Sevier County Sheriff’s Office looking for missing man, James Grady Russell, 63 (Courtesy: SCSO)
Sevier County, Tn (WOKI) Sevier County Sheriff’s Office officials are on the lookout for a missing man who they say could be at risk of suicide.
Officials say 63 year-old James Russell was last seen leaving a home on Pullen Road Monday evening. They say Russell had sent messages indicating suicidal tendencies and that he left his belongings at the home.
Anyone with information on Russell’s whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Dexter Robbins or the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office CID at 865-428-1899.
UPDATE (8/15/23): Tellico Plains town officials report the water system is back up and running, but a boil advisory is now in effect. “After you boil your water, it is safe to drink. We are asking you to do this for a few days to be on the safe side,” officials said.
All Tellico-area schools will be closed on Wednesday, according to MCS. The schools affected are Coker Creek Elementary School, Rural Vale School, Tellico Plains Elementary School, Tellico Plains Junior High School and Tellico Plains High School.
ORIGINAL STORY: Tellico Plains, TN (WOKI) Storms moving through our area have left one East Tennessee town with major flooding.
Tellico Plains residents will see many roads flooded this morning but that’s not the worst of it.
Mayor Marilyn Parker says that many residents have lost their water service due to flooding at the water plant which is three feet under water. Parker says they are working at the treatment plant but don’t know how long it will take to get water service restored.
Knoxville Police are reminding you to make sure you lock your car.
Officials say two more guns were stolen from unlocked cars this weekend. So far this year, thieves have stolen more than 70 guns from cars in Knoxville.
Police say if you have a gun make sure you keep it out of sight if you leave it in your car.
The Knox County Mental Health Court Advisory Board will meet for the first time this Thursday to begin ironing out an operations timeline that will establish a court for adult defendants who have serious and persistent mental illnesses.
The meeting will be held in the Small Assembly Room of the City/County Building at 3 p.m. on Aug. 17.
The court is designed to provide individualized treatment as an alternative to incarceration and strengthen the justice system’s ability to identify, asses, and monitor the participants. It will also improve public safety by ensuring that participants receive high quality, community-based services.
Similar courts were established across the country beginning in the 1990s and there are about 300 of them. The concept, however, is fairly new in Tennessee, which has only seven such mental health courts. Knox County would become the eighth – something Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond are proud to have begun working on more than a year ago.
“Mental health is a strong contributor to the cycle of incarceration in Knox County, and across the country,” said Mayor Jacobs. “I’m glad we are working to become one of the state’s early adopters of helping and/or treating the individual rather than perpetuating that cycle, which is expensive, ineffective, and doesn’t address the underlying problem.”
The goals of the Knox County Mental Health Court include improving the quality of life for participants; reducing incarceration and recidivism; reducing correction costs; improving public health and safety; and increasing treatment accountability and success.
“Mental illness, like physical illnesses, can affect anyone regardless of education, income, or zip code,” said Hammond, who also chairs the 6-member committee. “If someone comes to court with a broken arm, we do what we can to get them bandaged up. The same should be true if they’re in need of treatment for a mental health issue. Research shows that showing this kind of care and compassion is more likely to keep people out of the justice system.”
The advisory board includes Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond, Attorney General Charme Allen, Criminal Court Judge Steven Sword, Criminal Sessions Judge Chuck Cerny, Public Defender Eric Lutton, and local attorney Jonathan Cooper.
The group plans to meet again Thursday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. in the same location.
UPDATE (8/14/23): After almost two weeks on the run, a Knoxville teen is taken into custody Monday in connection to the August 1 shooting at Edgewood Park.
Knoxville Police Department officials report Mohammed Ibaawee was taken into custody on Pertinax Drive. He is charged with attempted first-degree murder among other charges, stemming from the August 1st shooting that happened at Edgewood Park.
A 19-year-old man was seriously injured in that shooting.
UPDATE: Homicide Unit detectives have obtained warrants charging Mohammed Ibaawee, 19, with attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery and employing a firearm with the intent to go armed, stemming from the August 1st shooting that happened at Edgewood Park. A 19-year-old man was seriously injured in the shooting.
Anyone with information concerning Ibaawee’s whereabouts is urged to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Ibaawee should be considered armed and dangerous.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Knoxville Police Department Homicide Unit is investigating a shooting that happened on Tuesday afternoon in Edgewood Park.
At just after 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, KPD Officers responded to 2901 Ocoee Trail on the report of a shooting with a victim.
Officers arrived on scene and found a man, age 19, who had been shot multiple times in the parking lot adjacent to the library. The victim was transported to the UT Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition.
Numerous Officers responded to the area and were unable to locate the suspect despite extensive efforts to do so.
The shooting is not believed to be random in nature. Based on the investigation conducted so far, it is believed that the victim arrived at the location where the shooting occurred to make a pre-arranged purchase.
Detectives are pursuing strong leads in the investigation, which remains ongoing at this time.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville police arrest four Thursday in a Marble City drug operation.
Knoxville Police Department officials say 60 year-old Asa Hobbs, 63 year-old Joseph Simpson, 67 year-old David Haynes, and 34 year-old Rachel Newman, all from Knoxville, were arrested by the Organized Crime Unit.
As part of the operation, two of the suspects homes were searched leading police to discover a handgun and drugs to include heroin, meth, and pills. Police also report that Haynes and Newman had outstanding warrants.
