WIVK-FM

Expanded Sevier County Program Aims to Save Lives

Posted on February 27, 2024

Sevier County, TN (WOKI / WVLT) More than just a water gauge, Sevier County’s Flood Warning System has expanded to further ensure the safety of the entire region.

Housed in nine locations across the county, the Flood Warning System is made up of field sensors and a web-based software called Contrail. The system monitors streams, rivers and precipitation levels throughout Sevier County.

”It’s very important for us to be utilizing every resource that’s available,” said Joe Ayers, the director of the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency.

The nine locations range from high in the national park to some of the lowest-lying parts of the county.

The idea of the monitoring stations is to be placed along a river or stream and be set to a predetermined level to alert first responders and EMA officials if that level is reached.

“With this flood monitoring system it’ll allow us to receive notifications preemptively when it starts to reach those thresholds so we can go ahead and notify individuals in preparation in the event that we need to respond,” said Ayers.

While labeled a flood warning system, the software also keeps track of another potentially deadly threat; the sites also serve to inform Sevier County officials about the fire danger in the area.

“We’re able to tie into weather sensors that measure the fuel moisture or soil moisture of those fuels that would burn,” said Ayers.

In the summer of 2022, a flash flood descended upon the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and flooded a campground down stream, sending folks packing for higher ground in the middle of the night.

At the time, there was not a gauge in the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River.

”We now have two monitors that are now in the national park on the Middle Prong of the Pigeon River that will provide us some early warning,” said Ayers.

Courtesy / UT Athletics

Vols Claim Season-Best No. 4 Ranking

Posted on February 27, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team received its highest national ranking of the season by placing fourth in each major national poll, as announced Monday afternoon.

Tennessee (21-6, 11-3) moved up one position in both the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. The team’s No. 4 ranking is its best since taking the No. 2 spot on Jan. 30, 2023.

The 2023-24 season marks the sixth in program history in which Tennessee has ascended to fourth or better in the AP Poll, joining 2022-23 (second), 2018-19 (first), 2007-08 (first), 2000-01 (fourth) and 1967-68 (fourth). Half of those six campaigns are in the last six years, under the direction of head coach Rick Barnes.

This is the 55th straight week Tennessee is in the AP top 25, good for the third-longest streak in the country behind only Houston (81) and Kansas (60), while the only other team at 40-plus is Arizona (53). That number is 18 weeks longer than the previous program high of 37. In addition, Tennessee has garnered a top-10 spot in over half of those weeks, 28 of 55.

This is the 11th week in a row the Volunteers are in the AP top 10, matching a stretch in 2022-23 for the fourth-longest mark in program history. Of those five instances, three are in the last six years under the guidance of Barnes, who has steered the program to 53 AP top-10 positions during the last seven seasons of his nine-year tenure, 36.1 percent of its all-time total.

This is also the sixth time Tennessee has earned an AP top-five ranking in 2023-24, one shy of its second-most in program history, as it did so 14 times in 2018-19 and on seven occasions in 2007-08. In total, 24 of the Volunteers’ 41 all-time AP top-five rankings have come in the past six seasons with Barnes at the helm.

Furthermore, this is the 70th time in Barnes’ illustrious 37-year head coaching tenure he has led his team to an AP top-five ranking, all in the last 28 seasons (1996-2024).

Tennessee notched a pair of victories last week to up its winning streak to four in a row. First, it rallied from a seven-point second-half deficit to knock off Missouri, 72-67, on its home floor Tuesday in Columbia, Mo., behind an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double from sophomore forward Tobe Awaka. It then beat Texas A&M, 86-51, Saturday night at Food City Center to give Barnes’ his 800th victory, making him the 15th Division I coach to reach that number in NCAA history.

Tennessee picked up 1,338 points in AP Poll voting, a 108-point jump from last week’s mark. It accumulated 698 points in the Coaches Poll, an increase of 57 from last week, and sits closer to third-place Purdue than fifth-place Marquette.

The Volunteers are once again the top-ranked team in the SEC, which has five teams in the top 25 of both polls. They are joined by No. 11 Auburn, No. 14/13 Alabama, No. 16/15 Kentucky, No. 18 South Carolina and No. 24 Florida. Additionally, Mississippi Stare received votes in the AP Poll.

