The Blount County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fire at Whispering River Resort.
Crews responded that fire at the Resort last (Thursday) night.
One of the storage buildings was heavily damaged while there was also exterior damage to another.
No injuries were reported.
On Thursday, November 7, 2024, Weston Stills was indicted by the Knox County Grand Jury on 5 counts of Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 3 counts of Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and 5 counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The nine month long, joint investigation with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Digital Intelligence Unit and Missoula Police Department (Missoula, Montana), was initiated by a cyber tip received through the NCMEC Cybertipline (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children).
A search warrant was executed on March 1, 2024, at the suspect’s residence. Evidence collected during the search warrant was forensically examined, which led to the identification of 5 victims, from Ohio, Montana and here in Knox County. Weston is in custody at the Roger D Wilson Detention Center.
If you have information regarding an Online exploitation of a minor, please call 911 or visit the NCMEC Cybertipline at https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow
Anderson County, TN (WOKI) A former Anderson County sheriff has died.
Officials with the sheriff’s office announcing Thursday that former Sheriff Bill White has died.
White served as sheriff from 2002 to 2006.
“Our hearts are broken at the Sheriff’s Office today upon hearing of the passing of former Sheriff Bill White,” officials said. “We ask everyone to join us extending our condolences to his family and keeping them in our prayers.”
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville Police will conduct a sobriety checkpoint later this month.
The checkpoint will be set up on Cumberland Avenue in the Fort Sanders area on November 21.
The purpose of the sobriety checkpoint is to deter impaired driving, prevent serious or fatal crashes, and increase public awareness of the consequences of driving while under the influence.
Alcohol or drug impairment possibly contributed to over 43 percent of the fatal crashes that happened in Knoxville in 2022.
During the department’s most recent sobriety checkpoint in August on Kingston Pike, three people were arrested for DUI.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Renowned sports broadcaster for the University of Tennessee Bob Kesling Thursday announcing he will retire as the Voice of the Vols after the 2024-25 men’s basketball season.
Kesling has enjoyed an incredible career that stretches over five decades, marking him as a pillar of the Vol Network and the iconic voice of UT football and men’s basketball.
Kesling worked under legendary broadcaster and former Voice of the Vols John Ward for 15 seasons, handling pre-game, halftime and post-game interviews, before ascending to the role in 1999.
Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White reflected on Kesling’s career announcing Tennessee plays on Thursday, calling him an icon for Tennessee Athletics.
“Bob‘s influence has been remarkable, touching so many lives as the ’Voice of the Vols’ and through his heartfelt dedication as a mentor and leader in our Knoxville community for over 50 years,” White said. “He embodies the true spirit of someone who has given his all for Tennessee.”
Kesling has received numerous awards over his decades-long career, including induction this summer into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame in Murfreesboro. The event was organized by the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters and further cemented the Vol Radio Network’s legacy.
“As an icon in the broadcasting industry, we are deeply appreciative of the professionalism he brings to Tennessee Athletics each time he takes the microphone,” White said. “His contributions resonate with all of us here on Rocky Top and we cannot thank him enough for everything he has done.”
It‘s a legacy that’s stretched over some of Tennessee’s most famous sports moments.
“Bob Kesling has been the soundtrack to the memories of generations of Vols fans,” Chancellor Donde Plowman said. “From his calls of Pat Summitt’s six national championships to the 2022 football win over Alabama, he has cemented his place in Tennessee Athletics history. His professionalism, dedication, and love for Tennessee is unmatched and we are grateful that he chose to share his talents with all of us for the last three-plus decades.”
Active in the community, Kesling serves on the boards of directors for Goodwill, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. He was also the 2013 United Way Campaign Chairperson. He was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Tennessee Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame in 2020.
A 1977 graduate of Tennessee, Kesling and his wife, Tami, have two daughters, Allison and Melissa; he retires after the 2024-25 men’s basketball season to spend more time with his family which now includes four grandchildren with another anticipated in April.
Knoxville Police receiving several reports of scam callers using the names of KPD officers to pressure victims into giving them money.
KPD says callers often identify themselves as law enforcement officers or use the names of actual officers and use spoofed phone numbers to both disguise their real number and make it appear as if they are actually calling from a local law enforcement agency.
Officials say scammers usually threaten or intimidate victims by demanding money for bond or in lieu of an arrest with the goal of scaring victims into paying sometimes requesting gift cards or cryptocurrency.
KPD officials reminding residents that law enforcement will never call to request money or ask for financial information. Please call KPD, if you receive one of these calls.
The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined Appalachian Electric after one of its linemen died on the job.
Nathan Potter died on July 23 after being electrocuted on a job site in Grainger County. He had been a lineman for more than a decade and was with Appalachian Electric for six years.
TOSHA says he was in a bucket truck tightening bolts on the framing of a transporter when he came into contact with a energized switch which was not insulated at the time of the incident.
TOSHA cited Appalachian Electric and fined the company $8,000.
Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating a car chase that ends in a deadly crash.
Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Deputies tried to pull over a car in the Valley View community yesterday afternoon (Wednesday), but the driver, identified by THP as 25-year-old Cassie Miller, didn’t stop and fled from police.
Miller then led deputies on a chase that ended in a crash on Howard Road in LaFollette when she tried to take a curve but ran off the road and struck a tree.
Troopers said Miller was fatally injured. A passenger, a 55-year-old man, was also injured in the crash.
A registered sex offender is taken into custody after entering an elementary school.
Anderson County Schools officials say a person on the registry entered Lake City Elementary School on Friday.
Security protocols, including a mandatory background check for all visitors, the school district said, immediately flagged the person and police responded.
“Thanks to the swift, professional response from both the Rocky Top Police Department and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the individual was safely taken into custody without incident, underscoring the dedication of all involved to keeping our schools safe,” ACS said.
District officials say no students, staff or faculty members were at risk.
“We are truly blessed to live in a community where our law enforcement partners work hand-in-hand with our schools to ensure the highest level of safety and security for our children and employees,” the district said.
Nashville, TN (WOKI) The dust from the election still settling, two of Tennessee’s top lawmakers are pushing forward another bill aimed at establishing a private school voucher program in the state.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lamberth Wednesday introduced the Education Freedom Act of 2025.
The numbers in this latest proposal are largely the same as the measure which failed last session: the bill promises 20,000 $7,000 scholarships to students who attend a private school in Tennessee, awarded based (mostly) on their family’s income.
Under the bill, 10,000 scholarships would go first to families who make less than 300% of the amount required by the state for a student to qualify for free or reduced lunch. The remaining half of the scholarships would go to any student who qualifies, regardless of income.
Among the changes this time around is language claiming that public school funding wouldn’t be affected by the voucher program and state testing for private school students who get a scholarship.
