Two people in Sevierville are facing charges after leaving their dog in a hot car while shopping at Walmart.
It happened Saturday at the location on the parkway. Officers found a car with the windows “barely cracked,” with an overheating dog inside.
Officers didn’t see any food or water in the vehicle for the dog and say the dog was in clear distress, struggling to breathe.
Officers got into the car and put the dog in a cruiser with the air conditioning on. It wasn’t long until the dog’s owners, Kaitlynn Breiner and Jose Martinez, came out of the store.
The two told officers they were in the store for around 40 minutes. They were also taken into custody and charged with cruelty to animals. The dog was taken to the Sevier County Animal Shelter.
WIVK, Quaker Steak and Lube, and Y-12 Credit Union are teaming up with Tanger Sevierville for the Clothe the Kids Drive, and we need your help to support children in Sevier County!
Over 700 kids urgently need essential clothing for the upcoming school.
Let’s come together as a community to make a difference!
Drop off donated items today at Quaker Steak and Lube on the parkway in Sevierville or at Y-12 Credit Union 1203 Dolly Parton Pkw!
Join Joey and Nancy at Tanger Sevierville’s Clothe the Kids event on Friday, July 25th!
The biggest need of new clothing items are:
Leggings for girls Joggers/sweatpants for boys Underwear (preferably boxer briefs for boys) Socks Shoes (especially in sizes 2 and up) T-shirts Sweatshirts Mesh backpacks
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is once again participating in Operation Dry Water (ODW), a year-round boating under the influence (BUI) and enforcement campaign. ODW’s heightened awareness and enforcement annually takes place around the July 4th holiday and this year is July 4-6.
The July 4th holiday means an increase in boater activity, and the TWRA will be on heightened alert for boating under the influence infractions throughout the weekend. Over the course of the three-day holiday period, law enforcement officers will also be working to increase public awareness of the dangers of boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, for both operators and passengers.
Boaters will notice an overall increase in officer patrols on the water. The combined efforts of the participating law enforcement agencies have made a positive impact on the removal of impaired operators from the state’s waterways to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for boaters.
“Driving a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a preventable crime, and if found doing so by our wildlife officers, you will be arrested and taken to jail,” said Lt. Col Matt Majors of the TWRA Boating and Law Enforcement Division. “There are no differences in operating a car, truck, or a boat while impaired, so leave the drugs and alcohol at home. It is our mission to create a safe and enjoyable boating experience for all those who boat in Tennessee.”
Operation Dry Water was started by the NASBLA in 2009 and has been a highly successful campaign drawing public attention to the dangers of BUI. To support the enforcement and education initiative, the TWRA is partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths. Sun, wind, noise, vibration, and motion intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications. Operating a boat with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 percent or higher is illegal in Tennessee, the same as operating a motor vehicle. Penalties may include fines, jail, boat impoundment and the loss of boat driving privileges.
An array of bills made their way across Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature, including addressing cell phones in schools, sober DUIs, banning Glock switches and more.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV / WVLT – story courtesy of WVLT) – Following the 2025 legislative session, a new set of laws is set to take effect in Tennessee on July 1.
An array of bills made their way across Governor Bill Lee’s desk for his signature, including addressing cell phones in schools, sober DUIs, banning Glock switches and more.
During a January special session, lawmakers passed three bills that were focal points for the governor: one focusing on the enforcement of President Donald Trump’s immigration laws, another to provide disaster relief for those impacted by Hurricane Helene and for Lee’s school voucher program.
Below is a list of the new laws taking effect on July 1 in the Volunteer State:
Education:
Restricting cell phones in schools: The measure requires school boards and governing bodies of public charter schools to create policies preventing students from using cell phones, tablets smartwatches or other wireless communication devices during instructional time. There are exceptions to the rule, such as allowing students with disabilities to use them for learning or when a student is using a phone or smart device for a classroom presentation.
Employers, schools could be sued for using preferred names, genders: The law allows for lawsuits to be filed against certain employers and public schools in Tennessee if they use preferred pronouns and names without parental consent. The new law says that if the preferred name or pronoun is inconsistent with the person’s legal name or gender that it puts people at civil liability.
Education Freedom Act: The $500 million plan gives 20,000 Tennessee students around $7,000 in public funds to pay for private school tuition. The revamped Education Freedom Act contains new language allowing for each public school to be compensated should a student choose to relocate to a private institution.
Recess: Increases recess time for elementary school students.
Public Safety:
Banning Glock switches: This law ensures harsh penalties for anyone caught with a handgun displaying the device, allowing users to convert semi-automatic firearms into illegal fully automatic machine guns. It expands the definition of a machine gun in the state, elevating the charge from a Class E felony to a Class C felony.
Unlawful photography: Revises the present law to make the offense of unlawful photography a felony.
Child abuse: Penalty increased to a felony if a person abuses a child between the ages of 9 and 17 to inflict injury.
Preventing Deepfake Images Act: Creates civil and criminal actions for individuals who are the subject of an intimate digital depiction that is disclosed without the person’s consent.
Combatting AI-generated child porn: The law makes it a criminal offense to knowingly possess, distribute, or produce any software or technology specifically designed to create or facilitate the creation of AI-generated child porn.
