The Knoxville County Planning Commission held its monthly meeting this week, where they discussed several issues among land use. One issue being the potential firearms range a Knoxville-based company wants to build in the New Hopewell community of South Knox county.
There were many items on the agenda to discuss regarding land and re-zoning. The planning commission wanted to postpone the use-on-review proposal until next month.
Pelennor Fields LLC. is associated with Jordan Mollenhour, the founder and owner of the Knoxville-based ammunition sales company Lucky Gunner. He made the application and plans on using the gun range for business use only, not open to the public. The property will be used for his creation of weapons, ammunition and for his clients.
Jeff Welch, who is the Director of Knoxville/Knox County Planning, said that this is a tricky situation considering the county does not have any control over firearm ranges.
“Firing ranges, we have some regulations at the county [level], but the state has other laws that oversee what we can do. We have very limited things we can place on a firing ranges,” said Welch.
The area where the range is potentially going to be is surrounded by several houses and residential communities. The people who live in that area are already voicing their concerns to the planning commission. Welch said this is something they are heavily considering, because the main issue that comes with the range is the noise and proximity to homes.
“Residents around the area, I’m not sure how close to that but within proximity of it, are concerned. As I understand he’s shooting into a closed area and not shooting above anything or above the skyline. So, I think the noise is the biggest issue and pushback for a firing range,” said Welch.
The planning commission’s next meeting will be Feb. 7 at 11:30 a.m. It is open to the public at the City County Building.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to find a missing 29 year-old man.
Matthew Hall was last seen the afternoon of January 7 at Mountain Top Bar & Gril in Rockwood.
Hel has hazel eyes and brown hair and was last seen wearing khaki shorts with black shoes and reported to be driving a gold Buick with TN tag #315-BGDJ.
If you have any information you asked to contact authorities.
Knox County district attorney Charme Allen’s office says Albert Thompkins Jr. was babysitting the victim at his home while she was in online schooling, and assaulted her.
Knoxville Police say the victim later came forward to a family member and Thompkins, Jr. made “incriminating admissions,” leading to the conviction.
Thompkins, Jr. also reportedly has prior felony convictions for aggravated assault and sale of counterfeit controlled substances. He was convicted of two counts of rape of a child and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. He is set to serve 33 years in prison without parole.
Lisa Marie Presley, who died on Jan. 12, lived most of her life under the public eye as the singer was the sole daughter of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley. But growing up with the King of Rock ‘n Roll as her father made things “very exciting,” she said.
“He’d always wake me up to sing in the middle of the night, get on the table and sing,” Lisa Marie recalled during an interview on Good Morning America in 2009, People reported. “I remember him as my dad, but he was a very exciting dad.”
The iconic couple had Lisa nine months after their wedding, and she was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 1, 1968.
Her time with Elvis in the home was fun, she explained, as she recalled during an interview with The Associated Press in 2012 that he would ride her around on golf carts through the neighborhood.
She also recalled seeing his extravagant entrances as he came down the stairs.
“He was always fully, fully geared up. You’d never see him in his pajamas coming down the steps, ever,” she told the outlet in 2012. “You’d never see him in anything but ‘ready to be seen’ attire.”
Her parents divorced, however, in 1973, when Lisa Marie was 4, and she and her mother moved to Los Angeles.
It was out West where Lisa Marie met Michael Jackson during one of her father’s Las Vegas concerts when she was 7. She and the King of Pop later married.
Elvis died years later, in August 1977. He was 42.
She stayed at Graceland that night and recalled kissing her father goodnight before he collapsed and never recovered. She found him the next morning on the bathroom floor.
“I just had a feeling,” she told Rolling Stone in 2003. “He wasn’t doing well. All I know is I had it (a feeling), and it happened. I was obsessed with death at a very early age.”
His death made her the joint heir to his estate, and, when her grandfather, Vernon Presley and great-grandmother, Minnie Mae Hood Presley passed away in 1979 and 1980, she became the sole heir to the Graceland residence.
Lisa Marie Presley, Priscilla Presley & Elvis Presley (Magma Agency/WireImage)
American rock legend Elvis Presley with his daughter Lisa-Marie Presley. (Frank Carroll/Sygma via Getty Images)
Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley & Elvis Presley (Magma Agency/WireImage)
Lisa Marie followed in her late father’s footsteps in picking up an interest in music and carried his legacy. Her father heavily influenced her music.
