The hiker was airlifted to UT Medical Center after suffering a severe illness in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Courtesy: TNARNG)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Army National Guard is called into action Monday afternoon, August 15, to rescue a hiker in a remote area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
National Guard officials say a flight crew was assembled from McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base to rescue the hiker, who was suffering a severe illness, in a remote area of the park about a mile and a half west of Clingmans Dome.
The air crew located the hiker, and park rangers administered first aid.
Officials add that the hiker was then airlifted to UT Medical Center where medical personnel rushed the individual into the emergency room.
An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the indictment of a Hawkins County attorney.
On May 12th, at the request of 3rd Judicial District Attorney General Dan Armstrong, TBI agents began investigating allegations of forgery and bribery involving Daniel Boyd (DOB: 5/13/76), an attorney and Juvenile Court Judge in Hawkins County. On May 17th, General Armstrong requested a pro tempore district attorney assume the case and 2nd Judicial District Attorney General Barry Staubus was appointed. During the course of the investigation, agents learned that Boyd, while working as an attorney, provided a client with a default judgment declaring her divorce to be finalized. The document appeared to be signed by the Chancellor of the 3rd Judicial District. Further investigation revealed that no document existed with the Clerk and Master’s Office and that the case was never presented to the Chancellor. Additionally, the investigation revealed that when Boyd’s client filed a complaint, he offered her money if she would withdraw the complaint.
On Monday, the Hawkins County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Boyd with three counts of Forgery, one count of Criminal Simulation, and one count of Bribery. Yesterday, he turned himself in and was booked into the Hawkins County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
Clinton High School is briefly placed on lockdown after a possible threat.
Officials with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office say the threat was reported on the sheriff’s office’s app, prompting a soft lockdown and an investigation.
Authorities say the threat was reportedly shared on social media by a former student but following investigation, it was determined that there was no actual threat made to any school or students.
Rural Metro Fire is investigating a fire in Mascot which leaves a presumed family pet dead.
Crews called to the home in the 8900 block of C Drive last night and found heavy fire and smoke. The residents weren’t home but an animal was found dead, no other injuries were reported.
James Allen, 36. (Courtesy: Knox County Court Records)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man is sentenced to life for a 2019 double murder at Rocky Top Apartments.
Officials with the Knox County District Attorney’s Office report 36 year-old James Allen was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in the December 29, 2019 shooting which left brothers, 19 year-old Joshua Haley and 20 year-old Christian Haley, dead.
Allen was sentenced to life on those counts.
Officials say Allen was also convicted on two counts of especially aggravated robbery and one count of evading arrest. His sentencing for those charges is scheduled for September 21.
Sevier County Sheriff’s Office looking for missing man, James Grady Russell, 63 (Courtesy: SCSO)
Sevier County, Tn (WOKI) Sevier County Sheriff’s Office officials are on the lookout for a missing man who they say could be at risk of suicide.
Officials say 63 year-old James Russell was last seen leaving a home on Pullen Road Monday evening. They say Russell had sent messages indicating suicidal tendencies and that he left his belongings at the home.
Anyone with information on Russell’s whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Dexter Robbins or the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office CID at 865-428-1899.
UPDATE (8/15/23): Tellico Plains town officials report the water system is back up and running, but a boil advisory is now in effect. “After you boil your water, it is safe to drink. We are asking you to do this for a few days to be on the safe side,” officials said.
All Tellico-area schools will be closed on Wednesday, according to MCS. The schools affected are Coker Creek Elementary School, Rural Vale School, Tellico Plains Elementary School, Tellico Plains Junior High School and Tellico Plains High School.
ORIGINAL STORY: Tellico Plains, TN (WOKI) Storms moving through our area have left one East Tennessee town with major flooding.
Tellico Plains residents will see many roads flooded this morning but that’s not the worst of it.
Mayor Marilyn Parker says that many residents have lost their water service due to flooding at the water plant which is three feet under water. Parker says they are working at the treatment plant but don’t know how long it will take to get water service restored.
Knoxville Police are reminding you to make sure you lock your car.
Officials say two more guns were stolen from unlocked cars this weekend. So far this year, thieves have stolen more than 70 guns from cars in Knoxville.
Police say if you have a gun make sure you keep it out of sight if you leave it in your car.
The Knox County Mental Health Court Advisory Board will meet for the first time this Thursday to begin ironing out an operations timeline that will establish a court for adult defendants who have serious and persistent mental illnesses.
The meeting will be held in the Small Assembly Room of the City/County Building at 3 p.m. on Aug. 17.
The court is designed to provide individualized treatment as an alternative to incarceration and strengthen the justice system’s ability to identify, asses, and monitor the participants. It will also improve public safety by ensuring that participants receive high quality, community-based services.
Similar courts were established across the country beginning in the 1990s and there are about 300 of them. The concept, however, is fairly new in Tennessee, which has only seven such mental health courts. Knox County would become the eighth – something Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond are proud to have begun working on more than a year ago.
“Mental health is a strong contributor to the cycle of incarceration in Knox County, and across the country,” said Mayor Jacobs. “I’m glad we are working to become one of the state’s early adopters of helping and/or treating the individual rather than perpetuating that cycle, which is expensive, ineffective, and doesn’t address the underlying problem.”
The goals of the Knox County Mental Health Court include improving the quality of life for participants; reducing incarceration and recidivism; reducing correction costs; improving public health and safety; and increasing treatment accountability and success.
“Mental illness, like physical illnesses, can affect anyone regardless of education, income, or zip code,” said Hammond, who also chairs the 6-member committee. “If someone comes to court with a broken arm, we do what we can to get them bandaged up. The same should be true if they’re in need of treatment for a mental health issue. Research shows that showing this kind of care and compassion is more likely to keep people out of the justice system.”
The advisory board includes Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond, Attorney General Charme Allen, Criminal Court Judge Steven Sword, Criminal Sessions Judge Chuck Cerny, Public Defender Eric Lutton, and local attorney Jonathan Cooper.
The group plans to meet again Thursday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. in the same location.
