Semi-Truck Driver Dies in Cocke County Crash, Tennessee Highway Patrol Says

Semi-Truck Driver Dies in Cocke County Crash, Tennessee Highway Patrol Says

Knoxville, TN (WOKI The driver of a tractor-trailer that overturned in Cocke County this (Tuesday) morning is dead.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol releasing the news in a preliminary report which indicates that the driver was headed east on I-40 around 8:15 a.m. when he moved off the interstate, hitting a cable barrier.

According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the crash closed the right lane of I-40 for several hours.

The identity of the driver has not yet been released.

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 rafters on December 26, 2023.

Investigators say employees were working on rigging equipment to the ceiling when the Coker fell 32 feet onto a concrete floor.

Appalachian Staffing Service is facing four citations, ranging in fines from $1,200 to $1,400 each. The violations mostly cover safety checks-and-balances, claiming the company did not verify that all equipment was working correctly.

Teen Charged Following Threat and Lockdown at Fulton High School, KPD Says

Teen Charged Following Threat and Lockdown at Fulton High School, KPD Says

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: A teen is facing several charges following a brief lockdown Tuesday morning at Fulton High School.

Knoxville Police Department officials say KPD School Resource Officers responded to the school around 11:30 a.m. after a person called the school threatening to hurt a student.

Officers detained a 16-year-old male suspect near the school who police say had two knives on him.

He was charged with aggravated criminal trespass, harassment and carrying weapons on school property.

KPD says no one was hurt, and the suspect is not a student at the school.

ORIGINAL STORY: Fulton High School was placed on a brief lockdown Tuesday morning after a report stated a teen had threatened another student.

Knoxville Police Department officials say no one was hurt in the incident, and one student was detained for investigation.

The school has since lifted the lockdown.

No additional details have been provided.

Rural Metro is Investigating a North Knoxville House Fire which Results in an Arrest
Photo courtesy of WVLT

Rural Metro is Investigating a North Knoxville House Fire which Results in an Arrest

Rural Metro is investigating an early morning (Tuesday) fire in North Knox County which results in an arrest.

Crews called to the 9100 block of Brock Road near Texas Valley Road and found a module home on fire.

The owner was safely outside and no injures were reported.

Officials say the owner was “using power” via an extension cord from his neighbor and went to jail after an outstanding warrant was found by law enforcement. Rural Metro says the fire appears to have started near a wood stove.

Knox County 20 Year Growth Plan Approved by Commissioners
Photo Courtesy of WVLT

Knox County 20 Year Growth Plan Approved by Commissioners

Knox County’s Twenty year Growth Plan is unanimously approved after five hours of debate.

Knox County Commissioners meeting last night (Monday) discussing the plan also known as Advance Knox. It creates an outline for Knox County development and infrastructure future with 70,000 people expected to move into the county over the next 20 years.

The Farragut Board of Alderman and Mayor voted against the plan before ultimately passing it a week later after about 19 amendments and changes were made to the plan.

Mayor Glenn Jacobs says he’s please the plan has finally passed.

County Commission members say you’ll first see rezoning in affected areas then infrastructure changes like expanding roads within that 20 year span. Knox County hopes this plan will save them millions of dollars.

Pedestrian who was Hit and Killed in Knox County more than Three Decades Ago Identified as a Result of Collaborative Effort

Pedestrian who was Hit and Killed in Knox County more than Three Decades Ago Identified as a Result of Collaborative Effort

A man whose remains were found in 1993 in Knox County has been identified as a result of a partnership between the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as part of the Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative.

On May 24, 1993, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle along Cedar Bluff Road in Knoxville. The adult male, who had no identification on him, was pronounced deceased at the scene, and his body was sent for an autopsy. Forensic pathologists determined that the man was likely between the ages of 51 and 60 but were unable to identify him. Investigators with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Knox County Regional Forensic Center continued to work to determine the identity of the victim using technology available in 1993, but their efforts were not successful. After exhausting all leads, the man was classified as a John Doe.

Efforts to identify the man continued with the University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center submitting a sample of his remains to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A DNA profile was developed and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS) in hopes that the man would eventually be identified, but no developments occurred.

In December 2022, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center (RFC) submitted a sample of the man’s remains to Othram Inc., a private lab in Texas, to create a comprehensive DNA profile. In May 2023, TBI agents partnered with the RFC as part of the TBI Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative. From there, Othram scientists used forensic genetic genealogical (FGG) DNA testing to develop information about possible relatives connected to the man. Last month, with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the York County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, TBI agents used the information provided by Othram to locate and make contact with one of the potential family members and obtain a familial DNA standard. That standard was then submitted to Othram for comparison against the DNA of the unidentified man. Based on the DNA and forensic genealogy results, scientists at Othram confirmed that the Knox County John Doe was Elbert Louis Brown (DOB: 07/01/1940), originally from the York, South Carolina area. It was further determined that family members last saw Brown in 1992. He was homeless at the time.

Forensic genetic genealogical testing on this case was made possible by funding approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2022.  You can read more about other cases submitted for FGG testing as part of the TBI Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative by clicking https://www.tn.gov/tbi/divisions/criminal-investigation-division/unidentified-human-remains-initiative.html

Knoxville Police Department Identifies Officer Involved in Deadly Fountain City Shooting

Knoxville Police Department Identifies Officer Involved in Deadly Fountain City Shooting

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knoxville Police Department has identified the officer involved in last week’s deadly shooting in Fountain City.

