Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) The City of Knoxville will cut the ribbon on the Sunsphere’s new welcome center Wednesday, but the center won’t be the only change for the Knoxville icon.
The welcome center’s canopy will also house an array of solar panels, which will power the venue through solar energy.
Chroma Energy Group is behind the addition; the group said the array will pay homage to the 1982 World’s Fair’s theme: “Energy Turns the World.”
“As Knoxville continues to position itself as a clean energy hub for businesses and residents, Chroma is honored to take part in this pivotal project for downtown Knoxville,” said Ed Rottmann, CEO of Chroma Energy Group. “This installation not only generates clean electricity but serves as an educational tool, demonstrating how solar power can be seamlessly integrated into historic structures while preserving their architectural significance.”
The welcome center’s canopy will house 30 7.7 kilowatt solar panels which will generate around 10,000 kilowatt-hours of power each year.
Those interested in stopping by the Sunsphere for the Welcome Center’s opening day are invited to do so on November 20.
Chroma Energy Group said the array will pay homage to the 1982 World’s Fair’s theme: “Energy Turns the World.” (Courtesy: Rich Benjamin and or Ray Surface RBA Marketing & Media | Visit Knoxville)
Oak Ridge, TN (WOKI) Several Oak Ridge residents can expect a letter from the city telling them they could have been exposed to lead through drinking water service lines.
The city says crews conducted a service line survey and found that “many properties” have lines made out of “an unknown material” which means people could have been exposed to lead.
Service lines connect water mains to building inlets. Oak Ridge’s service line is owned in part by the city and in part by the owner of the property it services. City officials say the unknown material was found in both portions of the service line.
If you get the notice, you are being asked to fill out a survey to help crews identify what material the line is made of. Please go to oak ridge tn dot gov and search lead exposure.
Oak Ridge officials said crews conducted a service line survey and found that “many properties” have lines made out of “an unknown material.” (Pexels)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville Police Department officials have identified the officers involved in the shooting of an axe-wielding man Tuesday in North Knoxville.
KPD says Officers Alexandra Burns and Eric Smith were “involved” in the shooting in the 2600 block of Fairview Street and that both have been with the department since 2020 serving the Field Operations East District.
The officers were called to a domestic situation, finding 52-year-old Christopher Arons of Knoxville outside of the home armed with an axe.
Christopher Arons, 52 (Courtesy: JIMS)
Arons was reportedly shot at least one time after refusing the officers’ requests to drop the axe and continuing to advance upon them.
He remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
Per standard protocol, both officers have been placed on routine administrative leave.
It happened in the 2600 block of Fairview Street Tuesday afternoon, department officials said.(Courtesy: WVLT)
Shady Grove Boat Launch on Douglas Lake will be closed the rest of the year as TVA, FEMA and TWRA will be using it as a hub for debris removal due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. It is expected on re-open on January 1, 2025.
Darrell Guinn with TVA says there is still a boating advisory for Douglas Lake.
TVA and other involved agencies will hold an Open house on November 25th at the Field of Dreams Activity Center in Dandridge from 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. to discuss what you can do with debris and discuss their clean-up plans.
FILE: Water from the remnants of Hurricane Helene washed out roads and submerged bridges in East Tennessee over the weekend. (Courtesy: WSMV)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team recorded a 103-68 victory over Austin Peay behind a scintillating offensive performance Sunday afternoon at Food City Center.
No. 11/9 Tennessee (4-0) shot a remarkable 63.8 percent, tied for its fifth-best mark of the last 20 seasons (2005-25) in the decisive victory and got a game-high 23 points from senior forward Igor Miličić Jr., who paced the team in scoring for the second straight outing.
The Governors hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession, but the Volunteers countered with nine straight points in 1:54, grabbing early control that it would never relinquish. Following another basket by Austin Peay (3-1), Tennessee went on a 12-0 run in 2:57 to go ahead by 16 points, 21-5, after just 6:34 of action. At that point, the home team was 8-of-9 from the floor, with seven makes in a row.
