Lauren Davis

5 days ago | wbir.com | Lauren Davis

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Salvation Army is just one group in East Tennessee helping unhoused people. Now the organization is looking for new solutions to help more people. For four years, Brandon Hall was without a place of his own.

2 weeks ago | wbir.com | Lauren Davis

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Workers and students at the University of Tennessee held a rally Tuesday afternoon to protest the Trump administration's federal cuts and anti-diversity efforts. It was organized by the United Campers Workers Union, which represents campus workers at the school. Organizers said around 80 people attended the rally, including Caroline Mann, a staff member who said she wanted to call on the federal government to stop cuts to foundations and agencies that fund research at UT.

2 weeks ago | wbir.com | Lauren Davis

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Metro Drug Coalition is the latest on a long list of groups facing changes because of federal funding cuts. It's part of a broader reduction of funding affecting nonprofits across the country. Metro Drug relies on grants of all types to help fund its programs and services, which include federal, state and local sources. It lost three of those grants due to federal cuts.

2 weeks ago | wbir.com | Lauren Davis

CLINTON, Tennessee — Nearly a third of all retail pharmacies in the United States have closed since 2010, according to a study by the University of California in Berkeley. The closures include locations run by companies like CVS and Walgreens, but the study said independent pharmacies have struggled to stay open. However, Hoskins Drug Store in Anderson County has stayed open for almost a century and has grown to prominence in the community.

1 month ago | wbir.com | Lauren Davis

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville man brought a group of Halls Elementary School students through a tour of the city through the eyes of a cat Thursday, reading from a children's book he authored. Wesley Bennett said he wrote "The Kitty of Knoxville" after seeing a lack of stories written about the city he's from. He said he always felt a strong connection to his hometown, with strong family ties to the region.