(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.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a robbery that occurred Tuesday morning at a business on Clinton Highway.
KCSO officials say deputies responded just before noon to Vape & Smoke at 7217 Clinton Highway for an aggravated robbery.
KCSO says one suspect was detained in connection to the incident. Juvenile Crimes, Major Crimes, and Aviation also responded to the scene.
Additional information regarding the robbery has not been released as the investigation is in the preliminary stage at this time.
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.
(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.
Tennessee will be represented by tenth-year head coach Rick Barnes, along with senior guards Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack.
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.
Tennessee checked in at No. 12 nationally in Monday’s preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
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.
A Norfolk Southern railway network connecting East Tennessee to Asheville and other parts of North Carolina is expected to be closed for months after railroad tracks and bridges suffered flood damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
Norfolk Southern says it was able to open all core routes within 72 hours of Helene making landfall after crews cleared over 15,000 trees and repaired multiple washouts and over 50 damaged slide fences.
However, portions of the railway along Norfolk Southern’s AS Line that runs from Salisbury, North Carolina to Morristown, Tennessee suffered major damage.
The AS Line, which crosses the Eastern Continental Divide through the Blue Ridge Mountains and Asheville, had more than 21,500 feet of track washed out, more than 50,000 feet of track damaged by scour, over 15,000 feet of fill failures and slides and multiple bridges damaged.
Within the last week, officials said engineering teams reopened the line between Salisbury and Old Fort in North Carolina and between Newport and Morristown.
Due to the remote nature and mountain topography of the region, Norfolk Southern said teams have had difficulty assessing damage along portions of the line around Asheville and over Black Mountain, where much track has been destroyed.
Initial projections estimate Norfolk Southern’s line between Asheville and Newport will reopen by late January 2025 while evaluations of the track between Asheville and Old Fort are ongoing.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is asking for your help after a woman is found with serious injuries along I-40 in Roane County.
Troopers were dispatched to a person lying in the emergency lane of I-40 East Sunday night at mile marker 341, past the Rockwood Municipal Airport Road exit and found a black woman who was taken to the hospital.
Investigators are asking for any information that helps determine the woman’s identity.
Anyone with information is asked to call the THP Knoxville District Dispatch Center at 865-544-3380, Extension 0.
The incident remains under investigation.
(Story courtesy of WVLT News)
Nashville, TN (WSMV) Food assistance benefits have been made available for Tennesseans affected by the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Tennessee Department of Human Services announced on Monday.
The state department reports qualifying households who lived or worked in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties that experienced loss as a result of Helene are now able to pre-register for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits.
“Additionally, TDHS has secured federal approval for a temporary Hot Foods Waiver in 13 counties including: Carter, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington. This waiver allows both SNAP and D-SNAP recipients to purchase hot and prepared meals at participating USDA-authorized EBT retailers through November 30, 2024,” TDHS said.
D-SNAP benefits are provided through an electronic debit-like card and can be used to purchase food items at grocery stores and other authorized retailers who accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT). The state said these cards would be mailed to qualifying households following approval.
“D-SNAP applicants must meet income limits and will receive benefits determined by USDA Food and Nutrition Services guidance. Each applying household’s monthly take-home income and accessible liquid resources during the disaster benefit period minus disaster expenses must not exceed the income limit for the household size. For example, a household of three must meet the limit of $3,068 or less,” TDHS said.
To be eligible, individuals or households must have experienced at least one of the following conditions as a direct result of Helene:
Recipients of Tennessee’s regular SNAP program are not eligible to receive D-SNAP.
D-SNAP Application Information
Households who meet the qualifications for disaster assistance may apply online at the D-SNAP application page: https://onedhs.tn.gov or by visiting a TDHS County Office or Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Multi-Agency Resource Center (TEMA MARC) location. Applications from households who resided or worked in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties at the time of the disaster will be accepted beginning at 8:00 AM EDT on Monday, October 21, 2024 through 4:30 PM EDT on Friday, October 25, 2024.
Households who meet the qualifications for D-SNAP can pre-register for an interview 24 hours a day beginning 8:00 AM EDT on October 14, 2024 through 4:30 PM EDT on Thursday, October 17, 2024 via the One DHS Customer Portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov. The D-SNAP pre-registration form will re-open at 8:00 AM EDT on Monday, October 21, 2024 and close at 4:30 PM on Friday, October 25, 2025.
