NASHVILLE – EAST TENNESSEE (TBI / WOKI)- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has established a hotline to coordinate reports of missing persons in the areas affected by the recent severe flooding impacting parts of East Tennessee.
Those wishing to report missing individuals believed to be in the affected areas across East Tennessee may contact 1-800-TBI-FIND. Callers should be prepared to relay as much identifying information as possible, including names, phone numbers, vehicle identification, and last known whereabouts. Recognizing the importance of accounting for individuals who may be missing, the TBI urges the public to refrain from calling to inquire about the status of personal properties in the affected areas.The information gathered by the TBI will be immediately available to law enforcement authorities in the response area for further follow-up.
GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Great Smoky Mountains National Park staff continue to assess conditions after the park experienced historic flooding and other impacts from Hurricane Helene.
Visitors are encouraged to reschedule their trips for their own safety. Hiking and backcountry travel are not recommended due to the unpredictability of creek crossings, potential of downed trees and other hazardous trail conditions. Park staff will evaluate trails once roads are safely assessed.
The following areas and facilities reopened the morning of Sept. 28:
Kingston, TN (WOKI) Two people are being investigated by the Kingston Police Department for trying to steal an ATM.
Kingston Police Department officials say officers went to an Enrichment Federal Credit Union on Bradford Way around 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning, finding that two people had tried to pry the ATM from the wall using a truck with tow straps.
Police say a few minutes later, a truck with tow straps attached to it was found in a nearby parking lot unattended; officers determined that the truck was stolen out of Knox County.
According to the department, all the money from the ATM was accounted for. Those with information are being asked to call Roane Central Dispatch at 865-354-8045.
Suspects try to break into ATM with tow straps, Kingston police say. (Courtesy: KPD)
Cocke County, TN (WVLT) The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is claiming that Walters Dam, otherwise known as Waterville Dam, has not failed. TEMA is citing the dam’s owner, Duke Energy.
It comes just about an hour after Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis said the dam had suffered a “catastrophic failure.”
“THE WATERVILLE DAM HAS SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE,” Mathis posted to Facebook. “EVACUATION ALL OF DOWNTOWN NEWPORT IMMEDIATELY.”
It’s important to note that both Mathis and TEMA are standing by the evacuation order.
The evacuation notice comes as heavy rain brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused flooding all over Cocke County, especially in areas near the Pigeon River and French Broad River.
According to the United States Geological Survey, both rivers normally sit below five feet. As of noon, the Pigeon River was sitting at 20.57 feet. As of 12:45 p.m., the French Broad River was sitting just under 17 feet.
The dam is owned by Duke Energy. WVLT News has reached out for the latest information, however the company’s website is also providing some insight into the dam’s status.
Spillway gates are open at the Waterville Dam. Expect dangerous high flow conditions downstream of Waterville Dam and Walters hydro station. WARNING: High flows and the natural environment of the bypassed reach can create dangerous conditions. As always, we encourage residents living along rivers, streams and other lower lying and flood-prone areas to pay special attention to changing weather conditions and take any necessary precautions. – Duke Energy
As for the dam itself, the Army Corps of Engineers keeps an inventory of dams across the country.
The National Inventory of Dams lists Walters Dam as “high” for potential hazards.
It’s the latest in a series of updates from Mathis about emergency conditions in Cocke County.
“All county and city emergency resources are currently fully engaged in water rescue and evacuation operations,” Mathis said earlier in the day Friday. “We are still several hours from the expected high-water mark. Thank you to all of our emergency responders for their heroic efforts today and in the days to come.”
The situation, not just in Cocke County but across all of Eastern Tennessee, prompted a response from Gov. Bill Lee.
“As Tennessee continues to experience severe weather and flooding from Hurricane Helene, we are monitoring conditions and urge Tennesseans to follow local guidance for key resources, safety information and community updates,” Lee said. “Maria and I continue to pray for all impacted Tennesseans.”
There is also a shelter open at the Newport Community Center (433 Prospect Ave.) for those living north of Wilton Springs. The Liberty Church in Cosby was designated as the evacuation center for those south of Wilton Springs.
TEMA also provides a list of emergency shelters throughout the state. That’s available here.
Mathis has also declared a state of emergency in Cocke County.
