Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville police arrest a convicted felon in possession of a handgun following a traffic stop.
KPD says officers stopped a car early Sunday morning in the area of East Hill Avenue and Historic Preservation Drive for an equipment violation.
Officers report witnessing the driver attempting to hide something on the passenger side of the vehicle. Further investigation by officers, including a positive K-9 alert to the presence of narcotics, lead to the discovery of a Taurus handgun and a small amount of marijuana.
The driver, a 21-year-old man who was convicted previously of aggravated robbery from an incident in 2023, was taken into custody for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Knoxville police seize handgun and marijuana from convicted felon during a traffic stop. (Courtesy: KPD)
A fixture in many homes for several years delivering the news as presumably the most trusted journalist in Knoxville, WBIR anchor emeritus Bill Williams has died.
He died at his home in Knoxville yesterday (Monday) afternoon at the age of 91. He settled into to his new home here in East Tennessee in 1977. He was the consummate professional, storyteller and a man of great faith. He suffered many personal losses in life, losing two sons and his wife. He battled serious illnesses but he never lost faith in God and was always a faithful Christian.
He used that faith in all aspects of his life including his professional career which spanned decades. He created Monday’s Child* which featured special needs children who needed a forever home. Bill met with each child for 30 years, even after his retirement. During that time, close to 1,500 kids were profiled, with more than a thousand of them finding a family. (*courtesy of WBIR)
While reporting on the poverty in the mountains of Appalachia, he inspired the Mission of Hope.
He loved fishing and the outdoors but most of all he loved his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.
The Principal at Friendsville Elementary School in Blount County has been suspended.
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into Stan Painter on Friday based on allegations regarding claimed actions at the school during the 2023-2024 school year.
Painter was immediately suspended pending further investigation. Jennifer Moore, a longtime educator of more than 30 years, will serve as interim principal at Friendsville Elementary beginning today (Tuesday).
School Officials say the district intends to fully cooperate with BCSO and the Department of Children’s Services as they work to determine the validity of the allegations.
KNOXVILLE, TN ( Story courtesy of WVLT) – Emerald Youth is proposing to buy a piece of Chilhowee Park to build a sports and recreation facility.
It’s a big dollar deal currently being discussed that some in East Knoxville said they had no idea about.
A vote to approve the plan is set to happen Tuesday evening at the Knoxville City Council meeting, but there’s a push to delay this.
Dozens gathered on Monday to voice their concerns and frustrations not with Emerald Youth, but with the City of Knoxville.
The plan is for Emerald Youth to put more than $20 million into the area to help with child youth development.
“People are concerned for the last 50 years that there’s been a fence around this property, and now there’s a potential sale of this property that will continue to exclude people who have lived in this community for their entire lives,” said Evelyn Gill.
Gill organized Monday’s meeting with the biggest concern being transparency from the city.
“Delay this vote so that citizens can make sure that then their voice is heard,” Gill continued. “This park represents a huge section of this community that is vital to growth and development of this community.”
Some people also felt that doing this takes away from what they think would be better ideas for Chilhowee Park. They want to see things like greenspaces, historic signage to honor the park’s legacy and other amenities.
“There’s an outrage for this sale in Chilhowee Park,” Vivian Shipe, a neighbor, said. “Let’s develop the park to bring people into the area so that people can enjoy the park and at the same time it helps to grow East Knoxville.”
WVLT News reached out to the City of Knoxville, and a spokesperson provided the following statement:
This administration, in partnership with Sixth District Representative Gwen McKenzie, has prioritized East Knoxville during our second term. This work has been primarily focused along the Magnolia Avenue Corridor, the Burlington Business District and Chilhowee Park. Mayor Indya Kincannon has said on multiple occasions that it is “East Knoxville’s time.” Just like other areas of your city (South Waterfront, North Central and Cumberland to name a few), our efforts east involve a mix of strategic planning, new public infrastructure, and public-private partnerships.
