Newport Cocke Community Pulse

Northeast TN housing shifts signal rising costs for residents:

• Median new home price rose to $388,000, up 9.3% YoY despite 6.1% sales drop to 169...

Heightened fire risk Sunday from breezy conditions, low humidity, and dry soils:

• Red Flag Warning 11 AM into evening
• Highs mid-80s, winds 10-20 mph S
• No rain expected; drought widespread

Cocke County residents: Avoid fire hazards to stay safe.

Tennessee's proof-of-citizenship bill heads to Gov. Lee, set to enable county election access to federal SAFE database by 2028.

Key implications for...

• Hard, dry soil south of Knoxville hinders timely seeding of corn, soybeans, wheat.
• Morristown farmer John Litts: It's a gamble—late planting or...

Boost for Cocke County roads: Tennessee Highway Patrol graduates 30 new troopers from Class 96 after 17 weeks of training.

• Impressive class: 2 with...

Newport Scrap Yard Fire

• 🔥 Limitless Solutions Blaze Contained: Cocke County crews responded to a large fire at Limitless Solutions Scrap Yard...

• 95-county push: Gov. Bill Lee and First Lady touring all Tennessee counties for America’s 250th before July 4th; 60 done so far.
• Unity message:...

Tennessee lawmakers swiftly responded to rising real estate fraud with a protective bill now on Gov. Lee's desk:

• Graceland trigger: Fraudsters...

Regional job boost for Cocke County residents:

• Over 200 workers needed at Soaky Mountain and Wilderness at the Smokies
• Job fair this weekend in nearby Sevierville
• Waterpark tandem event – quick opportunity nearby

Grab your resume and head over!

Current conditions at Sevierville Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge Airport (near Cocke Smoky Mountains): Partly cloudy, 50°F, 71% humidity, calm...

• National decline hits home: New study reveals drop in mental health services for students of color, including Tennessee
• East Tennessee schools ensuring resources amid the trend
• Urgent local call: Bolster support for vulnerable students now

Newport's Limitless Solutions scrap yard ignited Friday afternoon, but rapid response prevented harm.

• Every Cocke County fire crew responded to the...

Tennessee pushes stronger school safety:

• Felony charges for credible mass-violence threats, clarifying school reporting duties
• Threats defined as...

Key win for Tennessee crime victims, including in Cocke County:

• HB 2221 unanimously passed, requires all 95 counties' clerks to feed data to the...

Catch Lowland Kids screening:

• At Rogers High School's new auditorium (15 Wickham Road) on April 16—organization's first there
• Partnered with Rogers High PTO & Newport Public Education Foundation
• Proceeds fund scholarships for students

• Job and business protection: Bill prevents local governments from blocking access that disrupts economic activity in hotspots like the Great Smoky...

• Nurse crisis hits East Tennessee from declining high school grads and rising demand
• New $75M Knox center trains 700 nurses/healthcare workers...

Urgent alert for Cocke County: Nearby sheriffs in McMinn, Marion, Bradley, and Whitfield Counties report rising scams where fraudsters pose as...

• Retiring superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain exits June 30, 2026; board favors advertising interim role for transparency until November...

Leadership Honors

• 🔥 Mathis Good Scout Award: Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis will be recognized as the 2026 Great Smoky Mountain Council Good...