Athens, TN (WOKI) An Athens man is facing multiple charges after explosive devices and dozens of guns are found in his home.
Officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office say three explosive devices, more than 40 guns and more than 500 grams of meth were seized Wednesday from Daniel Buis’ home in the 200 block of Kenneth Street in Athens and from a storage unit tied to him.
Deputies also found more than $40,000 in cash.
Buis was arrested and charged with the following:
Possession of methamphetamine for resale
Unlawful possession of a firearm
Possession of an improvised explosive device
Possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony
Maintaining a drug dwelling for use or keep of a controlled substance
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Multiple agencies assisted in the investigation, including: the 10th Judicial Drug Task Force, Athens Police Department, McMinn County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Sweetwater Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Additionally, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was called to the scene to assist with the explosives.
More than 500 grams of meth and $40,000 were also found, sheriff’s office said. (Courtesy: MCSO)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The University of Tennessee is putting student safety first, announcing the release of an updated mobile app, Safe at UT.
UT officials say the app will allow students, faculty, and staff to communicate a variety of concerns to the appropriate officials and includes updated features such as a mobile blue light and the ability to reach UT Police via emergency call or text.
The updated features of the Safe at UT app include:
Friend Walk
Reach UT Police via emergency call or text
Access to wellness resources
Maps/parking and transit resources
Mobile blue light
To learn more or to download the updated Safe at UT app, click here.
UT Launches New Safety App Ahead of School Start (Courtesy: WVLT)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has identified a person of interest after a student was involved in a hit-and-run Thursday, August 8.
KCSO says the student, a 16-year-old girl, was hit by a car around 7:30 Thursday morning while waiting on a school bus at the intersection of Thornton and Hughlan Drive in the Farragut area. Police say a passer by saw the girl laying on the ground as the bus pulled up.
The sheriff’s office reported the girl to be in critical but stable condition Friday.
In their press release Friday, KCSO officials “thank[ed] the community and media for their efforts in this case,” adding that the investigation remains active and ongoing.
The crash happened around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Thorton Drive and Hughlan Drive, KCSO said. (Courtesy: WVLT)
PARIS – Former University of Tennessee men’s basketball standout Uroš Plavšić is the winner of an Olympic bronze medal after Serbia defeated Germany, 93-83, Saturday morning.
Plavšić becomes the third Tennessee men’s basketball player to win an Olympic medal. The prior two are Ernie Grunfeld (United States, gold in 1976) and Allan Houston (United States, gold in 2000).
Serbia never trailed Saturday, en route to its bronze medal. It led the United States for over 35 minutes in the semifinal round Thursday.
The Serbians opened up a 30-21 lead at the end of the first quarter and the following three quarters were each decided by just one point.
Plavšić, who was competing in his first Olympiad, and his countrymen earned Serbia’s third Olympic medal, joining silvers in 2016 and 1996.
A native of Ivanjica, Serbia, Plavšić is a 7-foot-1, 265-pound center who played at Tennessee for four years, from 2019-23. He aided the Volunteers to an 87-42 mark during his tenure that included three NCAA Tournament trips, a Sweet 16 berth and an SEC Tournament crown.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Knoxville native running back DeSean Bishop received significant carries, the defensive line set the tone and Tennessee football concluded its eighth preseason camp workout with a two-hour scrimmage under Friday night lights in Neyland Stadium.
With players’ families in attendance, the Volunteers went live tackle with ones, twos and threes, while working special teams and short-yardage situations in their first scrimmage of the fall.
“It’s great at this point to get to scrimmage day and find out a lot about our football team,” head coach Josh Heupel said. “Great to be under the lights here inside of Neyland Stadium. Tonight, we had a bunch of families that were out watching their sons go compete, so it was a lot of fun just hanging out with them a little bit before we got started with warmups.”
Bishop joined redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava with the ones during the scrimmage as a few seasoned veterans, including starter Dylan Sampson, did not participate. The former Karns High School standout totaled 8,347 rushing yards and 102 rushing touchdowns over the course of his prep career before joining the Vols and redshirting last season after being injured in fall camp.
“He is very consistent,” Heupel said. “Really proud of how he has rebounded from the injury, just his continued growth as a person, just the way he approaches every day and how he comes into the building. He has great vision and great pace. He does a really good job of using the blockers in front of him and setting those blockers up. He ran with great pad level tonight.”
The Vols utilized the new helmet communication and sideline tablets on Friday night on both offense and defense, simulating what a typical game day would look like.
“We had a trial run with all the changes inside of college football,” Heupel said. “The headset communication, we’ve been using that at practice as well. Tonight, that was really pretty seamless. We used the iPads on the sideline as well, tried to structure in some timeouts where we got a chance to figure out how we’re going to use it, operate it and all the logistics that go with it.”
