Morgan County, TN (WOKI) A woman is charged in a string of arsons and vandalism in Morgan County.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office says 59-year-old Anita Hall was charged in the crimes on July 27.
A storage unit complex on Petros Highway then an explosion with black smoke at a home on Malachi Drive where deputies found a new F450 truck on fire, both reported on that Saturday.
MCSO says Hall was also seen setting cardboard boxes on fire and tampering with several trailers at an RV Park in Petros.
There were more vandalism reports along with Hall allegedly stealing a car’s registration tag.
Hall reportedly admitted to the crimes when detectives caught up to her. She is charged with numerous crimes including: Vandalism over $60,000, Arson, Burglary and theft.
She is being held on a $210,000 bond, with more charges pending.
August 2, 2024: Earlier this afternoon, we received a call from TWRA Biologist Janelle Musser. She set a trap this morning for a bear that destroyed a homeowner’s garage door. Within two hours, the bear was trapped. Sadly, the bear was female and had three cubs.
A bear that is willing to break apart a garage door to get inside for trash and a refrigerator full of food is a very dangerous bear. TWRA had no choice but to euthanize her. The homeowners were saddened, but explained that there are a lot of rentals in their area and that rental company housekeepers drive around with their cars and open-bed trucks full of trash every day. This sow was in this trash every day.
The bear family was technically trapped at a Sevierville address in Sevier County, Tennessee, but the home was right outside Gatlinburg. Unfortunately, there is no public trash service in the county areas of Sevier County. People must take their trash to convenience centers. To exacerbate the problem, there is a lot of construction going on in the area. There are lots and lots of construction dumpsters that are not bear-resistant. It’s a known problem that cabin cleaners often find unsupervised construction dumpsters and throw all the trash in them. It’s much faster than driving to a convenience center or to the cabin cleaning business’ dumpster. It’s very difficult to control and it creates an environmental hazard when bears and other wildlife drag the nasty trash out of the dumpsters and up and down our mountainsides.
Fortunately, TWRA was able to trap all three cubs. That’s a very difficult task and we sincerely appreciate Janelle’s efforts and skill. Curators Greg and Katrina met Janelle to pick up the cubs and transport them to UTCVM-University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for exams. The three cubs are all female and are healthy. ABR 411 broke a canine tooth while in the trap and doctors pulled the tooth. It’s just a baby tooth that the cub would lose soon anyway. ABR 411 weighs 15kgs (33 pounds). ABR 412 also weighs 15kgs (33 pounds). ABR 413 is the smallest of the family, but she is not small. She weighs a healthy 14kgs (30.8 pounds).
Curators will place the three arrivals in Hartley House tonight. The three rooms in Hartley will allow them to split up the siblings to take their worm meds over the next three days.
Please welcome ABR 411 Bubbles, ABR 412 Mojo and ABR 413 Fuzzy. We will do our best for them and with your help, we will give them a second chance at life in the wild where they belong.
To donate to help Appalachian Bear Rescue please click below:
On the morning of July 31st of 2024, Clinton Police Department officers responded to a residence on Rolling Acres Lane on the report of a shooting. Officers arrived at the scene and found a male victim at the residence with an apparent gunshot wound to the abdomen. Officers requested EMS to the scene for treatment of the victim, who was then after transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Clinton Police Department detectives were able to learn the identity of the suspect, who had left the scene prior to the officers arrival. Detectives requested assistance from the Anderson County 7th Judicial Task Force to help with a search for the suspect. The suspect was later located at a residence in the Marlow community of Anderson County by task force agents and deputies of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Agents took the suspect, Cody Alexander Thomas, into custody and transported him to the Anderson County Detention Facility.
Clinton Police have charged Thomas with the offenses of attempted murder, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, unlawful possession of a weapon, and tampering with evidence.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Authorities in the Knoxville area are asking for help finding a missing mother and her two children.
According to East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers, Shanicca Ewing and her two children, Nathan and Izayah Thomas, were last seen on July 23, when Ewing’s mother dropped them off at KARM.
Crime Stoppers says Ewing’s mother “has been unable to reach Shanicca and is concerned for Shanicca and the boys’ safety.”
