Christopher Joyner News Today

Work on the Bald River Falls Bridge is continuing on schedule despite the winter storm that hit the area last week.

Winds forecast as high as 60-70 mph in Tennessees Appalachian mountains into Tuesday morning could fan wildfires outside containment lines, and state officials are concerned ongoing fires in the Chattanooga region could worsen before rain arrives.

The Cherokee National Forest Service will be hosting a prescribed burn open house at the Etowah L&N Depot on Oct. 19 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

A renovations project will close the Watauga Ranger District Office for several months.

Flooding in mid-August damaged the roadway and closed it for repairs.

Polk County is known for its vast number of outdoor activities, with the Cherokee National Forest sitting right in the middle.

Community leaders in Tellico Plains said the rain brought a huge volume of water, spreading a lot of debris.

A spokesperson with the national park said the main path to Tellico River Rd. will be closed for the foreseeable future.

A 41-year-old man is behind bars accused of kidnapping, strangling and trying to rape a woman near Meredith College and NC State.

"I was abducted, I was kidnapped from the Raleigh mall," the woman told the dispatcher. "He brought me out here and said he was going to kill me, and he tried to rape me."