Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Six people are injured, and an investigation is underway following a multi-vehicle crash Sunday afternoon in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Park officials say three non-commercial vehicles were involved in the crash around 2:00 p.m. at mile marker 12 on Newfound Gap Road.
They say two people were transported via ambulance to LeConte Medical Center, and the other four reportedly planned to self-transport to hospitals for evaluation.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and US 441/Newfound Gap Road was temporarily closed Sunday during the incident, officials said.
Park rangers responded to the three-car crash on Sunday, officials said. (Courtesy: GSMNP)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) An investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation results in the indictment of a former Sullivan County deputy court clerk on felony charges.
TBI agents began investigating allegations of misconduct involving Valerie L. Greene and determined while she was working as a deputy court clerk, she used her position on two different occasions to unlawfully access electronic court records in an effort to seal documents related to her own criminal history.
The Sullivan County Grand Jury returned a 10-count indictment, charging Greene with two counts of tampering with governmental records, two counts of violation of the Tennessee Personal and Commercial Computer Act of 2003, and six counts of official misconduct.
Greene was booked at the Sullivan County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that after a thorough investigation, a former Sullivan County deputy court clerk has been indicted on felony charges. (File: Frankly Media)
UPDATE: Ariran Burks, 34, has been identified as the suspect from the shooting that happened on Friday, October 11 in the 4600 block of Chapman Highway, which critically injured a 24-year-old woman.
Burks has been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated assault.
Burks, who was last known to reside in the Walter P. Taylor Homes area, is not in custody at this time and efforts remain ongoing to locate him.
Anyone with information concerning Burks’ whereabouts is urged to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers anonymously at 865-215-7165. Tipsters can remain anonymous and be eligible to receive a cash reward.
Knoxville Police Department detectives are pursuing active leads in an ongoing investigation into a Chapman Highway shooting that critically injured a woman.
At around 5 p.m. today, October 11, 2024, KPD officers responded to the area of the Casey’s convenience store in the 4600 block of Chapman Highway to investigate a reported shooting.
Officers arrived on scene and located a woman outside of her car who had been shot at least one time. The victim, age 24, was transported to the UT Medical Center with critical injuries.
Responding officers quickly learned that the suspect left the scene in a black SUV, which was found unoccupied at the Executive Inn on Chapman Highway.
Efforts remain ongoing to locate the suspect. Detectives are working strong leads.
Additional information will be provided as the investigation progresses.
Despite defeating the Florida Gators 23-17 in overtime on Saturday, the latest AP Poll has the Vols falling three spots from No. 8 to No. 11 in the country.
Texas, Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State and Georgia round out the top five teams with Alabama still at number seven.
The Vols take on the Crimson Tide Saturday in Neyland Stadium with kick-off set at 3:30. You can listen on Cumulus Knoxville stations WIVK or WNML.
Smokey taking a run down the field during a Vols football game.
The Knoxville Police Department is investigating a shooting that injured a man in the 3700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue on Sunday night.
At around 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, October 13th, KPD officers responded to the area of MLK Jr. Avenue and Lakeside Street, where a man had been shot in the leg. The victim’s injuries are considered non-life-threatening.
The victim reported that he was outside of his home when the occupants of two different passing vehicles were shooting at each other. The victim was struck by the gunfire.
Following continued investigation, officers located one of the vehicles believed to have been involved on Mississippi Avenue and detained both occupants for questioning. Officers are still working to identify the other involved vehicle, which is possibly a dark gray SUV.
The investigation is ongoing at this time.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers anonymously at 865-215-7165.
The Knoxville Fire Department on a different type of call, not to the scene of a fire and not a cat in the tree.
Saturday afternoon at 1:57 PM, the Knoxville Fire Department was called to an address on Vermont Avenue for a man stuck in a tree.
KFD crews successfully extricated the man from the tree and brought him safely to the ground, approximately 30 feet, within 1 hour of receiving the call.
Initially, the male appeared injured but later refused transport or medical care.
A critical piece of the puzzle in removing the man from the tree was the technical expertise of the KFD crew on the scene and the KFD tiller truck. Without this, the man would have likely been stuck for an extended period.
Columbus Day, also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, is tomorrow (Monday).
Columbus Day has been an official federal holiday since 1937 to honor explorer Christopher Columbus landing in North America, some states and cities have renamed the holiday Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the culture of Native Americans.
U.S. stock markets, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq, will remain open and follow a regular schedule on Monday.
Most banks will not be open and USPS will be closed, no regular mail deliveries will be performed but other delivers vary by state.
Federal Reserve banks and their branches will close on Monday.
Tennessee recognizes Columbus Day, but the Governor often moves the holiday to the Friday after Thanksgiving to create a four-day weekend.
The Knox County Criminal Court Clerk’s Offices will be closed on Columbus Day 2024. Knox County Convenience Centers are open on Columbus Day and Knox County Schools are in session today. Knox County Libraries are also open Monday.
Blount County Schools are closed for a Professional Development Day with no students in class Monday.
Knoxville Police Department detectives are investigating after a man was shot on I-40 East near the Holston River Bridge on Saturday evening.
At around 6:55 p.m. on Saturday, October 12, 2024, KPD officers responded to the aforementioned location, where a Ford F-150 was crashed in the center median. The driver, a currently unidentified man, was suffering from at least one gunshot wound. The victim was transported to the UT Medical Center with critical injuries.
A man who was witnessed running from the truck was located and detained by responding officers. He has since been questioned.