Tennessee soon had a stretch of nine straight made field goals that upped its ledger to 18-of-21—along with a 10-of-11 free-throw clip—through 17 minutes of play, at which point it led by 22, 48-26. Although the Volunteers then missed their next four shots from the floor, they still posted a mark above 70 percent (19-of-27) in a frame for the first time in over 22 months.
Behind its torrid shooting, Tennessee took a 23-point led, 52-29, into the break. Miličić totaled 17 first-half points on an 8-of-10 field-goal clip, while senior guard Zakai Zeigler had 12 on a perfect 4-of-4 mark. At the other end, the Volunteers limited Austin Peay to 9-of-30 (30.0 percent) field-goal shooting.
Tennessee scored the first six points on the second session to go up by a then-game-high 29, 58-29, with 18:21 to play. The home team extended its margin up to 30 points on multiple occasions, despite Austin Peay making five 3-pointers in a six-minute stretch midway through the second half.
The Volunteers used an 11-0 surge in 2:57, capped by a 3-pointer from senior guard Jordan Gainey, to go ahead by 34 points, 98-64, with 2:04 left. Tenth-year head coach Rick Barnes‘ team stretched the margin as high as 37 before claiming a second consecutive triumph by exactly 35.
Miličić amassed his game- and season-best point total on an 11-of-14 field-goal ledger to tie his career high in makes, led all players with nine rebounds and dished out four assists, one shy of his career best, plus blocked two shots. He finished plus-42 during his 30 minutes of action, while Zeigler was plus-43 in his 31 minutes. The Long Island, N.Y., native totaled 19 points, a game-best eight assists, three rebounds, a block and a steal, becoming the first Volunteer with that line in over 13 years. Zeigler, who shot 7-of-8 overall with a 3-of-4 clip from deep, also became the fifth player in program history to reach 500 career assists.
Gainey contributed 15 points, 11 of which came in the second half, while finishing 4-of-7 from the field and 6-of-8 at the line. Sophomore forward Cade Phillips scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, setting a career high in each category. Junior forward Felix Okpara posted 12 points on a 6-of-10 ledger, seven rebounds and a game-high three blocks, while senior guard Jahmai Mashack scored 10 points, aided by an 8-of-10 free-throw mark that gave him career bests in both areas.
For Tennessee, it marked the first time in nearly two years that six players scored in double figures, dating to Dec. 4, 2022, as well as the first time since Feb. 1, 2022, it had five players with at least a dozen points.
Senior guard Isaac Haney paced the Governors with 22 points, finishing 5-of-11 from 3-point range, while junior guard L.J. Thomas registered 20 points. The rest of the team scored a combined 26 points in the defeat.
Tennessee, which eclipsed 60 percent shooting for the second straight outing, posted a blistering 32-of-44 (72.7 percent) tally inside the arc. It notched the same percentage at the line, where it shot 24-of-33. The Volunteers had a dominant 64-22 margin in paint points, a 34-13 ledger in bench scoring and a 27-6 cushion in fast-break points.
Barnes’ team posted 10 blocks, the first time it has reached double figures since the 2021 SEC Tournament. Meanwhile, the 103 points tied for the second-most during his illustrious 10-year tenure in Knoxville.
Tennessee now heads to Nassau, Bahamas, where it begins Baha Mar Championship play Thursday at 9:30 p.m. against Virginia, live on CBS Sports Network.
