MEDIC Regional Blood Center’s Pint Before Christmas gets underway next week.
The event runs December 16th – Christmas Eve and holiday donors will receive a long-sleeved holiday shirt, a night session pass to Ober Mountain, and a coupon for Texas Roadhouse. Shirts and passes are while supplies last.
Schedule your appointment at medic blood dot org.
Recommendation is that a man convicted in the 1995 murder of a Knoxville couple should not get parole.
David Scarbrough was one of three men charged in connection to the murder of Les and Carol Dotts, who were murdered inside their Knoxville home. Yesterday (Tuesday), Board member Zane Duncan said his vote is to decline parole because of the seriousness of the offense and to continue correctional treatment for three years.
Throughout the hearing, Scarbrough maintained that he had nothing to do with the Dotts’ murder.
The Dotts daughter says she wasn’t convinced that Scarbrough deserved to get out of prison. Scarbrough was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southeastern Conference office announced Tuesday afternoon that six members of the Tennessee football team were selected to the coaches’ 2024 All-SEC teams.
Tennessee’s six honorees on the coaches’ All-SEC teams are its most since also having six players recognized in 2012. Junior running back Dylan Sampson, senior center Cooper Mays and junior edge rusher James Pearce Jr. claimed First Team All-SEC accolades, while sophomore cornerback Jermod McCoy was tabbed Second Team All-SEC in his first year on Rocky Top. Senior guard Javontez Spraggins and redshirt sophomore kickoff specialist Josh Turbyville rounded out the honorees for the Vols, earning Third Team honors from the league coaches.
Tennessee has now produced 14 Coaches All-SEC honorees in the Josh Heupel era (2021-present), its most in a four-year span since also having 14 recognized from 2009-12.
Sampson was selected first team as both a running back and all-purpose recipient, becoming the first Vol running back to earn first-team honors since Travis Stephens in 2001. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native produced the most prolific rushing campaign in Tennessee history during the 2024 regular season, breaking school records for rushing yards (1,485), rushing touchdowns (22), points scored (132), total touchdowns scored (22) and consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (11). He led the conference in 11 different categories, including 123.8 rushing yards per game and 22 rushing touchdowns — tied for the fifth-most rushing scores in SEC single-season history.
A Rimington Trophy finalist, Mays is the Vols’ first first-team center since Scott Wells in 2003. He anchored Tennessee’s offense in 2024 as UT produced a top 10 rushing offense and total offense in the country and punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff. Mays played a team-high 816 offensive snaps according to PFF and did not allow a sack or QB hit throughout the entire campaign, and he carries a current streak of 26 consecutive games without allowing a sack that dates back to the 2022 season. Mays led an offensive line unit that paved the way for the top rushing attack in the SEC for the second year in row. Tennessee’s 232.0 rushing yards per game ranked first in the conference and ninth in the FBS, while its 462.9 yards of total offense per game were second in the league and eighth nationally.
At least one UT offensive lineman has received first or second team accolades in all four seasons under Heupel and six consecutive seasons overall dating back to 2019.
Pearce earned First Team All-SEC acclaim from the league coaches for the second consecutive season, and the Vols have now produced a first-team defensive lineman under the direction of Rodney Garner for three straight seasons. The junior from Charlotte, North Carolina, generated 52 total pressures according to PFF, which led the SEC and ranked fifth among edge rushers in the Power Four conferences. His 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks led the Tennessee defense in 2024, including an impressive stretch of logging at least half a TFL in eight straight games – spanning Sept. 21 at Oklahoma through Nov. 23 against UTEP.
McCoy made an immediate impact on the Tennessee secondary in his first season with the Vols, starting all 12 games during the regular season and leading the Big Orange with 13 passes defended (four interceptions, nine pass breakups) which ranked second in the SEC and second among underclassmen nationally. The sophomore from Whitehouse, Texas, is tied for the SEC lead with four picks, and his 13 passes defended are the most by a Vol since Theo Jackson also had 13 in 2021. McCoy’s 90.3 coverage grade according to PFF ranks second in the SEC and fifth in the FBS among cornerbacks in 2024.
One of the most experienced Vols in the trenches, Spraggins picked up Third Team All-SEC honors after starting 11 of 12 games in 2024 at right guard and helping pave the way for the league’s No. 1 rushing offense. The East St. Louis, Illinois, native saw action on 740 offensive snaps throughout the season and allowed only two sacks according to PFF, including no sacks allowed in his last seven games played. The seasoned veteran has appeared in 56 games with 48 career starts – the most of any player on the 2024 Tennessee roster – and helped the Vols earn three consecutive honors as Joe Moore Award semifinalists.
