Category Archives: News Top Stories

Former Tennessee Corrections Officer Sentenced for Using Excessive Force Against Inmate and Writing False Report to Cover It Up

Former Tennessee Corrections Officer Sentenced for Using Excessive Force Against Inmate and Writing False Report to Cover It Up

A former Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) tactical officer, Javian Griffin, 38, was sentenced Monday to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for using excessive force against an inmate and writing a false report to cover it up. Griffin pleaded guilty to the offense on Oct. 11, 2023. His co-defendant, another…MORE

Knoxville Police Investigating after 21-Year-Old Found Shot on Western Avenue

Knoxville Police Investigating after 21-Year-Old Found Shot on Western Avenue

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knoxville Police Department is investigating after a 21-year-old man was found shot over the weekend on Western Avenue. KPD officials say officers responded to the 3900 block of Western Avenue around 2:30 a.m. Saturday to find a man who reportedly said he was driving and had crashed into another car, then…MORE

Townsend City Manager Placed on Administrative Leave, City Officials Say

Townsend City Manager Placed on Administrative Leave, City Officials Say

Townsend, TN (WOKI / WVLT) After just two years of service, the city manager of Townsend has been placed on administrative leave. WVLT news reporting Thursday afternoon that Townsend City Manager Danny Williamson was placed on administrative leave with pay. Previously, Williamson served as the city recorder for Townsend. He was appointed in February 2022…MORE

Knoxville Police Release Body Camera Footage in Fountain City Officer-Involved Shooting

Knoxville Police Release Body Camera Footage in Fountain City Officer-Involved Shooting

Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) The Knoxville Police Department releases body camera footage Wednesday showing a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened in mid-April. KPD officials say Officer Seth Beeler responded to an Exxon gas station at 5306 North Broadway around 5:30 p.m. on April 17. While there, a witness reportedly told Beeler that 41-year-old William…MORE

Girlfriend of Suspect in Blount County Deputy’s Death Indicted by Grand Jury

Girlfriend of Suspect in Blount County Deputy’s Death Indicted by Grand Jury

Sevier County, TN (WOKI) A grand jury Monday indicts the girlfriend of the man accused of killing a Blount County Sheriff’s Office deputy during a traffic stop in February. Carrie Matthews, the girlfriend of Kenneth DeHart, was indicted by the Sevier County Grand Jury on an accessory after the fact charge. Matthews is accused of…MORE

TOSHA: Company Fined Thousands after Employee Falls to Death at Gatlinburg Convention Center

TOSHA: Company Fined Thousands after Employee Falls to Death at Gatlinburg Convention Center

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A third party working at the Gatlinburg Convention Center is now facing thousands in fines following a workplace death in December of last year. According to a report from the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), Appalachian Staffing Service, LLC was fined $8,200 after 66-year-old Jeffrey Coker fell from the center’s…MORE

Man Sentenced for Second-Degree Murder in Overdose Death at Knox County Motel

Man Sentenced for Second-Degree Murder in Overdose Death at Knox County Motel

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The man convicted of second-degree murder in a woman’s overdose death at a Knox County motel has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison. The Knox County District Attorney’s Office sharing that52-year-old Wesley Allen Lacey was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison in the overdose death of a woman…MORE

Zoo Knoxville asking for Tree Branch and Limb Donations for Some of Their Animals
Photo courtesy of Zoo Knoxville

Zoo Knoxville asking for Tree Branch and Limb Donations for Some of Their Animals

Zoo Knoxville officials said they are accepting tree branches and limbs for donations for the animals. Anyone can donate branches, twigs and tender shoots to help feed the elephants and giraffes. Zoo officials emphasized that anything sprayed with chemicals or pesticides cannot be used. Elephants and giraffes prefer certain types of limbs and branches from…MORE

JCSO: Suspect Identified in Deadly Shooting in Strawberry Plains

JCSO: Suspect Identified in Deadly Shooting in Strawberry Plains

Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) Police in Jefferson County have identified the suspect in a deadly shooting Tuesday morning in Strawberry Plains. Officials with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office say the report of a shooting came in around 10:00 a.m., and multiple agencies were dispatched to the scene in the 100 block of Thorngrove Pike. When…MORE

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Painting with a Purpose! (with McLain’s Painting Service)

Painting with a Purpose! (with McLain’s Painting Service)

Nominate your favorite Non-profit organization to get a fresh coat of paint up to $10,000 provided by Sherwin Williams! Nominations for Painting With A Purpose 2025 open on April 28th, 2025 and ends the first week of June. The winner will be announced in July.

Blount Memorial Downtown Dash for Breast Cancer- May 10th

Blount Memorial Downtown Dash for Breast Cancer- May 10th

Join Blount Memorial Saturday, May 10 as they host their Inaugural Downtown Dash for Breast Cancer to honor breast cancer survivors, remember those who have fought the battle, and raise money to expand access to life-saving breast cancer screening and diagnostic services right here in Blount County! Gather for this event at Blount Memorial Health Center at Springbrook – 220 Associates Blvd. Alcoa, TN.