The fire happened on Jan. 11 on Mystic River Way at the Holston Ridge Apartments complex in North Knoxville. (Courtesy: KFD)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Two people are arrested Tuesday in connection with an apartment fire in North Knoxville earlier this month.
Knoxville Fire Department officials say the fire occurred on January 11 on Mystic River Way at the Holston Ridge Apartments complex.
Fire investigators determined the fire was intentionally set and arrested 48 year-old Wendy Ann Franklin and 33 year-old Paul Sexton Jr. on charges related to the fire.
Wendy Ann Franklin, 48 and Paul Sexton Jr., 33 (Courtesy: JIMS)
Franklin is facing aggravated arson, theft of property, and drug charges. Sexton was charged with theft of property, since he was reportedly found selling things taken from the complex.
Investigators say major damage occurred only in the unit to which Franklin set fire thanks, they say, to the building’s sprinkler system.
No one in danger after false shooting call in Halls, Knox County Sheriff’s Office says (Courtesy: WVLT)
UPDATED Story: Three juveniles have been arrested after reportedly calling in an active shooter at Halls Middle School.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Detectives Unit arrested two boys and a girl from Gibbs Middle School for placing a false active shooter call to 911 yesterday.
The eighth graders have all been charged with Making a false report, which is a felony, threats of mass destruction, which is a misdemeanor, and abuse of the E-911 Communications system, also a misdemeanor. They are being held at the Juvenile Detention Facility.
All three Halls schools were locked down yesterday during the initial incident.
Sheriff Tom Spangler is asking Parents and Guardians to let their children know the seriousness of crimes like this and the consequences that will follow.
Halls, TN (WOKI) No students are in danger and schools are clear in Halls Thursday after the Knox County Sheriff’s Office received a false call about a shooter at one of the schools.
KCSO officials say the 911 call came in around 11:30 a.m. and that the sheriff’s office has cleared all three Halls schools.
In December, 17 chihuahuas were rescued from a storage unit in Morristown. (Courtesy: Morristown Hamblen Humane Society)
Morristown, TN (WOKI) There’s good news Thursday out of Morristown: 17 chihuahuas that were rescued from a storage unit back in December are now up for adoption.
In December, animal control said they found the dogs unattended in a storage unit, and they showed visible signs of neglect and abuse.
Officials with the Morristown Hamblen Humane Society say after weeks of care, the dogs are now ready for a new home.
The center is taking adoption applications now. The dogs will be at the shelter for viewing on February 7 and February 8 from 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
The fees for adult dogs are $125 and $200 for puppies. That price includes rabies prevention, a microchip and spay/neuter.
Currently, more than a dozen of the chihuahuas are available for adoption.
Jefferson County boys basketball coach Andy Hill is suspended following a DUI arrest Tuesday, according to school officials. (Courtesy WVLT)
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) An East Tennessee high school basketball coach is suspended after getting a DUI.
According to Jefferson County High School, head boys basketball coach Andy Hill was arrested Tuesday night. He is charged with driving under the influence after being involved in a crash. School officials say injuries were minor.
Hill is suspended pending an investigation.
Kyle Briggs will serve as the interim head coach there.
Officials said the three vehicles above were doing donuts for several hours on Jan. 16. (Courtesy: Lakeshore Park Conservancy )
Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) Officials at Lakeshore Park say they’re investigating after three vehicles were caught on camera doing donuts for a few hours last week.
Officials say the three vehicles were doing donuts for several hours on January 16.
In a statement to our news partner WVLT, officials say there is “extensive damage to the lawn” in addition to finding out that the vehicles were driven all over the park.
(Courtesy: Lakeshore Park Conservancy)
Anyone with information about what happened is asked to contact Knox County’s Parks and Recreation Department or the Lakeshore Park Conservancy office at 865-215-1722.
Christopher Bassett Jr., (L) Kipling Colbert Jr., and Richard Williams (R) were convicted in the murder of Zaevion Dobson. (Courtesy: Knox County Sheriff’s Office / WVLT)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knox County Criminal Court has denied a petition for post-conviction relief made by a man convicted in the murder of Zaevion Dobson, a teen who was killed while shielding his friends from gang-related gunfire.
Christopher Bassett Jr. was convicted alongside Kipling Colbert Jr. and Richard Williams in December of 2017 in the killing.
After being convicted, Bassett Jr. petitioned for post-conviction relief, challenging the court’s admission of a YouTube video showing the three rapping alongside gang colors, symbols and references.
The court denied Bassett Jr.’s petition on January 22. Wednesday, January 24 marks the ninth annual “Zaevion Dobson Day,” an honor given by Knox County to pay tribute to Dobson’s legacy.
Due to the instability of the structure, crews were forced to work from the exterior to extinguish the fire at a single-wide trailer in Mascot. (Courtesy: Rural Metro Fire)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Rural Metro firefighters were kept busy Wednesday morning responding to two structure fires, one in Mascot and another in the Halls community.
