Two separate burglaries of the Sevierville Sprint store, located at 699 Parkway, have been reported this month. According to Sevierville Police Department Detectives Kevin Bush and Dweese Milliron, Sprint managers say that a total of over $50,000 in cell phones and a small amount of cash were taken. The stolen cell phones were mostly iPhones and other smart phones.

     The first burglary allegedly occurred on April 13, 2013 at about 4:15AM; the second was on April 19, 29, 2013 at about 4 AM. In both instances, it appears that the suspect was a white male wearing a mask and gloves, approximately 6’1” tall and weighing 200 pounds. The suspect made entry into the store by forcing open a rear business door on April 13, and by breaking the front store glass on April 29. The attached video was taken from security equipment on April 29, 2013.

     Anyone with information on these incidents is requested to contact Detective Bush or Detective Milliron at 865-453-5507. 

  A rare skunk squirrel has been spotted in Sevier County. The small furry animal resembles a skunk and squirrel hybrid and is sometimes referred to as a piebald. It is extremely rare and this may be the first time the animal was reported in Sevier County.

Rare Squirrel. Ducharmy Nuttavatus Species.

   David Lewis of the Wilderness straps in Sevier County firefighter James De La Cruz who prepares to ascend the ropes.

         Members of the Sevierville Fire Department were on hand with employees of Adventure Forest at the Wilderness Resort to practice rescue techniques from a zip line this week.  Employees certified on the resort’s zip line escorted SFD rescue personnel to dizzying heights of as much as 30 feet to instruct the firefighters how to bring injured individuals down from the zip lines should they become incapacitated.

        The idea for the exercise came about when Billy Warr, general manager at Adventure Forest, proposed the idea to Sevierville Fire Marshall Tommy White.  The plan was to develop a rescue protocol from rope bridges and zip lines which have seen an explosion in popularity among tourists in recent years.

        During the exercise, firefighters found themselves walking precariously along small wooden planks suspended from 30 feet as well as rope loops, and narrow planks. Firefighters took the course over a three day period practicing emergency dissent of climbers on three courses.

    “The goal is to develop emergency take down techniques with the fire department that meshes with the resort” said Ryan Willis, Wilderness spokesman. “This training will help emergency personnel here and at zip lines in the area.”

     In one exercise an employee of the resort helped firefighters rescue an incapacitated climber who is lowered by rope to emergency personnel on the floor who administer first aid.

     More than 100,000 tourists enjoyed zip lines last year in Pigeon Forge. With an increasing number of tourists zipping across area resorts and attractions, the likelihood of such a rescue is increasing. 

 The Lumberjack Feud won the prize for most entertaining float 

     The City’s Department of Tourism has recognized a prestigious group of entries in the 37th annual Gatlinburg Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade as the best of the best in six specific categories.

  More than 100 parade entries including floats, balloons, marching bands, twirling groups, horse clubs, emergency units and rolling vehicles participated in the 37th annual Christmas parade on Friday, Dec. 7 in downtown.

A crowd in excess of 60,000 spectators of all ages gathered for the popular parade, with the results of the judging as follows:

Leconte Award (Best Professional Entry)

First – Santa Claus

Second – Dixie Stampede

Third – Ober Gatlinburg

Mountaineer Award (Best Non-professional Entry)

First – Tennessee Operation Lifesaver

Second – Lumberjack Feud

Third – Appalachian Bear Rescue

Best Marching Band

First – Gadsden City (Alabama) Titan Band

Second – (tie) William Blount (Maryville) Marching Governors and South Iredell (North Carolina) Viking Band

Third – Loretto (Tennessee) High School Band.

Most Entertaining Unit

First – Lumberjack Feud of Pigeon Forge

Second – Santa Claus

Third – Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Theater

Best Use of Lights

First – Sounds Good Electronics

Second – Tennessee Operation Lifesaver

Third – Lumberjack Feud

Spur Award (Best Horse or Animal Group)

First – Smoky Mountain Llama Treks

Second – Titanic Museum of Pigeon Forge

Third – Park Vista Hotel

It is difficult to determine who is real and who is a hologram in the Biblical Times Dinner Show

   The newest and most innovative show in Pigeon Forge is the Biblical Times Christmas Feast. The new show features a talented cast, a hearty feast of Biblical proportions and special effects features featuring holograms that are so lifelike the viewer will be left to wonder whether what they are seeing is real or a hologram? 

