12/4/12

Coker Creek Christmas on the Mountain

Join in the fun on Friday, December 7th, from 4pm-8pm in Coker Creek, Tennessee! Old time holiday spirit will fill the mountain air, with special holiday shopping, refreshments, and fellowship. Our shops are decorated and will be serving free holiday snacks. At the Coker Creek Welcome Center and Gift Shop, pick a candy cane from the tree and receive a discount on lovely non-commission gift items. Stores open to welcome you this evening include:

Coker Creek Welcome Center/Gift Shop
Lil Country Store
Baerris's Gift Shop
Bill's  Pit Stop
Coker Creek Gallery
The Store and More

Bring the family and enjoy a festive evening in Coker Creek!

See the full Calendar for all our holiday activities and events.

11/16/12

Christmas Candlelight Walk

Surround yourself with holiday spirit! Tellico Plains' Christmas Candlelight Walk is a special family event, presented annually on the first Saturday in December, from 5 to 8pm (December 1, 2012).

Step back in time, with flickering luminarias lining the sidewalks, strolling carolers, horse-drawn wagons, and gingerbread houses. Sponsored by the Town of Tellico Plains and organized by the Cherokee Women's Club, this festive event finds many businesses extending their hours and serving complimentary drinks and snacks. Visit Santa Claus with his elves, making his list of Christmas wishes and posing for photos with the children. You'll enjoy a Silent Auction, live Christmas music in many shops, the Grinch with 'Whoville' characters, a beautiful Live Nativity presented by one of our local churches, and bonfires to gather 'round. Select from a huge variety of delicious homemade Christmas cookies and candies at the popular Cookie Caper, with confections created by the town's finest bakers, all wrapped in big red-ribboned white boxes - you won't be able to wait until you get home to try some! Many townspeople don Victorian finery, adding to the nostalgic feel of the evening.

Bring your friends and tell your neighbors about this special old-time evening of holiday cheer.
More info, photos, & video
http://tellico-plains.com/candlelight-walk.html

10/10/12

MVFD Pasta Dinner Fundraiser

Mt. Vernon Fire Department and Laurel Mountain Lakes Association present a Pasta Dinner Fundraiser on Saturday, October 27, at the Bethlehem Baptist Church, 130 Bethlehem Church Road, Madisonville, TN (1 mile off Hwy 68 between Tellico Plains and Madisonville).

At 3:30pm MVFD will conduct fire department demonstrations, and at 5:00pm the Pasta Dinner, with Live Music (bluegrass, folk, old time) plus a Live Auction.

$6.00 Adult, $3.00 Children 12 and under.

Frances Brown Dorward at The Bookshelf

Etowah resident and local author, Frances Brown Dorward, will be at The Bookshelf on Saturday, November 10th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to sign copies of her new book, Uprooted, a novel about a family who was displaced by the building of the Tellico Dam. Frances is well known in the area for her first book, Dam Greed.

The Bookshelf is at 108 Scott St. in Downtown Tellico Plains.

Call 423-253-3183 for more info.

10/8/12

"Tennessee Wild" featured on PBS Nov 18th

PBS's "This American Land" will feature Tennessee Wild's work to protect the Cherokee National Forest on November 18th at 4:30pm. Tennessee Wild's Jeff Hunter led eleven hikers on a walk along the Brookshire Creek Trail in the Cherokee National Forest. This trail is about 20 miles east of Tellico Plains TN. This hike included the producer and cameraman from This American Land.

This American Land is a new 30-minute PBS show just starting its second season. The six and a half minute segment that resulted from this outing is entitled 'Tennessee Wilderness,' and is included in episode 201.  The show has already aired in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Indiana, California & Kentucky, and will soon air in New Hampshire and other states. The entire 30-minute show is worth watching. It features segments on Manatees and the Colorado River along with the segment on the Cherokee National Forest. Other locals featured include Bill Hodge, Jim Holland, and Kellye Foss of Tellico Kats Deli.

