Nashville, TN (WOKI) TennCare and CoverKids members under the age of two are now eligible to receive up to 100 free diapers per month.
The TennCare Diaper Benefit is now live, and members are able to receive the diapers beginning Wednesday, August 7 at participating pharmacies across Tennessee; a prescription is not required.
Click here for the list of participating pharmacies from the Tennessee Division of TennCare.
TennCare will cover the following four major diaper brands:
Huggies
Cuties
Pampers
Luvs
According to TennCare, the participating pharmacies will select which diapers they carry from the approved list above. Package sizes and types of diapers from the four brands will be added as the list of covered products grows, TennCare stated.
TennCare and CoverKids members under age two eligible to receive free diapers. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The president and CEO of The Knoxville Area Urban League is stepping down.
Leaders with group announcing Wednesday that Dr. Charles F. Lomax Jr. is stepping down as president and CEO of the organization “to pursue other opportunities.”
In their statement, leaders expressed their “deepest gratitude” for Lomax’s service; he had been in the role since December of 2022.
KAUL’s board has picked Avice Reid to fill-in as interim president and CEO while a search committee is formed to find a permanent successor.
“I am honored to step into this role and continue the important work of the Knoxville Area Urban League,” Reid said. “I look forward to collaborating with our passionate team, community partners and members to further our mission of economic empowerment and social justice.”
Reid is a Knoxville native who has worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority and City of Knoxville as executive director of the police department’s Police Advisory and Review Committee.
Charles F. Lomax Jr. (Courtesy: Knoxville Area Urban League)
Cumberland County, TN (WOKI) A Crossville woman has been charged with second-degree murder following an investigation.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say 35-year-old Jerica Marie Hayes was indicted Monday, charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of delivery of fentanyl, in the death of 35-year-old Samuel Mashburn.
TBI says Mashburn was found dead on September 14, 2021 in the driveway of a home on Willow Street in Crossville and that an autopsy determined he died from acute combined multiple drug intoxication.
TBI’s investigation lead to Hayes, a friend of Mashburn’s, as the person who supplied him with fentanyl.
According to TBI, Hayes is currently housed at the Cumberland County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Samuel Mashburn was found dead in the driveway of a home on Willow Street in September 2021, TBI said. (Frankly Media)
Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced that Tennessee Athletics and head softball coach Karen Weekly have agreed to a one-year contract extension. The extension keeps Weekly under contract through June 30, 2029.
Over the past two seasons, Weekly has guided the Lady Vols to back-to-back SEC regular season titles and one SEC Softball Tournament crown.
“Karen’s unwavering determination to be the best and build a championship program has been exciting to be a part of,” said White. “She exemplifies the competitive excellence we aim for in our athletics department. We are thrilled to secure her dynamic leadership for the long term and continue competing for titles on Rocky Top.”
The back-to-back SEC Coach of the Year, Weekly has led Tennessee to 95 wins – 38 in conference – over the last two years, with two trips to Super Regionals and a semifinal appearance at the 2023 Women’s College World Series.
“I am very appreciative of Danny White’s continued faith in me to lead the Lady Vol softball program,” Weekly said. “It is an honor and privilege to be a part of the best athletics department in college sports and we are just getting started.”
The success of the 2023 and 2024 seasons has recharged and reinvigorated the program and fanbase. Tennessee’s incoming freshman class is ranked No. 4 in the nation and is ready to make its mark this coming season.
For 2024, Tennessee sold out season tickets for softball as fans packed out Sherri Parker Lee Stadium every weekend. Over the past two seasons, 101,167 fans have passed through the gates at SPL to cheer the Lady Vols to a 46-8 home record.
Currently the longest-tenured head coach on Rocky Top, Weekly enters her 24th season at the helm of Tennessee softball in 2025. She boasts 1,308 career wins and holds a record of 1,085-340-2 (.761) while leading the Lady Vols.
