Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) We’re learning that another Knox County Government official has been indicted in connection to a state investigation into misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Former Knox County Trustee’s Office Director of Operations Jason Dobbins was indicted Wednesday on two counts of official misconduct. He was fired back in April because of policy violations. Knox County Property Assessor Phil Ballard was also indicted for official misconduct Wednesday.
Dobbins’ indictment comes as a grand jury Friday declined to indict Knox County Trustee Justin Biggs.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs released a statement Friday saying, he is “extremely disappointed” to hear of the indictments handed down for Ballard and Dobbins.
“I am extremely disappointed to hear this news. While the property assessor and the trustee’s office both operate independently, and are not under the purview of the mayor’s office, allegations of misconduct by any elected official or employee undermine confidence in government, which is already rightfully low,” Jacobs said.
“As public servants, the term “servant leader” takes on a whole new meaning,” Jacobs’ statement read. “Your job is to serve the public, not to use your position to your own benefit. It is devastating when an individual’s ego or pocketbook causes them to act in a manner inconsistent with the highest levels of ethical conduct. Corruption has no place in Knox County. The people we serve deserve better.”
The trustee’s office is responsible for a large chunk of the county’s funding, including collecting all state and county property taxes, disbursing county funds and investing idle county dollars.
Ballard and Dobbins are caught up in a state investigation into misuse of taxpayer dollars involving the trustee’s office.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Blount County grand jury has declined to indict Knox County Trustee Justin Biggs,
District Attorney General Ryan Desmond’s office confirming Friday that the grand jury returned a “no bill” in the case.
It comes as his office is in the middle of a state investigation into policy breaches.
That investigation has led to at least one firing, and Wednesday Knox County Property Assessor Phil Ballard was indicted in Knox County on one count of official misconduct, accused of abusing the use of a county vehicle while also drawing a travel allowance.
Biggs’ case was assigned to the Blount County DA following the recusal of Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen.
A state investigation has led to at least one firing, and Wednesday Knox County Property Assessor William Phillip Ballard was indicted in Knox County. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Sweetwater, TN (WOKI) A fugitive is arrested Wednesday after being found hiding under a home in Sweetwater.
Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones says his office helped the U.S. Marshals in the successful apprehension of Michael Blackwell, who was hiding underneath a residence on Old Highway 68 in Sweetwater.
In a Facebook post, Jones credits the strong partnerships between local and federal law enforcement for locating and taking the suspect into custody safely.
The Sweetwater Police Department, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office and the 10th Judicial Drug Task Force also assisted in the arrest.
Overton County, TN (WOKI) A man has been arrested and charged one week after a body was found in a burning refrigerator on the side of a Tennessee road.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say 49-year-old Edward Randolph was arrested Wednesday in connection to the death of his girlfriend 48-year-old Hope Parrott.
The TBI says investigators determined that Randolph killed Parrot and transported her body in a refrigerator, which he later set on fire along Sunk Cane Road in Crawford.
Randolph was charged with one count of first degree murder and one count of abuse of a corpse and booked into the Overton County jail on a $50,000,000 bond.
Edward Randolph, 49. (Courtesy: District Attorney Bryant Dunaway)
Tellico Plains, TN (WOKI) The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a small plane crashed Tuesday afternoon in Tellico Plains.
According to the FAA’s preliminary report, the crash happened around 3:30 p.m.; it does not specify where in Tellico Plains the aircraft went down.
The report indicates that the Sonex aircraft crashed into trees, for unknown reasons, shortly after takeoff from Tellico Plains Municipal Airport and that the plane caught fire after the crash.
Only the pilot was on board. Tellico Police confirm he was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash and that he is in stable condition.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a small plane crashed Tuesday afternoon in Tellico Plains.
TIPTONVILLE, TN (Story courtesy of WSMV / WVLT) – The man accused of killing four people in Lake County appeared virtually before the court on Thursday morning.
The Lake County Courthouse saw 28-year-old Austin Drummond via video conference call as the judge read aloud the charges against him.
