Several East Tennessee agencies rescue a trapped dog from a cave with a surprise guest with him.

The Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department says the dog, Charlie, was found 40 feet deep down an extremely narrow cave shaft on Tuesday.

Charlie was trapped in the cave for three days and for some of that time, shared it with an approximately 2 year old, 200 pound bear.

Charlie was dehydrated and hungry but in otherwise good condition.

More than 125 Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 1175th Transportation Company departed Tennessee Wednesday, October 11, on the first leg of a year-long deployment to the Southwest border.

The 1175th, headquartered in Tullahoma and with a detachment in Brownsville, is a transportation unit comprised of National Guardsmen trained in various logistics, maintenance, and combat functions which enables the Army to maneuver freely by moving personnel and material by trucks.

The unit is deploying to McAllen, Texas, along the U.S.-Mexico border, where they will assist the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency protect the United States, prevent illegal entry, and deter illicit activity or other threats.

“This is a unique mission we have been getting ready for,” said Capt. Everett Miller, commander of the 1175th Transportation Company. “Our Soldiers have been working hard for over a year to prepare for this and anything else needed.”

Some of the tasks the 1175th is prepared to perform is assisting the U.S. Border Patrol with monitoring the border, supporting border patrol stations, and establishing observation posts to help detect illegal entry into the U.S.

“We will be based primarily in the McAllen, Texas, area and will assist border patrol stations as needed,” said Miller. “It will be a dynamic and important mission, requiring our Soldiers to be flexible and able to operate in a critical and stressful environment, but our unit has the best leaders and Soldiers in Tennessee, we couldn’t be more ready.”

On October 11, the Soldiers of the 1175th Transportation Company flew to Fort Bliss, Texas, where they will complete a week of final pre-deployment training before traveling to McAllen.

“We are all looking forward to doing the job we are trained and ready for,” said Miller.

 Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC), in partnership with the City of Knoxville and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has purchased 2323 W. Blount Ave. This piece of land is the primary part needed for the city to construct a new pedestrian bridge.

“This strategic acquisition is a critical step in realizing our community’s vision, which has been more than 15 years in the making,” Mayor Indya Kincannon said.

The planned bridge is a part of the City’s community-inspired South Waterfront Vision plan that was initially adopted by the Knoxville City Council in 2006. The belief behind the plan is that the South Waterfront should be an active, attractive and distinctive part of downtown Knoxville with revitalized businesses and neighborhoods.

“Aesthetically, the pedestrian bridge will immediately become an iconic landmark. Functionally, it will provide safe connectivity between South Knoxville and the rest of the city, including downtown, our greenway system, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. And in terms of enrichment and economic investment, it will help the South Waterfront reach its full potential,” Kincannon said.

The purchase of the land also allows for the creation of additional housing opportunities at a variety of price points and public open space.

“As someone who grew up in the community of South Knoxville, the pedestrian bridge is more than just a physical structure; it’s a critical investment and symbolic link between communities and opportunities,” said UT System President Randy Boyd.

Resources being pumped into the bridge project have faced backlash, however, from people who would rather see the money go towards improving homeless infrastructure and mental health resources.

The project team is currently working to finalize the bridge design and cost estimate to include in the 2024 federal RAISE grant application. The RAISE program is a competitive program that invests in infrastructure projects that are typically harder to support through traditional means of U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) programs.

The development of a master plan for the bridge landing points is scheduled to begin in early 2024.

Story courtesy of WVLT