Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man and business have plead guilty to polluting the Holston River back in 2018.

Christopher Domermuth and Domermuth Environmental Services both plead guilty Tuesday to violating the Clean Water Act.

Domermuth operated DES which processes petroleum-contaminated soil and water in Knoxville.

“On July 26, 2018, DES workers rolled over a previously exhumed underground storage tank which spilled a mixture of petroleum and water onto a concrete pad at the facility. DES employees and Mr. Domermuth threw absorbent pads into the spilled mixture and then used a portable pump to pump the petroleum-contaminated mixture over a retaining wall at DES. The oily mixture flowed over a neighboring property and into a culvert leading to the Holston River.” – U.S. Department of Justice

Domermuth faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison followed by supervised release for up to one year.

Mascot, TN (WOKI) State employment leaders are stepping-in to help more than 200 people find a job after an East Tennessee company announced it’s closing its doors.

EXEDY America told the state it’s laying off 223 workers, all of them at their location in Mascot, and shutting down by spring.

The company’s website indicates at the end of March of last year, they had a total of 384 people employed, signaling a decline already in workforce.

The company makes drive train parts for automakers that include Ford and General Motors.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs gave a statement on the closure, saying the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce is working with the employees.

“Obviously, we never want to see a business close, especially a large, well-established employer. Unfortunately, changes within the automotive market forced EXEDY to discontinue operations here. While this closure means uncertainty for EXEDY’s employees, the folks who work there are highly skilled and would be an attractive addition to many area companies. The Knoxville Chamber of Commerce has already been in contact with the Tennessee Department of Labor to help guide EXEDY’s employees through this process.” – Mayor Glenn Jacobs

Employee layoffs are slated to begin on October 31 this year.

Farragut, Tn (WOKI) The Knox County District Attorney’s office and the sheriff’s department are still considering charges in a hit and run case.

According to reports, a 16 year old student was sitting at a Farragut bus stop on Thornton Drive with her legs in the road; a driver turning onto the road, struck the student and drove away.

The crash happened on August 8. The next day, the report said, a man called to say he may have been the one to hit the student, saying he thought he had run over a blanket. The student was taken to the hospital for treatment.