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‘A win for everybody’ | TBI making improvements on sexual assault testing kit backlog

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‘A win for everybody’ | TBI making improvements on sexual assault testing kit backlog


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials announced the wait time for DNA results on sexual assault kits is now just below six months. This is a dramatic decrease from the near-long wait last year.

In August 2022, the average wait time for DNA results was 45.4 weeks, just over 11 months. The Tennessee crime lab is now returning results to local law enforcement in 22.7 weeks on average, just under six months.

Previous Coverage: TBI rape kit processing time down by 38.6% since 2022, senator says

This improvement comes after significant pressure from Tennessee lawmakers. The general assembly approved adding more forensic lab positions to help expedite the backup.

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Since then, the lab has hired 50 new crime lab scientists across its three Tennessee locations. Senator Brent Taylor said they had to offer competitive salaries to retain workers.

“We would get them trained and by the time we get them trained and online, they would leave for another state,” he said.

Previous Coverage: Why rape kits can take months to process in Tennessee

Catherine Oaks, Director of Victim Services at McNabb Center, said that DNA test delays result in an even slower judicial process.

“You know, that’s a key piece of evidence, waiting on DNA kits results,” she said. “Anytime that it can be accomplished quicker, I think it is going to be a win for everybody.”

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Oaks says that faster return times can help survivors in recovering.

“Having this information come back is something that, you know, our therapists can work with and our advocates can work with our clients through that healing process. Because it does bring a peace of mind knowing if evidence was found, or if it wasn’t found,” Oaks said.

Taylor said that he thinks the testing is taking too long, but he is hopeful that as others get hired, the times will continue to improve.

If you or someone you know is struggling, The Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee (SACET) is a resource for victims of a recent sexual assault and victims of an assault or sexual abuse that happened months or years ago. The Center’s crisis hotline is answered 24 hours a day: (865) 522-7273.

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Tennessee

Tennessee Lands Two Players in MLB Mock Drat

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Tennessee Lands Two Players in MLB Mock Drat


The Tennessee Volunteers’ baseball program has landed two players in the latest 2024 MLB mock draft.

The Tennessee Volunteers took home the 2024 national championship after a historic season and the celebrations don’t look like they will be slowing down any time soon. The 2024 MLB draft is just a little over two weeks out from kicking off and the Volunteers have a couple of candidates that could go in the first round.

MLB.com released their latest version of a first-round 2024 MLB mock draft and two Volunteers were included on the list. Christian Moore was pinned as the 12th overall selection to the Boston Red Sox and Billy Amick 33rd overall to the Minnesota Twins in the supplemental first-round selections. Here is what the outlet wrote about Moore:

“Barring a surprise fall — perhaps Griffin or Rainer? — the Red Sox figure to dip into the second tier of college bats that begins with Tibbs and Moore, though Yesavage is also enticing. This is the ceiling for other members of that group, including Florida State third baseman Cam Smith, Wake Forest third baseman/outfielder Seaver King, Oklahoma State outfielder Carson Benge, Louisiana State third baseman Tommy White, North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt and Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt.”

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Moore was one of the best players in Omaha this year. In the first game against Florida State, he became just the second player in college World Series history to hit for the cycle. He was a crucial piece to Tennessee’s national championship-winning team. Over his three years at Tennessee, Moore finished with a .338 batting average, 61 home runs, 160 RBI and 162 starts, which is ironically the same number of games in a full MLB regular season.

Since the college football season came to an end, it has been an eventful offseason for Tennessee athletics. The men’s basketball team made a deep run in the March Madness tournament, the baseball program won its first-ever national title, Dalton Knecht was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA draft and now it looks like the Volunteers will add to that list when the MLB draft rolls around.

The MLB draft will start on July 14th and will run until July 16th. The draft will last 20 total rounds which will allow plenty of other opportunities for more Volunteers to be selected into the major league. The Volunteers have a history of success when it comes to the professional baseball league and it doesn’t look like the 2024 MLB draft will be any different than the previous years.

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8 of the Best Places to Retire in Tennessee

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8 of the Best Places to Retire in Tennessee


Discover retirement destinations across Tennessee, from eastern cities to western natural wonders. With mild weather, natural beauty, and low living costs, find your perfect spot among the 17% of residents aged 65+. Tour top destinations for retirees seeking city energy or country charm.



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Tennessee Army National Guard puts on Boot Camp for students

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Tennessee Army National Guard puts on Boot Camp for students


FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. (WHNT) — One step at a time, a group of seven students are seeing if they have what it takes to join the Tennessee Army National Guard.

They’re participating in a week-long “boot camp” summer program put on by the Tennessee Army National Guard at Lincoln County High School.

“We just wanted to make sure we had something for the kids in the area to do something over the summer,” said Specialist Bree Bailey, a Recruiter with the Tennessee Army National Guard.

She said that it is rewarding to see the students’ eyes open to new career opportunities within the military because of the camp.

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“You see a light bulb go off, that’s for sure,” she said. “They realize that it’s not all about getting deployed and going overseas and all the scary things and the stories that they hear….You’re able to kind of educate them a little bit further on what the military actually is and what it does have to offer, opportunities, doors that can be opened” .”

Throughout the week, the students, who range from 12 to 18 years old, have learned basic medical skills, weapons systems, squad movements, and more.

Specialist Bailey said, “Pretty much by the end of the week, they will be able to run a full mission from start to finish.”

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On Thursday, a Deputy from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office gave the students a hands-on lesson on basic combative skills. That included foot positioning, how to throw a punch and protect yourself.

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“We’re going to be soft with it,” Bailey said. “We’re not here to hurt each other, but just to give them a little bit of taste.”

This is the first year that the Tennessee Army National Guard has put on this camp in several years. Specialist Bailey said she looks forward to growing their presence in Lincoln County and hopes next year’s camp is double in size.



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