Authorities say the man involved in a crash that injured a student waiting for a bus in Sevier County is charged with passing a stopped school bus and reckless endangerment.
They say John Callaway tried to overtake a bus on East Union Valley Road Friday and when he went around the bus, he hit a student who suffered what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
The Knox County Regional Forensic Center has identified remains discovered several years ago in wooded North Knoxville area near Fourth and Gill.
The Knoxville Police Department and a RFC investigator assisted in the recovery and examination of the remains found August 16, 2022. A forensic center anthropologist determined that the remains belonged to a white female between 30 and 50 years old.
RFC reviewed cases from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database and noticed a profile for a person matching the details of the remains which were identified as Erin Callahan from Knoxville.
![#6 [2] Vols’ 30-Win Season Ends in Elite Eight against #2 [1] Houston](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2025/03/30170137/Basketball-125.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team’s fantastic 2024-25 campaign concluded Sunday afternoon in the Elite Eight, as the second-seeded Volunteers fell to second-ranked, top-seeded Houston, 69-50, at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Sixth-ranked Tennessee (30-8, 12-6 SEC) fell to a No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional Final for the second straight year, this time at Lucas Oil Stadium to wrap up the third 30-win campaign in program history. Senior guard Jordan Gainey and fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier co-led all scorers with 17 points apiece in their final collegiate outings.
Houston (34-4, 19-1 B12) raced out to a 17-4 lead in the opening 8:50, forcing eight straight misses by the Volunteers, who went scoreless for 3:50 during a 1-of-12 start from the field. The Cougars extended their edge to 29-8 with 4:00 left in the frame, at which time Tennessee was 3-of-22 from the field, including 0-of-12 beyond the arc, and was in a 4:42 scoreless drought.
The margin reached 34-12 in the final minute of the frame. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler then hit a 3-pointer at the other end, the team’s first make after 14 misses to begin the contest, to send the teams into the intermission with a 34-15 score.
Tennessee had a strong defensive performance in the opening frame, limiting Houston to 41.7 percent (15-of-36) shooting from the floor, a 30.0 percent (3-of-10) clip from deep and just one (made) free-throw attempt. However, it posted lesser numbers of its own against the nation’s top-ranked scoring defense.
After a 1-of-18 start from long range, the Volunteers buried back-to-back 3-pointers on the way to cutting the deficit to 14, 41-27, with 14:10 to play. They trimmed it down to 13, 46-33, with 9:50 remaining amidst a stretch of 2:59 during which they did not allow a point.
Tennessee continued to chip away and dropped the deficit to 10, 50-40, with 5:42 left during a span of 2:16 in which it held Houston scoreless. However, the Cougars made 3-pointers on four consecutive trips past midcourt and the 12-4 run upped their cushion back to 18, 62-44, with 3:13 to go and ended any hopes of a comeback.
Gainey scored his 17 points on a 6-of-12 field-goal clip that included a 2-of-5 ledger from deep, plus made all three of his free throws. The NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team honoree scored 13 of his point in the second half.
Lanier went 7-of-7 at the line, his second-most makes without a miss as a collegian, with each attempt in a second half during which he scored 15 of his 17 points. The Nashville, Tenn., native added seven rebounds, tied for the third-most of his lone campaign as a Volunteer. Junior forward Felix Okpara co-led all players with nine rebounds and two blocks, plus made his lone field-goal attempt and both his free throws.
Graduate guard L.J. Cryer scored 17 points to pace the Cougars, although Tennessee did hold him to a 6-of-17 field-goal clip. Redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp, who buried three of 3-pointers during Houston’s 12-4 surge, had 16 points and went 4-of-10 beyond the arc. Sophomore forward Joseph Tugler pulled down nine rebounds to lead all players.
Houston committed just five turnovers and had a 10-2 advantage in points off giveaways. Tennessee, which shot 75.0 percent (15-of-20) from the free-throw line, scored the lone three fast-break points in the contest
The Volunteers, for the first time ever, made the Elite Eight and won 30 games in the same season. Their 30 victories marked the third-most in campaign in program history.
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.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• Gainey collected NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team distinction, alongside Houston’s Cryer, Sharp (MVP) and Milos Uzan, as well as Purdue’s Braden Smith.
• The Volunteers dropped to 31-28 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 27-27 in regulation, 0-3 in the Elite Eight, 12-7 under head coach Rick Barnes, 4-6 in Indiana, 3-5 in Indianapolis and 0-1 against Houston.
• Tennessee is now 11-5 as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, as well as 0-7 against No. 1 seeds, 14-22 versus singles-digit seeds and 4-13 against higher seeds.
• The Volunteers moved to 3-3 all-time versus Houston, including 0-2 at neutral sites, with this the sides’ first meeting a Tennessee home win on Dec. 19, 1995.
• Tennessee is now 32-32 all-time against the current Big 12 membership, including 10-9 under Barnes, who is 168-100 in his career versus those schools.
• Sunday’s matchup featured the two programs with the longest active AP top-25 streaks, as Houston has a 105 mark and Tennessee has a tally of 79.