Gospel Christmas Songs at Christmas Walk

Kenneth Gay will be singing and playing old time Gospel music and Gospel Christmas Songs at D & D Antiques on Scott Street, beginning around 4pm, during the Tellico Christmas Walk on December 1st, 2012. Rebecca Furniss will join him on fiddle for a few songs. She recently played several songs with Kenneth at the Assembly of God church in Turtletown. Kenneth's playing schedule for other events.

10/2/12

Garden Party for the Tellico Plains Wildflower Garden

Friday, October 5th from 6 to 8pm

Join us at the Garden, behind the Tellico Plains Visitors Center and the Charles Hall Museum, for food, live music and a silent auction.
"Raising the Roof" help needed…. We are raising money to put the roof on the pavilion in the garden and help defer garden maintenance costs.
Pot luck dishes appreciated. DONATIONS for the silent auction accepted this week at Topiary Joe's.
Please come to the Party! Volunteers to help work in the garden can call Joe Kyte at 423-253-7199.

9/24/12

Hiwassee College Dental Hygiene Clinic

The new state of the art dental clinic combined with the well trained and educated dental hygiene students under the direction of an experienced and skilled faculty and staff will now provide residents of Monroe County and the surrounding areas with low cost dental hygiene services.

Hiwassee College Dental Hygiene Clinic charges $20 for a dental hygiene cleaning and may include the following on an as needed basis at no additional charge: Oral exam, Radiographs (full mouth series, panoramic, bitewings), nutritional counseling, fluoride treatment, tobacco counseling, oral hygiene instruction, oral cancer screening, prophy, scale and root plane. Sealants, night guards, and professional take-home whitening kits with custom trays are available at additional cost.  The funds from the bleaching kits support student mission trips, community projects and the student's graduation Professional Pinning Ceremony.

Call 420-1234 to schedule an appointment, which are scheduled for either 8am or 1pm (Please leave a message if prompted). Because the clinic is a learning environment, the patient treatment time maybe around 3.5 hours.

The brand new high tech dental clinic has five operatories fully equipped with medical grade computers for patient records management, digital x-rays, intra-oral cameras, and ultrasonic scalers. Dental hygiene students are provided with the most up to date technology and equipment including one of the first dental clinics in the area to provide portable digital x-ray equipment.

Hiwassee Dental Hygiene students will be offered opportunities to not only serve the local community in the dental clinic, but they will also have opportunities to participate in mission trips and service learning experiences with the public health department. These experiences will better prepare our students to be conscientious and compassionate health care providers that have a commitment to oral health and lifelong learning and service.

For more info

9/13/12

Getting Prepared for Disasters Fair

PREPAREDNESS FAIR IN BALLPLAY COMMUNITY

What will you do if a snowstorm, flood, fire or tornado strikes your home? Will you be ready?  In association with National Preparedness Month, the Ballplay Ruritan Club will host the first annual "Getting Prepared for Disasters Fair" on Saturday, September 22nd. The fair will be from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Friends Meeting of Ballplay Fellowship Hall located at 157 Ballplay School Road, near the intersection of Ballplay Road and Highway 360 about 10 miles from Telllico Plains, TN.
 The fair will provide valuable information for planning and preparing for all kinds of disasters and emergencies with a variety of informational displays, classes, and demonstrations, while showcasing and promoting local businesses whenever possible.  Learn about your options for emergency power, cooking, heating, lighting and more! Additional details will be published as we confirm guest speakers and vendors attending this event.

Mark your calendars now and be sure to pass this on to family and friends in and around the Monroe County area.  To be a participant or for more information, contact John Pearson at 423-442-7053.  The event is free to the public and all are welcome to attend.

9/12/12

Learn the History of Logging in Tellico Plains

The Cherokee Hiking Club invites the public to a special presentation on Thursday, September 13, 2012, 6-9 pm
 at The Outpost Pavilion in Tellico Plains.

