Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) A Knoxville man is found guilty Thursday of supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, more commonly known as ISIS.
Federal documents obtained by our news partner WVLT indicate 31 year-old Benjamin Alan Carpenter, also known as Abu Hamza, was arrested in March 2021 and charged after allegedly translating pro-ISIS material into English and then trying to publish it.
Officials say Carpenter was in contact with an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS associate which lead to his arrest.
He was convicted Thursday of one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization. He could face up to 20 years in prison.
The Knox County Parks and Recreation Department and the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies have teamed up to create two local youth basketball leagues – the only programs of their kind in East Tennessee.
“I’m really excited that our young people have this unique opportunity,” Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said. “This partnership illustrates the great work our Parks and Recreation Department does to encourage youth sports and recreation.”
Knox County, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Jr NBA, and Nike have created a local recreational Junior Grizzlies Youth Basketball League, which will run a 10-game season from Dec. 3 through Feb. 10, for male and females ages 6 to 18. Teams will be comprised of athletes ages 6 to 12, middle school age, and high school age.
Registration costs $50 per player and is open now through Nov. 20. Players receive a reversible Nike uniform, an official Grizzlies basketball, and a signed certificate by a player on the Memphis Grizzlies.
“We are proud to be partnering with the Memphis Grizzlies, and we look forward to continuing their mission of creating long-lasting memories for our youth through the game of basketball,” said Knox County Parks and Recreation Senior Director Joe Mack.
Additionally, the county put together a Junior Grizzlies open league for teams that will feature a 10-game season, tournament, three-point shootout, and dunk contest. Team registration is $650, and the season runs from Dec. 3 to Feb. 10. Teams are comprised of 6u, 8u, 10u, 12u, middle school, and high school players. Athletes on the teams will also receive a reversible Nike uniform, an official Grizzlies basketball, and a signed certificate by a player on the Memphis Grizzlies.
For any questions about the Junior Grizzlies League, contact Cain Clifton at [email protected], and keep up to date with everything happening in Knox County Sports on the Knox County Parks and Recreation Facebook page.
The Knox County Sheriff’s office is investigating after an elder abuse call leads to a standoff in West Knoxville.
KCSO says a 92 year old woman was taken to the hospital after suffering a severe medical issue after officers arrived at the apartment off of Cedar Bluff.
When officers tried to speak to the woman’s son, who lives in the home and reportedly had a gun, he refused to cooperate and barricaded himself inside.
The Swat team and negotiation units were called and he later surrendered and was taken in for an evaluation.
Investigators with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office say they’ve identified the people responsible for a string of car break ins.
KCSO says 15 to 20 vehicles have been burglarized in about a month span including a few law enforcement cruisers.
William Brewster and Zachary Jordan are now charged with multiple counts of vehicle burglaries and Sheriff Tom Spangler says both had probation violations tells us why an investigation remains underway to see if the pair is involved in additional break-ins.
Spangler says if you have any information on these burglaries or if your car has been broken into to give them a call.
Update: An Endangered Child Alert issued by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for 5-month-old William Jackson missing out of Marion County has ended, he has been found safe.
Original story: An Endangered Child Alert is issued by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for 5-month-old William Jackson missing out of Marion County.
He has blue eyes, blonde hair and weighs 16 lbs. and could be in a 2012 white Ford F-150, TN tag BBT 9363.
If you have information, please call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is investigating multiple vehicle burglaries in Knox County.
The string of vehicle burglaries occurred in Knox County in the months of September and October, some of the break-ins targeting police cars.
Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler provided an update to media Thursday.
“Fifteen to twenty confirmed vehicle burglaries, three of those were law enforcement vehicles; two stolen vehicles, both have been recovered; seven [stolen] firearms,” listed Spangler in his address to the media.
Sheriff Spangler says two suspects, William Bruster and Zachary Jordan, have also been arrested in connection to the series of burglaries that began near the end of September.
Knox County Vehicle Burglary Suspects Zachary Jordan (left) and William Bruster (right) (Courtesy: KCSO)
According to Spangler, Bruster was charged with three counts of vehicle burglary and one count of violation of probation. Jordan also faces two vehicle burglary charges and a violation of probation charge, along with a charge for vandalism.
Spangler said the investigation is ongoing and “probably will be for some time” as the sheriff’s office is working to get more information from Bruster and Jordan, adding that there may be more people involved with the burglaries.
Spangler and other office representatives are urging the public to “be diligent;” make sure there are no valuables in your car and keep it locked. They also warned that the approaching holidays can mean more car break-ins.
If you have any tips or information, KCSO asks that you call 865-215-2243 or send an email at [email protected]. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The annual “Coats for the Cold” drive to collect thousands of coats for those in our area who otherwise may not have a coat during this winter is underway.
You can donate new and gently-used men’s, women’s and children’s coats at any KARM Store or Prestige Cleaners location until November 11th.
Those in need of a coat are encouraged to contact local service agencies or churches to receive a coat voucher, then shop at any KARM Store between November 13th and December 9th.
A joint investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office into a residential fire in that county has resulted in the arrest of a Decatur woman.
On October 10th, TBI special agent fire investigators were requested to assist the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation of a fire at a residence in the 19-thousand block of North Nopone Valley Road. The investigation revealed that the fire had been intentionally set, and that two people had been inside the home at the time. During the course of the investigation, agents and deputies determined that Laura Huckabey was the individual responsible for setting the fire.
TBI agents obtained arrest warrants for Huckabey (DOB 12/05/1977) for two counts of Aggravated Arson. She was arrested on October 14th by Meigs County deputies and booked into the Meigs County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help to find a man last seen in February.
He wasn’t reported missing until this month. He was last seen in a blue denim jacket with a yellow collar and a flannel shirt. He also does not own a cell phone or car.
Tennessee might expand on its third grade retention law, something that got a lot of pushback from parents and teachers last school year.
This proposal would create a higher bar for the math section of TCAP, and it might get more support from teachers.
“If you can’t read and do math on grade level, how are you going to be successful in this world,” District 64 Rep. Scott Cepicky said.
The bill being drafted would require students in kindergarten through eighth grade to either go to summer school, or get a tutor if they miss the benchmark on the math section of TCAP. They would not be required to repeat a grade, which is different than the third grade retention law.
“So those are two good things that I think teachers would support,” President of Professional Educators of Tennessee, JC Bowman, said.
Bowman said math scores have fallen off since COVID, and haven’t recovered. He believed the bill could be a good thing for students.
“If the availability of a tutor is there in the school, I mean we would want that,” Bowman said. “And if the state’s going to pick up the tab and pay for it, absolutely I think it’s a good deal.”
The third grade retention law got a lot of pushback last school year, since 60% of third-graders in the state did not score high enough on the English section of TCAP, threatening their fourth grade eligibility. By comparison, 66% of all grade levels did not pass the math section.
However, not everyone is on board with the proposal.
“But as far as punishing children for how well they do on a test, I think that’s absolutely absurd,” District 4 Representative of the Knox County Schools Board of Education, Katherine Bike, said.
Bike is also a mom to a KCS elementary school student. She thinks teachers should have more say in passing a child.
“TCAP can be used as a tool to show what interventions need to be put in place for children, and where needs are,” she said.
Bike said the state would be better off addressing the teacher shortage. Knox County Schools is offering $5,000 signing bonuses for math teachers, and $7,000 for special education.
The bill is being drafted, and is expected to be talked about during session, beginning in January. (Story courtesy of WVLT)
