COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — Last Thanksgiving , several small businesses were celebrating in a way they never imagined. Simpl Cafe in Newport and the Bean Trees Cafe in Hartford were two of them.

The restaurants had both suffered damage from flood waters last September. While owners Kendale Ball and Michelle Cuellar said it was a difficult time — one year later — they've made much progress.

"This year it's quite a bit different. We're open. We're in business, so that's a pro," Ball said. "We're not dealing with the cleanup, and we're actually able to provide a meal to the community, which is huge."

He said he wasn't sure if the cafe he opened just months before the flood would ever see customers again.

"Honestly, I didn't think we were going to reopen, and a lot of it was myself. I didn'

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