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.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES • Tennessee improved to 10-1 all-time versus Austin Peay, including 4-1 this century with the four victories by an average of 34.8 points per game. • The Volunteers are now 21-1 all-time versus current Atlantic Sun members, despite only playing four of its schools. • Barnes, meanwhile, upped his mark to 12-0 against the Atlantic Sun membership, including 7-0 with the Volunteers. • Barnes is now 32-6 (.842) against in-state competition as the head coach of the Volunteers, including 15-1 (.938) over the last 16 such outings. • Coaching in his 600th home game, Barnes improved to 501-99 (.835) in such contests across his 38-year career, including 125-24 (.839) in 10 years atr Tennessee. • Sophomore forward J.P. Estrella, as announced before tip-off, did not play due to a left foot injury, while fifth-year guard Darlinstone Dubar (personal matter) missed his fourth consecutive contest to begin the season. • Freshman guards Campbell Duncan and Gavin Paull both made their collegiate debuts, checking in for the final 2:01 of the contest. • Tennessee upped its non-conference home winning streak to 31 straight games, a span that dates to the 2020-21 season opener versus Colorado on Dec. 8, 2020. • Sunday marked the 68th time in program history the Volunteers have scored 100-plus points, including the first since Feb. 3, 2024, when they had 103 in a victory at Kentucky. • The Volunteers have now reached triple digits seven times during Barnes’ tenure, including five times at home, with 103 matching their second-highest total during his 10 seasons. • This is the sixth time in the last 20 seasons (2005-25) the Volunteers have shot over 61.0 percent from the floor, including the fourth under Barnes. • Of the nine times Tennessee has shot greater than 60.0 percent in the last 20 seasons (2005-25), two have come in the last two games, as the Volunteers posted a 60.8 percent (31-of-51) mark Nov. 13 against Montana. • The Volunteers now have 16 wins by 30-plus points over the last three seasons (2022-25), including 12 by at least 35. • The last time Tennessee won back-to-back games by 35-plus points was Dec. 4 and Dec. 7, 2022, when it defeated Alcorn State by 54, 94-40, and Eastern Kentucky by 35, 84-49, respectively. • Tennessee last had six double-digit scorers on Dec. 4, 2022, against Alcorn State, a group that also included Mashack (13) and Zeigler (10) • The Volunteers last had five players score 12-plus points on Feb. 1, 2022, versus Texas A&M a quintet that also included Zeigler (14). • The last time Tennessee had double-digit blocks in a game was March 12, 2021, when it logged 11 against Florida in the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. • The Volunteers have now scored 50-plus points in a half 45 times in Barnes’ tenure, including in each of the last three frames, dating to the second session Nov. 13 against Montana. • Through four contests this season, Tennessee has trailed for a total of just 94 seconds and led for a total of 155:32. • The last time Tennessee shot 70-plus percent in a half was Jan. 3, 2023, against Mississippi State, when it went 19-of-25 (76.0 percent) after the break. • On his fifth assist of the day, with 7:16 left in the first half, Zeigler became the fifth player in Tennessee history to record 500 assists, joining Johnny Darden (715 from 1975-79), C.J. Watson (577 from 2002-06), Rodney Woods (525 from 1972-75) and Tony Harris (509 from 1997-2001). • Prior to Zeigler, the last Volunteer to shoot over 85.0 percent on at least eight attempts was Olivier Nkamhoua, who went 10-of-10 on Jan. 7, 2023, at South Carolina, while the last Tennessee guard to do so was Admiral Schofield when he notched an equal 7-of-8 mark on Dec. 29, 2018, versus Tennessee Tech. • Zeigler is the second Volunteer in the last 20 seasons (2005-25) to post 19 points, eight assists, three steals, one block and one steal in a game, joining Trae Golden, who did so on Nov. 11, 2011, against UNC Greensboro. • Miličić has scored 14-plus points in each of the last two first halves, as he tallied 14 before the break Nov. 13 versus Montana and then 15 against Austin Peay. • Over the last 20 seasons (2005-25), Miličić is now one of three Volunteers with 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks in a contest, joining Admiral Schofield, who did so on Jan. 29, 2019, at South Carolina, and Grant Williams who did so earlier that season on Nov. 21, 2018, versus Louisville in Brooklyn, N.Y. • Mashack’s prior career best in made free throws was five, set on Dec. 9, 2023, versus Illinois, while his prior top mark in attempts was six, recorded thrice, most recently in that contest against the Fighting Illini. • Phillips’ prior career high in points was seven on Nov. 4, 2024, versus Gardner-Webb, while his top mark in rebounds was six on Nov. 9, 2024, against Louisville and his best tally in made field goals was three, recorded in each of those two games. • Redshirt junior guard Grant Hurst scored the first points of his Tennessee career on a layup with 33 seconds to play. • The last time two opposing players scored 20-plus points against the Volunteers was March 9, 2024, when Antonio Reeves (27) and Reed Sheppard (27) of Kentucky did so.
