Lady Vols’ 41-Point Second Quarter Fuels 102-61 Win Over Tulsa
Courtesy / UT Athletics

Lady Vols’ 41-Point Second Quarter Fuels 102-61 Win Over Tulsa

Posted on December 22, 2024

Game Recap: Women’s Basketball | December 21, 2024

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Senior forward Sara Puckett scored 12 of her season-high 17 points in the second quarter, aiding a 41-11 Big Orange blitz in that period that sent No. 18/16 Tennessee on its way to a 102-61 victory over Tulsa on Saturday at the West Palm Beach Classic.

The Lady Vols closed out their stay in Florida with a 2-0 mark and improved to 11-0 overall. This marks UT’s best start since opening 15-0 in 2017-18.

Puckett finished seven of 12 from the field, including 3-of-5 marksmanship from long range, and added seven rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. She knocked down five of seven field goal attempts in the second period, including two three-pointers in three tries, as her team broke open a 22-20 game after the opening period. 

Joining Puckett in double figures were Jewel Spear, who fired in 16 via four treys, junior Zee Spearman, who added 15, and redshirt sophomore Talaysia Cooper and junior Ruby Whitehorn, who chipped in 13 each. Spearman finished one shy of a double-double with a team-high nine boards.

Tulsa, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped, fell to 6-6. The Golden Hurricane got 17 points from Delanie Crawford, 12 from Mady Cartwright and 11 from Jade Clack on the offensive end. Hadley Periman pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Lady Vols grabbed a quick 2-0 lead on a pair of free throws from Zee Spearman, but Tulsa was the aggressor early on. The Golden Hurricane built a 9-4 cushion by the 7:45 mark before a three-pointer from Cooper, a layup by Jillian Hollingshead and free throws by Alyssa Latham evened things up at 11-all with 5:58 to go. A pair of buckets by TU, though, sent it into the 4:24 media break with a 15-11 advantage, thanks to a 12-4 differential in points in the paint and 58.3-percent shooting.  Tennessee began to whittle away at the deficit, getting a pair of Spear free throws and a Puckett three to retake the lead, 18-17, with 2:27 remaining. A Spearman close-range bank shot and a Cooper putback down the stretch helped their squad close out the opening stanza with a 22-20 edge.

A Cooper jumper in the paint and another from Spearman from the baseline provided the Lady Vols their biggest lead, 26-20, forcing Tulsa to ask for a timeout with 8:31 left in the second quarter.  The run continued, reaching 10-0 as Tennessee increased its pressure and held its foes scoreless from the 2:18 mark in the first quarter until 6:39 remaining in the second and upped the score to 30-20.  After the Golden Hurricane ended the drought with a bucket, UT scored the next five points and forced another TU timeout with the Big Orange leading 35-22 at the 6:08 mark. The Golden Hurricane scored shortly after the break, but another UT 9-0 burst propelled the Lady Vols to a 20-point lead, 44-24, with 3:08 showing on the clock. The Lady Vols closed out the first 20 minutes by outscoring Tulsa, 19-7, to take a 63-31 at the intermission behind 12 of Puckett’s 15 points in the first half.

Tennessee increased its margin by one in the early going of the second half, with Spear’s third trey of the game sending the teams into the 4:55 media timeout with the Big Orange on top, 71-38. A Darby three ball ballooned the lead to 37, 78-41, leading to a Tulsa timeout with 1:43 to go in the third. The Golden Hurricane tallied the last four points of the period to make it 78-45, UT, heading into the final 10 minutes.

The Lady Vols rotated in fresh reserves in the final frame, hitting a 40-point lead when Edie Darby drained a three in her third straight game to make it 89-49 with 5:21 remaining. A Cooper jumper in the paint sent the teams into the final media timeout with UT leading, 91-52. A Whitehorn layup and Destinee Wells three elicited Tulsa’s final timeout with 2:37 to go and the Big Orange leading 96-54. A Spearman three, a bucket by Avery Strickland and a free throw by Kaniya Boyd helped their squad close out the game and eclipse 100 points.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will take a brief holiday break and then return to action on Dec. 29, as they play host to Winthrop at Food City Center. Tennessee and the Eagles will meet at 2 p.m. ET in the Big Orange’s first Sunday home game of the season. The contest will be streamed on SECN+ and broadcast statewide on Lady Vol Network radio stations and worldwide via live stream on UTSports.com.

