Lonas Drive in West Knoxville was closed this morning as Knoxville Firefighters work a fire at a former business.
Crews called to 4329 Lonas Drive around 3 this morning and found heavy flames and smoke coming from the building, formerly El Tipico, which was vacant and up for sale.
The building has sustained heavy fire, smoke and water damage and is likely a total loss.
Knoxville Fire Department Investigators are on the scene working to determine a cause. If anyone has any information about the fire, they are encouraged to contact the Knoxville Fire Department Arson Hot Line at 865-637-1386.
The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office will hold a memorial service on the one year anniversary of Sergeant Chris Jenkins death.
Jenkins was killed in the line of duty when he was hit by a tractor-trailer on I-75 while trying to remove debris from the interstate. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Christopher Savannah, reportedly did not slow down with traffic while Jenkins was working and hit several cars and Jenkins.
The memorial service is set for this Friday at 8:30 a.m. at the sheriff’s office and is open to the public.
Authorities are asking for help to find the man responsible for a theft at Great Smokies Flea market.
When the store was closed, a man was caught on cameras breaking in and taking thousands worth of merchandise then picked up by someone in a white minivan. Victim Brandon McCoy
says the man took more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from him.
If you have any information, you are asked to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into a deadly house fire in Union County.
Crews responding to the fire in the 300 block of Clinch Valley Road in Luttrell yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.
TBI says Four juveniles and one adult were found dead inside the home.
TBI is working with the Union County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the fire.
Original story: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating a deadly house fire in Union County.
WVLT reporting Fire Crews were called to the 300th block of Clinch Valley Road in Luttrell yesterday (Sunday) for a house fire and discovered a dead body inside.
TBI is working with the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued an Endangered child alert for an 8 year-old boy out of Maryville who is believed to be with his non-custodial mother.
Jycon Rogerson is believed to be with 31 year-old Alisha Jones. She is wanted by Maryville Police for Custodial Interference.
If you have any information, please call 1-800- TBI- FIND.
We have an update on the two children critically injured in a crash over a week ago on Magnolia Avenue that killed their grandfather and involved two suspects who have been charged for drag racing and other charges.
Eleven-year-old Gage and his 6-year-old sister Hadley are in East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Gage could be released from the hospital this weekend after suffering a broken pelvis and other injuries but Hadley suffered a broken neck, jaw, pelvis and arm and there’s no word on when she will be released.
Family member Shawn East says they expect both children to make a full recovery and says what the two children need most are prayers.
Producer Jeffrey Seller and the Tennessee Theatre announce a digital lottery for HAMILTON tickets will begin in conjunction with the show’s first performance (February 7) in Knoxville at the Tennessee Theatre. A limited number of tickets will be available for every performance for $10 each. The lottery will first open at 10:00 AM Friday, January 27 and will close at 12:00 PM Thursday, February 2 for tickets to performances February 7 – 12. The lottery for the second week of performances (February 14 – 19) will open at 10:00 AM Friday, February 3 and will close at 12:00 PM Thursday, February 9.
HOW TO ENTER
· Use the official app for HAMILTON, now available for all iOS and Android devices in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store (http://hamiltonmusical.com/app).
· The lottery will open at 10:00 AM every Friday and will close for entry at 12:00 PM the next Thursday prior to the following week’s performances.
· Winner and non-winner notifications will be sent between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM every Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances via email and mobile push notification. Winners will have two hours to claim and pay for their ticket(s).
· No purchase or payment necessary to enter or participate.
· Each winning entrant may purchase up to two (2) tickets.
· Only one entry per person. Repeat entries and disposable email addresses will be discarded.
· Lottery tickets may be picked up at will call beginning 2 hours prior to the performance with a valid photo ID.
· Lottery tickets void if resold.
· All times listed are in the local time zone.
ADDITIONAL RULES
Patrons must be 18 years or older and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the name used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. Ticket limits and prices displayed are at the sole discretion of the show and are subject to change without notice.
Lottery prices are not valid on prior purchases. Lottery ticket offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. All sales final – no refunds or exchanges. Lottery may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. A purchase will not improve the chances of winning.
Patrons are advised to check the official HAMILTON channels and TennesseeTheatre.com for late release seats which may become available at short notice.
HAMILTON is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, HAMILTON has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.
With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. It has won Tony®, Grammy®, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.
The HAMILTON creative team previously collaborated on the Tony Award ® Winning Best Musical
HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, casting by The Telsey Office, Bethany Knox, CSA, and General Management by Baseline Theatrical.
The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.
The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide. The HAMILTON recording received a 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album.
Knoxville Police are investigating a fatal North Knoxville accident involving a pedestrian.
