An investigation is underway after six people were taken to the hospital following a car accident in Seymour which shut down Hendon Chapel Road for hours.
The wreck, which involved two cars, happened yesterday afternoon (Sunday) at Sevierville Pike. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office along with the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department responding and say the six were taken to the hospital but their conditions have not been released nor have any details on what caused the crash.
The Tennessee Department of Education releases data about third grade retention appeals, marking approximately two weeks left for families to submit a form to the department appealing decisions about their student’s potential retention in third grade. The appeals window will remain open until June 30, 2023, and the form is accessible at https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/thirdgradeappeal.
Since the appeals window opened on May 30, 2023, the department has received 9,205 appeal forms representing 8,206 unique students, as of Monday morning at approximately 7:00 a.m. CT. Of appeals received, 6,698 unique students have received approval on their appeal, 642 students have received a denial of their appeal, and 434 student appeals are still in process. Additionally, 432 appeal forms that were submitted were not applicable due to student eligibility.
Families of third grade students scoring “approaching” or “below” on the ELA portion of the 2023 spring TCAP assessment have multiple pathways to fourth grade promotionhttps://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/learning-acceleration/pathways-to-4th-grade-flow-chart-sizes/Pathways4thGrade_Poster24x18.pdf, including the appeals form, free summer camp and/or tutoring in the upcoming school year. Third grade students who scored “below” or “approaching” are eligible and are being prioritized for supports, including summer programming and tutoring supports, although some students may meet certain exceptions outlined in the law.
If a third grade student receives “approaching” on the ELA portion of the TCAP, the child’s parent may also submit an appeal within 14 days of local notification of receiving the decision of potential retention from their child’s school, documenting their child’s academic attainment on one of Tennessee’s approved Universal Reading Screeners or an event that impacts a child’s ability to perform well on the TCAP.
“Parents across the state are engaging in their child’s education and choosing the best pathway to ensure they are set up for success,” said Interim Commissioner Sam Pearcy. “We will continue to provide resources and supports as districts and schools have essential conversations with families of students who are not yet proficient and may benefit from additional learning supports like summer camp or tutoring throughout next school year.”
Legislation proposed this year by Governor Bill Lee and passed by the Tennessee General Assembly expanded summer camp opportunities to more students, including rising kindergarten through rising ninth grade students, providing additional learning supports to more grades and meeting the participation requirements, https://www.tn.gov/education/learning-acceleration.html including summer programming and tutoring supports, for promotion to fourth grade for eligible third grade students.
Fourth Grade Promotion Timelines
Beginning this summer, third grade students scoring “approaching” or “below” on the ELA portion of the spring TCAP assessment have multiple pathways to fourth grade promotion, including the TCAP retake opportunity, free summer camp and/or tutoring in the upcoming school year. Students who participated in the retake opportunity and did not score proficiently are also able to participate in other pathways to promotion to fourth grade, including summer camp and/or tutoring in the upcoming school year.
On May 22nd, the department released statewide averages for third grade TCAP ELA scores ahead of previous years’ timelines, highlighting historic gains in third grade reading after the launch of a new, comprehensive K-3 literacy strategy for Tennessee public schools. Then, on May 24th, the department released district-level 2023 TCAP performance averages for third grade English Language Arts (ELA). Access the 2023 TCAP ELA average scores for each district here.
On June 7th, the department released data about student participation in the TCAP retake opportunity. The data, accessible here, included district-level percentages of third grade students who were eligible to take the retake, who participated in the TCAP retake, and who improved their performance on the TCAP retake, benefitting from participating in this pathway to promotion to fourth grade in the upcoming school year. Of 44,395 Tennessee third grade students eligible to participate in the TCAP retake, 26,239 eligible students took the TCAP retake assessment. Statewide, 12.77% of retakers scored proficient and successfully completing the requirements of this pathway to promotion to fourth grade.
Families can find critical timeline information posted on the department’s website and should coordinate with their student’s school to ensure they can make informed decisions about their student’s education. The annual, full TCAP release, including all grades and subjects for state-level and district-level results, will be released in separate announcements this summer.
For additional information about Tennessee’s third grade acceleration strategy, visit https://www.tn.gov/education/learning-acceleration . For more information on Reading360, visit https://www.tn.gov/education/reading-360.html.
The Knoxville Fire Department continuing their investigation into a fire on Proctor Street involving industrial equipment.
It happened Friday and the initial investigation shows a large piece of industrial equipment used for chopping paper caught fire. The building’s commercial sprinkler system helped to keep the fire from spreading to other equipment and KFD personnel were able to extinguish the fire in about 45 minutes.
A fire is also being investigating by the Knoxville Fire Department at an abandoned home in West Knoxville.
Crews called to the 2500 block of Dayton Street after a call came in Saturday that smoke was coming from the window and found heavy fire and smoke conditions. Crews remained on the scene for hours to cool numerous hotspots throughout the structure.
If you have any information concerning trespassers in that home you are asked to contact the Knoxville Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit at 865-637-1386.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Authorities in Union County have arrested a New Tazewell man in connection to incidents of fondling on the University of Tennessee campus.
Law enforcement arrested 19-year-old Robert Bryson Scott on active warrants through the UT Police Department after he ran up to two different people Sunday, June 11 on the UT campus, grabbed their butts and ran.
Police say Scott is facing two felony counts of sexual battery-fondling, and that he is not a student at the college. He was booked into the Knox County Detention Center.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A UT football player has been indicted on an assault charge stemming from an incident at a Knoxville apartment complex in October.
Police records state Jaylen McCollough was arrested on October 9th after punching Zion Spencer who had walked into his apartment.
