6.10.15

As with any news media outlet, the news drives the number of readers or listeners and Tuesday proved it in spades.. Typically CNF receives 150,000 to 250,000 visits in a month from Cumberland and surrounding county viewers.  Tuesday, CrossvilleNews1st.com site stats registered a record 49,445 visits in one day.

But the reason for the massive number of people visiting the page is quite disconcerting.  While it’s true that, tragically, Crossville lost two longtime businessmen in one day which drew several thousand readers to CNF, the most viewed stories were about a mysterious and threatening white van.  The van, along with its occupants,  has been reported several times driving around the county and causing concern of potential human trafficking activity.  Reportedly, a child was approached in the Tansi community by a van but it sped off after a neighbor spotted the activity. According to Crossville Police, an incident occurred at a beauty salon in the city this week, when an employee was getting ready to close for the day. She told officers that a Hispanic/American male with several tattoos entered the business and asked the woman several personal questions. He also asked to borrow money to help fix his vehicle. The female gave him $20 and watched him go outside to a white van with no side windows to talk with two other occupants. A male friend of the employee joined her at the business and the two watched as the van sat in the parking lot. When the employee’s friend went outside and approached the van, it left the scene. Oddly enough, last month a ‘black’ van was reported involved an attempted kidnapping of a child on a bicycle in Sparta Tennessee.  There have also been reports of abductions taking place from Nashville to Turkey Creek in Knox County.  No official report of criminal activity has been reported by authorities here and certainly no one has been kidnapped, but that hasn’t prevented many from being worried.   Cumberland County Sheriff Casey Cox issued a press release yesterday stating that while no criminal activity has been reported, people should be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the Police or Sheriff’s Department.