LENOIR CITY, TN (WOKI) – UPDATE: The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office reports that I-75 South is temporarily back open following a fatal accident early Friday morning.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol has advised that they have temporarily opened I-75 South for the next several hours through rush hour traffic. They will be shutting I-75 South down once more this evening while they continue to investigate the scene and continue the cleanup.
ORIGINAL STORY: A fatal crash has shut down I-75 South at mile marker 75, near Old Kingston Road, according to a Facebook post from the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office.
Police say the fatal accident involves a commercial vehicle.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol Troopers are on scene investigating and reconstructing the accident. Currently, there is not an estimated time frame of when I-75 South will be opened.
Police say various roads within Loudon County are being affected by the traffic congestion to include: Highway 321, Highway 11, Highway 72, Highway 70 East, Old Highway 95, Sugarlimb Rd, Broadway, Mulberry Street, Hotchkiss Valley Road East and Loudon Ridge Road.
Police add that there is a good potential for more roads to be affected.
Officials advise using caution or avoiding these areas if at all possible. If you need to travel any of these routes, please plan for delays and leave ample time to get to your destination.
Knoxville Police investigating after finding a possible “suspicious package” at the Knoxville Social Security Administration building on Cross Park Drive in West Knoxville this morning.
KPD has cleared the package as not suspicious or dangerous as it appears to have been several batteries plugged into an outlet at the front of the building.
All roads have reopened after KPD closed roads around the building while they handled the situation.
The University of Tennessee is learns what punishments they will see from the NCAA’s investigation into the Jeremy Pruitt administration’s recruiting violations.
Tennessee is accused of 18 recruitment violations during Pruitt’s time on campus. Most of those violations centered on cash and gifts Pruitt and his team gave to potential players that totaled about $60,000.
The NCAA has ordered that UT will face five years of probation and a reduction in football scholarships.
They did not ban the Vols from postseason games. Instead, the school will pay $8 million in fines to quote “redress the severe and sustained misconduct.” That is the equivalent of the financial impact the school would have faced if it missed the postseason the next two seasons.
During the 2023-24 academic year, Tennessee shall forgo the purchase of advertising with all postseason broadcasts in which it is a participant.
Pruitt was fired for cause, earning the university praise from the NCAA.
FBI agents served a federal search warrant at an apartment in Mount Washington and discovered dozens of human bones inside, some of which were being used as furniture.
As many as 40 skulls were found during a raid at James Nott’s home.
Officials say Nott was part of a ring of purchasing and selling stolen human remains, some of which were tied back to the Harvard Medical scandal which the FBI also recently busted.
The FBI was investigating body parts going missing from a mortuary which led them to several players, including Nott who used the name “William Burke” on Facebook to sell the bones.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has confirmed a new state record for a blue catfish caught by the same man who held the previous record set just last year. Micka Burkhart landed the huge fish on Barkley Reservoir in Stewart County. It hit the scales at 122 pounds, 3 ounces and was 57.5 inches in length with a girth of 42.5 inches.
Burkhart made the catch June 28. It was certified and the official record process was completed by the TWRA on July 11.
The new record surpasses the previous mark of a 118-pound catfish that Burkhart landed on Barkley Reservoir in September 2022. Burkhart released both of his trophy catches.
Micka Burkhart with the state record blue catfish caught on Barkley Reservoir in Stewart County. He later released the trophy catch as he did his previous record holder.
Updated story: Interstate 75 South in Campbell County has re-opened this afternoon after the interstate being shut down due to a hazmat situation following an accident involving three commercial vehicles last night at mile marker 135 near the Caryville exit. One lane was re-opened this morning while crews were still working the scene.
Original Story: Interstate 75 South in Campbell County has one lane re-opened this morning after being closed due to a hazmat situation following an accident involving three commercial vehicles last night at mile marker 135 near the Caryville exit.
TDOT says the one Tractor and front trailer has been recovered from an embankment with the rear trailer recovery in progress.
The right lane remains closed. Please check back for any updates.
Tennessee Athletics is set to host its second annual Champions Weekend in conjunction with the home football game against South Carolina on Sept. 30. That weekend, teams and individuals who won SEC and/or NCAA championships during specific years are invited back to Rocky Top to celebrate their achievements.
This year’s celebration includes all championship winners—both team and individual/relay—from the following calendar years:
2013 – 10-year celebration
2003 – 20-year celebration
1998 – 25-year celebration
1993 – 30-year celebration
1983 – 40-year celebration
1973 – 50-year celebration
Among the groups invited back this year are the 1998 SEC and National Championship football team, the 1998 SEC and NCAA Champion women’s basketball team and five different SEC track & field/cross country teams just from 1983—along with several other title-winning squads.
A complete list of 2023 Champions Weekend honorees can be found below. Those in attendance will be recognized on the field at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Champions from the years set to be celebrated this fall are encouraged to contact Assistant Director of Letterwinner Relations Mike Nguyen at [email protected] for additional details on the weekend schedule and complimentary football game tickets. Save-the-dates have been sent to those whose contact information is on file, and RSVPs are required.
Tickets to the Tennessee-South Carolina football game on Sept. 30 can be purchased HERE.
WindRiver Marina at Tellico Lake
Source: Google Earth September 2015
Lenoir City, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency reports four children were injured in a boating crash Wednesday, July 12.
TWRA officials say the crash occurred around 1:00 p.m. Four children were on a tube that was being pulled by a boat near the WindRiver Marina on Tellico Lake when another boat hit them.
Three of the children were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with serious injuries.
Newport, TN (WOKI) A Facebook post from the sheriff’s office says a “Stairway to Heroin” is shut down and four people are arrested early Thursday morning in Cocke County.
The Cocke County Sheriff’s Office, Newport Police Department, and the ATF served a narcotics search warrant at a residence at 1982 Brisk Way seizing over 127 grams of suspected meth and nearly 5 grams of suspected heroin along with other drugs, a handgun, ammunition, and cash.
Courtesy: Cocke County Sheriff’s Office
Police arrested 44 year-old Jackie “Crackerjack” Wilson and 56 year-old David Shults, both of Newport, along with 36 year-old Kelly Roberts and 34 year-old Dustin Messner.
All four were taken to the Cocke County Jail.
Wilson is being held in the detention center on a $250,000.00 bond and faces the following charges:
Unlawful possession of a handgun
Possession of a handgun during the commission of a dangerous felony
Possession of methamphetamine with intent
Three counts of possession of Heroin, Meth and Marijuana
Shults is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to sale and deliver.
Roberts was arrested on a capais, drug paraphernalia, and sale and delivery of drugs.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP recipients urged to beware after the Tennessee Department of Human Services says some cardholders have reported their benefits stolen.
Officials say fraudulent activity such as skimming, cloning and phishing are a problem and they are unable to reissue any stolen benefits for EBT cardholders. A replacement plan is currently under review by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
More than 740,000 people in Tennessee receive SNAP benefits.
TDHS encourages people to change the PIN number for their EBT card regularly and to check your balance regularly.
Cardholders who suspect fraud are asked to contact the EBT customer service line at 1-888-997-9444.
