F

The Hamblen County School System utilizes the Walters State Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center for both graduations; being held Thursday, May 25.

A multi-agency K-9 Unit will conduct a safety sweep before each graduation ceremony.

Once the safety sweep is completed, the doors will open for attendees. Morristown-Hamblen East High will graduate first; doors open at 2:30 p.m. for the 4 p.m. ceremony.

After the Morristown-Hamblen East High graduation all exiting traffic from parking lot 1 will exit eastbound on Agricultural Park Boulevard onto US Hwy 25E northbound only.

Vehicles exiting from parking lot 2, will be directed out onto Witt Road towards Progress Parkway only.

Morristown-Hamblen West High’s graduation ceremony will begin at 8:30 p.m.; doors will open at 7 p.m. for attendees.

Those attending Morristown- Hamblen West High graduation, who do not have an authorized parking pass, will not be permitted to enter from Progress Parkway, Witt Road or Agricultural Park Boulevard prior to 7 p.m. West High graduates driving to the ceremony should have an identifying student card or paper on their dash; this will identify them as graduates and they will be directed by officers where to park beginning at 7 p.m.

The traffic pattern to get into graduation will be as follows, Morristown Hamblen-West’s graduation will enter from southbound 25E only.

There will be message boards directing drivers; traffic for the graduation will need to stay in the right lane. Witt Road will be closed for incoming traffic to the Expo Center. Anyone, other than those authorized, attempting to arrive earlier than 7 p.m., for West High graduation, will be diverted southbound on 25E. Diverted traffic will not be allowed to stop, stand, or congest traffic on 25E prior to entry.

The Morristown Police Department, Hamblen County Sheriffs’s Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, White Pine City Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Rescue Squad and Hamblen and Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency will be conducting traffic control for the ceremonies.

Following the Morristown-Hamblen West graduation, all exiting traffic may exit either towards Progress Parkway or Agricultural Park Boulevard.

The Morristown Police Department encourages all citizens to be careful Thursday in the area of Walters State Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center, and as always, remove any and all distractions to keep families safe during this special time.