ELEVEN WINS IN A ROW: In her first year as the head coach of the Lady Vols, Kim Caldwell has guided the team to an 11-0 start, marking only the second time in 13 seasons UT has opened a campaign with that many wins. The 2024-25 squad joined the 2017-18 (15-0) unit in opening their years that way. UT won its first 11 contests for only the 10th time in program history, and Caldwell has built her second-best start to a season in her ninth year as a head coach. Top honors go to her 2021-22 GSU squad that started 29-0 on its way to 35-1 and an NCAA Division II national title

LOTS OF BUCKETS FOR PUCKETT: Sara Puckett produced a strong showing, racking up a team-leading and season-high 17 points versus Tulsa. Puckett made seven of 12 field goal attempts and hit three of five treys. The senior finished with a season-high seven rebounds, two steals and two assists. It’s the fifth game Puckett has landed in double figures.

TREYS FOR DAYS: Tennessee carded its seventh performance with ten or more three-pointers in a single contest, hitting 14 against Tulsa. The Big Orange was on target often, hitting 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. Nine Lady Vols knocked down a three-pointer, with Jewel Spear and Sara Puckett leading the charge with four and three, respectively.  In addition to the double-digit team three-point effort vs. the Golden Hurricane, Tennessee drained an NCAA, SEC and school-record 30 treys vs. N.C. Central and had 15 vs. MTSU, 14 vs. Liberty, 12 vs. Memphis, and 10 vs. Western Carolina and Samford.

100-POINT DUB: The Lady Vols tallied their fifth 100-point game of the 2024-25 season. That gives the program 92 all-time regular-season scoring efforts of 100 or more points through the Tulsa contest. Prior to Saturday’s matchup, UT had 101 in the opener vs. Samford on Nov. 5, 109 vs. Liberty on Nov. 16, 102 vs. Western Carolina on Nov. 26 and a school and SEC-record 139 vs. N.C. Central on Dec. 14. 

PRESSURE SPARKS SUCCESS: The Lady Vols forced Tulsa to turn the ball over a total of 23 times during Saturday’s win, posting a 27-13 advantage on points off turnovers. Eight of Tennessee’s foes thus far have committed at least 22 miscues, including N.C. Central (44), Samford (37), Western Carolina (37), UT Martin (31), Iowa (30), Liberty (25), Tulsa (23) and Middle Tennessee (22). Tennessee also forced a 10-second violation versus the Golden Hurricane, with UT’s press now resulting in 13 10-second violations by opponents through 11 games.

FB PREVIEW: #7 Vols Head North for Playoff Battle Against #6 Buckeyes
Courtesy / UT Athletics

FB PREVIEW: #7 Vols Head North for Playoff Battle Against #6 Buckeyes

Posted on December 21, 2024

Read Online | Watch (ABC/ESPN) | Listen (Vol Network) | Live Stats | UT Game Notes | Digital Game Program | CFP Bracket

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After three weeks of rest and preparation, the time has finally arrived for No. 7 Tennessee’s College Football Playoff debut as it takes on No. 6 Ohio State tonight in primetime at Ohio Stadium.   

Tonight’s showdown in Columbus will mark the Volunteers’ first-ever road game against a Big 10 team at the time of the meeting as well as the program’s first time playing a game in the state of Ohio.

In the first year of the expanded 12-team playoff, UT enters as the No. 9 seed after posting a 10-2 record overall with a 6-2 mark in the Southeastern Conference while the Buckeyes are the No. 8 seed after finishing 10-2 overall, including a 7-2 record in the Big 10.

The complete 2024 CFP bracket can be found HERE.