Police responded to a disturbance in the 5300 Block of North Broadway at the Exxon gas station where investigators say 41-year-old William Charles McBride Jr. was “allegedly acting erratically and potentially aggressively.” McBride, who was armed with two knives, left the store and confronted Officer Seth Beeler in the parking lot; that confrontation resulted in Beeler firing at McBride, hitting him once.

McBride was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where he died from his injuries. Beeler was placed on routine administrative leave.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Police Release More Information in Rod Run Death

Police Release More Information in Rod Run Death

Pigeon Forge, TN (WOKI) Police in Pigeon Forge have identified the man killed Thursday after crashing his electric scooter into an open car door during the annual Rod Run event.

The Pigeon Forge Police Department says the crash happened near the intersection of Jake Thomas Road when the passenger of a stopped truck opened the truck’s door. The man, 31-year-old Jeremy Hanes Jr. of Charlestown, Indiana was riding the scooter on the Parkway between the white line and the sidewalk when he hit the door.

He was taken to UT Medical Center, where he died Friday afternoon.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Shooting Suspect Turns Himself In, Knoxville Police Say

Shooting Suspect Turns Himself In, Knoxville Police Say

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A suspect wanted for attempted murder following a shooting Saturday at an apartment complex has turned himself in.

Knoxville Police Department officials say 27-year-old Jevess Craigmire turned himself in Monday afternoon at the Public Safety Complex.

Craigmire is facing several charges, including attempted first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery, stemming from a shooting at an apartment complex on Dandridge Avenue early Saturday morning.

The 31 year-old victim was taken to the hospital after being shot “at least one time,” and she is in stable condition.

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Semi-Truck Driver Dies in Cocke County Crash, Tennessee Highway Patrol Says

Semi-Truck Driver Dies in Cocke County Crash, Tennessee Highway Patrol Says

Knoxville, TN (WOKI The driver of a tractor-trailer that overturned in Cocke County this (Tuesday) morning is dead. The Tennessee Highway Patrol releasing the news in a preliminary report which indicates that the driver was headed east on I-40 around 8:15 a.m. when he moved off the interstate, hitting a cable barrier. According to the…Continue Reading

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…Continue Reading

Teen Charged Following Threat and Lockdown at Fulton High School, KPD Says

Teen Charged Following Threat and Lockdown at Fulton High School, KPD Says

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: A teen is facing several charges following a brief lockdown Tuesday morning at Fulton High School. Knoxville Police Department officials say KPD School Resource Officers responded to the school around 11:30 a.m. after a person called the school threatening to hurt a student. Officers detained a 16-year-old male suspect near the…Continue Reading

Rural Metro is Investigating a North Knoxville House Fire which Results in an Arrest
Photo courtesy of WVLT

Rural Metro is Investigating a North Knoxville House Fire which Results in an Arrest

Rural Metro is investigating an early morning (Tuesday) fire in North Knox County which results in an arrest. Crews called to the 9100 block of Brock Road near Texas Valley Road and found a module home on fire. The owner was safely outside and no injures were reported. Officials say the owner was “using power”…Continue Reading

Knox County 20 Year Growth Plan Approved by Commissioners
Photo Courtesy of WVLT

Knox County 20 Year Growth Plan Approved by Commissioners

Knox County’s Twenty year Growth Plan is unanimously approved after five hours of debate. Knox County Commissioners meeting last night (Monday) discussing the plan also known as Advance Knox. It creates an outline for Knox County development and infrastructure future with 70,000 people expected to move into the county over the next 20 years. The…Continue Reading

Pedestrian who was Hit and Killed in Knox County more than Three Decades Ago Identified as a Result of Collaborative Effort

Pedestrian who was Hit and Killed in Knox County more than Three Decades Ago Identified as a Result of Collaborative Effort

A man whose remains were found in 1993 in Knox County has been identified as a result of a partnership between the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as part of the Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative. On May 24, 1993, the Knox County Sheriff’s…Continue Reading

Knoxville Police Department Identifies Officer Involved in Deadly Fountain City Shooting

Knoxville Police Department Identifies Officer Involved in Deadly Fountain City Shooting

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knoxville Police Department has identified the officer involved in last week’s deadly shooting in Fountain City. Police responded to a disturbance in the 5300 Block of North Broadway at the Exxon gas station where investigators say 41-year-old William Charles McBride Jr. was “allegedly acting erratically and potentially aggressively.” McBride, who was…Continue Reading

Police Release More Information in Rod Run Death

Police Release More Information in Rod Run Death

Pigeon Forge, TN (WOKI) Police in Pigeon Forge have identified the man killed Thursday after crashing his electric scooter into an open car door during the annual Rod Run event. The Pigeon Forge Police Department says the crash happened near the intersection of Jake Thomas Road when the passenger of a stopped truck opened the…Continue Reading

Shooting Suspect Turns Himself In, Knoxville Police Say

Shooting Suspect Turns Himself In, Knoxville Police Say

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A suspect wanted for attempted murder following a shooting Saturday at an apartment complex has turned himself in. Knoxville Police Department officials say 27-year-old Jevess Craigmire turned himself in Monday afternoon at the Public Safety Complex. Craigmire is facing several charges, including attempted first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery, stemming from a…Continue Reading