Oliver Springs, TN (WOKI) Oliver Springs’ chief wastewater operator is now facing charges after an investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury.
According to the office, Travis Thrasher has been charged and indicted for official misconduct and theft for reportedly using more than $3,400 taxpayer dollars to buy personal items, including tires, gas and more.
Thrasher resigned from his position on September 13; officials say he paid the town a check covering the money he’d spent as “repayment.”
The investigation also revealed that the comptroller’s office had identified another, roughly, $3,000 in “questionable” purchases from town employees to include items such as food, auto parts, gift cards and more that were not properly documented.
“Our investigators identified a number of deficiencies within the town’s operations that must be corrected,” said Comptroller Jason Mumpower. “These include adopting a written credit card policy, maintaining invoices for purchases, and establishing more control over gift cards. The town must also enforce its disconnect policies for water and wastewater service and reconcile bank statements to its general ledger each month.”
The comptroller’s office’s latest investigation centers on Travis Thrasher. (Courtesy: Tennessee Comptroller’s Office)
Erwin, TN (WOKI) Thousands of tons of asphalt and rock later and in just 33 days, connectivity is restored to a small East Tennessee town as a portion of I-26 is reopened Wednesday in Unicoi County.
The small town of Erwin relies on major roads like I-26. Speaking to media Wednesday, Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Butch Eley highlighted why getting this portion open was so important.
“The reality is, this means so much more than the assets that we’re putting in to the ground,” Eley said. “This is about community. This is about connectivity. This is about making sure that our people in this community and those around are able to access the basic needs that they’re trying to get to.”
Eley said one lane of I-26, in each direction, in Erwin is now open to non-commercial traffic. Commercial traffic is still being rerouted to I-81 and I-77. Additionally, wide loads over 12 feet still are not permitted on the interstate.
TDOT officials added crews used more than 5,000 tons of asphalt and 33,000 tons of rock to repair the bridge around exit 37.
Wednesday’s reopening comes after September flooding from Hurricane Helene closed almost 50 thoroughfares across East Tennessee.
TDOT officials give an update on Helene-damaged I-26 in Erwin, Tennessee. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Pigeon Forge, TN (WOKI) Sevier County residents and workers have a chance to get into Dollywood next month for a hefty discount.
The park’s Sevier County Days returns, allowing those who live or work in Sevier County to enter the park for a $5 donation to Sevier County nonprofits.
“Our area non-profits take great care of our community each and every day, but as Christmas approaches, the demand for their services increases,” said Carol Agee, Dollywood Community Affairs and Philanthropy Manager. “Sevier County Days is one way we are able to partner with them to help provide what they need during this critical time of the year. It is important for us and others in the community to provide support. As always, we encourage families in difficult situations to visit the area nonprofits for the assistance they may need.”
All people have to do is stop by a Dollywood ticket booth with their Sevier County ID or a paycheck stub from their job, proving they live or work in the county.
As a bonus for making the donation, the Sevier County Days ticket receives full upgrade value toward the purchase of a 2025 season pass.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The 15-year-old suspect in an ongoing Powell murder investigation appeared in court for the third time Tuesday.
Malakiah Harris is facing a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 13-year-old girl who was found one week ago on a trail off of Cranley Road.
According to court records, Harris met with the girl some time the night before, then stabbed her multiple times with a pocket knife, killing her.
The suspect’s appearance Tuesday was brief with the court scheduling a status hearing for Harris next Monday, November 4.
Harris has a court appointed attorney and is being held in custody until his trial.
Tuesday marked the suspect’s third court appearance. (Courtesy: WVLT)
The Alcoa Fire Department continues to clear up misinformation surrounding a chemical spill at the US Foods facility after many residents say they did not receive an emergency alert from authorities.
Several residents say they didn’t get a notification and it concerns them and hope the issue is corrected.
AFD says alerts were sent Friday night to those in the Alcoa community by the Hyper-Reach system not the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) system.
Alcoa’s Hyper-Reach system does not use geo-tagging technology to send alerts, like IPAWS does. Instead, it uses public information like utility accounts to identify who gets an alert.
