Man Charged After Bomb Threat at Knoxville Mall

A man has been charged after allegedly calling 911 to falsely report that he had planted a bomb in West Town Mall on Friday evening.

Knoxville police reported that officers responded to the call around 6:45 p.m. They later identified the caller as 32-year-old Marshall Hazlett, who was found at the Target on Ray Mears Boulevard. Investigators determined that Hazlett made the bomb threat to provoke an immediate police response, resulting in his arrest for filing a false report.

Court records revealed Hazlett had earlier called 911 around 5:50 p.m., stating he was at the Cheesecake Factory, under the influence of drugs, experiencing a mental health crisis, and in need of medical assistance.

Hazlett reportedly made a second call claiming he had placed a bomb inside the mall, prompting the police response. No bomb was found, and no injuries were reported.

World Cup Matches Coming to Nashville

The FIFA Club World Cup has announced the match schedule for its 2025 tournament, which includes three matches in June at GEODIS Park in Nashville.

The 2025 FIFA World Cup will feature 63 games over 29 days, with 32 teams participating from six international federations: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA.

Nashville Soccer Club CEO Ian Ayre expressed his excitement about the milestone, stating, “We look forward to welcoming the teams playing in Music City at our stadium and to showing them some Nashville SC Southern hospitality.“

St. Jude’s Marathon Raises $16M to Fight Cancer

Thousands of people gathered in downtown Memphis on Saturday morning, braving the cold to take part in the annual St. Jude Marathon, which raised over $16 million for the children’s research hospital.

The event attracted over 22,500 runners from across the globe, 40,000 spectators, and hundreds of volunteers. According to ALSAC, the hospital’s fundraising organization, the marathon is its largest single-day fundraising event.

Since its inception in 1982, the marathon has raised over $88 million, with every dollar directly supporting St. Jude’s mission to find cures and eliminate childhood cancer.

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➤ Statewide: Eleven members of the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 134th Air Refueling Wing have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the U.S. military’s highest honors, for extraordinary heroism and aerial achievement during a mission in April. (More)

➤ Chattanooga: A fire on Lookout Mountain at the Incline Railway Saturday shut down the train service. The fire was contained, and no one was injured. (See Picture)

➤ Franklin: Officials announced plans to build a new city hall, with demolition of the current building scheduled to begin in the spring. (More)

➤ Antioch: A body found in the woods of the Hamilton Creek Recreation Area has prompted a homicide investigation. (More)

➤ Pigeon Forge: An off-duty Florida police officer on vacation helped save a boy’s life at Dollywood. (More)

➤ Knoxville: Mayor Indya Kincannon and other officials broke ground on the Urban Wilderness Gateway Park pavilion and plaza, a new 23,000-square-foot addition to the park. (More)

➤ The Iowa Hawkeyes and No. 19 Missouri Tigers will face off in the 27th Annual TransPerfect Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Dec. 30. (More)

➤ No. 25 Memphis and West Virginia will meet for the first time in the Frisco Bowl on Dec. 17 in Frisco, Texas. (More)

➤ Vanderbilt will play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday, Dec. 27. (More)

➤ The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team moved up to No. 1 in the USA Today poll. (More)

Yesterday’s results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAA Soccer

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➤ Two Nashville restaurants, Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina and Etch, have been named among the best in the country for 2024 by TripAdvisor. (More)

➤ Smith+Nephew has announced plans to lay off more than 150 employees in Memphis, where its orthopedic division employs over 2,000 people. (More)

➤ Concentra, a national leader in occupational medicine, announced on Monday the opening of a new medical center in Knoxville. (More)

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➤ SmartAsset shared its list of the state’s wealthiest counties, with Williamson County topping the rankings. (See List)

➤ Stacker released its list of Tennessee cities with the most UFO sightings. See the list to find out if your town made the rankings. (See List)

➤ The Knoxville Zoo’s animals enjoyed a recent snow day, including the red panda and some otters, in an adorable video. (Watch Video)

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Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? 

1. Yes
2. No

Tuesday’s Results:

Do you prefer a real or artificial Christmas tree?

1. Real: 43%
2. Artificial: 54%
3. No preference: 3%

Which soft drink brand was invented by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman in 1940?

Show me the answer