An 11 year-old girl in Sevierville is battling a rare virus from mosquitoes.
According to the CDC, less than 100 people in the US are infected with the La Crosse virus each year, with most of the cases coming from kids 16 or under.
Brynlee Henderson is one of only a few in the state who’s been infected so far in 2024. Her symptoms started on August 31st while her family was vacationing in South Carolina, when headaches, fevers, and extreme light sensitivity continued, the family came home and went to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Doctors told the family they believed Brynlee had been infected with the rare virus.
Routine things like eating, drinking, and communicating clearly have been a struggle for the Brynlee due to brain swelling. She was released from the hospital yesterday (Thursday) but will likely have lingering effects from the La Crosse virus.
A McMinn County man is facing felony charges for making school threats.
The McMinn County Sheriff’s Office says 44-year-old Joshua Webb after they were told a man near Niota Elementary School had made the threat. A Department of Homeland Security agent responded to Webb’s house on County Road 255.
Webb is facing three charges of threats of mass violence, which is a felony in Tennessee.
School threats and arrests continue in Knox County Schools.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office responding to five school threats yesterday (Thursday) morning. A twelve-year-old seventh-grade female student from Cedar Bluff Middle was arrested for threats of mass violence, a twelve-year-old Gibbs middle school female student was arrested for false reports and an 11-year-old, Hardin Valley Middle School female student has been arrested for Threats of Mass Violence.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Fire and Explosive investigation unit, along with Juvenile Detectives investigating a trash can that was intentionally set on fire at South Doyle High School arrest a 14-year-old male student at the school for Attempted Aggravated Arson, setting fire to personal property, and vandalism.
Several law enforcement agencies in Roane, Morgan and Loudon Counties are investigating a string of school threats, with several students being taken into custody.
District Attorney General Russell Johnson says waves of posts on social media speculate about what happened at Rockwood High School this week. A person or group of people have been circulating two “vague and non-specific” posts threatening violence at Rockwood High School, but those posts are four years old by a troubled child.
Johnson also said the person or group who’s dredging up the old posts likely have some animosity towards Roane County law enforcement.
The DA says a Wartburg Elementary School student was charged Wednesday for statements they made in class and a Roane County High School student was charged for making their own statements. Two Cherokee Middle School students were charged, one made a verbal threat and the other falsely reported a threat last week.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference announced the 2025 league schedules for all 16 baseball teams Thursday afternoon.
Tennessee, the reigning national champion, has a loaded home slate that features series against Florida (March 14-16), Texas A&M (April 4-6), Kentucky (April 18-20), Auburn (May 2-4) and Vanderbilt (May 9-11) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium this season.
The Vols’ road series include trips to Alabama (March 21-23), South Carolina (March 28-30), Ole Miss (April 11-13), LSU (April 25-27) and Arkansas (May 15-17).
Each of UT’s first three home SEC series—Florida, Texas A&M and Kentucky—will feature a battle between 2024 College World Series participants.
UT’s series against the Gators will be just the second time it has opened its conference slate in Knoxville since 2018 when Tony Vitello took over as head coach.
Eight of the Vols 10 SEC opponents played in an NCAA regional last season, with three of those teams advancing to an NCAA super regional. Tennessee’s showdown with the Aggies on April 4-6 will be a rematch of last year’s CWS final, which saw the Big Orange will two of three games to claim their first-ever national title on the diamond.
The SEC Tournament will once again be held at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama. The tournament will begin on Tuesday, May 20 with the championship game slated to be played on Sunday, May 25.
Tennessee returns 17 letterwinners from last year’s team and welcomed in the nation’s No. 1 ranked signing class by Perfect Game to go along with several high-profile additions from the transfer portal.
The Vols’ full 2025 SEC schedule can be seen below. All series other than the final weekend of conference play are currently scheduled to be played Friday-Sunday but are subject to change to Thursday-Saturday based on television. Those altered series dates will be announced when the TV schedule is released in January or February.
UT’s full 2025 schedule will be released later this fall.
Tennessee Baseball 2025 SEC Schedule
March 14-16: FLORIDA (Knoxville, Tenn.) March 21-23: at Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) March 28-30: at South Carolina (Columbia, S.C.) April 4-6: TEXAS A&M (Knoxville, Tenn.) April 11-13: at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.) April 18-20: KENTUCKY (Knoxville, Tenn.) April 25-27: at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.) May 2-4: AUBURN (Knoxville, Tenn.) May 9-11: VANDERBILT (Knoxville, Tenn.) May 15-17: at Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.) May 20-25: SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI A 14-year-old South Doyle High School student is facing serious charges following a fire Thursday afternoon in a trash can at the school.
Deputies and juvenile detectives responded around 2:00 p.m. to the trash fire; officials said they believed it was set intentionally.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested later in the day in connection to the fire; he is facing charges of attempted aggravated arson, setting fire to personal property, and vandalism.
