An investigation is underway following a fatal crash in Farragut.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says a dump truck crashed on Kingston Pike near Amesbury Road on Monday. THP says the dump truck driver crossed four lanes of traffic on Kingston Pike, went off the road and across Amesbury Road where it hit another car.
The driver of the car died in the crash and the dump truck driver was injured. The dump truck driver has charges pending.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A five-RBI game from Reese Chapman and impressive group effort from the pitching staff highlighted No. 5/5 Tennessee’s 11-1 run-rule victory over in-state foe Tennessee Tech on Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Chapman set a career high in hits with a perfect 4-for-4 night at the plate, recording a double and a three-run homer to lead the Vols, who finished with 14 hits in just seven innings en route to their ninth run-rule win this season.
UT (22-4) used seven different pitchers who tossed one inning apiece to hold the Golden Eagles (13-12) to one unearned run on just three hits. Freshman Dylan Loy got his first-career start and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to begin the game before handing the ball off to fellow freshman Derek Schaefer, who struck out a pair and retired the side in order in the second to pick up the win and improve to 2-0 on the year.
Austin Hunley, Matthew Dallas, Chris Stamos, Brayden Sharp and Marcus Phillips all saw action on the mound, as well, and allowed just three combined hits.
Other standout performers at the plate included Robin Villeneuve (3-for-3), Blake Burke (2-for-2, two RBIs) and Hunter Ensley (2-for-3, RBI), who all posted multi-hit performances and combined to score four runs.
Burke blasted a two-run homer to jump start Tennessee’s six-run fourth inning that blew the game open. It was the junior’s 39th career home run, moving him into a tie for second in program history with Evan Russell, and one away from tying the program record held by Luc Lipcius.
Theo Bryant IV had two of Tennessee Tech’s three hits, going 2-for-2 on the night while scoring the team’s lone run.
Starting pitcher Matt Gelorme was stuck with the loss despite a decent outing after giving up just one run on four hits in three innings of work.
Tuesday’s victory snapped a two-game skid against Tech after the Golden Eagles won midweeks in each of the last two seasons.
UP NEXT: The Vols host another important SEC series this weekend when they take on No. 24 Georgia at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Friday’s series opener is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
STAT OF THE GAME: Freshman infielder Ariel Antigua made his first-career start in Tuesday night’s contest, getting the nod at shortstop. The Florida native was incredible defensively, tying the single-game program record with nine assists, making a couple of highlight-reel plays in the process.
A number of East Tennessee bridges are listed in poor condition.
With all eyes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, the status and safety of bridges across the country is now under the microscope.
WVLT counted 51 bridges across East Tennessee that are listed in poor condition, with a number of them being along Interstates 40, 75, 275, and 81. The Baxter and Heiskell Avenue bridges on I 275 built in 1959 are on that poor bridge report from 2020.
The federal government used to use “structurally deficient” in its ratings, but TDOT uses good, fair and poor and officials say the bridge is still safe even in that condition. It just means that one part of the bridge may need attention. TDOT says they will not allow any bridge or road to be open if it presents a danger to the motoring public.
To view the full report, please go to https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/structures/Tennessee-State-Owned-Poor-Bridges-082321.pdf
Maryville, TN (WOKI) The Blount County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help finding a missing woman.
BCSO officials say 56-year-old Barbara Ann Clarke, of Walland, was reported missing on Saturday, March 23 after her family and neighbors had not seen or spoken to her since early that morning.
Clarke is described as 5′11″ tall and 235 pounds with blue eyes and blonde hair. BCSO says she may be driving a 2020 silver Toyota Tacoma with a Tennessee specialty plate with registration 152SD.
BCSO adds that Clarke lives with a medical disorder that may impair her ability to return safely without assistance and that her service dog was left behind at her residence.
Anyone who has spoken to Clarke or knows her location is asked to call Blount County Criminal Investigations at 865-273-5001 during normal business hours, provide an anonymous message on the Crime Hotline at 865-273-5200 or leave a tip on the Text-a-Tip link, which can be found here by clicking on “Public Information.”
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Charges are pending against the driver and an investigation is launched following a deadly-single car crash Sunday near Chapman Highway.
Knox County Sheriff’s Office officials say the crash happened at 231 Tipton Station Road. They say the driver was heading eastbound when they lost control of the vehicle, crashing into a utility pole and striking a tree before coming to rest in the westbound lane.
The driver was pinned underneath the car and was extricated by first responders. A rear passenger, 23-year-old Skyler E. Myers of Mascot, was found lying behind the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials say of the four people in the car, none were wearing seatbelts.
Charges are pending against the driver- who was transported to UTMC with unknown injuries. The crash is under investigation by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit.
Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) Most roads in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed Tuesday following an overnight high wind event.
Park officials say wind gusts peaked at 85 mph in the park during the early morning hours Tuesday causing downed trees across roads and trails. They add that crews are working to clear them and will open roads when it is safe to do so.