“It’s been all my life,” she told The Associated Press in 2012, referencing his influence. “It’s not something that I now listen to and it’s different. Although I might listen closer. I remain consistent on the fact that I’ve always been an admirer. He’s always influenced me.”
She married Danny Keough, a Chicago-based musician, in October 1988.
The two welcomed two children, daughter Riley in 1989 and son Benjamin in 1992, and divorced in May 1994.
Less than a month later, she and Jackson got married.
“I am very much in love with Michael, I dedicate my life to being his wife. I understand and support him,” she explained at the time, People reported. “We both look forward to raising a family.”
The relationship lasted two years.
This August 16, 1994 file photo shows US pop star Michael Jackson and his then wife Lisa-Marie Presley arriving at the airport in Budapest. (AFP via Getty Images)
Michael Jackson and wife Lisa Marie Presley in 1995 at Versailles, France. (Michel Dufour/WireImage)
“The one thing that correlates with Michael and with my father on this subject is that they had the luxury of creating whatever reality around them they wanted to create,” Lisa Marie told Oprah Winfrey in 2016, according to HuffPost. “They could have the kinds of people who were going to go with their program or not go with their program. If they weren’t, then they could be disposed of.”
Jackson died on June 25, 2009.
Lisa Marie also got engaged to musician John Oszajca in 2000, but broke it off when she met actor Nicolas Cage.
Two years later, Lisa Marie and Cage were married. They held a secret ceremony on the 25th anniversary of Elvis’ death in Hawaii but split up less than four months later.
“I’m sad about this, but we shouldn’t have been married in the first place,” Lisa Marie explained through her publicist, Paul Bloch.
Lisa Marie married again in 2006 to Michael Lockwood, and the two welcomed twin daughters, Harper and Finley, in 2008.
Singer Lisa Marie Presley (L) and musician Michael Lockwood arrive at the “Mad Max: Fury Road” Los Angeles Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on May 7, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)
Lisa Marie Presley and performs on stage with husband and guitarist Michael Lockwood at the Triple Door Theater on August 28, 2013 in Seattle, Washington. (Mat Hayward/Getty Images)
Their relationship also ended when Marie filed for divorce in June 2016. The two separated, and the divorce was finalized in 2021. A lengthy custody battle was fought over the children.
Lisa Marie was “ferociously protective” of her children, she told Healthy Living in 2014.
“I just smother them in love,” she added. “They are my priority. That’s what I do. That’s what I care most about. I keep them close to me and make sure they are happy and healthy.”
In 2020, Lisa Marie lost her son Benjamin to suicide. It fundamentally changed her life.
“My beautiful, beautiful angel, I worshiped the ground you walked on, on this earth and now in Heaven,” she wrote on Instagram after his passing. “My heart and soul went with you. The depth of the pain is suffocating and bottomless without you every moment of every day.”
She expressed her grief openly in the years since, most recently in an essay for People Magazine in 2022.
“I’ve dealt with death, grief and loss since the age of 9 years old. I’ve had more than anyone’s fair share of it in my lifetime, and somehow, I’ve made it this far,” she wrote at the time.
“But this one, the death of my beautiful, beautiful son? The sweetest and most incredible being that I have ever had the privilege of knowing, who made me feel so honored every single day to be his mother? Who was so much like his grandfather on so many levels that he actually scared me? Which made me worry about him even more than I naturally would have?” her essay continued. “No. Just no … no, no, no, no…”
“It’s a real choice to keep going, one that I have to make every single day and one that is constantly challenging, to say the least … But I keep going for my girls,” she wrote. “I keep going because my son made it very clear in his final moments that taking care of his little sisters and looking out for them were on the forefront of his concerns and his mind. He absolutely adored them, and they him.”
Lisa Marie Presley and her children Benjamin Keough (R), Riley Keough (L), and her half-brother Navarone Garibaldi (back) attend the premiere of “Lilo and Stitch” at the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood on June 16, 2002. (CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Lisa Marie died on Thursday, Jan. 12, after being transported to the hospital following a possible cardiac arrest. Priscilla confirmed the death that evening.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” Priscilla said in a statement. “She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known.”
Those across the country immediately felt the loss as Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, John Travolta and others mourned her death.
