Around 10:20 a.m., deputies responded to a home on County Line Road, where they found a woman and two juveniles had been assaulted, SCSO officials said. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Sevier County, TN (WOKI) A man is arrested after a domestic dispute sparked a standoff with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday morning.
SCSO officials say deputies responded around 10:20 a.m. to a home on County Line Road, finding a woman and two juveniles who had been assaulted; they were taken to a safe spot while responders stayed at the home.
Police say 38-year-old Deivys Roca Ortega was inside the home and refused to come out. The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was called who deployed CS gas, forcing Roca Ortega from the residence.
He is charged with three counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of child abuse.
Sevier County, TN (WOKI) A woman is sentenced to two decades in prison Wednesday morning after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a deadly shooting at Soaky Mountain Waterpark in July 2021.
Sarah Romine pled guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated assault in Sevier County Circuit Criminal Court; she was sentenced to 16 years in prison with no parole for second-degree murder and four years in prison with 30% parole eligibility for aggravated assault. The sentences will be served consecutively.
Kelsy Cook and Angie Russell were shot just after the park had closed on July 31st, 2021. Cook was airlifted to UT Medical Center and pronounced dead later that evening while Russell’s injury was non-life-threatening.
Another man, Joshua Dannels, was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm while intoxicated. Officials said he was released on a $2,500 bond two days after the shooting.
Officials said crews responded to the fire at around 12:50 p.m. on Wednesday in the 5700 block of Strawberry Plains Pike. (Courtesy: Rural Metro Fire)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Rural Metro fire officials are urging homeowners to get their chimneys cleaned and inspected following a fire Wednesday afternoon in the 5700 block of Strawberry Plains Pike.
Rural Metro officials say crews were called to the home just before 1:00 p.m. Once there, they found heavy fire coming from a wood stove in the basement.
It was reported that a large amount of cardboard was placed in the stove; officials say that led to the buildup in the chimney catching fire.
If you have not had your chimney serviced in sometime, fire officials advise not using it until you do, adding that your life could depend on it.
“Please make sure you’ve had those chimneys professionally cleaned and inspected. You’ve not had that service this year” urged Rural Metro Public Information Officer Jeff Bagwell. “Please don’t use it until you do so. Your life could depend on it!”
Strawberry Plains Pike was shut down temporarily as firefighters worked the scene; the roadway has since reopened.
Bonnaro releasing the line-up for this year’s festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
The four-day event will begin on June 13th.
Headlining the main stage on Thursday will be Pretty Lights, followed by Post Malone on Friday, Red Hot Chili Peppers on Saturday, and Fred Again on Sunday.
Other big artists include Fisher, Interpol, Cage the Elephant and Megan Thee Stallion.
The presale window for tickets opens tomorrow (Thursday) at 10 a.m., with general sales to follow if still available.
More than 70,000 local residents don’t have a valid driver’s license. But the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office is looking to change that.
In a first of its kind event, Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond will host a Driver’s License Reinstatement Resource Fair to address the large number of residents with a revoked or suspended license in the area.
“Knox County ranks second in the state for the highest number of residents without a valid driver’s license, so I wanted to do something to fix this,” Hammond said. “We will assist those who sign up with reinstating their licenses and helping them remove any barriers so they can become valid drivers.”
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, January 20 at the Pellissippi State Community College: Magnolia Avenue Campus. To register for the event and learn more about the Driver’s License Reinstatement Program, please visit https://criminalcourt.knoxcounty.org/services/drivers-license or call (865) 215-237.
Hammond said in some cases, many folks already qualify and will receive their license on site. In other cases, local and state officials can meet with them and talk about what requirements are needed to get them legally back on the road.
“Our office established the program several years back to help folks who needed it to satisfy their requirements from the state to get their license back and over the years we’ve helped more than 2,500 people,” Hammond said. “We think that doing an event will not only make it easier on folks but also help even more people.”
Nashville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 1/10/24: The subject of a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Silver Alert out of Nashville has been found safe.
TBI officials reporting 20 year-old Christopher Frankenberry was found safe in Nashville earlier Wednesday.
TBI had issued the overnight alert for Frankenberry who was last seen Tuesday and has a medical condition that may have impaired his ability to return safely without assistance.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued a Silver Alert for a missing 20 year-old out of Nashville.
Christopher Frankenberry, has a medical condition that may impair his ability to return safely without assistance. He is 5’6″, 115 lbs., with blonde hair and blue eyes and last seen yesterday (Tuesday) wearing a black sweatshirt and black pants.
Authorities said the bomb threat involved five schools.(Frankly Media)
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) A 13-year-old has been charged after a bomb threat was sent to principals of schools in Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says officials with Jefferson County Schools notified them Tuesday, January 9 that a bomb threat that had been sent to several principals overnight by email; the bomb threat involved five schools.
Officials said School Resource Officers swept their schools for anything suspicious and determined the threats were a hoax.
JCSO says investigators tracked the email to a 13-year-old student at Rush Strong School. The student was interviewed and charged with threats of mass destruction.
Other agencies that assisted included the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Officials said the center opened as a result of flooding throughout the county and is currently operating at a “Level 2.” (Courtesy: WVLT)
Sevier County, TN (WOKI) Officials in Sevier County have opened the Emergency Operations Center as several roads are shut down throughout the county.
Officials say the center opened as a result of flooding throughout the county and is currently operating at a “Level 2.”
Additionally, almost two dozen roads are now closed due to flooding, see the complete list below:
Butler Branch Road / E. Parkway
River Divide Road
Maples Branch Road between Laura’s Lane and Richardson Cove
Webb Creek / E. Parkway
Red Bank Road
Greystone Heights Road Bridge, which is located at the intersection with Parkway
Hemlock Street
The 500 block of Baskins Creek Road in the direction of Pebble Creek Road
River Road from its intersection of Parkway to its intersection with Maples Lane
Snapp Road
Chapman Hwy / Ogle Road
Red Bank Rd / Red Bank Cir.
Bruce St / E Parkway
E Kings Ridge Road
1645 Cardinal Rd., Gatlinburg
Topside Road / Loop Road
Hidden Hills Road / E Parkway
Chamberlain Lane / Knights Lane
Dunkin’s Road / E Union Valley
1220 Upper Alpine Way
Lower Alpine, Gatlinburg
W Cummings Chapel / Jones Cove Road
Also, severe flooding has prompted officials in Gatlinburg to open an emergency shelter at the Gatlinburg Community Center located at 157 Mills Park Road.
A Tennessee lawmaker is proposing legislation that would make convicted child rapists eligible for the death penalty.
House Bill 1663, introduced by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, proposes changing the existing sentencing guidelines for convicted child rapists from 25 to 40 years in prison to 40 to 60 years and would also authorize the use of the death penalty for such crimes.
The second session of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly is scheduled to convene today at one.
There will be new House rules to follow after three Tennessee lawmakers protested on the House floor ahead of the start of today’s General Assembly.
Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis and Knox Co. Rep. Gloria Johnson were involved in the protest advocating for more gun laws after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville last year.
Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cocke County, works on the Tennessee Rules and Selection Committee and says one of the new rules includes if a person has been ruled ‘out-of-order’ three times in a day, they will not be allowed to speak on the House floor the rest of the day and the day after that.
Knox County Rep. Sam McKenzie says this will cause more harm than good.
Governor Bill Lee’s private school voucher program will be one of the main discussions this session.
Lee wants to give 20,000 students a $7,000 scholarship to private schools. Republicans say the plan offers parents more options for school. Democrats say that money should be used for public schools, and most families who take advantage of this program already attend private schools.
