GATLINBURG, TN—The Flint Gap Fire is now 75% contained. Yesterday, firefighters hiked into the fire and continued to safely secure the perimeter and put out hot spots. Today fire crews continue to work the fire, mopping up hot spots and remaining areas of heat within the perimeter. Crews have had great success in reducing the threat from the fire.
After today, the fire team will transition to a Type 4 Incident Commander and will downsize to one ten-person crew—this is a result of decreasing complexity, fire threat and incident complexity. Fire crews will continue to monitor and take additional actions as needed.
WNBA Playoffs UT In The WNBA Share: Eric Trainer Women’s Basketball September 21, 2024 The WNBA Playoffs get under way this week, with the eight qualifying teams beginning first-round play on Sunday. Two LVFLs will be in action when their franchise embarks on its postseason journey.
LVFLs Jordan Horston and Mercedes Russell will head into battle with No. 5 seed Seattle, as the Storm travel to Las Vegas to take on the two-time defending champion Aces, who earned the No. 4 seed in 2024. Seattle and Las Vegas, whose team president is LVFL Nikki (Caldwell) Fargas, will face off at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday in a contest televised by ESPN.
Earlier in the day, No. 8 Atlanta will meet No. 1 seed New York in the Big Apple at 1 p.m. ET, No. 6 Indiana will play at No. 3 Connecticut at 3 p.m. and No. 7 Phoenix will travel to No. 2 Minnesota at 5 p.m. ESPN will carry the first and third of those matchups, while ABC will televise the Fever and Sun.
Game two between Seattle and Las Vegas is set for Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET in “Sin City” (ESPN), while a potential game three (if necessary) will be held in Seattle on Thursday. Tip time is TBD, but the game has been ticketed for ESPN2.
Horston enters her first playoff run averaging 6.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per contest while starting 14 of 39 games during her second season in the league. Coming off an injury last season, her 39 games played in 2024 rank as the second most of anyone on the Storm roster, and her 49.3-percent shooting from the field and 1.3 steals per game average rank No. 14 and No. 17, respectively, in the WNBA.
Russell, meanwhile, embarks on her fifth postseason journey in her seventh professional season with Seattle. She tied a career high by appearing in 37 games this season and is averaging 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds while earning 15.8 minutes per outing. She is shooting 51.7 percent from the field, which is her highest number since hitting 61.7 percent in 2021. In 10 previous playoff games, Russell produced 6.4 ppg., 5.3 rpg. and 1.4 apg. over 21.8 minutes per contest while making 65.1 percent of her shots.
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 6 Tennessee football showcased its defensive prowess in a commanding 25-15 SEC-opening victory over No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
The win marked the Vols’ 10th over a ranked opponent under head coach Josh Heupel, who made the return to his alma mater a memorable one.
Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) established defensive dominance from the outset, limiting the Sooners to just 222 total yards. The impressive performance continues a trend, as the Vols have now held their last five opponents under 250 yards of total offense, dating to their Citrus Bowl triumph over Iowa on Jan. 1, 2024.
The Vols had an impressive defensive streak end on Saturday as they went 19 quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown until Oklahoma scored with 8:25 left in the fourth quarter. This streak went down as the second-longest in program history and the longest since Tennessee shut out 15 straight opponents from Nov. 5, 1938, to Dec. 9, 1939.
Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1 SEC) struggled early, committing multiple turnovers that the Vols capitalized on. Cornerback Jermod McCoy recorded his first interception as a Vol, halting Oklahoma’s third drive and leading to Tennessee’s opening points with a 27-yard field goal from kicker Max Gilbert.
After the Sooners tied the game with a field goal, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava found wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. for a spectacular 66-yard touchdown pass as the first quarter closed.
With Oklahoma deep in Tennessee territory after a turnover, the Vols’ defense struck again. Defensive lineman Joshua Josephs forced a fumble and recovered it on the UT six-yard line to flip the game’s momentum back in Tennessee’s favor.
On OU’s next drive, a false start by the Sooners then pushed them back to their 2-yard line, where defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins burst through the line to tackle Oklahoma’s running back in the end zone for a safety, extending Tennessee’s lead to 12-3 with 9:12 remaining in the second quarter.
