WHITESIDE, Tenn. (AP) - Officials in southern Tennessee are seeking an adventure tourism designation for 500 acres of land near Chattanooga.
The owners of the land in Marion County said they want to develop it as a tourist attraction.
The Perlaky brothers, Stephen and Jeff, also own Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campground on adjacent land in Hamilton County. Jeff Perlaky says about 100,000 people visit there annually.
If the brothers’ land in Marion County is designated as an adventure tourism district, it would be eligible for tax credits.
The brothers told The Chattanooga Times Free Press (https://bit.ly/QdUw3P) they would like to offer a range of activities that might include off-roading, hiking and horseback riding.
The Marion County Commission sent a resolution to state officials last month requesting approval.
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MILLINGTON, Tenn. (AP) - A brush fire near the Memphis International Raceway ignited several cars in a parking area during an event.
WHBQ-TV in Memphis (https://bit.ly/1qRa9cXhttps://bit.ly/1qRa9cX ) reports 20 cars were burned in a field after the fire broke out across the street from the track during the Super Chevy Show event.
Fire crews responded around 4 p.m. and got the fire under control. Investigators say a grass fire caused the blaze, but crews were able to get the fire under control in about an hour.
There were no reports of injuries from the fire.
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Information from: WHBQ-TV, https://www.fox13whbq.com/https://www.fox13whbq.com/
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LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) - A pilot flying an ultralight aircraft was killed in a crash in Wilson County.
The small plane went down Saturday morning in a field near Edwards Road in Lebanon.
WTVF-TV in Nashville reports (https://bit.ly/1nhSUkOhttps://bit.ly/1nhSUkO ) that one person was on board when it crashed. The person has not been identified.
Local law enforcement investigators were investigating the incident.
A spokeswoman with the Federal Aviation Administration says officials were working to confirm the size and type of the aircraft, in order to determine whether they would investigate.
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has received one of its largest cash donations ever, a $2.2 million gift from an anonymous donor.
The money will be used to pay off an existing construction loan that funded the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The center near the park’s Cherokee, N.C., border, opened in 2011.
Money from the gift will also be used toward a new loan to help construct the 13,000-square-foot Collections Preservation Center scheduled to be finished in fall 2015.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports (https://bit.ly/1hJyPOWhttps://bit.ly/1hJyPOW ) the money will be directed through the Great Smoky Mountains Association, a nonprofit organization that supports the park’s educational, scientific and preservation efforts.
Terry Maddox, executive director of the association, said the donation will be made in five annual installments between 2014 and 2018.
“This donation will allow (the association) to redouble its efforts to carry out its mission and allow funds that would have formerly been directed to debt to be employed toward the broader aims of the organization,” Maddox said. “In effect, the donor leaves a legacy that will positively benefit millions of future visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”
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