Tennessee continues play with its first of four straight games against a top-20 foe Wednesday at 7 p.m. when it hosts No. 11 Auburn at Food City Center, live on ESPN2.

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.

Hawkins Co. School Bus Driver Dies in Crash on Highway 70, THP Reports

Posted on February 27, 2024

Hawkins County, TN (WOKI) A Hawkins County school bus driver is dead after a wrong-way crash Monday morning.

The crash happened around 7:30 a.m. on Highway 70 North at Willow Road.

Tennessee Highway Patrol says 18-year-old Tylor Short, an Eidson, TN native, was driving southbound in a 2005 Chevy Silverado when he hit a school bus.

The bus driver, 55-year-old Aleita Gladson from Rogersville, died in the crash.

THP says two other kids were on the bus; they are not hurt.

Charges are now pending against Short.

40 Acres of Farmland Rezoned for Housing in Knox County

Posted on February 27, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Despite public outcry, the Knox County Commission voted Monday night to rezone more than 40 acres of farmland off Northshore and Harvey Road for residential use.

The tract of land hasn’t been in use for the last few years.

A group of protestors from the area gathered at the meeting to voice their concerns over safety and overcrowding.

Some argued that bringing more homes to the area would add to what they believe to be an already dangerous stretch of road in the county.

Despite those voicing opposition to the change, the county commission approved the plans to rezone the land after nearly an hour of discussion.

While the move now paves the way for housing to be built, there are no specific plans in place to build as of now.

The agreement upon which the county commission voted allows up to three housing units per acre of this land.

Lenoir City Man Accused of Stabbing Woman to Death

Posted on February 26, 2024

A Lenior City man stands accused of murder after police say he allegedly stabbed a woman several times. The Lenoir City Police Department says officers responded to an apartment complex in the 700 block of Pearl Drive in Lenoir City Friday evening.

Police said first responders confirmed a woman was found dead in a common area of the apartment complex, just outside of the door to the unit where she lived.

Investigators say 35-year-old Ciara Long had been stabbed multiple times by 34-year-old Daniel Stinnett, who is now facing first degree murder charges.

ROANE COUNTY WOMAN FACES ABUSE OF CORPSE CHARGE

Posted on February 26, 2024

A Roane County women is facing charges of abuse of a corpse in connection to the death of her newborn. Officers say they received reports that 34 year old Amanda Cooper had given birth to a baby Saturday, but the baby died.

When officers arrived to her Rosedale Avenue home, they found the baby wrapped in a sheet on a bed behind the couch where Cooper was sitting.

The investigation is ongoing, the newborn’s cause of death has not been released.

One dead, Another Flown to Hospital after Chase in Cumberland Co. Ends in Morgan Co.

Posted on February 26, 2024

Cumberland County, TN (WOKI) One person is dead and another is flown to the hospital Sunday night after a multi-county police chase ends in a crash.

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Officials say the pursuit started just after 6:00 p.m. in the Mt. Roosevelt Rd. area of Cumberland County and ended on Airport Rd. in Morgan County.

Officials say the driver of the fleeing car died at the scene, and a passenger was flown to a trauma hospital.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the incident. The names of those involved in the incident have not been released.

This is a developing story.

Knoxville Police Recruit Dies Following Physical Training Session

Posted on February 26, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) On Sunday morning, Knoxville Police Department Chief Paul Noel announced the death of Officer Wisbens Antoine, a member of the 2023-B Basic Recruit Class.

According to KPD, Antoine, 32, collapsed during a routine physical training session at the end of a mile-and-a-half run on Friday afternoon. KPD reports that the reasons for the collapse are still unknown. KPD also reports that training staff attempted CPR and other life-saving techniques, including using an AED device.

As part of an official release issued Sunday, KPD officials say Antoine was taken to the UT Medical Center via AMR and admitted into the ICU late Friday night in critical condition. They say that late Saturday night, Anotine’s condition quickly worsened, and he passed away peacefully around 4 a.m. Sunday morning.