A 14-year-old boy is facing multiple charges in connection to the incident Thursday, KCSO said. (Frankly Media)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) We’re just over a month into Knox County’s school year, and the number of people facing charges for threatening schools is steadily growing.
Wednesday, District Attorney Charme Allen said 17 people in Knox County were being charged in connection to school threats. Thursday morning, that total had jumped to 23.
However, that news came early Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office reported that it had responded to five more threats, arresting a 12-year-old Cedar Bluff Middle School student. More arrests could be coming, according to KCSO.
The news of charges comes after the school district saw a major spike in threats, which prompted increased police presence at Knox County schools.
WVLT News sat down Thursday morning with Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, who said keeping students safe is a priority.
“School shootings and and these things are top of mind,” Jacobs said. “This is not a joke. It’s not a prank. It’s not funny. It’s not cute. It’s a crime, and if you’re caught, and most likely you will be caught, there are serious penalties, so please don’t do this.”
Jacob’s comments echo a lot of what Sheriff Tom Spangler told WVLT News leading into the school year. New state legislation is upping the seriousness of mass violence threats, and Spangler made it clear that he intends to crack down on school threats.
”If it happens and if you’re caught, we’ve made it very clear,” Spangler said. “I’m going to sound redundant, but it’s that important to me that we hold these individuals accountable.”
Knox County isn’t the only school system to see a jump in threats this week. Several counties and school systems across East Tennessee placed more officers inside schools Wednesday as a precaution.
A McMinn County man is facing felony charges for making school threats, according to the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office.
The news of charges comes after the school district saw a major spike in threats, which prompted increased police presence at Knox County schools. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced Thursday that Tennessee women’s tennis coach Alison Ojeda has agreed to a contract extension through June 30, 2029, to remain on Rocky Top.
“Our women’s tennis program has continued to show phenomenal growth under Alison’s leadership,” White said. “It’s remarkable that in our history, we have been to two Final Fours – the first with Alison as a player and the most recent historic run last season as a coach – she really is the embodiment of a Lady Vol!”
Ojeda, the 2024 National ITA Wilson Coach of the Year, has elevated the women’s tennis program to unprecedented levels of success. The Lady Volunteers have finished six of the last seven full seasons inside the ITA top 25 and have made the NCAA Team Championship every year under her watch, with the exception of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Lady Vols’ final ranking of No. 12 in 2024 marked their highest finish since 2010.
“I feel both honored and lucky to be working for such and an incredible chancellor and athletic director,” Ojeda remarked. “My family, staff and program are so thankful to Donde Plowman, Danny White and Cam Walker for their unmatched support and for the continued opportunity to coach our Lady Volunteer tennis team. We take great pride in our program and make sure to do the best job we can at recruiting student-athletes who will represent the University of Tennessee well.”
During the 2024 season, Ojeda guided her team to 22 victories, the second straight year the team set a new top mark of her tenure. Tennessee beat 12 ranked opponents, including seven in the top 25, notably defeating No. 1 Oklahoma State. The Lady Vols have now produced back-to-back seasons of at least 21 victories for the first time since 2002-03. This is the winningest two-year stretch for the program since those two campaigns.
Under Ojeda’s leadership, the Lady Vols ended No. 1 Oklahoma State’s 29-match winning streak with a 4-2 victory, advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2010. They continued their impressive performance by defeating No. 8 UCLA and reaching the Final Four for the second time in program history, matching the achievement of the 2002 team. At No. 16 nationally, Tennessee became the lowest-seeded team ever to reach the NCAA semifinals in the 64-team era, which dates back to 1999.
“Every day is a great day to be on Rocky Top,” Ojeda added. “I have been feeling that since I was an 18-year-old freshman at UT back in 2002 and 22 years later, I feel it more than ever. Winning matters. Not just on the scoreboard, but every day in life too.”
Beyond her achievements on the court, Ojeda has shown remarkable ability in developing student-athletes into leaders, both academically and in the community. Last season, Esther Adeshina was honored as the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. In the classroom, Ojeda’s student-athletes have maintained a perfect Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for the past eight years.
Throughout her career on Rocky Top, Ojeda has developed four All-Americans (two in 2024), as well as 15 All-SEC, All-SEC Newcomer or SEC All-Freshman honorees (three in 2024). She has also earned the second National ITA Wilson Coach award in program history (2024) and the third SEC Coach of the Year award in program history (2023). Ojeda is a four-time recipient of the ITA Ohio Valley Region Coach of the Year.
The 2024-25 campaign will mark Ojeda’s ninth season as the head coach at her alma mater.
For all the latest information from Lady Vol Tennis, follow the team on Twitter/X @Vol_WTennis, Instagram @vol_wtennis or Facebook.