Rural Metro fire crews were called to the 8900 block of “C” Drive in Mascot around 3:30 a.m. where they found a single-wide trailer fully engulfed in flames. The residents were not at home at the time, but they were using a space heater, with an extension cord from the neighbors’ power pole.
No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Rural Metro is reminding everyone to plug a space heater directly into a wall outlet; never plug it into a power strip or extension cord due to the fire risk.
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Rural Metro Fire is also reminding people in East Tennessee that driving over fire hoses can endanger firefighters and damage equipment.
Rural Metro officials issuing the reminder Wednesday after several drivers ran over fire hoses as crews fought a fire in Halls.
The fire happened on Rifle Range Road around 8:30 a.m. according to Rural Metro fire officials. (Courtesy: Rural Metro Fire)
“A fire hydrant was utilized on Rifle Range, and multiple vehicles continued to drive over the hose laying in the road. PLEASE, NEVER DRIVE OVER FIRE HOSES. When you do this, you endanger our lives and our equipment,” said Public Information Officer Jeff Bagwell.
Crews responded around 8:30 a.m. to a reported structure fire in the 3200 block of Rifle Range Road to find a single-wide trailer on fire. Officials say the residents had evacuated safely prior to the fire department’s arrival.
No injuries were reported; however, the trailer was damaged heavily in the fire.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee baseball legend Todd Helton is headed to Cooperstown after being selected for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as revealed by the MLB Network on Tuesday evening.
In his sixth year eligible for selection, Helton appeared on 79.7 percent of the ballots from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, surpassing the 75 percent threshold. He becomes just the second player in Southeastern Conference history to be voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Auburn’s Frank Thomas (2014).
Selected with the eighth overall pick in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft by Colorado, Helton spent his entire 17-year Major League career with the Rockies and is still the franchise leader in games played (2,247), runs scored (1,401), hits (2,519), doubles (592), home runs (369), RBI (1,406), total bases (4,292) and walks (1,335).
Helton was a five-time MLB All-Star (2000-04), four-time Sliver Slugger award winner (2000-03), three-time Gold Glove winner (2001, 2002, 2004) and won the National League batting title in 2000. He also helped lead the Rockies to their first and only World Series appearance in franchise history in 2007. Helton joins Larry Walker as the second Rockies’ player to be enshrined in Cooperstown.
Already a member of the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame (Class of 2008), the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame (Class of 2017) and the National College Baseball Hall of Fame (Class of 2021), Helton had arguably the most decorated and dominant career of any player in program history and is still considered one of the greatest two-way players to ever play at the collegiate level.
During his time on Rocky Top, Helton was a standout performer at the plate and on the mound, setting numerous program records during his storied career. The Knoxville native still sits atop UT’s record book in career RBI (238), walks (147) and saves (23). He also holds single-season records for runs batted in (92 in 1995), earned run average (0.89 in 1994) and saves (12 in 1995).
Helton earned a multitude of national awards and accolades during his three seasons on Rocky Top, including winning the 1995 Dick Howser Trophy and earning National Player of the Year honors by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Helton was also named the 1995 SEC Player of the Year, a two-time first-team All-American (1994 & 1995) and a Freshman All-American (1993).
In his final season at UT, Helton helped lead the Volunteers to 1995 SEC regular season and tournament titles, as well as their first Men’s College World Series appearance in 44 years.
“What Todd Helton did for the Colorado Rockies organization is nothing short of legendary,” Tennessee baseball head coach Tony Vitello said. “Nonetheless, folks here think just as highly of all he has accomplished in our great state. What he has done in this community prior to, during and after his time on Rocky Top may never be duplicated.
“He went from being a local superstar in high school to being a hometown representative for the University of Tennessee here in Knoxville. As many I’m sure have mentioned, he was not just a two-way standout on the baseball field but also a legit two-sport athlete. Athleticism helped create those opportunities, but extreme competitiveness helped fuel his success. Ever since his days of success in Major League Baseball have concluded, he has given back to UT in every way you can possibly imagine. He truly deserves every bit of love he receives from Vol Nation.”
The official induction ceremony for the 2024 Hall of Fame selections will take place in Cooperstown, New York on July 21.
For more information on Helton’s Hall of Fame selection and this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame Class, click HERE.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Tellico Plains man is sentenced Tuesday, January 23 to more than two decades in prison for rape of a child.
Officials with the District Attorney’s Office say 36-year-old Brandon Wesley Lethco pled guilty to six counts of rape of a child and received a 25-year sentence. The DA says that sentence will be served at 100%.
“There is no place for criminals who abuse the innocence of a child within our community,” said District Attorney Shari Tayloe. “My office will continue to pursue these heinous acts with full force. I want to commend the hard work of my ADAs and law enforcement for bringing justice for this young victim.”
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Child Services collaborated with the DA to successfully obtain the conviction.
“No child should have to endure the pain of a case like this,” said Tayloe. “While we cannot give back what was taken from any victim, we will continue to seek justice in every case, especially in cases where children are abused.”
