Popular stories on knoxnews.com in 2011 [The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.]

Former Maryville High School and University of Tennessee football standout Aaron Douglas was found dead Thursday morning in Florida at the age of 21.

According to a report from the Fernandina Beach (Fla.) Police Department, officers responded to a call of a deceased male at 8:13 a.m., a man who was later identified as Douglas. The cause of death is pending examination.

May 19, 2011: Zoo security stops EMS from reaching boy injured by camel in park

KNOXVILLE -- Medical personnel were denied entry to the Knoxville Zoo today because of a "communications issue" after a 5-year-old boy was injured by a camel, according to the zoo director.

May 26, 2011: Romantic rendezvous: Knox tortoises get visit from two Atlanta reptiles

In the world of giant tortoises, Al's a prize catch. So what if he's 130 years old and weighs 550 pounds.

"There's just nothing wrong with him," said Knoxville Zoo Assistant Curator of Herpetology Michael Ogle. "Every zoo person who has ever seen him says, 'Wow, that's the biggest tortoise I've ever seen.' " The Aldabra tortoise has lived at the zoo since 1974. He's spent the past 15 years with its other giant male, 350-pound, 90-year-old Tex. These guys need dates, and Ogle was the matchmaker.

May 31, 2011: Blogger Katie Granju files lawsuit in son's overdose death

KNOXVILLE -- A Knoxville blogger whose son died a year ago as a result of complications from a drug overdose today filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the teenager's death.

JUNE

June 9, 2011: Judge delays new trial ruling for Letalvis Cobbins, who claims jail abuse

KNOXVILLE -- Letalvis Cobbins claimed today that jailers beat him up Sunday. In a surprise move, Cobbins asked to address Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood in Knox County Criminal Court during a hearing on his bid for a new trial in the January 2007 torture slayings of Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23.

June 14, 2011: Police identify man shot in West Knoxville

KNOXVILLE -- Police this morning identified an uncooperative man who was shot after exiting a West Knoxville business. Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk identified the victim as Harold Otis Williams, 31, of Knoxville. DeBusk said Williams also uses the name Harold August Williams.

June 22, 2011: KUB chips away at mass outage; 59,000 still without power

KNOXVILLE -- More than 59,000 Knoxville Utilities Board customers remained without power this afternoon, following a storm that cut electricity to the largest number of KUB customers in the utility's history.

JULY

July 2, 2011: Officials found golfing, reconcile timecards

One top-level Knox County official changed his timecard this week to account for the hours spent playing golf, while another official golfing with him made mistakes on his timecard.

July 7, 2011: Knox deputies raid Bexhill subdivision poker game

KNOXVILLE -- Knox County Sheriff's Office deputies raided yet another allegedly illegal gambling operation Wednesday night. The latest raid targeted a poker game inside a private residence in the Bexhill subdivision in West Knox County, according to a KCSO spokeswoman Ashley Haynes.

July 11, 2011: State Rep. Hurley admits carving initials into House floor desk

KNOXVILLE -- Yes, she carved her initials in her desk on the floor of the state House, state Rep. Julia Hurley, R-Lenoir City, confirmed today.

July 20, 2011: Bear finally gets relief after 3 weeks with head in a jar

A black bear that spent three weeks roaming Cocke County with a large plastic jar stuck over its head has been released in the Cherokee National Forest 85 pounds lighter but otherwise unharmed.

July 25, 2011: Dollywood park worker calls out guest over 'marriage is so gay' T-shirt

A Knoxville same-sex couple are calling on Dollywood Splash Country to come up with more inclusive policies regarding guests after a park gatekeeper made one of them reverse a T-shirt whose message he found objectionable.

On July 9, Olivier Odom and Jennifer Tipton went to the Sevier County water park, which is beside Dollywood, with friends and the friends' 8- and 5-year-old daughters. Odom wore a T-shirt that said "Marriage is so gay" -- intended to be a statement supporting same-sex marriage.

AUGUST

Aug. 4, 2011: Satirical mints poking fun at Obama pulled from UT bookstore

Breath mints are usually refreshing, but a Knoxville legislator believes a University of Tennessee bookstore's selling of novelty candies mocking President Barack Obama stinks. UT officials pulled the mints poking fun at Obama from store shelves after state Rep. Joe Armstrong, a Democrat, visited the bookstore and told the director he found the satirical mints offensive.

Aug. 8, 2011: Knox County rapist admits trying to kill pregnant 10-year-old victim

For months, the 10-year-old girl hid her rape even as proof grew inside her womb, a prosecutor said Monday. Unbeknown to her family, the child was seven-months pregnant with her rapist's child before she finally disclosed what her attacker said he would kill her for revealing -- that a 21-year-old acquaintance had raped her in early 2010 while spending a few days at her family's home, Assistant District Attorney General Charme Knight told Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood.

Aug. 15, 2011: Bruce Pearl putting Gettysvue home up for sale

Former University of Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl is looking to sell his 10,200-square foot home in Gettysvue.

Aug. 23, 2011: Trader Joe's confirms Knoxville rumors

Trader Joe's is coming to Knoxville, the Property Scope blog reports. The California-based grocery retailer announced Tuesday that it has signed a lease for a store at 8025 Kingston Pike, in the Suburban Plaza shopping center. The store is scheduled to open in 2012.