A former Knoxville Catholic standout, Turbyville handled kickoff duties for Tennessee for the second year in a row in 2024 and was effective on a national scale. His 66 touchbacks ranked second in the SEC and tied for third in the FBS, while his 84.62 touchback percentage and 63.87 kickoff average ranked third and fifth in the league, respectively.
The SEC office will continue to announce postseason awards throughout the week, recognizing its conference players and coach of the year on Wednesday before unveiling the league’s All-Freshman team on Thursday.
2024 Coaches’ All-SEC Teams
First Team All-SEC
Offense
QB
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
RB
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
WR
Ryan Williams, Alabama
Luther Burden III, Missouri
TE
Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
OL
Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
Will Campbell, LSU
Tyler Booker, Alabama
Tate Ratledge, Georgia
C
Cooper Mays, Tennessee
All-Purpose
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Defense
DL
Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
James Pearce Jr., Tennessee*
Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss*
LB
Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
Whit Weeks, LSU
DB
Trey Amos, Ole Miss
Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Malachi Moore, Alabama
Jahdae Barron, Texas
Special Teams
PK
Alex Raynor, Kentucky
P
Kai Kroeger, South Carolina
RS
Barion Brown, Kentucky
KOS
Peyton Woodring, Georgia
LS
Beau Gardner, Georgia
Second Team All-SEC
Offense
QB
Quinn Ewers, Texas
RB
Raheim Sanders, South Carolina
Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M
WR
Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas
KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn
TE
Gunnar Helm, Texas
OL
Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Dylan Fairchild, Georgia
Armand Membou, Missouri
Emery Jones Jr., LSU
C
Jared Wilson, Georgia
All-Purpose
Barion Brown, Kentucky
Defense
DL
Bradyn Swinson, LSU
Landon Jackson, Arkansas
R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
Johnny Walker Jr., Missouri*
Mykel Williams, Georgia*
LB
Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
Jalon Walker, Georgia
Chris “Pooh” Paul, Ole Miss
DB
Malaki Starks, Georgia
Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Will Lee III, Texas A&M
Isaac Smith, Mississippi State
Special Teams
PK
Peyton Woodring, Georgia
P
Jesse Mirco, Vanderbilt
RS
Martel Hight, Vanderbilt
KOS
Aeron Burrell, LSU
LS
Rocco Underwood, Florida
Third Team All-SEC
Offense
QB
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
RB
Quintrevion Wisner, Texas
Trevor Etienne, Georgia
WR
Tre Harris, Ole Miss
Kevin Coleman, Mississippi State
TE
Mason Taylor, LSU
OL
Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
Torricelli Simpkins III, South Carolina
Fernando Carmona, Arkansas
Javontez Spraggins, Tennessee
C
Eli Cox, Kentucky
All-Purpose
Davon Booth, Mississippi State
Defense
DL
Jared Ivey, Ole Miss
Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss
JJ Pegues, Ole Miss*
Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M*
Deone Walker, Kentucky*
LB
Chaz Chambliss, Georgia
Deontae Lawson, Alabama
Xavian Sorey Jr., Arkansas
DB
Daylen Everette, Georgia
Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma
Andrew Mukuba, Texas
Dan Jackson, Georgia
Special Teams
PK
Brock Taylor, Vanderbilt
P
Brett Thorson, Georgia
RS
Zavion Thomas, LSU
KOS
Josh Turbyville, Tennessee
LS
Ben Anderson, Oklahoma
* – ties
2024 Tennessee Postseason Award Honors as of Dec. 10
DC Tim Banks
Broyles Award Semifinalist
DB Will Brooks
Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist
QB Nico Iamaleava
Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Semifinalist
OL Cooper Mays
Rimington Trophy Finalist
All-SEC First Team (Coaches)
WR Bru McCoy
Witten Award Semifinalist
Comeback Player of the Year Semifinalist
SEC Community Service Team
DB Jermod McCoy
Thorpe Award Semifinalist
All-SEC Second Team (Coaches)
DE James Pearce Jr.
Bednarik Award Semifinalist
Lombardi Award Semifinalist
Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalist
All-SEC First Team (Coaches)
LB Keenan Pili
NFF Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
RB Dylan Sampson
USA Today SEC Player of the Year
Maxwell Award Semifinalist
Doak Walker Award Semifinalist
All-SEC First Team (Coaches)
OL Javontez Spraggins
All-SEC Third Team (Coaches)
KOS Josh Turbyville
All-SEC Third Team (Coaches)
Offensive Line
Joe Moore Award Semifinalist
Nashville, TN (WOKI) A resounding success, the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT’s) month-long initiative “No Trash November” sees nearly 70,000 pounds of litter removed from Tennessee roadways.