The announcement comes as the remnants of Hurricane Helene bring heavy rain to areas of East Tennessee. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A University of Tennessee student has been charged with attempted murder after an “altercation” with another student.
Officials with the university’s police department say 19-year-old Michael Francis assaulted another student around 3:00 a.m. Friday morning inside one of UT’s residence halls.
UTPD says the other student, who has not been identified, was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Francis, who was also charged with criminal trespass, has been booked into the Knox County Regional Jail.
The University of Tennessee campus (Courtesy: WVLT)
CARY, N.C. – The Tennessee pair of Catherine Aulia and Elza Tomase each secured singles victories at the 2024 ITA All-American Championships on Thursday, advancing to the Round of 16 at Cary Tennis Park.
In the singles main draw Round of 32, No. 62 Elza Tomase earned the highest-ranked win of her career, powering past No. 3 Celia-Belle Mohr of Vanderbilt, 6-1, 5-7, 6-0. The senior topped her previous highest against No. 8 Ayana Akli of South Carolina, 6-4, 6-3 on April 9, 2023.
The Liepaja, Latvia, native collected her fourth straight win of the tournament and her third victory over a ranked foe of the early season. Tomase advanced to the Round of 16, in which she will meet USC’s No. 16 Grace Piper on Friday.
“Elza has been playing very well this week in Cary,” assistant coach Elizabeth Scotty said. “Mohr is very good and battled hard in the second (set) to force a third (set). The most important takeaway is that Elza was able to stay mentally focused and trusted her game even when points didn’t fall in her favor. She played a pretty close to perfect third set and relied on her power to take control for the win.”
No. 81 Aulia also snagged a victory in the singles main draw Round of 32. The junior claimed a three-set triumph versus No. 38 Shavit Kimichi of Duke, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Aulia has amassed four straight victories over the course of the tournament, taking down four ranked competitors. She is set to face Oklahoma State’s Oby Ange Kajuru in the Round of 16 on Friday.
“Cat has been really scrappy getting the job done in three sets these last few matches,” Scotty shared. “When she hits her ball confidently her variety is extremely tough for her opponents to handle. She did a great job in the third set playing within herself but taking chances when she had them. Overall super proud of their high-level performances today!”
The duo completed the day with a victory in the consolation doubles bracket, moving on to the quarterfinals. No. 23 Aulia and Tomase posted a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win against No. 10 Kenna Erickson and Anita Sahdiieva from LSU. The Lady Vol duo will return to action after a bye to face No. 5 Maria Sholokova and Alina Mukhortova from Wisconsin.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI/WVLT) – United States District Judge John Broomes has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett.
The lawsuit stems from a February shooting in Kansas City following the Chief’s Super Bowl victory.
1 person died, 22 injured including minors in shooting following Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Kansas in March by Denton Loudermill, Jr., says Burchett shared photos of Loudermill on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming he was one of the shooters and an “illegal alien.”
The lawsuit says Loudermill attended the parade and was told by police in the moments after the shooting he was moving “too slow” when he tried to go under police tape to leave the area.
He was then handcuffed and sat on a curb for about 10 minutes before being unhandcuffed and told by police he was “free to go,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit further says Burchett removed the post referring to Loudermill as an “illegal alien,” but he made another post with the image that misidentified him as “one of the shooters.”
The lawsuit also says Loudermill has received death threats and suffered mental distress from being falsely identified as an “illegal alien” and “shooter.”
Burchett has now submitted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the federal court in Kansas does not have jurisdiction.
In the motion, it is argued that Burchett didn’t know Loudermill or that he was a resident of the State of Kansas.
“Mr. Burchett’s reposting of an image of [Loudermill] already seen by millions of people did not place [Loudermill] in a false light and certainly does not establish jurisdiction. Neither Mr. Burchett’s February 15th post nor his retraction made on the 19th of February were directed at the State of Kansas in any way. Further, those posts were not intended or expected to cause injury in Kansas,” the motion says.
The motion continues by saying Burchett “did not engage in any intentional act which was ‘expressly aimed’ at the State of Kansas with ‘knowledge that the brunt of the injury would be felt there.”
According to the motion, the venue is not appropriate in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas because it occurred outside of the state.
Loudermill aksed for $75,000 in damages for acts considered “willful, wanton, reckless and malicious,” according to the lawsuit.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Kingston man is facing life in prison after being convicted Wednesday of multiple federal child sex crimes.