BROADCAST INFO

Saturday’s game will be nationally televised on ABC and ESPN with Chris Fowler (PxP), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Marty Smith (field reporter) and Holly Rowe (field reporter) on the call. Coverage is slated to begin at 8 p.m. ET.

The game will also feature an ESPN Megacast with multiple auxiliary broadcasts on the ESPN family of networks, all of which are listed below.

Main Broadcast (ABC & ESPN): LINK
McAfee Field Pass (ESPN2): LINK
Command Center (ESPNU): LINK
SkyCast (ESPNews): LINK
SkyCast 2 (SEC Network): LINK
Spanish Broadcast (ESPN Deportes): LINK
Halftime Band Performances (ESPN3): LINK

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. Fans attending the game are encouraged to listen to the radio broadcast via the Vol Network Stadiumcast on 91.1 FM.

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 6 p.m. ET. The pregame show is hosted by John Wilkerson, Hubbs, 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. 

SEC Network will be on location in Ohio Stadium. A special edition of Marty & McGee airs at 6 p.m. followed by SEC Now at 7 p.m. 

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Fans are encouraged to visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com for gameday information.

Additionally, fans should note the Ohio Stadium bag policy – bags or purses of any size are NOT permitted in Ohio Stadium. Wallets, clutches or wristlets no larger than 5″ x 8″ x 1″ are permitted. Fans should also be aware that Ohio Stadium is a CASHLESS venue. Concession stands accept debit cards, credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

Any fans that purchased tickets through Tennessee Athletics’ official allotment are encouraged to enter through Gate 6.

NEED TO KNOW

Vols Set to Make CFP Debut
Tennessee will make its first appearance in the College Football Playoff this Saturday night when it squares off against Ohio State at The Shoe. The contest will be the Vols’ first game in the state of Ohio and just their second-ever meeting with the Buckeyes. The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the CFP quarterfinals to take on No. 1 seed Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, California.

D-Samp, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Junior running back Dylan Sampson has orchestrated one of the most prolific rushing seasons in SEC history and was recognized by being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press. Sampson has also earned All-America honors from seven different outlets after setting four single-season program records.

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native enters this weekend’s contest with a Tennessee record 22 rushing touchdowns, a mark that leads the Power Four and ranks fourth nationally as well as tied for fifth in SEC history with LSU’s Leonard Fournette (2015). Sampson has found pay dirt at least once in 11 games this season and has scored multiple touchdowns seven different times. He is tied for second in program history for career rushing scores with 35 and needs just two more to tie Gene McEver’s record of 37 from 1928-31.

Sampson also enters the CFP first round matchup at Ohio State as the SEC’s leading rusher with 1,485 yards, which is another single-season program record after he ran for a career-high 178 yards in the regular-season finale at Vanderbilt to surpass Travis Stephens previous record of 1,464 yards in 2001.

Championship Caliber Defense
Led by defensive coordinator and Broyles Award finalist Tim Banks, the Vols have boasted one of the nation’s top defensive units all year long, ranking among the FBS leaders in scoring defense (t-4th – 13.9), yards per play allowed (4th – 4.33), total defense (4th – 278.3), third-down defense (5th – 29.5), tackles for loss (7th – 7.8), rushing defense (8th – 99.6) and red zone defense (11th – 73.5).

Tennessee has held its opponents to under 20 points in 11 out of its last 13 games dating back to last season’s 35-0 Citrus Bowl shutout of Iowa. During this stretch, the Vols have pitched three shutouts, including two this season (71-0 vs. Kent State on Sept. 14 and 56-0 vs. UTEP on Nov. 23). It’s the first time UT has recorded multiple shutouts in a season since the final two regular season games of 2002 against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Tennessee and Texas are the only SEC teams to hold 10 of their opponents under 20 points this season.

Nico Playing His Best Football
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava enters Saturday’s game playing his best football of the season. The redshirt freshman has passed for four touchdowns in back-to-back games, becoming the first UT player to do so since Tyler Bray did it in three-straight games during the 2012 season.