TDOT officials say over 2,400 volunteers participated in 175 cleanups, collecting more than 3,200 bags of litter, weighing almost 70,000 pounds.
Among the groups recognized this year by TDOT for the most pounds of trash collected was Keep Knoxville Beautiful, collecting nearly 12,000 pounds of litter, about 17% of the total picked up around the state.
Additional groups recognized throughout the state for removing the most litter in their communities were Donnie E Horton Post 254 (2,095 pounds collected), Conservation Kid in Hamilton County (315 pounds collected) and TN Delta Alliance (6,110 pounds collected).
“We are grateful to the more than 2,400 Tennesseans that came together in November to help us in our mission to prevent and reduce litter,” said Michael McClanahan with the TDOT Beautification Office. “Community cleanups and individual actions taken last month showcase what we can achieve when we work together to preserve our state’s beauty. We encourage all residents to be a part of the solution to end littering. Even small, simple actions can help, from reducing single-use plastics to recognizing that food waste is litter, every effort counts.”
New to Nobody Trashes Tennessee and No Trash November is the Trash Masters Rewards program. Participants earn points for various activities like taking a litter quiz, attending cleanup events, and spreading awareness. Points may be redeemed for a variety of rewards, including discounts at local businesses and exclusive Nobody Trashes Tennessee swag. “More than 1,600 people have signed up since we launched the program in October. It’s a fun and engaging way for individuals to contribute to a litter-free Tennessee while being recognized for their commitment to the environment,” said McClanahan.
Claiborne County, TN (WOKI) The Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office is on the lookout for a felon officials say is armed and dangerous.
CCSO officials say 48-year-old Ralph E. Ray cut his ankle monitor off and could be traveling with his girlfriend or fiancée Tracy Ann Brooks.
While the office isn’t sure where Ray is, officials did say he has contacts in Knoxville and Anderson County. They also say Ray has been traveling to Nashville recently.
He is wanted for possession of meth, fentanyl and a firearm while committing a dangerous felony.
Those with information are asked to call 911 or 423-626-2501.
WHITE PINE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A White Pine teacher accused of hitting a student with an iPad had had previous problems at the school system, according to a personnel file obtained by WVLT News.
The case centers on Joseph Lee. Friday, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Lee had assaulted the student and was facing a charge for child abuse.
According to Lee’s personnel file, it isn’t the first time he faced consequences for his treatment of students. The file contains a letter outlining a “conference of concern” claiming Lee violated a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) in April of last year.
An IEP outlines how students with special needs are to be educated and treated while at school. According to the file, Lee took a student outside in direct sunlight, even though they had a sensitivity to light.
“On April 18, your mentor strongly advised you against taking this student outdoors and despite the student being escalated you chose to take [them] outdoors,” the letter said.
That same document claimed that Lee was also reprimanded for “continued inappropriate contact with students.”
It said Lee was seen throwing a student into the air playfully and letting students sit on his lap.
“You commented several times to the class that you knew you were not to engage in this behavior but chose to do so,” the letter said.
Lee was taken to the Jefferson County Detention Center on Friday. He’s also been suspended from the school system.
Story courtesy of WVLT
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is ranked atop both major national polls, as announced Monday afternoon.
Tennessee (8-0) climbed two spots in both the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll to No. 1 overall. It is just the second team to hold the top position in either poll this year, alongside Kansas.
This is the sixth time in program history, across three different seasons, Tennessee is first in the AP Poll. The Volunteers held the top spot once in 2007-08 (Feb. 25), as well as four times in 2018-19 (Jan. 21, Jan. 28, Feb. 4 and Feb. 11). This is the earliest the program has ever ascended atop the poll and the first time it has done so during non-conference play.
Five of Tennessee’s six all-time AP No. 1 rankings are under the direction of head coach Rick Barnes, who is now in his 10th year on Rocky Top. Over the last seven years (2018-25), the Volunteers are one of just seven programs to claim the No. 1 position in the AP Poll in multiple seasons, alongside Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston and Purdue.