  The first half of the show features the talented cast members performing Christmas carols. The second half of the show is the story of the birth of Jesus as told by the prophet Simeon. The prophet is a hologram. But the quality of the effect is such that many audience members leaned forward to get a better look at the old sage in an effort to see if he was real or not. Throughout the show the cast members reenact the journey Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem the night of the birth of Jesus.

  In more than segment of the show the cast members interact with the holograms making it difficult to determine is it real or a hologram. Animals grazing in a barn setting on Christmas night look so life-like, sparing no detai,l that they appear to be real all the way down to their breath that appears as fog in the frigid night air.

  “The holograms are unique to the Smoky Mountains,” said producer Allan Miller. “I had a man tell me he had grew up on a farm and couldn’t tell if the animals were real.”

  Dinner is served on trays that attach to the stadium seats. This patented and innovative seating provides a very comfortable place for the audience to eat. The meal includes chicken, pulled pork,turkey salad, bread, vegetables and cake for dessert.

  The cast includes veteran performers that have performed around the world.

  Ryan Morris was a season seven finalist on American Idol. 

  Paula Michelle performed with Ray Charles on the Diet Pepsi tour. She has performed in local venues as well.       

  Dave Spiecker performed in the Miracle Theater, Jukebox on cruise ships and has traveled the world.

  Michael Frost is a talented song writer who has released a solo CD featuring some of his own songs.

  Jennifer Frost performed at the Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, Pa.

  Donny Richmond written and recorded  and performed 10 #1 Hits in the US Country Gospel genre as well as several #1 hits in more than a dozen other countries. He recorded “Jesus is My Lifeline” with Stonewall Jackson and received CGMA's Legendary Achievement Award at the Grand Ole Opry for his the song. He has earned several Music Association Awards including; Artist of the Decade, Entertainer Of The Decade, and 6 times Entertainer Of The Year

Mark Allen has performed with Tommy James and the Shondells. He has toured with country greats such as Conway Twitty, Jack Green, Moe Bandy and Joe Stamply, Kenny Chesney and John Michael Montgomery.

  Biblical Times is well written and professionally performed and is a must see attraction. The show is inspiring and will amaze and the special effects are not to be missed.  

  For more information call toll Free:  (888)908.3327 or (865)908.3327 or visit the web site info@biblicaltimestheater.com.

The Walters State Community Concert Band presents “A Holiday Concert” on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. in the “Z” Buda Assembly Hall and Gymnasium. Conductors are Tom Shupe and Greg Woodruff. Admission is free.

The band is made up of Walters State students who take the class for credit and many community members who are in the band for the love of music. Many current and retired band directors are among its 80 members.

The concert will open with John Philip Sousa’s arrangement of “Star Spangled Banner.” Soloist Preston Cobb will be featured in Leroy Anderson’s “A Trumpeter’s Lullaby. Following a short intermission, the program turns to holiday favorites, including “Carol of the Bells,” “Sleigh Ride” and a salute to Irving Berlin.

No tickets or reservations are required. For more information, contact Walters State’s Division of Humanities at (423) 585-6922.

The unofficial vote in Pigeon Forge is in and the voters have passed LBTD in Pigeon Forge. It appears that the schools in Pigeon Forge will benefit from tonights vote. More to follow.

  The Smoky Mountain Opry has kicked off the 2012 Christmas season with a fun filled family oriented show

    The Smoky Mountain Opry kicked off the 2012 Christmas season Friday with a wonderful family oriented show featuring great music, choreography, ice skaters, comedy and much more that brings the magic of Christmas to life.  

   The show begins with the comic antics of the Maestro which will tickle the funny bones of even the surliest of Scrooges.  The first half of show features songs from the sounds of the season with all the Christmas favorites and the second half of the show has a country Christmas and ends with the gospel story telling of the birth of Christ.

