Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville woman is sentenced Friday after she shot a passenger in her ex-boyfriend’s car during an argument in July 2022.
Officials with DA Charme Allen’s office say 23 year-old Kyeisha Dalton was convicted of Second Degree Murder and Reckless Endangerment in November 2023. She was sentenced to 16 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
In November, prosecuting attorneys relayed how Dalton had fired a handgun into the rear passenger seat of her ex-boyfriend’s vehicle, killing Tianja Duff, who was in the backseat after Dalton and the ex-boyfriend had gotten into a heated physical altercation and car chase on July 18, 2022.
“This is another unfortunate case where an argument quickly escalated to gun violence, and in this case, the person who paid the ultimate price wasn’t even part of the argument,” said DA Allen.
Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen says she’s reviewed and closed the case file involving the shooting and death of Knox County Deputy Tucker Blakely and the suspect involved in the case.
Deputies Blakely and James Loft responded to a domestic call in October in West Knox County. Officials say when they got there they found an armed man inside the home, that’s when shots were fired and Blakely was hit and killed.
Investigators say Deputy Loft returned fire killing the suspect.
Allen says those actions by Deputy Lloft were justified, he will not face any charges and the investigation is closed.
Lawmakers are trying to crack down on street racing in Tennessee.
A new proposal allows offenders to lose their driving privileges and possibly their car. This proposal comes after a deadly drag racing crash on Magnolia Avenue which left one man dead and injured two children in June of last year. Right now, drag racing is a Class A misdemeanor.
State Representative John Gillispie says he thinks his proposed bill will help stop drag racing. He initially introduced this bill last year, since then he’s added language that says the money earned when the drag racer’s car is sold at auction would go to the state’s traumatic injury trust fund.
The Knoxville Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on the night of Friday, January 26, 2024 just outside of downtown Knoxville.
KPD officers will staff the checkpoint, which will be set up in the Fort Sanders area. The purpose of the checkpoint is to deter impaired driving, prevent serious or fatal crashes, and increase public awareness of the consequences of driving while under the influence.
During the checkpoint, officers will check motorists for signs of alcohol or drug impairment.
Alcohol or drug impairment possibly contributed to over 43 percent of the fatal crashes that happened in Knoxville in 2022.
In 2022, the KPD acquired a DUI checkpoint trailer through the Tennessee High Safety Office (TNHSO) Traffic Services grant at no cost to Knoxville taxpayers that will be used during the January 26th sobriety checkpoint.
The Knoxville Police Department reminds motorists to always practice safe driving habits in all situations. Motorists are encouraged to slow down, buckle up, reduce distractions, pay attention to the road, and never drive while under the influence.
Knoxville man turns himself in for assault on Fort Sanders nurse (Courtesy: ETVCS)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 1/12: A Knoxville man who attacked a nurse at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center earlier this month has turned himself in.
East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers say 57 year-old Jackie B. Bell turned himself in Thursday evening; Bell was wanted for attacking the nurse while visiting a patient at the hospital on January 2.
Officials thank everyone who submitted a tip regarding Bell’s whereabouts.
ORIGINAL STORY: East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers is looking for a man wanted for attacking a nurse at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center.
Investigators say Jackie Bell was visiting a patient at the hospital on January 2 when he assaulted a nurse in the hospital room.
Bell is an African-American male who is bald with brown eyes and a moustache.
If you have any information, please call Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
Steven Maradiaga, 25 (Courtesy: Sevierville Police Department)
Sevierville, TN (WOKI) The Sevierville Police Department is asking for help finding a missing man who was last seen in October.
Sevierville Police Department officials say 25 year-old Steven Maradiaga was last seen on October 24, 2023. He is Hispanic, stands 6-feet-tall and has black hair and brown eyes.
Officials say Maradiaga was last seen near Pickens Drive. Those with information are being asked to call 865-868-1751.
Kenterrius McGuffie, 27 (Courtesy: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)
Athens, TN (WOKI) An Athens man is arrested and charged after allegedly uploading child sexual abuse material to Snapchat.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say 27 year-old Kenterrius McGuffie was arrested at his workplace in Sweetwater Monday following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning child sexual abuse material being uploaded by a Snapchat user, later identified as McGuffie.