Officials say the investigation was spurred after receiving numerous complaints of suspected drug sales in the area.
Organized Crime Unit investigations are still ongoing, according to police.
Knox County will offer a free, one-time assistance program to help county homeowners remove green waste from private property in response to the tornado that recently touched down in the community.
The county will pick up green waste only—trees, limbs, and brush, etc.—generated from county residents’ private property and those living in the town of Farragut. Assistance is not being offered properties within Knoxville city limits as the city already provides a similar service regularly.
Green waste must fit into the bed of a standard-sized dump truck. Overly large tree sections (longer than 6 feet) will not be accepted. All green waste must be placed in the public right of way and not on private property.
“These storms had a major impact as they passed through,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. “While we are appreciative of the immense support from the non-profit and faith-based communities, community volunteers, and friendly neighbors, we’ve gotten a lot of calls about this need and are happy to be taking steps to provide it.”
The proposal for and contract with emergency green waste collection facilitator Phillips and Jordan will be brought before Knox County Commission at their next meeting; the service should begin shortly after and be ongoing for about two weeks.
Phillips and Jordan will service the hardest hit areas, such as northwest Knox County. Knox County Engineering and Public Works crews will service the remaining areas.
Green waste from commercial properties, construction and building materials, or demolition waste cannot be picked up due to cost and logistics. However, homeowners can take small amounts of this type of debris to the county’s seven convenience centers.
For specific inquiries or to request green waste pickup, please call Knox County Engineering and Public Works at 865-215-5800.
Additionally, residents are encouraged to sign up for the Emergency Notification System, which sends alerts via text, email, and/or voice call. Register at the link https://www.knoxcounty.org/alert/index.php or by calling the City of Knoxville’s 311 service line (865-215-4311).
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Communication and Information has appointed Peyton Manning a professor of practice starting in the fall 2023 term.
Manning is a nationally recognized media personality, entrepreneur, sports commentator and former professional athlete. As part of his appointment, Manning will join select classes during the academic year as a featured expert, bringing significant industry experience to the classroom and working alongside the college’s nationally recognized faculty to provide transformative learning experiences for CCI students.
“There is no other ambassador for our college and university like Peyton Manning, and we are proud to welcome him to the college’s faculty,” said Joseph Mazer, dean of the College of Communication and Information. “Peyton is a true Volunteer, and I look forward to our students gaining invaluable knowledge from him as we continue to prepare the next generation of communication and information leaders.”
Manning graduated from UT in 1997 with a degree in speech communication after leading the Vols to an SEC football championship. He went on to a storied NFL career, launched the entertainment company Omaha Productions and has remained steadfast in his dedication to the Volunteer community.
“My time as a student in the College of Communication and Information was a foundational experience during which I learned critical skills and messaging techniques that I continue to put to use almost daily,” Manning said. “I look forward to working with the college’s talented faculty and directly with students in an effort to ensure they are well prepared for their future careers.”
Bringing Industry Experience to the Classroom
Manning will partner with CCI faculty and teach a variety of topics that align with the college’s curriculum including sports reporting, video production and performance, leadership and communication, and public speaking.
In addition to successful college and professional football careers, Manning appears in numerous commercials and hosts and produces shows for ESPN+, ESPN2 and NBC. He has served as host of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” guest voiced (with his brothers Eli and Cooper) on an episode of “The Simpsons” and voiced Guapo in the 2017 movie “Ferdinand.”
In 2020, Manning launched Omaha Productions, a company that focuses on developing content that champions hard work, encourages the pursuit of passion and celebrates community. On his show “Peyton’s Places,” a documentary series about football on ESPN+, Manning visits locations connected to NFL history and interviews players, coaches and celebrities.
Manning hosted and served as executive producer of a 2021 revival of the NBC quiz show “College Bowl,” with his brother Cooper as his sidekick. That same year, he and his brother Eli began hosting an alternative broadcast of “Monday Night Football” called “ManningCast” on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
A Legacy of Giving Back to the College of Communication and Information
Manning and Haas As a UT alumnus, Manning has made several impactful contributions to the university and college. Manning’s philanthropic support of the college hit a full-circle moment in 2018, when he donated $1 million to establish the John Haas Student Experiential Learning Endowment to honor the former director of the School of Communication Studies. Haas served as one of Manning’s professors and his academic adviser at UT. The endowment supports student trips, study abroad, internships and other opportunities for communication studies students to grow and develop outside the classroom.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when classes at UT had moved online, Manning surprised a senior CCI capstone class by dropping in to one of their classes via Zoom. He was the first of several alumni to take part in the VFL Class Crash series meant to encourage students to keep excelling in their classes.
Manning’s student support spans the university. In 1998, he established the Peyton Manning Scholarship, a competitive four-year opportunity for some of the brightest first-year UT students. Since its inception, the scholarship has benefited over 50 recipients. In addition to scholarship support, Manning provides internships through Omaha Productions to UT journalism and electronic media students, giving them hands-on experience and enhancing their knowledge within the industry.
Manning also serves as an honorary member of the college’s Board of Visitors, an alumni group that advises the college on preparing today’s students and tomorrow’s communication and information leaders. In recognition of his service to the college, Manning received the 2007 Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award, the college’s top alumni honor.