The Tennessee Volunteers fell several spots in the AP College Football Poll following Saturday’s loss to Georgia on Saturday.
The latest poll has the Vols ranked No. 10 in the country, dropping four spots.
The loss dropped Tennessee to 8-2 on the season and 5-2 in SEC play.
The top 5 remains unchanged from last week with Oregon maintaining its No. 1 position in the poll.
Other SEC teams in the top 25 are No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 19 South Carolina.
The Vols take on UTEP this Saturday, kick-off set for 1 o’clock. You can watch it on the SEC network plus or ESPN plus or listen on one our sisters stations WIVK or WNML.
A trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol dies after a battle with cancer.
Trooper Grant Gouldie was diagnosed with colon cancer earlier this year, and back in July, family friends decided to help him out, raising thousands of dollars by making and selling hand-painted wooden crosses.
Gouldie was a devoted husband and father to three children.
A former Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer pleads guilty to using state funds for personal use over the course of several years.
District Attorney General Russell Johnson’s office says an investigation into former agent Travis Buchanan began in February of 2023 after TWRA officials noticed discrepancies in the amount of gasoline purchased for his TWRA-issued pickup truck.
Buchanan, who worked for the TWRA for 19 years, was caught on surveillance using a state credit card to purchase more gasoline than his truck would use.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation then began surveillance of Buchanan, which documents repeated trips to a Morgan County gas station to fill up several gas containers in the back of his truck.
This resulted in him being indicted in September of 2023.
He was sentenced to six years probation and required to make an immediate restitution payment by certified check to TWRA in the amount of $46,000.
He also forfeited all rights to any pension funds and annuities that accumulated through the state retirement system, and he is barred from employment with the State of Tennessee.
A Knoxville man is sentenced after he crashed into another car head-on on Tazewell Pike after drinking several margaritas in September 2021.
Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen says 68-year-old Dennis Hill drove partially off the right side of Tazewell Pike then into oncoming traffic, where he hit the victim’s car head-on, killing him.
Hill was convicted of vehicular homicide by intoxication and driving under the influence, he was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Game Recap: Women’s Basketball | November 16, 2024 | Eric Trainer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper fired in a career-high 33 points, propelling Tennessee past Liberty, 109-93, Saturday afternoon in front of a crowd of 9,109 at Food City Center.
Cooper connected on 12 of 20 field goal attempts, sinking all seven free-throw tries and netting two of four three-point shots to pace the Lady Vols (4-0). She finished a rebound shy of her second straight double-double and added three assists and a pair of steals. Also in double figures for the Big Orange were Ruby Whitehorn, Sara Puckett and Jewel Spear, who tossed in 13, 12 and 10 points, respectively, as their team drained 14 three-pointers on 36.8-percent accuracy.
The Lady Flames (2-2), who are picked to finish second in Conference USA, got 27 points from 6-foot-6 center Bella Smuda as well as 19 from Avery Mills, 11 from Emma Hess and 10 from Emily Howard. LU finished the game at 51.5 percent from the field, including 50 percent (11 of 22) from beyond the three-point arc.
The Lady Vols came out firing on all cylinders, racing to an 8-0 lead by the 7:43 mark. UT connected on 75-percent accuracy over the first five minutes of the game, with Cooper, Puckett, Spear and Tess Darby knocking down threes in a 4-for-5 shooting flurry from beyond the arc to build a 17-3 cushion by the 4:59 media timeout. UT pushed a scoring run to 11-0 with a Jillian Hollingshead layup and upped the gap to 16, 19-3, with 4:54 to go before Liberty began to find its range. Buckets by Cooper and Whitehorn in the final 11 seconds of the period, though, enabled the Big Orange to close out the opening frame with a 34-15 advantage.
Liberty whittled Tennessee’s advantage to 15 at 38-23 on a three-pointer by Hess with 8:45 to go in the second stanza before the Lady Vols stretched the lead back to 19 and forced the Lady Flames to take a timeout trailing 42-23 with 7:26 remaining. UT expanded the margin further midway through the second period, getting buckets by Whitehorn, Avery Strickland and Alyssa Latham just before back-to-back three-balls by Spear and Hollingshead made it a 25-point game, 50-25, with five minutes to go. LU kept fighting back, getting a 10-0 run to cut the gap to 60-39 with 1:58 left. A pair of Cooper buckets before the half, though, sent Tennessee into the intermission with a 64-43 edge.
