Multiple media outlets reporting that Josh Sullivan, the pastor from Maryville that was abducted in South Africa is now safe.
According to a statement from the “Hawks,” a specialized police unit that investigates crimes, several police agencies went to a house and found Sullivan in a car.
The suspects in the car reportedly tried to flee and opened fire on the police. The officers shot and killed three of the suspects and were able to rescue Sullivan.
The Hawks say he is “miraculously unharmed” and in excellent condition.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS) released a statement announcing that an operation led by the agency “resulted in the successful rescue” of an American pastor who was kidnapped.
Though the news release did not name the pastor, 34-year-old Josh Sullivan, of Tennessee, was kidnapped by several armed, masked men last week at his church in the Eastern Cape, Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell.
American pastor Josh Sullivan, who was kidnapped from his church in the Eastern Cape Province last week, has been rescued by police following a “high-intensity shootout.” (Fellowship Baptist Church/Facebook)
Police said they received tips that Sullivan was inside a safe house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha.
A “high-intensity shootout” took place and three unidentified suspects were killed.
Sullivan was found inside the same car that the suspects were in, but he was “miraculously unharmed,” police said, adding that he is “currently in an excellent condition.”
Josh Sullivan is from Maryville, Tennessee, and spent years observing the leadership of Fellowship Baptist Church Pastor Tom Hatley, according to congregation members on Facebook. (Facebook)
Tom Hatley, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, confirmed Sullivan’s rescue early Wednesday morning in a Facebook post.
“Josh has been released. I just got ‘the go ahead to let it be known’. SA media has started broadcasting. American media will follow. Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for The Sullivans. Praise The Lord Jesus Christ!” he wrote.
Sullivan is from Maryville and spent years learning how to be a pastor under Hatley’s leadership, according to congregation members on Facebook.
Sullivan went to South Africa with his wife and two children in 2018 after the couple participated in a six-month internship there in 2015 as part of their Bible training to become missionaries.
Josh Sullivan, an American pastor from Tennessee, has been working as a missionary in South Africa with his wife and their children since 2018. (Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell/Facebook)
“It was during this time that the Lord began to stir their hearts specifically for the Xhosa people,” fellow Missionary Mark Coffey said. “They returned in 2018 as full-time church-planting missionaries, determined to share the Gospel and see lives changed. Josh committed himself to two years of language school and became fluent in Xhosa so he could preach, disciple, and minister more effectively.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 2/4 Tennessee found the win column for the 32nd times this season with a 13-3 run-rule victory over Bellarmine on Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Knights (9-27) got on the board early with a leadoff home run, but UT (32-5) quickly answered back and took control of the game. Reese Chapman sparked a six-run offensive surge in the second inning with an RBI triple, part of a rally that saw nine Volunteers reach base and was capped by a three-run blast from Andrew Fischer.
Chapman stayed hot at the plate, notching his second extra-base hit of the night with an RBI double in the fourth, followed by an RBI single from Manny Marin to increase UT’s lead to six.
The Vols added insurance in the seventh with back-to-back homers from Dylan Bargo and Chris Newstrom to pull them closer to a run-rule victory. Hunter High capped the night with a walk-off infield single in the eighth.
Offensive Output Throughout the Lineup
Dean Curley led the charge at the plate, turning in his third three-hit performance of the season, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. In all, 11 different Volunteers tallied hits, with four turning in multi-hit efforts as Tennessee’s offense continued to roll. Seven different UT players recorded an RBI, as well.
Chapman Continues to Rake
Following Tuesday’s performance, Chapman is now 8-for-13 with four extra-base hits over his last five games. The Colorado native boasts a .333 batting average with 10 home runs and 38 RBI to go along with an OPS of 1.090 on the season.
Up Next
Tennessee will be back at home this weekend as they host the Kentucky Wildcats fora three-game set starting Friday night at 6:30 p.m. All three games will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee junior Karlyn Pickens continues to dominate the national spotlight, earning her third consecutive National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Pitcher of the Week award. She was also named SEC Pitcher of the Week for the third week in a row.
