Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) If you have received a suspicious text message recently saying there is a job opening, likely this is a scam.
These messages are telling you that your resume is a good match for their company, sometimes offering a remote position with lots of benefits. They may even ask that you reach out to them on WhatsApp.
These messages are going out to people who did not even apply for a job. (Courtesy: BBB)
The Better Business Bureau advises anyone who receives a message to look at the email or phone number these messages are coming from. If it does not match the company the person says they are from, then it is probably a scam.
“Delete them, ignore them, don’t respond to them. The main thing is once you respond to an email or text, even if its stop … you’re letting that texter know that they’ve got a live number,” said Tony Binkley, president and CEO of BBB Greater East Tennessee.
The BBB says the person’s ultimate goal is to get you to respond, so the best thing you can do is not respond and delete these messages.
The messages may say that your resume is the perfect match for their company and that you were referred to them by a recruiting service.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A burger restaurant, known to be among the best of the best, is planning to expand in Tennessee.
In-N-Out Burger is primarily found out west, but now there appears to be several new locations coming to the Volunteer state. The Memphis Journal is reporting nine Tennessee cities will have In-N-Out locations, including Knoxville, Morristown, Chattanooga, and the Tri-Cities:
Knoxville: three to five stores
Chattanooga: two to three stores
Morristown: one store
Tri-Cities: two to three stores
Nashville: 10 to 15 stores
Clarksville: one store
Cookeville: one store
Jackson: one store
Memphis: four to five stores
The burger chain is already working on locations in middle Tennessee.
The news comes from the Memphis Journal, which highlighted several possible new locations across the volunteer state. (Courtesy: WVLT)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The defending national champion Tennessee Volunteers were picked to finish second in the 2025 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll and had six players named to the Preseason All-SEC teams, which were announced by the league on Wednesday.
Tennessee and preseason favorite Texas A&M both had six players tabbed to the preseason all-conference teams, which were tied for the most in the league.
The Big Orange, who enter the season as a consensus top five ranked team nationally, open their 2025 campaign in nine days when they host Hofstra on Feb. 14 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The complete preseason coaches’ poll and All-SEC teams can be seen below.
Nashville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) A new bill filed Tuesday in the Tennessee legislature would allow public and charter schools across the state to either enroll or refuse to enroll undocumented students.
The language in Senate Bill 836 and House Bill 793 “authorizes Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to refuse to enroll students who are unlawfully present in the United States.”
Republican Representative William Lamberth is sponsoring the House version of the bill while Republican Senator Bo Watson is sponsoring the Senate version.
The bill could challenge a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling wherein states cannot constitutionally deny students a free public education based on their immigration status. The court ruling in Plyler v. Doe held that states cannot deny public education to undocumented children unless a substantial state interest is involved.
The high court based its ruling on Section 1 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which states “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
If the bill passes both the House and Senate, it will become effective as soon as it is signed into law.
Provide incentives for promoting the enforcement of federal immigration
Criminally penalize or remove officials who adopt sanctuary policies
Create an immigration enforcement division within the Department of Safety
Require non-citizens to have a temporary driver’s license instead of a standard license, to help determine voter eligibility
If the bill were to pass both the House and Senate, it would take effect as soon as it is signed into law. (Tennessee State Capitol / Credit: State of Tennessee)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) Knoxville city leaders are hoping to soon make a decision on what’s next for the former McClung Warehouse.
A massive fire damaged the warehouse in 2007 and again in 2014. It’s been an empty lot for sometime. Now, the city and Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation are working together to turn it into something better, discussing a number of ideas at Tuesday night’s meeting including a potential green space:
“That site sits strategically between Worlds Fair Park, the Old City and the new baseball stadium, so there is really a huge opportunity to create a linear greenway experience that connects different parts of town,” said Executive Director and CEO of KCDC Ben Bentley. “I think the opportunity for housing mix-use for connectivity have all been mentioned throughout the public process, and we can’t let that pass us by with the development of this site.”
As for what’s next for the property, officials say the plan is to have developers pitch their ideas on what they want in the area. City leaders will then pare those ideas down to see which ones they’ll act upon.
A massive fire damaged the warehouse in 2007, and another in 2014 forced the City of Knoxville to demolish what was left of the structure. (Courtesy: WVLT)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After claiming the program’s first national championship last season, Tennessee will start its title defense as a consensus top five team in 2025.
The final major preseason poll was released on Tuesday as the 2025 campaign is slated to begin in nine days when the Volunteers host Hofstra for a three-game series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium starting on Friday, Feb. 14.
