We now have a list of arrests, charges and more for this weekend’s Rod Run in Pigeon Forge.
The twice-yearly event is known to be a bit of a workout for Pigeon Forge law enforcement, with it not being uncommon for officers to respond to quadruple-digit incidents.
2024′s fall Rod Run was no exception. According to the Pigeon Forge Police Department, officers responded to more than 1,000 calls for service and took more than 80 people into custody. Below is a breakdown of how the fall Rod Run compared to this year’s spring event.
Spring 2024 Rod Run
Fall 2024 Rod Run
Calls for Service
1,151
1,006
Citations
623
862
Arrests
36
85
Crashes
43
29
On top of responding to all those calls for service, a Pigeon Forge officer was also injured during the event. According to Chief Richard Catlett, the officer was riding a motorcycle when he was hit. Catlett said the officer was banged up but should be okay in a few days. Story Courtesy of WVLT
Tennessee soccer’s Mac Midgley and Ally Zazzara were both slated to SEC Weekly awards, the conference announced Monday.
Midgley was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week as Zazzara was tabbed SEC Defensive Player of the Week.
Midgley, who has been firing on all cylinders for the Lady Vols, scored the lone goal during a 1-0 win over No. 5 Memphis. It marked her second goal of the season. The junior currently has three goal contributions and six shots on goal heading into SEC play.
Zazzara, who picked up her sixth-consecutive shutout, currently holds the fourth-best goals against average in the country with a .148 mark while also boasting a .933 save percentage.
UP NEXT: Midgley, Zazzara and the rest of the No. 23 Tennessee soccer team is set to open SEC play Thursday at home against Ole Miss for a 7 p.m. ET matchup.
Full List of Tennessee Soccer Weekly Awards:
SEC Freshman of the Week:Reese Mattern (Aug. 26, 2024) Top Drawer Soccer’s Team of the Week:Ally Zazzara (Sept. 9, 2024) SEC Offensive Player of the Week:Mac Midgley (Sept. 16, 2024) SEC Defensive Player of the Week:Ally Zazzara (Sept. 16, 2024)
Sevier County, TN (WOKI) A Northview Junior Academy student has been charged with misdemeanor assault after threatening another student.
Officials with the Sevierville Police Department say school resource officers investigated a report of a Northview Junior Academy student threatening another student at the same school on Friday.
SPD reports the rumor was that there was going to be a school shooting that day, and if the victim told anyone, the suspect would slit the victim’s throat.
SPD confirmed it has consulted with the District Attorney’s Office regarding the misdemeanor assault charge of the student.
Additional information has not been released.
A Northview Junior Academy student has been charged with misdemeanor assault after threatening another student at the same school. (Courtesy: SPD on Facebook)
Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) The grand celebration for the All-American classic burger known as GatlinBURGER Week is underway!
GatlinBURGER Week runs through Saturday, September 21 and features participating restaurants showing off their unique take on the classic burger, ranging from Italian-infused to Grecian-inspired and more.
Download the Visit Gatlinburg App to participate in the GatlinBURGER Week Challenge and cast your vote for your favorite burger and the chance to become an official Burger Master.
Burger Masters will win unique prizes and be entered for a chance to win the Grand Prize of a Gatlinburg getaway.
For a list of participating restaurants and to learn more about participating in GatlinBURGER Week, click here.
GatlinBURGER Week will run from Sept. 15 through Sept. 21. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Knoxville Police are investigating multiple crashes near the University of Tennessee campus involving drunk drivers.
It happened Saturday night and one crash involved a SUV which crashed and rolled several times into World’s Fair park. No pedestrians were hit but the driver was arrested for DUI.
KPD reminding drivers if you have been drinking, do not drive, driving under the influence will not be tolerated.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump was the target of what the FBI said “appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well, and authorities held a man in custody.
U.S. Secret Service agents posted a few holes up from where Trump was playing noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away.
An agent fired and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The man was later stopped by law enforcement and taken into custody in a neighboring county.
He had a calm, flat demeanor and showed little emotion when he was stopped and didn’t question why he was pulled over, according Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
“He never asked, ‘what is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.
It was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval. On July 13, Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. Eight days later, Democratic President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, giving way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the party’s nominee.
And it was sure to add to the questions about Secret Service protective operations after the agency’s admitted failures in preventing the attempted assassination of Trump this summer.
In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” He wrote: “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
Former President Donald Trump said in a fundraising email that he is “safe and well” following a shooting near his golf course in Florida.(TRUMP CAMPAIGN via CNN Newsource)
He returned to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach where he lives, according to a person familiar with Trump’s movements who was not authorized to discuss them publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
It was not immediately clear whether the incident would affect his campaign schedule. He was set to speak from Florida about cryptocurrency live on Monday night on the social media site X for the launch of his sons’ crypto platform. He planned a town hall Tuesday in Flint, Michigan, with his former press secretary, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a rally Wednesday on New York’s Long Island.