With her latest NFCA honor, Pickens makes history as the first student-athlete to win either NFCA Player or Pitcher of the Week three consecutive times.
A native of Weaverville, North Carolina, Pickens went 2-0 over the weekend, leading the Lady Vols to a series win at No. 1 Texas. She threw two complete-game victories, striking out 20 batters over 15 innings while allowing just two runs and issuing five walks.
Her performance helped Tennessee become only the second SEC team to win a series against both the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the same season. Pickens now holds a 17-4 record on the year.
In addition to her NFCA and SEC accolades, Pickens was named D1Softball Pitcher of the Week and Softball America Star of the Week.
Over her career on Rocky Top, Pickens has now earned three NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors and 10 SEC weekly awards.
Tennessee returns to action this weekend, hosting Auburn in a three-game series at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The series runs Thursday through Saturday.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man is facing charges after holding a man at gunpoint Sunday while robbing his Mount Olive Road home.
According to charging documents, 62-year-old Jackie McBee forced his way inside the victim’s residence with an AR-15 style rifle, forcing the man to get on his knees at gun point in the living room.
The report indicates the victim told police he had known McBee for years and that McBee put the rifle to the his head multiple times while another suspect moved through the house, collecting items. In all, the report said, the two got away with money, a watch and some jewelry.
McBee is in custody, charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery.
New Market, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 4/15: A teen girl has died in the hospital after drowning Monday in Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called around 6:00 p.m. Monday to a home on Whitaker Road in New Market for a reported drowning.
When deputies arrived on scene, CPR was already being performed on 17-year-old Camyrn Hawthorne by family members. Hawthorne also received treatment at the scene by Jefferson County EMS assisted by New Market Fire & Rescue before being transported to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in critical condition.
Hawthorne died Tuesday morning, April 15 at the hospital.
JCSO has ruled the drowning accidental.
ORIGINAL STORY: A drowning in Jefferson County is ruled accidental.
Deputies were called Monday to a home on Whitaker Road in New Market to a report of a drowning. When deputies arrived on scene CPR was being performed by family members. Jefferson County EMS assisted by New Market Fire & Rescue began treatment of the 17 year old victim.
She was transported to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville where she is listed in critical condition.
Maryville, TN (WOKI) A 13-year-old student at Heritage Middle School in Blount County is facing charges after bringing a gun to school.
Officials with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office say School Resource Officers acted on a tip that the student possibly had a gun in his backpack.
The SROs responded quickly and found the gun.
The student has been charged with delinquency by carrying a weapon on school property and is being held at the Blount County Juvenile Detention Facility pending a hearing.
BCSO says additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.
The teen hasn’t been identified, but BCSO officials did say they were charged with delinquency by carrying a weapon on school property. (Frankly Media)
Sneedville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man is arrested and charged with arson in connection to a residential fire in Hancock County.
Forty-one year old Christopher Shearer was arrested after an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office into the February fire at a residence in the 800 block of Sherm Mountain Road in Sneedville.
During the course of the investigation, agents determined that the fire had been intentionally set by Shearer.
He’s charged with one count of Arson and is being held on a $15,000 bond.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation made the announcement Tuesday, saying 41-year-old Christopher Shearer had been charged by investigators. (Courtesy: TBI)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Internal Revenue Service announces tax relief for the entire state of Tennessee affected by severe storms, tornadoes, flooding and more that began in early April.
The IRS says that Tennessee taxpayers will now have until November 3rd to file federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.
The IRS is offering relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency which means that individuals and households that reside or have a business in Tennessee’s 95 counties qualify for tax relief.
April 14, 2025 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today tax relief for individuals and businesses in the entire state of Tennessee affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that began on April 2, 2025.
These taxpayers now have until Nov. 3, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.
The IRS is offering relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This means that individuals and households that reside or have a business in Tennessee’s 95 counties qualify for tax relief. The current list of eligible localities is always available on the Tax relief in disaster situations page on IRS.gov.