Iamaleava is the first Tennessee freshman quarterback in school history – true or redshirt – to win 10 games in a season as the starter. He’s also the first UT signal caller to do so overall since Casey Clausen posted a 10-3 record as a senior in 2003. Iamaleava is seeking to become the first Vols’ quarterback to win at least 11 games in a season as the starter since Clausen went 11-2 as a sophomore in 2001.

Non-Conference Success
Tennessee comes into Saturday’s contest with a non-conference winning streak that sits at 14 games, its longest since winning 27 straight against non-SEC foes from 1969-73. The current streak dates back to a Sept. 1, 2022, season-opening victory over Ball State. The Vols’ last non-conference loss was to Purdue in the 2021 Music City Bowl.

Under head coach Josh Heupel, UT is 17-2 in non-conference games and has outscored its opponents 950-246. The Vols have won their last four against non-conference ranked teams, as well (at No. 17 Pitt, vs. No. 10 Clemson, vs. No. 20 Iowa, vs. No. 24 NC State). Since the start of the 2022 season, Tennessee is 14-0 versus non-conference teams. Only Georgia (15-0) owns a better non-conference record in the FBS during that span. The Big Orange are seeking their first road win over a non-conference top-10 team since beating No. 6 Miami, 10-6, in Miami on Nov. 8, 2003. 

ESPN College GameDay on Site
For the third time this season, ESPN College GameDay will be on site for a Tennessee road game. Saturday will mark the Vols’ 27th all-time appearance on the show, as well. In the previous five College GameDay appearances for the Big Orange under head coach Josh Heupel, they have posted a 3-2 record, with victories over Oklahoma (2024), Alabama (2022) and Florida (2022).

SERIES HISTORY

Tennessee leads series, 1-0
The Vols and Buckeyes will meet for the just second time in the storied history of the two programs when they face off on Saturday night. Tennessee won the only prior contest in the series, posting a 20-14 victory in a battle of top-five teams at the 1996 Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Running back Jay Graham was named the game’s MVP after rushing for 154 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 182 yards and a score, connecting with star wideout Joey Kent seven times for 109 yards.

ABOUT OHIO STATE

Ohio State is making its sixth College Football Playoff appearance in program history, which ranks third in the FBS behind Alabama (eight) and Clemson (seven). The Buckeyes are one of six teams to win a national championship in the CFP era, winning the very first playoff in 2014. They are led by head coach Ryan Day, who has posted an impressive 66-10 overall record during his time in Columbus.

The Buckeyes are led by one of the nation’s most dominant defenses, ranking No. 1 nationally in points per game allowed (10.9), yards per game allowed (241.1) and red zone defense (55.2). All-American safety Caleb Downs leads the Ohio State defense, totaling 61 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and an interception. Junior linebacker Sonny Styles leads the team with 76 total tackles while senior defensive end JT Tuimoloau has wreaked havoc off the edge with a team-high 11.5 TFLs and six sacks.

Offensively, OSU ranks 16th in the country in scoring, averaging 35.5 points per game. The Buckeyes feature a balanced attack, having passed for 3,052 yards and rushed for 2,030 yards on the year. The dynamic backfield duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have combined for 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground this season. Quarterback Will Howard has been effective, as well, completing 73 percent of his passes for 2,860 yards and 27 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. Ohio State boasts one of the nation’s most talented receiving corps, with the trio of Jeremiah Smith (57 rec., 934 yds, 10 TD), Emeka Egbuka (60 rec., 743 yds, 9 TD) and Carnell Tate (41 rec., 583 yds, 4 TD) leading the way.

Cooper’s 15-Point Third Frame Helps No. 18/16 UT Repel Spiders, 92-67
Courtesy / UT Athletics

Cooper’s 15-Point Third Frame Helps No. 18/16 UT Repel Spiders, 92-67

Posted on December 21, 2024

Game Recap: Women’s Basketball | December 20, 2024 | Eric Trainer

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper scored 15 of her game-high 24 points in the third quarter, propelling No. 18/16 Tennessee past RV/NR Richmond, 92-67, on Friday afternoon at the West Palm Beach Classic. 