UT’s preseason rankings in the five major college baseball polls can be seen below.
Tennessee returns 16 letterwinners from its 2024 National Championship team, led by a trio of preseason All-Americans in INF Dean Curley, RHP Nate Snead and RHP AJ Russell.
The Vols also added multiple highly coveted transfer portal additions to their roster, three of which have earned preseason All-America recognition in LHP Liam Doyle (Ole Miss), INF Andrew Fischer (Ole Miss) and INF Gavin Kilen (Louisville).
UT’s full 2025 schedule can be found by clicking HERE.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee men’s basketball standout Chaz Lanier is a designee for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Midseason Top 10 Watch List, as announced Tuesday afternoon by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The annual Jerry West Award, named after the late Class of 1980 Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player, celebrates its 11th year by highlighting the top shooting guards in Division I men’s college basketball.
A fifth-year guard out of Nashville, Tenn., Lanier is one three SEC players who made the cut. The others are Texas’ Tre Johnson and Florida’s Alijah Martin.
Lanier is averaging a team-high 17.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.1 steals per game for fourth-ranked Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC). The 6-foot-5, 207-pounder ranks top-five nationally in total made 3-pointers (79) and 3-point makes per game (3.59), pacing the SEC in both areas, plus No. 32 in Division I and third in the SEC in 3-point percentage (42.2).
Fan Voting for the West Award will begin Feb. 7 on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In March, the top 10 will be narrowed to just five finalists. Then, in late March, those five will be presented to the West’s family and Hall of Fame’s selection committee, at which time winners will be selected. The Selection Committee for the Bob Cousy Awards is composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2025 Jerry West Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward) and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.
In 2023-24, for the first time, a Tennessee player earned one of the Starting Five plaudits, as Dalton Knecht garnered the Julius Erving Award.
For more information on the 2025 Jerry West Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com, as well as follow @hoophallu and #WestAward on X/Twitter and Instagram.
Lanier and the Volunteers continue play Wednesday at 7 p.m. against No. 15/16 Missouri, live on SEC Network from Food City Center.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
Jerry West Award Midseason Top 10 Watch List R.J. Davis, North Carolina V.J. Edgecombe, Baylor P.J. Haggerty, Memphis Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois Tre Johnson, Texas Curtis Jones, Iowa State Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Caleb Love, Arizona Alijah Martin, Florida Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A teen is arrested and an 8-year-old girl is hospitalized in stable condition following a shooting Tuesday afternoon at a Knoxville apartment complex.
Knoxville Police Department officials say the shooting happened around 5:00 p.m. at the Cassell Ridge Apartments on Cassell Valley Way, and an 8-year-old girl in the area was struck by gunfire. The department said she was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for injuries that are considered non-life-threatening.
An investigation by officers identified a 14-year-old boy as the shooting suspect. KPD says he allegedly fired at a car with multiple people inside due to an apparent ongoing conflict.
The teen is being charged on juvenile petitions for multiple offenses, including attempted first-degree murder, felony child abuse and weapon charges.
The girl was taken to UT Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, KPD said. (Courtesy: KPD)
Chattanooga, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued a Silver Alert for a missing Hamilton County man.
TBI officials issued the alert Tuesday, February 4 for 62-year-old Frank McDonough who was last seen at his home on Imperial Drive in Chattanooga Monday morning.
McDonough is described as being 6′ tall and 152 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
Additionally, TBI says McDonough may be driving a charcoal gray 2007 Ford Mustang TN license plate 789AE8 and that he has a medical condition that may impair his ability to return safely without assistance.
Anyone with information regarding McDonough’s whereabouts is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
McDonough has a medical condition that may impair his ability to return safely without assistance. (Courtesy: TBI)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A man is facing multiple charges following a shooting incident Monday night near downtown.
Knoxville Police Department officials say officers were called just before 6:30 p.m. to a shooting in the 1100 block of Lula Powell Drive. They found a 42-year-old man suffering from a minor gunshot wound; he was transported to a local hospital.
KPD says officers arrested the suspect, 35-year-old Herrera Johnson, after finding him behind 957 E. Hill Avenue in possession of a handgun as well as suspected fentanyl.
KPD officers say Johnson appeared to be intoxicated. Officials say he later admitted to shooting the victim to Investigations Bureau detectives.
Johnson was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm with intent to go armed, schedule II drugs and public intoxication.
KPD said that 35-year-old Herrera Johnson was taken into custody on multiple charges. (Courtesy: KCSO)
