Union County, TN (WOKI) One man has been taken to the hospital following a brush fire Friday afternoon in Union County.
Officials with the Paulette Volunteer Fire Department say the man was burning trash in a barrel and that the fire got away from him.
The fire broke out around noon and spans 15 acres near Texas Hollow Road.
The Tennessee Division of Forestry has also responded to the scene.
Knox County, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating after two bodies are found Thursday in a South Knox County home.
KCSO officials say they believe the two people died from a possible overdose at the home on Lundy Road. They say another person was taken to an area hospital in serious condition.
KCSO says the names of the deceased will be released pending notification of next of kin.
A rise in the number of respiratory illnesses in our state and now new data from the CDC shows a troubling jump in the number of patients with COVID, flu and RSV needing to be hospitalized.
Over the past several weeks, hospitalizations rose 200% for the flu; 51% for COVID-19 and 60% for RSV.
Doctors say what we all need to do is simple, pay attention to any symptoms you might have and stay home if you’re sick.
The CDC says vaccination rates are lagging right now and have issued an advisory that low vaccination rates with increasing cases could lead to more severe disease and strain on the health care system.
An investigation is underway following a fatal house fire in East Knoxville.
The Knoxville Fire department responding to the call this morning (Friday) at a home on Wilderness Road along with another fire company. The fire was quickly put out and a woman was found in a bedroom was pronounced dead a short time later.
The home has sustained moderate fire, water and smoke damage.
There were no working smoke alarms in the home.
Today (Friday) marks 15 years since one of the country’s worst environmental disasters and it happened right here in East Tennessee.
This is the first year December 22nd will be recognized as an annual day of remembrance for the people who died as a result of a spill at the Kingston TVA Coal Ash spill in 2008 which dumped more than a billion gallons of coal ash into the surrounding rivers and neighborhoods.
The company behind the coal ash cleanup has faced dozens of lawsuits from workers, families and even the county.
At 10:00 this morning there will be a ceremony to remember those impacted by the spill at the Roane County Courthouse.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Students aren’t the only ones headed home with a report card at the end of the fall semester, so are Knox County Schools.
The state Department of Education released their A to F grades for every school in the state Thursday, offering a snapshot at how every school is performing.
While some Knox County schools are doing well, others need some work. Of the 83 schools within KCS, only about half score As or Bs in the evaluation. Twenty-five schools scored Ds or Fs.
Four indicators are included in the calculation:
KCS Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk said letter grades don’t offer a look at the full picture.
“It’s important to remember that these letter grades are not the complete picture of any school,” said Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk. “There are many ways of analyzing achievement, and I have seen firsthand that every school in our district has outstanding educators and talented students who are doing amazing work.”
Rysewyk also pointed out that TCAP scores showed improvement across the county system, highlighting third-grade reading — last school year marked the beginning of higher standards for third-grade English testing as part of the third-grade retention law — and math.
“It’s also important to keep in mind that last year alone, KCS increased student achievement in all tested subject areas, and made historic improvements in third-grade reading, while seeing math scores rebound to pre-COVID-19 achievement levels,” he said. “These gains not only speak to the hard work and dedication of our students and families, they are proof that – together – we are making progress.”
In its release Thursday, KCS also listed the numerous initiatives it has launched aimed at increasing student achievement and performance in recent months. These include:
“Our district is focused on accelerating learning, and KCS educators, staff, and community partners are united around that goal,” said Dr. Keith Wilson, assistant superintendent of academics. “We will continue to pursue innovative strategies that put student achievement at the center of our work, and we believe this strategy is already producing results.”
Please click here to search for the letter grade for a particular Knox County School.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville couple lands behind bars Tuesday, December 19 after police find drugs and a gun in the open with juveniles present in the home.
According to a police report, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and narcotics unit executed a search warrant at an apartment on Fort Stanley Way around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.
A number of drugs, including fentanyl, were found in the residence, and a loaded handgun was found stuffed between two couch cushions.
Responders listed what they found in the report:
Police arrested 31-year-old Kristin Deshea Harmon and 44-year-old Cassius Aubrey Minefield. The pair is now facing numerous drug charges.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A former Knox County Rescue financial administrative assistant is indicted on charges claiming she stole tens of thousands of dollars from the county.
An investigation found that Charlotte McLawhorn used KCR credit cards to spend over $44,000 claiming it was for the department. The purchases were for plane tickets, salon visits, medical bills, vacation rentals and more from January 2018 through April 2023.
