Greeneville, TN (WOKI) The assistant police chief in Greeneville is back on duty after being acquitted in a 2022 assault.
Greeneville Police Department officials announcing Thursday, March 14 that Assistant Police Chief Stephen Hixson has been acquitted of a domestic violence charge, a jury finding Hixson not guilty on all charges at trial.
“In light of the verdict, I, along with Assistant Chief Hixson and the Greeneville Police Department are committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability and integrity within the department. This outcome reaffirms his innocence throughout the entire process and continues to show the importance of a fair and impartial judicial system in addressing allegations of misconduct.” Greeneville Chief of Police Steve Spano said.
A Greene County grand jury indicted Hixson in March 2023 for simple assault in connection to allegations that he had assaulted his stepdaughter after an argument at a home on Sunnyside Ridge Drive in December of 2022.
Greeneville city manager Todd Smith placed Hixson back on full-duty status after the trial.
Jamestown, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating after a Jamestown Police officer fatally shoots a man during a domestic dispute call Wednesday night.
TBI says officers responded to the 200 block of N. Smith Street around 9:00 p.m., where they found a man armed with a machete who reportedly refused to comply with their verbal commands; officers then used a Taser on the man which was not effective.
TBI says at some point during the confrontation, an officer fired his service weapon, striking the man who was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Wednesday’s incident marks the second officer-involved shooting involving the Jamestown Police Department in 2024.
The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission has launched an investigation into whether missing college student Riley Strain was overserved alcohol at Luke Bryan’s Broadway bar in Nashville.
The TABC is investigating whether the bar had any legal obligations to protect patrons who were overly intoxicated.
State law prohibits serving alcoholic beverages to someone who is visibly intoxicated. A violation is a class A misdemeanor. The TABC is investigating this matter to see if any violations have occurred.
Strain was seen on surveillance video wandering around downtown Nashville after he was kicked out of Luke’s 32BRIDGE on Friday night. He remains missing. Now, Country Music Star Luke Bryan is calling for help on social media to find Strain.
The City of Knoxville and Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) have been awarded a $42.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement a civic infrastructure plan intended to begin the restoration of cultural and economic opportunity to communities impacted by urban renewal initiatives. The seven-phase project will create nearly 10 miles of connectivity improvements to link East Knoxville residents to economic, cultural and recreational amenities.
“This is the largest federal grant award in Knoxville’s recent history, and it will make a significant impact by prioritizing disadvantaged communities, allowing residents to move safely to jobs, schools, healthcare and parks,” Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said. “This is an example of the transformative effect of President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the tremendous impact it has on local communities. The City of Knoxville and KCDC are committed to historical investment in an area that historically has been deprived of sufficient economic opportunities to thrive.”
The DOT’s Neighborhood Access and Equity Program funds plans that reconnect formerly displaced communities, improve access to daily needs and foster equitable development and restoration.
The grant will significantly expand the greenway system to link East Knoxville, Morningside Park and the Old City to the Urban Wilderness, Baker Creek Preserve and neighborhoods of South Knoxville that were separated by past infrastructure projects, including the James White Parkway, that affected predominantly Black neighborhoods in downtown and East Knoxville.
“The greenway expansions funded by this grant will offer residents of East and South Knoxville sustainable connectivity to improve overall quality of life, “KCDC Executive Director and CEO Ben Bentley said. “The civic infrastructure also will reestablish critical links that improve access to education, economic mobility and recreation. The improvements made possible by this grant will enable the creation of multi-modal transportation pathways that reconnect underserved communities and form the foundation for increased walkability and non-vehicular development patterns for the next hundred years of Knoxville.”
The massive undertaking includes several phases and segments. A greenway will begin at the Old City and end at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, traveling through neighborhoods and Harriet Tubman Park.
A Cultural Corridor will connect Summit Hill Drive, Dandridge Avenue, Hill Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to support elementary and middle school crossings, as well as churches, the Knoxville Family Justice Center and affordable housing sites.
“The connectivity will provide equitable access for East Knoxville residents to new economic centers and the downtown area,” said Knoxville City Councilwoman Gwen McKenzie, who represents the Sixth District where much of the initiative will take place. “Also, we are working alongside the Beck Cultural Exchange Center to create a pathway that includes markers, maps and monuments to illustrate some of Knoxville’s African American history which was impacted by Urban Renewal.”
The Cultural Corridor plan outlines 10 historical sites along the greenway, including the only remaining ancestral home of renowned artists Beauford and Joseph Delaney. The plan also features curated exhibitions, which showcase digital storytelling that connects history and culture to the places that once housed a thriving Black community, complete with businesses, churches and schools.
The plan also provides a link to South Knoxville, including the Urban Wilderness and Baker Creek Preserve.
“The South Knoxville Bridge has been a critical connection between South Knoxville and downtown and East Knoxville for decades, and the Bridge Connector provides a new opportunity for safe connection for people on foot or bike,” said Knoxville Vice-Mayor Tommy Smith, who represents the First District. “It will connect two communities and provide highly sought amenities to more residents.”
