Sevier County, TN (WOKI) The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in finding a missing man.
SCSO officials say 50-year-old Eugene Frederick Blair was last seen in the Oldham Creek Road area of Sevier County.
According to SCSO, Blair walked off Thursday, August 15 around 11 a.m. with his brown shorthair dachshund dog and has not been seen or heard from by his family since then.
Blair is said to have undiagnosed dementia.
If you have any information that can help in the search for Blair, you are asked to contact Detective Alexander Smuk or the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office at 865-453-4668 or 865-774-3912.
Missing 50-year-old man Eugene Frederick Blair from Sevier County. (Courtesy: Sevier County. Sheriff’s Office)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Millions of dollars in state money is going to parks across the state, including right here in East Tennessee.
The state’s Office of Outdoor Recreation says they’re giving away over $21 million dollars in grants to parks in Tennessee, all through a program (Local Parks and Recreation Fund), that helps buy land for parks and improve greenways and recreational facilities.
“The LPRF program is a critical resource that the Office of Outdoor Recreation manages to help expand access to recreational opportunities in our local communities,” said Brian Clifford, director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation. “These grants directly contribute to improving the quality of life, health, and economy in our cities and counties.”
The grants were awarded to 27 communities across the state, including the following in East Tennessee:
Bean Station in Grainger County – Awarded $125,000 for upgrades to the existing playground area, parking and two ballfields at City Park.
Blaine in Grainer County – Awarded $75,000 for milling/resurfacing of the parking lot, striping and accessible parking, signage, park benches and fence toppers for the ballfield at City Park.
Dandridge in Jefferson County – Awarded $500,000 for playground, restroom building, access paths, a shade structure, accessible parking and pickleball courts at Field of Dreams Playground.
Harriman in Roane County – Awarded $300,000 for improvements at the Community Center that will include new flooring for the gymnasium, an HVAC system and parking lot paving. Improvements at Riverfront Park will include Phase I of the installation of new trail lighting.
Norris in Anderson County – Awarded $375,000 for the redevelopment of tennis courts into a new complex to including a tennis court, pickle ball courts, and a new outdoor basketball court, upgrades to the existing restroom, parking, and accessible pathways at Memorial Park.
Oliver Springs in Roane County – Awarded $29,000 for accessible pathways to the ballfields, concrete pads for the bleachers and accessible seating areas, and LED security light replacements at Arrowhead Park.
Rocky Top in Anderson County – Awarded $566,000 for an upgrade of the existing restroom facility, replacement of bleacher structure with a press box on top and accessibility features at Community Center Park.
“Communities across the state need resources to provide Tennesseans with excellent recreational opportunities, and these grants support those projects,” said Greer Tidwell, deputy commissioner for the Bureau of Conservation at TDEC. “The grants and local teamwork our Tennessee legislators established in this funding program will continue to support many exciting new features at the local level.”
Click here for more information about the LPRF program and for guidance on how to apply.
A total of 27 communities across Tennessee were awarded grants. (Pexels)
Kingston, TN (WOKI) A man driving on a suspended license is facing charges after hitting a 12-year-old boy in Kingston and leaving the scene.
Kingston Police Department officials say the crash happened Wednesday around 4:00 p.m. near Woodlawn Drive.
Officers arrested 34-year-old Nicolas Debord a short time later after an interview with the victim and nearby security camera footage placed Debord’s vehicle at the scene.
Police say the child suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident.
Debord was charged with reckless driving on a suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless endangerment. Additional charges are pending.
The crash happened Wednesday around 4:00 p.m., Kingston Police Department officials said. (Frankly Media)
Roane County, TN (WOKI) A Roane County man is facing 33 years in jail for his role in a double murder two years ago.
According to District Attorney General Russell Johnson’s office, Lonnie Dale Wright, of Harriman, was sentenced Wednesday to the murders of Steve Groover and Cindy Scruggs in May of 2022.
Groover and Scruggs were found dead in their Kingston home on Buck Creek Road.
Officials with the Roane County Sheriff’s Office say after Wright was arrested in July 2022 that he was suspected of unlawfully breaking into the home and murdering both Groover and Scruggs.
On Wednesday, Roane County Criminal Court Judge Jeff Wicks agreed with the District Attorney’s request to give Wright the maximum number of years with his sentence. Additionally, DA Russell Johnson said the judge gave Wright three six-year sentences consecutively with the maximum of 15 years on the attempted robbery conviction.
