OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Tennessee lefthander Liam Doyle continues to pile up the accolades as he was named one of 16 semifinalists for the National Pitcher of the Year Award, the College Baseball Foundation announced on Thursday.
Doyle, the nation’s leader in strikeouts, was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year on Monday and is also a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy.
The Derry, New Hampshire, native, has put together one of the most dominant seasons by a UT pitcher in program history to this point. His137 strikeouts ranks tied for third most in Tennessee single-season history. He needs just 18 more strikeouts to surpass Luke Hochevar’s record of 154 set in 2005.
Doyle’s 15.54 strikeouts per nine innings also lead the nation while his 0.92 WHIP is the best in the SEC and ranks 13th nationally. His nine victories are tied for 15th most in the NCAA and second in the SEC while his 5.45 hits allowed per nine innings rank seventh and second, respectively. Doyle has held opponents to a miniscule .171 batting average over 79.1 innings pitched, second lowest in the SEC.
The SEC led all conferences with five players on the list of semifinalists for this year’s National Pitcher of the Year award.
Finalists for the National Pitcher of the Year Award will be announced on June 4, with the 2025 winner to be announced at a date to be finalized later that month.
For the full list more information on the Pitcher of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
Nashville, TN (WOKI) Governor Bill Lee officially made Tennessee the 27th state to ban Glock switches.
The Governor signed a bill Wednesday that ensures harsh penalties for anyone caught with a handgun displaying the device; that device allows users to convert semi-automatic firearms into illegal fully automatic machine guns.
The, now law, expands the definition of a machine gun in the state, elevating the charge from a Class E felony to a Class C felony.
These devices have been connected to several mass shootings. They are common in everyday street crime, which often poses a serious threat to responding officers.
The new law also expands penalties for felons found to be in possession of firearms in the state.
The device attaches to a handgun and allows it to discharge rapidly, similar to an automatic weapon. (Courtesy: WVLT)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon wants Knoxville voters to increase sales tax in November, saying the city plans to use the extra funding to pay for things like affordable housing, road improvements and parks.
The mayor made the announcement Thursday. She said she planned to propose a vote in November that would max out the city’s local option sales tax, an increase of 0.5%. That means everything, minus a few key exceptions, will cost 0.5% more within city limits.
What is a Local Option Sales Tax?
Tennessee charges a 7% sales tax across the state. Local municipalities, like cities, are allowed to charge their own sales tax on top of that 7%; right now, Knoxville charges another 2.25%. The increase would put the city’s rate at 2.75% and the total at 9.75%.
The City of Knoxville last increased its local option sales tax in 1988.
What’s being excluded?
Kincannon is excluding groceries, rent, utilities, gas, prescriptions, bus fare and healthcare visits from her proposed tax increase. Those sales tax rates will stay the same, even if the increase passes.
Who decides?
First, the Knoxville City Council will be voting to put the increase on the November ballot. That vote is expected to come in June.
If it passes, the increase will be up to city voters only. Those who live in Knox County, but not Knoxville, will not vote on the increase.
A simple majority passes the increase— 50% plus one vote.
How does Knoxville’s current tax rate stack up to our East Tennessee neighbors?
Plenty of other counties in East Tennessee max out the local option for sales tax. For example, Anderson, Grainger, Jefferson, Sevier and Blount counties all charge the full 2.75%.
What will the money be used for?
City data claims the increase would raise $47 million annually. The city hasn’t released a list of projects yet, but city representatives did provide a breakdown of what types of projects that $47 million will go towards:
Affordable Housing: $10,000,000
Greenways and Roads: $12,000,000
Parks: $10,000,000
Facilities and Maintenance: $5,000,000
Sidewalks and Traffic Calming: $10,000,000
Knoxville Mayor announces plan to have vote on tax increase. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Two men are arrested after being pulled over for registration violations in Oliver Springs.
Oliver Springs Police Officers were conducting what they called “proactive patrol” in the Midway Drive area.
“Proactive policing is a force multiplier that helps us detect and deter criminal activity before it escalates. By maintaining a visible presence and enforcing even the most minor infractions, we not only remove dangerous substances from our streets but also build trust within the community. This strategy ultimately makes Oliver Springs a safer place for all residents,” said Chief David Laxton.
An officer noticed a displayed registration didn’t match the vehicle.
The 25-year-old driver was arrested and charged with unlawful use of license plate, driving on a suspended license and possession of marijuana.
A short time later, an attentive officer noticed the driver of another vehicle showing deceptive behavior so they conducted a stop for an improperly displayed registration plate and while searching the car, they found meth, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
A 50-year-old man from Knoxville was arrested. He was charged with manufacture/sale/delivery of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and improper display of registration plates.
