Maryville, TN (WOKI) The Blount County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about scam callers after the department received several complaints.
BCSO officials say a number of scam calls are circulating ranging from scammers posing as deputies with the sheriff’s office warning respondents to call a number with a 205 area code in regard to missing jury duty, alleging warrants out for their arrest and several other claims.
BCSO adds another scam involves someone claiming to represent the Fraternal Order of Police and asking for donations for “Shop with a Cop.”
BCSO says the department will never call and ask for money for any reason; if you receive one of these calls, hang up and call police.
“These scams are endless, and criminals will stop at nothing to try to bilk you out of your hard earned money,” BCSO said.
Every Saturday during the Tennessee Football games on WIVK, listen for Joey and Nancy to tell you the name of a song to listen for during Joey and Nancy’s Monday morning show! For this week it will be Tuesday morning due to Labor Day!
When you hear that song, be caller 7 for a chance to pick your ticket to see Tennessee’s next home game, a major East Tennessee concert PLUS receive a $25 gift card to Salsarita’s!
Just for playing you’ll be entered to win a flat screen tv and a catered party by Salsarita’s!
Brought to you by The Ooten Law Firm and Your Flagship Station for the Vols, 107.7 WIVK!
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The FBI is offering a reward for information on three people who went missing from Knoxville in 2018.
The FBI says it believes Bonnie Drane, William Inklebarger and Brenda Carroll were victims of foul play.
Police say they were in the same friend group and that they have a history of substance abuse but that it was out of character for the three to go without contacting their families.
They were also known to hang out with a man identified as Jeremy Jerome Hardison who is serving life in prison for a murder conviction.
Anyone with information as to what happened to Drane, Inklebarger or Carroll or their whereabouts is asked to call KPD at 865-215-7212, the FBI Knoxville Division at 865-544-0751 or East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165. All tipsters can remain anonymous.
The FBI in Knoxville is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to finding Drane, Inklebarger, and Carroll.
The FBI said Bonnie Drane, William Inklebarger and Brenda Carroll were reported missing from Knoxville in early 2018. (Courtesy: FBI Knoxville)
UT becomes the fourth SEC school to provide Spanish radio coverage
The Vol Network, Cumulus Media Knoxville/The Sports Animal and University of Tennessee Athletics announced today that, for the first time, every Tennessee football game this season will have a Spanish radio broadcast.
Building on the interest generated last season with the first Spanish audio broadcast of a Tennessee football game, Vol Radio Network flagship station WNML, The Sports Animal, in Knoxville, will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of Tennessee’s football games for the upcoming 2024 season.
The games will be heard on The Sports Animal’s AM 990 signal in Knoxville and streamed on 991thesportsanimal.com, The Sports Animal App, UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App. Tennessee’s Spanish broadcast radio team will consist of Carlos Lopez and VFL Fuad Reveiz. Lopez and Reveiz streamed Tennessee’s football game against UT San Antonio last season – the first Spanish-language broadcast in Tennessee Athletics history.
“We are excited about the opportunity to further grow our fan base by offering Spanish radio broadcasts for every Tennessee football game,” stated Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White. “We had a successful trial run last year with the UTSA game and are eager to extend our reach within Vol Nation!”
Lopez, who will handle play-by-play duties, grew up in Venezuela and moved to the United States at 11. He grew up playing soccer and used those skills when he started playing American football as a special teams player at Seymour High School. Lopez earned a football scholarship as a kicker at Carson-Newman, graduating early, finishing his playing career at Middle Tennessee State University, and receiving a master’s degree. He played professionally in the Arena Football League for the Tampa Bay Storm before returning to Tennessee and earning a second master’s degree in World Language at Tennessee in 2015.
Reveiz, who will serve as color analyst, was Tennessee’s starting placekicker from 1981-84 and an All-SEC player. He led the team in scoring all four years of his career and still holds the school record for field goals attempted and field goals made in a career. He also has the school record for the longest field goal in UT history, a 60-yarder versus Georgia Tech in 1982. Reveiz, born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to Miami in his youth, had an 11-year NFL career. He has been an NFL Spanish Radio contributor and is a longtime co-host of radio programs covering Tennessee Football on WIVK and The Sports Animal.
Jean-Pierre “J.P.” Vasquez will serve as the broadcast studio producer. A first-generation graduate from the University of Tennessee, Vasquez will also provide scores and updates. The son of Guatemalan and Colombian immigrants, J.P. has been a member of the 99.1 The Sports Animal team for over a year and has six years of broadcast experience.