“I hate it for him,” Heupel said of Thomas’ injury. “That’s a guy that has steadily grown inside our program as a player, as a person off the field, as a leader inside of our room. That’s the tough thing about this game. He has handled it with a ton of maturity. Just being in the building, being around. Being out here tonight with the guys. It matters to him, and the guys care about him in a great way too.”
Tennessee will take Saturday off before returning to the field for back-to-back practice days on Sunday and Monday.
The Vols are three weeks away from kickoff in Neyland Stadium against Chattanooga on Aug. 31. Game time is set for 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network. A special edition of “SEC Now” hosted by Peter Burns will air live from the field level at noon. Limited tickets remain on sale for the contest at AllVols.com.
Tennessee Football Press Conference | Aug. 9, 2024 Head Coach Josh Heupel
Opening statement… “It’s great at this point to get to scrimmage day and find out a lot about our football team. Excited to go watch the video here tonight and get them in the building tomorrow. Great to be under the lights here inside of Neyland Stadium. Tonight, we had a bunch of families that were out watching their sons go compete, so it was a lot of fun just hanging out with them a little bit before we got started with warmups. It was a great night for Tennessee football.”
On who stood out offensively during the scrimmage… “I thought DeSean Bishop had a really nice night. Efficient, effective, ran hard. I thought he did a really nice job. I thought our wideouts did a nice job of operation. (Chris Brazzell II) and obviously (Squirrel White), but also seeing (Chas Nimrod) and (Kaleb Webb) out there competing and playing extremely well. I thought the quarterbacks operated really well for almost the entire night. It was good work.”
On Ethan Davis’ performance on Friday… “Ethan did a really nice job. The tight ends in general handled themselves really well. From where we finished spring ball, how we started training camp to tonight, just continued growth from that entire group. Ethan Davis made some really nice plays over the middle of the football field. Excited about what he has done, but also what that entire group has done.”
On the back-and-forth response between the offense and defense… “Hopefully, there’s going to be give and take. In particular though, I thought our defense played extremely hard, played really physical. Early in the scrimmage, they did a great job on third downs. Our front four was relentless. I thought our secondary played really well early in the scrimmage as well. I was really, really pleased with how they started.”
On Nathan Leacock’s progression during fall camp… “He was injured during a good amount of spring ball, which hampered a little bit of his development. His growth through the summer, but also how he started here in training camp – catching the ball extremely well. Tonight, he did a really nice job playing wide receiver. Efficient, making some plays after the catch as well, and then in special teams, did a really nice job early in the scrimmage when we were in special teams settings.”
On what the secondary did to impress him in the scrimmage… “For one, they’ve been great for the seven days before we got to the scrimmage tonight. They’re competing extremely hard and take coaching. They’ve made plays, they’ve learned from mistakes. Their athleticism tonight, played some really tight coverage down the field. Just within the game, the subtle details that allow you to play at a really high level. In particular, our corners tonight, I thought they did a really, really good job.”
On using the helmet communication system… “We had a trial run with all the changes inside of college football. The headset communication, we’ve been using that at practice as well. Tonight, that was really pretty seamless. We used the iPads on the sideline as well, tried to structure in some timeouts where we got a chance to figure out how we’re going to use it, operate it and all the logistics that go with it. There’s a lot more to that than what you would think.”
On how Nico Iamaleava performed in red zone opportunities… “I thought he looked good throughout the course of the night with his decision-making, body position. I know there are some throws that he’s going to want back, but he played really well.”
On Jourdan Thomas’ injury and Boo Carter playing in the STAR position… “I haven’t talked to you since Jourdan’s (Thomas) injury I don’t think, and I hate it for him. That’s a guy that has steadily grown inside our program as a player, as a person off the field, as a leader inside of our room. That’s the tough thing about this game. He has handled it with a ton of maturity. Just being in the building, being around. Being out here tonight with the guys. It matters to him, and the guys care about him in a great way too. It gives other guys opportunities. Boo has played really well. I thought the last couple of days even leading into the scrimmage have been his best days within the scope of what we do defensively. Playing within the framework of that and making plays at the same time. He is a young guy that needs to and will continue to get better every day but he is a dynamic playmaker.”
On the performance of Peyton Lewis… “First time for contact since coming back off the injury. Young player you would expect it, but it’s happened for him. He has gotten better, more comfortable, absolutely every single day. Tonight, a lot of really good things. Playing with great pad level. There are some runs that he’ll have an opportunity to grow from as well.”
