Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How three new women leaders are reshaping Knoxville’s most influential nonprofits
Spotted on the Knoxville calendar: Whitechapel

Good morning Knoxville! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How three new women leaders are reshaping Knoxville’s most influential nonprofits
- How firefighters contained a West View church fire in minutes
- Step inside the newly transformed YWCA shelter in downtown Knoxville
Also on today's calendar: Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings and 9 more events.
Find out what's happening in Knoxvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Today's riddle: Jimmy, did you crash on your bike again? You’ve lost a tooth! 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Knoxvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny and quite cold, with a high of 31 and low of 13 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
- Monday: Cold with plenty of sun, temps: high: 37, low: 26.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 50 and low of 31 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Shattering the glass ceilings in Knoxville (tntribune.com) — Knoxville’s nonprofit landscape is shifting as three major organizations now have women at the helm, reshaping how local services are delivered. Meet the new CEOs leading United Way of Greater Knoxville, YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley, and the Knoxville Area Urban League, and see how their priorities could influence funding, housing support, and community partnerships across the city.
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2. Knoxville firefighters respond to fire at small church (wate.com) — Knoxville firefighters quickly brought a Saturday morning church fire near the West View neighborhood under control, preventing any injuries. Crews responded to Dayton Street around 11:35 a.m., knocked down the blaze within minutes, and are now investigating the cause after the unused church sustained fire, smoke and heavy water damage.
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3. YWCA to open renovated women's shelter, headquarters soon (wbir.com) — A century-old YWCA building in downtown Knoxville is reopening soon as a fully renovated domestic violence shelter and headquarters, offering safe housing for more than 70 survivors. With updated living spaces and modern infrastructure while preserving historic details, the project aims to ease Knoxville’s tight housing market for people escaping dangerous relationships.
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4. Tennessee professor says university discriminated against view on Kirk (knoxnews.com) — A University of Tennessee at Knoxville professor is suing the school, claiming leaders are trying to fire her in retaliation for a private Facebook comment about conservative figure Charlie Kirk. She argues UT applied a double standard and violated her First Amendment rights, while university officials say the backlash to her words disrupted the campus and justifies termination efforts.
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5. University of Tennessee fall grads carrying Vol spirit to new careers (knoxnews.com) — Nearly 2,100 University of Tennessee at Knoxville students just graduated, many planning to start or continue their careers right here in Knoxville. From a new high-risk pregnancy nurse at UT Medical Center to a Navy veteran launching a local nonprofit, these new Vols are channeling their Volunteer spirit into serving the community and Tennessee’s workforce.
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📸 Around Knoxville
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Knoxville
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Whitechapel
The Mill & Mine, 227 W Depot Ave, Knoxville
6:45 pm
Sunday December 14
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Chris Renzema
Bijou Theatre , 803 S Gay St , Knoxville
7:00 pm - Spay/Neuter Shuttle @ Knox County Health Departemnt
Knox County Health Department , 140 Dameron Ave , Knoxville
8:00 am - Spay/Neuter Shuttle @ Tommy Shumpert Park
Tommy Shumpert Park , 6400 Fountain City Road , Knoxville
8:00 am - Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings
Jackson Terminal 213 West Jackson Avenue Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
6:30 pm - Spay/Neuter Shuttle @ Sam Duff Park
Sam Duff Park , 4060 Chapman Hwy , Knoxville
8:00 am - Petco Adoption Event – Farragut
PetCo Farragut , 169 Brooklawn St , Farragut
6:00 am - The Official Christmas Bar Crawl - Knoxville
Skybox Sports Bar and Grill , 415 S Gay St , Knoxville
4:00 pm - The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Knoxville, TN
Hilton Knoxville , 501 W Church Ave , Knoxville
6:00 pm - Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings
Jackson Terminal , 213 W Jackson Ave , Knoxville
8:45 pm - Spay/Neuter Shuttle @ Gibbs Ruritan Park
Gibbs Ruritan Park , 7827 Tazewell Pike , Corryton
8:00 am - Spay/Neuter Shuttle @ Shelter Public
Shuttle@Shelter , 3201 Division Street , Knoxville
8:00 am
Sunday December 14
Monday December 15
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
Saturday December 20
Monday December 22
Tuesday December 23
📣 Knoxville Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- This accident happened on Saturday, Dec 6th, around 11 or 12 pm.
I was in the car that was hit. A man came to my car and helped me out of the car as it was up in the air. If anyone could please, please help me find… (Nextdoor Harrell) - I have three bags of toys to give to a family in need this Christmas.
Small toys for a toddler. Mostly boys stuff but some could be used for a girl as well. (Nextdoor Crestwood Hills II)
- Officers are actively attempting to find the pictured Chevy, which was believed to be involved in a hit-and-run crash with a motorcycle a short time... (X: Knoxville_PD)
- MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — After Thursday’s trench collapse in Union County that left one man dead and another hospitalized in critical condition... (X: 6News)
- Food City posted a job opening for Front End Manager in Knoxville. Apply here.
- Piedmont Airlines posted a job opening for Ramp Agent (Part-Time) in Knoxville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Knoxville here.
Ok Knoxville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I didn’t lose a tooth, Mom. It’s right here in my pocket.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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