An employee at a Dollar General in Sweetwater is charged after he tells authorities he set a fire inside the store.
Sweetwater Police Officers went to the Dollar General store in the 800 block of North Main Street on Saturday after a fire alarm was activated.
SPD says there was smoke coming from the building, and firefighters from several departments responded.
During the investigation, it was determined the fire was intentionally set, and Andrew Helton, an employee at the Dollar General, was identified as the suspect.
Helton was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated arson.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) An East Tennessee icon could be getting a bit more help growing its population: the Eastern Hellbender Salamander.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed increased protections for the salamanders under the Endangered Species Act.
Tennessee is among 15 states in which, under the proposal, the giant salamander species would receive protections.
Since the salamander is a key player in fresh water environments, those protections would prohibit people from harming the species or removing it from its habitat.
“The eastern hellbender is a unique salamander that plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems,” said Service Midwest Regional Director Will Meeks. “As key indicators of stream and river health, hellbenders need protection that also will help support healthier ecosystems across their range.”
The Endangered Species Act has saved around 99% of protected wildlife since its creation.
The Eastern Hellbender Salamander (Courtesy: WVLT)
Maryville, TN (WOKI) Kenneth DeHart Jr., the man accused of shooting two Blount County Sheriff’s Office deputies in February, injuring one and killing the other, could face the death penalty.
He appeared in a Blount County courtroom Friday for a formal arraignment.
The state has filed two notices, one seeking the death penalty. DeHart entered a not guilty plea on all charges.
The judge set April 13, 2026, as the trial’s start date.
BCSO Deputies Shelby Eggers and Greg McCowan stopped DeHart after he was found to be driving erratically. During the stop, the situation escalated, and DeHart reportedly shot both deputies, injuring Eggers and killing McCowan.
Kenneth DeHart, accused in Blount County deputy’s death, could face death penalty. (Courtesy: WVLT / WBXX)
A Knox County School is placed on lockdown this morning (Friday).
Officials say that L&N Stem Academy was placed on lockdown due to a law-enforcement investigation near the campus.
The school was locked down just after 9:30 a.m. and Scott Erland with the Knoxville Police Department says officers are investigating a possible threat that was near the school.
For the first time since July, American Medical Response is facing fines for not responding to Knox County emergencies on time.
The fines came in October, and AMR is citing large events, like the dynamite found at CMC Steel – a recycling facility, for the late response times. AMR says they were on the scene for 30 hours.
In October, AMR was late to 281 of the highest priority calls, resulting in more than $92,000 in adjusted fines.
Those fines stem from a new contract with Knox County which penalizes AMR if they don’t make it to calls within a set time frame.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Meals on Wheels is asking for help this holiday season brightening up seniors’ mornings with gift bags.
The organization has a program that allows people in East Tennessee to put together gift bags for seniors who will be spending the holidays at home, away from family.
Those interested are asked to put together bags with items like large pens, books, bars of soap, towels and more.
For more information and additional gift suggestions click here.
Meals on Wheels plans to deliver the bags on Christmas morning, along with a holiday meal.
Clairfield, TN (WOKI) Officials say there are multiple suspects in a double murder in Claiborne County.
More than six months after two men, Nathan Hamblin and Robert Hatfield, were found murdered at the abandoned Kopper Glo Coal Mine, investigators believe the suspects knew the men, but they’re having a hard time finding them and believe they may have left East Tennessee.
Officials with the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office say there has not been an arrest made yet, but you are asked to contact TBI or the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office at 423-626-3385 if you have any information.
Nathan Hamblin and Robert Hatfield were killed at the abandoned Kopper Glo Coal Mine back in June. (Courtesy: Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office)
Nashville, TN (WOKI) Update 12/12: Country music star Morgan Wallen appeared in a Nashville courtroom Thursday pleading guilty in his now infamous chair-throwing case.
Wallen pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor reckless endangerment charges, reduced Wednesday from felony reckless endangerment.
A Nashville judge approved a plea deal wherein the award-winning singer will serve seven days of jail time at a DUI rehab center.
The 31 year-old was arrested after he was seen throwing a chair from the top of Eric Church’s bar Chief’s during their opening weekend on April 7th.
The chair reportedly landed just a few feet away from two officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department, who were on foot patrol that night along Broadway.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV / WVLT) Update 12/10: Country singer Morgan Wallen did not appear in court on Tuesday but his lawyer went before a Nashville judge regarding his charges from April 2024, when he threw a lounge chair off the top of a Broadway bar.
Wallen, 31, was arrested for throwing a chair from the top of Chief’s, Eric Church’s bar on the night of April 7, 2024.
According to an arrest report, two Metro Nashville Police Department officers said the chair landed three feet from where they were patrolling on Broadway.
Wallen was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct as a result.Wallen’s lawyer attempts to explain what’s next for the singer’s court case in Nashville.
Wallen’s lawyer appeared briefly and filed the paperwork on Tuesday with the Davidson County judge. Now Wallen’s case will head to the Circuit Criminal Court.
A new court date has yet to be finalized.
Original: (WOKI) Knoxville native and Country music superstar attorney’s will appear in a Nashville court today on behalf of Morgan Wallen.
Wallen faces four charges stemming from an April incident where he was arrested for allegedly throwing a chair from a rooftop bar on Broadway.
The chair was thrown six stories from Chief’s, Eric Church’s bar.
Two Metro Nashville Police Department officers say the chair landed three feet from them.
Wallen was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct.
Triple A projects over 119 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home over the year-end holiday period which runs from December 21st to January 1st.
Triple A expects an additional 3 million travelers this holiday season compared to last year and is we are expected to be the record set in 2019.
It is forecast that 107 million people or 90% of travelers driving to their destination while almost 8 million will fly.
If you’re driving, the worst traffic delays will be the weekends before Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Knoxville Police say a 17-year-old is taken into custody after firing shots following an argument.
Officers responding to a shots fired call in the area of Walker Boulevard and Underwood Place yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.
Witnesses reported that the suspect walked away from the scene after the shooting but Officers found him within minutes on Valley View Drive and took him into custody.
KPD says the suspect admitted to firing the gun into the air multiple times following a domestic argument.
The suspect was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a weapon.