Antoine joined the KPD in 2023 as a Public Safety Recruit and started the basic recruit academy on September 25, 2023. According to Chief Noel, Antoine took the oath to officially become a police officer from his hospital bed before he passed away. He was to be sworn in as a KPD officer alongside of his 18 classmates on Monday, March 4.

To honor Antoine, KPD has placed a cruiser at the front entrance of the Public Safety Complex located at 1650 Huron Street.

Community members are invited to leave tributes in recognition of Antoine’s commitment to serving Knoxville and the KPD, the department said.

Courtesy / UT Athletics

#5 Tennessee Splits Final Two Games at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Posted on February 26, 2024

CATHEDRAL CITY, Cali. – No. 5 Tennessee split on the final day of the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic – defeating Hawai’i 10-2 in six innings before falling to No. 19 UCLA 6-2 in the weekend finale.

The Lady Vols went 4-2 on the weekend and are now 8-4 on the year.

Karlyn Pickens and Kiki Milloy highlighted the weekend with a perfect game from Pickens against LMU, followed by a 14-strikeout performance against UCF. Versus LMU, Milloy became Tennessee’s all-time home run leader as she hit her 58th career homer.

GAME ONE – #5 Tennessee 10, Hawai’i 2
Tennessee run-ruled Hawai’i in its penultimate game at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, defeating the Rainbow Wahine 10-2 in six innings.

UT struck early and often as it scored eight runs through the game’s first three innings. Junior McKenna Gibson plated Tennessee’s first run as she roped a single through the middle of the infield to score Kiki Milloy.

The Lady Vols posted four runs in the second, scoring the first on a bases-loaded wild pitch. Rylie West then hit a three-run home run to left – her fourth homer of the year – to clear the bases.

Senior Zaida Puni hit her first homer of the season in the third frame – knocking a solo shot over the wall in right. Later in the inning, freshman Bella Faw singled up the middle to drive home Giulia Koutsoyanopulos for her first-career RBI.

Milloy drove in Faw from third on a single to right.

Hawai’i struck for two runs in the fourth – getting a two-run home run from Chloe Borges.

Tennessee picked up the run-rule win with a pair of runs in the sixth – scoring one on a Gibson RBI single before an error allowed the last run to score.

Ryleigh White got the start for UT in the circle and went 2.1 innings, scattering three hits and waking one. Charli Orsini came on in relief and finished the final 3.2 frames, allowing two runs on five hits. The sophomore struck out one as she earned her first victory of the season.

GAME TWO – #5 Tennessee 2, #19 UCLA 6
Home runs were the story of game two as both teams combined for five long balls. Sophomore Destiny Rodriguez started the party with a solo shot deep to left in the top half of the second – giving Tennessee an early 1-0 lead.

UCLA answered right back with a solo home run of its own in the home half of the inning off the bat of Sharlize Palacios.

In the third, the Bruins took a 4-1 lead after Maya Brady reached on a fielder’s choice – driving home Janelle Meono. Jordan Woolery then hit a two-run homer to left, extending the UCLA lead.

Sophia Nugent cut the lead to two with a solo homer in the fourth – her third of the season.

UCLA added two more runs – scoring one in the fifth and one in the sixth – to provide the final score line.

Karlyn Pickens got the start in the circle – lasting 2.1 innings. She allowed four runs on three hits with four strikeouts before giving way to Payton Gottshall.

Gottshall tossed 3.2 frames, scattering six hits and giving up two runs. The graduate struck out four of 16 batters faced.

UP NEXT
Tennessee returns home to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium next weekend as it plays host to the Tennessee Classic March 1-3.

KFD Investigating after Early Morning Fire at Buddy’s Bar-B-Q

Posted on February 26, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville Fire Department investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire early this morning at an East Knoxville Restaurant.

KFD officials say crews were dispatched just before 12:30 a.m. to the scene of a fire at Buddy’s bar-b-q on Magnolia Avenue.

When fire crews arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from the building. Officials say crews were able to make an interior fire attack to try and extinguish the fire. They add that firefighters had a hard time locating the fire but kept it from spreading throughout the building.