The Knoxville Fire Department is on the scene of a fire in the 300 block of East Caldwell Ave in North Knoxville. (Wednesday morning)
The fire is contained to the outbuilding with only minor damage. KFD says it is under control.
Police Asking for Help Finding Missing Morristown Man
Morristown, TN (WOKI) The Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help finding a missing Morristown man.
HCSO officials say Anthony “Tony” Williams was last seen around 11:30 p.m. on March 30 at the Loc Bar on Buffalo Trail in Morristown.
Anyone who knows Williams’ whereabouts is asked to contact Det. Kitts with the HCSO at 423-585-2771 or the 911 non-emergency number at 423-585-2701.
The HCSO did not provide information about where Williams might be headed or what he was last seen wearing.
GSMNP Rangers Say Man Missing in the Park has been Found
UPDATE: The man missing is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is found.
Jacob Riggs was found this morning in the Tremont area of the park by a visitor who saw he needed help.
The visitor brought him to the Incident Command Post near the Townsend Wye.
Riggs had minor injuries and exposure to weather. He was evaluated onsite and taken to a local hospital.
The National Park Service is thankful for all of the local agencies and volunteers who participated in the search.
Original story: Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers are asking for help in their search for a missing man.
Park rangers are searching near the Townsend Wye, Tremont and Cades Cove areas of the park for 35-year-old Jacob Riggs who was last seen in Maynardville on April 7th. His vehicle was found in the park on April 8th.
Riggs is white, with black hair and a dark beard, and brown eyes. He is 6’2” tall and weighs 185 pounds.
Park officials say several organizations are helping the National Park Service in the search and more resources will arrive tomorrow, Wednesday, April 10.
If you saw Riggs or have information regarding his whereabouts, you are asked to contact the park service.
Anyone who saw Riggs or has information about his whereabouts is asked to please contact the National Park Service:
- CALL the NPS Tip Line 888-653-0009
- ONLINE go.nps.gov/SubmitATip
- EMAIL [email protected]
- EMERGENCY dial 9-1-1
Alcoa Police Looking for Suspects after Second Vandalism Incident
Alcoa, TN (WOKI) Police in Alcoa are searching for suspects after a second vandalism incident at an apartment complex.
Alcoa Police Department officials say officers responded to a report of vandalism Monday, April 8 involving multiple buildings at the Topside 333 Apartments construction site.
APD reports the vandalism discovered included the destruction of appliances, light fixtures, hardwood flooring, walls and plumbing fixtures.
APD says that the vandalism occurred sometime after 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, after construction workers had left the site, and before 7:00 a.m. on Monday, April 8, when they returned. APD also said that due to the extensive amount of damage to the property, monetary losses have not yet been calculated.
APD believes the suspects may be connected to another vandalism incident that occurred at Ardmore Apartments over Easter weekend.
Those with information that can help APD in its investigation can call East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
Claiborne County Jail Employee’s Husband Charged in Her Death, TBI Says
New Tazewell, TN (WOKI) A New Tazewell man is being charged with killing his wife.
An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office which began on April 2nd into the death of 49-year-old Lori Ann Hopson found that her husband, 37-year-old Benjamin Wayne Hopson, was responsible for her death.
Lori Ann Hopson was found dead outside of a vehicle in the 500 block of Barren Creek Road.
According to Benjamin Hopson’s arrest warrant, he attacked his wife with a knife while inside the car as they drove down the road. During the attack, the warrant reads, he stabbed her “multiple times in the chest.” The car then crashed, the warrant indicates, and Benjamin Hopson cut his wife’s throat with the knife.
“Shortly after the incident,” the warrant reads, “Benjamin Wayne Hopson was observed by witnesses who described him as being naked, wet, and having blood on his hand and body.”
Benjamin Hopson is charged with criminal homicide and is currently being held on a $1 million bond.
Officials with the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office have shared that Lori Ann Hopson was a corrections officer who was in charge of the kitchen at the Claiborne County Jail.
Photo courtesy of WVLT
Longtime Morristown-Hamblen Paramedic Dies While Responding to a Call
Since 1988, Todd Giles has been a paramedic at Morristown-Hamblen EMS, where he’s gotten the reputation of being a dependable employee.
On Friday, Giles, along with two others, responded to a call of a person with a leg injury. When Giles got there, he began to walk up a very steep hill when he suddenly collapsed due to a cardiac arrest.
Despite the efforts of several first responders, Giles passed away at the age of 60.
“I’ve cut a lot of clothing off of people, but I’ve never cut a uniform off before and it’s just different,” said Rescue Squad Captain Claude Thompson who was there to try and save Giles.
Over a career that spanned nearly 40 years, Giles became known for how he helped train the next generation of first responders as well as his calm demeanor in the face of a tense situation.
“I’ve never seen him rattled. He could calm the most excited patient down,” said Fire Chief Clark Taylor.
That steady hand was tested in January when Hamblen County Sheriff Chad Mullins needed urgent help when he was at his office one day.
“I was having really extreme chest pains and didn’t really know what was going on,” said Mullins.
Mullins immediately thought of Giles and drove next door to the location where he was stationed. There, Giles provided a calming presence for Mullins who said the longtime paramedic helped save his life.
County leaders call Giles’ passing a “painful numbness.” They are still working with family to finalize funeral arrangements. Story courtesy of WVLT
Photo courtesy of Michelle Smith
A Dandridge Auto Parts Store is Destroyed by Fire
An investigation is underway after an auto parts store in Dandridge is destroyed by fire.
Media outlets reporting that a fire broke out at Jasper Jones Auto Parts yesterday (Monday) afternoon. Officials with the Dandridge Fire Department says one building was completely on fire and flames had spread to a few vehicles when crews arrived.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and there was one injury reported before firefighters arrived but no word on their condition.
Photo courtesy of WVLT
An Investigation is Underway, a Dog Dies but a Couple and Python are Rescued from a Cocke County House Fire
A dog dies but an elderly woman and man are rescued, along with a six-foot-long python from an early morning (Tuesday) Cocke County house fire.
The Parrottsville Fire Department responding to a single-wide trailer on Ray’s Loop Road along with the Cocke County Fire Department.
Damage was contained to the home’s kitchen and living room areas.
The couple is doing okay, only suffering smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Man Dies in Knoxville Police Custody, Investigation Underway, Department Says
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) An investigation is underway following the death of a man while in Knoxville police custody.
Knoxville Police Department officials say its Office of Professional Standards is set to review the death of a 57-year-old man after he was detained by the department during a search warrant executed late Sunday night at the Ammons apartment complex on Asheville Highway.
KPD says after being detained, the man reportedly said he did not feel well and was taken to UT Medical Center where he died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
KPD adds that a preliminary review of body camera footage showed no force and no violations of KPD policy but that the Office of Professional Standards would be reviewing the incident, per standard protocol.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Investigation Division is leading the investigation into the in-custody death.
KPD says no officers have been placed on leave at this time.
Health Department Investigating Botulism-Like Illness Following Cosmetic Injections in Tennessee
Nashville, TN (WOKI / WVLT / WSMV) The Tennessee Department of Health is investigating a botulism-like illness after reported botulinum toxin injections for cosmetic purposes.
The joint investigation with the CDC, FDA and other states has identified concerns about the use of counterfeit products or products with unclear origin administered in non-medical settings such as homes or cosmetic spas.
The health department says that cosmetic injections should be an FDA-approved product, administered by licensed providers and in licensed settings. Suspected botulism illnesses should be reported immediately to the TDH at 615-741-7247.
