Members of the Mental Health Advisory Committee, appointed by Knox County Mayor Glenna Jacobs, on Tuesday will unveil details about the new mental health court, which is designed to help adult defendants with serious and persistent mental illnesses.
The public presentation will take place before the Knox County Commission at noon in the Main Assembly Room of the City/County Building (400 Main Street SW).
“At times, it can be incredibly difficult to navigate the judicial system,” said Criminal Court Clerk Hammond, who is also the chairman of the Mental Health Advisory Committee. “The goal of the mental health court is to figure out the root cause of a person’s arrest—sometimes repeated arrests—and get them the help they need, rather than throwing them in jail and perpetuating the cycle of incarceration.”
Mental Health Courts are specialized court dockets that utilize a problem-solving model as opposed to the traditional criminal court processing. These courts are designed to serve as an alternative to incarceration by addressing the underlying issues that led to an individual’s arrest through judicially supervised treatment plans developed by a team of court staff and mental health professionals.
They also help improve the quality of life for participants; reduce incarceration and recidivism; reduce correction costs; improve public health and safety; and increase treatment accountability and success.
Similar courts were established across the country beginning in the 1990s and there are about 300 of them. The concept, however, is relatively new to Tennessee, which has only seven such mental health courts. Knox County would become the eighth – something Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Hammond began working on roughly a year ago.
Mayor Jacobs first appointed an exploratory committee to address feasibility. The county also applied for and received state funding to cover the costs of the operation.
“The mental health epidemic is impacting Knox County in myriad ways,” said Mayor Jacobs. “Doing the same thing we’ve always done isn’t working; it’s time to innovate – and that’s what we’re doing. I’m excited to see the impact this court has on those who need it.”
During the overview, members of the Mental Health Advisory Committee will discuss the timeline for getting the court up and running and who will be eligible to participate. They also will talk more about how the court will operate and the benefits officials hope it will have on the community.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knoxville Police Department is asking for your help in identifying a suspect who robbed a United States Postal Service mail carrier on June 10.
KPD officials have now released images of the suspect who attempted to take a universal Arrow Key from a USPS employee but made off with a “cluster” entry key instead. The employee was putting mail into apartment boxes in the 5200 block of Rockcrest Road Saturday when the suspect approached the mail carrier brandishing a gun and demanding the key.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165 or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
Hawkins County, TN (WOKI) Two years after her disappearance, a newly released forensic photo is keeping the search for a missing Hawkins County child alive.
Five-year-old Summer Wells was first reported missing from her family’s home in the Beech Creek community on June 15, 2021. Now, with the help of forensic artists at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released an age progression image of what Summer may look like today.
TBI investigators say no new details have come to light in the search for Summer, and her AMBER Alert remains active. Anyone with tips or information is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The Pat Summitt Foundation, a fund of East Tennessee Foundation, was established by Pat Summitt in November 2011 to fund research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, raise awareness, educate the public, and to provide support for both patients and their caregivers. Since it began, the Pat Summitt Foundation has granted over $3,000,000 to organizations across the region who want the same thing Pat Summitt did: a future where no one has to hear that a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
There are several ways outside of attending or sponsoring an event that you can support the Pat Summitt Foundation.
You can make a one-time gift or set up a recurring monthly gift online.
Pledge a larger gift over a period of time
Set up a matching gift with your employer
Plan a gift to happen in the future through your estate
These gifts can be made through cash, appreciated stock, real estate, life insurance, or other type of gift.
To donate by mail at any time, please send a check to: The Pat Summitt Foundation 520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Suite 1101 Knoxville, TN 37902
Tennessee ranks 36th in child well-being, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how children and families are faring. While 36th is a familiar spot for the state, evaluating changes in the individual indicators provide a guide for the state to further invest in our children, youth and families. New data included in the report highlights how our country’s lack of affordable and accessible child care short-changes children and causes parents in Tennessee to frequently miss work or even quit their jobs, while those who can find care are paying dearly for it. These child care challenges cost the American economy billions of dollars a year and stymie women professionally.
The state saw its greatest improvement in the percentage of children living in high-poverty areas, which fell 47% between 2012-16 (15%) and 2017-21 (8%). Tennessee also saw an improvement in the percentage of children living in poverty between 2019 and 2021. The 2021 child poverty rate sits at 18%- the lowest rate the state has seen, bringing it nearly in line with the national average of 17%. The state saw an increase in the child and teen death rate between 2019 and 2021, jumping from 32 per 100,000 to 40 per 100,000 compared to a national rate of 30 per 100,000 Since the pandemic, Tennessee has seen an increase in the number and percentage of young people (16 to 19) who are not connected to school and work (1 in 14 youth are disconnected).
“The data contained in this report is valuable to us and all Tennesseans. It serves as a critical guide to support Tennessee as we look at areas we are doing well and how we can bolster that work and where we can come together as a state to do better by our children, youth and families,” said Richard Kennedy, executive director of Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, Tennessee’s member of the KIDS COUNT network.