   The Nativity scene features live camels, sheep, a donkey, flying angels and talented singers performing a moving rendition of “Oh, Holy Night” that brought the audience to its feet with a standing ovation.

  Comedian Slim Chance amused the audience with his juggling and comedy. He later appeared in a segment of “Island of Misfit Toys” as a wayward elf in Santa’s workshop who seeks to make his quota by visiting the fabled island and bringing the toys to good little girls and boys.

    Throughout the show, new and old Christmas music fills the air with rich-and-brassy orchestral music complete with Christmas chimes and hand bells performed by a 12-piece band. The show features a dazzling laser light display that illuminates the theater played to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra as well as a variety of other special effects including black lights and fiber optic lights. Children can have their picture taken with Santa in the lobby of the theater.  A synchronized light show outside the theater adds a holiday sparkle to the area.

   “We want this to be a place where families start traditions and memories, and we hope tourists and locals will continue to return to The Smoky Mountain Opry year after year,” David Fee said.  “This show will absolutely delight the whole family - everyone from the ages of 4 to 104.  It is going to be a popular show and we are already filling up fast.”

  The Christmas show will play until Dec 31 and is a must see attraction suitable for the entire family. For more information call 800-768-1170. The Smoky Mountain Opry is located at 2046 Parkway in Pigeon Forge, TN.

The new Christmas show features great music, comedy and a moving Nativity scene. 

This Red Tail Hawk was spotted this afternoon by a Sevier County News photographer and was captured in fly.

Early this morning. Over looking a fresh plowed field toward LeConte.

                                          David Cushman

                                              Timothy Uner

    Two Sevier County men were arrested after a traffic routine stop in which officers found scheduled narcotics, cash and a gun. Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals states that on Oct 11th at app. 10 am a Sheriff’s Office traffic officer stopped a vehicle on Chapman Hwy. at Shiloh Church Rd. for a seat belt violation. Officers checked the occupants of the vehicle and found that the driver had an active warrant for him for violation of probation in Sevier County. Officers then searched the car and found Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Alprolozam, Xanax, Valium, and Dilaudid along with a .38 pistol, $1546 in cash and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. Officers also found several unfilled prescriptions and appointment cards from several doctors and pain clinics in the region.

     Officers seized the items along with the car and arrested the occupants who were identified as David C. Cushman, 42, of 938 East Parkway St., Gatlinburg, and Timothy S. Uner, 49, of 3440 Huff Lane, Sevierville. Cushman was charged with eight of possession of Schedule II narcotics w/ intent to resale, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

   Uner was charged with 1 count of possession of a Schedule II narcotic w/ intent to resale, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of probation. Both were transported to Sevier County Jail where they were arraigned before a magistrate. Cushman is being held without bond and Uner is free after posting a $3000 bond. The pair will have a hearing in General Sessions Court on Nov. 9. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

The Oak Ridge Boys on the Red Carpet at Dollywood  

   The Oak Ridge Boys were honored Wednesday at Dollywood for their contributions to gospel music. The quartet was presented with the James D. Vaughn Impact Award in ceremony that kicked off the beginning of Dollywood’s National  Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration.

    “We are humbled and we are honored” said Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys. “God has been good to us. We are all singing good and all feeling good”

    The award was named in honor of James D. Vaughn who is credited with starting the gospel music genre in 1910. The Oaks gospel legacy started in World War II when the original Oak Ridge Boys began performing in Knoxville. The current line-up of the band began performing together in 1973. The Current line-up includes Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban. The current incarnation of the group will be celebrating 40 years of performing together in 2013.

   “We are planning a tour to celebrate our 40^th anniversary together,” said Bonsall. “We are currently having a logo designed and making plans to get the tour underway.”

    While the Oaks are known for the multi-platinum hits such as “Elvira” and “Thank God for Kids”, they trace their roots back to gospel music where they got their start. In the early 70s the band scored hits with “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor”,  “King Jesus” and many others.

    The Oaks released their sixth Christmas CD this week entitled “Christmas time is Coming.” Currently the band is on a tour that will take them across North Carolina and Ohio. They will be performing in Greeneville, Tennessee in December.

