Tennessee Senator Ken Yager of Kingston pleads no contest in his 2024 Georgia driving under the influence and hit-and-run case.
It comes after Yager was charged in December of last year. The Georgia Department of Public Safety says state troopers found Yager in a parking lot.
Troopers detected a distinct odor of alcohol on his breath and he admitted to being involved in a crash earlier but did not know law enforcement was en route.
Yager faced three charges in total: DUI, hit-and-run and failing to stop at a stop sign. The hit-and-run and stop sign charges were dismissed but he will see punishment for the DUI charge.
Yager was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a fine of $750 and 40 hours of community service. Yager’s license was also suspended and he was ordered to attend DUI school.
Sevier County, TN (WOKI) – We have an update about a brush fire in Sevier County.
The Richardson Cove Road Brush Fire is now 80% contained. Crews have completed containment lines around a 15-acre burn area.
The fire was caused by a lightning strike from a thunderstorm last week. Crews will continue to monitor fire activity to ensure it remains controlled. No structures are threatened or have been damaged.
Several agencies are working to contain this fire.
UNION COUNTY, TN (TWRA / WOKI) — After another serious boating injury on Norris Lake Saturday afternoon, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) wants to continue to remind boaters about the dangers of propeller strikes.
At approximately 2:22 p.m. on August 9, 2025, TWRA dispatch received a report of a boating incident involving a person in the water on Norris Lake near Hickory Star Marina in Union County. Witness statements and evidence suggest the victim had been kneeboarding behind a vessel when he fell into the water. As the operator attempted to retrieve him, the vessel’s lower unit and propeller made contact with the victim, causing severe lacerations to his leg and foot.
The victim was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. This incident marks the ninth propeller-strike injury and the 34th serious injury boating incident in Tennessee this year.
Propeller strikes can cause deep lacerations, broken bones, amputations, and even death. TWRA urges boaters to:
Shut off the engine when swimmers or fallen riders are close to the boat.
Use a spotter to keep constant watch on those in the water.
Approach slowly and from a safe angle to avoid contact.
“Propeller strikes are almost always preventable,” said TWRA Boating Investigator Captain Roy Smith. “A few extra seconds of caution can prevent life-changing injuries.”
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is responsible for protecting, managing, and conserving fish and wildlife species for the benefit of Tennesseans and visitors. The Agency also maintains public safety through law enforcement and safety education on waterways.
The Grainger County Sheriff’s Office says a student has been charged with making threats of mass violence.
According to Sheriff James Harville, the student, who is a juvenile at Grainger High School, was taken to a local juvenile detention facility after making the reported threats. Their identity was not released due to being a juvenile.
Students in Grainger County returned to the classroom on August 5th.
Grainger County Schools have not released any further information.
Gatlinburg, TN (WVLT) One week after Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was close, the park service says the road will stay closed on the Tennessee side until early October. The park service is now looking for a contractor to come in and make the repairs.
“We are working through the design, contracting and permitting processes we expect to where the project contract in August and expect that the project will be completed and the road can reopen in early October,” Katie Liming said.
A rockslide closed the road last week, shutting traffic out on both sides of the state line. The North Carolina side reopened early this week, meaning it’s the only way to get to Kuwohi, previously Clingman’s Dome.
Liming gave a recap of what caused the incident on Newfound Gap Road. “That evening we received more than two inches of rain in two hours and that caused Walker Camp Prong to swell and undermine a section of this road. And so the slide impacted about 125 feet of the roadway and undermined almost the entire southbound lane, so it is it is not safe and and we closed the road,” she said.
It will take months to get the road back open, Liming said. When work does start, she added, the park will also be putting erosion management infrastructure in place, along with a rock wall.
“A major message is you know the park is open, there is a lot to explore,” said Liming.
WVLT News spoke with Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters. He said the news of a park road closure will be a hit to tourism numbers in an area that relies on visitors heavily.
“I think it’ll have a negative impact on our tourism for a little while until they get it open, because a lot of folks come to visit the park and when when they hear that the park is closed and they can’t get in they say, ‘well I’m not sure I’m going to go,’” Waters said.
Waters said that he and other leadership are willing to do whatever they can to ensure that the road is fixed as soon as possible.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Tennessee wide receiver has been charged with driving on a suspended license.
Chris Brazzell was arrested following a traffic stop Friday night.
Knoxville police say Brazzell was speeding at 60mph across the Henley Street Bridge which has a speed limit of 35mph. According to charging documents, police found Brazzell had a suspended license for failing to appear in court in Blount County in August of 2024.
Officers say he was arrested because of having a history of not appearing in court. Brazzell is scheduled to appear in court on August 20.
Andersonville, TN (WOKI) An investigation is underway in Anderson County following a deadly shooting early Saturday morning.
Officials with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office say deputies responded around 2:00 a.m. to a home on Sequoyah Road in Andersonville for a reported shooting wherein they found a man, later identified as 23-year-old Samuel Ridenour, who had been fatally shot.
ACSO says an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting is still ongoing, adding that charges may be forthcoming.
Additional information was not released.
Deputies with the sheriff’s office responded to a home on Sequoyah Road in Andersonville at around 2:00 a.m. (Courtesy: Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)