This is the 65th straight week the Volunteers are in the AP Poll, a span stretching across four campaigns that dates to the 2021-22 preseason poll. The mark is 28 weeks longer than the program’s previous record and is the third-longest active tally in America, behind just Houston (91) and Kansas (70). No other school is even 50-plus, while the closest SEC team is Kentucky (27), ninth nationally and 38 weeks shy of Tennessee.
The Volunteers are in the AP top 15 for the 39th time in the last 42 releases, dating to Nov. 28, 2022. Tennessee now has 61 AP top-10 nods in Barnes’ tenure, including 29 in the top five, the latter mark 12 greater than the program’s entire total before his hire. The Volunteers also now have thrice as many AP top-two rankings (six) under Barnes as they had before his 2015 arrival (two).
Barnes has led Tennessee to an AP top-five ranking in each of the past four seasons, a mark only Kansas can match. He has also guided the Volunteers to an AP top-six ranking in each of the last five years, a ledger only Alabama, Houston and Kansas can equal.
Tennessee won its only outing last week, turning in a dominant 96-70 triumph Tuesday over Syracuse in the SEC/ACC Challenge at Food City Center behind a game-best 26 points from fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier. The Volunteers were one of just two teams in last week’s AP top eight that did not lose last week, including the only one in the top five.
In its eight outings so far, Tennessee has led for 303 minutes and 50 seconds of possible 320 minutes, while trailing for just six minutes and three seconds. It has led by at least 26 points in every game, winning all of them by 15-plus, and has not faced a deficit larger than three.
The Volunteers earned 1,544 of 1,550 points in the AP Poll balloting, a 193-point ascension from last week, and collected 58 of 62 first-place votes. In the Coaches Poll, Tennessee registered 770 of a possible 775 points, a 51-point increase from last week, and received 26 of 31 first-place votes.
Tennessee is among nine SEC teams in the top 25 of at least one poll. It is joined by second-ranked Auburn, fifth-ranked Kentucky, No. 7/8 Alabama, No. 9/7 Florida, No. 13/17 Oklahoma, No. 17/18 Texas A&M and No. 19/15 Ole Miss in each poll, while Mississippi State is No. 25 in the AP Poll and atop the receiving votes section of the Coaches Poll. Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri and Texas garnered points from both voting bodies, while LSU did so from the coaches.
Additionally, the Volunteers, who are among eight remaining undefeated teams, once again place first in the NCAA NET rankings and second in KenPom’s rankings.
Tennessee is back in action Tuesday in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York, where it faces Miami at 6:30 p.m., live on ESPN.
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.
Monroe County, TN (WOKI) Two now-resigned deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office are indicted on official misconduct counts.
The office started an investigation into Corrections Deputy Caleb Kirkland and Deputy Sheriff Ava Hensley which was taken over by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation when both deputies resigned.
Both deputies were indicted by a grand jury on December 4 and arrested that same day.
Kirkland was indicted on one count of official misconduct while Hensley was indicted on three counts; both were accused of bringing contraband into the county jail.
“As your Sheriff of Monroe County, I have promised to uphold my deputies to a higher standard. No one that wears a badge is above the law, and if a law enforcement officer breaks the public’s trust by committing a crime, and violating their oath while wearing a badge, then they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When I took the office as Sheriff, I promised transparency and will continue to be transparent throughout my service as your sheriff.” – Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones
Mountain City, TN (WOKI) Citing the devastating impact wrought by Hurricane Helene, an East Tennessee textile company announces plans to close its doors in the New Year.
According to a Tennessee WARN notice, Parkdale Mills in Mountain City will shut its doors for good on January 3, 2025.
The notices act as a way to report to the state mass layoffs. According to the notice, the extent of the damage suffered at the company’s Mountain City location “makes it impossible to resume operations.”
“The decision comes because of the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, which left the facility completely inoperable,” the notice reads. “Despite best efforts to assess all options, the extent of the damage makes it impossible to resume operations.”
The closure is affecting 120 workers.
Bean Station, TN (WOKI) We’re learning more about an officer-involved shooting last month out of Bean Station.
Court records indicate a police officer went to a house on Love Drive on November 30 to find a man who was wanted for stealing a vehicle. When the officer arrived, a man identified as Dustin Lee Carpenter allegedly started running behind the house.
According to the affidavit of complaint, a foot chase ensued with the officer telling Carpenter, repeatedly, to stop.
After failing to scale a fence, Carpenter allegedly pulled a concealed handgun and shot at the officer. The officer shot back, hitting Carpenter in the right buttock who was placed into custody then transferred to UT Medical Center.
He was charged with attempt to commit felony murder on a police officer.