With a partisan orange-clad crowd cheering them on, the Lady Volunteers improved to 10-0 on the season, marking the third time during the post-Pat Summitt era and 13th time in program history the team has begun a campaign with 10 straight wins. The Spiders, who are ranked No. 31 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, fell to 9-3 after losing their second straight game to a ranked Power Four program. No. 6 Texas defeated UR by 11 last Sunday, 65-54, on the Spiders’ home court.

Cooper, a 6-0 guard, took over in the third stanza, scoring 15 of the Lady Vols’ 26 points in the frame after Richmond cut the gap to six just after halftime. She finished 10 of 18 from the field and added five steals in her sixth game this season with 20 or more points. 

Also hitting double figures in points for the Big Orange were Ruby Whitehorn with 15 and Samara Spencer with 11, with the Fort Lauderdale native knocking down three of seven tries beyond the arc and dishing a game-best six assists. Zee Spearman led her squad on the glass, hauling down nine caroms and was a rebound bucket shy of her second straight double-double with eight points on the day.

Richmond, which trailed 23-21 after one and 47-39 at the half, was led by Rachel Ullstrom with 19 points. Maggie Doogan, Ally Sweeney and Addie Budnik chipped in 14, 13 and 12 points, respectively. 

The Lady Vols pushed in front early, taking a 5-0 lead with 9:07 to go on a jumper by Spearman and a Tess Darby three. Richmond evened the score at five, 10 and 12, and countered a Kaniya Boyd putback with a Doogan three to take a 15-14 advantage at the 4:46 media break. The Spiders grabbed their biggest lead of the game, 17-14, on an Ullstrom three-pointer with 4:33 remaining and led 19-16 on an Anna Camden layup at the 2:29 mark before UT reeled off five straight to wrestle back the lead, 21-19, on a three by Sara Puckett and a Spearman putback. After UR evened it up at 21, Spencer hit a runner before the buzzer sounded to provide her team a 23-21 lead after one.

UR knotted it up at 23-all out of the quarter break, but Tennessee built its biggest gap at 30-23 on the strength of a Whitehorn jumper off the glass, a Spencer three and an Alyssa Latham layup. UT pushed its lead to nine, 34-25, with 5:49 to go on a pair of Boyd free throws and a Whitehorn turnaround jumper in the paint. A 9-4 spurt via three-balls from Cooper, Spencer and Darby extended the Lady Vol lead to 13, 43-30, and forced the Spiders to ask for time with 3:15 left. UT pushed the gap to 15, 47-32, on a Whitehorn layup with 1:55 remaining, but UR trimmed the deficit to eight with a 7-0 half-ending run to trail the Big Orange, 47-39.

Richmond scored first in the second half, trimming the margin to six, 47-41, on a pair of free throws with 9:35 on the clock. Cooper offered a quick and thorough personal response, scoring 11 points over the next four minutes and putting her team up by 17, 60-43, on a layup with 5:29 to go. The Spiders managed a score before heading into the 4:29 media break trailing 60-45. Another 8-2 burst by the Lady Vols, capped by a Cooper layup, forced UR to call another timeout with UT on top, 68-47, with 2:02 left. Cooper added two more buckets in the final two minutes, finishing with 15 for the period and enabling the Big Orange to take a comfortable 73-50 cushion into the fourth frame.

A 7-2 Richmond blitz to start the final quarter elicited a timeout by Tennessee with 8:04 remaining and the Lady Vols in front, 75-57. After some course correction from head coach Kim Caldwell, Tennessee pushed back in front by 20 at 81-61 with 3:38 reading on the board, getting a layup after Cooper found Puckett en route to the bucket.  An Edie Darby three-pointer with 20 ticks left gave UT its largest lead of the afternoon, 92-65, before the Spiders scored the game’s final points to end the proceedings at 92-67.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will take a brief holiday break and then return to action on Dec. 29, as they play host to Winthrop at Food City Center. Tennessee and the Eagles will meet at 2 p.m. ET in the Big Orange’s first Sunday home game of the season. The contest will be streamed on SECN+ and broadcast statewide on Lady Vol Network radio stations and worldwide via live stream on UTSports.com.