Knoxville, TN (WVLT – WOKI) More than 100 books are now prohibited from library shelves in Knox County Schools.
Last July, Knox County’s board of education passed a policy to remove “explicit” books from everyday student access in response to Tennessee’s new Age-Appropriate Materials Act. Specifically, KCS’s policy bans books that “contain nudity or descriptions or depictions of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence or sadomasochistic abuse.”
At the time, state legislators said removing the books is all about keeping parents’ voices heard across state school districts, giving them more power to opt their children out of instruction that isn’t in line with their values.
A list of books banned from school libraries obtained by WVLT News shows a total of 113 books that are banned. That includes the 48 books which were banned back in December.
School districts statewide are updating their libraries to comply with the new law. The number of books removed has greatly varied with some removing hundreds of book and others only removing a select few.
These are the 65 books KCS has removed from library shelves:
This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron Aceves
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Haters by Jesse Andrews
Damsel by Elana Arnold
Red Hood by Elana Arnold
What Girls Are Made Of by Elana Arnold
The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood
Forever by Judy Blume
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kheryn Callender
Solo Leveling Vol. 1 by Chugong
The Little Black Book for Girlz by St. Stephen’s Community House
Flamer by Mike Curato
Life Is Funny by E.R. Frank
The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy by B.T. Gottfried
The Nerdy and the Dirty by B.T. Gottfried
Boys I Know by Anna Gracia
Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
I Never by Laura Hopper
We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany Jackson
The Almost Moon by Alice Jebold
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George Johnson
milk and honey by Rupi Kaur
the sun and her flowers by Rupi Kaur
Naruto Vol. 1 by Masashi Kishimoto
Blood Lad, Vol. 1 by Yuuki Kodama
The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
House of Sky & Breath by Sarah J. Maas
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
The League of Super Feminists by Minon Malle
The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller
Exit Here by Jason Myers
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Like A Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
Breathless by Jennifer Niven
Olympians: Artemis – Wild Goddess of the Hunt by George O’Connor
Asking For It by Louise O’Neill
Eyewitness Books: Mammals by Steve Parker
Juliet Takes A Breath by Gabby Rivera
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Cherry by Lindsey Rosin
Push by Sapphire
Lucky by Alice Sebold
Jesus Land by Julia Shears
Inu-Yasha Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahasi
Dragon Ball Vols. 1-2-3 by Akira Toriyama
Dragon Ball Vols. 4-5-6 by Akira Toriyama
Dragon Ball Vols. 7-8-9 by Akira Toriyama
The Merciless by Danielle Vega
Hell Followed With Us by Andrew White
Dr. Xargle’s Book of Earthlets by Jeanne Willis
Earlier this school year, KCS removed the following books:
Me, Earl & The Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller
There’s Going to Be a Baby by John Burningham
Draw Me A Star by Eric Carle
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
A Stolen Life by Jaycee Duggar
The Carnival of Bray by JessieAnn Foley
In A Glass Grimmly by Adam Gimwitz
Lighter Than My Shadow by Katie Green
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Locke and Key: Alpha and Omega by Joe Hill
Locke and Key: Clockworks by Joe Hill
Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Attack on Titan Vol. 2 by Hajime Isayama
Grown by Tiffany Jackson
DUFF by Kody Keplinger
The Walking Dead: Book Ten by Robert Kirkman
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
Monstress Vol. 2: the Blood by Marjorie Liu
Late Night at the Telegraph Club by Malina Lo
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
The Way We Work by David Macaulay
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Sold by Patricia Morrison
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Skin by DonnaJo Napoli
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
Beautiful by Amy Reed
Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Graphic Novel by Ransom Riggs
You: The Owner’s Manual for Teens by Michael Roizen
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez
The Knoxville Police Department will host the swearing-in ceremony for Deputy Chief Joe McHale on Thursday, May 22. The ceremony will be held at the Sevier Heights North Campus, located at 3446 Lake Crossing Lane, at 4 p.m. Deputy Chief McHale joins the KPD with over 30 years of law enforcement experience and will serve as the Chief of the Investigations Bureau.
Former Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Major and Marion, Iowa Chief of Police Joe McHale is set to join the KPD as a Deputy Chief.
On Monday, Chief Paul Noel announced that McHale will join the department to fill the upcoming vacancy left by Deputy Chief Tony Willis, who announced his intentions to retire effective June 1, 2025.
Deputy Chief Willis has been with the Knoxville Police Department for 29 years, serving in a variety of capacities over the time. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in January 2023, overseeing the Field Operations Bureau and Investigations Bureau at various junctures during his tenure as Deputy Chief. Prior to his promotion to Deputy Chief, Willis served in numerous command roles, including as the East District Commander, West District Commander and as a Captain within the Investigations Bureau, where he served as the Tennessee ICAC Task Force Commander.