The grant funds nearly half the cost of the project, the rest of which is covered by previously expended or allocated funds. Construction will be completed in multiple phases, with phasing determined by project readiness. Work is expected to begin in 2025.
A missing Claiborne County man at the center of a TBI Silver Alert is found dead in Kentucky.
Police say 86-year-old Curtis Mason was last seen on February 26th in Harrogate. His van was spotted in Kentucky in the days after he went missing in Middlesboro, Pineville and along Highway 92.
He was found dead in the Goldens Creek area of Knox County, Kentucky.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The City of Knoxville Housing and Neighborhood Development held a meeting Tuesday night to allow community members to weigh-in on a Fair Housing Equity Plan.
The Plan aims to address patterns of racial and ethnic segregation, concentrations of poverty and areas of opportunity.
Additionally, the plan analyzes public policies and programs, identifies issues with fair housing and proposes measurable solutions.
Knoxville has partnered with Community Solutions Collaborative (CSC) to create the plan with the help of residents.
Rob Breymaier with CSC was at Tuesday night’s meeting to discuss how equity plans strive to reduce disparities and improve overall prosperity and equitable outcomes related to housing.
“Generally, we would hope that after five years, there will be less disparity across the community both by its geography and by the different protected groups within the Federal Fair Housing Act. The idea is that in the end, everybody will have benefited from the program,” Breymaier said.
The Knoxville Fair Housing Equity Plan is scheduled to be finalized and submitted in June of this year.
Cumberland County, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office are investigating following a shooting Monday, March 11 in east Cumberland County.
TBI officials say the sheriff’s office responded around 4:45 p.m. to the shooting call in the 2000 block of Smith Mountain Road where deputies found a woman who had been shot.
Officials say the woman, who has not been identified, was airlifted to a hospital in Knoxville for treatment.
The 2024 Knox St. Patrick’s Parade is Saturday! The parade steps off at 1pm. Participants and parade goers will want to plan accordingly, as roads begin to close at 10:45 am. The City of Knoxville announced road closure times in preparation for Saturday’s parade:
The following roads will close at 10:45 a.m.:
• Hill Avenue between Hall of Fame Drive and Walnut Street • Council Place between Sevier Avenue and Gay Street • Gay Street between Main Street and Sevier Avenue
Gay Street between Main Street and Magnolia Avenue will close at 12:15 p.m. All road closure times are subject to change.
The parade will step off from the corner of Gay Street and Main Street and head down Gay Street to Magnolia Avenue. Actor and comedian Josh Mancuso, also known as the “College Mascot Guy,” will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
Sunday, the city has planned the Barley’s St. Patrick’s Day 5K, which will close some roads in the Old City, Emory Place, Fourth & Gill and World’s Fair Park. The run starts at 2 p.m.
For the last two years, Jody Turnip has worn a bracelet to honor the life of their sister Taylor, who passed away.
Originally from Asheville, Turnip was in Knoxville over the weekend and went to Zoo Knoxville, which is where it’s believed the bracelet went missing.
“And when I looked down and noticed it wasn’t there, my heart just sank,” said Turnip.
The black and silver bracelet contains some of Taylor’s ashes in it and is a priceless piece of jewelry.
After realizing it was lost near the elephant exhibit at the zoo, it was a helpless feeling for Turnip now being hours away back home.
“I felt like I had let my sister down on some level because I lost something to me, and it was her pretty much,” said Turnip.
Turnip said having it found and sent back would be the best gift they could possibly receive and is now counting on the kindness of East Tennesseans to help with the search.
Zoo Knoxville said they’ve looked throughout the zoo but haven’t found it, but they said that employees will be keeping an eye out for it in the coming days.
If you find the bracelet at the zoo, you’re asked to contact the Ranger Station at the zoo, but if you find it outside the zoo around East Tennessee, you can also return it to Zoo Knoxville so they can contact the owner. Story courtesy of WVLT
The Knox County Parks and Recreation Department plans to build its fourth splash pad, this one at French Memorial Park in South Knox County off Martin Mill Pike.
That means the county will have water amenities in all four geographic regions – New Harvest Park (East); Powell Station (North); and Carl Cowan (West).
“This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time and I’m glad we can make it happen,” Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said. “As the weather starts to heat up, our residents can take comfort knowing they can stay cool every day at these park attractions. Just be sure to read the rules and be safe.”
The Knox County Commission will talk more about the project during its upcoming meeting this month. If approved, contractors could begin work shortly said Knox County Parks and Recreation Department Senior Director Joe Mack.
“Work should take only a few months and we hope to have it up and running possibly for this summer,” Mack said.
Knox County typically kicks off its splash pad season in May and it usually runs through the end of September. Several years ago, parks and rec crews replaced the 15-year-old splash pad at Carl Cowan Park.