Combatting bullying/cyberbullying: Punishes teens for committing an act of harassment by engaging in bullying or cyberbullying by suspending driving privileges or their ability to get a driver’s license for one year.
Voyeurism Victims Act: The act would change the existing law, eliminating the statute of limitations. The law currently reads that there’s a one-year statute from when the crime occurs. This act changes that to begin when the victim finds out about the crime.
Immigration:
Immigration enforcement: The law provides incentives for promoting the enforcement of federal immigration and criminal penalties/removal of officials who adopt sanctuary policies and create a centralized immigration enforcement division within the Department of Safety. That division, the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division, ensures efficient resource allocation and effective enforcement of immigration laws, according to Gov. Lee’s office.
Sober DUI: The bill requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, each year, to not only document how many sober people are arrested for DUI, but also which police agencies are making the arrest. This bill was sparked by the WSMV4 Investigation, Sobering Problem.
Driver’s Licenses: Limits the number of points assessed to a person’s driver’s record to four for the offense of operating a vehicle with a canceled/suspended/revoked license.
Infrastructure: TDOT to study needs, costs and funding sources for the years 2026, 2050 and 2075; along with a new Transportation Equity Trust Fund involving new/used vehicles and new/used tires.
More:
Dismantling DEI Departments Act: No state government department, agency or any other unit of state government will be allowed to promote or require diversity, equity, or inclusion (DEI) policies or programs in Tennessee.
TennCare: Requires TennCare plans to provide coverage and reimbursement for mental health services and treatment.
Success Sequence Act: The bill aims to teach a success sequence to students, which includes finishing high school, then getting a job or moving to higher education, getting married and then having children.
KNOXVILLE, TN. (story courtesy of WVLT) – Deputy Dalton Swanger with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office is awake and off the ventilator, according to an update from KCSO.
“He can speak and is doing well,” a KCSO spokesperson said in a Facebook post on Saturday. “He faces a long road to recovery.”
Swanger was critically injured during a call on Stanley Road on June 22. The sheriff’s office said a suspect, later identified as 44-year-old Christpher Michael Hensley, hit him with a rock, hospitalizing him at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
“We are truly grateful for every prayer spoken on his behalf, the generous donations that will allow him to concentrate on healing, and the overwhelming love and well wishes from across the nation,” said a KCSO spokesperson in the update posted to Facebook. “Your support makes a difference in Deputy Swanger’s journey, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Swanger is in the hospital’s ICU unit. An update from Monday said he was able to move all of his limbs.
Hensley is facing several charges connected to Swanger’s injuries, including attempted second-degree murder.
Anderson Co. TN – TVA statement – Saturday morning Tennessee Valley Authority safely completed the planned implosion of retired stacks at the Bull Run Fossil Plant. This marks a major milestone in the site’s ongoing decommissioning process.
The Bull Run Plant served our region for decades and its legacy lives on, not as an ending but a transition toward future energy innovation and new opportunities for our community.
TVA is already working on next generation technologies at the site, including the installation of a synchronous condenser and transmission upgrades to support grid reliability. They’re also partnering with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, local power companies and our own regional leaders to explore advanced energy solutions like fusion, right here in our backyard.
WVLT story: The Tennessee Valley Authority imploded the stacks at the Bull Run Fossil Plant early Saturday morning.
Crowds gathered at the river walk along Melton Lake Road and Edgemoor Road as early as 5:30 a.m.
Just a little after 6 a.m. the short stack was taken down, shortly followed by the taller stack.
TVA officials said once the debris of the implosions is cleaned, they’ll begin work for a fusion technology site.
TVA officials said synchronized condensers will be installed to help regulate energy in the area to keep energy use reliable.
Pigeon Forge, TN (WOKI) The city of Pigeon Forge has a new city manager.
City commissioners announcing Friday that Mayor David Wear has been selected for the role, filling the vacancy left by the retirement, after more than four decades, of Earlene Teaster.
Aside from public service, Wear is also currently the vice president of operations at the major entertainment district The Island, a job he’s held since 2014.
Speaking with WVLT News, Wear said he would resign as mayor and from his position at the Island if chosen as the new city manager.
Wear says some of his early priorities as city manager will be improving Pigeon Forge’s quality of life and tackling high housing costs.
Clinton, TN (WOKI) Police in Clinton and the Department of Children’s Services are investigating after a child is injured at a daycare facility.
While information is limited, officials with the Clinton Police Department confirming Friday that “officers are currently conducting a parallel investigation with DCS” of an incident at the Kiddie Korner Daycare at 98 Mariner Point Drive which injured a child.
WVLT News reporting that Kiddie Korner CEO Melissa Duff said the incident involved a child being laid down for a nap, and the two staff members working in that class were immediately let go. Duff also said the daycare is cooperating with all investigations.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) I-40 near the Tennessee-North Carolina line has reopened just over a week since four mudslides closed a portion of the interstate.
Officials with the Tennessee Department of Transportation say one lane in each direction on the interstate has reopened. They are urging drivers to exercise extreme caution as workers are still present due to ongoing repairs in the area as a result of Hurricane Helene last fall.
The interstate’s closure had caused ripple effects across the state, especially in places like Cocke County, where rafting businesses were trying to get guests into the Little Pigeon River while working around the closure.