    The morning started at Dollywood with the band making a brief appearance before a gathering of fans who were informed the Oaks were receiving the award. Later in the afternoon, the Oaks walked with more than 50 gospel recording artists on a red carpet that led to the Celebrity Theater where the Sothern Gospel Music Awards were held. Seven gospel artists were inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame.

     During the awards ceremony, the Oaks were formally presented with their award before an excited capacity crowd.                

    Dolly Parton, a past recipient of the award, was unable to attend the ceremony but made a statement on a video that was played to the audience. Parton apologized to the Oaks for her absence, but said she was proud of them and she loved them.

    “The Oak Ridge Boys are great friends of mine,” Parton said. “They have deep roots in Southern gospel and strong ties to East Tennessee. I am especially honored they will accept the great honor of the James D. Vaughn Award at Dollywood.”

   Following the acceptance of the award, the Oaks performed “Farther Along” before departing for their next concert.  The song is featured in an upcoming documentary about country music star Glen Campbell and his struggle with altzeimer’s    

   “We don’t make a living as gospel singers,” said William Lee Golden. “But, we cut our teeth on gospel music. It is a part of us. We keep it with us. We got together singing gospel music and it was our love of gospel that kept us together. We don’t do it because we have to. We do it because we love it.”

Josh Harris of Sevierville receives his keys for the new Chevy truck he won from Smoky Mountain Celebration. Marvin Maples of Volunteer Chevorlet does the honors.

Marvin Maples of Volunteer Chevorlet of Sevierville was extra happy about Smoky Mountain Celebration as he was a winner of $1,000.00.

Gary Loveday of Sevierville sits atop of his brand new Harley Softail he just won at Smoky Mountain Celebration. Jeff Murrell, President of Sevier County High School Foundation, and Jimbo Conner congratulate Gary.

The First Annual Smoky Mountain Celebration held today at Smokies Stadium was a huge success. The crowd was estimated to be nearly 2,000 people. The event was conducted by the Sevier County High School Foundation and volunteers for the benefit of the minor sports programs at SCHS. At the end of the event there were 35 happy people who won one the 35 prizes valued at over $150,000.00. At the end of the day Foundation staff and volunteers were already planning how to make the event bigger and better next year. This was a great community event and very exciting.

Parking was at a premium during Smoky Mountain Celebration.

Vadene Sisk and her son Austin an ex Smoky Bear Baseballer celebrate Vadene winning of a $1,000.00 during Smoky Mountain Celebration.

More photos after the break:

 President Garfield is Shot. His death was a result of medical bungling.

  When the 20^th President of the United States James Garfield was cut down by an assassin’s bullet in 1881, doctors immediately began treating the president. Little did they realize their antiquated medical practices would result in an agonizing premature death for the president as well as an unusual defense for his assailant. In fact, some historians contend that Garfield might have survived had the doctors simply left him alone and not treated him. It was their ignorance of antiseptics that ultimately resulted in the President’s death. As an unusual side note, Garfield’s condition in his final days resulted in an invention that is now enjoyed in homes around the world.

    On the morning of July 2, 1881, Garfield was on his way to his alma mater, Williams College, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech. Garfield was accompanied by James G. Blaine and Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln. As Garfield was walking through the Sixth Street Station of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad in Washington at 9:30 am, he was shot twice from behind, one bullet grazed his arm and the other lodged in his back. The assassin was Charles J. Guiteau, an apparently delusional Federal office-seeker who had believed himself to be on close terms with Garfield even though he and Garfield had never spoken to each other. Guiteau  wanted to be appointed ambassador and when the appointment did not materialize, Guiteau believed he, the Republican Party, and the country had been betrayed and he began stalking Garfield.

    Guiteau was immediately pounced on by police and bystanders and subsequently arrested. Garfield lay on the floor in agonizing pain unaware of how serious his wounds were.  The first doctor on the scene was Dr. Smith Townsend. The well-intentioned doctor inserted an unwashed and unsterilized finger into the wound in search of the bullet. He unwittingly introduced an infection that was more lethal than Guiteau's bullet.

