Knoxville Police are Investigating a Fatal Crash on I-75 in Knox County
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Knoxville Police are Investigating a Fatal Crash on I-75 in Knox County

April 11, 2024

Knoxville Police Department crash reconstruction personnel are investigating a fatal crash that happened early Thursday morning in north Knoxville.

At around 5:15 a.m. on Thursday, April 11, 2024, KPD officers responded to the ramp from I-640 West to I-75 North in regards to a multi-vehicle crash.

Based on the preliminary investigation at the scene, it is believed that a sedan was traveling from I-640 on to I-75 North when it collided with the rear end of a tractor-trailer. The semi-truck was parked on the right shoulder of I-75 North out of the traffic lanes.

The driver of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene. The identity is being withheld, pending notification of next of kin.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing at this time.

Morristown Officials say a Road that’s been closed due to a fire that destroyed a historic building has re-opened

Morristown Officials say a Road that’s been closed due to a fire that destroyed a historic building has re-opened

April 11, 2024

The City of Morristown says traffic in front of the Parks-Belk Building has reopened to the public.

The intersection of S. Cumberland Street and Main Street has been closed since the building was intentionally set on fire in January.

A Firefighter was injured in that fire and a man arrested and charged with arson, reckless endangerment, burglary and vandalism. He had reportedly planned to burn more buildings, with investigators finding fire-starting equipment stashed in buildings downtown.

Knoxville Police say Four People have been Indicted in Connection to a Murder at a Home on Gilbert Lane
Photo courtesy of KPD

Knoxville Police say Four People have been Indicted in Connection to a Murder at a Home on Gilbert Lane

April 11, 2024

The Knoxville Police Department and Chief Paul Noel announced during a news briefing on Wednesday afternoon that four individuals have been indicted in connection to the April 5th murder of 22-year-old Danishka Sibaja-Mejia and wounding of a 23-year-old man and woman at a home on Gilbert Lane.

Following a Grand Jury presentment on Wednesday morning, the following individuals were indicted:

Latawyne Osborne, 39 of Knoxville

Marquis Ellis, 20 of Knoxville

Edward Wilson, 31 of Knoxville

Angela Greenberg, 59 of Knoxville

Osborne, Ellis and Wilson were indicted for numerous charges, including felony murder, first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, attempted first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping.

Greenberg, who is Osborne’s mother, was indicted for tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact.

All four of those individuals are in custody.

Several hours prior to the events on Gilbert Lane, Danishka reported to KPD Special Crimes Unit detectives that she was the victim of a sexual assault, naming Osborne as the suspect in that assault.  

After Osborne was released from the hospital on Friday morning, where he had arrived to be treated for a gunshot wound, he was questioned by Homicide Unit detectives regarding both the alleged sexual assault and Danishka’s death.

He was charged on April 5th for the rape, which allegedly occurred sometime between April 1-2. Osborne has been in custody since April 5th.

Continued investigation over the past 72 hours and beyond led Homicide Unit detectives to identify the other involved individuals who were indicted today, alongside of Osborne.

Edward Wilson has been in custody since Monday afternoon, when he was taken into custody by Organized Crime Unit detectives for a warrant out of Blount County for failure to appear.

Marquis Ellis has been in custody since yesterday afternoon, when he was taken into custody by Community Engagement Response Team officers for violation of probation.

Angela Greenberg was taken into custody earlier this afternoon by KPD officers.

The investigation into the murder remains ongoing.

TWRA Set to Ban Alcohol on Wildlife Management Areas

TWRA Set to Ban Alcohol on Wildlife Management Areas

April 10, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announcing alcohol will be banned on Wildlife Management Areas beginning next week.

TWRA officials say alcohol possession and consumption will be prohibited statewide on WMAs starting on April 15 except for designated areas, which are TWRA campgrounds and public waters bordering or within a WMA.