“Tony has unmatched passion for the job and has remained committed to getting the most violent and dangerous individuals off of the street throughout his career,” Chief Paul Noel said. “I am extremely grateful to him for his nearly three decades of service to our department and community. He was a valued member of our leadership team, and we will greatly miss his presence, experience, and insights.”
McHale will step into the Deputy Chief role with the KPD after spending the past six years as a Senior Research Associate with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR). IIR provides training, technical assistance and subject-matter expert guidance for law enforcement agencies all across the country. In his role at IIR, McHale specialized in violence reduction strategies. In November 2024, McHale was awarded the Chairman of the Board’s Award for Excellence, the highest recognition given to one IIR employee annually.
Prior to joining IIR, McHale served as the Chief of Police in Marion, Iowa from 2016-19. He was appointed to that position after a 25-year career with the Kansas City Police Department, where he retired as a Major and the Commander of the East Patrol Division.
“You rarely have the opportunity to hire someone with Chief McHale’s depth of experience and expertise,” said Chief Noel. “His executive leadership background, along with his recent work assisting departments across the country in implementing best practices to reduce crime and build community trust, will be invaluable and immediately elevate our department.”
During his time in Kansas City, McHale helped spearhead KCPD’s violence reduction and focused deterrence efforts, which in 2014 contributed to the largest reduction of homicides and the lowest total number of homicides since 1972.
“I am deeply honored and excited to join the Knoxville Police Department as Deputy Chief,” McHale said. “I am eager to serve the Knoxville community and work alongside the dedicated men and women of the KPD. My initial priority will be to engage directly with citizens and civic leaders to understand their public safety priorities. While I bring 29 years of prior law enforcement experience to the role, I recognize I am joining one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the Southeast. I am confident that together, we can build upon the KPD’s already exceptional reputation and further enhance the safety and well-being of all Knoxville residents.”
Tentatively, McHale is expected to officially start with KPD in late April. He will be assigned as the Deputy Chief over the Investigations Bureau, overseeing all of the investigative functions of the department.
“Although there are many highly qualified internal candidates, this was a rare opportunity to bring in someone with Chief McHale’s exceptional background, experience, and skill set,” said Chief Noel. “Chief McHale understands our mission and vision for the future, and I am confident he will be an outstanding addition to our agency.”
Danny White, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at the University of Tennessee, was named Athletic Director of the Year by Sports Business Journal. The award was presented to him at the Sports Business Awards in New York City on Wednesday evening.
White is the first Athletics Director at the University of Tennessee to receive this prestigious accolade.
“Danny’s impact on our campus and in the changing world of intercollegiate athletics has been transformational, and I am thrilled for his leadership to be recognized as the SBJ Athletic Director of the Year,” said Chancellor Donde Plowman. “Danny sets the tone with his competitive drive, strategic approach and problem-solving mindset, and has built an incredible team of athletics administrators committed to supporting student-athletes and winning with integrity. The culture he has built at Tennessee is truly special.”
White and his father, Kevin, are the first father-son duo to win the SBJ Athletic Director of the Year award. Kevin received this honor in 2014 during his tenure at Duke.
Since arriving at Rocky Top in 2021, White has revitalized Tennessee Athletics, bringing it back to national prominence.
The momentum at Rocky Top reached a historic high in 2023-24, as Tennessee Athletics achieved its best year ever. It became one of only two Power Five schools to qualify all its teams for postseason play, marking the first time in UT history that this has occurred.
The across-the-board success helped Tennessee earn a third-place finish in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings, its best mark ever, and its third straight SEC All-Sports Trophy. Tennessee became the second school to win three consecutive SEC All-Sports titles.
Before White’s arrival, Tennessee had never won the SEC All-Sports Trophy or finished in the top five of the Directors’ Cup.
Eleven sports finished in the top 10, with six in the top five in 2023-24. The banner year concluded with the baseball team winning its first national championship, the 24th team crown in Tennessee history, and the first since 2009.
In 2024, Tennessee became the only school in the nation to appear in the College Football Playoff, Elite 8, and College World Series.
During the 2024-25 academic year, Tennessee is the only university with its football program competing in the College Football Playoff, while both its men’s and women’s basketball teams advanced to the Sweet 16. Additionally, Tennessee’s men’s basketball team reached the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season, marking the first time in school history that the team has made back-to-back appearances in the Elite Eight.
Tennessee is well-positioned to have all 20 of its sports teams reach the postseason for the second consecutive year. If successful, it would be the only Power Four school in the nation to achieve this feat for two straight seasons.