Among coaches in head-to-head sports at the University of Tennessee, only Pat Summitt (1,098) has collected more wins than Weekly.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Wednesday that Tennessee junior wide receiver Squirrel White was tabbed to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Biletnikoff Award, which annually recognizes the college football season’s outstanding FBS receiver.
White is one of 49 players on the preseason watch list and one of eight players from the Southeastern Conference. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes college football’s outstanding receiver, not merely college football’s outstanding wide receiver.
The speedy wideout from Birmingham, Alabama, enters his third season at Tennessee after a productive sophomore campaign for the Vols last fall. White started all 13 games in 2023 and led the Big Orange with 67 catches for 803 yards as he developed into one of the SEC’s best slot receivers. His 67 receptions ranked fifth in the league and tied for the seventh-most in UT single-season history.
Known for his explosive playmaking ability and elusiveness, White has been clocked at 23.4 miles per hour on the Catapult GPS system. He has produced 10 catches of 30-plus yards, nine catches and 40-plus yards, six catches of 50-plus yards and three catches of 60-plus yards over the course of his college career.
The Biletnikoff Award semifinalists, finalists and recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 600 prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former receivers. Semifinalists will be unveiled Nov. 18 before three finalists are announced on Nov. 26.
The 2024 Biletnikoff Award winner will be revealed on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 12, and the trophy will be presented at The Biletnikoff Award Banquet & Celebration on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Florida.
A complete list of Tennessee’s preseason honors can be found below.
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, Tenn.— With school set to start tomorrow, Knox County Public Library wants to remind families that it offers dozens of research options to help local students get ahead.
First and foremost? A library card, which lets folks access free online tutoring, test prep courses, primary sources for historical research, and more.
“As we start out the new school year, I want to encourage everyone to make sure their library cards are up to date and active because our library system has many resources available to help students achieve academic success,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs.
Additionally, Brainfuse Help Now is an online, live tutoring service that helps with math, reading, science and social studies. Students can get feedback on a writing assignment, take practice tests, and more.
Gale Power Search allows students to search an enormous collection of newspapers, magazine/journal articles, and books simultaneously. And, Transparent Language Online builds all four core skills of language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students can choose from more than 100 languages, including English and American Sign Language.
Additionally, the McClung Digital Collectionis full of photographs, manuscripts, documents, and scrapbooks from East Tennessee. These primary sources are invaluable in learning about the local role in woman suffrage, the early effort to create the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the 1982 World’s Fair, the George Barber architecture catalog, and more.
These are just a handful of online resources available to help students succeed this year. The library system also offers dozens more including historic newspapers and test prep courses. For even more information, check out knoxcountylibrary.org.
MEDIC and Chattanooga-based Blood Assurance kick off their annual competition on August 6 – 11. The center collecting the most red blood cells through the week will be the winner! This competition aligns with the Tennessee Smokies hosting the Chattanooga Lookouts at home!
Donors will receive a ticket to a Tennessee Smokies game, the August tie-dye shirt, a box of Girl Scout cookies, and a Texas Roadhouse coupon.
MEDIC offers several special incentives specifically for platelet donors including daily e-gift cards, MEDIC platelet punch card program, and the daily MEDIC gift. Platelet donors must make an appointment by calling 865-521-2684. Appointments can be made online at http://www.medicblood.org, via the MEDIC app, or by calling 865-524-3074.
MEDIC is the primary blood product provider for 25 hospitals including Blount Memorial, Covenant Health System, East TN Children’s Hospital,
Tennova Healthcare, and UT Medical Center. MEDIC recruits blood donors in 23 counties.
As a reminder, the blood, platelets, and plasma products on the shelves now are what would be used in a trauma event, and it takes at least three days for donated blood to be processed and ready for distribution.
MEDIC is an independent, nonprofit organization. Products donated through MEDIC truly help community members in East TN and Southeastern Kentucky. Products donated through any other collection activity/organization do not stay in East TN or Southeastern Kentucky. Those products are shipped out of the area and nationally.
Tennessee women’s basketball assistant coach Roman Tubner attended the recent 2024 Southeastern Conference Coaches Opportunity Forum.