   Lincoln, Garfield's secretary of war, suggested that Dr. D. Willard Bliss, who had attended his father, be brought into the case.  Lincoln, in addition to being present when his father died, was in the station that morning with Garfield and was also with President William McKinley when he was assassinated in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1901.

   In the years following the Civil War, there was a theory in the medical community that germs could be spread by introducing unwashed hands to an open wound. It was common practice at the time for surgeons to use unsterilized instruments in multiple surgeries while wearing a bloody gown. One man who worked tirelessly to promote the theory of antiseptic surgery was Dr. Joseph Lister for whom Listerine was named. Lister taught that infection could be minimized by sterile instruments and washed hands.  Bliss, who was considered something of a quack, had little regard for the theories of Dr. Lister.

   Garfield was transported to the White House from the station. There for the next 80 days, Bliss and nine other doctors probed Garfield’s wound with dirty unsanitized hands and all were unsuccessful at locating the bullet.

  In a desperate measure to find the elusive bullet, doctors brought in Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone who attempted to locate the bullet with an electrical device he called the Induction Balance, a metal detector. Bell discovered what he thought was the bullet and had the doctors cut into the president to remove it. But, Bell was wrong. His metal detector had found a metal spring in the mattress under the president.

    Infection soon spread throughout Garfield’s body. The wound, which started as a small hole the size of a nickel, eventually became a massive canal that was red and inflamed and oozed pus constantly.              

    The infection caused Garfield’s heart to weaken. He remained bedridden in the White House with fever and extreme pain. As the heat of summer became more oppressive for the stricken President, a Navy engineer, with the help of Simon Newcomb, installed in Garfield's room an air blower over a chest containing 6 tons of ice, with the air then dried by conduction through a long iron box filled with cotton screens, and connected to the room's heat vent. This device was capable of reducing the air temperature to 20°F below the outside temperature. This crude device was the first air conditioner.

   Despite the best efforts to make the president comfortable, Garfield died on Sept. 19, 1881.He was 50 and had served a little over five months.

   At his trial, the wily Guiteau argued he did not kill the president. He only wounded him. The doctors actually killed Garfield. It was a defense that would have worked in modern times but not in 1881. He was hanged June 30, 1882, in the yard of the District Jail.

 Some historians agree that Garfield would have had a better chance of survival had the doctors simply left the bullet in his back. The ignorance of antiseptics on the part of Dr. Bliss, which resulted in the death of Garfield, led to a new phrase in the English language. Now you know the man who inspired the expression “Ignorance is Bliss.”

    Michael Williams has written a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

    Williams has written for more than 30 newspapers and magazines including the Civil War Times Illustrated, The Civil War Courier, the Associated Press and the Knoxville Journal.

     The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

We should see a good day weather wise.

The Sevierville Police Department is investigating the burglary of a business located inside the Flea Traders Paradise, located at 1939 Winfield Dunn parkway (highway 66). The burglary was reported on July 21.

 According to SPD Detective Ray Brown, a suspect apparently made entry into the building through the sheet metal exterior before taking items from the Coin Shop reportedly valued at over $150,000.

 The Coin Shop is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect. Surveillance video shows a white male suspect carrying a backpack, wearing a white toboggan hat, a mask resembling a clown face, a black short sleeve t-shirt and gloves.  

Anyone with information regarding this incident is requested to contact SPD Detective Ray Brown at 865-453-5506.

Award winning country and gospel artist T. Graham Brown was one of 50 performers to take the stage at God's Country.    

    Christians from around the world converged on the Grand Resort in Pigeon Forge last week for “God’s Country,” an annual six-day festival intended to bring Christians together for fellowship and a chance for others to rededicate their lives to their Christian beliefs. The event provided ministers and missionaries an opportunity to network.

   The event was filled with wonderful music, fellowship and a few surprises. The first of several surprises was presented to God’s Country founder and organizer, Gwen Ford, who was presented with an honorary Doctorate from the Emmanuel Baptist University in North Carolina. The award was presented by Ken Seaton, Sr. who sits on the board of the college.

   “I was completely surprised,” said Ford. “I can now legally refer to myself as a doctor.”

    The award was presented to Ford for her tireless efforts in organizing the annual event.