In the report, Spencer maintains he entered McCollough’s apartment by mistake and immediately closed the door and left. He says he was followed by someone, who became aggressive and punched him, causing him to fall down a set of stairs and lose consciousness.
McCollough claims that Spencer entered his apartment and refused to leave, even after being asked multiple times.
McCollough has an arraignment July 26th in Knox County Criminal Court on the assault charge.
McCollough graduated in November, but is still eligible to play for one more season. He’s currently on the UT roster for 2023.
A long-time staple for your gardening and other needs in North Knoxville is closing their doors.
Family owned Mayo Garden Center is closing their Powell location due to staffing shortages within the company. No official date has been announced but it could close later this summer.
Everything in the store is on sale. Mayo Garden Center sells power tools, outdoor furniture and gardening supplies and has been in Powell for about 25 years.
“It’s more than a business,” says store manager Derek Richards.
Richards says it’s unclear exactly when the store will close but says it will likely be later this summer. He says staffing shortages at that location, along with the two Knoxville locations has led to the store’s closing.
“For the far west store mainly,” Richards says. “With the service department, parts, sales associates, they just really struggled with it.”
Richards says it’s been going on for a couple of years, like many industries have dealt with post-pandemic hiring issues. He says the store’s employees will be transferred to the other two locations to help with staffing.
Plus, Richards says Mayo Garden Center is moving away from power equipment at all of their locations. He says the store closing will leave a hole in the community. Richards says “They’ve counted on us for 20-something years and to be here, we’ve been pretty consistent as far as that goes and I think we do well here with customer service.”
He says saying goodbye to the staff and customers will be the hardest part of shutting the doors.
Despite the Powell location closing, Richards says the two Knoxville locations, Bearden and Cedar Bluff, are in no danger of closing.
Members of the Mental Health Advisory Committee, appointed by Knox County Mayor Glenna Jacobs, on Tuesday will unveil details about the new mental health court, which is designed to help adult defendants with serious and persistent mental illnesses.
The public presentation will take place before the Knox County Commission at noon in the Main Assembly Room of the City/County Building (400 Main Street SW).
“At times, it can be incredibly difficult to navigate the judicial system,” said Criminal Court Clerk Hammond, who is also the chairman of the Mental Health Advisory Committee. “The goal of the mental health court is to figure out the root cause of a person’s arrest—sometimes repeated arrests—and get them the help they need, rather than throwing them in jail and perpetuating the cycle of incarceration.”
Mental Health Courts are specialized court dockets that utilize a problem-solving model as opposed to the traditional criminal court processing. These courts are designed to serve as an alternative to incarceration by addressing the underlying issues that led to an individual’s arrest through judicially supervised treatment plans developed by a team of court staff and mental health professionals.
They also help improve the quality of life for participants; reduce incarceration and recidivism; reduce correction costs; improve public health and safety; and increase treatment accountability and success.
Similar courts were established across the country beginning in the 1990s and there are about 300 of them. The concept, however, is relatively new to Tennessee, which has only seven such mental health courts. Knox County would become the eighth – something Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Hammond began working on roughly a year ago.
Mayor Jacobs first appointed an exploratory committee to address feasibility. The county also applied for and received state funding to cover the costs of the operation.
“The mental health epidemic is impacting Knox County in myriad ways,” said Mayor Jacobs. “Doing the same thing we’ve always done isn’t working; it’s time to innovate – and that’s what we’re doing. I’m excited to see the impact this court has on those who need it.”
During the overview, members of the Mental Health Advisory Committee will discuss the timeline for getting the court up and running and who will be eligible to participate. They also will talk more about how the court will operate and the benefits officials hope it will have on the community.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knoxville Police Department is asking for your help in identifying a suspect who robbed a United States Postal Service mail carrier on June 10.
KPD officials have now released images of the suspect who attempted to take a universal Arrow Key from a USPS employee but made off with a “cluster” entry key instead. The employee was putting mail into apartment boxes in the 5200 block of Rockcrest Road Saturday when the suspect approached the mail carrier brandishing a gun and demanding the key.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165 or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
Hawkins County, TN (WOKI) Two years after her disappearance, a newly released forensic photo is keeping the search for a missing Hawkins County child alive.
Five-year-old Summer Wells was first reported missing from her family’s home in the Beech Creek community on June 15, 2021. Now, with the help of forensic artists at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released an age progression image of what Summer may look like today.
TBI investigators say no new details have come to light in the search for Summer, and her AMBER Alert remains active. Anyone with tips or information is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Today would have been her 71st birthday and the Pat Summitt Foundation is holding a big fundraiser, called ‘Pat’s Day of Giving.’
Pat Summitt would have been 71 years old today and the Pat Summitt Foundation is holding a big fundraiser.
Pat’s Day of Giving raised more than $40,000 on her birthday last year, and they’re hoping to surpass $50,000 this year.
According to data from the Alzheimer’s Association, about 1 in 9 Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s.
Please go to https://www.patsummitt.org/ if you’d like to make a donation.
The Pat Summitt Foundation, a fund of East Tennessee Foundation, was established by Pat Summitt in November 2011 to fund research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, raise awareness, educate the public, and to provide support for both patients and their caregivers. Since it began, the Pat Summitt Foundation has granted over $3,000,000 to organizations across the region who want the same thing Pat Summitt did: a future where no one has to hear that a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
There are several ways outside of attending or sponsoring an event that you can support the Pat Summitt Foundation.
These gifts can be made through cash, appreciated stock, real estate, life insurance, or other type of gift.
To donate by mail at any time, please send a check to:
The Pat Summitt Foundation
520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Suite 1101
Knoxville, TN 37902