McLawhorn was indicted on multiple counts including theft of property, forgery and fraudulent use of credit cards.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 20, 2023) – Remote Area Medical – RAM® – a major nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision and medical care to those in need – will hold a free, three-day clinic on Jan. 12-14, 2024. RAM will be set up at the Jacob Building located at 3301 E. Magnolia Ave., Knoxville, TN 37914 for three days only.
All RAM services are free, and no ID is required. Free dental, vision and medical services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The patient parking lot will open no later than 11:59 p.m. (midnight) on Thursday night, Jan. 11 and remain open for the duration of the clinic. Once in the parking lot, additional information regarding clinic-opening processes and next steps will be provided. Clinic doors open at 6 a.m.
Due to time constraints, patients should be prepared to choose between DENTAL and VISION services. Medical services are offered, in addition to dental or vision services, free to every patient attending the clinic. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit https://www.ramusa.org/ or call 865-579-1530.
Patients may also visit the Facebook Event for this clinic at https://www.facebook.com/events/831485512042636/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A329661672979916%7D%7D]%22%7D
Services available at the free RAM clinic include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental Xrays, eye exams, eye health exams, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, women’s health exams and general medical exams.
In some situations outside of RAM’s control, such as inclement weather, volunteer cancellations or other circumstances, the parking lot may open earlier or a smaller number of patients may be served. RAM encourages everyone who would like services, especially dental services, to arrive as early as possible. Clinic closing time may vary based on each service area’s daily capacity. For more information, please see RAM’s FAQ page.
Additional Information:
• About Remote Area Medical: RAM is a major nonprofit organization that operates pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision and medical services to individuals in need who do not have access to, or cannot afford, a doctor. Founded in 1985, RAM has treated more than 910,000 individuals with $189.5 million worth of free healthcare and veterinary services. Since its foundation, more than 196,000 volunteers – comprised of licensed dental, vision, medical and veterinary professionals, as well as general support staff – have supported RAM’s mission.
The Knoxville Police Department has received the final report from the departmental assessment that was conducted by 21CP Solutions.
As part of the wide-ranging departmental assessment, 21CP Solutions provided in-depth policy and procedural recommendations in seven core areas – use of force; stops, searches and arrests; vehicle pursuits; impartial policing; vehicle pursuits; response to vulnerable individuals; staffing and deployment; and training.
The assessment started in earnest in early August with a three-day, on-site visit.
“This assessment will be fundamental to our long-term goal of implementing nationwide, research-backed best practices,” Chief of Police Paul Noel said. “The final report will serve as a strategic roadmap for our leadership team as we move into the future, revamp our policies and procedures, and work towards delivering the best service possible.”
“I appreciate 21CP Solutions bringing fresh eyes and national expertise to a top-to-bottom comprehensive assessment of KPD’s policies and practices,” Mayor Indya Kincannon said.
“It was imperative to me and to Chief Noel that the City seek an outside review as part of our commitment to research-driven national best practices. I commend Chief Noel and KPD on their open-mindedness and proactive, progressive approach to updating KPD’s policies.”
For the department assessment, 21CP consultants evaluated existing policies and standard operation procedures, analyzed departmental data, and conducted a wide swath of interviews, focus groups and one-on-one conversations with over 100 current KPD employees. Those discussions were all voluntary and confidential to ensure candidness.
“21CP Solutions is often asked to conduct an assessment of a police department after it has experienced a critical incident – an officer-involved shooting, significant officer misconduct, fall-out from policing a protest, and others,” said Nola Joyce, 21CP Solutions partner and principal consultant. “It is very unusual for a chief of police to pursue an assessment of their department, let alone to making the results public and committing to work toward implementing the recommended changes. Knoxville should be proud of the courage and foresight of Chief Noel and their police department.”
The group of 21CP consultants consisted of former police executives and subject-matter experts in a range of contemporary law enforcement issues, including constitutional policing.
“As a Command Staff, we are deep in the process of evaluating 21CP’s recommendations,” Chief Noel said. “We will assess each recommendation individually to determine how they support our values an organization and the culture that we are working to build at the Knoxville Police Department. That process will include not only the Command Staff, but other stakeholders across supervisory ranks.”
The final report can be at https://cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com.mcas.ms/UserFiles/Servers/Server_109478/File/Police/Posts/Recommendations%20for%20the%20Knoxville%20Police%20Department–21CP%20Solutions–November%202023.pdf?McasCtx=4&McasTsid=20893.
This past week, KPD continued its partnership with 21CP with a two-day strategic planning session. Numerous members of the department across all ranks participated in the session, which was conducted to develop concrete goals that the KPD wants to achieve.