Alcoa city officials ordered a shelter in place following the leak Friday night.
The City of Alcoa Fire Department along with a hazmat trailer were taking readings with meters in the area and they never got readings outside of the plant facilities. They say the road closure was a precaution and at no time was the public in danger.
A drone video showed a valve malfunction and after the valves were shut off, the shelter in place order was lifted.
When the liquid is released, it turns to vapor so no cleanup that has to be done, unlike an oil spill or gas fuel leak.
11/01/24 UPDATE: The man at the center of a nationwide manhunt for an East Tennessee murder is spotted in South Carolina.
Nicholas Hamlett, the man charged in a Monroe County murder, was spotted last (Thursday) night in a middle South Carolina town which prompted a response that included K-9s and helicopters.
Hamlett is accused of killing a person near Tellico Plains, then calling 911 using a stolen identity, claiming to be a distressed hiker being followed by a bear.
U.S. Marshals, the FBI have joined Monroe County officials in the search. David Jolley with the Marshals announced a $5,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to Hamlett’s arrest.
Anyone with information is being asked to call 911.
Monroe County – 10/30/24 (Story courtesy of WVLT) – The U.S. Marshals Service joined the nationwide hunt for Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, the man wanted in a Monroe County murder investigation.
There’s also a reward being offered for anyone with information about the suspect.
The situation is unusual. Hamlett is accused of not only killing a yet-unidentified victim, but also calling 911 after the fact using a stolen identity and claiming to be a hiker on the run from a bear.
Multiple law enforcement agencies have been on the hunt for Hamlett since Oct. 18. In a news conference on Wednesday, David Jolley with the Marshals announced a $5,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to Hamlett’s arrest.
Jolley’s announcement was joined by strong words from a representative with the FBI, who joined the search Tuesday, delivered straight to the suspect.
“Nick, let‘s end this peacefully,” he said. “Turn yourself in and have your day in court. The long arm of the law has a long reach. There’s nowhere to hide.”
Hamlett has a lengthy criminal history. Investigators said that he’s also wanted out of Alabama for a violation of probation. That probation itself a result of violent charges like attempted murder.
It’s that fact that prompted Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones Wednesday afternoon to give a warning about the man.
“There is a great risk to the public. The offender has a history. This is not an isolated incident,” Jones said. “There is a family suffering and there is a wanted, violent person walking our streets.”
While the conference mostly served as a warning to those in the area to stay alert and a plea for anyone with information to come forward, we also learned a bit more about the investigation itself.
Jones confirmed that the Monroe County victim’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to several parts of their body, including the head. He also said that the victim and Hamlett knew each other.
(Monroe County – WOKI) The FBI is joining a nationwide manhunt for the suspect in a Monroe County murder, Nicholas Hamlett.
He’s been on the run for days and officials say he called 911 claiming to be a hiker who fell off a cliff running from a bear, he was using a different name.
Police found the body, that has not been identified, and Stacey Payne with Crime Stoppers share their “X” post:
Police say he has ties to several states including Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky.
Original Story: (Story courtesy of our news partner WVLT)
A nationwide manhunt is underway for a man officials say is wanted for a Tennessee murder.
The Monroe County Sheriff‘s Office in Tennessee is asking for the public’s help finding 45-year-old Nicholas Wayne Hamlett.
Authorities told CBS News that he has ties to Montana, Tennessee, Alabama, Alaska, Kentucky and Florida.
Deputies say on Oct. 18, a man called 911 claiming to be a distressed hiker named Brandon Andrade. He said he had fallen off a cliff while running from a bear.
The call was pinged to a bridge on the Cherahola Skyway in Tellico Plains. Search and rescue teams responded and found the body of a man with personal identification listed as Andrade.