   This was just the first of several surprises that had attendees rejoicing and celebrating. During the festival more than 50 gospel acts performed and more than 40 ministers delivered sermons. The convention center was the epicenter of activity in which authors, singers and ministers sold books, CDs and other Christian themed works to eager attendees. A play entitled “Heaven’s Gate, Hell’s Flaws” was presented on the Main Stage followed by a performance by country music and gospel artist T. Graham Brown.

  Numerous missionaries gave testimonials of the lives they have touched through their humanitarian efforts in foreign lands. Ministers from as far away as South Africa discussed the challenges faced in nations where Christians face persecution.

  To handle the plethora of performers that volunteered to perform, a separate stage was erected outside underneath a tent where some of the artists performed.

  Among the many artists to perform was LeElyn Linx, a former Broadway performer who appeared with Bette Midler in the movie "Gypsy."

    Organizers gave a way seven free weddings to brides and grooms who were unable to afford such ceremonies. The free weddings gave the couple an opportunity to have their wedding in a much more memorable setting as opposed to going to the county courthouse. The ceremonies were all held throughout the day on Sunday. The weddings included the ceremony, a wedding dress, tuxedos, photo sessions, wedding cakes and carriage rides. In addition the brides were provided with make-up, hair styling and the couple were given a reception.   

  According to Ford, the event, now in its fourth year, has grown tremendously from its humble beginnings on a farm in Jefferson County.

  “We had more than 1,000 people attend this year,” Ford said. “We had seven weddings, two healed and 35 saved. We also had two agree to get rehab. We also had a young girl, who is pregnant, who agreed to attend abortion counseling rather than seek an abortion. We have had ministers networking to build churches in Africa and much more. It has truly been successful.”

  The free event was funded through donations. All performers, including Brown,  performed for a love offering. 

LeElyn Linx of Dandridge performed Friday and Saturday at the six day festival.

                              Lowe                            Smith

    A Sevier County couple has been arrested in connection with the thefts of copper tubing and air conditioning parts. Sevier Co  unty Sheriff Ron Seals stated that after a rash of thefts of copper tubing from propane tanks and air conditioning coils on Wednesday in the Ski Mountain area, a joint investigation was initiated by the Sheriff’s Office and Gatlinburg Police Department.

     The subjects and a vehicle were caught on a least one video surveillance camera and an attempt to locate them was put out to all Sevier County law enforcement units. Later in the evening on Wednesday, Gatlinburg Police Dept. officers spotted the vehicle and the pair was taken into custody for investigation. The Sheriff’s Office issued warrants for 9 counts of vandalism and theft. The investigation also revealed that the pair has stolen the A/C condenser from New Era Baptist Church, which was reported to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office on August 21st.

    Arrested was James C. Lowe, age 25 of 2932 Six Point Way Sevierville and Kristy A. Smith, age 34, of 1413 Zurich Rd. Gatlinburg. The pair also was charged by Gatlinburg PD with additional counts of theft and vandalism for a total of 13 counts. The pair was booked into Sevier County Jail where they were arraigned by a magistrate. The investigation in continuing and more charges may be placed. Anyone with information on the pair is asked to contact the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at 865-428-1899 or the Gatlinburg Police Dept. at 865-436-5181.

                                                                  Payne

The man suspected of robbing the Kroger Pharmacy on Highway 66 in Sevierville on Sunday, August 19,  was apprehended by police in Bristol, Virginia Tuesday, August 22.

 According to Sevierville Police Department  Detective Sergeant Doug Shanks, a man identified as 38-year old Robert A. Payne allegedly walked into the Kroger store at about 6:40PM on August 19 and handed a pharmacy technician a note demanding prescription pain medication. Payne was reportedly holding a box cutter in his hand at the time.

 The suspect was given an undisclosed amount of prescription pain pills and left the store on foot. No injuries were reported.

  Police were able to identify Mr. Payne as the suspect through store security video and other evidence left at the scene. Detective Shanks subsequently charged Payne with aggravated robbery and contacted the Bristol Police Department, who also reportedly had at least one outstanding warrant for Payne. SPD has requested extradition of Payne to Sevierville. The investigation is ongoing.