Jeff Jarnigan, Operations Manager of Cumulus Media Knoxville, said, “After seeing the reaction to Carlos and Fuad’s UTSA broadcast last year, it became incredibly obvious there is an opportunity in the Spanish language audience to grow the Tennessee Football following. Our Cumulus stations have well over a 50-year partnership with The Vol Network. I view this as the logical evolution of offering Vol fandom to a new and growing group of people.”
The Spanish broadcast is a new addition to Cumulus Knoxville’s 14+ hours of “Game Day All-Day” coverage on Tennessee Football Saturdays on WIVK, 107.7 and 99.1 The Sports Animal, the flagship stations of the Vol Radio Network.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville home is a total loss following an early morning fire.
Knoxville Fire Department crews were called to the scene at 1432 West 5th Avenue just after 3:30 a.m. Monday morning to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the upper side of the home.
KFD says it took nearly an hour to put out the blaze; the home is a total loss.
Fire officials say there were two occupants living in the home who were able to evacuate without injury, and no firefighters were injured during the incident.
KFD crews called to an early morning house fire at 1432 West 5th Avenue. (Courtesy: KFD)
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) A longtime judge for four East Tennessee counties has died following a crash in Jefferson County.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says the crash occurred around 1:30 yesterday Sunday morning just outside of Dandridge near Mountain Vista Trail.
The crash report says fourth judicial district court Judge O. Duane Slone was walking along east Highway 25/70 when he was hit by a car.
He was elected to court in 1998 and served Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and Sevier Counties.
In 2016, Sloane received an award for co-founding the local Drug Recovery Court and helping to bring awareness to kids born addicted to drugs.
The counties in which Slone worked saw the number of babies with addiction decrease.
Slone was 61 years old.
Many east Tennessee offices and officials took to social media to discuss the loss.
With heavy hearts we report the passing of 4th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Duane Slone who passed away early this morning from a tragic accident that occurred on 25/70 just east of the Dandridge City Limits. Judge Slone was a huge asset to our community and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and colleagues of Judge Slone. – Dandridge Police Department
According to THP, no charges are pending against the driver of the car.
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating after a pedestrian was struck and killed on I-40 in Jefferson County early Sunday morning.
According to a THP preliminary report, a tractor-trailer was traveling eastbound on I-40 near mile marker 412 just before 1:00 a.m. when 45-year-old Tony Lee Ford, of Virginia, crossed the road from the right shoulder into the middle lane.
THP says the tractor-trailer was unable to brake in time and struck Ford, killing him.
According to the report, the driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured and is not facing charges.
Additional information has not been released.
THP said the incident happened early Sunday morning. (Courtesy: THP)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Vol Network’s “Big Orange Hotline” radio show debuts for the 2024 football season at 8 p.m. ET Monday across the state of Tennessee live from the outdoor patio at Dead End BBQ restaurant on Sutherland Avenue in Knoxville.
The Vol Network’s Bob Kesling hosts the show and will be joined each week by former Vol quarterbacks Pat Ryan and Jeff Francis. Numerous special guests and former Vols will join the show again this season.
Entering its 15th season, “Big Orange Hotline” is a weekly, one-hour, prime time Tennessee football review and preview show presented and hosted since its beginning at Dead End BBQ. The show’s entertaining style focuses on the insightful breakdown, fun-natured discussion and banter supplied by the two former Tennessee signal-callers. Monday’s opening show will also feature comments from head coach Josh Heupel, a player interview and a scouting report on Tennessee’s season-opening home opponent, Chattanooga.
Fans can call in and ask questions by dialing 1-800-688-8657 (VOLS), Tweet/X questions to @VolNetwork. Fans are encouraged to check their local listings for the close to 20 Vol Network affiliates across the state that carry “Big Orange Hotline”. The show can also be heard live online at UTsports.com, on the Tennessee Athletics App and will be available on podcast.
Dead End BBQ is an award-winning unique American neighborhood barbecue restaurant located at 3612 Sutherland Avenue in Knoxville. It’s been featured on CBS, ESPN, SEC Network, Food Network and The Cooking Channel. The eatery has been voted one of America’s top 100 barbeque restaurants.
Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced today that National Coach of the Year Tony Vitello has inked a five-year contract extension through June 30, 2029 to remain on Rocky Top.
“Tony and his staff have developed the country’s top baseball program, and we are excited to announce this long-term extension to keep Tony on Rocky Top,” said White. “As an athletics department, we aim to lead the way in college sports, and Tony has created a baseball program that sets the standard across the entire sport. The on-field results in the nation’s best conference are unmatched, and the enthusiasm he has brought to Vol Nation has been incredible to witness.”
Vitello led Tennessee to its first national championship in program history in 2024 and was named the National Coach of the Year by multiple outlets.
“With the new hires we made this summer, we wanted to take care in solidifying what we knew was inevitable, that being our athletic department and coaching staff wanting to be teammates for a long time,” said Vitello.
