SUMMARY: A nonprofit in Sevierville, Mountain Strong Sanctuary, is assisting families displaced by Hurricane Helen by providing them with shelter for the holidays. Reporter Emily Crabtree highlighted the organization’s ongoing efforts to distribute campers to those in need across East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. They recently acquired five additional campers and are working with various partners to deliver them. The initiative aims to provide temporary housing until families secure more permanent solutions. Campers will be returned to the organization if families find long-term housing, or they will be fully donated, offering critical support during this challenging time.

The group has been working for months to get people into campers.

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SUMMARY: A hotel developer is considering a parcel of land in Alcoa’s Springbrook Farm, which is situated on the site of a former aluminum plant. The Planning Commission recently approved the land sale, although details about the hotel remain unclear. Planning for the hotel will begin next year. Meanwhile, Springbrook Farm is bustling with new businesses, including the Chop House, Covenant Health’s planned facility, and local favorites like Swig soda shop and Just Love Coffee, which believe the area’s growth makes it a prime location. Leaders aim for a walkable community with sidewalks connecting various establishments.

Restaurants, a coffee shop and other businesses are already open for business at the development.

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SUMMARY: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is promoting school choice through a new television ad for the American Federation for Children. Alongside state legislators, he introduced a bill to expand a school choice program, currently piloted in Davidson, Hamilton, and Shelby counties. Lee emphasizes that “freedom” is essential for education in Tennessee, supporting the Education Freedom Act that empowers parents and invests in public schools. However, the Hamilton County Board of Education opposes the bill, citing a lack of demonstrated student outcome improvements and recommending the retention of pilot program limitations to assess effectiveness and accountability for private schools and homeschool programs.

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