KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The City of Knoxville has announced free live music will soon return to downtown Knoxville.
Concerts on the Square will be held on Tuesdays in May, June and September, and on Third Thursdays from May through September, all from 7-9 p.m.
The festivities kick off on May 6 with the first Jazz Tuesday, which will feature Margherita Fava and the Knoxville Jazz Workshop. Third Thursdays will begin May 15 with the WIMZ Garage Band and feature a variety of musical styles each month.
Below are just some of the performers slated to be in Market Square throughout the summer into the fall:
Jazz Tuesdays
May 6: Margherita Fava and the Knoxville Jazz Workshop
May 13: Greg Tardy Quintet with Karns High School Jazz Band at 5:30 p.m.
May 20: Denin Slage-Koch
May 27: Mimi Terry Quartet
June 3: Donald Brown & Friends
June 10: Vance Thompson Quartet
June 17: Taber Gable
June 24: Ken Brown Quartet
Third Thursdays
May 15: WIMZ Garage Band
June 19: Brian Clay’s GRUUV Xperiencein collaboration with Beck Cultural Exchange Center for Juneteenth
July 17: Teen Spirit
Aug. 21: 7 Bridges: The Ultimate EAGLES Experience
Sept. 18: Square on the Square
City officials said attendees should bring their own chairs for first-come, first-served seating. While no food or beer will be sold on Market Square, food will be available from restaurants for take-out. However, alcohol can only be consumed inside establishments or on their patios.
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Blount County District Attorney behind the sentencing of a former gym teacher accused of inappropriately touching students released a statement explaining the laws as they currently stand and his reasoning behind the charges.
Joseph Dalton is a former gym teacher who was recently sentenced for several charges of assault against elementary school students.
Dalton worked for several elementary schools in Blount County and faced multiple complaints from parents and students who said he assaulted them physically.
The former teacher was sentenced Wednesday to six months of supervised probation after pleading guilty to assault in September.
49-year-old Joseph Dalton(BCSO)
There has been an outcry in the Blount County community, and Fifth Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond, who was over Dalton’s prosecution, released a statement explaining how the case developed, the laws currently in place and his reasoning behind the charges.
Desmond said he became aware of an incident involving a young student in early 2023, and after an extensive review of surveillance video from every class Dalton had participated in, investigators found “multiple concerning incidents where the teacher had physical contact with students which we deemed to be inappropriate.”
Currently, Desmond said Tennessee’s criminal laws on sexual battery require contact with the “intimate parts” of a victim. However, none of the videos or accusations showed that Dalton had touched any of the students in that way, meaning that while his actions were concerning and inappropriate, it did not qualify as sexual battery or any other sexual offense under state law.
The DA said his office was then faced with the question of closing the case and investigation because the conduct did not amount to sexual battery, but he said closing it was “unacceptable.”
After researching the law, Desmond said the only criminal offense that fit the facts and evidence was assault through the “offensive touching” of another, which is a Class B misdemeanor and carries a maximum punishment of six months.
Desmond said he found it to be worth it to prosecute the charges despite the sentence being minimal because “the alternative was to do nothing.” He said if more serious charges had been supported with evidence that they would have been pursued, but that was not the case.
Desmond added that he doesn’t disagree with people’s belief that the sentence is insufficient, saying he would support an effort to amend the law to address scenarios like this.
He said the law as it currently exists is “clearly insufficient,” but he made the decision that some action had to be taken and said he stands by that decision. Dalton was sentenced to the maximum punishment of six months of supervised probation.
Desmond is not the only official to speak out about the case. Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell called out the school district’s administration and said the current laws need to be changed.
State records obtained by WVLT News show Dalton still has a valid teaching license even after being sentenced on the charges.
Below is Desmond’s full statement on the case:
I have always believed in honesty and transparency. So while I understand that it may be difficult for some to accept, it is my sincere hope that being straightforward and open will help most understand what has transpired. The mission of the District Attorney’s Office is to seek justice, protect the community, and, in all instances, try to do the right thing.
In the later parts of 2023, I became aware of an incident where a young student at one of our local schools felt like one of their teachers was acting in an inappropriate manner. These allegations were the first time I had ever heard of this teacher.
Shortly thereafter, individuals came to me to express concerns that the teacher in question had been the subject of similar allegations numerous times in the past. I directed my criminal investigator to pull all available surveillance video from every class the teacher had participated in for the entire school year to that point. After careful review, we located multiple concerning incidents where the teacher had physical contact with students which we deemed to be inappropriate. We notified the parents of the students involved and continued the investigatory process of collecting statements and any possible related evidence.
It is important to note at this point, that the Tennessee criminal laws on sexual battery require contact with the “intimate parts” of a victim. None of the videos or subsequent evidence for these allegations showed that the teacher in question had touched the “intimate parts” of any of the students involved. While the teacher’s conduct was concerning and inappropriate, it did not qualify as sexual battery or any other sexual offense under current Tennessee law.
We then faced a question, if the conduct did not amount to sexual battery, should the case and investigation then be closed? I found this answer to be unacceptable.
