Latest news with #RobMathis
The Independent
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Smoky Mountains I-40 corridor may be closed for weeks following flooding and rock slides
A major Tennessee interstate that runs through the Great Smoky Mountains may be closed for weeks following flooding and rock slides. It will take around two weeks to clean up and repair the damage left on the I-40 near the Tennessee and North Carolina border Wednesday, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. A series of four rockslides and flooding brought rocks, trees and muddy water. No deaths or serious injuries were reported, but cars and trucks were left stuck in the debris-filled water. As of Thursday, only an 18-wheeler was left on the I-40, the Sentinel reported. Tennessee state Representative Jeremy Faison wrote on X Thursday morning, 'The damage is more extensive than @myTDOT initially anticipated. Significant impacts have been identified on both the interstate and the ramps. As of this morning, several areas remain under water, and there are potentially compromised slopes. Geotechnical engineers are on-site today to assess the stability of those slopes.' Will Reid, chief engineer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said at a Thursday press conference that it will cost an estimated $500,000 to clean up and repair the road, per the Sentinel. The damaged road is part of 12 miles of I-40 that was wrecked by flooding as Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina and Tennessee last September, The Associated Press reported. "We're still in trauma,' Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis said at Thursday's press conference, adding that Tennesseans' 'ears are still ringing from eight months ago.' Crews are still fixing the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which will continue alongside the rockslide cleanup, the Sentinel reports. "When that first call went out, immediately it was like, 'Oh no, not again.' But then, within a half a second later of that it was, 'OK, let's do this.' And that's what we do. Whatever the challenge is, we're going to face it together, head on. And we're going to overcome it,' Mathis said.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cocke County Mayor aims to retain local graduates through economic investment
COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis is working to help the county capitalize on its location and attract future investors. Mathis recently attended the annual summit of the Tennessee Valley Corridor, a nonprofit organization spans Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina. It is focused on attracting investments related to fields like technology, science, and national security. Morristown hosts the Tennessee State Disc Golf Championships 'The thought of was kind of the second Manhattan Project, but in a much broader scope that goes all the way from Birmingham through Huntsville, Alabama, the Space and Rocket Center, Oak Ridge, Chattanooga, Knoxville and then into Virginia and beyond,' Mathis explained. 'Cocke County sits right astride that corridor because it flows right beside I-40.' Despite its proximity to I-40, Mathis told 6 News that Cocke County has yet to take advantage of the opportunity. 'If we can offer them something on the low-end or something that pays on high-end but also rewards them for going out and getting an education,' Mathis said. 'Let's say a kid wants to get a degree in engineering, a degree in finance, a degree in you name it. Whatever those fields are, we have to create opportunities for those young people to stay as well. So that's what this does.' Deadline to apply approaching for Tennessee governor's recovery fund Mathis looking to change this as the county is finishing up construction on an industrial park. Mathis believes construction will wrap up next year. 'We're currently in the process of running sewer, so that's kind of the last big piece. But we have got about eight good sites, flat sites for new employers to come into that park.' Mathis said. This new venture is to not only help the county recover from Helene, but continues to propel forward. ▶ See more top stories on 'We're excited about this opportunity and to be able to move forward as a county and this is not just about recovery from a disaster, this is about regaining and enhancing the momentum we had before the disaster happened,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cocke County mayor running for re-election
COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis announced on Wednesday that he is running for re-election. A Republican, Mathis was elected mayor in 2022. In 2024, Cocke County was hit by Helene and suffered extensive damage and flooding. 'We had a lot of high hopes' UT fans react to Tennessee basketball's Elite Eight loss We have been through a lot together. We have come a long way together. We still have a long way to go together. With your help, we will see this through together. Rob Mathis Mathis recently told 6 News that getting jobs filled and reducing unemployment were top priorities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
