Harriman, TN (WOKI) The Roane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a body is found in Harriman.
RCSO officials say the body was found Wednesday on a property along Davis Hollow Road in Harriman. The body has been sent to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for autopsy and identification.
No additional details have been released at this time.
The Great Smoky Mountains Balloon Festival is returning for their sixth annual celebration.
The event brings in thousands of people for hot air balloon activities.
Professional balloonists will be taking guests on tethered rides up in the air.
New for 2023, the festival will be selling reusable water bottles and providing refill stations to cut down on plastic. Guests can also look forward to a DJ, food trucks and more than 30 craft booths.
Gates open for the one-day event at 3 p.m. on August 19 at the Townsend Visitor Center.
Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued the special session proclamation https://sos.tn.gov/publications/services/governors-proclamations and presented the administration’s legislative and budget priorities that will go before the Tennessee General Assembly during the special session on public safety, convening https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2023/5/8/gov–lee-announces-special-session-on-public-safety-to-begin-august-21.html August 21.
“As our nation faces evolving public safety threats, Tennessee remains vigilant and is taking continued action to protect communities while preserving the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “In the months leading up to the public safety special session, we have listened to Tennesseans and worked with members of the General Assembly to identify thoughtful, practical measures to strengthen public safety across our state, including steps to support law enforcement, address mental health, prevent violent crime and stop human trafficking. I thank the General Assembly for its continued partnership and look forward to achieving meaningful results for Tennesseans.”
Gov. Lee will present legislative and budget priorities during the public safety special session to keep Tennessee communities safe, support law enforcement and address mental health, all while preserving constitutional rights. In addition to bringing the following solutions in the administration package, the Governor will continue to work with members of the General Assembly on other legislation specified in the call.
1. Codification of EO 100 https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/pub/execorders/exec-orders-lee100.pdf and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Report Implementation: Requires reporting of accurate, complete and timely records from court clerks to the TBI within 72-hours and requires electronic submissions of dispositions and expungements to the TBI
2. TennCare Mental Health Coverage Waiver: Directs TennCare to seek a waiver from the federal government to allow federal matching funds for Medicaid to cover services for mental illness and substance use disorders at institutions of mental diseases
3. Addressing Mental Health Workforce Challenges: Budget initiatives that prioritize opportunities to grow and retain mental health professionals in the state
4. Reforms for Mental Health: Expands access to mental health treatment by eliminating certain collaborative practice requirements for Advanced Registered Practice Nurses with psychiatric training
5. Strengthening the Identification of Individuals Arrested for Felonies: Provides for the collection of DNA at the time of an arrest for all felonies
6. Human Trafficking Report: Resolution directing TBI to report on the state of human trafficking in Tennessee
7. Promoting Safe Storage: Eliminates taxes on firearm safes and safety devices, provides free gun locks, expands safe storage training in state-approved safety courses, and creates a public service announcement to promote safe storage
To date, more than 20,000 Tennesseans have submitted public comments on strengthening public safety, and the form will remain open through the entirety of the special session to ensure that Tennesseans can continue engaging in the conversation. https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/specialsession_public_safety
The full special session proclamation can be viewed https://sos.tn.gov/publications/services/governors-proclamations .
The man accused of stabbing the driver of a garbage truck during a reported “car-jacking” is now facing federal charges.
43-year-old, Shawn White was arrested in Sevier County after crashing the truck into a business. He is now charged federally with carjacking. He is also charged with multiple felonies and is scheduled to be in court today for a bond hearing.
Monday’s incident started in Fountain City after White allegedly stabbed a woman and stole her car, crashing it before getting into Marcus Pickle’s truck stabbing him in the face, arm and hand and injuring his knee when he jumped from that moving truck.
Campbell County, TN (WOKI) A man is arrested and charged as part of a shooting investigation in Campbell County.
Campbell County Sheriff’s Office officials say 30 year-old Avery Anthony Bowens
was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with three counts of attempted criminal homicide and three counts of attempted aggravated kidnapping in connection to a shooting in the Grantsboro area.