“Our staff and our program take confidence in the fact that our administration is more invested in our sport than anywhere else in the country when you consider resources, their commitment to our staff and the stadium project. At the end of the day, we know our great Vol fans are the origin of these resources and we look forward to continually working hard to make them proud to be a part of Vol Nation.”
Under Vitello’s leadership, the Volunteers set a single-season record of 60 victories and guided the team to SEC regular season and tournament titles in a historic 2024 campaign.
UT made history as the first SEC team to reach the 60-win mark in a single season and just the fourth conference team to win the SEC regular-season title, SEC Tournament title, and NCAA Men’s College World Series in the same year, cementing itself as one of the greatest teams the sport has ever seen.
The Vols also ended the long drought of No. 1 national seeds coming up short in the postseason, becoming just the second No. 1 overall seed to win the MCWS since the tournament switched to its current format in 1999—joining Miami, which did so in 1999.
Tennessee has made three trips to Omaha in the last four seasons, winning four combined SEC championships and three SEC eastern division titles. During those four years, the Vols’ 211 victories and .773 winning percentage rank No. 1 nationally.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of enticement of a child.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice say 29-year-old Dominique J. Starr was sentenced to 15 years in prison for soliciting nude photos and sex in 2022 from an undercover FBI agent who he thought was actually a 13-year-old girl.
“Starr also threatened to stalk, kidnap, and rape the purported minor,” DOJ officials said.
Two other FBI offices reported that Starr was in contact with their undercover agents as well. Starr tried to get nude pictures from them and meet them for sex, according to officials with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The DOJ investigation into Starr’s social media accounts also revealed Starr had communicated with 47 other minors he thought were between the ages of 9 and 17 years old.
Starr must also register as a sex offender and will be on 20 years of supervised release following his incarceration.
A Knoxville man was sentenced after he solicited nude photos and sex from people he believed to be minors online. (Courtesy: DOJ)
Posted on August 27, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Maryville, TN (WOKI) The Blount County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about scam callers after the department received several complaints. BCSO officials say a number of scam calls are circulating ranging from scammers posing as deputies with the sheriff’s office warning respondents to call a number with a 205 area code in regard to…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 26, 2024 by cemerson • 0 Comments
It’s Pick Your Ticket with Joey and Nancy! Every Saturday during the Tennessee Football games on WIVK, listen for Joey and Nancy to tell you the name of a song to listen for during Joey and Nancy’s Monday morning show! For this week it will be Tuesday morning due to Labor Day! When you hear that song,…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The FBI is offering a reward for information on three people who went missing from Knoxville in 2018. The FBI says it believes Bonnie Drane, William Inklebarger and Brenda Carroll were victims of foul play. Police say they were in the same friend group and that they have a history of substance…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 26, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
UT becomes the fourth SEC school to provide Spanish radio coverage The Vol Network, Cumulus Media Knoxville/The Sports Animal and University of Tennessee Athletics announced today that, for the first time, every Tennessee football game this season will have a Spanish radio broadcast. Building on the interest generated last season with the first Spanish audio…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville home is a total loss following an early morning fire. Knoxville Fire Department crews were called to the scene at 1432 West 5th Avenue just after 3:30 a.m. Monday morning to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the upper side of the home. KFD says it took nearly an…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) A longtime judge for four East Tennessee counties has died following a crash in Jefferson County. The Tennessee Highway Patrol says the crash occurred around 1:30 yesterday Sunday morning just outside of Dandridge near Mountain Vista Trail. The crash report says fourth judicial district court Judge O. Duane Slone was walking…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating after a pedestrian was struck and killed on I-40 in Jefferson County early Sunday morning. According to a THP preliminary report, a tractor-trailer was traveling eastbound on I-40 near mile marker 412 just before 1:00 a.m. when 45-year-old Tony Lee Ford, of Virginia, crossed the…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 25, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Vol Network’s “Big Orange Hotline” radio show debuts for the 2024 football season at 8 p.m. ET Monday across the state of Tennessee live from the outdoor patio at Dead End BBQ restaurant on Sutherland Avenue in Knoxville. The Vol Network’s Bob Kesling hosts the show and will be joined each week…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 25, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced today that National Coach of the Year Tony Vitello has inked a five-year contract extension through June 30, 2029 to remain on Rocky Top. “Tony and his staff have developed the country’s top baseball program, and we are excited to announce this long-term extension to keep Tony on Rocky Top,”…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 23, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of enticement of a child. Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice say 29-year-old Dominique J. Starr was sentenced to 15 years in prison for soliciting nude photos and sex in 2022 from an undercover FBI agent who he thought…… Continue Reading
