Turkey Creek Medical Center announced Tuesday that it is taking minimally invasive robotic surgery to the next level.
The hospital said it now has a newer, more sophisticated robotic system that offers more than 150 enhancements over previous versions, including improved accuracy and precision, enhanced 3D imaging and better ergonomics for surgeons.
Dr. Marc Campbell, the chair of surgery at Tennova Surgical Associates, is one of the surgeons who is using the new surgical system.
“This technology offers enhanced precision, dexterity, and visualization which improves accuracy and minimizes trauma to surrounding tissue for quicker recovery and better patient outcomes,” said Campbell.
Campbell said this new surgical system, which Turkey Creek Medical Center is the first hospital in Knoxville to utilize, can be used for general, gynecological, bariatric, colorectal, and urological surgery.
The hospital said the new system also helps surgeons because new feedback technology now allows them to feel the push and pull of forces at the instrument tip, something that is helpful when working with delicate tissue.
Click here for more information on the procedures offered at Turkey Creek Medical Center using this technology.
One person is facing charges following a police chase after a failed traffic stop in Blount County.
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a crash on Chapman Highway Friday night started as a traffic stop Old Knoxville Highway near Sam Houston School Road because deputies were suspicious the car was stolen.
30-year-old Joshua Mayes, refused to pull over, prompting the chase and crashed into another car head-on near Chapman Highway and Governor John Sevier Highway.
Mayes was taken into custody and charged with two counts of vehicular assault, DUI and aggravated assault.
Two passengers and the driver of the other car involved in the crash were injured. The Tennessee Highway Patrol says Mayes is the only person facing charges.
Greenback, TN (WOKI) The Blount County Sheriff’s Office is warning of major traffic delays near Maple Lane Farms as the Rock the Country Music Festival rolls into town this weekend.
The sheriff’s office says the festival is expected to bring between 12 and 15 thousand people to Greenback.
Officials remind you that traffic will be impacted in and around the area of Maple Lane Farms beginning Thursday, April 24 and continuing through Sunday, April 27 as big name performers including Nickelback, Kid Rock and Lynard Skynyrd draw crowds to the area.
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office also provided a map via social media detailing the traffic pattern into and around the venue, including where deputies will be stationed (see below).
Additionally, Sheriff James Lee Berrong reminds all festival goers of the office’s “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to those who decide to break the law while at the festival.
“Sheriff Berrong would like to remind festival goers to have a good time while staying safe and exhibiting good citizenship,” the post said. “There will be a zero-tolerance policy in place for attendees who do not abide by the law and who refuse to use common sense.”
Rock the Country music festival to impact Blount County traffic. (Courtesy: BCSO)
As a thank you to our military, first responders, teachers and more who work tirelessly every day to serve our country and communities, Dollywood’s Public Employees Appreciation Days returns this spring and provides qualifying guests the opportunity to buy a one-day Dollywood admission ticket online for just $49 plus tax.
The exclusive offer can be purchased online at Dollywood.com/PublicEmployee for a limited time and is valid for use now through June 13. Members of the military, first responders, school system employees, government employees and medical employees who have verified their employment status through ID.me are eligible for the offer. Verified public employees may purchase up to six $49 one-day admission tickets to Dollywood theme park as part of the program.
Public Employees also can take advantage of special rates at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort during this time as well. Rates for eligible guests start at $159 per night for travel dates now through June 13.
Additionally, any of the admission tickets that are part of the Public Employees Appreciation Days may be upgraded to season passes, allowing guests to continue the fun of Dollywood’s 40th anniversary season. Guests currently can enjoy Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival (now-June 8) with iconic Mosaiculture displays throughout the park. Vivid larger-than-life flower sculptures create an immersive atmosphere for park guests with more than half-a-million blooms during this award-winning festival. Dollywood’s culinary team showcases their world-class abilities during the event with a menu full of delicacies to highlight the tastes of spring in the Smokies. “Play On,” a special 40th anniversary retrospective show featuring songs and scenes from many of the park’s iconic shows from years past, debuts on May 3, the date of the park’s first operational day in 1986.
Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Food City (June 14-August 3) is everyone’s favorite summer tradition and once again includes Dollywood’s Sweet Summer Nights drone and fireworks show each night. Even more drones take to the skies this year to present a mesmerizing show that honors Dollywood’s 40th season. “Gazillion Bubble Show: Evolution” and “Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience” provide popping bubbles and playful pooches to help every guest feel like a kid this summer.
A family tradition for many, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 12- Oct. 27) celebrates the beauty of fall with thousands of carved pumpkins, spirited performances from talented singers and the fun of Great Pumpkin LumiNights. Great Pumpkin LumiNights, which previously has been named the best theme park harvest event in the world, features elaborate displays that are fun for every member of the family. Creative culinary items, accomplished artisans and fall fun in the Smokies make this a picture-perfect time to enjoy Dollywood.
The industry’s Best Theme Park Christmas event—Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 1- Jan. 4, 2025)—concludes the park’s 2025 season with six million lights, festive holiday shows and the warm Christmas atmosphere guests have come to expect during this joyous time of year.
For more information about Dollywood’s 2025 season or season passes, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
Dolly Parton with the 40th Anniversary art package as part of Dollywood’s 40th Anniversary in 2025. Photo taken in Nashville, TN, at CTK Enterprises, on 9/20/24.
(Courtesy: Curtis Hilbun / Dollywood)
Three different individuals have been indicted for murder charges following two separate Knoxville Police Department-led Drug Related Death Task Force investigations into overdose deaths.