Johnson added that Wright has been in jail since his arrest and will receive credit for time served.
Lonnie Dale Wright (Courtesy: Roane County Sheriff’s Office)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville husband and wife have been arrested on charges of wire fraud, money laundering and tax offenses.
The United States Department of Justice said a federal grand jury returned a 14-count indictment last week on 53-year-old Kenneth Francis Lee and 54-year-old Susan Amie Lee, both of Knoxville.
The Lees are accused of concocting a scheme to defraud investors and obtain money by falsely claiming that Kenneth was in litigation to sell a company to a large U.S. based investment firm and that, in exchange for help with “legal fees” for the transaction, victims would receive a percentage of the sale.
According to the DOJ, the victims never saw any money as there was no settlement, and the Lees allegedly spent it on personal expenses, including funding Kenneth Lee’s gambling habit.
Additionally, the DOJ says Kenneth did not report any of his income to the IRS despite being required to do so.
Susan is alleged in the indictment to have helped in collecting the fraud proceeds into accounts in her name and spending those funds.
Kenneth was indicted on seven counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering and three counts of tax offenses, and Susan was indicted on three counts of money laundering offenses. The DOJ said they appeared in court on Wednesday and entered not guilty pleas.
If convicted, the DOJ said Kenneth and Susan both face up to 20 years in prison.
Their trial is scheduled for October 22.
They allegedly executed a scheme to defraud investors and obtain money by falsely claiming to be in litigation to sell a company to a large U.S. based investment firm.(Credit: Frankly Media)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The body of the victim is recovered and an investigation is underway in Grainger County following a drowning Tuesday evening.
Officials with the Grainger County Sheriff’s Office say over half a dozen agencies responded to the drowning including: the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Bean Station Police Department, Morristown Rescue Squad, Bean Station Volunteer Fire Department and Bean Station Rescue Squad.
GCSO says the victim, 25-year-old Bryson Harrell, was recovered from the Olen Marshal Bridge lake access area around 8:50 p.m.
GCSO is investigating the drowning.
The victim, 25-year-old Bryson Harrell, was recovered from the Olen Marshal Bridge lake access area around 8:50 p.m., according to GCSO officials. (Courtesy: Grainger Co. Sheriff’s Department)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: Knoxville city officials continue to need your help in finding a missing park statue.
It’s a bronze statue of two children sitting on a bench reading.
Officials in Knox County say the statue was stolen from Strickland Park just a few weeks ago and has still not been found.
If you have any information, please contact the Knox County Parks and Recreation Department via email at [email protected] or phone at 865-215-6600.
ORIGINAL STORY: Officials with the Knox County Parks and Recreation Department are asking for help after a bronze monument went missing.
According to officials, the monument depicting children reading that used to live at Thomas “Tank” Strickland Park was stolen.
The department took to social media Monday with the announcement adding “it appears someone loved this reading children statue so much that they took it for their own, leaving the kids who visit this park to be confused about where their friends went.”
Those with information are being asked to email [email protected] or call 865-215-6600.
Knox County officials say a monument was stolen from a Knoxville park (Courtesy: Knox County)
Morristown, TN (WOKI) A homeowner survives but four pets perish following a house fire Tuesday morning in Morristown.
City officials say the Morristown Fire Department responded to the call of a structure fire on Dedra Drive, arriving within three minutes of the initial call. They say crews were able to contain the fire to the bedroom of the home, but the house suffered heavy smoke and water damage.
Officials say the homeowner made it out and is recovering from smoke inhalation but that four pets died despite fire personnel administering life-saving measures.
“We thank the Morristown-Hamblen EMS, the MPD, MUS and Animal Control for their assistance,” the city said.
Emergency crews responded to the fire Tuesday morning, city officials said. (Courtesy: City of Morristown)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A grand jury will now hear the case against Steven Davis, one of the two suspects connected to a deadly shooting at a Knoxville bar last month.
Davis was in court Monday; he has been charged with aggravated assault and violation of parole.
The shooting happened on July 2 at the Pint House on Merchant Drive in Knoxville. Security guard Zachery Herrera and a Pint House customer John Goosie were shot and killed.
The Judge ruled Monday there was enough evidence to bound the case over to the grand jury.
The second suspect in the case, Kevin Matthews, was found a little over a week after the shooting in a Jacksonville, Florida hotel room. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
