Latest news with #UniversityofTennesseeMedicalCenter
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ten years ago, we set out to build future TN workforce. It's been a big success.
In 2014, Tennessee became the first state in the nation to offer free community and technical college to its graduating high school seniors through the TN Promise program. After 10 years, we are celebrating a milestone of 53,000 college graduates! In partnership with the nonprofit, tnAchieves, Tennessee students are now more skilled and prepared than ever before. Not only that, but 85% of tnAchieves graduates remain in Tennessee to live, work and raise their families. Through TN Promise, Tennessee is investing in students who, in return, are investing back into the state. When we launched as a local effort in Knox County in 2008, our goal was to create a path to a high-quality credential after high school with a focus on technical and community college graduates. We also hoped to construct a more seamless springboard to four-year colleges and universities – all in the name of workforce development. It worked so well that we were able to expand and scale statewide. tnAchieves believes in a big tent around the word college (community college, public and private four-year universities and technical colleges) which allows students to explore post-secondary options that will increase their lifelong earning potential. 89 percent of tnAchieves students represent a vulnerable student population. The objective is to reach those who previously did not believe post-secondary education was an attainable goal. This often means we are working to not only bring a new student into the college pipeline but are also tasked with building programs to ensure they earn a credential and find meaningful employment on the other side of their college experience. It's working – at scale. tnAchieves college completion numbers are at an all-time high thanks to intentional efforts like volunteer mentors, college coaching and emergency aid grants to help students beyond college tuition costs covered by TN Promise. tnAchieves provides wraparound supports so that students who go to college also remain in college and graduate. In fact, tnAchieves students are nearly four times more likely to graduate college than their peers, meaning our investment in students and their futures is creating a thriving Tennessee economy for today and into the future. Business and industry leaders across our state are opening doors for students to access job shadowing. Understanding that exposure to possible career opportunities increases a student's interest and likelihood of success, tnAchieves students are learning about medical fields at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and Maury Regional Health, hearing about career options at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Hilton Hotels and Resorts and gaining real insight at Toyota and Nissan about jobs of the future. These household name brands are partnering hand in hand with tnAchieves to make sure they have a prepared workforce. When we and our partners move, the state moves, and Tennessee's economy thrives. When we began as knoxAchieves in 2008, we hoped that one day we might send 10,000 students to college. We never dreamed that we would send more than 15,000 students annually and have more than 53,000 graduates. TN Promise was a first-of-its-kind program and now serves as a national model. tnAchieves is currently the largest and most successful college access and success program in the country. At just $83 per student, tnAchieves is the best return on investment our state has made. And we're not done! tnAchieves is already building towards the next 50,000 graduates. The impact of these programs will change the trajectory of the lives of countless Tennesseans and provide our state with a qualified workforce for generations to come. Bill Haslam served as the 49th Governor of Tennessee and is a founding board member of tnAchieves Randy Boyd serves as the president of the University of Tennessee and is the founding and current chairman of the board for tnAchieves tnAchieves is highlighting 10 years of TN Promise in this and future guest opinion column submissions. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN Promise has prepared tens of thousands of college grads | Opinion
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Tow truck driver hit by car while loading vehicle in Friendsville
FRIENDSVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A tow truck driver was taken a hospital with serious injuries on Monday after he was struck by another vehicle in Blount County. Sheriff's deputies responded to the Big Springs Road near Nola Lane at 10:30 a.m. According to a crash report, the tow truck driver was working to secure a car to the rollback bed when he was struck by white Mercedes-Benz CLE. He was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with suspected serious injuries. The driver, 81, told deputies she attempted to pass the vehicle but struck the pedestrian in the process. The reports states that the tow truck was partially parked in the roadway at the time. The truck's flashing lights were on and the driver was not wearing a safety vest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Civil rights attorney to sue Knox County sheriff, UT Medical over deaths of Black men
