Sevier County, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man is arrested for child sex crimes following a sting operation in Sevier County.
Officials with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office say an internet crimes against children investigator with the office, posing as a 13-year-old, chatted online with the man. During the investigation, investigators reportedly identified the man as 34-year-old Howard Rupprecht.
SCSO says Rupprecht went to Seymour to meet with the “teen” for a “sexual encounter.” Instead, deputies took him into custody.
Rupprecht was booked into the Sevier County jail on a $2,500 bond and has been charged with solicitation of a minor.
(Knoxville, TN WOKI) Early voting begins today (Wednesday) in this year’s Presidential and Federal / State General election.
It runs through October 31st and in addition to President, Knox County voters will cast their ballot in Tennessee House of Representative races, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives races and there are some other items for consideration.
Knox County Election Commission officials say they are expecting a large voter turn out for this election so you could expect long lines. There will be twelve early voting locations which includes two brand new locations and two Saturdays available to cast your ballot in the 2024 Presidential and Federal / State Elections.
If you’d like participate in early voting, please go to https://www.knoxcounty.org/election/ to view times and a sample ballot or to get more information.
Election Day is November 5th and the last day to request an absentee ballot is October 29th.
Here are your early voting locations in Knox County:
An investigation is underway following a crash that left one person dead and injures another in Cocke County.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says 70-year-old Barbara Williamson was driving north on Highway 321, commonly known as Cosby Highway, Monday afternoon and failed to stay in her lane while driving around a curve in the 2700 block of the Highway and hit a pick-up truck head-on, killing that driver.
Williamson was injured, the extent of her injuries have not been released.
Charges against Williamson are pending the outcome of the investigation.
(Knoxville, TN WOKI/KPD) Knoxville Police say the suspect in a shooting on Chapman Highway charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated assault has turned himself in.
34 year-old Ariran Burks voluntarily turned himself in yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon and is custody in connection to the October 11th shooting in the 4600 block of Chapman Highway, which critically injured a 24-year-old woman.
Nashville, Tenn. – Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Strike Force crews have been dispatched to the greater Tampa area to assist the Florida Department of Transportation in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
Our Strike Force team is a specialized group of TDOT employees able to deploy quickly in natural disasters to help with heavy debris removal, infrastructure assessments, and road repairs. The team is comprised of skilled equipment operators, engineers, and transportation experts. Their goal is to provide immediate relief and begin the recovery process in flood-affected communities.
Twenty-nine TDOT employees from Regions 2 and 3 mobilized this morning in 27 vehicles hauling 12 pieces of heavy construction equipment and 6 supply trailers. Our forces will embed with FDOT crews for at least 14 days.
“We’re proud to have the resources available to mobilize swiftly to help with the urgent needs of our neighbors in Florida severely impacted by Hurricane Milton,” says Deputy Governor and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “We’ll work diligently with our FDOT partners to accelerate their recovery efforts and restore connectivity in the region just as they did for us after Hurricane Helene devasted upper East Tennessee.”
Additional TDOT engineers, HELP crews, and Strike Force members from across the state remain in East Tennessee for ongoing relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. More than 800 employees have participated in the cleanup totaling nearly 70 thousand man-hours. Seventeen sections of road remained closed, out of 49. Of the 14 state bridges closed, seven have reopened. A portion of I-26 is open to local traffic and weather-permitting portions of I-40 will reopen with restrictions within a week.
TDOT is committed to informing the public of our progress during this critical recovery period. We have created a dedicated webpage for storm updates, which can be accessed here: Hurricane Helene Recovery (tn.gov).
On this site, TDOT will provide daily updates. These updates will include our Project Status Tracker along with a map of East Tennessee closures, broken down by county. Updates will also be shared on our social media channels. For real-time information on road conditions, please visit SmartWay.
Newport, TN (WOKI) Cocke County Schools’ students and staff are returning to school Wednesday, October 16 following devastating flooding caused by Tropical Storm Helene that began on September 27.
Cocke County Schools representatives say the district has been working with county and state officials to gauge the damage and work on repairs to get students back in school safely, adding that no damage has occurred to any of the district’s facilities.
District officials say they are committed to providing support to students and families and that social and emotional support services will be available for students and staff who may be impacted by the flood.
For more information and to stay updated with the reopening process, visit the Cocke County Schools website here.
FILE: Water from the remnants of Hurricane Helene washed out roads and submerged bridges in East Tennessee over the weekend. (Courtesy: WSMV)
(Greene County – WOKI) Students in Greene County and Greeneville City Schools are back the classroom after devastating flooding from Hurricane Helene.
A lot has changed in the last two weeks in order to get students back in the classroom today (Tuesday).
Officials say at least four students and one administator were pretty severely affected by flooding.
Because Greene County is still under a boil water advisory, schools had to be stocked with bottled water both for drinking and preparing meals for students.
They are also using plastic and Styrofoam during meals to limit the amount of dishes to be washed.
The Greene County Health Department says the water in the restroom is okay to use for washing hands.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: An eighth-grade Gresham Middle School student is arrested Tuesday afternoon for threats of mass destruction.