Aug. 29, 2011: Facebook phenom Stephen A. Burroughs announces Swagfest despite threats

Knoxville attorney Stephen A. Burroughs made good on a promise when he announced plans Monday to hold a community party next week in the Sunsphere and adjacent Knoxville Convention Center.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 5, 2011: 2 adults killed, 2 children injured in I-75 crash

LOUDON --Two Lenoir City residents were killed and two children injured Sunday night when their SUV went off Interstate 75 and struck two trees in Loudon County, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Sept. 15, 2011: Homeowner: Shooting was self-defense after finding girlfriend with other man

A West Knox County homeowner told law enforcement officers he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot a man who he discovered in bed with his girlfriend Thursday morning.

Sept. 21, 2011: 3 people interviewed in death of Henry Granju arrested on drug charges

KNOXVILLE -- Three people interviewed in the drug death of a Knoxville teen, including the daughter of a former city councilwoman, have been indicted on charges of selling drugs.

Sept. 27, 2011: Park suicide victim identified

KNOXVILLE -- Authorities have identified the man who killed himself in a West Knox County park Monday. A woman walking found the body of Curtis Wilke, 28, of Knoxville near the Cove at Concord Park around 7:30 a.m., Knox County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Martha Dooley said. He'd been shot in the head.

OCTOBER

Oct. 7, 2011: 14-year-old charged after man shot in West Knoxville

KNOXVILLE -- A 14-year-old male was charged today in connection with the early morning shooting of a 23-year-old man in West Knoxville.

Oct. 13, 2011: Knoxville police: One killed, one injured in Fort Sanders shootings

A former University of Tennessee student is dead and his roommate wounded after a shooting Thursday night in their Fort Sanders apartment near campus, authorities said.

Oct. 20, 2011: Police identify teens killed in I-40 crash

KNOXVILLE -- Two Jefferson County teenagers were killed this morning when their car crossed Interstate 40 during a pouring rain and slammed into an oncoming pickup truck. The 1:01 a.m. crash killed Jean-Luke Lane and Joshua Allen Bullington, both 18 and both of White Pine, according to Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk.

Oct. 28, 2011: Sheriff demotes 5 Knox deputies over traffic stop

Whatever the driver did to avoid a traffic ticket, the cameras didn't capture it. Knox County Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones says it was enough to cost five deputies their badges, guns, cruisers and police powers. The sheriff said he demoted the officers from patrol to corrections after they admitted to "improvising" a creative punishment for a 19-year-old driver stopped on suspicion of speeding Oct. 16.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 2, 2011: Alcoa PD working with high school after teacher-coach's resignation

At the request of school officials, Alcoa police are assisting in an unspecified review after the abrupt resignation of a popular history teacher and softball coach. Alcoa City Schools Director Brian Bell said he recently contacted APD for assistance with "issues pertaining to a teacher." Paul Talley, 40, resigned Thursday.

Nov. 11, 2011: Woman allegedly stabs cousin during fight over 'booty call'

ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. -- A Hawkins County woman allegedly stabbed her first cousin multiple times with a pair of scissors during a fight that occurred Tuesday night after she told him she wanted a relationship with him, and did not want to be "a booty call."

Nov. 16, 2011: Knoxville police identify man killed in Walmart

Zachary Blaine Russell had an overwhelming fear of returning to jail and being away from the toddler daughter he affectionately called "Bug." That fear, said Russell's friends, may be what dictated the actions that got him fatally shot Tuesday night by a police officer in a South Knoxville Walmart office where suspected shoplifters are held.

Nov. 26, 2011: One dead, two critically injured in I-40 crash

One motorist was killed and two others critically injured late this morning after a car veered across a median on Interstate 40 near Asheville Highway and struck another car before a tractor-trailer then hit both vehicles, Rural/Metro said.

DECEMBER

Dec. 1, 2011: Special judge grants new trials for torture-slaying defendants, cites Baumgartner's conduct

KNOXVILLE -- A special judge today granted new trials for four defendants in the 2007 torture-slaying cases, agreeing with lawyers that presiding Judge Richard Baumgartner's conduct led to fundamental structural flaws in the prosecutions.

Dec. 6, 2011: Sevier County officer's gun discharge takes out store's frozen bologna

A Sevier County Sheriff's Department officer was recently suspended after his service weapon discharged inside a convenience store and the round lodged itself into a pack of frozen bologna.

Dec. 14, 2011: Autopsy confirms pregnant woman's suspicious death as homicide

Someone must know something. Family members were certain of at least that much as they made a public plea for help in solving the murder of Brittany Caroline Eldridge, a 25-year-old pregnant woman whose body was discovered inside her Knoxville apartment Tuesday.

Dec. 19, 2011: Authorities identify woman killed in Knox County crash

A spokeswoman this morning identified a 30-year-old Knoxville woman killed Sunday in a single-vehicle crash in Knox County. Jessica Parks died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where she was transported after the 6:30 p.m. crash in North Knox County, according to Knox County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Martha Dooley.

Dec. 29, 2011: Report: Tenn. tourist wanted to check gun at WTC

A tourist from Tennessee reportedly thought she could check her loaded gun at New York City'sSept. 11 memorial. The New York Post says 39-year-old Meredith Graves was visiting the memorial at the World Trade Center site on Dec. 22 and noticed a sign that said "No guns allowed." The Post reports that Graves asked police where she could check her loaded pistol. She was arrested on a gun-possession charge.

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