The SEC Coaches Opportunity Forum was created as a result of SEC Bylaw 23, which was implemented in 2021 to promote opportunities in paths to leadership. The goal is to empower participants with knowledge, skills and resources necessary to progress toward head coaching positions in their respective sports.
Participants, who come from a variety of different sports and schools within the SEC, engaged in a two-day immersive professional development experience aimed at providing the knowledge, skills and resources necessary for their next career progression.
In addition to receiving welcome remarks from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, those attending heard from a who’s who of presenters and panelists. That list included Alabama Athletics Director Greg Byrne, Georgia Athletics Director Josh Brooks, former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, Missouri men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates and ESPN anchor/host Elle Duncan.
Topics and forums included leadership and career progression, an SEC Athletics Directors panel, what a school’s job search looks like, guidance for personal development and coaching, and the process to leading. Additionally, there was a media and communications session as well as opportunities for networking.
Tubner is in his first season at Tennessee after spending the previous three years with the women’s hoops program at Alabama. He has 11 years of experience as an assistant and has helped coach teams to six postseason tournament appearances during his career.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Entering her ninth season at the helm of the women’s tennis program, head coach Alison Ojeda announced the Lady Vols’ fall schedule on Tuesday afternoon.
The Lady Volunteers are fresh off one of the most monumental seasons in program history. In 2023, the team notched a 22-8 record (9-4 SEC), achieving the highest number of victories in the Ojeda era for the second year in a row, and reached the Final Four for the second time ever.
“This fall is going to be an exciting one on Rocky Top for our women’s tennis team,” Ojeda said. “We have three returners who Matias Marin and I are very excited to get back on court with. We also have seven new players on our roster this year, as well as our new assistant coach Elizabeth Scotty. It’s going to be fun to get to know one another in a competitive and thriving environment.”
Tennessee will kick off its fall match play on the road, starting at the H-E-B Invitational in Waco, Texas, from September 20-22. The following week, the Lady Vols will travel to Cary, N.C., to compete in the ITA All-American Championships, which will take place from September 23-29.
The squad will travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to compete in the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championship from October 10-14. Tennessee will return home to host the UT Home Invitational from October 25-27.
Pending on the Lady Vols’ qualifications, select players will travel to San Diego, Calif., for the ITA Fall Nationals from November 1-5. Additionally, select players will compete at the ITA Sectionals in Athens, Ga., from November 7-10
The team will conclude its fall match play by returning to Waco for the NCAA Individual Tournament, set for November 19-24.
For all the latest information from Lady Vol Tennis, follow the team on Twitter/X @Vol_WTennis, Instagram @vol_wtennis or Facebook.
2024 Fall Schedule:
September 20-22 – H-E-B Invitational – Waco, T.X.
September 23-29 – ITA All-American Championships – Cary, N.C.
October 4-6 – Woman of Troy Invite – Los Angeles, Calif.
October 10-14 – ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
October 25-27 – UT Home Invitational – Knoxville, Tenn.
November 1-5 – ITA Fall Nationals – San Diego, Calif.
November 7-10 – ITA Sectionals – Athens, Ga.
November 19-24 – NCAA Individual Championships – Baylor University
The Lady Vols are headed to Charlottesville, Virginia, for the first of two pre-season exhibition matches, squaring off with the Cavaliers in a 7 p.m. ET contest at Klöckner Stadium Wednesday night.
Live stats and live video will not be available for this exhibition match. Admission for this contest at UVA is free.
NEW FACES: Tennessee added 17 newcomers in its 2024 signing class. 10 newcomers are freshman as seven are transfers with collegiate experience.
BACK AGAIN: The Lady Vols return 13 letterwinners from the 2023 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
THE LAST MEETING: Tennessee last played Virginia during a regular season matchup on Sept. 12, 2014, falling 2-1 to the eventual NCAA runners-up.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will host UNC Asheville at 1 p.m. Sunday in its final tune up before the season begins when UT goes on the road to Indiana for an 8 p.m. ET contest on Thursday, Aug. 15.