The Lady Vols scored first to open the second half on a Zee Spearman three-pointer to make it 67-43, but Liberty followed a 63-percent second-quarter shooting effort by connecting on 60 percent (6-10) at the outset of the third period to trim the deficit to 12, 69-57, with 5:33 to go and force a UT timeout. The Big Orange responded out of the break, getting pairs of free throws from Kaniya Boyd and Cooper and a three from Cooper to build the lead back to 22, 79-57, with 4:05 remaining. The Lady Flames refused to go away, however, getting a bucket before the buzzer to head to the fourth trailing by 18, 89-71.
The teams exchanged baskets in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, with a Whitehorn three putting Tennessee back up by 19, 99-80, with 6:18 remaining. Liberty, however, had closed the gap to 15, 99-84, by the 4:43 media timeout. The Lady Flames, who outscored the hosts in the final two quarters by a 50-45 count, whittled the deficit to 12 again at 105-93 with 1:54 to go, but Cooper sank four free throws over the final 1:07 to close out the scoring and keep her squad unbeaten.
NEXT UP: The Lady Vols will have a 10-day break from action before resuming competition on Nov. 26, as they welcome Western Carolina to Food City Center. That contest is slated for 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on SEC Network.
PILING UP POINTS: UT has scored 20 or more points in 14 of 16 quarters thus far. The only periods the Big Orange failed to reach that total were when it tallied 19 in the second quarter vs. UT Martin on Nov. 7 and 18 in the second stanza vs. Middle Tennessee on Nov. 12. It scored 20 plus points in all four quarters against Liberty and Samford, while also adding three such quarters vs. UT Martin and Middle Tennessee. Tennessee’s best 2024-25 offensive quarter of 34 came Saturday in the opening stanza vs. Liberty, which tied for the seventh-most points scored in any quarter and tied for second-most in a first quarter in program history.
CAREER-HIGH COOP: Redshirt sophomore Talaysia Cooper produced a career-high 33 points against the Flames. Cooper also added nine rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals to her Saturday afternoon resume. The guard struck early, draining 11 points from sinking all five of her field goal attempts in the opening quarter of action. Cooper’s 33-point total is the most points scored in a single game by a Lady Vol during the 2024-25 season. Cooper topped Zee Spearman’s 25 points against Samford on Nov. 5, 2024. Cooper leads the team in points with 76, averaging 19.0 per game. She is shooting 92.3 percent from the charity stripe and is connecting on 57-percent of her field goal tries.
BIG ORANGE, BIG HALF: The Lady Vols posted their third-highest point total in a half in program history with 64 points. That effort stands as the most since Tennessee dropped 63 total points in the opening half vs. Central Arkansas on Nov. 15, 2015. UT topped its previous 2024-25 first-half best of 49 points that it tallied vs. Samford on Nov. 5. Talaysia Cooper (20) and Ruby Whitehorn (10) combined for 30 of their team’s points over the opening 20 minutes vs. Liberty.
S(T)EALING THE DEAL: Tennessee has concluded three of four contests with 15 or more steals so far this season. The Lady Vols recorded 27 against Samford, 18 versus UT Martin and 17 against Liberty. It marks the first time since the 2018-19 season that Tennessee has recorded 15 or more steals three times in a year. UT finished with three total that season. Talaysia Cooper paces the squad with 15 steals, while Kaniya Boyd follows with 12 on the young season. In total, the Lady Vols have captured 75 steals thus far and are averaging 18.8 per game.
SOARIN’ AND SCORIN’: For the first time in program history Tennessee has scored 89 or more points in each of its first four games of a season. It has now accomplished a four-game run of 89+ games for only the fifth time ever at any point during a schedule.
SAM SHARES THE ROCK: Senior Samara Spencer leads the squad with 21 assists, finishing with a season-best six during Saturday’s matchup. Spencer has tallied five or more dimes in every game so far and is averaging 5.3 steals per contest.