10-0 AND COUNTING: Under first-year head coach Kim Caldwell, the Lady Vols have compiled a 10-0 start for the 13th time in program history. It marks the third 10-0 start in the past 13 seasons and joins the 2017-18 (15-0) and 2013-14 (10-0) post-Pat Summitt era UT squads in opening their campaigns that way. Caldwell has built her second-best start to a season in her ninth year as a head coach. Top honors go to her 2021-22 GSU squad that started 29-0 on its way to 35-1 and an NCAA Division II national title

NINE GAMES WITH A NEW FIVE: Tennessee has started the season 10-0 with nine different starting lineups and eight different players appearing in the first five. Jewel Spear, Samara Spencer, Tess Darby, Talaysia Cooper and Zee Spearman opened the contest on Friday afternoon against the Spiders, marking the ninth unique first five. The tandem of Cooper and Spencer lead the squad with eight starts apiece. Spearman tallied her sixth start of the season, while Darby earned her fifth.

CAN’T CONTAIN COOP: Talaysia Cooper fired in a team-leading 24 points on Friday against the Spiders. She also led the squad in steals with five, while also producing an assist and a rebound. The redshirt sophomore has scored in double figures in every game this season except for one, carding her eighth straight double-digit contest. Cooper also recorded her sixth 20-point performance of the season. The guard has now added 20 or more points against the following opponents: Liberty (33), Richmond (24), Iowa (23), Florida State (22), N.C. Central (21) and Western Carolina (20).

SUCCESS IN THE PAINT: The Lady Vols established a big presence in the paint, contributing 52 points from the lane. It marks the seventh time thus far that Tennessee has recorded 40 or more points from paint production. The squad tallied their season-best against Western Carolina (60), followed by Samford (54), Richmond (52), Florida State (46), Iowa (44), Liberty (42) and UT Martin (42). The forward trio of Zee Spearman, Jillian Hollingshead and Sara Puckett combined for 17 of those points. Spearman contributed eight, Puckett tossed in five and Hollingshead notched four.  

ON THE MARK: The Lady Vols connected on 37 of 72 shots for 51.4 percent against Richmond, finishing with their second-highest shooting percentage of the season. Tennessee knocked down 40 of 90 attempts (52.2 percent) against N.C. Central on Dec. 14 for their top showing. During the affair against Richmond, Tennessee posted 50 percent or higher marksmanship in three out of the four stanzas. The team got better after burying 12 of 27 shots (44.4 percent) in the opening quarter by sinking 12 of 21 buckets (57.1 percent) in the second. They followed suit in the third quarter (14 of 27, 51.9 percent) and the final period (9 of 15, 60 percent).

One Dead after Knoxville House Fire, KFD Says

One Dead after Knoxville House Fire, KFD Says

Posted on December 20, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) One person is dead after a house fire early this morning on Pilleaux Drive in North Knoxville.

Knoxville Fire Department officials say the call came in around 6:00 a.m.

They say responding firefighters had to cut a hole in the floor of the home to gain access to the fire which was determined to be below the floor in a crawlspace. Crews were able to extinguish the fire quickly.

Fire crews found the homeowner dead inside the residence. No other injuries were reported.

The home suffered significant smoke and water damage.

An investigation is underway to determine a cause.

Knoxville Fire Department crews respond to a house fire on Pilleaux Drive in Knoxville. (Courtesy: KFD)
Knoxville Police Take over Investigation after Body Found in Anderson County Landfill

Knoxville Police Take over Investigation after Body Found in Anderson County Landfill

Posted on December 20, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Investigators are now learning how a body ended up in a landfill in Anderson county.

Knoxville Police say 47-year-old Mark Denton was in a dumpster on Broadway for unknown reasons when the dumpster was emptied into a trash truck and dropped off at the Chestnut Ridge landfill.

His body was found December 11; that sparked an investigation with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

The medical examiner determined his death was accidental and occurred in Knoxville.

The Knoxville Police Department will now take over the investigation.

