The National Park Service will conduct additional design work and technical studies for Foothills Parkway Section 8D. This decision was based on feedback from subject matter experts and public comments received during a 30-day public comment which ended on Aug. 21.

The NPS will reinitiate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and inform the public of opportunities for future public engagement once this additional work is completed. A schedule for completing the additional work has not yet been established.

The proposed Foothills Parkway Section 8D in Great Smoky Mountains National Park would extend the parkway within the existing NPS-managed corridor approximately 9 miles from Wears Valley to the Spur near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

The construction of this proposed section should provide recreational opportunities, support tourism, improve the transportation network inside and outside the park and fulfill the intent of federal and state legislation authorizing construction of the Foothills Parkway.

The concept of a parkway in Tennessee near Great Smoky Mountains National Park was conceived in the 1930s.

Similar to the creation of the park itself, the NPS worked closely with Tennessee officials and park supporters to develop concepts for a scenic parkway. Legislation to establish the parkway was signed into law in 1944 and construction began in the 1950s with the Gatlinburg Spur.

Completed portions of Foothills Parkway now include the Spur and five other sections at either end of the 72-mile corridor. The western sections (8H, 8G, 8F, and 8E) extend 33 continuous miles from Chilhowee to Wears Valley and the eastern section (8A) extends 6 miles from Cosby to Interstate 40. Construction on the three middle sections (8B, 8C, and 8D) has not begun. The completed sections of the Foothills Parkway provide breathtaking views and recreational driving experiences for more than 400,000 vehicles per year.   

I drove down to Asheville recently to see my boys and to help one of them move into an apartment. I have enjoyed watching all of my boys fledge one by one into the world and into their own lives. The final step, getting their own places, has been particularly satisfying for me as I love designing spaces! I am lucky to be able to acutely feel when the energy of a room is off. It has taken me years to refine my 6th sense to locate and restore harmony to a dissonant environment.

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I woke one morning with the urge to purge. I felt compelled to declutter my bonus room. It is what I like to call a flex room. Here, things are stored, gifts are wrapped, weights are lifted, air mattresses are inflated. When we moved in, we used it for an overflow space until we could mentally deal with the items in those boxes. Now, eight months later, it is time to face the music. I ordered a few cabinets to control the chaos last fall, but since then the clutter started spilling out, creeping into the corners and climbing up the walls making that room my kryptonite.

At the corner of Depot and Haywood streets in downtown Waynesville sits an old building. Originally a gas station, it was also a longtime mechanic’s shop and later a car wash for a period. But, in recent months, the charming, somewhat dormant 147 Depot St. location has had new life breathed into it.  

Students in Western Carolina University’s interior design program soon will have access to new experiential learning opportunities thanks to a $75,000 gift from a woman whose 40-year career in the profession got its start at WCU. 

Come together, work together, play together, win together…

“Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself.” — Virgil Abloh.

Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | We all grow and change in life and that often results in moving or renovating homes. I enjoy working with clients when they are changing stages in life because their energy is in a place of expansion. Even when they are downsizing their living situation, their spirit is growing and embracing the new adventure that lies ahead!

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | My intuitive design work is based on the principles of Feng Shui. I started out as a Feng Shui consultant and quickly learned how to sense patterns in a space that contribute to disharmony in a home. Here are the top two mistakes I see people make when designing their homes. Addressing these can make a HUGE difference in how your home can support your health, wealth and relationships.