• This is the first time in program history Tennessee has played 38 games in a single season, eclipsing the prior high of 37 set in 2018-19, 2013-14, 2009-10 and 1984-85.
• Tennessee fell to 38-28 (.576) in AP top-25 showdowns in the Barnes era, including 10-6 (.625) in 2024-25.
• The above overall record features a 26-15 (.634) ledger since Feb. 26, 2022, and a 17-8 (.680) count since Dec. 9, 2023.
• The Volunteers are now 11-10 (.524) in AP top-10 matchups during Barnes’ tenure at the helm.
• Tennessee moved to 44-43 (.506) versus AP top-25 foes under Barnes, including 28-16 (.636) since Jan. 22, 2022.
• The Volunteers dropped to 17-17 (.500) versus AP top-10 opponents in the Barnes era, including 15-11 (.577) since March 2, 2019, and 12-8 (.600) since Dec. 22, 2021.
• Tennessee now has an 11-11 (.500) record against AP top-five foes under Barnes, including a 7-6 (.538) ledger since Feb. 15, 2022.
• Across their last 33 contests against AP top-15 teams—that dates to Dec. 22, 2021—the Volunteers are now 22-11 (.667).
• During its 79-week AP top-25 streak, Tennessee has played just 18 of 145 games as a lower-ranked team, now owning a 10-8 record in those contests, including a 9-6 figure since Jan. 22, 2022.
• Tennessee’s 15 points before the break tied its fewest in a session this season, matching the total it had in the first half Jan. 7 at Florida.
• The 21.4 percent (6-of-28) first-half field-goal clip for the Volunteers marked their lowest in a session since a 28.0 percent (7-of-25) ledger Jan. 25 at Auburn.
• The two sides combined for just seven fouls and five free-throw attempts in the opening 20 minutes, as Tennessee committed just two and went 2-of-4 at the line, while Houston had five fouls and went 1-of-1 from the stripe.
• The second half featured 18 fouls and 19 free-throw attempts, as Tennessee committed eight and went 13-of-16 at the stripe, while the Cougars committed 11 and went 3-of-3 on free throws.
• Tennessee conceded 35 or fewer first-half points in 31 of its 38 contests, including 29 or fewer on 18 occasions and 23 or fewer eight times.
• Zeigler’s 38 minutes increased his 2024-25 count to 1,266, passing Allan Houston (1,236 in 1991-92) for the third most in a single campaign in program history.
• Lanier’s 17 points upped his mark this year to 684, eclipsing Allan Houston (669 in 1992-93), Bernard King (672 in 1976-77) and Ernie Grunfeld (683 in 1975-76) to move from No. 12 up to ninth on the Tennessee single-season leaderboard.
• Lanier’s 35 minutes of action increased his 2024-25 figure to 1,191, jumping him from No. 15 all the way to co-ninth, alongside Jordan McRae (2013-14), on the program’s single-season list.
• Lanier attempted 12 3-pointers, stretching his 2024-25 total to 311, passing Chris Lofton (307 in 2007-08) for the most in a season in Tennessee history.
• The seven made free throws for Lanier set a new season high, eclipsing the 6-of-8 mark he posted Dec. 3, 2024, against Syracuse.
• Lanier’s seven free-throw attempts marked his third-most of the year and his second-most without a miss as a collegian, the latter trailing only his 8-of-8 figure Feb. 8, 2024, versus North Alabama during his North Florida tenure.
• Okpara’s two blocked shots extended his 2024-25 total to 64, matching Kyle Alexander (2018-19) for fourth place on the program’s single-season list.
• Okpara pulled down two offensive rebounds to give him 93 this year, good for sole possession of the No. 11 spot on the Volunteers’ single-season list and just one shy of a tie for eighth.
• Senior guard Jahmai Mashack notched two steals to give him 64 on the year, moving into a tie with Ian Lockhart (1989-90) for ninth on the Tennessee single-season list.
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 9 Tennessee secured its sixth consecutive SEC road series victory Sunday, defeating No. 2 Oklahoma 5-3 at Love’s Field.
Tennessee (29-7, 5-4 SEC) has now won 18 of its last 20 conference series and becomes just the third team to win a series at Oklahoma since 2006. This victory marks the first time in program history the Lady Vols have won a road series against a top-2 opponent.
After being held hitless through the first two innings, Oklahoma (31-3, 9-3 SEC) broke through in the third with three runs. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases, setting up a bases-clearing double from Kasidi Pickering. Tennessee quickly responded by retiring three straight batters, preventing any further damage.
The Lady Vols answered in the fourth inning, rallying for five runs on three hits and two walks. The rally began with a two-out walk from Taylor Pannell, followed by a single from McKenna Gibson to put two runners on base. After Sophia Nugent walked to load the bases, Laura Mealer delivered a double to right, scoring two runs and cutting the deficit to 3-2.
In the next at-bat, redshirt freshman Ella Dodge blasted a 2-0 pitch into the right-center field stands for a three-run homer, her fifth of the season, giving Tennessee a 5-3 lead.
