SUMMARY: Governor Bill Lee announced that $100 million in state-funded loans is available for counties affected by Hurricane Helene through the Helene Emergency Assistance Loans (HEAL) program. Eligible counties include Carter, Claiborne, and Greene, among others. Additionally, $35 million will assist with damaged water and wastewater systems. Lee emphasized the urgency of immediate relief, as communities cannot await federal aid due to extensive hurricane damage. Over 4,800 residents have registered for FEMA assistance. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is seeking property owner permissions for repairs on damaged roads. The storm tragically resulted in 17 fatalities.

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SUMMARY: Two detention centers in East Tennessee, the Cocke County Detention Center and the Courthouse Annex, sustained damage from Hurricane Helene, prompting the evacuation of inmates to neighboring Jefferson County. Long-term solutions are being explored, as other facilities face significant challenges, including sewer issues in Unicoi County Jail and water problems in Greene County. With a 6% increase in jail population, Tennessee’s jails are operating at approximately 85% capacity, with overcrowding primarily due to felony pretrial inmates. Rising construction costs hinder building new facilities, while the Department of Corrections struggles with a 27% vacancy rate for correctional officers.

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SUMMARY: In a Fox 13 investigation, Anthony Robertson shares his harrowing experience of being wrongfully jailed for five months due to a mix-up involving a single letter in his last name. Mistaken for another Anthony Roberson, who had a warrant for serious crimes, he was arrested in Ohio and extradited to Shelby County. Despite proving his innocence, he remained in custody until July 3. Now dealing with PTSD and the loss of his job, Robertson’s record is expunged but he seeks legal help to hold accountable those responsible for the error. Fox 13 continues to investigate the case.

A misspelled last name and a typo on a year of birth led to an innocent man’s arrest on charges including aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping. The error forced him to spend five months in a Memphis jail and the correct suspect – he was behind bars the entire time. READ MORE: https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/ohio-man-wrongfully-arrested-jailed-in-memphis-for-5-months/article_20e79d46-8688-11ef-9fdc-33962887a6b6.html

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