Since arriving on Rocky Top, White has spearheaded an unprecedented budget growth of nearly $100 million off the field.
For fiscal year 2024, Tennessee Athletics had $234,058,790 in total operating revenue. This new high watermark in UT Athletics history, eclipsing last year’s record total of just over $202 million, was $234 million.
The historic total was due to impressive levels of self-generated income for Tennessee Athletics. Ticket sales increased over 16 percent from $39.7 million in FY 2023 to $46.6 million in FY 2024. It marked the best year of ticket revenue in Tennessee Athletics history. The top two years of ticket revenue on Rocky Top have occurred over the last two fiscal years.
Contributions soared to new levels for the third straight year, with $72.7 million coming in FY 2024. It marks a staggering increase of 233 percent since FY 2021.
White has made substantial investments in Tennessee’s athletics facilities, including the modernization of two iconic venues: Neyland Stadium and Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The budget for Phase 1 of the Neyland Stadium renovation is $337 million, while the total budget for the Lindsey Nelson Stadium project exceeds $100 million.
White and his leadership team partnered with Pilot, designating it as the presenting partner of the $337 million Neyland Stadium renovation project, which commenced in 2022. Additionally, Pilot became the official travel stop for Tennessee athletics. In 2023, Tennessee secured a 10-year naming rights deal worth $20 million with Food City, which resulted in rebranding the school’s long-standing basketball home to Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
UT is undertaking major renovations and additions to six venues: Neyland Stadium, Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, Anderson Training Center, Food City Center, and the Neyland Entertainment District.
Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year (2000-2025)
HOOVER, Ala. – No. 14/21 Tennessee put on a hitting clinic during Wednesday’s 15-10 victory over No. 15/23 Alabama in the second round of the SEC Tournament at the Hoover Met.
The Volunteers finished with a season-high 20 hits, 16 of which were singles, as they kept constant pressure on the Crimson Tide throughout the afternoon.
Reese Chapman was one of four Vols with two hits and led the team with four RBIs after a two-run single in the sixth inning and a two-run homer in the eighth.
Tennessee (42-15) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with runs in the first and second innings before pulling ahead 5-1 with a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth.
Alabama (41-16) took advantage of a costly error and scored five unearned runs in the top of the fifth to take its only lead of the day at 6-5. That advantage was short lived, however, as the Big Orange knotted the game back up at six with an RBI single by Peebles in the bottom of the inning before exploding for five runs of their own in the sixth.
UT added four more runs in the eighth to blow the game wide open, including Chapman’s 12th long ball of the year.
Pitching Highlights
The Vols’ fast start was aided by some strong pitching from Marcus Phillips, who retired the first nine batters he faced to cruise through the opening three frames. The junior righthander finished with five strikeouts and allowed just one earned run in four innings of work.
AJ Russell earned his second victory in as many appearances with 3.2 solid innings of relief, allowing two earned runs on four hits while racking up five punchouts.
Hits, Lots of Hits
Tennessee’s 20 hits were tied for its second most ever in an SEC Tournament and the most by any team in the tournament since Georgia had 22 against South Carolina in 2006. The Vols also had 20 hits against Vanderbilt in the 1994 SEC Tournament. The program record is 23 against Mississippi State in 1983.
Up Next
The eighth-seeded Vols will take on top-seed Texas in Thursday’s quarterfinals. First pitch between the Vols and Longhorns is set for 4 p.m. (ET) on the SEC Network.
Oliver Springs, TN (WOKI) East Tennessee saw at least two tornadoes touchdown Tuesday night.
National Weather Service officials Wednesday confirming damage in the Oliver Springs area is consistent with an EF-0 or EF-1 tornado, with wind speeds around 100 mph. They say the twister was around 100 yards wide and tracked along Old Harriman Highway between Blair Road and Whaley Road for about half a mile.
A second tornado, an EF-1 in south Cumberland County, was also confirmed by the NWS; officials say it touched down along Vandever Road and caused downed trees and minor damage to homes. Its path was nearly five miles with wind speeds peaking at around 105 mph.
East Tennessee saw at least two tornadoes Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Visiting Memphis or Key West, Florida from Knoxville just got easy!
Officials with McGhee Tyson Airport announcing Wednesday that nonstop service to Memphis and Key West is slated to begin in the fall.
Allegiant Airlines will be taking passengers to the two new stops. According to the airline’s website, a ticket to Memphis sits at around $63 and a ticket to Key West hovers around $66.
Flights to Memphis begin September 4 and flights to Key West start October 3.
Airport representatives made the announcement Wednesday, saying nonstop service would head to Memphis and Key West. (McGhee Tyson Airport / Source: Google Earth)