City of Knoxville spokesperson
It is on Knoxville City Council’s agenda to vote on this today (Tuesday). Many in attendance Monday night said they plan to be at the Knoxville City-County Building for it.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) – Metro Drug Coalition will hold an International Overdose Awareness Day event on August 29, 2025, from 2:00-7:00 p.m. at Marble Hall in Lakeshore Park. The event will include a performance by artist Tess Henry, speakers, Free HIV/Hep C testing, and a scavenger hunt, as well as a resource fair with over seventy-five vendors. The evening will also feature both a butterfly release and a ride-through memorial to remember those lives lost to overdose in our community.
Locally, Knox County lost 334 lives to overdose in 2024, a 36 percent decrease from 2023. Efforts to educate the community about substances, provide harm reduction resources, and help individuals find recovery have been successful in slowing the growth of overdose deaths. Events such as International Overdose Awareness Day provide the community with the critical knowledge and tools to continue the slowing of overdose deaths. So far, there have been over 190 suspected overdose deaths in the county for 2025, indicating that this decrease may continue.
“Overdose awareness is something we need to continue to collaborate on. We need to find ways to support our community in healing, whether they have personally experienced an overdose or not,” said Jessica Stanley, Metro Drug Coalition’s Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist. “Education and awareness are the keys to preventing overdoses.”
International Overdose Awareness Day is globally recognized on August 31st of each year with the goal of ending overdose. Metro Drug Coalition’s International Overdose Awareness Day event will aid in preventing overdoses by providing resources and information, honoring those lost to overdose, and reducing stigma surrounding overdose in our community. For more information about the event, visit https://metrodrug.org/ioad2025.
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 8/18: The body of a boater missing since Sunday afternoon on Douglas Lake has been recovered.
TWRA officials say 44-year-old Yoser G. Rojas Valverde of Sevierville went missing around 4:30 p.m. in the Indian Creek area of the Lake. They say he reportedly fell from an inner tube after jumping onto it from a pontoon boat and struggled to stay above the surface.
TWRA says crews found Valverde‘s body around 11:00 a.m. Monday using a remote operated vehicle, adding that divers recovered his body around 11:30 a.m.
According to TWRA, this marks the 17th boating-related fatality on Tennessee waters in 2025.
An investigation into the incident by TWRA and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office remains ongoing.
ORIGINAL STORY: The search is set to continue Monday for a missing boater on Douglas Lake.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says emergency crews responded to a reported drowning Sunday afternoon.
A TWRA representative says the missing boater reportedly fell from an inner tube after jumping onto it from a pontoon boat.
TWRA says crews suspended search efforts Sunday night but intend to start again Monday morning.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Central High School student is arrested Monday after officers found the individual with a stolen gun.
According to a release from the Knoxville Police Department, “the gun, which was reported stolen out of Knox County, was located following an administrative stop and search of the student. A KPD School Resource Officer and Knox County School Security Officers were involved in the arrest and firearm recovery.”
KPD says Central High School was also put on a medium lockdown; that lockdown has since been lifted.
Central High School was also put on a medium lockdown, police said. That lockdown hassince been lifted. (Courtesy: KPD)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 8/18: Knoxville police have arrested the suspect allegedly involved in a robbery at a grocery store.
KPD says 37-year-old Joseph Eldridge of Rutledge, Tennessee was taken into custody Monday morning in Sevier County and has been charged with aggravated robbery in connection to Friday’s incident at the Kroger on 2117 N. Broadway.
Eldridge reportedly robbed a man at knifepoint in the store’s parking lot Friday afternoon before fleeing the scene in a dark colored Trailblazer.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
ORIGINAL STORY: Knoxville police are searching for a suspect who is allegedly involved in a robbery at a grocery store.
It happened at the Kroger located at 2117 N. Broadway Street on Friday. KPD says the suspect reportedly robbed a man at knifepoint and drove off toward the downtown area in a dark colored Trailblazer.
No injuries were reported. Anyone with information is asked to call the East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
