The Knox County Sheriff’s Office releasing more information in a fatal hit and run accident in west Knox county.
It happened Monday on Lovell Road at Outlet Drive and involved pick-up truck and a motorcycle.
Investigators say the motorcycle driven by Raymundo Salinas was stopped at a red light when the pick-up driven by Donald Bowman hit the motorcycle then left the scene.
Bowman abandoned his vehicle on Gilbert Road and was later arrested at his home.
Charges are pending and the case will be turned over to the Knox County District Attorney’s office upon completion of the investigation.
Update: Power has been restored to all but 1,910 residents as of 12:15 p.m. (11/29/23)
Original Story: Over 5,000 Jefferson County residents are still without power today (Wednesday). That’s down from the over 12,000 residents without power at 11:00 a.m.
Officials with Appalachian Electric say a switch that feeds the Piedmont and Dandridge substations failed which caused the outage. Crews are working to make the repairs and get power restored.
Over 5,300 Dandridge residents and over 6,100 residents in the Piedmont Road area are affected.
Due to the power outage, Jefferson County School’s closed today and AEC’s phone system is experiencing technical difficulties.
Effective Wednesday, November 29, the burn ban is lifted at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although precipitation, cooler temperatures and shorter days allow for campfires to resume, fire danger is still high across the park and the area is experiencing drought.
Campers may only have campfires in designated areas in both frontcountry and backcountry campsites. Keep campfires small to decrease the chance embers will spread. Always attend and fully extinguish campfires. An extinguished campfire is completely out when it is cool to the touch.
The park issued a campfire ban earlier this month to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfire during dry conditions and the increased risk for wildfires in the park.
No wildfires are currently burning within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Knoxville police take felon into custody after shots fired, chase, KPD says (Courtesy: Knoxville Police Department)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A convicted felon is in custody after firing shots in the parking lot of a popular steakhouse and leading police on a brief chase.
Knoxville Police Department officials say officers responded to Merchant Drive around 2:00 a.m. Tuesday after hearing gunshots around Austin Steakhouse. Upon arrival, a witness reported that a driver of a black pickup truck had fired shots in the parking lot before leaving.
KPD says officers tracked down the truck, but the driver refused to stop leading to a brief pursuit and the eventual arrest of 40 year-old Brandon Reece near the Inskip Ballfields.
Reece reportedly has multiple felony convictions; he now faces charges of felony reckless endangerment and felony evading arrest.
It’s state law that every 20 years, counties in Tennessee have to have a plan for how their next 20 years will look.
It’s been longer than that in Knox County so the Knox County Growth Policy Coordinating Committee has been meeting and hearing from concerned people in the area about what this proposed plan would do to rural areas like Halls, Karns, and Hardin Valley which are options for expansion which would include road projects and the eventual development of housing.
County leaders project that 70,000 people will move to the county over the next 20 years.
The committee will meet again in December and plans won’t be finalized and put into action until early 2024.
A Knoxville woman is in custody after setting a fire in a church.
46 year-old Tracy Clevenger reportedly told the staff at All Souls Church of God on Cecil Avenue she set fire to clothes and cardboard boxes in a storage room on November 11th.
Police say Clevenger also admitted to setting a box that was on a Barton Street home’s front porch on fire.
She is charged with arson in a place of worship and other charges may be filed.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter and Axle Logistics, LLC officials announced today the company will invest $37.9 million to expand logistics operations at its Knoxville headquarters.
Axle Logistics will create 651 new jobs in Knox County over the next five years, nearly tripling its total headcount in Tennessee.
As part of the project, the company will construct an 85,000-square-foot facility adjacent to its existing operations on North Central Street. The additional space and staff will allow Axle Logistics to better meet the ongoing growth it has experienced since its founding in 2012.
Axle Logistics, LLC is a Tennessee-based, third-party logistics (3PL) company that serves an array of transportation customers across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Today, the company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, with one satellite office in Chattanooga.
Since 2019, TNECD has supported nearly 20 economic development projects in Knox County, resulting in approximately 1,800 job commitments and $125 million in capital investment.
QUOTES “Creating greater opportunity for Tennesseans is one of my top priorities, and I thank Axle Logistics for bringing hundreds of new jobs to the Greater Knoxville Area. Our state’s economy and quality of life will increase in the years to come because of today’s announcement.” – Governor Bill Lee
“I congratulate Axle Logistics on this expansion and thank the company for creating more than 650 new jobs in Knoxville. This region is equipped with a skilled workforce, the right educational assets and leaders that ensure Knoxville and Knox County prosper, which in turn, will also ensure this company’s success.” – TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter
“I would like to thank the TNECD along with the Knoxville and Knox County mayors for their support in this exciting next step. Axle Logistics is committed to creating more jobs while doing our part to retain the country’s best and brightest right here in East Tennessee.” – Shawn McLeod, president, Axle Logistics
“This is an extraordinary company and a leader in the logistics industry that started with only two people – both University of Tennessee (UT) graduates – and has grown exponentially in just seven years. Not only does our area benefit from this expansion, but it also illustrates the importance of keeping talented UT graduates here in our region.” – Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs
“We want to create great spaces and strengthen our neighborhoods, and Axle Logistics is doing its part on North Central Street. They’ve done an outstanding job renovating and breathing new life and beauty into an abandoned car dealership that had sat vacant for decades. Now, they’re growing so fast, they’re investing in an 85,000-square-foot new building next door. Axle Logistics is the kind of company we want in Knoxville. They’ve been recognized as a top workplace, and this expansion represents hundreds of new high-paying jobs.” – Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon
“TVA and Knoxville Utilities Board congratulate Axle Logistics on its decision to expand operations and create hundreds of new job opportunities in Knoxville. It’s always an exciting day when we can celebrate a company’s commitment to continued growth in the region. We are proud to partner with the Knox County’s Mayor’s Office, Knox County Commission, Knox County Industrial Development Board, City of Knoxville, Knoxville Chamber and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to support companies like Axle Logistics and look forward to its continued business success in the Valley.” – John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development
“I am grateful and encouraged Axle Logistics has chosen to expand its facility and operations in Knoxville. Tennessee’s pro-business policies and superior workforce are key drivers for corporate decision makers. This is outstanding news for the state, region and the city of Knoxville.” – Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge)
“It’s exciting to see the expansion of Axle Logistics, a company with a great work environment. The new facility shows Knoxville is a welcoming place for a company to invest, and the promise of adding 650 additional jobs to Axle’s workforce is great economic news for the city and the county. Congratulations to Axle Logistics, as well as the local leaders and TNECD for their role in making this happen.” – Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville)
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: https://tnecd.com/
The crash happened Tuesday, fire officials said, between two cars. One person had to be extracted from their sedan. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Dandridge, TN (WOKI) Three people are hospitalized Tuesday after a crash on a roadway in Jefferson County.
Officials with the Dandridge Fire Department say the crash happened on South Highway 92 near Price Road and involved two cars. They say one person had to be extracted from their sedan.
Dandridge Fire and Jefferson County Rescue responded to the scene. There is no word yet on the condition of those involved.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The victim in a fatal pedestrian crash last week on Western Avenue has been identified.
Knoxville Police Department officials say 72 year-old Curtis Lawrence of Knoxville was struck and killed while crossing Western Avenue, near Middlebrook Pike, in the early-morning hours of Monday, November 20.
They say initial investigations determined that a Nissan SUV was driving west on Western Avenue when it hit Lawrence, who was crossing the road. Lawrence was pronounced dead at UT Medical Center.
The driver remained on the scene, and the investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