(Knoxville, TN- WOKI / KPD) 47-year-old Antonio Fontaine, of Memphis, has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault as well as one count of felony reckless endangerment following a shots fired incident that happened on Clinton Highway late Wednesday night.
At around 10:50 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a report that a man was firing a gun at multiple people. Responding officers quickly located the man, since identified as Fontaine, in the parking lot of the McDonald’s at 6715 Clinton Highway. Fontaine, who was armed with a loaded handgun, was immediately taken into custody.
An employee of the McDonald’s reported that he heard five or six shots being fired and also saw Fontaine fire shots into the McDonald’s. Fontaine also allegedly pointed his firearm at multiple McDonald’s employees as they attempted to run from the store to safety. No injuries were reported in the shooting.
It is believed that Fontaine was involved in a domestic-related shooting prior to his arrival at the McDonald’s. No injuries were reported in that shooting, which remains under investigation by KPD detectives.
Fontaine, a previously convicted felon, was also charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon in addition to the five counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless endangerment. Additional or upgraded charges are possible as the investigation progresses.
A Jefferson County is facing charges after the sheriff’s office says he went on a multi-county burglary string.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says 48-year-old Christopher Driggers was taken into custody after deputies were called to Lakeside Drive in White Pine for a burglary call, where a neighbor told them they had seen a U-Haul truck in the area. That neighbor reportedly had pictures of the truck, which investigators used to track down who had rented it: Driggers.
JCSO investigators and detectives from the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office went to a home in Newport, where they found Driggers and several of the stolen items.
Investigators say items were taken from not only the burglary on Lakeside Drive, but three other jurisdictions. “These items were taken from not only the burglary on Lakeside Drive, but three other jurisdictions which included the Cocke and Sevier County Sheriff’s Offices and the Pittman Center Police Department,” JCSO said.
Driggers is being held at the Jefferson County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.
Posted on September 13, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Sweetwater, TN (WOKI) A man is in custody after a shooting in Sweetwater. Sweetwater Police say it happened in the 400 block of Patton Street on Tuesday. Police say two men had had a fight, and one had shot the other in the shoulder. That suspect, Elisha Goins, had left the scene but was found…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
An 11 year-old girl in Sevierville is battling a rare virus from mosquitoes. According to the CDC, less than 100 people in the US are infected with the La Crosse virus each year, with most of the cases coming from kids 16 or under. Brynlee Henderson is one of only a few in the state who’s…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
A McMinn County man is facing felony charges for making school threats. The McMinn County Sheriff’s Office says 44-year-old Joshua Webb after they were told a man near Niota Elementary School had made the threat. A Department of Homeland Security agent responded to Webb’s house on County Road 255. Webb is facing three charges of…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
School threats and arrests continue in Knox County Schools. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office responding to five school threats yesterday (Thursday) morning. A twelve-year-old seventh-grade female student from Cedar Bluff Middle was arrested for threats of mass violence, a twelve-year-old Gibbs middle school female student was arrested for false reports and an 11-year-old, Hardin Valley…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference announced the 2025 league schedules for all 16 baseball teams Thursday afternoon. Tennessee, the reigning national champion, has a loaded home slate that features series against Florida (March 14-16), Texas A&M (April 4-6), Kentucky (April 18-20), Auburn (May 2-4) and Vanderbilt (May 9-11) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium this season. The…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI A 14-year-old South Doyle High School student is facing serious charges following a fire Thursday afternoon in a trash can at the school. Deputies and juvenile detectives responded around 2:00 p.m. to the trash fire; officials said they believed it was set intentionally. A 14-year-old boy was arrested later in the day…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
(Story courtesy of WVLT News) Knoxville, TN (WOKI) We’re just over a month into Knox County’s school year, and the number of people facing charges for threatening schools is steadily growing. Wednesday, District Attorney Charme Allen said 17 people in Knox County were being charged in connection to school threats. Thursday morning, that total had…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced Thursday that Tennessee women’s tennis coach Alison Ojeda has agreed to a contract extension through June 30, 2029, to remain on Rocky Top. “Our women’s tennis program has continued to show phenomenal growth under Alison’s leadership,” White said. “It’s remarkable that in our history, we have been to two…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
(Knoxville, TN- WOKI / KPD) 47-year-old Antonio Fontaine, of Memphis, has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault as well as one count of felony reckless endangerment following a shots fired incident that happened on Clinton Highway late Wednesday night. At around 10:50 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Knoxville Police Department officers responded…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
A Jefferson County is facing charges after the sheriff’s office says he went on a multi-county burglary string. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says 48-year-old Christopher Driggers was taken into custody after deputies were called to Lakeside Drive in White Pine for a burglary call, where a neighbor told them they had seen a U-Haul…… Continue Reading