“Detectives with the Monroe County Sheriff‘s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Monroe County Violent Crime Task Force reviewed the scene and after further investigation, determined that the deceased subject was not Mr. Brandon Andrade and that the identification had been stolen and used on multiple occasions. Furthermore, a male that was using stolen identification of Mr. Andrade was discovered to be a Mr. Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, who was wanted out of the State of Alabama on a parole violation,” said the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives said Hamlett used a false name when talking to Knox County law enforcement after making the call about the hiker and fled from his Tennessee address.
Police issued an arrest warrant for Hamlett for first-degree murder. He is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees him should call 911 and not approach him.
The body was taken to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for identification.
A motorcyclist was killed in a single-vehicle crash that happened on Monday night on W. Martin Mill Pike.
At around 5:45 p.m. on Monday, October 28, 2024, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to the 3600 block of W. Martin Mill Pike near Chapman Highway. Officers arrived on scene, where a motorcycle had collided with a telephone pole. The driver, an adult man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is believed that the motorcycle veered off of the road for unknown reasons and struck the telephone pole, ejecting the driver from the motorcycle.
KPD crash reconstruction personnel responded to the scene and are leading the investigation, which remains ongoing.
Pigeon Forge, TN (WOKI) A man is dead after a weekend crash in Pigeon Forge.
Officials with the Pigeon Forge Police Department say officers responded to the crash on Veterans Boulevard south of Teaster Lane shortly after 8:00 p.m. Saturday evening.
PFPD says when officers arrived, they found that 29-year-old Victor Perez had been hit by two cars while trying to cross the boulevard and that he died at the scene.
The investigation into the crash is still ongoing.
Pigeon Forge Police Department Chief Richard Catlett said officers responded to the crash on Veterans Boulevard around 8:10 p.m. Saturday. (Courtesy: PFPD via Facebook)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Valley Authority is hosting a public information session to inform local residents about the draft Integrated Resource Plan.
The agency is also hoping to get feedback on how to evaluate and plan to meet future power demands.
Officials describe an IRP as a tool to “evaluate options available to meet the region’s power generation needs for the coming decades.”
The meeting is slated for 6:00 p.m. Monday, November 4 and will take place at Tennessee Economic Council, 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Suite 100 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Tennessee Valley Authority seeking public input on the draft Integrated Resource Plan. (Courtesy: TVA)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Brandon Donathan, 25 of Knoxville, and Sarai Standridge, 24 of Knoxville, have been charged in connection to a spate of robberies or attempted robberies, including three that happened in the Fort Sanders area early Sunday morning. Both Donathan and Standridge were taken into custody following an attempted robbery in West Knoxville.
At around 4:10 p.m. on Sunday, October 27, 2024, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to the area of Luscombe Drive and Pocanno Road, where it was reported that a man wearing all black attempted to rob a resident at gunpoint. The suspect reportedly ran from the scene following the attempted robbery and got into a white sedan.
Another resident witnessed the incident and was able to get a video of the suspect and white sedan, and also witnessed the suspect toss a firearm into nearby bushes. A short time later and after continued investigation at the scene, officers spotted the suspect vehicle traveling west on Luscombe Drive. Officers stopped the vehicle and detained both occupants, who were identified as Donathan and Standridge.
Donathan and Standridge were both transported to the Public Safety Complex for further questioning. Through those efforts, detectives were ultimately able to connect Donathan and Standridge to three robbery incidents that happened near the UT campus.
That includes a robbery that happened near 11th Street and Cumberland Avenue, where a 22-year-old woman was robbed of her purse at around 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning.
Additionally, Donathan and Standridge were involved in two other attempted robberies, which were not reported to the KPD until Sunday afternoon. A male victim reported that a man, since identified as Donathan, attempted to rob him at gunpoint in the area of Clinch Avenue and 22nd Street at around 1:10 a.m. on Sunday morning. A female victim also reported that a man, also identified as Donathan, attempted to rob her at gunpoint in the area of Clinch Avenue and 17th Street at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Donathan and Standridge have both been charged with attempted aggravated robbery for the incident that occurred on Luscombe Road. Donathan has also charged with multiple additional counts of robbery or attempted robbery, in addition to possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. Additional charges are expected on Standridge.