"Early Logging Days in the Tellico Mountains (the Tellico Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest)" will be presented by Pam Hall Mathews. Local documents and pictures from The Charles Hall Collection will illustrate the operations of the small scale lumber companies of the late 1800s and the larger enterprise of Babcock Lumber Company. Babcock began their extensive logging operation in the Tellico mountains in 1906. Topics will include the sawmill, the Company store, the building of the logging railroad, harvesting the timber, the tools used, the oxen and horses used in the venture, the engines used in the logging operations including the Shay engines, the skidders, and the log cranes. Life in a logging camp will be described not only with pictures, but with the recorded stories of the local logging families. A tour of the Charles Hall Museum, Building 2, will follow, to view its displays of logging relics. Charles Hall will be available to answer questions and to speak about his experiences as a young boy, visiting the recently abandoned logging camps, and the information he learned from the loggers and their families. His pictorial collections of the logging railroad days include over 750 pictures specific to the Tellico, Citico, and Slickrock areas.

Pam Mathews is a local historian and a clinical psychologist who published the definitive history of the Tellico Plains area last year: A Pictorial History of the Tellico Plains, Tennessee Area (1849-1949). Pam is a member of the Cherokee Hiking Club and maintains a section of the Benton MacKaye Trail up Sycamore Creek together with her husband, Kent. Charles Hall, her father and the former mayor of Tellico Plains and founder of the Tellico Plains Telephone Company - who built the museum to house and share his vast historic collections -  will also be present at the meeting to answer questions.

Bring friends and family to The Outpost Pavilion, Main Street, Tellico Plains, on Thursday, September 13th at 6 pm, first for dinner (your tab), then as Pam Hall Mathews delivers her presentation on the early logging days in the Tellico mountains.

7/18/12

Come to the Pancake Breakfast

A Pancake Breakfast will be held in Coker Creek from 8am until noon on Saturday, July 28, 2012, at the Ruritan Club. Tickets are $5 which includes breakfast and a chance for several door prizes, including restaurant gift certificates, sightseeing flights, tools, gift baskets, and other items.

This is also a gathering of antique vehicles.  If you have an old car, truck, tractor, or other vehicle, bring it on out and show it off! If you don't, come on out anyway, and enjoy a good breakfast and good fellowship for a good cause.



The Breakfast is a fundraiser for the Coker Creek Welcome Center and Post Office. The Welcome Center Gift Shop partially supports the Post Office, and both are dependent on donations and fundraising capital for continued operation.

The Ruritan Club is located behind the Coker Creek elementary school near the 34 mile marker on Highway 68.

7/12/12

2012 Fund Raiser Quilt

Drawing on December 9th

The Dorcas Ladies of Center Presbyterian Church have made another fund raiser quilt to help support our ministry of making comfort quilts for sick people.  We raise the money for the supplies we need for making quilts, and we donate to charitable causes from time to time.

Help us by buying a chance to win this beautiful quilt (see photo).  You can get your ticket(s) by asking any of the Dorcas Ladies at church, or e-mail me, or mail a check to me made payable to DLCP to my address (PO Box 515, Tellico Plains, TN 37385).

$1.00 each ticket or 6 tickets for $5.00
Thank you so much for your continued support.  We love what we do and we do it for the Glory of God. Sandra Black

6/14/12

Music Events in Tellico Plains

Lots of recurring music events in Tellico Plains
Visit our Events and Activities Calendar for details
http://tellico-plains.com/calendar.html

Open MIC Night every Friday 6pm - 9pm
The Outpost Pavilion
Bring your instrument of choice and/or your voice and join in the fun, or just kick back and listen food and beverages available. All instruments and levels are welcome. The audience at the Outpost often comes just because of this event, so there is usually great audience participation which makes performing there so much fun. There are 12 performance slots and a sign up sheet will be out by 5:30pm. Please call 423-253-2322 with questions.
The Outpost Pavilion, 123 Main Street, Tellico Plains, TN 37385