Last week, Amanda Martin, DOB 8/21/84, and George Joslin, DOB 9/5/79, were indicted by a Knox County Grand Jury for second-degree murder as well as sale and delivery of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Those indictments were the result of an investigation into the overdose death of a 54-year-old woman at a McCroskey Avenue residence in March 2024.
The investigation revealed that Joslin and Martin supplied the victim with methamphetamine and fentanyl that ultimately resulted in her death. At the time of the indictment, Martin was already in custody for previous charges related to drug distribution. Joslin was located by patrol officers at his McCroskey Avenue home and taken into custody on April 13.
Separately, KPD Drug Related Death Task Force detectives also obtained a grand jury indictment charging Demichael Hines, DOB 5/19/88, with second-degree murder and sale and delivery of fentanyl. That indictment was the result of an investigation into the December 2023 overdose death of an 18-year-old girl at a sober living facility in Fountain City.
Symphony Jones, DOB 11/2/93, was previously indicted for second-degree murder in May 2024 as a result of that investigation. Continued investigation revealed that Hines was the source of drug supply. Hines was taken into custody by members of the KPD’s Community Engagement Response Team following a traffic stop on April 12.
“These indictments are a product of our officers’ resolve to combat the overdose epidemic by holding individuals who recklessly traffic deadly drugs accountable,” Chief Paul Noel said. “Those efforts are making a difference and undoubtedly preventing further unnecessary deaths.”
About the Drug Related Death Task Force
The Drug Related Death Task Force is an inter-agency investigation and prosecution team who examines overdoses that occur in Knox County as a means to combat the opiate epidemic. Founded under the direction of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA), the task force consists of the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and Knox County Regional Forensic Center. The goal of the task force is to decrease overdoses by holding drug dealers accountable when their drug trafficking leads to overdose deaths. The task force also gains intelligence about the opiate epidemic that can be used by member agencies and others across the country to fight this increasing problem.
WASHINGTON COUNTY – A joint investigation by special agents with TBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Squad and the Newport Police Department in New Hampshire has resulted in the arrest of a Johnson City man.
Last month, detectives in Newport, New Hampshire, received information that a minor was sending child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to an adult male online via the social media platform Discord. During the course of the investigation, Jacob Isaiah Haun (DOB: 3/9/05), who resides in Johnson City, was identified as the Discord account user. TBI agents in the ICAC Squad were notified and began working alongside New Hampshire detectives as part of the investigation. Upon further review of Haun’s Discord account, agents discovered that he received numerous CSAM images and videos from victims across the country.
This week, agents obtained a warrant for Haun, charging him with Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Solicitation of a Minor via Electronic Means. Today, with the assistance of the Johnson City Police Department, he was arrested and booked into the Washington County Detention Center.
At this time, the investigation remains active and ongoing as agents work to identify the children targeted by Haun. The TBI is asking anyone who may have had communication with the Discord username of @IMPERATED and the display name of “biti” to call 1-800-TBI-FIND or email [email protected].
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is an ICAC affiliate of the Tennessee ICAC Task Force. Anyone with information about cases of online child exploitation should contact the TBI Tipline at 1-800-TBI-FIND or report via the NCMEC CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org.
The TBI has information about online dangers, sextortion, and common-sense tips for the public on its website, www.tn.gov/tbi. Parents and caregivers looking for resources aimed at helping children develop online safety skills should visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website at www.netsmartz.org.
The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
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, 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.
The Knox County Board of Education voted unanimously in favor on an agreement that would consist of building a new elementary school costing nearly $44 million.
The proposed design plans are for the new K-5 Farragut-area elementary school located at 202 Village Commons Boulevard. The entire property will encompass more than 144,000 square feet.
Last year, the school board approved plans to build a new school in Farragut. Assistant Superintendent of Operations Garfield Adams said the next step is approving a design.
According to an agreement form, it would cost $43.7 million for Merit Construction, Inc. to build the school. Adams said the funding was approved through the five-year capital plan.
“Very excited for a school that will ensure students have necessary space,” Adams said. “When you have adequate space and state of the art facilities, that is something that certainly enhances that student learning.”
The proposed design plan would build a one-story structure with three classroom wings that can serve up to 1,400 students. Adams said it would be one of the largest elementary schools in the district’s history. He said it will address the need for more space as Farragut continues to grow.
“We work closely with Knox County government. We look at projected numbers,” Adams said. “This additional elementary school will alleviate a lot of those concerns for parents and ensure that our students have the necessary capacity to enhance student learning.”
In addition to the school itself, the cost also includes “limited public street improvements parking, courtyard fences, fencing and playground/playfield.”
The school board discussed the proposed design at a meeting on Monday before voting on Thursday.
Adams said the next step is construction. It is expected to take two years to build before opening.
This school is part of the district’s plans to have three elementary schools in Farragut. Adams said once this one opens, Farragut Primary and Farragut Intermediate will be converted into K-5 schools.
A search in Loudon County for two missing teens has now become a recovery mission.
Sheriff Jimmy Davis making the announcement yesterday (Thursday). It’s the latest update in a rescue effort that was started by a call from Blake Moore who says early Wednesday morning, he got an odd request from a neighbor.
His neighbor told him a young man was on their porch needing an Uber ride to Chattanooga.
That young man turned out to be one of three teens Loudon County Sheriff’s Office officials say led deputies on a chase down I-75 in a stolen car, which was later found near the bridge.
Further investigation indicates that the three boys somehow jumped from the bridge. After more than a day of searching, Davis said the search has turned into a rescue mission after a search of the bank and in nearby woods were unsuccessful, rescuers began searching in the water.
One teen who was detained told police he jumped into the Tennessee River from the bridge on I-75 in Loudon County. (Courtesy: LCSO)
