee, which has now had players picked in six straight NBA Drafts, could have three players drafted for just the second time in the modern era of the draft, since it went to two rounds in 1989.
Grant Williams was a first-round pick in 2019, ahead of Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone being picked in the second round.
Where ESPN ranks Felix Okpara, Ja’Kobi Gillespie in NBA Draft
Entering the second round, ESPN has Okpara ranked as the 12th-best player available in the draft. Gillespie is ranked No. 14.
Duke guard Isaiah Evans is ESPN’s No. 1 prospect to start the second round, ahead of North Carolina center Henri Veesaar, Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas, Cincinnati forward Baba Miller, Louisville guard Ryan Conwell and German guard Jack Kayil.
Also ranked ahead of Okpara is BYU guard Richie Saunders, Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, Purdue guard Braden Smith, St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell and Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile. Ranked between Okpara and Gillespie is Arizona guard Jaden Bradley.
Felix Okpara ‘played his way into the two-way contract mix’
Okpara averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game this season, starting 34 of 35 games. He shot 59.7% from the field, 61.1% on 2-point shots and 63.5% at the foul line.
He played two seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Tennessee and anchoring the Vols on defense, serving as the rim protector defensively and a rim runner on offense.
Okpara had the fourth-highest standing reach at the NBA Draft Combine in May at 9-foot-4. He was measured at 6-foot-10 without shoes, weighed 237.4 pounds and had a 7-2 wingspan.
“Okpara had a good predraft process,” ESPN wrote, “and played his way into the two-way contract mix as a dependable big man who chips in a little bit of value on both ends.”
Ja’Kobi Gillespie ‘profiles as a potential bench option’ in NBA
Gillespie averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game while starting all 37 games in his one and only season at Tennessee.
The Greeneville, Tenn., native started his career with two seasons at Belmont, then transferred to Maryland before his homecoming with the Vols as a senior last season.
“After starting his college career at Belmont,” ESPN wrote on Wednesday, “Gillespie had good years at Maryland and Tennessee while playing his way into the NBA picture. He profiles as a potential bench option if his scoring ability can outweigh his size concerns.”
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