On the offensive line… “Vets in the NFL play too. There is a ramp-up and a build-up to be ready to go play. Some of the guys that have missed the last couple of days got to get back and get some of that work. Whether it necessarily needs to be a scrimmage depends a little bit on the player and the amount of time they have had on task. The balance for myself, our coaching staff is always to have these guys ready to go play. They got to grow as players. They got to be prepared for the opening kickoff and the schedule we are going to go play. At the same time, have them as fresh and healthy and ready to compete for the duration.”
On developing the offensive line… “As a program, we want that and need that. Everybody here, our fan base, understands how we took this program over and how we have had to have a really detailed plan in managing the space we had to navigate. We are creating more depth but this is a long season. Inside of this league, you get into league play, you got to have multiple guys ready to go. So it’s been important to us this offseason. I have stated that this offseason and we have also talked about that in previous years too. It’s just being able to build that depth.”
On how the scrimmage was structured… “This one, there were some special teams for us at the very beginning. We got some drives and some coming down. We got to operate the ones, twos, and threes. We let them go play. Tonight was unique because it was the first time that we used iPads on the sidelines. We adjusted and had an opportunity to do that throughout sets.”
On how clean he felt his offense and defense were tonight during the scrimmage… “I thought the officials actually did a great job on the back end of the scrimmage talking to our football team about some of the things they saw. It was a pretty clean scrimmage for the first scrimmage. Communication, and personnel, there were not any issues with that. There were some playing penalties that we have to get smarter at. That is always the case at this point. You have to learn how to play extremely hard but play with great technique and know when the play is over, and put yourself in a position where you don’t hurt the team.”
On if he thinks the younger players will adapt more to the new technology being used… “Yeah, I am more concerned about the coaches than I am the players to be honest. It is a better tool than somebody having to draw something up on the whiteboard. Especially for visual learners. It will be a good tool, as long as you use it the right way.”
On who has stepped up or stood out to him at the STAR role… “Christian Harrison has done a really nice job. We have multiple guys that have bounced around from the safety position to STAR. So we have to continue to develop our guys in the secondary.”
On Gaston Moore and Jake Merklinger operating at the quarterback position tonight… “Both of them did a great job operating the offense but they really have all training camp. (Jake) Merklinger is a young guy that continues to get better every single day. He has great confidence and works extremely hard at it. He has a really good energy in the huddle. His demeanor is really positive. Gaston (Moore), has done a really fantastic job. Tonight he made some really nice throws out on the run. He has done that all of training camp. He has taken pretty good care of the football throughout the course of training camp too. So, pleased with the development of both of those guys.”
On how Dylan Sampson performed tonight…. “Dylan Sampson was not in the scrimmage tonight. We held him out of the scrimmage.”
On what Will Brooks has done to position himself into the secondary… “He is a guy that has played a lot of football for us. He has been out on defense obviously and has had a role on special teams. A guy that is a leader inside that secondary room. He has played really well and he is going to play a lot of football for us.”
On what makes DeSean Bishop a great fit for Josh Heupel‘s offense and how he came back from his injury… “A year ago before he got hurt, really liked how he was flashing at practice and at early scrimmages. He is very consistent. Really proud of how he has rebounded from the injury, just his continued growth as a person, just the way he approaches every day and how he comes into the building. He has great vision and great pace. Does a really good job of using the blockers in front of him and setting those blockers up. He ran with great pad level tonight.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee center Cooper Mays has been named to the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top collegiate center.
Mays is one of 40 centers from across the country named to the preseason watch list, including 10 from the Southeastern Conference.
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football. Since its inception, the award has raised over $5 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982. During that time, he became the John Outland Trophy’s only two-time winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman.
The standout from Kingsport, Tennessee, enters his fifth season with the Big Orange after cementing himself as the starting center for the past four years. Mays, the anchor of the UT offense, did not allow a sack and only one QB hit in 531 snaps during the 2023 season. The All-SEC performer and preseason All-American has played 40 games at center, totaling 32 career starts.
Off the field, Mays has been recognized three times on the SEC Academic Honor Roll and serves as a member of the team’s leadership council.
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
This year, the Trophy committee worked with Pro Football Focus (PFF) to narrow down its list to the top 40 centers. PFF grades every player on every play of every game on how well they execute their given assignment. That play-by-play grading allowed the Trophy committee to create a watchlist based both on nominations from the schools and data provided by PFF.
The winner will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Rimington Trophy presentation which will occur on Jan. 25, 2025.
James Pearce Jr., DE, Jr. Walter Camp Award Watch List Lott Trophy Watch List Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List First-Team All-American (Athlon, Phil Steele, Walter Camp) First-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Media, Phil Steele, Walter Camp)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: One man is dead and his dog is missing following a crash late Thursday night on I-40 East.
KPD officials say officers responded to the interstate between Midway Road and Strawberry Plains Pike around 11:40 to find a car that had flipped over.