Live Bluegrass Music - Friday and Saturday 6:00pm 'til closing
The Cotton Pickin' Inn
Live bluegrass band almost every Friday and Saturday night. Call 423-253-3463 for details.
The Cotton Pickin' Inn, 100 Scott Street, Tellico Plains, TN 37385

Music Jam every Saturday 7pm - 10pm
The Castle
Bring your instrument for jamming at "The Castle". A wide variety of music is played from bluegrass, folk, jazz, blues, country, and oldies. It all depends on who shows up to pick! Non-musicians are also welcome to join the fun. This jam session happens every Saturday night starting at 7pm, subject to weather (Cancelled if the winter temperatures are too cold). Visiting tourists are encouraged to join local Tellico Plains musicians. This is a free event.
The Castle, 110 Scott Street, Tellico Plains, Tennessee 37385

Live Music every Saturday 6pm - 9pm
The Outpost Pavilion
"Music on the Menu"  Southbound, Mandy Alexander, Matthew Gallagher - a live radio broadcast this Saturday June 2. Otherwise, Faith Willin' plays live music at the Outpost Pavilion every Saturday evening. The husband & wife duo performs a wide variety of songs (Americana, folk, easy country, bluegrass, traditional, gospel, easy rock), singing vocals and harmony.
Please call 423-253-2322 for more info.
The Outpost Pavilion, 123 Main Street, Tellico Plains, TN 37385

Acoustic Jam Session every Wednesday - 6:00pm 'til closing
The Cotton Pickin' Inn
Acoustic "jam session" open to local and visiting musicians. Non-musicians are welcome to join the fun, enjoy dinner, and/or sing along. This jam session will be acoustic only instruments (i.e. guitar, mandolin, bass, fiddle, cello, banjo, dobro, etc.). No amplification is allowed. The music genre will include; bluegrass, old time, folk, gospel, old country, easy country, western, and pop folk. A "jam session" is when a group of musicians form a circle, then going clockwise, each takes a turn in selecting a song to play. Call 423-253-3463 for more info.
The Cotton Pickin' Inn, 100 Scott Street, Tellico Plains, TN 37385

6/1/12

Clay Hollow Band this Saturday

Clay Hollow Band will be playing saturday 6/2 at the Cotton Pickin diner at 6pm

5/28/12

Local Musicians, Promote Yourselves!


Are you a Tellico Plains area musician?
Would you like to post your band's performing information on the Guide to Tellico Plains for free? Visit our musicians page and send us your band's information. We want to make everyone aware of the talented musicians that reside in the greater Tellico Plains area.
Visit: tellico-plains.com/musicians.html

5/20/12

Old Time Mountain Music

On Thursday May 24th - 5:30pm 'til closing, The Cotton Pickin' Inn of Tellico Plains will host bluegrass & old time mountain folk music performed by the "Two Dog Ranch Bluegrass Band" featuring Rebecca Furniss on the fiddle. "Two Dog Ranch Bluegrass Band" is a group of friends who get together to pick bluegrass and old time mountain music. The band is made up of local musicians, including Rebecca Furniss (fiddle, mandolin, & bouzouki), Charles Morris (lead guitar & vocals), Julie Crunk (mandolin), Bill Crunk (rhythm guitar), Judy Lavoie (banjo & vocals), and Rick Lavoie (guitar & bouzouki). The Cotton Pickin' Inn features a "Pickin Hall" for music and dinner. The Cotton Pickin' Inn, 100 Scott Street, Tellico Plains, TN 37385 Telephone: 423-253-3463 tellico-plains.com/cotton-pickin-inn.html eMail: cottonpickininn@gmail.com

5/13/12

Becca Furniss & Two Dog Ranch

On Wednesday May 16th - 5:30pm 'til closing, The Cotton Pickin' Inn of Tellico Plains will host bluegrass & old time mountain folk music performed by the "Two Dog Ranch Bluegrass Band" featuring Becca Furniss on the fiddle.

