Nashville, TN (WSMV) Tennesseans whose job was affected by Hurricane Helene can apply for Disaster Unemployment, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor (TDOL) and Workforce Development.
TDOL said those affected can apply regardless of if the “federal government has approved Disaster Unemployment Assistance yet.”
“If an individual is not eligible for state unemployment, and DUA is eventually approved for an individual’s county, they must go back to jobs4TN and apply for DUA at that time,” TDOL said in a release. “Even if a person is receiving state unemployment, they must go back and apply for DUA so they are eligible for the additional weeks of benefits the federal government provides.”
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) – 10/8 UPDATE: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identifies man killed in an officer-involved shooting in West Knox County.
They say 57 year-old Bryan Testerman, Jr. was reportedly shot by a Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy after KCSO was called to the 8900 block of Isherwood Lane yesterday.
KCSO responded to a report of gunshots being fired outside of the home and preliminary information shows deputies saw a man with a gun who refused to drop the weapon. At some point during the encounter, the man was shot by a deputy. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
TBI agents are investigating the circumstances leading to that shooting.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating following a fatal officer-involved shooting Monday morning in West Knox County.
Officials with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office say deputies responded to the 8000 block of Isherwood Lane just after 6:30 a.m. for reports of a possible prowler, and that shots were heard in the neighborhood shortly after. When deputies arrived, they reported finding an armed man.
TBI says the man refused to comply with verbal commands to drop the weapon, leading to a response from the Knox County SWAT team.
According to TBI, the suspect was shot by a KCSO deputy during the encounter; he was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Per KCSO policy for officer-involved shootings, TBI is leading the investigation into the incident.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating following an officer-involved shooting Monday morning in West Knox County.
Officials with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office say deputies responded to the 8000 block of Isherwood Lane shortly after 6:30 a.m. for reports of a possible prowler, and that shots were heard in the neighborhood shortly after. When deputies arrived, they reported finding an armed male suspect.
KCSO says SWAT and the negotiations unit were called to the scene, and the suspect was shot by a KCSO deputy a short time later.
Per KCSO policy for officer-involved shootings, TBI is leading the investigation into the incident.
This is a developing story.
The suspect was shot by a KCSO deputy while responding to reports of a prowler, according to officials. (Courtesy: WVLT / WSMV)
Sweetwater, TN (WOKI) An investigation is underway in Sweetwater after a man is shot to death inside his residence.
Officials with the Sweetwater Police Department say officers responded Monday to a reported fight in the 100 block of Powell Avenue where an armed man, identified as Tony Paramo, surrendered to police stating that a shooting had taken place inside the home.
Inside, officers found a man dead and an intoxicated man. SPD says the intoxicated man, Christian Perez-Sanchez, “resisted arrest during detention” and was charged with resisting arrest.
SPD says detectives determined an argument between roommates escalated, leading to Paramo “fatally shooting one of his roommates,” a 23-year-old Hispanic man.
Paramo has been charged with first-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
SPD says the investigation is ongoing and further charges are pending. The department adds that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Police said one man is dead after being shot during an argument between roommates. (Frankly Media)
DANDRIDGE, TN.—Due to flooding from Hurricane Helene in the North Carolina mountains and parts of Tennessee, a large field of floating debris has accumulated in Douglas Reservoir in Sevier and Jefferson Counties, which is the inflow point from the Nolichucky, Pigeon, and French Broad Rivers and other watersheds. The debris field on Douglas is approximately one square mile in size and moving one mile per day downstream toward Douglas Dam.
To help contain the debris, TVA has deployed a one mile wide boom across Douglas Reservoir above the town of Dandridge. This is one of the largest boom deployments of its kind in TVA’s history. A boom is a floating barrier that captures surface and submerged debris in bodies of water.
The boom extends across the entire lake surface at Mile 11 at Swanns Shoals upriver from downtown Dandridge and will be in place until further notice. Deployment of the boom is intended to help protect water supply intakes and other infrastructure downstream of the debris mat and ensure TVA’s ability to continue flood control and normal operations at Douglas Dam.