It began on Dec. 11 when ACSO found a man’s body at the Chestnut Ridge Landfill on Fleenor Mill Road. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Suspect in Roane County I-40 Standoff Dead, Tennessee Highway Patrol Says

Suspect in Roane County I-40 Standoff Dead, Tennessee Highway Patrol Says

Posted on December 20, 2024

Rockwood, TN (WOKI) A shooting suspect out of Overton County is dead after an almost two-hour long standoff with the Tennessee Highway Patrol in Roane County.

The situation began Friday morning at the Hutchinson Plant in Livingston. Officials say the suspect was involved in a shooting at the plant’s parking lot, then fled the scene.

A standoff with Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers ensued on I-40 in Roane County, just north of Rockwood, around 9:15 a.m. during which troopers worked to negotiate with the suspect. Officials have confirmed the suspect is dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound during the incident.

Emergency Management Officials in Overton County confirm two people were injured at the plant shooting, with one airlifted to a nearby hospital.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Mark Nagi confirmed that I-40 West in Roane County had reopened. The eastbound lanes are expected to remain closed for some time; traffic is being diverted at exit 340 and returned to the interstate at exit 347.

Throughout the situation, TDOT also reported several crashes. Pictures shared by Nagi show an intense wreck between several tractor-trailers. He said no one was seriously injured in the crash.

I-40 standoff in Roane County causes tractor-trailer crash. (Courtesy: TDOT)

THP identifies drivers in deadly Chapman Highway crash
Courtesy / WVLT News

THP identifies drivers in deadly Chapman Highway crash

Posted on December 20, 2024

By Kelly Ann Krueger

Published: Dec. 19, 2024 at 9:43 PM EST|

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – One person died after a crash on Chapman Highway Monday, according to a Tennessee Highway Patrol crash report obtained by WVLT News.

Benjamin Jones was driving a 2013 GMC Sierra north on U.S. 411 when he crossed into the opposite lane. The 46-year-old hit another car, a 2007 Honda Ridgeline, head-on, according to the report.

Jones died from his injuries while the driver of the other car, 72-year-old Randall Shelley, was injured.

The crash happened near 10023 Chapman Hwy.

More than 140 homeless people in Knoxville remembered during ceremony
Courtesy / WVLT News

More than 140 homeless people in Knoxville remembered during ceremony

Posted on December 20, 2024

Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service honored those who died over the last year.

By Sam Luther

That’s according to the city’s homeless coalition and its president, Bruce Spangler.

On Thursday night the homeless coalition along with other city leaders hosted a memorial service for all the homeless people who died in Knoxville within the last year.

“They died for the most part because they had no permanent shelter,” said Spangler.

The ceremony took place at St. John’s Lutheran Church where all 141 names of those who died were read aloud as a way to make sure nobody was forgotten.

“This is a way for us to give dignity to their presence among us,” said Spangler.

Spangler said the biggest thing that city leaders can do to help fix homelessness in Knoxville is to continue to build more affordable housing complexes.

Warming shelters across the city open every time it’s expected to get to 25 degrees or colder. You can find more information by following this link.

Bears’ euthanasia putting strain on wildlife agency’s relationship with rescue
Courtesy / Volunteer TV News

Bears’ euthanasia putting strain on wildlife agency’s relationship with rescue

Posted on December 20, 2024

Officials with the TWRA said the situation has prompted them to question the future of their relationship with Appalachian Bear Rescue.

By Camruinn Morgan-Rumsey

Published: Dec. 19, 2024 at 11:28 AM EST

TOWNSEND, Tenn. (WVLT) – Several leaders with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spoke Wednesday morning, addressing their controversial decision to euthanize 13 bear cubs from Appalachian Bear Rescue.

Officials with the agency said the situation has prompted them to question the future of their relationship with the rescue.

What happened?

The back-and-forth between the state agency and the bear rescue began Wednesday when ABR posted to Facebook saying the TWRA had decided to put down the bears without communicating to the rescue first.

TWRA Executive Director Jason Maxedon said that isn’t true.