"Two Dog Ranch Bluegrass Band" is a group of friends who get together to pick bluegrass and old time mountain music. The band is made up of local musicians, including Becca Furniss (fiddle & mandolin), Charles Morris (lead guitar & vocals), Diana Brake (upright bass & vocals), Judy Lavoie (banjo & vocals), and Rick Lavoie (guitar & bouzouki).

The Cotton Pickin' Inn features a "Pickin Hall" for music and dinner.

The Cotton Pickin' Inn
100 Scott Street, Tellico Plains, TN 37385
Telephone: 423-253-3463
tellico-plains.com/cotton-pickin-inn.html

eMail: cottonpickininn@gmail.com

5/9/12

Garage Sale Treasures

The Cherokee Women's Club is having a Garage Sale on Saturday, May 12th at the Community Center Parking Lot, to raise funds for their many projects in supporting Tellico Plains. The Club will be awarding a college scholarship to a Tellico Plains High School Senior in the next couple weeks. In addition, the Club's funds and member volunteers help support the Tellico Plains Library's summer reading program, add to the beautification of the City, conduct a poetry contest for Tellico Plains schools, and make many other beneficial activities possible. This sale will help this active organizations continue these endeavors. The Garage Sale will be set up by 8am, so come find some treasures and help support the Cherokee Women's Club.

5/4/12

Puppy Love

Come love the dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens from Monroe County Animal Shelter and adopt your favorites at PUPPY LOVE, on Saturday, May 12th.
  • Raffles from local businesses (drawing at 4:30pm) and door prizes every hour
  • Get a photo with your favorite pet, $5 for a 4x6 glossy
  • Microchipping for your dog, $10
  • Spay/neuter vouchers after 1pm
Generously sponsored and hosted by The Outpost Pavilion

When: 
Saturday, May 12, from 11am - 5pm
Where:
Tellico Outpost Pavilion, 123 Main Street, Tellico Plains TN 37385

Come join the fun and support our Animal Shelter!

5/3/12

Bluegrass & Old Time Mountain Folk Music

Bluegrass Pickin' at The Cotton Pickin' Inn this Friday May 4th - 6:00pm 'til closing.
The Cotton Pickin' Inn is located on 100 Scott Street, Tellico Plains, TN 37385. Telephone: 423-253-3463. Three members of "Two Dog Ranch Bluegrass Band" will be pickin' bluegrass and old time music from 6pm til' closing. The band is made up of local musicians, including Charles Morris (lead guitar, dobro, & vocals), Julie Crunk (mandolin & vocals), Bill Crunk (rhythm guitar), Judy Lavoie (banjo & vocals), and Rick Lavoie (guitar & bouzouki). The Cotton Pickin' Inn features a "Pickin Hall" perfectly setup for music and dinner. http://tellico-plains.com/cotton-pickin-inn.html

4/24/12

Bluegrass & Old Time Mountain Folk Music

Bluegrass Pickin' at Nut-n-Fancy

Come enjoy live bluegrass pickin' on Friday, April 27th, from 5:00pm 'til closing at Nut-n-Fancy Restaurant.

"Two Dog Ranch Bluegrass Band" is a group of friends who get together to pick bluegrass and old time music. The band is made up of local musicians, including Charles Morris (lead guitar, dobro, & vocals), Julie Crunk (mandolin & vocals), Bill Crunk (rhythm guitar), Judy Lavoie (banjo & vocals), and Rick Lavoie (guitar & bouzouki).

Nut-n-Fancy Restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, and will be featuring their "Friday Night Fish Fry".

Nut n Fancy is located at 390 Cherohala Skyway, Tellico Plains, TN 37385. Telephone: 423-253-6775. nut-n-fancy-restaurant.com

4/16/12

Indian Boundary Campground Opening

Indian Boundary Campground will reopen for the 2012 Season on Tuesday, April 17, at 2pm. The campground is part of the Cherokee National Forest, and is a favorite vacation spot for both locals and visitors. The 91 tent/RV sites are wooded, level, mostly shaded, and spacious, all with electric RV hookup and fire ring, some with RV pull-thrus. There are water spigots along the camping loop roads. Several sites have views of Indian Boundary Lake. There are flush toilets and shower facilities, a well stocked campstore, and a picnic pavilion at the beach.