No arrests have been made and the motive for the shooting is unknown at this time.
Detectives are investigating a report that there was an altercation involving the Ford F-150 and the occupants of a white Jeep, which allegedly fled the scene.
Detectives are urging anyone who potentially witnessed an altercation of that nature or with information concerning the shooting to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers anonymously at 865-215-7165.
UPDATE: Residents can safely return to the area that was evacuated while trained Bomb Squad technicians worked to safely dispose of a large amount of commercial grade explosives and blast caps that were found inside of a steel box on Mynderse Avenue Thursday afternoon.
The evacuation was lifted at 10 p.m. on Friday night after technicians completely cleared the contents of the box and rendered them safe. The explosives were soaked in diesel fuel and burned, while the blast caps were taken to a safe location and detonated.
The response was led by the KPD Bomb Squad and drone team members with support and assistance from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Metro Nashville Police Department Bomb Squads, the Knoxville Fire Department, AMR, Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management, the Red Cross, and City of Knoxville Traffic Engineering and Public Service.
No injuries were reported, including to any Bomb Squad technicians or first responders.
Attached are drone photos captured from the scene, which includes initial photos of the box as well as Bomb Squad technicians removing the explosives by hand. The full resolution images can be found on the KPD social media channels.
UPDATE: Earlier this morning, an explosive ordnance robot was deployed to get a sample of the suspected explosives found inside of a box at CMC Recycling on Thursday afternoon.
The sample tested positive for ammonium nitrate, as confirmed by lab scientists at Quantico, which is consistent with dynamite.
Currently, Bomb Squad technicians are actively working to remove the dynamite from the box and safely dispose of it. In order to dispose of dynamite, technicians will methodically remove it from the box, douse the dynamite in diesel fuel, and burn it.
Those efforts are being supported by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Metro Nashville Police Department Bomb Squads, including advanced MNPD robotic equipment.
It was initially reported that the box contained around 200 sticks of dynamite. Technicians have not yet verified how many pieces of dynamite are in the box.
There is no evidence to suggest that the box was left on the site maliciously or with criminal intent. CMC Recycling is a metal recycling facility that purchases material to be salvaged. The box, which was locked and unmarked, was on the site for at least several days. On Thursday, CMC Recycling was using a torch to salvage the box when they unintentionally set the box on fire and discovered the dynamite.
The box is no longer smoldering or emitting smoke.
The evacuation zone will remain in place until Bomb Squad technicians have completely disposed of the contents of the box and it is deemed safe to return to the area.
That work is expected to continue into tonight and potentially into tomorrow (Saturday) morning.
UPDATE: The evacuations prompted by the suspected explosive material that was found on Mynderse Avenue on Thursday afternoon is expected to remain in effect through the remainder of the night and potentially into Friday night.
Residents living within an approximately 3,000-square foot perimeter of CMC Recycling located at 2706 Mynderse Avenue have been implored to evacuate. Residents are strongly urged to stay away from the evacuation zone until it has been deemed safe to return.
KPD Bomb Squad personnel will remain on scene throughout the night.
The explosive material was found inside an approximately 5×5 steel box that is actively emitting smoke. It is suspected that the box contains a large amount of dynamite, though that has not yet been confirmed.
KPD NEWS RELEASE: Evacuations Ordered Due to Suspected Explosives
Residents within a 3,000-foot radius of suspected explosives that were found on Mynderse Avenue have been ordered to evacuate.
At around 2:15 p.m. today, Knoxville Police Department and Knoxville Fire Department personnel responded to CMC Recycling at 2706 Mynderse Avenue on a report that employees had discovered an approximately 5×5 steel box that contained suspected dynamite and was smoking.
KPD and KFD personnel closed Western Avenue between Texas Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue and immediately evacuated businesses in the immediate area.
KPD Bomb Squad technicians arrived at the scene and conducted an initial assessment of the box with the use of the drone. That assessment did not with complete certainty positively identify the contents of the box. However, based on that initial assessment and out of an abundance of caution, Bomb Squad technicians believe the box does contain explosives.
KPD and KFD officials have subsequently ordered an evacuation within an approximately 3,000-foot radius of the suspected explosives.
Efforts to evacuate the impacted area remain ongoing. Those efforts are being led by KPD and KFD with the assistance of Tennessee Highway Patrol deputies.
The Jacob Building has been established as an emergency shelter for residents who were ordered to evacuate.
Western Avenue remains closed between Pleasant Ridge Road and Massachusetts Avenue. The closure is expected to remain in place for an extended amount of time.
There is no evidence to suggest foul play or that the box was left on site maliciously. It is believed that employees were sorting through material when they discovered the box and attempted to open it. They called 9-1-1 immediately after seeing the contents.
Greene County, TN (WOKI) A woman is in stable condition and an investigation is underway following a shooting early Friday morning in Greene County.
Officials with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office say deputies responded to the 7000 block of Old Stage Road around 3:40 a.m. for a burglary call.
GCSO says “the caller stated that someone had entered his home and that he had gone to a neighbor’s house to call for help because his girlfriend was still inside.”
Police say not long after, a woman called from the home saying she had been shot twice. When deputies got inside, they reportedly found a 24-year-old who had been shot in the hand and back.
Officials say the woman was flown to Johnson City Medical Center where she is in stable condition.
No word yet on a suspect.
The woman was flown to Johnson City Medical Center and is stable, GCSO said. (Frankly Media)