Officials with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office confirming that the threat was directed at Karns Middle School which was evacuated upon receipt of the threat Tuesday morning.
In addition to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Detective Unit and school officers, KCSO explosive device detection dogs were deployed and searched the school.
KCSO says the arrest was made just before 2:00 p.m. and that the investigation into the threat remains active.
ORIGINAL STORY: Karns Middle School has been evacuated due to a threat Tuesday morning.
In a release to media just after noon today, officials with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office say KCSO’s Juvenile Detective Unit and school officers are on campus to investigate.
They add that the investigation is in its preliminary stages and information, at this time, is limited.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The reigning SEC champion Tennessee Volunteers continue to prepare for the upcoming 2024-25 men’s basketball campaign, traveling south to Birmingham’s Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook for the annual SEC Men’s Basketball Media Day Tuesday morning.
The pair of veteran guards combine for 200 career games played for the Big Orange and over 4,100 minutes of action over the previous three seasons.
SEC Network will have full coverage throughout the day. Barnes will be at the main stage at 11 a.m. ET, followed by Zeigler and Mashack at 11:20 a.m. ET. The UT trio will be on the SEC Network set at 11:45 a.m. ET.
For Zeigler, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and a 2024-25 Preseason First Team All-SEC selection, it marks his second consecutive SEC Media Day appearance. A year ago, as a junior, Zeigler finished the year with the third-most assists (218) in a season in program history. He led the Vols in assists, steals and minutes, posting averages of 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 31.6 minutes per game.
In addition, he shot 34.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Long Island, N.Y., native led the SEC in assists per game for the second consecutive season, the 10th person ever to do so, and also paced the league in total assists.
Mashack, having been voted chair of the 2024-25 SEC Men’s Basketball Leadership Council—his third straight year as Tennessee’s representative in the group—was also appointed, for the second year in a row, to represent the SEC on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee’s (MBOC) Student-Athlete Engagement Group this year.
The Fontana, Calif., native shot 44.8 percent from the floor a year ago, adding 4.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 17.9 minutes per contest. He Led or co-led Tennessee in steals seven times, as well as in blocks six times. His next game played will be No. 100 for him in the orange and white.
Tennessee is coming off arguably the finest season in program history in 2023-24, having earned its sixth-ever outright SEC regular season title (11th total), second Elite Eight appearance and best finish in the AP and Coaches Polls (fifth).
The 27 victories last season tied for the fourth-most ever by the Volunteers, as did the 14 league triumphs, while the team’s seven AP top-25 wins tied a program record. For the third straight year, Tennessee spent the entire season ranked in the AP top 25, extending the program record to 59 straight weeks, good for the third-longest active streak in the country.
Beginning October 15, a free burn permit from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF) is required prior to burning leaves or natural vegetation, including debris generated by Hurricane Helene.
“Due to the vast amount of woody debris from Hurricane Helene and other recent storms across the state, we expect more outdoor burning than usual this year,” State Forester Heather Slayton said. “Since escaped debris burns are the leading cause of wildfires, it is important that Tennesseans take fire safety seriously. Burn permits are required by law and the tool by which we help citizens understand when and how to burn.”
Permits are only issued when it is safe to burn. When conditions are unsafe due to hazardous conditions like high winds or extreme drought, TDF temporarily pauses the issuance of burn permits and resumes once conditions improve.
Burn permits are free and can be obtained at www.BurnSafeTN.org or by using the MyTN mobile app. Online permits are issued 7 days a week, 8 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. in Eastern or Central time zones, depending on your location. Always obtain a permit on the day you intend to burn any size leaf, brush, or debris pile or conduct a prescribed fire. Each fire should be completely extinguished by the permit expiration and no fire should be left unattended at any time. Burning without a permit is a prosecutable Class C misdemeanor.
Although online applications are encouraged, residents with limited internet access may call 877-350-BURN (2876) to request a permit Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central.
If you live inside city limits, check with your municipality for additional restrictions before you burn.
Contact your local government to check for alternatives to burning for safe disposal of natural disaster debris and use those options whenever possible.
Information about burning debris from natural disasters, as well as a list of materials that are not allowed to be burned, can be found online at www.tn.gov/environment/air/open-burning.html
The following tips should be followed when it is safe to conduct a debris burn:
• Notify your local fire department and neighbors of your intent to burn. • Do not burn on windy days. • Choose a location away from flammable materials and buildings. • Keep fire containment equipment on hand (e.g. rake, shovel, water). • Stay with the fire until it is completely out
Visit www.BurnSafeTN.org for additional tips to burn safely and to protect your community.
To get updates on wildfire news and fire risk in Tennessee, follow @TNWildlandFire on Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter.
The Division of Forestry protects Tennessee’s forests by fighting wildfires, coordinating hazard emergency response, providing prescribed fire guidance and contract services, as well as wildland fire training. Additionally, the Division promotes the responsible use of forest resources by assisting landowners, providing quality seedlings, monitoring insects and diseases, improving urban forests, managing state forests, protecting water quality, and collecting forest inventory data. The Division also works to promote primary and secondary forest industries to stimulate the state’s economy. Visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests for more information.