The Big Orange kept Oklahoma in check over the final four innings, retiring 15 of the last 17 batters faced.
IN THE CIRCLE
Karlyn Pickens (13-4) earned her second win of the weekend, throwing a complete game. The Weaverville, North Carolina, native allowed three runs on four hits, with three walks and six strikeouts. Pickens worked two 1-2-3 innings in the series finale to help secure the win.
NOTABLE PERFORMERS
McKenna Gibson went 2-for-4, with a key single in the fourth inning that extended the rally. Laura Mealer continued her strong weekend performance, finishing 1-for-3 on Sunday. The Chapel Hill, Tennessee, native went 4-for-10 with two RBIs and two runs scored across the series.
DUE UP
Tennessee returns home to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium on Tuesday for a midweek matchup against Western Carolina.
An investigation is underway after a fire at a business in North Knoxville.
Crews with the Rural Metro Fire Department were on scene of a car fire at a repair shop garage Saturday night and found multiple vehicles on fire in various stages of repair.
The garage is on Clinton Highway at the Anderson County line.
No injuries were reported.
The Knoxville Fire Department says the sprinkler system at an apartment complex does it’s job and contains a fire to limit damage.
Crews were called to River View Park Apartments Friday night and saw flames from the door but found the sprinkler head had activated but there was significant damage to that apartment caused by water, as well as the area around the stove top where the fire started.
An Adult and child lived in the apartment and the American Red Cross is assisting both as well as the family who lives in the apartment directly below the fire which suffered water damage.
The Knoxville Fire Department says the sprinkler system at an apartment complex does it’s job and contains a fire to limit damage.
Crews were called to River View Park Apartments Friday night and saw flames from the door but found the sprinkler head had activated but there was significant damage to that apartment caused by water, as well as the area around the stove top where the fire started.
An Adult and child lived in the apartment and the American Red Cross is assisting both as well as the family who lives in the apartment directly below the fire which suffered water damage.
A New Market man is arrested following an investigation into child sexual exploitation.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says 59 year-old Leslie Byrd was arrested after deputies went to a home on Fielden Store Road Thursday for suspicious activity and found evidence of possible child sex crimes.
Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division and Internet Crimes Against Children were called to help in the investigation.
Byrd is charged with three counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and unlawful photography, aggravated sexual battery and unlawful possession of a child-like sex doll. Byrd is being held on a $500,000 bond.
A New Market man is arrested following an investigation into child sexual exploitation.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says 59 year-old Leslie Byrd was arrested after deputies went to a home on Fielden Store Road Thursday for suspicious activity and found evidence of possible child sex crimes.
Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division and Internet Crimes Against Children were called to help in the investigation.
Byrd is charged with three counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and unlawful photography, aggravated sexual battery and unlawful possession of a child-like sex doll. Byrd is being held on a $500,000 bond.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 1/1 Tennessee completed its series sweep of South Carolina with a 7-2 win over the Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon at Founders Park in Columbia.
Despite a slow start, the Volunteers’ unrelenting offense got things going in the middle innings and never looked back, finishing with 12 hits on the day.
Hunter Ensley led the way with a four-hit day, recording three singles to go along with his fourth home run of the year while also driving in three runs. Dalton Bargo and Andrew Fischer also finished with multiple hits for the Orange and White.
USC starting pitcher Matthew Becker cruised through the opening three innings, setting down all nine of UT’s hitters in order before running into trouble the second time through the order.
The first four batters all reached base in the top of the fourth as the Big Orange went on to plate three runs on four hits in the inning. Ensley got the scoring started with a two-run single before freshman Manny Marin drove in Ensley with a two-out single later in the frame to put the Vols ahead 3-1.
Tennessee added two more runs in the fifth inning on RBI hits by Bargo and Reese Chapman to extend its lead to four.
Freshman righthander Tegan Kuhns rebounded well from a rocky start. The Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, native, allowed the first three batters of the game to reach base, but recovered well to retire the next three batters and held the Gamecocks to just one run in the frame.
Kuhns was relieved by fellow freshman Brayden Krezel in the top of the fifth after giving up six hits – all singles – and just the one run in four innings of work.
After Carolina scored in the bottom of the sixth to cut its deficit to three runs, the Vols responded immediately with back-to-back solo blasts from Ensley and Andrew Fischer in the seventh to make it a 7-2 game and cap the scoring for the afternoon.
After another big weekend at the dish, Bargo continued his torrid start to SEC play. The junior utility man led the team with a .500 batting average and five runs scored while tying for the team lead with six hits for the series. Bargo is hitting at a team-high .464 clip in league play with a pair of homers and seven RBIs.
The freshman righty put together another impressive outing in relief, tossing a career-high five innings to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year. Krenzel struck out four and allowed just one run on four hits.
UT completed its 18th sweep in SEC play under head coach Tony Vitello with Sunday’s victory. The Vols have now swept multiple conference series in each of the past five seasons.
Tennessee will be home for four games next week, starting with an in-state midweek contest against Tennessee Tech on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before hosting Texas A&M next weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
