Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Central High School student is arrested Monday after officers found the individual with a stolen gun.
According to a release from the Knoxville Police Department, “the gun, which was reported stolen out of Knox County, was located following an administrative stop and search of the student. A KPD School Resource Officer and Knox County School Security Officers were involved in the arrest and firearm recovery.”
KPD says Central High School was also put on a medium lockdown; that lockdown has since been lifted.
Central High School was also put on a medium lockdown, police said. That lockdown hassince been lifted. (Courtesy: KPD)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 8/18: Knoxville police have arrested the suspect allegedly involved in a robbery at a grocery store.
KPD says 37-year-old Joseph Eldridge of Rutledge, Tennessee was taken into custody Monday morning in Sevier County and has been charged with aggravated robbery in connection to Friday’s incident at the Kroger on 2117 N. Broadway.
Eldridge reportedly robbed a man at knifepoint in the store’s parking lot Friday afternoon before fleeing the scene in a dark colored Trailblazer.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
ORIGINAL STORY: Knoxville police are searching for a suspect who is allegedly involved in a robbery at a grocery store.
It happened at the Kroger located at 2117 N. Broadway Street on Friday. KPD says the suspect reportedly robbed a man at knifepoint and drove off toward the downtown area in a dark colored Trailblazer.
No injuries were reported. Anyone with information is asked to call the East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
The 105th Tennessee Valley Fair is here! The Tennessee Valley Fair welcomes you to a spectacular place full of fun and adventure! Whether it is your first time or your fiftieth, you will feel the familiarity of traditions, memories, and excitement. There is something for everyone to enjoy including Ribbons, Roosters, and Roller Coasters!
HARRIMAN, TN (Story courtesy of WVLT) – The Roane County Sheriff’s Office said a student and a parent have been charged after threats were made at Harriman Middle School.
According to Chief Deputy Tim Phillips, administration at the school received reports that a student had made threatening statements directed toward other students and staff on Friday. This prompted the School Resource Officer (SRO) to begin an investigation.
During the investigation, Phillips said it was determined the student’s father, identified as Kevin Johnson, had knowledge that these threats were made but didn’t report them to the school or authorities.
wvlt
As a result, Phillips said the student was taken into custody and charged with threat of mass violence on school property, and Johnson was charged with failure to report a threat of mass violence on school property or at a school-related activity.
“Thanks to the swift action of the school administration and the Roane County School Resource Officer, the situation was addressed without harm to students or staff,” Phillips said.
Phillips added that the RCSO, Roane County Schools and the 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office emphasize that threats of violence in schools are taken extremely seriously and that anyone who engages in or fails to report such behavior will be held accountable.
Whataburger is expanding into Knoxville, Tennessee, with three planned locations, according to a post on Facebook: 1830 Cumberland Ave (dine-in only), 500 E. Emory Road, and 310 Wild Geese Road. The Cumberland Avenue location will be near Raising Cane’s and offer dine-in service beneath apartments. The other two locations are former Steak ‘n Shake sites and will feature drive-thru service. The Cumberland location is specifically targeted towards UT students and event attendees.
The first Whataburger location is opening on Cumberland Avenue next week.
On August 25th at 11a.m. the first 2 guests in line will get a gift basket and the next 50 will also get some goodies.
UPDATE: Knoxville, TN (WOKI/KPD) : The victim of the motorcycle crash that happened on Friday on I-40 East has been identified as Juliana Goodman, 44 of Talbott, Tennessee.
The Knoxville Police Department is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash that happened on I-40 East Friday night.
At around 8 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2025, KPD officers responded to I-40 East near mile marker 385, where a motorcycle had crashed into a rail.
The preliminary investigation determined that the motorcycle was traveling on I-40 East near I-640 when it left the road for reasons that remain under investigation. The female driver was thrown from the bike after colliding with the railing and died at the scene.
KPD crash reconstruction investigators responded to the scene and are leading the investigation into the crash.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld at this time.
Original Story: The Knoxville Police Department is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash that happened on I-40 East Friday night.
At around 8 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2025, KPD officers responded to I-40 East near mile marker 385, where a motorcycle had crashed into a rail.
The preliminary investigation determined that the motorcycle was traveling on I-40 East near I-640 when it left the road for reasons that remain under investigation. The female driver was thrown from the bike after colliding with the railing and died at the scene.
KPD crash reconstruction investigators responded to the scene and are leading the investigation into the crash.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld at this time.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football completed its second scrimmage Friday in Neyland Stadium as preseason camp winds down for the 18th-ranked Volunteers.
The action saw first team offense going against first team defense in thud sessions with multiple quarterbacks getting reps with the ones. The second team offense and second team defense were in live situations.