Filing and payment relief
The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred from April 2, 2025, through Nov. 3, 2025 (postponement period). As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Nov. 3, 2025, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.
This means, for example, that the Nov. 3, 2025, deadline will now apply to:
Individual income tax returns and payments normally due on April 15, 2025.
2024 contributions to IRAs and health savings accounts for eligible taxpayers.
Quarterly estimated tax payments normally due on April 15, June 16 and Sept. 15, 2025.
Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on April 30, July 31 and Oct. 31, 2025.
Calendar year corporation and fiduciary returns and payments normally due on April 15, 2025.
Calendar year tax-exempt organization returns normally due on May 15, 2025.
In addition, penalties for failing to make payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after April 2, 2025, and before April 17, 2025, will be abated if the deposits are made by April 17, 2025.
The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. These taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief.
It is possible an affected taxpayer may not have an IRS address of record located in the disaster area, for example, because they moved to the disaster area after filing their return. In these kinds of unique circumstances, the affected taxpayer could receive a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS for the postponement period. The taxpayer should call the IRS Special Services toll-free number at 866-562-5227 to update their address and request disaster tax relief.
In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS Special Services toll-free number at 866-562-5227. This also includes workers assisting the relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization. Disaster area tax preparers with clients located outside the disaster area can choose to use the bulk requests from practitioners for disaster relief option, described on IRS.gov.
Additional tax relief
Individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in this instance, the 2025 return normally filed next year), or the return for the prior year (2024). Taxpayers have extra time – up to six months after the due date of the taxpayer’s federal income tax return for the disaster year (without regard to any extension of time to file) – to make the election. For individual taxpayers, this means Oct. 15, 2026. Be sure to write the FEMA declaration number – 3625-EM − on any return claiming a loss. See Publication 547, Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts, for details.
Qualified disaster relief payments are generally excluded from gross income. In general, this means that affected taxpayers can exclude from their gross income amounts received from a government agency for reasonable and necessary personal, family, living or funeral expenses, as well as for the repair or rehabilitation of their home, or for the repair or replacement of its contents. See Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income, for details.
Additional relief may be available to affected taxpayers who participate in a retirement plan or individual retirement arrangement (IRA). For example, a taxpayer may be eligible to take a special disaster distribution that would not be subject to the additional 10% early distribution tax and allows the taxpayer to spread the income over three years. Taxpayers may also be eligible to make a hardship withdrawal. Each plan or IRA has specific rules and guidance for their participants to follow.
The IRS may provide additional disaster relief in the future.
Taxpayers who do not qualify for disaster tax relief may qualify for reasonable cause penalty abatement. See Penalty Relief for Reasonable Cause for additional information.
The tax relief is part of a coordinated federal response to the damage caused by these storms and is based on local damage assessments by FEMA. For information on disaster recovery, visit DisasterAssistance.gov.
Any individual or family whose adjusted gross income (AGI) was $84,000 or less in 2024 can use IRS Free File’s Guided Tax Software at no cost. There are products in English and Spanish.
Another Free File option is Free File Fillable Forms. These are electronic federal tax forms, equivalent to a paper 1040, and are designed for taxpayers who are comfortable filling out IRS tax forms. Anyone, regardless of income, can use this option.
MilTax, a Department of Defense program, offers free return preparation software and electronic filing for federal tax returns and up to three state income tax returns. It’s available for all military members and some veterans, with no income limit.
Knoxville Police Department Homicide Unit detectives charged two men in connection to the March 2025 murder of 16-year-old Ayden Russo on Monday.
Following continued and tireless investigation into the death of Russo, who was shot and killed outside of a Louise Avenue home on March 24th, Jaylyn Hudson, DOB 2-10-2004, and Jayden Conwell, DOB 8-19-2005, have been charged with first-degree murder.
With the assistance of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, both Hudson and Conwell were detained earlier today and subsequently questioned by Homicide Unit detectives.
After being questioned, Hudson and Conwell were taken into custody. They have since been booked into the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility.