The Vols continued to capitalize on mistakes, forcing their third takeaway of the first half when defensive back Jakobe Thomas recovered a fumble on a backward pass that hit the turf. Tennessee made Oklahoma pay, as running back Dylan Sampson plunged in for a one-yard touchdown on UT’s ensuing drive, marking his 10th of the season and pushing the lead to 19-3.
Gilbert added two more field goals in the second half from 41 and 32 yards, keeping Oklahoma at bay.
The Sooners made a quarterback change at halftime, bringing in freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who led Oklahoma on a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives.
Linebacker Arion Carter was a standout for Tennessee’s defense, recording six tackles, including one for a loss, and breaking up a pass. Andre Turrentine, Christian Harrison, and Keenan Pili each contributed five tackles, with Pili particularly disruptive, adding a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries. As a unit, the Vols’ defense registered three sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
On the offensive front, Iamaleava had a solid performance, completing 13 of 21 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown in his first SEC start. Wide receiver Bru McCoy was the top target, catching four passes for 92 yards. Sampson finished with 92 yards on 24 carries, while fellow running back DeSean Bishop contributed 65 yards on 16 carries.
Iamaleava presented the game ball to his head coach as the clock expired.
UP NEXT After an open week, Tennessee travels to Fayetteville to face Arkansas on Oct. 5. A game time will be announced next week.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Friday afternoon the hiring of Justin Caldwell as player development coordinator.
A veteran coach, Caldwell possesses over a decade of experience across the Division I, Division II, high school and youth levels, including five years as a collegiate head coach. Caldwell most recently spent the 2023-24 campaign as an assistant at Marshall University.
“We are pleased to add Justin to our staff here at Tennessee,” Barnes said. “He possesses a strong basketball mind and has shown the ability to develop young people. Justin’s passion and coaching acumen will assuredly assist our program on a daily basis.”
Caldwell spent 2018-23 as the head coach at his alma mater, Glenville State University, a DII school in Glenville, W.Va. Inheriting a program that went 8-21 the year before his arrival, Caldwell turned the Pioneers into a 9-4 team in the COVID-condensed 2020-21 season and up to a 17-13 team during his final campaign in 2022-23.
In 2020-21, his program ascended as high as No. 13 nationally and averaged 95.5 points per game. Both that year and the next, his squad averaged over 12 made 3-pointers per contest, leading the nation in 2021-22, a season in which the team set a program record with a 3.34 GPA.
Caldwell coached five First Team All-Mountain East Conference honorees at Glenville State, including John Williams, a 2020-21 DII All-American after averaging 27.8 points per game to lead the country in scoring. Four of his players, including Williams, went on to play DI basketball.
Before his first head coaching opportunity, Caldwell worked for two years, 2016-18, at Pennsylvania Western University California (California [PA]), a Division II institution in California, Pa. The previous three seasons, 2013-16, Caldwell was an assistant at Glenville State.
“I am thrilled to join the University of Tennessee men’s basketball staff,” Caldwell said. “It is a true privilege to work under someone like Rick Barnes, not only due to his immense success as a coach, but also because of who he is as a person. I cannot wait to get to work with this talented team and do all I can to help this excellent program continue its success.”
Caldwell got his first formal coaching job in 2012-13 as an assistant at Wyoming East High School in New Richmond, W.Va., his alma mater. As a prep senior in 2006-07, he led the Warriors to the Class AA state title and, for the second year in a row, earned first team all-state designation.
A standout collegian, Caldwell played three seasons at West Virginia Wesleyan College, a DII school in Buchanan, W.Va., and one at Glenville State. The two-time All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference designee totaled 1,997 points in his career. He capped his collegiate tenure by averaging 23.7 points per game and shooting 91.4 percent at the line for the Pioneers in 2010-11.
After the conclusion of his college career, Caldwell played for the BBC Bascharage Hedgehogs in Luxembourg for two seasons. During both his college and professional careers, Caldwell coached various youth teams during the summer.
