Even The King Can't Escape Coronavirus

Above, Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Graceland has announced that due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is temporarily shutting down and some music festivals has been postponed.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Elvis Presley's Graceland is temporarily closing in response to the new coronavirus outbreak. 

The Memphis, Tennessee-based tourist attraction said Friday that tours of Presley's former home-turned-museum have been called off. Graceland said on its website that it will be temporarily closed from Saturday through April 3. 

The tourist attraction is centered on the life and career of the late singer and actor. Presley died in Memphis on Aug. 16, 1977. He was 42. 

About 500,000 people, including international travelers, visit Graceland each year. In addition to the museum, Graceland features restaurants, exhibition halls and a concert venue. 

Some concerts and events have been re-scheduled, and tickets for tours that won't take place during the closing will be honored within one year of the original tour date, Graceland said.

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National Park Restoration Act Bill Introduced By Sen. Lamar Alexander

Above, a cloud-shrouded Half Dome at Yosemite National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tennessee's Senator Lamar Alexander has introduced a bill that would address the $11.6 billion backlog of maintenance projects in our national parks.

According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press:

A bill introduced to Congress by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) this morning could help with the years-long backlog of deferred maintenance projects at National Parks, including projects in Tennessee and Georgia.  

The so-called National Park Restoration Act would create a restoration fund to provide mandatory funding for high-priority projects at National Parks. The fund will be used for critical infrastructure and visitor service projects, according to an overview of the bill provided by Alexander's office.   

"Tennessee Wildlife Federation applauds Sen. Alexander's leadership on this issue," federation CEO Michael Butler wrote in a statement. " We haven't been able to study the language of the bill in depth; however, it looks to be a prudent solution to a great need. National [P]arks in Tennessee and across our country have been delaying basic maintenance for decades because of chronic underfunding." 

The maintenance backlog is nearly four times what the National Park Service receives in annual appropriations, according to an NPS overview. A separate NPS report shows deferred maintenance increased by $275 million in 2017, reaching $11.6 billion.

To read more, go here.