Brothers facing firearms charges
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A federal grand jury in Knoxville has indicted Roane County, Tenn., brothers Rocky Houston and Leon Houston on firearms charges.
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced the indictment Wednesday. It was returned on Tuesday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jennings said federal investigators watched the brothers, beginning in October, with a camera attached to a public utility pole near their home.
Rocky Houston is charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. Leon Houston is charged with possession of firearms while being an unlawful user of controlled substances.
The Houston brothers were indicted, but later cleared of charges, in the killing of Roane County Deputy Bill Jones and civilian Mike Brown in 2006.
Landslide closes part of U.S. 441
GATLINBURG, Tenn. - A landslide in the rain-drenched Smoky Mountains has closed a section of U.S. 441.
The National Park Service said a 200-foot section of the road, also known as Newfound Gap Road, slid about 1,000 feet down a slope at about 9:40 a.m. EST Wednesday. There were no injuries.
Park officials said that by midnight Tuesday 7.4 inches of rain had fallen at Newfound Gap, 8.56 inches at Cherokee and 6.86 inches at Mount LeConte. There are several park roads closed because of high water.
The section of highway between Collins Creek and the Webb Overlook where the slide occurred is expected to be closed for some time.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are evaluating the rest of the road and expect visitors soon should be able to drive from Gatlinburg to Newfound Gap on the Tennessee side of the park. The road is expected to be open soon on the North Carolina side from Cherokee to Smokemont.
Guard to work inauguration
NASHVILLE - About 250 Tennessee National Guard soldiers and airmen will be helping civil law enforcement with security for the 57th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
Most will be Army Military Police officers and Air Force Security Force members who will assist with crowd management and security for the event.
The troops primarily are coming from the 268th Military Police Company in Ripley and Dyersburg and the 252nd Military Police Company in Cleveland and Oneida. The Tennessee Air National Guard is sending personnel from the 134th Security Forces Squadron in Knoxville and the 118th Security Forces Squadron in Nashville.