Caldwell, who hails from Mullens, W.Va., earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Glenville State in 2013 and added a master’s degree in exercise science from California (PA) in 2017. He is married to Kim Caldwell, the head coach of the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team.
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 6/7 Tennessee will face its first true road test this season as it heads to Norman, Oklahoma for a primetime battle against the 15th-ranked Sooners on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
The top 15 showdown will also be the SEC opener for both teams as they look to start conference play off on the right foot after identical 3-0 starts to begin the year.
BROADCAST INFO
For the second time this season, the ABC primetime crew of Chris Fowler (PxP), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter) will have the call for Saturday’s game. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET.
UT fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast on the Vol Network (Local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) over 65 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 82) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 82), as well as the Varsity App. A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App.
Bob Kesling (PxP), VFL Pat Ryan (analyst) and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will call the action, with VFL Jayson Swain handling sideline duties for the Vol Network radio broadcast. The Big Orange Countdown pregame show begins two hours prior to kickoff at 5:30 p.m. The pregame show is hosted by John Wilkerson, Brent Hubbs, VFL Jayson Swain and a rotating VFL special guest each week. The Vol Network celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2024.
The Spanish broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990 with Carlos Lopez (play-by-play) and VFL Fuad Reveiz on the call. That version is also available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app.
NEED TO KNOW
Record-Setting Start Tennessee has outscored its opponents 191-13 through the first three games of the 2024 campaign. The plus-178 point differential through three games is the largest in SEC history and second-most by any FBS team in the AP Poll era (since 1936). Baylor’s 2013 team was first at plus-186.
The Vols have scored 50-plus points in the first three games of a season for just the second time in school history and first since 1913. That year, UT beat Carson-Newman 58-0, Athens 95-0 and Maryville 75-0. UT joined 2018 Alabama as the only SEC programs to accomplish the 50-point feat in the AP Poll era.
Dominant Defense Continues The Vols have gone 16 consecutive quarters – four full games – without allowing an offensive touchdown, which is tied with Georgia for the longest current streak in the nation. The 16-quarter run without allowing an offensive touchdown is tied for the third-longest streak in school history and longest overall for UT since keeping its opponent out the end zone in 18 consecutive quarters across five games from 1965-66.
The four-game streak without allowing an offensive touchdown is the longest for UT since shutting out 15-straight opponents from Nov. 5, 1938 to Dec. 9, 1939, under Gen. Robert Neyland. The current streak began with the first quarter of the 2024 Citrus Bowl vs. Iowa.
This season, opponents have scored only via an interception return (NC State) and two field goals. In the FBS this season, the Vols are second in the nation in both total defense (160.7 ypg) and third in scoring defense (4.3 ppg). UT is one of only three FBS programs to not allow an offensive touchdown this season, joining Georgia and Ohio State.
Oklahoma Connections Tennessee’s staff has no shortage of connections to the University of Oklahoma with four on-field coaches having either played and/or coached for the Sooners in the past. Head coach Josh Heupel returns to his alma mater, as the 2001 OU graduate quarterbacked the Sooners to their last national championship in 2000 and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up. From 1999-2000, Heupel posted a 20-5 record, passing for 7,456 yards and 53 touchdowns. Overall, in program history, he still ranks fifth in passing yards and fifth in touchdown passes. The 2000 consensus first-team All-American guided the Sooners to a perfect season, capped with a 13-2 win over Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl.
Heupel spent 11 years as an assistant at Oklahoma. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant from 2003-04, in which the Sooners reached the national title game both seasons. He then served as quarterbacks coach from 2006-14. He also served as co-offensive coordinator for OU from 2011-14 and coached Heisman Trophy winners Jason White (2003) and Sam Bradford (2008). In total as an assistant and as a player, Heupel owned a 137-36 (.792) record at Oklahoma with 10 10-win seasons and seven Big 12 championships.
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle is a two-time graduate of OU and played quarterback for the Sooners from 2006-08 under Heupel. Halzle got his coaching start at Oklahoma as a graduate assistant and offensive quality control assistant from 2009-14 and was part of five Big 12 championship teams.