Department of Justice officials announcing 34-year-old Christopher Edward Allen was convicted of nine counts involving child pornography and attempting to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
Specifically, the nine counts include:
Three counts of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity
One count of producing child pornography
Two counts of attempting to produce child pornography
Two counts of transporting a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct
One count of transferring obscene material
The DOJ said Allen used various social media platforms to find minors online and, once identified, baited them over social media to engage in “unlawful sexual activity” and to “send nude images of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
There were two instances where Allen paid the minors for nude images, which he later emailed to himself using the minor’s name as the subject line, the DOJ said. He also sent sexually explicit images of himself to minors.
In another instance, Allen met a minor in person at his workplace, where he added them to one of his social media accounts. Later that night, he talked with the minor through social media.
Authorities found out about the messages and, with consent from the minor’s parents, assumed the minor’s identity on social media two days later, according to the DOJ.
Allen was later arrested at a Kingston park after arriving with the intent to meet the minor.
Sentencing for Allen is scheduled for February 6, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.; he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
Christopher Allen was arrested at a Kingston park after arriving with the intent to meet a minor. (Credit: Frankly Media)
Tennessee (WOKI) – It’s been three months since the City of Knoxville and the Tennessee Department of Transportation shut down the Gay Street Bridge after a routine inspection found a steel beam was compromised making the bridge unsafe.
A report by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association shows that three of Tennessee’s most traveled bridges that are structurally deficient are in Knox County.
The spans of I-40 that crosses over University Avenue and 17th Street are traveled by around 140,000 vehicles a day.
The same report shows more than 7,000 bridges are in need of some kind of repair or replacement in Tennessee to the tune of $6.1 billion. TDOT’s budget for this fiscal year is just under 3 billion.
UPDATE 9/27/24 (WOKI – Gatlinburg) The National Park Service continues to monitor conditions from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. While the park did not receive the forecasted peak winds overnight, the center of the tropical storm is predicted to pass over the park mid-morning today. A high wind warning remains in effect through 8 p.m. tonight. A flood watch remains in effect through this afternoon.
The park is implementing the following closures:
Little River Road from Elkmont to the Townsend Wye & Wear Cove Gap Road (new)
Lake View Drive (new)
All visitor centers
Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee, and Big Creek campgrounds
The Deep Creek between Indian Creek Bridge and park boundary (closed to all water activity)
The park has received over 8 inches of rain at Newfound Gap and an additional 2-4 inches are possible. Flash flooding is possible.
Risks of flooding, high winds, downed trees, landslides and power outages remain, and visitors are encouraged to reschedule their trips. Backcountry travel is not recommended due to the unpredictability of creek crossings. The park will evaluate conditions throughout the day to determine the potential for reopening some areas as weather and safety allow. No areas are expected to reopen today. Additional updates will be on the park websitehttps://www.nps.gov/index.htm as available.
Event canceled
The Townsend Heritage and Bluegrass Festival has been canceled. It was scheduled for today and tomorrow and this marks the first time the 30-plus-year-old festival has been completely canceled. Organizers say they are deeply disappointed to cancel this year’s event but the safety of the attendees and everyone involved comes first.
Original story: Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding areas should expect road closures and event cancellations in preparation for expected weather impacts from Hurricane Helene.
GSMNP officials say some park locations have already received 4-5 inches of rainfall since Wednesday ahead of the tropical storm event with another 4-5 inches predicted on the Tennessee-side of the park through Friday.
A number of roads are now closed both in Tennessee and on the North Carolina-side of the park:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Newfound Gap Road/US Highway 441 will close Thursday at 2 p.m.
Sugarlands, Oconaluftee and Cades Cove visitor centers will close Thursday at 3 p.m. through at least Saturday morning, weather and road conditions permitting.
In North Carolina, Cataloochee Road, Heintooga Ridge Road, Balsam Mountain Road (Heintooga/Round Bottom/Straight Fork Road), Balsam Mountain Campground and Cataloochee Campground are closed.
In Tennessee, Rich Mountain Road, Greenbrier Road, Upper Tremont Road and Sparks Lane are closed.
Burden Hill Road near Eastgate Road is closed due to flooding.