Containing the debris allows more time for partner agencies and groups to explore options for removing the debris. Debris can include vegetation (trees, branches, shrubs), household items (garbage, glass, appliances, propane tanks), and construction materials (roofing, lumber), among others. Debris can be hazardous, with the potential to cause injury or death.
For the safety of the crews installing the boom as well as the safety of boaters, the public is advised to stay off the lake in this area until further notice. TVA Police along with officers from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will be on the water patrolling to help ensure safety, and signage will be set up around the area of the boom.
The Tennessee Department of Health confirms there have been more “weather-related” fatalities in East Tennessee.
TEMA says there have been twelve deaths in Tennessee as a result of effects of Hurricane Helene; one death in Knox County, one in Johnson County, five in Unicoi County, two in Cocke County, one in Greene County and two in Washington County.
There are 15 people missing in areas impacted by flooding, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. This is down from a peak exceeding 100.
As of Friday, there was one person missing each in Carter, Hawkins and Knox counties, seven in Greene, three in Union, six people in Unicoi County and three people in Washington County.
Dolly Parton and the Dollywood Foundation donating one million dollars each to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing immediate assistance to Hurricane Helene flood victims.
The donations help jumpstart the efforts of Mountain Ways to provide essential financial resources directly and efficiently to the most affected areas. Mountain Ways also will coordinate other relief efforts, including distributing food, water and other necessary supplies.
Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation are donating a total of $10 million to hurricane relief efforts across the affected states.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation with an update on when travelers can expect I-40 to reopen in Cocke County near the North Carolina state line.
Officials say over the next two weeks, they will be working to return traffic to this roadway, one lane in each direction between the Tennessee/North Carolina state line and mile marker 447, Hartford Road.
All that traffic will be pushed over to the westbound lanes. Currently, I-40 is closed at Exit 447 for westbound drivers and Exit 440 for eastbound drivers.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation says I-40 from the state line to mile marker 20 will be closed indefinitely.
An investigation is underway following a north Knoxville house fire which injures a firefighter.
Crews called to the 2000 block of Bradshaw Garden Road yesterday (Sunday) and found a fire on the porch in the rear of the home which had extended into the attic space. Crews quickly put the fire out and the home has suffered moderate smoke, water, and fire damage.
A Knoxville Fire Department firefighter received minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The two occupants, a woman and girl, and their dog escaped without injury.
Investigators have identified skeletal remains found in Knoxville nearly two years ago.
In November 2022, skeletal remains were found by a tree trimming service which were sent to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center.
Experts determined the person was a man and in December, investigators entered details on the case into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System but the case went cold due to a lack of leads.
Last year, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center sent the remains to an out of state lab who identified the remains as 33 year-old Cody Wilhite who had been missing from the Knoxville area since 2020.
Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen says a man is sentenced after he assaulted a woman, begged her not to tell the police, and then claimed she beat herself up.
Knoxville Police Officers went to Tennova North Medical Center for an assault call on Whittle Springs Road in November 2022.
Officers spoke to the victim who says over the course of four hours, Sanders strangled and punched her, knocked her to the ground and kicked her repeatedly before urinating on her.
She was treated for several injuries at the hospital and Sanders reportedly texted her “begging her to not call the police”.
Sanders, who’s been convicted of aggravated assault and domestic assault, was sentenced to three years behind bars.
It was a strange week across all of college football, with four teams ranked in the top 11 losing to unranked opponents, including the Tennessee Vols.
It’s led to quite a shakeup in the latest AP Poll rankings, Tennessee dropped four spots to number 8 in the country after enduring a 19-14 loss to unranked Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Alabama suffered a head-scratching 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt, dropping them from No. 1 down to No. 7.
The Vols take on the Gators on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Neyland Stadium. You can listen on our sister stations WIVK or WNML. You can watch on ESPN.
Smokey taking a run down the field during a Vols football game.
