Carolina West Sports Medicine recently provided free pre-participation sports physicals to 1,000 local students. The physicals were held at MedWest-Harris serving Smoky Mountain High School and Cherokee High School students and Jackson County rising 7th and 8th grade students. Physicals were also held at on-site locations serving Swain County High School, Robbinsville High School, Blue Ridge School, Highlands School and Rabun County High School. In Addition to staff from Carolina West Sports Medicine, several local healthcare providers donated time for the physicals, including Dr. Jud Garbarino, medical director for Carolina West Sports Medicine, Dr. Martin Senicki, and physician assistants Hannah Hill, Alexis Willey and Robin Pope with Sylva Orthopedic Associates, Dr. Todd Davis with the Center for Family Medicine in Franklin, Dr. Christian Moretz and physician assistant Jamie Ellington with Wellspring Family Practice and Dr. Cliff Mault. Volunteers also included staff from Sylva Orthopedic Associates, Health Professionals of the Future (HOSA) students from Smoky Mountain High School, and employees of MedWest-Harris. Carlyle Schomberg, director of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at MedWest-Harris/Swain/Franklin was quoted as saying, “We’re pleased to serve our local student athletes with sports physicals at no cost to the family. Our physicians, trainers, therapists and staff care for these kids all year round on the field and on the court and we want to do everything we can to make sure they’re safe”. Carolina West Sports Medicine provides daily sports medicine coverage including game and practice coverage for local schools and physician coverage for Western Carolina University Athletics, Call (828) 586-7934 for information or visit www.medwesthealth.com.
Archive for Cherokee
Carolina West Sports Medicine Provides Free Physicals for Local Student Athletes
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has released tourism statistics. Total visitation for March of 2013 was down 23.8% as compared with March 2012. During March 2013 a total of 465,594 visitors came into the Park as compared with 611,326 in 2012, a decrease of 145,732 visitors. Visitation for January through March 2013 was 983,664 visitors which, is 250,334 less than in 2012, and 47.4% below the five year average. It has been the lowest visitation for January through March in over 5 years. The sharp decrease is likely due to the closure of a section Newfound Gap (Hwy 441) between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC due to a January 16 landslide. The landslide cut off direct road access between the northern and southern sections of the park. The road work was completed on Monday, April 15 and is now open to all traffic.
Visitation for Entrances:
Gatlinburg: 158,953
Townsend: 90,299
Oconaluftee: 46,717
Outlying Areas: 169,625
From left to right: Chief Hicks, Park Superintendent Ditmanson, and Congressman Meadows
Today, park officials and local politicians, held a press conference to announce the reopening of US 441/Newfound Gap Road, the main thoroughfare that runs through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and connects Eastern Tennessee to Western North Carolina. On January 16, 2013, a major landslide due to heavy rainfall, destroyed a large section of the road leaving it closed for months. Local contractors Phillips & Jordan were awarded a $3.9 million contract to begin the rebuilding process on February 20, 2013. In that contract, officials agreed to a daily incentive of an additional $18,000 dollars, up to $500,000, for early completion before the May 15 deadline. With today’s reopening announced, Phillips & Jordan completed the project 30 days early and will be awarded the full $500,000 as agreed. Local politicians Congressman Mike Meadows, and Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian were at the press conference to add their words of praise to Phillips & Jordan’s efforts. When asked about the $250,000 of the $500,000 early completion award that the tribe contributed, Chief Hicks said, “It was money well spent.”
The newly constructed stretch of Newfound Gap Road
High Speed Chase Ends With Discovery of Body on Reservation
Officials with the Cherokee Indian Police Department say that after a high-speed chase through the reservation on Wednesday night, they discovered a body in the car they were pursuing. The driver of the vehicle is in custody and his identity has not been released. Additionally, he is a suspect in the case of a missing woman from Clark County, Arkansas. Arkansas investigators are working the case with CPD detectives.
$4 Million Road Reconstruction Contract Awarded to Phillips & Jordan Inc.
The Federal Highways Administration has announced that Phillips & Jordan Inc. of Robbinsville, NC, has been awarded the contract to repair the damage done to Newfound Gap Road by a recent landslide. The contract was awarded for the submitted bid of $3,989,890 with a completion date set for May 15, 2013. P&J will start work as early as February 22 to begin the second phase of reconstruction which will include rebuilding the paved road that was washed away and filling in the damaged area with stone. The design of the new roadway will allow for the drainage of water which should prevent any further wash outs in the future. Included in the contract is a monetary incentive of $18,000 per day to P&J for each day of completion prior to the completion date of May, 15, up to a maximum of $500,000. This incentive will be funded jointly by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian(ECBI) and the National Park Service. On the flip side of the incentives, though, the contract also includes monetary disincentives. P&J will be charged $18,000 for every day that the project goes past the completion date. Newfound Gap Road will remain closed for the duration of the construction, but visitors to the park will still be able to access the Tennessee side of Newfound Gap and to Collins Creek Picnic Area from Cherokee, NC entrance.
STAY CONNECTED!
Sponsors:
WRGC Weather
Sign-Up For WRGC Text Alerts NOW!
Contact Us:
540-AM WRGC RADIO
1846 Skyland Drive, Sylva, NC 28779
Business Phone: (828) 586-2221
Business Fax: (828) 586-6834
Tradio Line: (828) 586-9742
General Email: info@wrgc.com
Twitter @WRGCAM
Polls
Loading ...Unsubscribe Your Phone
Copyright © 2013 All Rights Reserved