Drummond is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, as well as aggravated kidnapping and abandonment.
The judge revealed that the four Tiptonville victims were found shot to death.
Due to Drummond not having his own attorneys, the judge entered a not guilty plea for him and later appointed an attorney from Covington, Tennessee, to represent him.
The district attorney for the state of Tennessee declared that he intends to seek the death penalty, leading the judge to deny bond.
Drummond is accused of murdering Matthew Wilson, Adrianna Williams, Cortney Rose, and Braydon Williams in Tiptonville, Tennessee, near Reelfoot Lake on Tuesday, July 29.
The four bodies were found Tuesday night on Carrington Road in Tiptonville, located in Lake County, approximately 40 miles away from where a seven-month-old girl was dropped off in a Dyer County yard.
The Dyer County sheriff confirmed the victims are the baby’s parents, grandmother, and 15-year-old uncle. The Dyer County sheriff confirmed during Tuesday’s press conference that the baby was unharmed and is doing well.
Drummond was captured after a nearly weeklong manhunt in West Tennessee. Multiple agencies were involved in the search and it was initially believed he had fled the state before he was spotted in Jackson, Tennessee, on Sunday, August 3.
The search efforts converged on a section of Pleasant Plains Road near Union University with no success until he was spotted on several residential security cameras on Monday night.
A “shelter in place” was ordered for residents on Tuesday morning, and Drummond was located a short time later. The Jackson Police Department announced his arrest at 9:15 a.m.
Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said Drummond was located behind a vacant pool house. Several weapons were found, but Drummond himself was not armed.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshal Service, and multiple sheriff’s departments all assisted in the search for Drummond before he was brought in by the Jackson Police Department.
During the search for Drummond, the investigation also expanded to include people who officials said assisted him after the murders and even tampered with evidence.
The TBI charged 23-year-old Dearrah Sanders, of Jackson, with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder on Monday morning.
Two others are also charged with helping Drummond. The TBI arrested Tanaka Brown, 29, and Giovonti Thomas, 29, both of Jackson. Brown and Thomas have been charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.
Brown is also facing an additional charge of tampering with evidence. The TBI said the charges come after their investigation revealed Brown and Thomas assisted Drummond, but the agency did not share any details as to how in the arrest affidavit.
Multiple agencies are working together to collect more evidence and are investigating other people who might’ve helped Drummond evade capture after the shootings.
Drummond is expected back in court on August 14 at 9 a.m.
Tennessee (WOKI and WVLT) – Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn announces her run for Governor of Tennessee this (Wednesday) morning on social media.
Blackburn said “In his first six months, President Trump has made historic strides in Making America Great Again, but as he sends power back to the states, he’s going to need strong conservative governors who can bring that revolution home. I’m running to serve as Tennessee’s next governor to ensure Tennessee is America’s conservative leader,” She went on to say “I’m ready to deliver the kind of conservative leadership that will ensure our state is America’s conservative leader for this generation and the next, and I would be honored to have your support.”
The campaign announcement highlighted a focus on job creation, immigration enforcement and social issues like gender identity.
Blackburn started the announcement with a promise to make Tennessee the country’s primary “job creating, energy producing powerhouse.” It’s a priority she shares with the sitting governor, Bill Lee, who has emphasized Tennessee’s investments in nuclear energy production over the last few years.
Much like her fellow conservatives, Blackburn is following the immigration enforcement playbook as well. In the announcement, she promised to crank up illegal alien deportations, saying “respect for the law starts with enforcing it.”
Another focus in the announcement was gender politics, with the governor hopeful saying the state would, under her, “define boys and girls the way God made them,” promising to “get rid of gender pronoun insanity.” Gender identity and similar LGBTQ+ issues have long been a standing social issue conservatives have rallied behind.
In January, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs endorsed Blackburn, even before her official announcement. He doubled-down on the endorsement Wednesday, saying she “has a proven record of defending Tennessee conservative values, and exactly one year from today, I will proudly cast my vote for her to be our 51st Governor.” Jacobs, who is currently serving his final term in office due to term limits, is serving as her campaign treasurer.
