Group Launches Video Campaign in Knoxville Area, Aimed at Fighting Opioid Crisis in Young People
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Addiction only requires five days and it can kill you. Many are hoping that message will help prevent young people from becoming dependent on opioids. A campaign, called the “Truth About Opioids” launched Monday, following a partnership between the Truth Initiative, the Metro Drug Coalition, All4Knox, and the Knoxville Leadership Foundation. The campaign includes a series of videos, aimed at educating young people about the opioid crisis, removing th
Vaping Deaths Haven't Slowed Sales
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - The number of people who have died of vape-related illness has risen to 14, but it doesn’t appear to have affected sales. At Marley’s Vape Shop in west Nashville, it’s business as usual. “There’s a fear [of] vaping in general,” said sales associate Haithan Hamdan. Hamdan said sales, for the most part, have stayed the same. “The sale for some products, the sales went down, while for other products the sales went up,” said Hamdan. He said they have seen s
Tennessee's Voter Restoration Gauntlet
For the past seven years, Dawn Harrington, 39, has been trying to get her voting rights back. Her ordeal began on a 2008 business trip to New York City. Harrington, a Nashville native, says she was carrying a gun registered in Tennessee. But New York City doesn’t recognize gun permits from other states. Harrington was arrested, convicted of gun possession and sentenced to a year in city jail at Rikers Island. Afterward she returned to Nashville. Unlike New York, Tennessee doe
26 Tennessee Hospitals File Suit Against Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Twenty-six hospitals in Tennessee and seven hospitals in southwest Virginia filed a civil lawsuit in Greene County Circuit Court against the manufacturers, distributors and retailers of opioid-based drugs. The Tennessee and Virginia hospitals said they have received little or no reimbursement for the care and investments they have made as opioid addiction reaches epidemic levels. The complaint alleges defendants engaged in making false assurances about th
East TN Docs to Plead Guilty to Pill Dealing
Two East Tennessee doctors who previously surrendered their state licenses have now agreed to plead guilty to federal drug charges in a crackdown on Appalachian pill mills, authorities said. Dr. Frank McNiel of Knoxville and Dr. Samuel McGaha of Sevierville — both of whom surrendered their licenses permanently after being accused of misprescribing opioid drugs — were among 13 people charged after a “strike force” operation, the U.S. Justice Department announced in a news rele
Two East Tennessee Doctors Plead Guilty to Overprescribing Opioids as Part of Federal Bust
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two East Tennessee doctors have pleaded guilty in a federal probe into the over-prescription of opioid drugs. Dr. Frank McNeil, M.D., 78, of Knoxville and Dr. Samuel McGaha, 69, of Sevierville were each charged with one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. They pleaded guilty this week in federal court. They will be sentenced on March 26, 2020. According to the release, McNeil's charges stemmed from his allegedly prescribing high doses
Two East Tennessee Doctors Charged in Federal Opioid Overprescription Probe
Two doctors in East Tennessee have been charged as part of a U.S. Department of Justice probe into the overprescription of opioids. Dr. Frank McNiel of Knoxville and Dr. Samuel Mcgaha of Sevierville were among 13 individuals, including 11 physicians, to be charged Tuesday following an investigation by the Appalachian Region Prescription Opioid (ARPO) strike force. Both have been charged with one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. According to a release f
Hemp Harvest Begins in Scott County
SCOTT CO., Tenn. The first day of fall means it's time to harvest hemp in Scott County. Harvesting hemp in Scott County (Source: WVLT) "We really wanted to use our farm to help people," said Kelley Krahn, one of the owners of New River Botanicals. "It's been a trial and error. So we're learning, but we're getting there," Krahn laughed. The farm, which also has cows, began growing the hemp in May. "The ground in Tennessee is actually perfect for hemp," explained Krahn. The fam
Man Accepts Plea Agreement in Drug Overdose Death of Spring Hill Teen
FRANKLIN, TN (WSMV) - A man charged with second-degree murder in the death of a Spring Hill teen from a drug overdose has accepted a plea agreement, according to the defendant’s attorney. Attorney William Pomeroy said in a news release that as part of a settlement agreement, Jesse Montes Cruz, now 22, will plead guilty to reckless homicide and faces a sentence of three years and 11 more years for unrelated drug charges. Cruz was charged with the death of Hannah Hicks on Nov.
Man Accepts Plea Agreement in Drug Overdose Death of Spring Hill Teen
FRANKLIN, TN (WSMV) - A man charged with second-degree murder in the death of a Spring Hill teen from a drug overdose has accepted a plea agreement, according to the defendant’s attorney. Attorney William Pomeroy said in a news release that as part of a settlement agreement, Jesse Montes Cruz, now 22, will plead guilty to reckless homicide and faces a sentence of three years and 11 more years for unrelated drug charges. Cruz was charged with the death of Hannah Hicks on Nov.