Cocke County fish kill under investigation

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation are jointly investigating a fish kill on the Pigeon River above Newport.

On Friday, TWRA wildlife officers reported dead fish on the Pigeon River from Edwina Bridge down to the Newport police station.

TWRA fisheries biologists responded to the area documenting multiple species of dead fish at several locations. Based on the dispersal of the fish, recent water generation from the dam likely pushed them further downstream while leaving higher numbers of dead fish at the top of the kill zone.

To determine potential contributing factors, biologists investigated the surrounding area and documented muddy runoff from agriculture fields likely caused by heavy rains in the area.

TWRA biologists contacted the TDEC field office in Knoxville to assist with the incident and notified the Tennessee Department of Agriculture of the investigation.

State gas prices fall

Average gasoline prices in Tennessee have fallen 4.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.40/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 3,821 stations in Tennessee.

Prices in Tennessee are 32.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 7.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has risen 12.3 cents in the last week and stands at $4.270 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Tennessee was priced at $2.83/g yesterday while the most expensive was $4.11/g, a difference of $1.28/g.

The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.82/g today. The national average is up 29.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 9.6 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

“The national average price of gasoline continues to hold near the highest level we’ve seen since last October, touching $3.84 per gallon.

“It could climb slightly higher as we get closer to Labor Day, as oil prices remain under pressure from recent OPEC+ production cuts,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While July CPI data looked pretty good with energy prices well below their year-ago level, August data isn’t going to look nearly as friendly. Gasoline prices stand just over a dime away from rising back above their year ago level – something that is definitely possible by the closing summer holiday. In addition, the largest refinery in the Midwest moved up its seasonal maintenance to several weeks earlier than expected, causing a somewhat unexpected jump at the pump in the Great Lakes. Motorists will likely see a mixed bag at the pump this week, with a few states seeing prices fall slightly, while others will see the opposite.”

An officer was wounded and a suspect killed in gunfire in Tennessee city, police say

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — An exchange of gunfire near a gas station in a southeastern Tennessee city ended with a suspect shot and killed, and a police officer being wounded, authorities said on Saturday.

Chattanooga Police Department officers were conducting a street crime-related detail Friday evening before 10 p.m. when they encountered a suspect, news outlets reported. During the stop, there was an exchange of gunfire.

The 34-year-old suspect died, Chattanooga police said, while the officer was treated at a hospital and later released. Their names weren’t immediately provided by police on Saturday.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now overseeing the probe into what happened, which is standard protocol for a fatal shooting involving an officer.

Peyton Manning adds a new title – professor at his alma mater

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Peyton Manning, the five-time NFL MVP and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has a new title.

Just call him Professor Manning.

The University of Tennessee announced Monday that Manning has been appointed a professor of practice at the College of Communication and Information starting this fall. Manning graduated from Tennessee in 1997 with a degree in speech communication.

He said in a statement his time as a student there was a foundation for teaching him critical skills and techniques he still uses almost daily.

“I look forward to working with the college’s talented faculty, and directly with students in an effort to ensure they are well prepared for their future careers,” Manning said.

Manning, who earlier launched the Omaha Productions entertainment company, will join classes during the year as a featured expert.

Security guard found not guilty in on-duty fatal shot reacting to gun fight by Nashville restaurant

NASHVILLE (AP) — A jury on Friday found a security guard not guilty of murder and other charges in a fatal shooting outside the Nashville restaurant where he was working, closing a case that hinged on whether he was justified in firing at a man involved in a shootout outside the business.

Nathan Glass, 29, was facing an indictment for second-degree murder in the October 2018 death of 25-year-old Deangelo Knox, who was engaged in a shootout with people in a car outside The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden, where patrons were dining.

At the state court trial that began Monday in Nashville, prosecutors contended that Knox was on foot out of his vehicle, fleeing the assailants in another car and fighting for his life when Glass inched the restaurant’s door open and shot him.

But Glass’ attorneys said he was following through on his duty as a security guard to protect himself and others. They argued that Knox had begun turning toward the restaurant while holding a gun after he had been wildly shooting. They said the surveillance video picture was blurry at times, didn’t cover every angle of the encounter, and didn’t show Glass’ perspective from inside the restaurant.

Glass’ defense team also cast doubt on prosecutors’ portrayal of Knox as a victim in the shootout with the other assailants, noting that a man later convicted of the August 2018 killing of Knox’s friend was in the other car.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, were unsuccessful in their argument that Glass was a murderer, not a hero. Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter called Glass’ shot a “sucker punch, except it was with a bullet, and it ended his life.”

The jury deliberated for several hours Friday before acquitting Glass of the second-degree murder charge and of all lesser charges.