Special teams coordinator/outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler was a defensive graduate assistant at OU with Heupel from 2003-04 and secondary coach Willie Martinez coached defensive backs for the Sooners from 2010-11.
Must-See Vols, ESPN College GameDay ESPN College GameDay will be on hand in Norman for this Saturday’s ranked showdown between the Vols and Sooners. It will be Tennessee’s 25th appearance all-time on the show and its fourth during the Heupel era. The Big Orange are 2-1 in their previous three games under Heupel when College GameDay is on-site.
SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma leads series, 3-1 The Vols and Sooners are set to meet for the fifth time on Saturday, which will mark the second contest between the two programs in Norman (2014).
Tennessee will be looking to end a three-game skid against Oklahoma and earn its first victory in the series since shutting out the Sooners, 17-0, in the 1939 Orange Bowl.
OU was victorious in the 1968 Orange Bowl and won back-to-back games in 2014 and 2015, including a double-overtime thriller at Neyland Stadium in the most recent meeting between the two historic programs. Saturday will mark the first contest between the Vols and Sooners as conference foes.
ABOUT OKLAHOMA
Head coach Brent Venables is in his third season leading the Sooners and has them ranked inside the top 15 after a 3-0 start to the year. Defense has been the calling card early in the season, as they have held their opponents to 11.3 points per game and 264.7 yards per game entering Saturday’s contest. Oklahoma also leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in turnover margin, having already racked up 10 takeaways (six fumble recoveries & four interceptions) through three games.
Offensively, OU has been led by dynamic quarterback Jackson Arnold, who leads the team in passing and rushing so far this season. The sophomore signal caller has completed nearly 63 percent of his passes for 484 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions while adding 159 yards and two scores on the ground. Redshirt junior wide receiver Deion Burks has been Arnold’s top target in the passing game with 22 receptions for 169 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Danny Stutsman leads a stout defense for the Sooners. The 2023 All-American ranks second in the SEC and 10th nationally in tackles with 33, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. Junior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas has also filled up the stat sheet with a team-leading four TLFs and three sacks to go along with two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Redshirt junior cornerback Kani Walker is one of four Sooners with an interception on the year and also leads the team with three pass breakups to pace the secondary.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WYMT) – Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed Friday that the body found near the I-75 mass shooting site is Joseph Couch.
The determination was made through DNA extraction.
“We appreciate everyone involved in the search and are grateful no one else has been hurt,” said Gov. Beshear. “We will continue to be there for those injured as well as the Laurel County community as they recover from this tragic situation.”
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett said he appreciates the efforts of those in the medical examiner’s office.
“This manhunt was the biggest team effort I have seen in my almost 30-year law enforcement career. We will forever be grateful for the assistance and resources provided by our local, state and federal partners,” said Burnett.
The body was found Wednesday by hikers in the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Officials said the cause of death was consistent with a gunshot wound to the head.
Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash is stepping down after almost a decade heading up the country’s most-visited national park.
Cash is taking over as President and CEO of Yosemite National Park.
Cash began his career in 1991 as a wildlife biologist before transitioning to a deputy forest supervisor before he began working for the National Park Service in 2010.
In 2021, Cash received the national Stephen Mather Award for creating Smokies Hikes for Healing, which emphasized conversations about race and diversity while hiking. It’s just one of his many accomplishments as the head of the Smokies.
Cash is expected to take on his new role in January of 2025.
The news came Thursday, when Yosemite Conservancy announced he would be taking over as president and CEO. (Courtesy: NPS)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office says a seventh-grade student is charged with threats of mass violence and false reports for making a bomb threat at a Knox County School.
Hardin Valley Middle School was locked down on Wednesday, and students were evacuated for the bomb threat.
KCSO says a suspicious backpack was cleared by the bomb team and students were permitted back inside the building.
Sheriff Tom Spangler has repeatedly said threats against students, teachers or staff at schools will not be tolerated, and the suspects will be punished.
Hardin Valley Middle School student charged after bomb threat. (Courtesy: WVLT)
District Leaders and the Blount County Commission unanimously voted on a resolution that asks for more thorough investigation into every single complaint of sexual misconduct in Blount County Schools.