Officials say the rule change applies to all user groups, including off-highway vehicle (OHV) drivers and passengers who ride on WMA units.

TWRA Wildlife Officers will be issuing citations for alcohol possession and use that is not in compliance with the regulations. Officials say Tennessee DUI laws also apply on local roads and managed trails when operating OHVs.

TWRA officials say the rule change comes after high rates of intoxicated driving on WMAs and frequent accidents where alcohol was a contributing factor.

UTPD: Teen Facing Felony Charge after Triggering UT Alert Overnight

UTPD: Teen Facing Felony Charge after Triggering UT Alert Overnight

April 10, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A 19-year-old is facing multiple charges after filing a false police report that triggered a UT Alert overnight Tuesday.

University of Tennessee Police Department officials say Peyton Hubbs was arrested on a felony charge of filing a false report and two misdemeanor charges of simple possession and illegal gambling around 11:15 Tuesday night following his report of a robbery in the UT parking lot at 1720 Lake Avenue.

Officials say an investigation, to include reviewing area surveillance video at the time of the alleged incident, found that the robbery did not happen.

Hubbs later admitted that he lied and was charged in the investigation.

He has been booked into the Knox County Detention Center. 

An Endangered Child Alert is Issued for Two Children by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

An Endangered Child Alert is Issued for Two Children by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

April 10, 2024

An Endangered Child Alert has been issued on behalf of the Knoxville Police Department by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for 20-month-old Jaisy Hollins and 4-year-old Joshua Hollins Jr.

They are believed to be with their non-custodial mother, 34-year-old Tiana Shelton, who is wanted by the KPD for Custodial Interference.

Her oldest son, Raymond McAlpin, is also missing from Knoxville and could also be with her.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Knoxville woman uses own experience to guide service for mothers in need

Knoxville woman uses own experience to guide service for mothers in need

April 10, 2024

 Becoming a new mom can be difficult, and for those who are already mothers, ensuring they have all the supplies they need is not easy. A community baby shower is aiming to help with some of those needs.

Knoxville native Ty Roberts is the executive director of Genissi Charitable Birth Services, a company she created to help support mothers and mothers-to-be in need.

“When I was pregnant with my daughter, there were a lot of things I didn’t have, but there were also a lot of barriers to things I wanted,” Roberts said. “I felt, what better way than to have these moms celebrated and to feel like this is about me, this is about enjoying myself, that someone really cares enough about me to pour into me.”

As executive director of Genissi Charitable Birth Services, Roberts is now planning to host her third community baby shower, aiming to help as many women and newborns as she can.

Roberts said, “I’ll have a mom say, ‘You know what? I need to be around some other women, some other moms, to remind me I’m not by myself.’ You’re talking about 100 or so pregnant women or moms who just gave birth, and that’s the perfect atmosphere for relationships to be birthed.”

Lannette Harris, a mother of two, took full advantage of the baby shower opportunity, finding community and relief in the comfort of being surrounded by others experiencing a similar journey.

“It made me happy there’s a community out there, like you have a community that cares about you, about your baby, about your pregnancy,” Harris said.

Harris received diapers, a car seat and more at the shower. Afterward, she explained the importance of community and what it means to her to have assistance when navigating something brand new, saying, “It means people care about you. The community reaches out and helps us. And you play games and it makes you feel included and loved.”

Both Harris and Roberts know tackling something new in life isn’t easy, and asking for help can sometimes be the hardest part. “Make a decision for yourself that you’re going to do something different for your life and your baby’s life, and when you do that, I promise something is going to change around you,” Roberts said.

If you or someone you know is interested in participating in one of these baby showers by Genissi Charitable Birth Services, you can go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclVpfixIA7DONp3oNjAIi8fwPjn6jkHSZ5hXQxjGNcTXZCXw/viewform to sign up.