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dollywood Parks & Resorts is gearing up for an exciting 2023 season, one which includes the opening of a new roller coaster—Big Bear Mountain—as well as a new resort, by hosting a number of hiring events over the coming weeks. Exciting perks—including 100% free tuition, competitive wages, free lunch, and more—add to the reasons why The Dollywood Company is the perfect fit for anyone regardless of their career aspirations.
From part-time positions for students to full-time careers with ample chances for advancement and everything in between, working at Dollywood may very well become a lifetime home for those looking for something that provides a little bit more than the “regular” job. Positions are available at each of the company’s properties, with most event attendees being hired on the spot with a position for the 2023 season at either Dollywood, Dollywood’s Splash Country, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa. Later this year, positions will become available at the new Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort.
Available positions will be posted at Dollywoodjobs.com on January 16. The first major hiring event of 2023 takes place Saturday, Jan. 28 at Sevier County High School from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Additional hiring events take place at Jefferson County High School (Saturday, Feb. 4), Sevierville Civic Center (Saturday, Feb. 18) and Seymour Heights Christian Church (Saturday, Feb. 25). All hiring events take place from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Applicants are encouraged to attend the earliest hiring event possible for the largest selection of available opportunities.
Positions are available for the entire length of the 2023 operating season, as well as shorter peak season openings, which are perfect for applicants looking for a fun summer position or for those looking to earn a little extra money during the Christmas holidays. Applicants must be 14 years of age or older.
Positions are available on several teams including Dollywood’s award-winning culinary and merchandise teams, as well as park operations positions including ticketing, transportation, house and grounds, and more. Among the openings at Dollywood’s Splash Country are house and grounds, lifeguards and culinary services positions. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa also has a number of openings available including food and beverage, front desk, bell/valet, and housekeeping positions.
Interested applicants may view opportunities, as well as job descriptions and basic requirements for each position, at dollywoodjobs.com. Applicants can signify their interest in a position by following the online instructions to complete the application process. Technical support will be available at the hiring events to assist applicants.
Dollywood Parks & Resorts plans to host a number of hiring events throughout the season to give potential employees an opportunity to attend at the time that best suits their individual needs. Additionally, new job opportunities are posted throughout the year at dollywoodjobs.com.
Dollywood Parks & Resorts employees receive a variety of unique benefits including 100% free tuition through Herschend’s GROW U. program, access to the Dollywood Family Healthcare Center, along with complimentary Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country admission for family and friends. Hosts are provided free meals for every working shift, and also take part in Dollywood’s Park Perks program which provides free or reduced admission to a large number of regional attractions, theaters and experiences. A comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision, is available for qualified full-time employees. Dollywood also pays a portion of childcare costs for hosts whose children are cared for at a WeeCare-affiliated provider. Numerous development opportunities also are available to help employees develop leadership skills, including an apprenticeship program in conjunction with Walters State Community College.
In 2022, Forbes named The Dollywood Company as one of the best employers in the country, according to a ranking on their website. Additionally, the company received a national Top Workplaces award from USA Today/Gannett.
Tennessee has the highest rate of foster care instability in the nation according to information in The State of the Child 2022.
The annual report released by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth shows our state has had the highest rate of foster care instability in the nation every year from 2016 to 2020. In the most recent data, Puerto Rico was the state or territory that came closest at 26% compared to Tennessee’s 34%.
The number of children living in poverty declined by 8% between 2019 and 2021.
In September 2022, 23% of Tennessee households with children reported sometimes or often not having enough to eat in the previous week.
A traffic stop in Union County results in the arrest of three people on various charges including drugs, driving on a revoked license and criminal impersonation.
The drug unit with the Union County Sheriff’s Office made the traffic stop on Main Street yesterday (Wednesday) in Maynardville. While searching the car, officers found substancs believed to be methamphetamine and heroin.
Jesse Hubbs was arrested for driving on a revoked license, failure to maintain lane, and possession with intent to sell.
Two passengers were also arrested. Cody Kitts, who had an active arrest warrant out of Knox County and Dean McPherson for criminal impersonation and violation of parole.
The White House announced Wednesday that President Biden has been briefed on the massive FAA outage, though asserting that there’s no evidence it was caused by any cyberattack.
“The President has been briefed by the Secretary of Transportation this morning on the FAA system outage,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted before 7:40 a.m. ET. “There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point, but the President directed DOT [Department of Transportation] to conduct a full investigation into the causes. The FAA will provide regular updates.”
