Press Releases
WRGS is your local source for information about the community. Visit WRGS’ Contact Us page to submit your press releases or to inquire about any contests or submitting birthday and anniversary announcements. Please check this site at a later time to see press releases in Hawkins County, TN, that you need to know.
Rogersville 4th of July Celebration 2025
School is out and Memorial Day has passed. Therefore, it is “officially” summer, andthe 2025 Rogersville 4th of July Celebration is a little over 5 weeks away. “We have beenworking hard and planning for a great day of celebration,” said Beth Metz, CommitteeChair. Metz and her husband, John, took over the management of the 4th of July Celebrationjust 45 days ago after the retirement of Dr. Blaine Jones and Mark DeWitte. “It has been ahuge undertaking, and the response has been great. We are still lacking enough funds toprovide all the things once done in the past,” said Metz.Fundraising is currently underway, and the size of the event will continue to dependon the amount of funds raised. Currently, DJ Ridge is slated to be in the park beginning at4pm to provide music and set the vibe for the evening. There will also be food trucks andbounce houses for the kids. Starting at 9:30pm, Dynamic Effects and Fireworks Companywill once again put on a huge fireworks display. Bob and Garret Smith have beeninstrumental in the success of this event year after year. It will be synchronized to musicbroadcast via WRGS Radio.Rogersville Parks and Recreation Department Director, Matthew Elkins hasconfirmed they will be hosting the Firecracker Boom and Zoom 5K Road Race on themorning of July 4th. The race will begin at 8am, with runner check-in beginning at 7:30am.The race will start and finish near the Park & Recreation Office Building. Runners may pre-register by 6/25/2025 to guarantee themselves an official event shirt. The cost of the race is$20 per runner. At 10am on July 4th, the always competitive 3-on-3 basketball tournamentwill take place for ages 16 and up. The cost is $30/team with a minimum of 3 players andmax of 4 players on each team. Pre-registration will begin the first week of June and youmay sign up by calling the Park office at 423-272-2545. You may also sign-up online usingthe link http://Rogersville.RecDesk.com. In addition to the park activities, the RogersvilleCity Pool will also be open from 10am until 6pm on the 4th of July. General admission is $4,with those under 3 free and seniors over 65 $2.In addition to park activities, the annual Rogersville 4th of July Parade will take placethrough historic downtown Rogersville beginning at 11:00 am on the day of the Celebration.Those interested in participating in the parade should contact Parade Organizer, MelissaNelson at (423) 921-2410. The parade will lineup beginning at 9:00 am at the EastRogersville Baptist Church parking lot and will proceed west down Main Street. The themeof this year’s parade is “Let Freedom Ring”.
Historians in Training Jr. Archivist Summer Camp at Tennessee State Library & Archives Brings History to Life June 9th - 13th
The Tennessee State Library & Archives is once again bringing history to life for all 8 to 12-year-old students as part of its annual Historians in Training: Junior Archivist Summer Camp, June 9-13, 2025.“Historians in Training is an affordable, summertime opportunity for students to learn more about Tennessee history,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “This is one of the Library & Archives’ favorite events every year, and we are excited to offer a fun learning environment for this year’s campers!”The week-long adventure runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the cost to attend is $125 per camper, with an additional charge of $10 for before and aftercare, respectively. Campers will explore historical topics and people while learning how archivists care for and protect historical documents. Attendees will also experience a series of hands-on activities, games, and field trips to nearby local historical sites.The full-day summer camp, presented by the Library & Archives Education Outreach team, will take place at the Library & Archives, located on the northeast corner of Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N., in Nashville.Parents can register their children for camp by visiting https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/summercamp.The Library & Archives, a division of the Department of State, is the state of Tennessee’s premier genealogical research facility. It collects and preserves books, journals, maps, photographs, records, and other documents of historical and reference value focusing on Tennessee and its citizens. The Library & Archives is also home to many irreplaceable historical documents, including Tennessee's three Constitutions.