Now here is a nice recognition for the state of Tennessee. The League of American Bicyclists has released its latest Bicycle Friendly States ranking. In the sixth annual report, Tennessee ranked second in the Southeast, while placing 17th nationally. Tennessee has improved its national ranking from 26th in 2012.

Unusual hats, pretty hats, crazy hats and flowery hats adorned the heads of guests at Hats for Hope, the brunch and silent auction held March16 at RiverStone Resort & Spa in Pigeon Forge. The proceeds benefit Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic.

There seems to be an immense misunderstanding as to the effect of SB1248/HB1191 labeled the video of animal abuse legislation.

Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in downtown Gatlinburg is a local treasure, a world-renowned school that attracts students and patrons from across the country — and beyond. Its future in the current location is in doubt, since the owner of the land, Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women Inc., plans to sell the property, but until things are sorted out, Arrowmont plugs away and raises the money it needs to remain a top attraction.

Sevier County may never be known for its manufacturing and non-tourism jobs, so when a local company expands and adds positions, it is worth celebrating. Business service provider Quality Solutions Group announced Monday that it will be adding jobs and space and making a large capital investment.

Alcohol, drugs, same-sex marriages, pornography, crookedness, adultery, murders, child abuse, abortions — my God! Does this sound like a Christian nation? Do we expect God to pour out His blessings on us when we condone much of these things that He has warned us about?

We would like to thank everyone who came out to play in the first Underwood/Kodak/Northview alumni game. We think it was a huge success. Everyone seemed to have a good time.

Sevier County holds its fifth annual Day of Prayer on Thursday, an observance that is a part of the National Day of Prayer as proclaimed by the president. This is not a day of only Christian prayer. It is a day when people of all faiths can come together and seek God’s wisdom and guidance to help us through troubled times.

The grass is growing. That’s a sure sign of spring. And with growing grass come lawmowers dusted off and cranked up to trim those green lawns. Injuries from lawnmowers are among the most traumatic seen at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, officials there say.

We hope you enjoy the weather art we run on our front page. Local schoolchildren contribute these cute little images, which look like pictures schoolchildren anywhere would draw.

There’s an African proverb: “If you think that you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.” It’s this thought that propelled the United Methodist Women of First Methodist Church, Sevierville, to raise funds for Imagine No Malaria. Currently, one African child dies of malaria every 60 seconds. Through the Imagine No Malaria program, it takes only $10 to prevent the death of that child, so the churchwomen knew they were not too small to make a difference. But the women were also very aware of the needs of our own local children and the daunting task of the Sevier County Food Ministry to provide for them. To help meet both those needs, the UMW on Saturday, April 20, staged its Spring Bazaar.

Cancer. The very mention of the word invokes fear. All of us have been affected by this often fatal disease in one way or another. Almost all of us have lost a friend or family member to its devastating effects.

On behalf of Vietnam veterans from 28 states and the Tennessee State Council, Vietnam Veterans of America, I would like to extend our deepest thanks to the City of Pigeon Forge for your hospitality and emotional outpouring of support during Welcome Home Vietnam.

Earth Day is a holiday that pretty much everyone can get behind. It’s not affiliated with any particular religion, race, ethnic group or political party. It’s not even bound by national lines.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that at the federal level, people are appointed to positions based in large part on who they know and how much money they contributed to a candidate. We see that at the state and local levels as well.

The good ones, the ones who blazed the trails and set the standards, are the people we always must remember. They were there first, finding their way in an industry or enterprise that was still locating its footing.

Some things need to be said. I don’t believe in Bible Thumping, but truth must always be available to all people. Bible precepts are the basis of our nation and many others around the world.

Sevier County residents like to live in woodland settings, especially in an area so filled with mountains. They can enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. However, they also realize they face the danger of wildfire.

Visitation to the national park was down nearly 25 percent in March, and one major reason was that you couldn’t drive through the Smokies on Newfound Gap Road (Highway 441). The January landslide that closed the road and washed away around 200 feet of the highway affected traffic flow and visitation.

Some of the best news to surface in recent days was the report that the famed Gatlinburg Inn, a longtime landmark in the heart of downtown, will remain open under ownership of members of the two families who built and preserved it for more than 75 years.

I was never so proud of this area as on Friday to see all the folks who gathered on Dolly Parton Parkway to welcome Regen and his family home. What a feast for the eyes and the heart .

I just wanted to take this time to express our thanks to Dr. Alan Whiton, orthopedic surgeon, for bringing his expertise to make it possible for me to walk.

This is a caring, giving community. Residents know that to be true. Concerned people operate a food bank, rescue ministry and other agencies that assist those in need. And sometimes, a real special case touches the hearts of Sevier County like few can.

Leaders of the Tennessee Republican party expressed pleasure in recent weeks that not much in the way of nutty, weird legislation had been proposed by a party that controls, with a supermajority, both the House and Senate. Well, GOP leaders: meet Stacey Campfield. He didn’t get the memo.