This resolution also included an official request of state legislators to take away state certification and benefits from any educator that’s pleaded or found guilty of sexual misconduct, to avoid those people from being in school in the future in Tennessee.
“I was sexually assaulted by Joseph Dalton when I was in kindergarten at Porter Elementary School,” said a former Blount County student who said she was assaulted by Dalton. “Ever since then, I have blocked it out of my mind and what he did to me has affected my life. But I’m a survivor of a child molester who isn’t being held accountable for what he did to me.”
Gym teacher Joseph Dalton was arrested back in January and plead guilty to assault after several reports of inappropriate contact with students.
He taught at two elementary schools in Blount County and is being accused of tickling and touching students.
Investigators used surveillance video which shows students forcibly trying to remove themselves from Dalton, some of these allegations go back to 2005. He will have another appearance in court in November.
Leaders say they’re in contact with a firm in Iowa who’d be able to audit Blount County schools and go through more than a decades worth of complaints.
Posted on September 22, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
GATLINBURG, TN—The Flint Gap Fire is now 75% contained. Yesterday, firefighters hiked into the fire and continued to safely secure the perimeter and put out hot spots. Today fire crews continue to work the fire, mopping up hot spots and remaining areas of heat within the perimeter. Crews have had great success in reducing the threat from…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 22, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
WNBA PlayoffsUT In The WNBAShare:Eric TrainerWomen’s BasketballSeptember 21, 2024The WNBA Playoffs get under way this week, with the eight qualifying teams beginning first-round play on Sunday. Two LVFLs will be in action when their franchise embarks on its postseason journey. LVFLs Jordan Horston and Mercedes Russell will head into battle with No. 5 seed Seattle,…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 22, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
Game Recap: Football | September 22, 2024 NORMAN, Okla. – No. 6 Tennessee football showcased its defensive prowess in a commanding 25-15 SEC-opening victory over No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. The win marked the Vols’ 10th over a ranked opponent under head coach Josh Heupel, who made the return to his alma mater a…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 21, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Friday afternoon the hiring of Justin Caldwell as player development coordinator. A veteran coach, Caldwell possesses over a decade of experience across the Division I, Division II, high school and youth levels, including five years as a collegiate head coach. Caldwell most recently spent the…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 21, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 6/7 Tennessee will face its first true road test this season as it heads to Norman, Oklahoma for a primetime battle against the 15th-ranked Sooners on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. MORE INFO GAMEDAY & BROADCAST INFO #6/7 TENNESSEE (3-0 | 0-0 SEC) Game Notes Roster Schedule Stats Record Book #15/13 OKLAHOMA (3-0 | 0-0 SEC)…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 20, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
(Story courtesy of WVLT News) FRANKFORT, Ky. (WYMT) – Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed Friday that the body found near the I-75 mass shooting site is Joseph Couch. The determination was made through DNA extraction. “We appreciate everyone involved in the search and are grateful no one else has been hurt,” said Gov. Beshear. “We…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 20, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash is stepping down after almost a decade heading up the country’s most-visited national park. Cash is taking over as President and CEO of Yosemite National Park. Cash began his career in 1991 as a wildlife biologist before transitioning to a deputy forest supervisor before…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 20, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Two men are facing drug charges after a traffic stop Thursday morning in East Knoxville. Knoxville Police Department officials say officers stopped a Nissan truck on McConnell Street. During an investigation at the scene, they recovered over 36 grams of suspected crack cocaine and over $1,000 in cash from presumed drug sales.…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 20, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office says a seventh-grade student is charged with threats of mass violence and false reports for making a bomb threat at a Knox County School. Hardin Valley Middle School was locked down on Wednesday, and students were evacuated for the bomb threat. KCSO says a suspicious backpack was…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 20, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
District Leaders and the Blount County Commission unanimously voted on a resolution that asks for more thorough investigation into every single complaint of sexual misconduct in Blount County Schools. This resolution also included an official request of state legislators to take away state certification and benefits from any educator that’s pleaded or found guilty of…… Continue Reading