Following a search of his home, TBI agents subsequently arrested McGuffie, charging him with 13 counts of Aggravated Rape of a Child, 12 counts of Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, one count of Continual Sexual Abuse of a Child, and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (Over 50 Images).
McGuffie is being held in the McMinn County Jail on a $400,000 bond.
TBI says this is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is being asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The Knox County Growth Policy Coordinating Committee approves a plan that outlines how Knox County will grow over the next 20 years.
The original proposal detailed over 16,000 acres of rural land in areas like Karns, Corryton, Halls, Gibbs, and Hardin Valley and the new revised plan is preserving more than 2,000 acres of that original proposed land.
The proposed changes include things like building more places to live, widening roads, and updating infrastructure to make sure the area is sustainable for growth.
This plan will still need to be approved by the Knoxville City Council and Town of Farragut before it becomes official.
Knox County has again achieved one of the highest honors in the arena of governmental accounting and finance reporting, winning what is considered the “triple crown” for finance departments.
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recently recognized the county for receiving all three of its awards:
• The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Award
• Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
• Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award
GFOA, a non-profit founded in 1906, studies and reviews the planning, financing, and implementation of more than 21,000 checkpoints of governmental operations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Knox County is one of about 300 governments to receive the honor.
“I’m extremely proud of our finance department, which I believe is among the best in the state,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. “Winning these awards once again proves just how good they are.”
In their review of the county reports, the GFOA took a thorough look at every aspect of the files from cover to cover. Each of the reports adhered to every applicable accounting standard in effect by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). They also graded on reader appeal and understandability.
GFOA officials also praised the county finance department’s hard work.
“The Triple Crown designation represents a significant achievement,” said Natalie Laudadio with GFOA. “To qualify, each entity must meet the high standards of all three separate award programs. Each award program recognizes governments that produce reports which communicate their financial stories in a transparent manner and meet applicable standards.”
The Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) announcing the appointment of Steven Matijcio as the museum’s new executive director following a national search. Matijcio is leaving his post as director and chief curator at the Blaffer Art Museum, University of Houston. He succeeds David Butler, who retired at the end of December after serving as the KMA’s executive director since 2006.
Matijcio comes to the KMA with a wealth of curatorial and administrative experience and a solid track record of significant engagement with contemporary art and artists at a global level. Prior to his position at the Blaffer Museum, Matijcio served as curator at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio (2013-2019) and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (2008-2013). He previously held positions in a number of important galleries and museums including the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, Winnipeg; Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto; Art Gallery of Ontario; and National Gallery of Canada. He was chosen from an international pool of candidates in 2011 to participate in curatorial residencies in Gwangju, South Korea and Berlin, Germany; named artistic director of the 2012 edition of the Narracje Festival in Gdansk, Poland; and more recently was chosen as commissaire (artistic director) of Manif d’art—the Quebec City Biennial. He has lectured on theory and criticism at the University of Manitoba, written for numerous catalogs and journals (including the Guide to the 27th Sao Paulo Bienal), and was commissioned in 2003 by the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to curate one of its first online exhibitions. Matijcio holds a master’s degree from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, New York and bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto.
Taylor Wortham, chair of the KMA’s Board of Trustees, notes that “Steven’s experience and qualifications are very impressive, but what stood out to all of us during the hiring process was his passion for art and history, as well as his smart, enthusiastic, and outgoing personality. He and his wife, Anita, who just welcomed their first daughter last summer, enjoyed a wonderful visit with us for his final interview, and I know they’re really looking forward to becoming a part of our museum family. I could not be more excited to introduce him to our supporters and the rest of the Knoxville community, and I look forward to his contributions to this next chapter of the KMA.”
“I spent the formative years of my career in the Southeast,” says Matijcio, “and the values this region invests in community, people, and culture have continued to resonate. I’m excited to engage all of these cornerstones in Knoxville and build upon the inspiring ascent of the KMA in the state and country. The KMA has thought a great deal about what Appalachia means locally and nationally, and we will navigate what a “Global Appalachia” means today, tomorrow, and well into the future.”
Steven Matijcio begins his duties at the KMA in late February.
The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates East Tennessee’s rich, diverse visual culture and its connections to the wider currents of world art. The museum is located in downtown Knoxville at 1050 World’s Fair Park. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am-5pm, and Sunday, 1pm-5pm. Admission and parking are free.
