Pierce Gentry
ReporterBorn and raised in Knoxville, Pierce studied journalism in the University of Tennessee's College of Communication and Information. His work with WUOT covering Hurricane Helene, the Great Smoky Mountains and local government has earned him numerous awards, including "Best Radio Reporter" from the Southeast Journalism Conference. In his free time, Pierce enjoys reading, photography and getting lost in the Smokies.
You can contact him via email.
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The Johnson County Commission failed to opt into Tennessee’s “County Powers Act,” which would have given them the authority to restrict development of crypto mines and data centers. -
After radioactive leaks in the 1970s, the American Nuclear Corporation abandoned its Clinton, TN site. It sat empty for decades until the EPA stepped in. Cleanup is now complete. -
For weeks, citizens of Scott County, Tennessee and McCreary County, Kentucky have been organizing to resist development of a 700-acre landfill in Oneida. Now, at least two lawyers have been retained in the fight. -
The tech industry is increasingly eyeing rural communities to warehouse servers for cryptocurrency mining and data storage. In Mountain City, locals banded together to push back. -
Local leaders expressed concern about the closure, which will cut off a significant source of tourist traffic for Sevier County in the coming weeks. Park officials say they’re acting quickly to make repairs. -
In Tennessee, biologists are advocating for the restoration of thousands of acres of native grasslands on the Cumberland Plateau and beyond. Some warn that time is running out. -
Locals say US Nitrogen has been releasing dangerous chemicals into the air and water. WUOT’s Pierce Gentry investigated these concerns, and uncovered a history of violations. -
With concerns over environmental damage and toxic runoff, communities in Tennessee and Kentucky are weighing legal action to halt landfill plans. -
A nitric acid plant in a rural corner of Greene County has leaked chemicals into the air and water several times in the last decade. Now US Nitrogen is under investigation by a federal watchdog. -
Over 2,000 people are expected to attend the 44th annual Smoky Mountain Quilt Show, where new quilts compete for prize money and historic quilts are examined and archived for posterity.