Those with information are being asked to call East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
Shanicca Ewing and her two children. (Courtesy: ETVCS)
Madisonville, TN (WOKI) One man is dead and an investigation is underway following an officer-involved shooting Friday morning inside the Monroe County Justice Center in Madisonville.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say the situation unfolded around 8:00 a.m. when a man showed up at the Justice Center and fired shots in the parking lot then fired again at the building’s front door and walked inside.
TBI says “a deputy confronted the man and fired his service weapon, striking the man, who later died at a local hospital.”
Several other agencies also responded to the scene, including the Blount County Sheriff’s Office and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
TBI is investigating the shooting.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation responded to the Monroe County Justice Center Friday morning, TBI said. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Rural Metro says one person has been taken to the hospital after a tree fell on a home in East Knox County.
Crews were called to the home in the 5900 block of Edmondson Lane early this (Friday) morning and found that a very large tree had fallen into the house during overnight storms with one person trapped in the home by the tree. She was taken to the hospital after being pulled from the rubble with non-life threatening injuries.
Knoxville Police Department officers are investigating two separate and unrelated fatal crashes that happened on Thursday night.
At around 9 p.m. on Thursday, August 1, 2024, KPD officers were dispatched to a single-car crash on I-40 West near Hall of Fame Drive. The involved vehicle had hit the center median wall, for reasons that remain under investigation. The driver was pronounced dead at the UT Medical Center. Officers are investigating the possibility that the driver experienced a medical issue that led to the crash.
About 30 minutes later, at around 9:30 p.m., KPD officers were dispatched to a two-car crash on Martin Mill Pike at Lester Drive. Based on the investigation conducted at the scene, a Ford Mustang was travelling north on Martin Mill Pike when it crossed the center line and struck a Kia sedan. The driver of the Mustang was pronounced dead at the UT Medical Center. The Kia driver was also transported to UTMC with non-life-threatening injuries. The factors that contributed to the crash remain under active investigation.
The identities of the victims from the I-40 West and Martin Mill Pike crashes are being withheld at this time. Both of the fatal crash investigations remain ongoing.
Tennessee State Parks will pay tribute to Veterans of the U.S. military with Salute to Service days when all Veterans will be eligible for free camping and golf on the birthdays of each branch of military service. The first is on Sunday, Aug. 4, birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard, which was created in 1790.
All Veterans are eligible for a complimentary one-night camping stay and waived fees for golf on each of the branch birthdays. The free camping and golf will also apply to all Veterans on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
The Salute to Service series leads to the 250th anniversary of the nation in 2026.
Dates for the free camping and golf days by branch are:
Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024 (Coast Guard)
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 (Air Force)
Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 (Navy)
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 (Marines)
Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 (Veterans Day)
Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 (National Guard)
Friday, Dec. 20, 2024 (Space Force)
Saturday, June 14, 2025 (Army)
Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 (Coast Guard)
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025 (Air Force)
Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 (Navy)
Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 (Marines)
Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025 (Veterans Day)
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 (National Guard)
Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 (Space Force)
Sunday, June 14, 2026 (Army)
“The Tennesseans who have bravely served our state and nation deserve our highest honor and respect,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “These free activities are one small way we can honor these remarkable individuals and show our appreciation. We hope Veterans will take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy our state parks, and we thank them for their unwavering dedication to our country.”
“We are always eager to honor our Veterans, and we hope they will take advantage of these special benefits at Tennessee State Parks,” said Commissioner David Salyers of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “Our Veterans protect our way of life in the United States, and the parks are just one example of our freedom. We welcome our Veterans and pledge to continue to honor their service.”
“The expansion of benefits for the Veterans of Tennessee is a fantastic development! Our state parks are unrivaled, and our Veterans truly enjoy being outdoors,” said Commissioner Tommy Baker of the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services. “We are grateful to Commissioner Salyers and his team for their dedication to making Tennessee the top choice for Veterans to live and prosper!”
To claim a free stay on the commemorative dates, Veterans must call the Tennessee State Parks reservation line at 888-867-2757. Reservations for the one-night camping dates can be made at any time. Premium campsites are excluded from the offer. Official ID and proof of Veteran status are required upon check-in.
To claim the free round of golf, Veterans must contact the course directly. Tee times should be booked within the listed booking window for each course. The information about golf at Tennessee State Parks is available at https://tnstateparks.com/golf?.