The Data Book reports too many parents cannot secure child care that is compatible with work schedules and commutes. The Data Book reports that in 2020—21, 12% of children birth to age 5 in Tennessee lived in families in which someone quit, changed, or refused a job because of problems with child care. The National figure is slightly higher than Tennessee’s, 13%. And women are five to eight times more likely than men to experience negative employment consequences related to caregiving.
Even if parents can find an opening at child care near their home, they often can’t pay for it. Tennessee’s average annual cost of center-based child care for a toddler in was $7,934, 8% of median income for a married couple and 27% of a single mother’s income in the state.
While the cost of care burdens families, child care workers are paid worse than 98% of professions. Median national pay for child care workers was $28,520 per year or $13.71 an hour in 2022, less than the wage for retail ($14.26) and customer service ($18.16) workers.
The failings of the child care market also affect the current and future health of the American economy, costing $122 billion a year in lost earnings, productivity and tax revenue, according to one study. All of these challenges put parents under tremendous stress to meet the dual responsibilities of providing for their families and ensuring their children are safe and nurtured.
Each year, the Data Book presents national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — and ranks the states according to how children are faring overall.
“A good child care system is essential for kids to thrive and our economy to prosper. But our current approach fails kids, parents, and child care workers by every measure,” said Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “Without safe child care they can afford and get to, working parents face impossible choices, affecting not only their families, but their employers as well.”
Transitioning from a faltering child care system to creating a flourishing one will take new thinking and investing at the local, state, and national levels. An executive order issued by President Biden in April is aimed at expanding access, lowering costs, and raising wages. It could prove to be a helpful framework, but more is needed:
Federal, state, and local governments should invest more in child care. State and local governments should maximize remaining pandemic recovery act dollars to fund needed child care services and capacity. Child care is a part of the critical infrastructure needed for an engaged workforce and a prosperous Tennessee. Innovative solutions to address the cost and availability of care are desperately needed.
Public and private leaders should work together to improve the infrastructure for home-based child care, beginning by lowering the barriers to entry for potential providers by increasing access to start-up and expansion capital.
To help young parents, Congress should expand the federal Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, which serves student parents.
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth is an independent state agency created by the Tennessee General Assembly. Its primary mission is to lead systems improvement for all children, youth and families through data-driven advocacy, education and collaboration. Information on the agency is available at https://www.tn.gov/tccy.
Knoxville Police say they’ve been getting calls about multiple bear sightings in West Knoxville .
A bear was spotted by Trader Joe’s yesterday and KPD says they have also received bear sightings calls in the Papermill Drive area near Westlyn Drive.
A bear was also spotted by Downtown West Boulevard near Dental Images.
TWRA says their Knox County wildlife officers have also gotten reports of the bears and say they’ve seen an increase in calls this Spring and early summer as one year old bears are more likely to be out searching for food, water and shelter after leaving their mothers.
A Knoxville man is accused of vandalizing Dutch Valley Baptist Church.
The vandalism reportedly took place early Sunday morning after an employee, who was sleeping at the church heard a noise.
Police identified the suspect as Troy Luttrel who reportedly trying to pry open the church’s front doors and was seen beating on the church’s railing and columns.
Police say they saw damage at the church, including a broken stained glass window and dents on pillars. They estimated the damage at $3,900.
Luttrell is charged with disorderly conduct and vandalism.
Knoxville Police are investigating after a suspect held a United States Postal Service mail carrier at gun-point, demanding he turn over his arrow key in Fountain City.
It happened on Rockcrest Road around Saturday afternoon as the mail carrier was putting packages into lockers at an apartment complex.
The suspect, a male teenager, demanded the carrier’s arrow key while showing him a semi-automatic pistol.
An arrow key allows access to multiple lockers and can make Carriers a target for would-be package thieves.
The suspect was possibly being extorted because the victim told police he said he didn’t have a choice because they have his mom.
The carrier gave the suspect a different key and he fled the scene.
The Tennessee Volunteers are Omaha bound for the second time in three years.
The Big Orange defeating Southern Miss in the winner-take-all game three of the NCAA Hattiesburg Super Regional late last night.
The Vols will take on No. 5 national seed LSU on Saturday night at 7 p.m., that game will be broadcast on ESPN and our sister station WNML.
If you are thinking about a trip to Omaha to watch the Volunteers in the 2023 Men’s College World Series, it’s going to cost you.
A flight on American Airlines will cost you $976 and if you fly United it will cost you $1,031 to purchase your ticket. The average hotel cost is $176 a night and a ticket to the game is $150. (rates obtained 6/13/23)
Gas prices today (6/13) in the U.S. are at $3.59 a gallon according to AAA.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man has been accused of vandalizing Dutch Valley Baptist Church.
Troy Luttrell has been charged with disorderly conduct and vandalism in connection to almost $4,000 worth of damage reportedly inflicted on the church early Sunday morning.
Law enforcement responded to the church on Dutch Valley Drive because an employee, who was sleeping at the church, had reported noise. The employee told police that he had seen Luttrell trying to pry open the church’s front doors and beating on the church’s railing and columns.
Damage confirmed by officials include a broken stained glass window and dents on pillars.
