Blount County, TN (WOKI) A memorial motorcycle ride in honor of fallen Blount County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Greg McCowan will be held this weekend.
The ride is happening Sunday, February 25 and will depart from Pellissippi State Community College, the Blount County Campus, at 1:00 p.m. Participants are asked to arrive at 10:00 a.m. for staging.
Donations will be accepted at the event for Deputy McCowan and separately for injured Deputy Shelby Eggers.
For more information on the memorial ride, please click here.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: The occupants and their four animals are safe following a house fire Tuesday afternoon in Knox County.
Rural Metro Fire crews responded to the home in the 7800 block of Stonewood Creek Drive in Corryton just before 3:30 to find heavy fire in the back of the house venting through the roof.
Stonewood Creek Dr. fire (Courtesy: Rural Metro Fire)
Fire officials say a light breeze fueled the spread of the fire and hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze. They say there was minimal heat damage to an adjacent home, but firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to any other structures.
No injuries were reported, but officials say oxygen was administered to one of the animals.
ORIGINAL STORY: Rural Metro Fire responds to a house fire in Knox County Tuesday afternoon.
Rural Metro Fire officials say they were on the scene of a working house fire in the 7800 block of Stonewood Creek Drive in Corryton at 3:20 p.m. Tuesday.
Rural Metro is asking that you please avoid the area as firefighters work to get that blaze under control.
Blount County, TN (WOKI) The man accused of killing a Blount County Deputy was back in court Tuesday. Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr. is accused of killing Deputy Greg McCowan and injuring Deputy Shelby Eggers during a traffic stop on February 8 in Maryville. The judge ruling that the case can move forward on a first-degree murder charge against DeHart.
“Based upon the proof before the court, the court finds that there’s probable cause to believe that the offense of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and felon in possession of a weapon was committed by the defendant, Kenneth Wayne DeHart,” ruled Judge William Brewer after a more than two-hour hearing Tuesday paving the way for a grand jury hearing on the matter.
“It was committed here in Blount County, Accordingly, charges will be bound over to the grand jury for its determination of probable cause.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Brewer along with defense counsel for DeHart and prosecutors for the state of Tennessee heard testimony from Deputy Shelby Eggers and Special Agent Maria Cutshaw with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. In addition, the court showed Eggers’ and Deputy Greg McCowan’s body camera footage from the traffic stop and shooting. The footage, released by BCSO officials Friday, shows McCowan’s and Egger’s points-of-view during the entire encounter.
Public defenders for DeHart sought to make the case that the shooting was not premeditated and that DeHart should instead face a second-degree murder charge; the court ruled in favor of the state moving the matter to the Blount County grand jury to consider the first-degree murder charge, along with two other charges, attempted first-degree murder and felon in possession of a weapon.
The man accused of killing a Blount County Deputy is back in court today. (Tuesday)
Kenneth Dehart, Jr. faces first degree murder, attempted first degree murder and being a felon in possession of a weapon charges.
He is accused of killing Deputy Greg McCowan and injuring Deputy Shelby Eggers during a traffic stop on February 8th in Maryville.
Dehart, Jr. has not entered a plea on the charges, this will be his second time in court since being arrested last week after being on the run for five days.
A tractor-trailer carrying Pop-Tarts overturns on I-640 west in Knoxville.
The accident happened early this morning (Tuesday), reducing the interstate to one lane. As of 10:45 a.m. the left lane remains blocked.
The crash happened before 7 a.m. around mile marker six in the Whittle Springs area of North Knoxville.
Mark Nagi with the Tennessee Department of Transportation says the truck has been pushed to the side of the interstate to allow the unloading of around 40,000 Pop-Tarts.
The Pop-Tarts are Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavored.
Knox County is excited to announce the kickoff of the Plumb Creek Park Stream Enhancement Project, a strategic effort aimed at revitalizing the water quality and ecosystem of Plumb Creek, a tributary of Beaver Creek, supported by federal funding.
Plumb Creek Park, located at 1517 Hickey Road, features a disc golf course, playground, shelter, walking trails and an 8-acre dog park.
The project, which began this month, is expected to wrap up in December and include a comprehensive set of restoration activities. Work includes removing obstructions such as culverts and debris; controlling invasive species; stabilizing stream banks; and installing stream structures to improve habitat quality, erosion, and sediment control measures.
Some sections of the park will close temporarily during construction. However, the dog park will remain open for our furry friends.
This project is funded in part by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a federal initiative to aid state and local governments in mitigating the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, email [email protected] or call Knox County Engineering & Public Works at 865-215-5800.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After a solid opening weekend in Arlington, Texas, No. 7/9 Tennessee returns to Knoxville for its home opener on Tuesday afternoon against UNC Asheville, followed by an in-state battle with ETSU on Wednesday at the newly-renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols were declared tournament champions of the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field to open the season after snagging victories over No. 18/21 Texas Tech and Baylor.