Wild yellow trout lily growing along the hiking trail
The campground is within easy access of all the activities on and around picturesque Indian Boundary Lake: fishing (wheelchair accessible fishing pier too), beach swimming with bath houses, hiking and bicycling on the 3.2 mile track around the lake's shore, kayaking, canoeing and other non-motorized boats, volleyball, picnicking, and relaxing on the beach. The "overflow" camping area, open year round, is ideal for groups. Note there is no cell phone coverage and no public phone; the campground hosts have radio contact to the Ranger's station for emergencies.

Year-round, the lake is a special destination for day visitors too - a welcome escape from city life and crowds. PIck up a picnic lunch from a restaurant in Tellico Plains, grab a book, put on your walking shoes, pack your bathing suit, and enjoy the serenity of a day at Indian Boundary Lake.

Indian Boundary Lake is manmade, and dam controlled, and beautifully surrounded by mountains. It is at an elevation of about 1800 feet. The approximately 100-acre lake is drained during the winter off-season, allowing the Forest Service to do maintenance to fish structures, the fishing pier, etc. Flats Creek, which helps feed the Lake, can be seen in the photo of the drained lake, below. Old tree stumps have been preserved by remaining underwater. The forests around the lake are home to much wildlife, and beautiful wildflowers bloom along the trail all through the spring, summer, and fall.

Indian Boundary is two miles off the scenic Cherohala Skyway (TN Hwy 165, NC Hwy 143), about 16 miles east of Tellico Plains.
GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
35.40167, -84.10722
35°24'6"N, 84°6'26"W

Campsites can be reserved by calling 877-444-6777.

Make your camping reservations online, at least 4 days ahead of arrival, thru:
http://www.recreation.gov/camping/Indian_Boundary_Tn/r/campgroundBookingWindow.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70494
or
http://www.reserveamerica.com
During the winter, Indian Boundary Lake is drained for various projects.


We are sad to report that the March 2nd tornado leveled the KOA Tellico Plains Kampground in its path of destruction. The Kampground owners have plans to rebuild, and we look forward to seeing this wonderful facility reopen. In the meantime, Indian Boundary Campground will be a popular alternative for many campers.

For more information about Tellico Plains activities, events, and businesses, visit the Guide to Tellico Plains.

3/31/12

RAMP FESTIVAL SCHEDULED IN BALLPLAY COMMUNITY

The Ballplay Ruritan Club is hosting the 2nd Annual Ramp Festival on Saturday, April 21 at the Friends Meeting of Ballplay Fellowship Hall and grounds from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be family activities, live music, craft vendors and local community organizations.

The Ramp Dinner, served from Noon to 3 p.m., includes a beverage, fried potatoes, and dessert.  Adults are $7 and children under 12 are $4.  We are also planning a “kid-friendly” alternative meal.  Proceeds will be used for community projects.

Event is “Rain or Shine” with free admission.  Friends Meeting of Ballplay is located ¼ west of the intersection of Hwy. 360 and Ballplay Rd in Tellico Plains, TN at 157 Ballplay School Road.  Plans are still underway for additional activities.  Look for us on Facebook, “BALLPLAY RURITAN” for updates.

We are looking for local crafts vendors and demonstrators who are interested in participating in this popular, community-based event.   Call John at 442-7053 for more information.

3/20/12

Tellico Tornado Victims Fundraiser Concert

Come to Tellico Plains Town Square on Saturday, March 24th, beginning at noon, for a free, family-friendly afternoon of music, food, and raffles - all to benefit the Tornado Victims of Tellico Plains. Enjoy music from Greylan James Band, Jason Stinnett Band, Wicked Garden, C.A.B., and Monroe County's own Southbound Band. All donations accepted and appreciated.