Instead, we carefully researched the law and found the only criminal offense that fit the facts and evidence before us. That criminal offense was assault through the “offensive touching” of another. It was our conclusion that while the conduct did not meet the threshold of sexual battery, it was contact that was offensive to a reasonable person, and certainly to the parents of these children.
Assault by offensive touching under Tennessee law is a Class B misdemeanor. The maximum punishment for a B misdemeanor is 6 months.
We were again faced with a choice. Was it worth it to prosecute charges knowing the sentence would be minimal? The alternative was to do nothing. I was elected to protect the citizens of our community, and the right choice was clear. Considering past efforts by the school system to curtail this teacher’s behavior had clearly not been effective, doing nothing was not an option I could accept.
I made the decision to charge this teacher with five counts of offensive touching assault. This decision was not made lightly. It was made knowing full well that many would think the charges and the sentence would be woefully insufficient. We can only do what the law allows, and the job of my office is to apply the facts and evidence to the law. If there were more serious charges which were supported by the evidence, they would have been pursued. That was not the case.
I understand people believe the sentence for these crimes is insufficient. I do not disagree. I would certainly support any effort by the legislature to amend the law to address scenarios wherein a person in a position of trust has inappropriate contact with children in their care.
The law for these crimes, as it currently exists, is clearly insufficient. Despite that inadequacy, when faced with this issue I ultimately made the decision that some action had to be taken. I stand by that decision.Fifth Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Blount County District Attorney behind the sentencing of a former gym teacher accused of inappropriately touching students released a statement explaining the laws as they currently stand and his reasoning behind the charges.
Joseph Dalton is a former gym teacher who was recently sentenced for several charges of assault against elementary school students.
Dalton worked for several elementary schools in Blount County and faced multiple complaints from parents and students who said he assaulted them physically.
The former teacher was sentenced Wednesday to six months of supervised probation after pleading guilty to assault in September.
49-year-old Joseph Dalton(BCSO)
There has been an outcry in the Blount County community, and Fifth Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond, who was over Dalton’s prosecution, released a statement explaining how the case developed, the laws currently in place and his reasoning behind the charges.
Desmond said he became aware of an incident involving a young student in early 2023, and after an extensive review of surveillance video from every class Dalton had participated in, investigators found “multiple concerning incidents where the teacher had physical contact with students which we deemed to be inappropriate.”
Currently, Desmond said Tennessee’s criminal laws on sexual battery require contact with the “intimate parts” of a victim. However, none of the videos or accusations showed that Dalton had touched any of the students in that way, meaning that while his actions were concerning and inappropriate, it did not qualify as sexual battery or any other sexual offense under state law.
The DA said his office was then faced with the question of closing the case and investigation because the conduct did not amount to sexual battery, but he said closing it was “unacceptable.”
After researching the law, Desmond said the only criminal offense that fit the facts and evidence was assault through the “offensive touching” of another, which is a Class B misdemeanor and carries a maximum punishment of six months.
Desmond said he found it to be worth it to prosecute the charges despite the sentence being minimal because “the alternative was to do nothing.” He said if more serious charges had been supported with evidence that they would have been pursued, but that was not the case.
Desmond added that he doesn’t disagree with people’s belief that the sentence is insufficient, saying he would support an effort to amend the law to address scenarios like this.
He said the law as it currently exists is “clearly insufficient,” but he made the decision that some action had to be taken and said he stands by that decision. Dalton was sentenced to the maximum punishment of six months of supervised probation.
Desmond is not the only official to speak out about the case. Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell called out the school district’s administration and said the current laws need to be changed.
State records obtained by WVLT News show Dalton still has a valid teaching license even after being sentenced on the charges.
Below is Desmond’s full statement on the case:
I have always believed in honesty and transparency. So while I understand that it may be difficult for some to accept, it is my sincere hope that being straightforward and open will help most understand what has transpired. The mission of the District Attorney’s Office is to seek justice, protect the community, and, in all instances, try to do the right thing.
In the later parts of 2023, I became aware of an incident where a young student at one of our local schools felt like one of their teachers was acting in an inappropriate manner. These allegations were the first time I had ever heard of this teacher.
Shortly thereafter, individuals came to me to express concerns that the teacher in question had been the subject of similar allegations numerous times in the past. I directed my criminal investigator to pull all available surveillance video from every class the teacher had participated in for the entire school year to that point. After careful review, we located multiple concerning incidents where the teacher had physical contact with students which we deemed to be inappropriate. We notified the parents of the students involved and continued the investigatory process of collecting statements and any possible related evidence.
It is important to note at this point, that the Tennessee criminal laws on sexual battery require contact with the “intimate parts” of a victim. None of the videos or subsequent evidence for these allegations showed that the teacher in question had touched the “intimate parts” of any of the students involved. While the teacher’s conduct was concerning and inappropriate, it did not qualify as sexual battery or any other sexual offense under current Tennessee law.
We then faced a question, if the conduct did not amount to sexual battery, should the case and investigation then be closed? I found this answer to be unacceptable.