Previous Coverage: ‘Unsuitable for release’ | TWRA responds after deciding to euthanize 13 bear cubs

“Some of this information has been misconstrued,” Maxedon said. “We have been working with them and trying to keep them informed of what has been going on.”

TWRA Deputy Director Brandon Wear also spoke Thursday, outlining the timeline of the whole decision-making process.

According to Wear, ABR staff noticed one of their cubs had pneumonia-like symptoms near the end of November and sent it to UT for treatment.

Days later on Nov. 26, Wear said, TWRA learned about what happened and hosted a meeting with several expert groups to decide what should happen next.

On that list was the UT Institute for Agriculture, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, the National Park Service and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, he said.

According to Wear, ABR was told about the situation on Dec. 10. Maxedon said the rescue was given multiple chances to speak to veterinary staff about why the bears had to be put down.

“I personally spoke to the director of ABR about this decision,” Maxedon said. “The ABR director was invited more than once to speak to the veterinary staff.”

Maxedon went on to say that ABR staff did not agree with TWRA’s decision and did not want to discuss it with the agency.

So what does this situation mean for ABR? Maxedon and Dr. Dan Grove, a UT wildlife expert, both spoke on the rescue’s future with TWRA.

Grove said, at the very least, the rescue needs to fully sanitize two of its enclosures — the two that have hosted sick bear cubs.

“In terms of sanitation, because this is an outdoor enclosure, the recommendation is for a controlled burn,” Grove said.

That would burn off leaf litter and other natural material that could be playing host to disease-causing pathogens.

As for inside enclosures and any man-made structures, they’d need to be cleaned with chemicals before TWRA sent any bears to ABR.

However, Maxedon said the entire situation has put a strain on TWRA’s relationship with ABR, and cleaning the enclosures alone might not guarantee the agency works with the rescue again.

“We’re going to reevaluate our relationship with ABR,” he said, referring specifically to ABR’s comments about not being involved in the decision-making process.

Why are the bears being euthanized?

It’s a decision that’s faced plenty of pushback, even in just the day or so since the news was made public.

Grove outlined TWRA’s thinking process, trying to explain why the 13 bears need to be put down, even if treatment clears up their symptoms.

“Just because a treatment occurs and you resolve signs we can visibly see, doesn’t mean the bacteria might not still be there,” he said. According to Grove, a “cured” bear, when released back into the wild, could still infect other wild bears.

“We can’t run the risk that they may be a subclinical carrier for the disease,” Grove said. “It’s out of an abundance of caution that we’ve opted to go down this route.”

Even if treatment could guarantee that a bear, when released into the wild, would not infect others, there’s still a timing issue, according to Maxedon.

The director said, usually, bears only spend six to nine months in rehabilitation. After that, they’re released into the wild before they can develop bad habits around humans.

“We don’t want them to become so comfortable being around humans that they approach humans after being released to the wild,” he said.

What’s happened to the 13 bear cubs?

Maxedon said the TWRA had taken eight of the 13 cubs to UT already, and they had been put down. That means there’s five more still at ABR as of Thursday.

When asked, he reiterated that the TWRA does not make decisions like this lightly; he said anyone who works in the industry is passionate about wildlife.

No Suspect after Deadly Overnight Shooting, Knoxville Police Say

Posted on December 19, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knoxville Police Department is investigating after one person is killed and another injured in a shooting early Thursday morning on Washington Pike.

KPD says officers en route to the North Hills Apartments for a reported gunshot victim, spotted a car that had crashed into a fence in the 2900 block of Washington Pike. The driver, an adult man, was found to have been shot at least once; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers found another victim at the apartment complex; that man was taken to UT Medical Center with serious injuries.

Investigators believe that the shooting happened on Washington Pike and one of the men left the scene, heading to the apartment complex for help.

Officials say the department’s homicide unit is leading the investigation, and there is no suspect at this time.

Those with information are being asked to call East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers anonymously at 865-215-7165.

It happened around 3:40 a.m., KPD said, at North Hills Apartments when officers responded to a call for a shooting. (Courtesy: KPD)

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