3/15/12

Smoke in the Mountains

Looking east from Tellico Plains you get a great view of the Smoky Mountains. But lately the "smoke" has been from burning. Don't be alarmed, this is part of the Cherokee National Forest's Prescribed Burning. Here is their news release:

"The Tellico Ranger District will be conducting three prescribed burns through April 15, 2012. The burns will be in the vicinities of Brushy Ridge, Turkey Creek, and Whigg Mountain. Neighboring communities should be advised that minimal smoke may be observed during the burning operations. 

USDA Forest Service officials say prescribed (controlled) fire is a useful tool for managing National Forest lands. Approximately 20,000 acres are scheduled for burning throughout the 650,000 acre Cherokee National Forest during 2012. A significant portion of the prescribed burning is planned for early spring."


Thank you to Debra and Mike Rogers for their photography, capturing the beauty of our mountains in every condition.

3/4/12

You Can Help!

The Relief Center at the Tellico Plains High School serving food.
Donations for tornado victims of Tellico Plains TN are now being collected at the Official FEMA Center:

New Providence Baptist Church
Fellowship Building
451 New Providence Rd
Tellico Plains TN 37385

Open for the next two weeks (March 26 - April 7):
Mondays and Wednesdays 12pm to 5pm
Saturdays 9am to 5pm.

Donations are still being accepted, and those who suffered loses in the tornado are welcome and encouraged to come for food, clothing, shoes, baby items, household goods, and more

Needed:  clothing, footwear, cleaning supplies, school supplies, toiletries, non-perishable food, tarps, totes for victims, garbage bags, towels and washcloths, kitchen towels, baby supplies, kitchen and household goods, small appliances.

A well-coordinated volunteer effort is manning the center, sorting the items to make it easier for those in need.

Financial donations for victims are being accepted at all Tellico Plains area banks.

For more info, see our website Tornado page.

Tornado Hits

On Friday, March 2, around 2pm, a tornado touched down in Tellico Plains, leaving a path of destruction through the city limits and up Hwy 360, Ballplay Road. Property damage to residential and commercial buildings is extensive, with some personal injuries but, miraculously, no fatalities. Many have suffered damage or loss of their homes, businesses, vehicles, and other personal belongings. One of the TDS buildings and the police department annex were destroyed. The cabins, main lodge and pavilion at the KOA Campground were leveled. Downed, broken, twisted, and uprooted trees cover hillsides and roadsides in the tornado's path.

Relief efforts began immediately, with city/county/state law enforcement, road crews, forestry personnel, volunteer firefighters and rescue squads, disaster relief workers, the Red Cross, and many others. Residents of Tellico Plains and surrounding communities came forth in numbers to help, in whatever means possible. All day Saturday, the sounds of chain saws, heavy equipment, and moving dump trucks filled the air, as clean-up crews worked all over town. Damaged roofs were covered with tarps to prevent more damage, huge trees were cut away from buildings, power crews replaced fallen poles and repaired damaged lines, and high school students and other folks picked up pieces of debris, large and small, which littered the town. Fluorescent "X" marks were spray painted on the exterior of buildings which were condemned due to the storm damage.


A relief center is set up at Tellico Plains High School, serving food and beverages to displaced residents and relief workers all day. Many area businesses have donated to the efforts too - Tellico Kats delivered dozens of sandwiches to the High School Relief Center, Tellico Grains Bakery provided sweets and other baked goods to those working at clean-up and directing traffic and to the High School Relief Center. Area churches coordinated to deliver additional meals to the Relief Center. Local banks are taking donations for aid to victims of the tornado. See the separate post about the FEMA center set up at New Providence Baptist Church for donations for those in need. The community has truly come together to help the victims of this devastation.

Thank you to all who have volunteered their labor so far, and those who will help with all that needs to be done in the coming days and weeks. Please keep us all in your prayers.

For more photos and information, see our website Tornado page.