Knox County Public Library presents Truth and Consequences: Film and conversation on news and information integrity

Knox County Public Library presents Truth and Consequences: Film and conversation on news and information integrity

April 10, 2024

Knox County Public Library is pleased to present Truth and Consequences: film and conversation on information integrity in today’s world from April 25-28, 2024. All events are free and open to the public. 

With AI, deep fakes, and online influencers adding to the already complex landscape of media disruption and information integrity, the Library is partnering with experts to take a close look at how news and information have changed in the last decade. This is a follow-up to its 2016 symposium.

Screening and Discussion: A Tennessee Waltz: Ray Blanton’s Last Dance

Thursday, April 25 | 7-9 | East Tennessee History Center (601 S. Gay Street)

Murder-for-hire and paid pardons—discover a Tennessee governor’s buried history in WVLT’s first-of-its-kind investigation into former Governor Ray Blanton and his administration. This hour-long documentary shares the story of the shocking allegations and the unprecendented early inauguration of Governor Lamar Alexander. 

The media played an important role in exposing the scandal. How does the current enviornment of media distruption and changes in local journalism factor into these kinds of investigations today?

Joining us to discuss the scandal and its impact are:  

Panel Discussion: AI, Deep Fakes, Online Influencers & Political Communication 

Friday, April 26 | 9:00 – 10:30 | East Tennessee History Center

Evolving technologies and social media practices have impacted our news and information in unprecedented ways. With technological advances, it’s more important than ever to learn how to identify and verify legitimate news sources. Join us for an insightful panel discussion presented by UTK’s Information Integrity Institute with:

Conversation: First Amendment, Social Media, and Democracy

Friday, April 26 | 10:45 – noon | East Tennessee History Center

Social media seems to be pushing the limits of the first amendment, but where is the line? Recent court decisions have weighed in on the subject. Join us for a conversation about the intersection of democracy, free speech, and social media.

Presenters:

Glenn Reynolds, author of “Social Media Upheaval”  (2019), is the Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at UTK. 

Jesse Mayshark is the co-founder of “Compass“, an online news site that provides news, insights and analysis of Knoxville and Knox County government, politics and business 

Screening: “Marie” (1985)

Sunday, April 28 | 3:30 – 5:00 | Central Cinema (1205 N. Central St)

Sissy Spacek stars as whistle-blower Marie Ragghianti in this dramatized story of the federal investigation of the pardon and parole corruption under Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton. PG-13. Presented by TAMIS.

Truth and Consequences was made possible through partnership with these organizations:

  • UTK’s Information Integrity Institute
  • Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, Institute of American Civics
  • WVLT
  • Compass
  • Leadership Knoxville
  • Friends of the Library
  • East Tennessee Historical Society
Tennessee’s Senate Passing Some Controversial Bills

Tennessee’s Senate Passing Some Controversial Bills

April 10, 2024

The Tennessee Senate passes the bill that would arm teachers with concealed guns in schools. It passed yesterday (Tuesday) on the Senate floor with 26 votes for and five votes against. The bill does not require but would allow people who work at schools to carry concealed guns on school property. Teachers who decide to carry would have to undergo 40 hours of annual gun training at their own expense, in addition to receiving approval from the school director, passing a mental health evaluation, and passing an FBI background check. Democrats suggest that would pose a liability. The bill will now go to the House, where it has been placed on the regular calendar for April 17. If it passes, it will become law once the governor either signs it or allows it to go into law without his signature.

Tennessee’s Senate has also unanimously signed off on legislation requiring minors to have parental consent to create social media accounts. The Tennessee Senate approved its version without debate, though lawmakers tacked on a last-minute addition to clarify the bill only applied to social media websites. That means the House chamber must approve those changes before it can go to Governor Bill Lee’s desk for his approval. However, Tennessee lawmakers are hoping to require social media companies to provide parents with options to view privacy settings, set daily time restrictions and implement mandatory breaks. If enacted, the attorney general would be permitted to investigate and sue a social media platform for possible violations.

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