TICKET INFORMATION
Limited single-game tickets for non-conference home games can be purchased through AllVols.com.
If you’re a season ticket holder and can’t make it to a baseball game this season, you now have the option to donate your non-conference tickets. Your tickets will be donated back to Tennessee Athletics and will be distributed to the military and/or local charities in the Knoxville area.
All non-conference ticket donations will be accepted until 5 PM the business day before a game. After donating your tickets a gift receipt equal to the ticket value will be emailed to you. You may save that receipt for your tax records.
NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LINDSEY NELSON STADIUM
As we prepare for the next phase in renovations please pardon our progress… and our dust. Once completed, Lindsey Nelson Stadium will offer fans an unrivaled experience and be among the nation’s finest college baseball venues. We appreciate your support and patience when you enter Lindsey Nelson Stadium this season. Please be advised changes may occur from game to game.
BROADCAST INFO
Both midweek games this week will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Andy Brock handling play-by-play duties. Former Tennessee softball player Caylan Arnold will join Brock for Tuesday’s contest as an analyst.
Fans can also listen to John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara call the action via a free audio stream on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and the Varsity App.
SERIES HISTORY
Vols vs. UNC Asheville Overall: 31-7 in Knoxville: 27-7 in Asheville: 4-0 at Neutral Sites: 0-0 Last Meeting: W, 5-0 in Knoxville (March 28, 2023)
UT has won nine straight against the Bulldogs dating back to 2015.
Vols vs. ETSU Overall: 69-20 in Knoxville: 39-10 in Johnson City: 29-10 at Neutral Sites: 1-0 Last Meeting: W, 4-1 in Knoxville (March 1, 2022)
Seven of the last eight meetings between the Vols and Bucs have been decided by four runs or fewer. UT is 4-3 in those contests.
NOTABLE
Vols in Home Openers Tuesday’s game will mark the 113th home opener in Tennessee baseball history. The Vols are 90-20-2 all-time in home openers, including a 5-1 mark under head coach Tony Vitello with five straight wins (2019-23).
Rocky Top Round Trippers UT has been the nation’s most prolific home run hitting team over the past three seasons, leading all NCAA Division I programs with 386 long balls during that span (2021-pres). In the previous decade before that (2010-2020), the Volunteers totaled just 376 home runs. The Vols have surpassed the 100-homer mark in each of the past two years, including a program record 158 in 2022, which ranks fourth in NCAA Division I history and is the most by any team in the BBCOR bat era (since 2011).
The Big Orange blasted four homers last weekend and hit 126 home runs in 2023, which is the second highest tally in program history and ranked sixth in the country. Tennessee also hit 98 long balls in 2021. The Vols went deep in 53 of their 66 games last season with 36 multi-homer performances on the year.
Billy Barrels Highly-touted transfer newcomer Billy Amick’s Tennessee career is off to a hot start after a successful opening weekend where he batted .308 with four hits and led the Vols with four runs, two homers and five RBIs. Amick homered in both of UT’s wins over No. 18 Texas Tech on Friday and Baylor on Sunday.
The Batesburg, South Carolina, native went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and two RBIs in a season-opening 6-2 win over the Red Raiders. His two-run home run in the fourth inning opened the scoring. He capped the weekend with another 2-for-4 performance against the Bears, scoring twice and driving in three runs with a solo home run and a two-run triple.
OPPONENT SCOUT
UNC Asheville Bulldogs
2023 Record: 26-26 (12-15 Big South)
2023 Postseason: N/A
2024 Big South Preseason Poll: T-4th
Head Coach: Scott Friedholm (10th season)
Preseason All-Conference Selections (3):
OF Robbie Burnett (Preseason Player of the Year)
OF Dylan Bacot
RP Justin Honeycutt
ETSU Buccaneers
2023 Record: 26-29 (10-11 SoCon)
2023 Postseason: N/A
2024 SoCon Preseason Poll: 5th
Head Coach: Joe Pennucci (7th season)
Preseason All-Conference Selections (5):
1B Cameron Sisneros (1st Team)
SS Ashton King (2nd Team)
3B Cody Miller (2nd Team)
OF Tommy Barth (2nd Team)
DH Nick Iannanton (2nd Team)
ON DECK
The Vols continue their 15-game homestand with their first weekend series in Knoxville this season as they host Albany for a three-game series Friday through Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville police have identified the suspect in a deadly East Knoxville shooting.
Knoxville Police Department officials say warrants have been issued for 40-year-old James Perry III, charging him with voluntary manslaughter and weapon offenses in connection to the February 14 shooting death of 50-year-old Sherwin Harris on McCalla Avenue.
Police say Perry shot Harris then fled the scene around 11:00 p.m. following a fight at the Magnolia Cafe which spilled over to the lounge at 2223 McCalla Avenue.
Anyone with information concerning Perry’s whereabouts is urged to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