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, with fist raised, stands with co-counsel Troy Jones, far right, and family members of David Batts and Daevon Saint-Germain, both of whom died after altercations with Knox County law enforcement. (Photo: Angela Dennis) Civil rights attorney Ben Crump visited Knoxville on Wednesday to discuss lawsuits against Knox County and the University of Tennessee Medical Center over the deaths of two Black men following encounters with county law enforcement officers. Crump, who is representing the families of Daevon Saint-Germain and David Batts, compared the death of Saint-Germain to that of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a police raid in Louisville, Ky, in March 2020. 'This is Knoxville's Breonna Taylor,' Crump said. 'The killing of an 18-year-old high school senior. There are so many unanswered questions as to why he was shot nine times, and no video footage exists to explain why this young man was killed that morning.' Saint-Germain was shot and killed on Jan. 3 by Knox County Sheriff SWAT deputies during an early morning raid at his family's south Knoxville home. The Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) says deputies were carrying out a search warrant when Saint-Germain allegedly showed a firearm, prompting officers to open fire. The warrant was reportedly issued based on social media activity that investigators claimed linked Saint-Germain to drug sales, including marijuana and THC products. But the details of what happened during the raid remain murky. SWAT officers involved were not wearing body cameras, a fact that has fueled growing concerns over transparency and accountability of the KCSO. Saint-Germain's family, who were inside the home at the time, deny the allegations about him. Despite the absence of body camera footage, Crump expressed confidence in his legal team's path forward. 'With eyewitness accounts, physical evidence, and strong expert testimony, we believe we can bring a successful 1983 civil rights wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Daevon's family,' he said. In March after a petition circulated calling for answers and police reform, Sheriff Tom Spangler expressed regret at the lack of body cameras but defended the actions of deputies. Spangler announced at a community meeting that he directed his SWAT team members to begin using body cameras after discovering they were not equipped with them during the raid. 'They did not have cameras. I wish they had, but they didn't and that's it. But, with that said, they are already in place now,' he said. Crump also attributed the circumstances surrounding delivery of the warrant to racial bias. 'This was a kid with no criminal history,' said Crump. 'And we are talking about an alleged social media post about marijuana. Can you imagine if they started kicking in everyone's door in violation of the fourth amendment because of marijuana? 'Sadly this only seems to happen to Black people in this country,' he said. David Batts needed help. It's troubling so many times when a Black person in America is having a medical crisis or mental health crisis, it is not treated as a medical issue. – Ben Crump Five days after Saint-Germain's death, 46-year-old David Batts died on Jan. 8 following a violent encounter with law enforcement at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility. Batts was arrested the day before after causing an alleged disturbance at the Knoxville Area Transit center and was initially taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. There, he was accused of assaulting two nurses, which led to his transfer to the county jail. Within minutes of his arrival at the facility, deputies attempted to force Batts to change into a jail uniform. When he did not comply, officers pepper-sprayed him, used a Taser on him four times, and struck him repeatedly. The blows to his face were so severe that family members later said he was nearly unrecognizable. Batts was found unresponsive the next day and later pronounced dead at the hospital. Crump said that Batts was in need of care, not violence. 'David Batts needed help. It's troubling so many times when a Black person in America is having a medical crisis or mental health crisis, it is not treated as a medical issue,' he said. 'It is treated as a criminal issue, and it is met with excessive force and brutality.' According to the KCSO, Batts was non compliant, which prompted officers to use force. Body camera footage released by the sheriff's office shows Batts struggling to follow commands during attempts to check his vital signs. Batts was taken back to UTMC where he died in the hospital. The Knox County District Attorney's Office reviewed the incident and concluded that Batts' death was caused by meningitis, not by the actions of law enforcement officers. 'Based on my review of the body camera footage and the Medical Examiner's preliminary findings, I have concluded that the officers involved responded to Mr. Batts' assaultive and resistive behavior with appropriate force under the circumstances,' District Attorney Charme Allen wrote in a statement. Crump, along with co-counsel Troy Jones, a Knoxville lawyer, said the legal team will file dual suits — one for medical malpractice against the University of Tennessee Medical Center and a federal civil rights wrongful death suit against the Knox County Sheriff's Department. Crump also urged Knoxville community members to stay vigilant and continue raising awareness about the deaths of Batts and Saint-Germain. He acknowledged the challenge of mobilizing in a city where only 17 percent of the population is African American, but emphasized that justice requires persistence even without overwhelming numbers. 