As of noon Tuesday, the following roads were closed:
Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers are open. Visitors coming to the park Tuesday are encouraged to stop in a visitor center for updates on current conditions. Updates will be posted on the park’s website and social media.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) An investigation is underway following a house fire in north Knoxville Tuesday morning.
Knoxville Fire Department crews were called to the fire on Crest Park Road after the home owner called and said she returned home to find black smoke coming from the front door.
Two adults and a dog lived in the home, and a woman was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The home has suffered heavy fire, smoke, and water damage.
The American Red Cross is assisting the occupants.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Dalton Knecht of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is a finalist for the prestigious Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Award, as announced Tuesday afternoon by the Atlanta Tipoff Club/Naismith Awards.
Joining Knecht on the elite list are North Carolina’s R.J. Davis, Purdue’s Zach Edey and Houston’s Jamal Shead. They were the only four players in the country to earn First Team All-America status from all four major outlets used to determine consensus status.
“These players’ remarkable talent and unwavering commitment to college basketball shine throughout their achievements,” said Eric Oberman, President of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Their invaluable contributions have significantly contributed to their teams’ triumphs this season. It would be an honor to crown any of these exceptional student-athletes as winners of the prestigious Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy.”
A fifth-year guard, Knecht is also among 15 players on the Wooden Award Naismith Ballot and one of 30 finalists for the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award. In addition, he was among 40 individuals on the most recent watch list for the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy, released Feb. 27.
Knecht, who helped Tennessee win its 11th SEC regular season title, is averaging 21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in his lone campaign as a Volunteer, while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent beyond the arc.
Named the SEC Player of the Year by both the league’s head coaches and the Associated Press, the latter in unanimous fashion, Knecht scored 25.5 points per game in SEC play, the second-best mark of anyone in the last 22 years (2022-24). That figure also led Division I conference scoring in 2023-24, regardless of league.
The fourth consensus First Team All-American in Tennessee history, Knecht leads the nation in 39-point (three) and 35-point (five) showings this year, with each tally tying for the best single-season mark ever by a Volunteer. His 717 points in 2023-24 put him co-third on the program’s single-season scoring list, just seven shy of second place.
A 6-foot-6, 213-pounder from Thornton, Colo., Knecht is the second Naismith Trophy finalist from Tennessee in the last six seasons. Grant Williams also made the cut in 2018-19 after his second straight SEC Player of the Year campaign.
The 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year announcement will occur April 7 at the Naismith Awards Brunch during the Final Four in Phoenix. The event will be held at the Phoenix Art Museum. SiriusXM will simulcast the live announcement on SiriusXM College Sports Radio (Channel 84).
Fans will once again be able to support their favorite finalist through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote presented by Jersey Mike’s, which runs Tuesday, March 26, through Tuesday, April 2, at naismithfanvote.com. The fan vote will account for five percent of the overall final vote. Fans may also vote by visiting @naismithtrophy, @MarchMadness and @MarchMadnessWBB Twitter pages.
The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom base their selections on outstanding coaching performances during the 2023-24 college basketball season. The vote was tabulated and verified by the Atlanta team of J.S. Held, a global consulting firm.
Knecht and sixth-ranked, second-seeded Tennessee (26-8, 14-4 SEC) take the court Friday at 9:59 p.m. against No. 11-ranked, third-seeded Creighton for a Sweet 16 clash, live on TBS and truTV from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
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.
2023-24 JERSEY MIKE’S NAISMITH TROPHY PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS
R.J. Davis, North Carolina
Zach Edey, Purdue
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Jamal Shead, Houston
The Federal Aviation Administration is leading the investigation into the plane that crashed into the Tennessee River near downtown Knoxville.
Knoxville Police and the Knoxville Fire Department responded to the small, single-engine plane crash last night (Monday) near Island Home Park. The male pilot was able to escape without injury.
Officials with KFD say the pilot was practicing water landings and accidentally activated the regular landing gear meant for land.
A Kansas man filed a defamation lawsuit against Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett over social media posts about a shooting in Kansas City following the Chief’s Super Bowl parade.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Kansas on Monday by Denton Loudermill, Jr., alleges Burchett shared photos of Loudermill on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming he was one of the shooters and an “illegal alien.”
The lawsuit alleges Loudermill attended the parade and was told by police in the moments after the shooting he was moving “too slow” when he tried to go under police tape to leave the area.
He was then handcuffed and sat on a curb for about 10 minutes before being unhandcuffed and told by police he was “free to go,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit further alleges Burchett removed the post referring to Loudermill as an “illegal alien,” but he made another post with the image that misidentified him as “one of the shooters.”
The lawsuit also says Loudermill has received death threats and suffered mental distress from being falsely identified as an “illegal alien” and “shooter.”
Loudermill is asking for $75,000 in damages for acts considered “willful, wanton, reckless and malicious,” according to the lawsuit. spokesperson for Burchett’s office said, “Our office is not able to comment on pending or active litigation.” Story courtesy of WVLT