CCSO says deputies responded to Country Oaks Lane August 4 on a report of someone firing rifle rounds at a car. Investigators eventually identified Bowens as a suspect.
After taking him into custody, they also searched Bowens’ home, finding more evidence connecting him to the attempted shooting.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A person has been charged in Monday’s deadly crash that happened on I-40 East near Papermill Drive.
Knoxville Police Department officials say 36 year-old Shannon Glasper lost control of her Honda sedan and hit a Dodge truck pulling a camper around 2:00 a.m. The truck then flipped over the wall, coming to rest on the ramp to Papermill Drive.
A passenger in the truck was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and another passenger were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police report Glasper showed signs of being intoxicated; she is charged with vehicular homicide.
Knox County, TN (WOKI) District 3 Knox County Commissioner Gina Oster is asking for the public’s help as neighborhoods in West Knox County , including hundreds of residents displaced from Lovell Crossing Apartments, work to recover from Monday’s devastating EF2 tornado.
“Lovell Crossing Apartments are in terrible shape,” said District 3 County Commissioner Gina Oster.
Speaking with WOKI Wednesday, Oster shared the needs of those displaced at Lovell Crossing who are prohibited from returning to their apartments while the power is out.
“They [the Apartments] are taking donations, collections at their office. They are there from 8:00 to 5:00, and they are handing those out to their residents who can’t get back into their apartments. [Residents] need water, diapers, toothbrushes, restaurant gift cards (that they can hand out), plastic bags . . . that kind of stuff. Just to get them up and going until we can get the power back on.”
Though utility crews are working feverishly to restore power, Oster said “a lot of people in District 3 are suffering right now.”
Oster said the Bob Gray neighborhood was also gravely impacted. “Their utilities were destroyed, millions of dollars worth of infrastructure. It’s really causing a problem with power.”
Oster says the county “is stepping up,” but is asking for the public’s assistance as well by way of donations and recovery assistance in damaged neighborhoods.
You may donate items for residents displaced at Lovell Crossing Apartments, directly through the office, between the hours of 8:00 and 5:00, or you may contact Commissioner Oster online at Gina Oster or via telephone at (865) 343-1639.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee more details for a highly-anticipated special session on public safety.
The special session will begin on August 21 at 4 p.m., according to a proclamation by the Governor.
His proclamation states the General Assembly will consider and act upon a slew of legislation regarding mental health resources, school safety plans and policies along with much more.
“As our nation faces evolving public safety threats, Tennessee remains vigilant and is taking continued action to protect communities while preserving the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “In the months leading up to the public safety special session, we have listened to Tennesseans and worked with members of the General Assembly to identify thoughtful, practical measures to strengthen public safety across our state, including steps to support law enforcement, address mental health, prevent violent crime and stop human trafficking. I thank the General Assembly for its continued partnership and look forward to achieving meaningful results for Tennesseans.”
Lee says he will be presenting legislative and budget priorities during the special session.
“In addition to bringing the following solutions in the administration package, the Governor will continue to work with members of the General Assembly on other legislation specified in the call,” Lee’s office says in a press release.
Early voting in the 2023 City of Knoxville Primary Election starts today.
Several offices are on the ballot including Mayor, three City Council At-Large seats, Municipal Judge and a City Council Seat.
Early voting ends on the 24th with the 22nd your last chance to request an absentee ballot.
Election day is on August 29th
If you’d like to view a sample ballot or see early voting times and locations, you can go to https://www.knoxcounty.org/election/.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI/WVLT) Country star and Knoxville native Emily Ann Roberts is headed home to host an album release show at the Bijou Theatre.
Roberts is releasing her full-length LP “Can’t Hide Country” on Friday, Sept. 22, but fans can get a sneak peek a day early at the Knoxville show.
“I can’t wait to celebrate the release of ‘Can’t Hide Country’ in my hometown! These people and this place made me who I am, and I just want to make them proud,” said Roberts.
The album is dedicated to Roberts’s crafting of country music just like what she heard growing up in East Tennessee. It features 13 tracks, 12 of which Roberts wrote.
Tickets go on sale Friday, August 11 at 10 a.m.