An FAA system failure prompted massive flight delays Wednesday morning. All domestic departures were grounded until 9 a.m. ET, though the Federal Aviation Administration said some departures were resuming at Newark Liberty and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airports “due to air traffic congestion in those areas.”
The FAA said it is still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system following an outage. The FAA ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. ET “to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information,”. McGhee Tyson Airport delaying departures until 9:30 a.m.
At 8 a.m. Eastern, there were more than 2,500 delayed flights within, into or out of the United States, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware, exceeding the number of all delayed flights on the previous day. More than 150 have been canceled. Those numbers are likely to grow.
More than 21,000 flights were scheduled to take off in the U.S. today, mostly domestic trips, and about 1,840 international flights expected to fly to the U.S., according to aviation data firm Cirium.
A message board shows departures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 11. 2023. (AP Photo/Nathan Ellgren)
Biden addressed the FAA issue Wednesday before leaving the White House. He said he had just been briefed by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who told him they still had not identified what went wrong.
“I just spoke to Buttigieg. They don’t know what the cause is. But I was on the phone with him about 10 minutes,” Biden said. “I told him to report directly to me when they find out. Air traffic can still land safely, just not take off right now. We don’t know what the cause of it is.”
A Southwest plane lands at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. A computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration brought flights to a standstill across the U.S. on Wednesday, with hundreds of delays quickly cascading through the system at airports nationwide. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Buttigieg said in a tweet that he is in touch with the FAA and monitoring the situation.
Most delays were concentrated along the East Coast, but were beginning to spread west. Inbound international flights into Miami International Airport continued to land, but all departures have been delayed since 6:30 a.m., said airport spokesman Greg Chin.
Updated story courtesy of Fox News
Original story: The Federal Aviation Administration says some functions are beginning to come back on-line, National Airspace System operations remain limited.
The FAA has now ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Eastern Time to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information.
They are still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system which alerts pilots and other personnel about airborne issues and other delays at airports across the country following an earlier outage.
While the FAA has not enforced a grounding of aircraft due to the outage, most airlines have chosen to ground their own craft due to the system’s failure. The failure has so far resulted in some 400 canceled flights across the U.S., according to FlightAware.
President Biden has been briefed by the Secretary of Transportation this morning on the FAA system outage. There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point, but the President directed DOT to conduct a full investigation into the causes.
United Airlines announcing its decision to ground all of its aircraft until 10 a.m. ET due to the outage.
The incident comes roughly a week after an air traffic issue prompted the FAA to slow all flight traffic in Florida earlier this month.
The Knoxville City Council approves funding of no more than $150,00 to hire a company to apply for grants to help fund the more than $50 million dollar pedestrian bridge project which will connect The University of Tennessee to South Knoxville.
The bridge would consist of walking and bike trails only, starting from Thompson-Boling Arena across to the South Knox waterfront over the Tennessee River.
City officials are planning on using the majority of federal grant funding to pay for the project which includes the RAISE grant.
Original Story: A bridge connecting The University of Tennessee to the southern banks of the Tennessee River is under development and will be known as the Pedestrian Bridge.
The bridge would consist of walking and bike trails only, starting from Thompson-Boling Arena across to the South Knox waterfront, connecting the campus to South Knoxville and the 18 miles of greenways that are part of the Knoxville Urban Wilderness.
The river is a natural amenity for the university but is also a natural barrier, making it harder to expand the campus.
Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville, said the expansion will help the south Knox community.
“If it’s built, we will be able to promote that as another way to get around our town, and I think that’s great for visitors and great for Knoxvillians and great for students and their family and also great for business and whatever develops because of it,” said Bumpas.
“I think the bridge and the way people will engage with the waterfront is just another opportunity,” said Bumpas.
This project has been discussed by stakeholders, university and city officials for 15 years now. The Knoxville City Council will decide this evening whether to approve the funding of the $55 million bridge. Bumpas says this will change Knoxville and help not only the university but the city as well.
“You will just see this ability for people to walk and commute that way and ride their bikes or however they’re going to use that bridge to get across. I think that’s going to be great for business because we’ve all created our own pathways to south Knoxville but to have one that is a little more dedicated for that form of transportation versus car, I think, will be huge,” said Bumpas.
City officials are planning on using the majority of federal grant funding to pay for the project. They will apply for the RAISE grant. The deadline for applying for the grant is February 28.
