The Knoxville Area Transit says the tough decision was made as part of their ‘KAT reimagined’ plan for a better future of transit in Knoxville.
The three trolleys that circle downtown will be replaced with one Downtown Connector Bus. KAT officials say this allows 12,000 more passengers to have access to buses in more areas that come every 15 minutes.
The trolleys currently don’t run on Sundays and are free. The new bus will run seven days a week and could have a potential fare to ride. The proposed date for the downtown Connector Bus to be ready is by August of 2024.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Two bodies in two days . . . the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday, August 30 finds a body floating near a private dock in Fort Loudon Lake.
KCSO officials say deputies responded to the 7800 block of Kara Lane around 9:50 a.m. to find the body of a deceased male. His body was taken to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for identification.
According to the sheriff’s office, the KCSO Major Crimes Unit is leading the investigation.
This is the second body to be recovered in the lake in one week. The Blount County Sheriff’s Office said a man’s body was recovered near George’s Creek Tuesday night, August 29 by the Blount Special Operations Response Team.
BCSO says that body has not been identified and is pending autopsy by the Knox County Regional Forensic Center.
Incumbent Indya Kincannon won Knoxville Mayor and will enter her second and final term as Mayor following yesterday’s Primary Election receiving 55% of the vote.
In the city council races, the top two candidates move on to the general election on November 7.
In the mayoral and judge elections, candidates had the chance of being outright elected if they received more than 50% of the vote.
Knoxville’s incumbent municipal judge, John Rosson Jr. won 38% of the vote so he will face off against Tyler Caviness in November.
Six candidates will move on in the three at-large races for Knoxville’s city-wide council seats.
This year, almost 8,000 people voted early. That’s down from 2019 . Most voters were over the age of 55, with over 6,000 votes cast compared to younger people, who cast just over 2,400 votes.
Around 16,000 people voted on Election Day, a historic low.
Six candidates will move on to the general election in November in the three at-large races for Knoxville’s city-wide council seats following the Primary Election.
For Seat A, Cameron Brooks and incumbent Lynne Fugate will face each other with Fugate taking the majority of the vote.
For Seat B, majority vote winner Debbie Helsley and Bentley Marlow will continue to face each other.
And for Seat C, incumbent Amelia Parker and Tim Hill with Parker taking the majority of the vote.
An important to to remember is that October 10 is your final chance to register to vote so you can vote on Election Day November 7th.
It’s unclear what the future holds for employees of Scott Recycling in Newport after a fire completely destroys the building.
Fire crews will remain at the site for a few days to make sure that fire is completely extinguished.
Employees don’t have any idea what will happen next but they do have another facility in Knoxville so many are hoping that Newport operations could be moved until something is determined about the Newport site but no official word on that has been released.
They have released a statement on their website:
Scott Recycling
IMPORTANT NOTICE! WE ARE TEMPORARILY UNABLE TO SERVICE ACCOUNTS
Due to a recent fire, we are forced to temporarily cease operations until further notice. The fire has resulted in significant damage to our corporate offices and processing facility, making it impossible to continue operations there. We are actively working to find a suitable alternative location as soon as possible, and anticipate that our operations will be suspended for approximately a month.
We appreciate your gestures of support during this time and thank you for your patience.
Mary Crippen, 61 Anyone with information regarding Crippen’s whereabouts is urged to contact police. (Courtesy: KPD)
Update:
Knoxville Police say 61-year-old Mary Crippen has been found safe after being reported missing on August 21st after last being seen at an abandoned property in the 2400 block of East Magnolia Avenue in June.
Original Story: Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knoxville Police Department is asking for help finding a missing woman.
KPD officials say 61-year-old Mary Crippen was last seen at an abandoned property in the 2400 block of East Magnolia Avenue in June and that she last spoke with family in early July.
They say Crippen was reported missing on August 21. She is described as 5′7, 120 pounds and has brown hair.
Anyone with information regarding Crippen’s whereabouts is urged to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers 865-215-7165. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Crews on the scene of an overnight fire in Cocke County.
The fire at at Scott Recycling also known as Scott Plastics off Verner Avenue, which is right off US 25E in Newport. Officials asking motorists to avoid the area as crews continue battling that fire which could take a day to completely put out.
Cocke County Sheriff C.J. Ball says the building is a total loss and no injuries have been reported.
Several agencies are on the scene assisting to control the blaze which contains burning plastics and the Sheriff says there is not believed to be any risk to the public right now due to the product burning.
A suspect is still at large after a man was arrested following a multi-agency manhunt, according to a release from the Caryville Police Department. (Courtesy: Caryville Police Department)
Caryville, TN (WOKI) A man considered “armed and dangerous” remains at-large following a multi-agency manhunt Friday in Caryville.
Caryville Police Department Officials say the search began around 9:00 a.m. after officers received word of a stolen Chevy Equinox which had already fled officers from the Williamsburg and Jellico Police Departments.
They say officers found the stolen vehicle on Flatwoods Road near the shooting range, and a pursuit ensued when the driver refused to stop. The vehicle then crashed near a cemetery, and two black men ran into the woods.
One suspect was eventually arrested around 9:40 p.m. The other remains at-large.
CPD officials say the at-large suspect is armed and dangerous.
Anyone who sees the suspect is urged not to approach him but to call 911 immediately.
Rockwood, TN (WOKI) A Rockwood woman is facing a murder charge after a four-year-old girl is shot and killed Sunday, August 27.
Arrest warrants obtained by our news partner WVLT show 25-year-old Breanna G. Devall Runions was charged after firing a loaded gun into the child’s chest. In the warrants, Runions claims that she was teaching the child about gun safety at the time though neither Runions nor another woman present in the home are parents to the victim and another child also present at the time of the incident.
Charging documents indicate Runions pressed the barrel of the gun to the girl’s chest after taking the magazine out, then pulled the trigger, killing the girl.
Runions is charged with aggravated child abuse and felony murder.
Kiera Cross, 16 Found safe in Knoxville (Courtesy: TBI)
Bristol, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Monday afternoon report that Kiera Cross has been located in Knoxville and is safe.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued an Endangered Child Alert for a missing 16-year-old girl out of Bristol.
TBI officials say Kiera Cross is 5′7″ and weighs 120 pounds. She was last seen on August 27 wearing a blue tank top, black and white shorts, and cheetah print slippers.
Kiera Cross, 16 (Courtesy: TBI)
Those with information are asked to call the Bristol Police Department at 423-989-5715 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