Blackburn is currently serving her second term in the U.S. Senate. Prior to her stint in the Senate, she served as a U.S. representative from 2003 to 2019.
Nashville, TN (WVLT) The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced the opening of the TN Promise Application for the high school graduating class of 2026.
TN Promise provides high school graduates the opportunity to attend college tuition-free. Students can use this scholarship at any of Tennessee’s community colleges or Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT,) said THEC.
This year’s application is also the entry point for a new initiative called Tennessee’s Direct Admissions Pilot Program, which automatically accepts eligible high school seniors into in-state public and private universities, as well as TCAT, according to THEC.
THEC said “In partnership with tnAchieves and The Ayers Foundation Trust, TN Promise supports students not only financially, but with built-in mentoring and support to help them navigate the transition from high school to college.”
Last year’s TN Promise application cycle welcomed a record-breaking number of class applicants, according to THEC.
“Tennessee Promise has helped more than 250,000 Tennessee students access college over the past ten years,” said Dr. Steven Gentile, THEC executive director. “We are excited that the class of 2026 will have the opportunity to not just benefit from this program but to break last year’s application record. We and our partners remain committed to helping students take the first step toward earning a college credential.”
Students can now apply here. The deadline to apply is Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announces the opening of the TN Promise Application for the high school graduating class of 2026. (Courtesy: WVLT / WVJC)
Knoxville –As of Wednesday, July 30, 2025, there are 82,848 active registered voters in the city of Knoxville that are eligible to vote in the 2025 City of Knoxville Primary Election. A breakdown of the number of active registered voters in each Knoxville City Council district is as follows:
1st District – 12,012
2nd District – 20,053
3rd District – 17,579
4th District – 19,601
6th District – 13,603
TOTAL: 82,848
NOTE: There are a total of 97,274 active registered voters in the City of Knoxville, but 14,426 reside in the 5th City Council District, and cannot vote in the 2025 City of Knoxville Primary Election.
EARLY VOTING
Early voting begins Wednesday, August 6th at 12 p.m. at six (6) locations across the city of Knoxville.
The locations are:
DOWNTOWN City County Building, Small Assembly Room (400 Main Street)
WEST Downtown West (1645 Downtown West Blvd., Unit 40)
EAST Eternal Life Harvest Center at Five Points (2410 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.)
NORTHWEST Knoxville Expo Center (5441 Clinton Highway)
SOUTH Meridian Baptist Church (6513 Chapman Highway)
NORTHEAST New Harvest Park (4775 New Harvest Lane)
Hours are generally 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. There are a handful of exceptions to the standard hours, and all details can be viewed at www.knoxvotes.org.
The first day (Wednesday, August 6), and all Wednesdays, all locations will open at 12 noon. On those days, all locations except Meridian Baptist in south Knoxville will be open until 7 pm (Meridian will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays).
Help us grant East Tennessee Teacher’s Classroom Wish Lists presented by Ted Russell Ford Lincoln! We want to help make sure our teachers have what they need for their classrooms. Many of our teachers have wish lists on Amazon. Let’s work together to grant their wishes!
Teachers, please fill out the form below to submit the link to your classroom Amazon wish list. We will share your list with the WIVK family of listeners in hopes they will purchase items from your list! The easy thing about this, is it will ship directly to you! Once each week we will randomly select one of you to receive a $200 Amazon Gift Card thanks to Ted Russell Ford Lincoln and Shoney’s! Good luck!
WIVK Family of listeners, please help us support our teachers and get them what they need for their classrooms by purchasing items from their wish list! CLICK HERE to go to the wish list page. Feel free to scroll until you find your school, or randomly select a teacher to support. You can purchase one item or several! Join together with your family, friends or co-workers, select a teacher, and grant wishes!
Sign up for Teacher Wish Lists 2025!
Teachers, fill out this form and include the link to your Amazon Wish List!