'I believe when you have truth on your side, you have a moral majority,' he said. 'And so I want the community to remain engaged and have the same convictions they have with all these other cases across the country.' Crump has represented families of other men and women who died following altercations with law enforcement, including Taylor, Tyre Nichols of Memphis and George Floyd, the Minnesota man whose killing launched nationwide protests in 2020. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Family of man who died in Knox County custody to announce legal action
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The family of David Batts, Sr. who died after being in the custody of the Knox County Sheriff's Office, plans to announce the filing of a notice of claim against the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Attorney Ben Crump represents Batts' family. In a press release, Crump's firm wrote, that Batts, 46, was 'brutally beaten and Tased by officers.' The press release also said that his meningitis should have been treated immediately and that he should never have been taken from the hospital. Maryville pastor found safe after gunpoint abduction in South Africa, police say Batts, 46, died on January 8. He was arrested at the University of Tennessee Medical Center the day before on charges of sexual battery. Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler said that Batts didn't comply with a clothing search or pat down. Because of this, they placed him in an isolation room for more than eight hours. Spangler said an officer, nurse or supervisor checked him multiple times during those hours. Around 11 p.m., Batts refused commands and officers had to gain control of him before a nurse could check his vital signs, Spangler said. A nurse said that Batts should be taken back to UT Medical Center. Batts tried to grab and bite staff as they dressed him in an inmate uniform, according to Spangler. Batts was taken back to the hospital around 11:34 p.m. A judge granted him a release from custody on January 8. Officers at the hospital were relieved of duties. Batts died around 11:25 p.m. on January 8. The bodycam footage has been released. According to an autopsy, the cause of death was acute meningitis and sepsis. Alcoa senior finds support in sports community amid battle with Juvenile ALS Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen said that, while Batts was injured in KCSO custody, these injuries were not the cause of his death, nor did they contribute to it, citing the medical examiner. She said that the officers responded with appropriate force. In January, she announced that no charges would be filed. A urine analysis showed that Batts had fentanyl in his system, according to Spangler. Batts' family and their attorneys plan to hold a press conference at noon on Wednesday. Crump also represented the families of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
Knoxville man facing attempted first-degree murder charge after woman shot
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Knoxville man was charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly shooting a woman in a domestic incident Monday, court records say. Dustin Finchum was attempted first-degree murder and taken into custody, according to court records. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning. 'Today is a good day;' THP Trooper injured in 2024 crash while responding to tornado damage returns to duty Law enforcement officers were sent to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in response to a victim with a gunshot wound to the lower part of her neck, the document says. The victim told officers that she lived in a camper with Finchum and she and Finchum argued about her phone. 'It was verbal, then it got physical,' the general sessions narrative quoted her as saying. She told law enforcement that Finchum had hit her in the face. The victim did not want him to see her phone, so she attempted to break it, she said. At that moment, Finchum shot her, the victim reported. Believing she was going to die, she went to the main residence at the property where she told Finchum's mother that she wanted to go to the hospital, court records explain. One year since Missing Middle passed: Where does Knoxville's housing shortage stand? Finchum's mother told law enforcement that the victim had come to her door, her shirt covered in blood, according to court records. She then took the victim to the hospital, she said. The victim's mother also showed law enforcement texts from the victim from the prior two weeks saying, 'Dustin's pulling guns on me.' Officers found Finchum near his residence and detained him. They also found a handgun on his person. He was taken into custody without incident, invoking his Miranda Rights. Loudon County Sheriff's Office seeks help identifying suspects in $40,000 credit card fraud If you or someone you know is involved in a domestic violence situation, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit their website at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