KPD responded to I-75 North, near Merchant Drive last night, where a man was struck by at least one vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say a witness reported seeing the victim lying in the roadway and shortly after seeing him, he was struck by a vehicle which remained at the scene. Police are trying to determine whether the victim was hit by another vehicle before he was seen in the road by the witness.
His body taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination and identification.
Anyone with information is asked to call East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
The Tennessee Department of Education announcing additional registered teacher occupation programs are now available for aspiring educators through Tennessee’s Grow Your Own initiative – https://www.tn.gov/education/grow-your-own.html —immediately expanding opportunity to train future teachers and strengthening the teacher pipeline in Tennessee.
To further strengthen the state’s educator pipeline, two additional educator preparation providers (EPPs) – the University of Memphis and Arete Memphis Public Montessori – have been approved to offer teacher apprenticeships, bringing additional educator talent to the state to increase high-quality academic opportunities for Tennessee students. Read more on the state’s newly approved models in an overview (https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/grow-your-own/TDOE_GYO_Models_Overview.pdf), with additional Grow Your Own resources recently added to the state’s page: https://www.tn.gov/education/grow-your-own.html
“Educators statewide work hard to advance students’ academic outcomes and ensure future readiness, inspiring their growth and achievement every day,” said Commissioner Schwinn. “Continuing to add Teacher Apprenticeship models across the state helps us continue to strengthen and sustain the state’s educator pipeline through expansions of these trusted programs for educators.”
University of Memphis now offers a bachelor’s teacher apprenticeship pathway
Arete Memphis Public Montessori now offers a licensure-only pathway
“The GYO Program will positively impact the apprentices who participate as well as our district partners,” said Dr. Nichelle Robinson, Director of Teacher Education and Clinical Practice, University of Memphis. “Each cohort of apprentices will build bonds with each other and our UofM College of Education faculty as they receive the supports needed to become teachers who will positively impact student learning. We will see the teacher pipeline grow over time as apprentices return to their community as highly effective classroom teachers familiar with their districts and the students those districts serve.”
“At-risk students in Tennessee need access to more quality teachers to help them flourish,” said Bob Nardo, Executive Director, Arete Memphis Montessori Residency. “The GYO Apprenticeship makes high quality, on the job teacher formation more affordable and accessible for promising candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. GYO will be instrumental as we double the diversity and triple the number of educators prepared to provide a rich and rigorous public Montessori education.”
Tennessee was the first state to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to have Teacher Apprenticeship programs between school districts and EPPs, and Tennessee’s Teacher Apprenticeship models aligns leading practices in teacher preparation and development with the rigors of the nationally registered apprenticeship process. As a part of the department’s Best for All strategic plan, the Grow Your Own initiative aims to set a new path for the educator profession and for Tennessee to be the top state in which to become and remain a teacher and leader.
“To identify talented teachers, school districts must be innovative in their approach to recruiting and hiring,” said Dr. Jon Rysewyk, Director of Schools, Knox County Schools. “The Grow Your Own program has been instrumental in helping educational assistants and other professionals from Knox County take the next step toward full certification, and it has been a game-changer for Knox County Schools as we seek to provide great educators in every school.”
“Our district is grateful for the opportunity to have the Grow Your Own Teacher Apprenticeship program,” said Michael Davis, Director of Schools, Hardin County Schools. “This program expands opportunities for our students and encourages them to pursue an impactful career in teaching, where they will strengthen the success of our community in the future. Hardin County is very grateful for this new teacher apprenticeship program and excited for our future teachers!”
“The Grow Your Own Teacher Apprentice Program has allowed us to fill teaching positions with people we who already know our students, have relationships established with our stakeholders and understand our culture and expectations,” said Timothy Watkins, Director of Schools, Obion County Schools.
“The Grow Your Own program in Hamilton County Schools has become a valuable resource for our district. Not only do we have existing employees joining the program, but we are also seeing applicants come to the district as classified employees for the opportunity that the program provides them,” said Dr. Justin Robertson, Director of Schools, Hamilton County Schools. “It has been pivotal in helping us fill high-needs positions, like those in special education and math. With the success we have had to this point, we only expect our program to grow and become a bigger part of our staffing efforts in the years ahead.”
Through a strong partnership with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), the department is excited to celebrate the Grow Your Own initiative with a special event at the end of February, to ensure commitment that year after year, the state will continue to invest in high-quality, no-cost opportunities for Tennesseans to earn a degree and teacher’s license for free, while getting paid to do so.
In addition, to continuing to strengthen and sustain the educator profession, the department has strategically focused efforts on launching the Tennessee Teacher Retention Listening Tour, to hear directly from educators about their lived experiences in the classroom and is offering an opportunity to Tennessee teachers to contribute their input related to best practices or approaches to boost teacher retention across the state.