Instead, we carefully researched the law and found the only criminal offense that fit the facts and evidence before us. That criminal offense was assault through the “offensive touching” of another. It was our conclusion that while the conduct did not meet the threshold of sexual battery, it was contact that was offensive to a reasonable person, and certainly to the parents of these children.
Assault by offensive touching under Tennessee law is a Class B misdemeanor. The maximum punishment for a B misdemeanor is 6 months.
We were again faced with a choice. Was it worth it to prosecute charges knowing the sentence would be minimal? The alternative was to do nothing. I was elected to protect the citizens of our community, and the right choice was clear. Considering past efforts by the school system to curtail this teacher’s behavior had clearly not been effective, doing nothing was not an option I could accept.
I made the decision to charge this teacher with five counts of offensive touching assault. This decision was not made lightly. It was made knowing full well that many would think the charges and the sentence would be woefully insufficient. We can only do what the law allows, and the job of my office is to apply the facts and evidence to the law. If there were more serious charges which were supported by the evidence, they would have been pursued. That was not the case.
I understand people believe the sentence for these crimes is insufficient. I do not disagree. I would certainly support any effort by the legislature to amend the law to address scenarios wherein a person in a position of trust has inappropriate contact with children in their care.
The law for these crimes, as it currently exists, is clearly insufficient. Despite that inadequacy, when faced with this issue I ultimately made the decision that some action had to be taken. I stand by that decision.Fifth Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WVLT) – A body found along the Nolichucky River on Thursday has been identified as a man who went missing from flooding caused by Helene.
The body was found Thursday afternoon in the 2000 block of Highway 107 near Jonesborough, according to Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton.
In an update, Sexton said the remains were identified to be Steven Cloyd, one of the two people still missing from flooding caused by Helene.
“Crews clearing debris located the remains, and our investigators worked with the medical examiner to identify Steve,” said Sexton. “WCSO continues to pray for the Cloyd family and we hope this brings them some closure.”
The last remaining person missing from the floods in Washington County is Nancy Tucker.
GATLINBURG, Tenn.— Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host its annual synchronous firefly viewing opportunity at Elkmont from May 29-June 5. The public can apply for this opportunity by entering a lottery for a vehicle reservation through https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/233374? . The lottery for reservation applications opens on Friday, May 2 at 10 a.m. EDT and closes on Monday, May 5 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. This lottery system ensures that all applicants have an equal chance of securing a reservation.
Every year, in late May or early June, hundreds of visitors gather near Elkmont to witness the mesmerizing phenomenon of Photinus carolinus, a firefly species known for its synchronous flashing behavior. Since 2006, the National Park Service has limited access to the Elkmont area during an eight-day period of predicted peak firefly activity. This approach helps to alleviate traffic congestion, ensures a safe viewing experience for visitors and minimizes disturbances to these remarkable fireflies and their ecosystem during their mating period.
A total of 960 vehicle reservations, 120 per night, will be issued through the lottery process. Each reservation allows one vehicle with a maximum of seven occupants to park at the Elkmont viewing location. The number of daily reservations is based on parking capacity and the ability to safely accommodate a large number of viewers on site while minimizing resource impacts.
Lottery applicants may choose two potential dates to participate in the viewing opportunity during the eight-day period. Applicants will be selected using a randomized computer drawing. All lottery applicants will be charged a $1 application fee. Successful applicants will automatically be given reservations, and a $29 reservation fee will be charged to the same credit or debit card used for the application fee. The $29 fee covers the cost of awarding the reservation, on-site portable restrooms, supplies and nightly personnel costs for managing the viewing opportunity.
Reservations are non-refundable, non-transferable, and good only for the date issued. There is a limit of one lottery application per household per season. All lottery applicants will be notified by e-mail by May 13 if their application was successful or not.
During the viewing period, access to Elkmont is restricted after 12 p.m. to passenger vehicles with a reservation and registered campers staying at the Elkmont Campground. Overnight parking at Little River Trailhead, Jakes Creek Trailhead or the Appalachian Clubhouse is not allowed during this eight-day period.
Each year in late May or early June, Photinus carolinus, a firefly species, flashes synchronously. (Courtesy: GSMNP)
Visit Knoxville says Knox County residents can enjoy free local Sunsphere days from May through October.
Those with a physical copy of their Knox County driver’s license can visit the observation deck on the fourth floor for free on the following dates:
May 2
June 6
August 1
September 5
October 3
Officials with Visit Knoxville say the observation deck allows up to 40 people every 30 minutes, meaning space is limited and admission is on a first come, first serve basis. Because of this, it will be open an hour later, until 6 p.m., for an additional hour of enjoyment.
The Sunsphere was built for the 1982 World’s Fair and offers a stunning 360-degree view of downtown Knoxville, the Great Smoky Mountains, World’s Fair Park, the Tennessee River, and the University of Tennessee.
It also has a timeline, gallery, memorabilia, a newly painted mural, and technology related to the World’s Fair.
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)
