BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — Officers with the Blount County Sheriff's Office said a man is dead of an apparent suicide and another is recovering from a gunshot wound to his right ear.

This happened at a home on Quarry Hollow Rd. in Friendsville around 8:15 p.m. Friday.

Authorities identified the man who died as 68-year-old Jeffrey Scott West. He was pronounced dead at the scene. BCSO says an autopsy will be conducted at the Knox County Regional Forensic Center.

The man who was wounded, 24-year-old Kyle W. Spitze, was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. His wounds are not life-threatening.

According to BCSO, at approximately 8:15 p.m. Friday, investigators responded to a shooting call at a Quarry Hollow Road home. Upon arrival, they found Spitze and another person who lives in the home waiting outside. Spitze was given first-aid treatment and told officers that he and West, the man who died, were arguing in the home.

West pulled out a gun and shot at Spitze - that bullet grazed his ear. Spitze and the other person ran outside and called 911.

The Sheriff’s Crisis Negotiations and SWAT teams arrived at the scene. They began attempting to negotiate with West to try and get him to surrender. Those efforts failed and deputies sent a K-9 into the home shortly before 11 p.m. and discovered that West was dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

No officers were hurt.

WARTBURG, Tenn. — Wartburg leaders passed an ordinance Monday preventing people from sleeping or camping on public property.

The city said the ordinance was passed on the first reading on Nov. 18 and then passed on the second reading around three weeks later. It prohibits people from sleeping on sidewalks, streets, alleys or in public doorways.

People also can't camp on sidewalks, streets, parks and benches unless authorized by the mayor or city council. The ordinance said campsites found on public property would be removed by the Wartburg Police Department after they give 24-hour notice. Items inside campsites will be discarded, stored or held by the police.

People who camp or sleep on public property could also face fines of up to $50 per day and may be referred to social services.

In 2022, state lawmakers passed a bill that made camping along highways and under bridges punishable by a $50 fine and community service, and made it a felony to camp on public property. The law defined camping as putting up tents, tarps or temporary shelters "for living accommodation activities."

Critics said it effectively criminalized homelessness, and the Knoxville Police Department said it would not change how it approaches homeless camps. The law came about as homelessness also became a national issue, eventually leading to a United States Supreme Court decision in June that effectively made it easier for communities to fine, ticket or arrest homeless people.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Just weeks before welcoming their baby boy and girl into the world, a Blount County family lost their home in a fire. The Knoxville Martial Arts Academy, a South Knoxville gym that the couple goes to, rallied Thursday to help them. It raised money and collected donations to help the couple back onto their feet.

Anthony Cochran said the people at the gym have seen him at his "lowest low," and supported him all the way.

"I just can't say, 'Thank you,' or, 'I love you,' enough," he said.

The Cochran family's home caught fire in early December, but the couple was able to escape the blaze without injuries. They escaped with their pets but had to leave everything else behind.

"As soon as I heard her scream, I knew it was go-time, with her being pregnant," he said. "If you would have told us that one day, we would be able to hold our twins in our hand, I would think you were lying."

While sparring on the mat at Knoxville Martial Arts Academy, the couple also tussled with infertility issues. Through it all though, the gym had their back. Emilee King, a coach at the gym, said every fighter there has a team behind them.

"Our coaches have our back, our corners. They have our back, we have Anthony and Sam's backs," she said. "We have a saying around here, 'I am because we are.'"

She said the gym plans to host two seminars on Saturday, December 21st. There will be a seminar in the morning and afternoon. The classes are open to anyone in the public.  Tickets are $25 for one class and $40 for both. 

This is a benefit event and all proceeds will help the Cochran rebuild. The money will also go to help the new family prepare for twins.

"To see one of our own in need of something, we knew we would come to their aid," said King.

She said behind each martial artist's win, there's a team.

"The first thing that comes in mind is, 'Family,'" said Cochran.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The old Merchants of Beer property was sold to a Georgia-based company Monday, who is already tied to several hotel projects in downtown Knoxville. 

The Special Warranty Deed for the property, located at 136 Central Street, says the building was purchased by Vector Hospitality for $5.15 million. 

Before the building was a Merchants of Beer location, it was a car rental business and a diner. WBIR reached out to Vector Hospitality to learn more about its plans for the property but is awaiting a call back. 

Vector Hospitality has been working to build two hotels in the downtown area—the "Tempo by Hilton," which will be located behind the YWCA Knoxville building and the "AC Hotel by Marriott," located on Walnut and Locust Streets. According to the company's website, a third hotel, "Moxy by Marriot" is listed as coming soon to downtown Knoxville.

Vector previously told WBIR it believes Knoxville is a growing and transforming city, with "increased economic vitality" and a flourishing community.

"As urbanization continues to redefine the cityscape, we see Knoxville emerging as a key player in the regional business and tourism sectors," the company said in February. "The demand for quality accommodations in line with contemporary hospitality trends is evident, and we are enthusiastic about being part of Knoxville's journey towards becoming a premier destination for business and leisure travelers alike."

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After a court decision, TikTok could soon be banned across the country. A federal appeals court ruled it would uphold a law that orders ByteDance, the social media platform's owner, to either sell the app or have it banned in the country.

TikTok has appealed the ruling and hopes to take the case to the United States Supreme Court. The company is asking for an emergency injunction to prevent the law from taking effect.

In April, Congress passed legislation that President Biden signed into law requiring the app to be sold by Jan. 19. If the company doesn't sell, the app will be banned in the U.S.

Matthew Pittman, an associate professor of the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Tennessee, said TikTok could be holding off on selling because of its algorithm.

"The reason TikTok is so valuable is the algorithm. It prioritizes content relevance as opposed to Instagram, which prioritizes how many followers you have," said Pittman.

He uses TikTok as a part of his curriculum for his advertising and public relations students. Many of his videos have been millions of times, with several shared across platforms.

"Instead of a professor grading an assignment, we could film a video, put it out into the real world and get immediate, real-time feedback on whether or not people liked it, what they resonated with how many views it got. And that was a better way to test out student ideas in the classroom," said Pittman.

The VolShop, a retail outlet that offers UT-themed merchandise, also uses TikTok. Instead of teaching students, the store said it uses TikTok to connect with customers.

Corey Hamm, the store's assistant marketing manager, said if the app gets banned she'll have to use the other social media platforms, which seem more traditional.

"You do have to present a little bit more of like a professional front and it does kind of have to be more planned and more thought out and edited better, but with TikTok, you don't have to do any of that," said Hamm.

Pittman agreed. He said with uncertainty surrounding TikTok, people who use the app professionally, as well as regular users, should start exploring other apps.

"Whether you're an influencer who tries to monetize TikTok or you're just a casual user who uses it to learn about cool stuff happening in the world or dance trends, I think start spreading your use over other platforms so that if it goes away, it won't upend your social media engagement," said Pittman.

President-elect Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok during his first presidency, but during his most recent campaign, he said in a separate social media post that he would save TikTok if elected. However, he will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 — one day after the deadline to sell.