“I think we’ve gotten better throughout the course of training camp, as far as penalties, in all three phases,” said head coach Josh Heupel. “At the end of the day, I think playing smart football is really important, not having self-inflicted wounds. Tackling, I think our guys have done a good job. We’ve done a lot of one-on-one tackling where you limit exposure of some of what’s going on, as well. Fundamentally, they’ve gotten themselves in really good positions. That’s been a point of emphasis.”
The Vols are off Saturday and will go through one more practice Sunday before classes begin Monday on the Knoxville campus. The team will then transition into a mock game week with preparations gearing toward its season opener against Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game on Aug. 30 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tickets are on sale at AllVols.com.
Tennessee Football Press Conference | Aug. 15, 2025 Head Coach Josh Heupel
Opening statement… “I’ll start by saying, Coach (Joe) Kirt and our Lady Vols soccer team, a great way to start off the fall. Great win last night. I’m excited for them and this season for them too. Great day inside of Neyland, second scrimmage. I saw us take some strides in just how we operated on both sides of the football and special teams got good work there too. You know, still a couple weeks before kickoff, we got some growth that we got to go get before we go kick off, but excited about what I saw. Some back and forth through the course of it and that’s what you want at this time of the year.”
On the play of the quarterbacks this week and during the scrimmage… “I thought both of them (Joey Aguilar & Jake Merklinger) handled themselves extremely well. George (MacIntyre) did as well. I thought they’ve taken strides during the last three practices before we got inside of the stadium for today’s scrimmage. We operated with crowd noise and some of those mechanics, as well, so there was more on their plate. They’ve handled it well, been good decision makers and have continued to grow, both in understanding of what we’re doing, defensive structure, and then fundamentally and consistently being accurate with the football. Today, they handled that pretty well throughout the course of it.”
On DaSaahn Brame’s impressive performances through fall camp… “You know, it’s tough for every player when you’re out. Challenging yourself and mentally being engaged just like you’re taking every live rep and I thought he got better throughout the course of the spring in that. Not getting work, but handling yourself like a pro and his growth during the summer, the game has slowed down for him just in the course of training camp, how we’ve operated, his ability to see signals, get lined up, handle tempo and handle everything that we’re doing. And he’s made some plays, been really good out in space and should be a pig part of what we do this fall.”
On Joey Aguilar’s offensive command… “I thought he handled himself extremely well. That’s today. I think he’s gotten better from day one up until today’s scrimmage, really every single day. You know, the comfort, the control, he’s handled himself extremely well during our night walk throughs, which is, mental focus, mental sweat and because of that he’s extremely comfortable in what we’re doing right now.”
On managing Joey Aguilar’s aggressive mentality… “You’re going to have to make tight throws. To me, interceptions happen when you don’t understand defensive structure, your eyes aren’t in the right spot, fundamentally, (if) your body’s not in the right position you’re not accurate with the football. So, it’s all of those pieces of the puzzle that come together for a quarterback to operate efficiently and take care of the football while still playing on the right side of the fence of being aggressive and allowing yourself to make plays down the football field.”
On if this point in camp is when the transition into game prep starts… “No, that’ll transition later for us. We still have camp days.”
On what he wants to see out of the potential starting QB in the next two weeks to be comfortable heading into week one… “Again, at the end of the day, that guy’s got to be able to manage the football. That’s your sideline communication, it’s play clock situations, game clock situations. We do a lot of work on that. Controlling your offense – it’s the run game, it’s the pass game, it’s RPO, it’s protections – we want to see those guys master it. You know, take you out of negative plays and also put yourself in a position to create big plays.”
On what has changed the most for this team since the beginning of fall camp… “I think just growth in understanding of scheme. There’s been growth in fundamentals, as well, but understanding the scheme.”
On the team’s tackling and penalties through the first two scrimmages… “I think we’ve gotten better throughout the course of training camp, as far as penalties, in all three phases. At the end of the day, I think playing smart football is really important, not having self-inflicted wounds. Tackling, I think our guys have done a good job. Today’s scrimmage was thud for the first defense. We’ve had live periods, live scrimmage. We’ve done a lot of one-on-one tackling where you limit exposure of some of what’s going on, as well. Fundamentally, they’ve gotten themselves in really good positions. That’s been a point of emphasis. Even when you’re not in a live tackle, body position is key to going and finishing the play the way that you need to.”
On how much scrimmages help to filter out starters and backups… “Well, this scrimmage gives you an indicator of where they are at today. We are still two weeks away from kickoff. There can and needs to be a lot of growth from our entire team, not just young guys, here over the next two weeks. At the end of the day, players have to earn it, and you do that in how you operate in everything that we are doing walk-throughs, communication, all of it. Today is a great barometer of where we are at, but also showcases where we have to get to. You have a lot of young guys that continue to grow. That’s really your entire football team too.”