The driver, a 26-year-old man, had been ejected from the vehicle and struck by a tractor trailer that had left the scene; he died as a result of his injuries.
A adult male passenger was taken to a nearby hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
Police are searching for the family dog, Oden, a two-year-old Husky that ran away after the crash.
The department is asking anyone who has seen Oden, a two-year-old Husky, to email [email protected]. (Courtesy: KPD)
KPD is still investigating the crash.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Knoxville Police Department is investigating a deadly crash that happened Thursday night on I-40 East.
KPD officials say officers responded to the interstate between Midway Road and Strawberry Plains Pike around 11:40 p.m. to find a car that had rolled over, possibly after crossing the median from the westbound lanes.
KPD says the driver, a 26-year-old man, had been ejected from the vehicle and struck by a tractor trailer that had left the scene; he died as a result of his injuries.
The passenger, also an adult man, was taken to a nearby hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The investigation is ongoing.
KPD said the driver was ejected from the car and then hit by a tractor-trailer. (Courtesy: KPD)
Claiborne County, TN (WOKI) Three minors have now been charged in connection to an “incident” that happened at Claiborne High School.
The news coming from District Attorney General Jared Effler’s office is the latest update in an ongoing investigation by the New Tazewell Police Department and the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office.
Less than a week since the incident, reported on July 30, Head Football Coach Nathan Medlin also resigned from his position.
The three minors were charged with being a delinquent via aggravated rape.
It’s the latest update in an ongoing investigation by the New Tazewell Police Department and the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Young Williams Animal Center is out with a warning.
Scammers in Knoxville are pretending to be animal control officers. Young Williams says two men in regular clothing have even managed to get into people’s homes, reportedly showing up asking for animal documents and medical records.
Center officials say legitimate workers wear dark blue or neon green polos with the center’s logo on them, and they drive a Young-Williams branded truck.
If you see one of these scammers at your home, call police.
Posted on August 12, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Athens, TN (WOKI) An Athens man is facing multiple charges after explosive devices and dozens of guns are found in his home. Officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office say three explosive devices, more than 40 guns and more than 500 grams of meth were seized Wednesday from Daniel Buis’ home in the 200 block…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 12, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The University of Tennessee is putting student safety first, announcing the release of an updated mobile app, Safe at UT. UT officials say the app will allow students, faculty, and staff to communicate a variety of concerns to the appropriate officials and includes updated features such as a mobile blue light and…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 12, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has identified a person of interest after a student was involved in a hit-and-run Thursday, August 8. KCSO says the student, a 16-year-old girl, was hit by a car around 7:30 Thursday morning while waiting on a school bus at the intersection of Thornton and Hughlan Drive…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 11, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
PARIS – Former University of Tennessee men’s basketball standout Uroš Plavšić is the winner of an Olympic bronze medal after Serbia defeated Germany, 93-83, Saturday morning. Plavšić becomes the third Tennessee men’s basketball player to win an Olympic medal. The prior two are Ernie Grunfeld (United States, gold in 1976) and Allan Houston (United States, gold in 2000). Serbia…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 10, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Knoxville native running back DeSean Bishop received significant carries, the defensive line set the tone and Tennessee football concluded its eighth preseason camp workout with a two-hour scrimmage under Friday night lights in Neyland Stadium. With players’ families in attendance, the Volunteers went live tackle with ones, twos and threes, while working special teams and…… Continue Reading
Posted on August 10, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee center Cooper Mays has been named to the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top collegiate center. Mays is one of 40 centers from across the country named to the preseason watch list, including 10 from the Southeastern Conference. The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most…… Continue Reading
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: One man is dead and his dog is missing following a crash late Thursday night on I-40 East. KPD officials say officers responded to the interstate between Midway Road and Strawberry Plains Pike around 11:40 to find acar that had flipped over. The driver, a 26-year-old man, had been ejected from…… Continue Reading
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A man with 30 prior felony convictions is headed to prison for 15 years after an assault investigation. The Knox County District Attorney’s Office says 50-year-old Larry Lynn Ray pistol whipped a man at a home on Tipton Station Road last year. Prosecutors say Ray was arrested and charged. He then called…… Continue Reading
Claiborne County, TN (WOKI) Three minors have now been charged in connection to an “incident” that happened at Claiborne High School. The news coming from District Attorney General Jared Effler’s office is the latest update in an ongoing investigation by the New Tazewell Police Department and the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office. Less than a week…… Continue Reading
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Young Williams Animal Center is out with a warning. Scammers in Knoxville are pretending to be animal control officers. Young Williams says two men in regular clothing have even managed to get into people’s homes, reportedly showing up asking for animal documents and medical records. Center officials say legitimate workers wear dark…… Continue Reading
