Hancock escapee moved

to Hamblen Jail

A prisoner charged with escape and Second-Degree Murder of his brother has been transferred to the Hamblen County Jail.

Joshua Wayne Metcalf, 48, of Sneedville, was taken into the new Hamblen County Jail at 12:54 p.m. Thursday, according to information from the Hamblen County Jail. Metcalf is easily the highest-profiled prisoner in the short history of the current Hamblen County lockup.

Metcalf escaped from the Hancock County Jail in Sneedville March 26. Due to his escape, Hancock County Schools were placed on lockdown that day and held remote learning classes last Friday. A state alert was issued that Friday before Metcalf was apprehended at a residence on Roberts Road in Hancock County. According to Hancock County Sheriff Brad Brewer, Metcalf was taken in without resistance.

During the escape, a statewide alert was issued for Metcalf with a reward for up to $2,500 being offered for information on Metcalf’s whereabouts by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. In addition to escape, Metcalf is charged with Second-Degree Murder in the 2024 death of his brother, Jerad Metcalf.

E-bike rider injured after crashing into pedestrian

A man with a Michigan address was flown by medical helicopter after striking a pedestrian will riding his e-bike on the sidewalk Tuesday evening.

According to police reports, Tedzo Baker, of Michigan, was riding the bike along the sidewalk next to 3301 W. Andrew Johnson Highway. Baker struck a lawncare worker who was standing on the sidewalk while weedeating the grass. The collision sent Baker sprawling and knocked him unconscious. He did regain consciousness and was originally taken to Morristown Hamblen Healthcare System but was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville with head injuries.

At last report, his condition was listed as critical.

Southern Oasis Film Festival

returns to Sevierville

The 7th annual Southern Oasis Film Festival will take place at Governor’s Crossing Stadium 14 in Sevierville and bring three fun-filled and movie-packed days to East Tennessee from April 10-12.

“We’re building an event where industry professionals, first-time filmmakers, and movie fans in East Tennessee feel equally at home — a space that celebrates great storytelling while welcoming everyone into the experience,” Jerod Ra’Del Hollyfield, Executive Director of Southern Oasis, said.

In addition to screening over 100 films playing as part of the festival’s competition, the event will dedicate its opening night to movies about Tennessee, including the long-lost 1965 classic, “The Fool Killer,” shot in Knoxville and starring “Psycho’s” Anthony Perkins. Janine Winfree from the Knox County Library’s Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound (TAMIS) will co-host the screening and a preshow featuring sixty-year-old locally shot photos and home videos of the film’s production.