New Era Road in the area of Dave and Busters is being closed due to flooding.
River Divide Road and Sharp Hollow Road
The gates being closed are located at the Pigeon Forge city limits at the Henderson Road Bridge
Headrick Lead and N Clear Fork Road
New Era Road and Apple Valley Road
Old Valley Road and Waldens Creek Road
Flatwood Road and Pecan Lane
Whites School Road
In addition, all park events scheduled for Saturday, September 28including Mountain Life Festival, Balsam Mountain Volunteer Day and Smokies Service Day are canceled.
In Townsend, impending severe weather has lead local leaders and authorities to cancel this weekend’s Townsend Heritage and Bluegrass Festival.
Coordinators with Blount Partnership, making the cancellation announcement Thursday, say they had spoken with local responders and authorities and decided to cancel the festival out of an abundance of caution.
“While we are deeply disappointed to cancel this year’s event, the safety of our attendees and everyone involved must come first,” said Blount Partnership Communications Director Jeff Muir. “With the saturated grounds and continued rainfall, we could not guarantee a safe and enjoyable environment for our festival-goers.”
The decision marks the first time the 30-plus-year-old festival has been canceled completely. The event was slated for Sept. 27 and 28.
Impending severe weather in East TN prompting road closures, event cancelations. (Pexels)
Posted on September 28, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
NASHVILLE – EAST TENNESSEE (TBI / WOKI)- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has established a hotline to coordinate reports of missing persons in the areas affected by the recent severe flooding impacting parts of East Tennessee. Those wishing to report missing individuals believed to be in the affected areas across East Tennessee may contact 1-800-TBI-FIND. Callers…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 28, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Great Smoky Mountains National Park staff continue to assess conditions after the park experienced historic flooding and other impacts from Hurricane Helene. Visitors are encouraged to reschedule their trips for their own safety. Hiking and backcountry travel are not recommended due to the unpredictability of creek crossings, potential of downed trees and other hazardous…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 27, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Kingston, TN (WOKI) Two people are being investigated by the Kingston Police Department for trying to steal an ATM. Kingston Police Department officials say officers went to an Enrichment Federal Credit Union on Bradford Way around 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning, finding that two people had tried to pry the ATM from the wall using a…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 27, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
(Story courtesy of WVLT News) Cocke County, TN (WVLT) The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is claiming that Walters Dam, otherwise known as Waterville Dam, has not failed. TEMA is citing the dam’s owner, Duke Energy. It comes just about an hour after Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis said the dam had suffered a “catastrophic failure.”…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 27, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A University of Tennessee student has been charged with attempted murder after an “altercation” with another student. Officials with the university’s police department say 19-year-old Michael Francis assaulted another student around 3:00 a.m. Friday morning inside one of UT’s residence halls. UTPD says the other student, who has not been identified, was…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 27, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
CARY, N.C. – The Tennessee pair of Catherine Aulia and Elza Tomase each secured singles victories at the 2024 ITA All-American Championships on Thursday, advancing to the Round of 16 at Cary Tennis Park. In the singles main draw Round of 32, No. 62 Elza Tomase earned the highest-ranked win of her career, powering past No. 3 Celia-Belle Mohr of Vanderbilt, 6-1, 5-7,…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 27, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI/WVLT) – United States District Judge John Broomes has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett. The lawsuit stems from a February shooting in Kansas City following the Chief’s Super Bowl victory. 1 person died, 22 injured including minors in shooting following Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade. The lawsuit, filed in the…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Kingston man is facing life in prison after being convicted Wednesday of multiple federal child sex crimes. Department of Justice officials announcing 34-year-old Christopher Edward Allen was convicted of nine counts involving child pornography and attempting to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Specifically, the nine counts include: The…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 26, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
Tennessee (WOKI) – It’s been three months since the City of Knoxville and the Tennessee Department of Transportation shut down the Gay Street Bridge after a routine inspection found a steel beam was compromised making the bridge unsafe. A report by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association shows that three of Tennessee’s most traveled…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
UPDATE 9/27/24 (WOKI – Gatlinburg) The National Park Service continues to monitor conditions from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. While the park did not receive the forecasted peak winds overnight, the center of the tropical storm is predicted to pass over the park mid-morning today. A high wind warning remains in effect through 8 p.m.…… Continue Reading
