Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A man who prosecutors say shot at a Knox County deputy during a traffic stop will spend nearly two decades behind bars.
Floyd Allen Dalton Jr. appeared in court Tuesday pleading guilty in connection to last May’s shooting near West Emory Road after officers tried to stop him for reckless driving.
It’s not the only time Dalton has been accused of firing on officers who try to stop him.
Investigators say he fired 30 shots at deputies and rammed into a cruiser during a high speed chase that went through multiple counties in October of last year. No one was hurt.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Tuesday, Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly announced the signing of former South Carolina Gamecock pitcher Sage Mardjetko (mar-JET-ko).
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Sage and her family into our Lady Vol softball family,” Weekly said. “Sage possesses an incredible drive to compete and become the best version of herself, both on and off the field. Her ability to command several different pitches and speeds is rare in this game. Sage is also an exceptional student with ambitious academic and career goals. She is a perfect fit for our team culture and values.”
A rising sophomore, Mardjetko went 8-9 with a 2.85 ERA for South Carolina in 2024. The right-hander made 34 appearances with 17 starts as a rookie, tossing 118 innings. A Lemont, Illinois, native, she recorded 119 strikeouts last season.
Mardjtko also notched three saves and threw three complete games as she helped guide South Carolina to the NCAA Tournament.
A highly touted prospect out of high school, she was named the 2023 USA TODAY High School Sports Awards National Softball Player of the Year. As a junior and senior at Lemont High School, Mardjetko was tabbed the Illinois Softball Gatorade Player of the Year.
During her high school career, Mardjetko threw 32 no-hitters and five perfect games – leading Lemont to back-to-back Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 3A state championships (2022 and 2023).
In 2023, she finished with a 23-0 record and a 0.00 ERA, leading her team to a 35-1 record, with 340 strikeouts, while allowing just 18 hits and 21 walks in 143.1 innings. She became only the second pitcher in IHSA history to finish a season with a 0.00 ERA (min. 70 innings).
American Medical Response says they responded to at least 20 incidents due to the heat at McKay’s 50th anniversary celebration.
AMR says two of those affected were taken to the hospital and 15 were treated on the scene.
Knoxville Fire Department’s Mark Wilbanks says traffic issues on Papermill Drive, Weisgarber Road, Kingston Pike and other roadways affected their ability to dispatch crews. Willbanks told WVLT News that the department and McKay’s decided to end the event early. He also called the situation a “mass casualty incident,” citing the number of people affected and responders’ limited resources.
In honor of the franchise’s 50th birthday, McKay’s set up The Ultimate McKay’s Road Trip. The used bookstore is challenging fans to travel to every McKay’s location in one day to earn prizes.
The monumental day for McKay’s ends on a sour note after the Knoxville location was shut down due to severe heat and weather concerns. Again, at least 20 heat-related incidents were reported at the Knoxville location, the road trip challenge involved traveling to all five McKay’s locations in one day to earn various prizes including up to $800 in free credit. Those who showed up at the Knoxville location and turned away received credit for visiting the store.
This time next year the Tennessee Smokies will be playing in downtown Knoxville.
Construction continues on the downtown stadium project which is on time and on budget with nearly 80% of the seat concrete poured and all light poles up.
Season ticket packages go on sale August 1st at 10:00 a.m.
Luxury level seats are $4,750, First row padded seats are $1,600 for the season, non padded are $1,300.
All other sections are just north of $1,000.
Tennessee Smokies logo / Credit: Tennessee Smokies
Hendersonville, TNJ (WOKI / WVLT) Longtime member of the Oak Ridge Boys Joe Bonsall has died. He was 76.
The band making the announcement Tuesday morning, saying he died from complications of ALS.
Bonsall was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and had been indicted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
He was also the author of 11 books, including an upcoming memoir I See Myself.
His family has asked that people donate to The ALS Association or to the Vanderbilt Medical Center ALS and Neuroscience Research Center in his honor. There will be no funeral, per his wishes.
Oak Ridge Boys member Joe Bonsall, 76, Dies (Courtesy: WVLT)
Greeneville, TN (WOKI) The Greeneville Police Department has identified the decomposing body found over the weekend in a culvert.
Police say the body of 63-year-old Tony Adkins Melton of Greeneville was found lying in a culvert in the 1700 block of Moore Avenue Saturday morning, July 6.
Officials believe Melton’s body had been at the location for about a week due to the state of the decay.
Melton’s cause of death has not yet been determined as officials are awaiting the results of an autopsy by the William L. Jenkins Forensic Center in Johnson City.
Police said it is believed that the body had been at the location for about a week due to the state of the decay. (Pexels)
ATLANTA – Fourth-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is one of 21 honorees named to the watch list for the 2024 Dodd Trophy, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. announced on Monday.
Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.
The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. taking into consideration each program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2024 season.
Coaches in the first year with their current teams were not included as they are ineligible to receive The Dodd Trophy until their second year with their program.
In three seasons, Heupel’s remarkable revival of the Volunteers has seen him produce a 27-12 overall record, eight victories over Top 25 teams, the program’s first New Year’s Six berth in the College Football Playoff era and back-to-back top-20 poll finishes. The eight ranked wins are sixth nationally among FBS head coaches during that span and are the second-most by a UT coach through the first 39 games of a career.
Heupel’s .692 winning percentage is the second-highest by a Vol coach in the last five decades. His 27 wins are the third-most by a UT coach through his first three seasons, trailing only Bill Battle (31 from 1970-72) and Phillip Fulmer (29 from 1993-95).
Heupel has guided Tennessee to its winningest two-year stretch (20) since 2003-04, and the 20 victories over that span are tied for the third-most in the SEC.
Heupel and the Volunteers begin preseason camp on July 30 with the first practice scheduled for July 31.
2024 Dodd Trophy Watch List Jeff Brohm – Louisville Mario Cristobal – Miami Ryan Day – Ohio State Dave Doeren – NC State Eliah Drinkwitz – Missouri Kirk Ferentz – Iowa James Franklin – Penn State Marcus Freeman – Notre Dame Mike Gundy – Oklahoma State Josh Heupel – Tennessee Brian Kelly – LSU Lane Kiffin – Ole Miss Chris Klieman – Kansas State Lance Leipold – Kansas Mike Norvell – Florida State Brent Pry – Virginia Tech Lincoln Riley – USC Steve Sarkisian – Texas Kirby Smart – Georgia Dabo Swinney – Clemson Kyle Whittingham – Utah
Donors to MEDIC Regional Blood Center will receive Dollywood Tickets next week.
Dollywood is helping MEDIC celebrate blood donors who make a successful blood donation from July 15th – 19th. Deferred donors will not receive a Dollywood ticket but will receive a coupon for Bruster’s ice cream.
Appointments are required for donors and MEDIC will not be able to take walk-in donors next week. Appointments can be made online at medic blood dot org.
Donors will not receive any additional incentives next week.
The Knoxville Police Department has identified the victim from a fatal domestic shooting that happened at an East Knoxville home.
32 year-old Matthew Walker was found shot early Saturday morning at a home in the 2700 block of Linden Avenue.
Based on the investigation so far, KPD sasy Walker was involved in a domestic dispute with family members when he pulled out a gun but was shot by someone inside the home.
The involved individuals have been identified and interviewed by Police. No charges have been filed at this time.
The investigation remains ongoing. Once complete, the findings will be turned over to the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office for further review.