On the passing game today and which receivers stood out… “Yeah, I thought we had a good day today. Helped Chris [Brazzell II], he’s been practicing here the last couple of days, but he’s done a good job of coming back. Mike [Matthews] made some big plays down the football field. Tight ends were a part of it as well. You know, I thought early in the scrimmage in particular operated well offensively and moved the football.”
On his reaction to the switch to adidas… “We are fortunate. We had a partner that wanted to make us their flagship school, and that’s going to happen in a lot of different ways. It’s going to be a benefit to our football program, but to this athletic department as a whole too. They had an opportunity to come talk to some of our guys, and I think everybody is really excited that, again, we are going to be the flagship school for them. It’s going to provide a lot of unique opportunities for our players on and off the field.”
On Boo Carter’s status… “Boo was out there with us today and got work. End of the day, it’s day-to-day, and he’s done some things in a good way here.”
On his outlook of the offensive line and Lance Heard compared to last year… “Lance, I said it earlier in training camp, is in a much better spot. What he’s done with his body during the offseason, but then the opportunity to practice, prepare and get better every single day too. I think that’s going to afford him the opportunity to play his best football. Collectively as a group, I like the way that they’ve competed throughout the course of training camp. I think they done a really nice job with communication and fundamentals on the pass pro side of it and have been really good in the run game too, but it’s a young group ultimately. Two weeks from now, we got kickoff and she’s for real. We believe in these guys as a group. Collectively, they are going to go play at a really high level.”
On if there is separation happening in the quarterback competition… “I like what all of those guys have done. First, they’ve competed in a positive way with each other in the meeting room and that’s certainly been the case out on the practice field. I think this football team believes in that group of guys too. You know, who they are, how they lead and how they compete every single day.”
On Jermod McCoy’s status… “He was not a part of the scrimmage. He’s continuing his rehab, and I think you guys saw him out of the practice field with us a few days ago. He’s continuing on that journey.”
On his thoughts about the running back room… “Probably as deep as we have been. Guys that have been here, been a part of it and have played extremely well. I think Star [Thomas] is a completely different player then he was in spring. What he has done with his body, his movement and fundamentals, as well. The two young guys continue to get better every single day. They did some really nice things in the scrimmage today. Some of our group work, working fundamentals and playing without the football. Those guys have been continuing to grow too, which is a big part of playing that position.”
On if the gear sponsor for a college has been a determining factor to a recruit… “Not in recent memory. I think those recruits look at who we have partnered with and the opportunities. It’s going to provide our players on and off the field. I think it’s going to be a strong showing in something that will be really inviting to them.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee announced Friday afternoon that the men’s basketball team’s exhibition affair versus Duke is already a sellout, minutes after general public ticket sales opened.
Tennessee sold out eight contests—all in the regular season—each of the last two years, a program single-season record. This will be the program’s fourth straight home sellout, dating to a Feb. 15 win over Vanderbilt.
In 2024-25, Food City Center hosted eight of the top 18 regular season single-game crowds in the country, including two of the top four. The prior year, in 2023-24, it had four of the top six single-game marks.
Tennessee has finished top-eight nationally in average attendance each of the last seven full-capacity seasons, including placing top-five in each of the past six. The Volunteers finished third in Division I last year with a 20,026 mark that ranked fourth-best in program history.
Fans looking for season tickets are encouraged to complete the 2025-26 Tennessee Basketball Season Ticket Interest Form HERE. This will allow individuals to get their names on a list and stay informed about future opportunities to secure seats for each game.
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.
White Pine, TN (WOKI) An arrest has been made nearly one year following a deadly road rage shooting in White Pine.
Police say in September of last year they responded to a shooting incident on Roy Messer Highway. That shooting left 20-year-old Jordan Price dead.
The suspect, 59-year-old Derwin Wilds of Newport, was arrested late Thursday night after a comprehensive investigation.
A Jefferson County Grand Jury indicted Wilds on four separate counts in connection to the fatal 2024 shooting.
“This was a tragic and senseless act of violence. I am grateful for the dedication and persistence of our investigators and partner agencies in bringing this case to a point where charges could be secured,” said Chief Cotter. – White Pine Police Chief Chad Cotter
Officers arrested Wilds on charges of Voluntary Manslaughter, Employing a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, Aggravated Assault Resulting in Death, and Aggravated Assault Involving a Deadly Weapon Discharged from a Motor Vehicle. He was transported to the Jefferson County Jail.
Investigators identified the shooting suspect as 59-year-old Derwin Wilds, from Newport. (Courtesy: White Pine Police Department)
