Two Monroe County Deputies Accused of Bringing Contraband into Jail, TBI Says

Two Monroe County Deputies Accused of Bringing Contraband into Jail, TBI Says

December 9, 2024

Monroe County, TN (WOKI) Two now-resigned deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office are indicted on official misconduct counts.

The office started an investigation into Corrections Deputy Caleb Kirkland and Deputy Sheriff Ava Hensley which was taken over by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation when both deputies resigned.

Both deputies were indicted by a grand jury on December 4 and arrested that same day.

Kirkland was indicted on one count of official misconduct while Hensley was indicted on three counts; both were accused of bringing contraband into the county jail.

“As your Sheriff of Monroe County, I have promised to uphold my deputies to a higher standard. No one that wears a badge is above the law, and if a law enforcement officer breaks the public’s trust by committing a crime, and violating their oath while wearing a badge, then they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When I took the office as Sheriff, I promised transparency and will continue to be transparent throughout my service as your sheriff.” – Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones

Two deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office were indicted for official misconduct.(Courtesy: WVLT)
Parkdale Mills to Close in New Year after Hurricane Helene

Parkdale Mills to Close in New Year after Hurricane Helene

December 9, 2024

Mountain City, TN (WOKI) Citing the devastating impact wrought by Hurricane Helene, an East Tennessee textile company announces plans to close its doors in the New Year.

According to a Tennessee WARN notice, Parkdale Mills in Mountain City will shut its doors for good on January 3, 2025.

The notices act as a way to report to the state mass layoffs. According to the notice, the extent of the damage suffered at the company’s Mountain City location “makes it impossible to resume operations.”

“The decision comes because of the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, which left the facility completely inoperable,” the notice reads. “Despite best efforts to assess all options, the extent of the damage makes it impossible to resume operations.”

The closure is affecting 120 workers.

According to the notice, the company is closing down because of Hurricane Helene. (Pexels)
Court Records Provide New Details in Bean Station Officer-Involved Shooting

Court Records Provide New Details in Bean Station Officer-Involved Shooting

December 9, 2024

Bean Station, TN (WOKI) We’re learning more about an officer-involved shooting last month out of Bean Station.

Court records indicate a police officer went to a house on Love Drive on November 30 to find a man who was wanted for stealing a vehicle. When the officer arrived, a man identified as Dustin Lee Carpenter allegedly started running behind the house.

According to the affidavit of complaint, a foot chase ensued with the officer telling Carpenter, repeatedly, to stop.

After failing to scale a fence, Carpenter allegedly pulled a concealed handgun and shot at the officer. The officer shot back, hitting Carpenter in the right buttock who was placed into custody then transferred to UT Medical Center.

He was charged with attempt to commit felony murder on a police officer.

Dustin Lee Carpenter (Courtesy: Bean Station Police Department)
TBI Silver Alert Issued for South Carolina Missing From Gatlinburg has Ended
TBI

TBI Silver Alert Issued for South Carolina Missing From Gatlinburg has Ended

December 9, 2024

Update: Ronnie Donald has been located, and is safe.

Original Story: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued a Silver Alert for 71-year-old Ronnie Donald who went missing while on vacation with his family in Gatlinburg.

He left the hotel they were staying at around 5 p.m. last (Sunday) night, wearing a gray and black t-shirt and dark khaki pants.

He was last seen driving a silver 2019 Kia Sorrento with South Carolina license plate QUL 353.

He has several medical conditions that may impair his ability to return safely without assistance.

We have his photo on our website, Newstalk987.com.

Anyone with information, please call 800-TBI-FIND.

Knoxville Police Arrest Suspect in Bomb Threat at West Town Mall
WVLT

Knoxville Police Arrest Suspect in Bomb Threat at West Town Mall

December 8, 2024

Knoxville Police says a man has been arrested and charged after making a fake bomb threat at West Town Mall.

32-year-old Marshall Hazlett was arrested Friday night after he claimed to have put a bomb on a TV inside one of the stores which resulted in a significant law enforcement response but officers determined the threat was not credible before mall security evacuated the mall as part of their emergency protocol.

Hazlett was found at Target on Ray Mears Boulevard and charged with making a false report.

A Neighbor’s Quick Actions Prevent Apartment Fire from Spreading
KFD

A Neighbor’s Quick Actions Prevent Apartment Fire from Spreading

December 8, 2024

An alert neighbor calls the Knoxville Fire department and helps keep an apartment fire from spreading.

KFD received the call Saturday for a porch on fire at the Addison at Sutherland. The neighbor also alerted the person inside about the fire.

Thanks to the quick actions of the neighbor, the fire was quickly brought under control through the use of a portable fire extinguisher. KFD was able to completely put the fire out on their arrival.

The building’s exterior wall suffered minor damage.

Thanks to a quick-thinking neighbor, the damage was limited and likely prevented a much larger fire on this frigid December morning.

Cause of Fire that Destroys a Home is Determined by Knoxville Fire Department Officials
KFD

Cause of Fire that Destroys a Home is Determined by Knoxville Fire Department Officials

December 8, 2024

The cause of a fire, that injures two, at the Amherst Ridge Mobile Home Park is determined to have been caused by unattended cooking, which is the leading factor contributing to cooking fires and casualties according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The Knoxville Fire Department was called to Saturday’s fire in the 2600 Miss Ellie Drive and found heavy smoke with flames showing from the home’s exterior.

Crews found two people and got them out of the home. They were taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.

The home is a total loss and the American Red Cross is assisting.

Knoxville Man Sentence to More Than a Decade in Prison for Deadly Crash Involving a Motorcycle in West Knoxville
WVLT

Knoxville Man Sentence to More Than a Decade in Prison for Deadly Crash Involving a Motorcycle in West Knoxville

December 8, 2024

A Knoxville man is sentenced to more than a decade behind bars after a deadly crash involving a motorcycle on Kingston Pike.

The Knox County District Attorney’s Office says 23-year-old Christian Elwood was driving down Kingston Pike at 91 mph on July 23rd in 2022 when he hit the victim, who was on a motorcycle, near Huxley Road and died the next day.

Elwood was convicted of vehicular homicide by intoxication, reckless endangerment, driving under the influence and speeding. He has been sentenced to 11 years behind bars without the possibility of parole.

Special Education Teacher Arrested for Assault in Jefferson County, Police Say

Special Education Teacher Arrested for Assault in Jefferson County, Police Say

December 6, 2024

White Pine, TN (WOKI) A teacher in Jefferson County is arrested Friday for allegedly hitting a student with an electronic device.

Officials with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office say a school resource officer at White Pine School was told that 31-year-old Joseph Drake Lee, a special education teacher at the school, struck a student with an iPad on Thursday.

Lee was arrested at the school following an investigation by the SRO and an investigator with the Criminal Investigation Division.

He was charged with assault and child abuse and taken to the Jefferson County Detention Center.

The student was checked by the nurse following the incident.

The teacher hit a 7-year-old student with an iPad, according to police. (Courtesy: JCSO)

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