An email to Trump campaign staffers obtained by AP said, “This is not a matter that we take lightly. Your safety is always our top priority. We ask that you remain vigilant in your daily comings and goings.”
“As we enter the last 50 days of President Trump’s campaign, we must remember that we will only be able save America from those who seek to destroy it by working together as one team.”
Biden and Harris were briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House said they were “relieved” to know Trump is safe.
Harris, in a statement, also said “violence has no place in America.”
In the aftermath, Trump checked in with allies, including running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and several Fox News hosts.
Fox News host Sean Hannity recounted on air his conversation with Trump and the former president’s golf partner, Steve Witkoff.
They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole and about to go up to putt when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.
Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His campaign had not advised about any public plans for Trump on Sunday. He often spends the morning playing golf, before having lunch at the club, one of three he owns in the state.
He has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, parked dump trucks have formed a wall outside the building. At outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof glass.
The Florida golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, but there are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump when he plays. Agents also usually bring an armored vehicle onto the course to shelter Trump quickly should a threat arise.
Photos that show an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephany Matat)(AP)
The Palm Beach County sheriff said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the president, but because he is not, “security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”
“I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there will probably be a little more people around the perimeter,” Bradshaw said. “But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done, they provided exactly what the protection should have been and their agent did a fantastic job.”
Former presidents and their spouses have Secret Service protection for life, but the security around former presidents varies according to threat levels and exposure, with the toughest typically being in the immediate aftermath of their leaving office.
Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some other former presidents because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again.
The man in custody was Ryan Routh, three law enforcement officials told the AP. The officials who identified the suspect spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
The FBI was leading the investigation and was working to determine any motive. Attorney General Merrick Garland was receiving regular updates. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were helping investigate.
This photo provided by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office shows Sheriff’s vehicles surrounding an SUV on the northbound I-95 in Martin County on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)(AP)
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” the bureau said.
News reporters were not with Trump on Sunday. Bucking tradition, Trump’s campaign has not arranged to have a protective pool of reporters travel with him, as is standard for major party nominees and for the president. Harris does not have a protective pool at all times, but does allow reporters to travel with her for public events.
Snyder, the Martin County sheriff, said the suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting out a “very urgent BOLO” — or “be on the lookout” alert detailing the specific vehicle sought, license plate number and description of the occupant.
Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying to every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and St. Lucie County line to the north.
“One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag and we set up on the vehicle,” Snyder said, “We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody.”Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder gives a press briefing on the shooting near former president Donald Trump’s golf course. (WPTV)
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Richer, Long, Tucker and Miller reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington, Michael Balsamo, Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Michael R. Sisak in New York, and Meg Kinnard in Houston contributed to this report.
Original Story: WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was safe after gunshots were reported in his vicinity Sunday afternoon in Florida, his campaign and the Secret Service said.
It was not immediately clear whether the reported shots were targeted at the Republican presidential nominee.
The U.S. Secret Service said it was investigating and that the incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. “The former president is safe,” according to the Secret Service.
Roughly two months ago, Trump was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear.
Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser.
The campaign did not immediately provide any additional details.
No injuries were reported, according to a spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
A law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation said officials were trying to determine whether the shots were fired near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course or on the grounds. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Trump often spends the morning playing golf, before having lunch at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, one of three he owns in the state.
Trump has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, a lineup of dump trucks have parked in a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof glass.
A message sent to campaign officials seeking information on the security status and location of Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was not immediately returned.
Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, described the emergency response outside Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
“From what I saw 5 black unmarked SUVs blocked in a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course. There were about 20 or more cop cars flying from nearby streets,” he said.
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Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report. Story courtesy of WVLT
CONWAY, S.C. – The 16th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols finished with 15 aces, a 25-point rallying scoring era record for the program, to best Coastal Carolina in four sets (24-26, 25-18, 25-18, 25-18) on Saturday night at HTC Center.
UT’s previous school record for aces was 12, which occurred on five occasions, including twice last season against Wisconsin and Marist. The Lady Vols (4-2) have posted double-digit aces in a match 10 times during the Eve Rackham Watt era, including five times in the last two seasons. Five different players recorded multiple aces on the night.
Tennessee had 47 kills on 43 assists to go along with its 15 aces, and defensively, the Big Orange recorded 49 digs and five blocks while holding the Chanticleers (3-5) to .180 hitting on the night.
Right side hitter Paityn Chapman, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, led the way offensively, posting 12 kills on .357 hitting, three aces, two blocks and one dig. Graduate student outside Nina Cajic added 11 kills, six digs, three aces and an assist. Redshirt junior middle blocker Emily Beeker added seven kills on .385 hitting and three blocks, while junior middle blocker Keondreya Granberry finished with five kills and two blocks.
Reigning SEC Player and Setter of the Week Caroline Kerr enjoyed a strong all-around performance, posting 33 assists, eight digs, six kills, four aces and two blocks. On the back row, junior outside Hayden Kubik finished with a career-high 17 digs to go along with six kills and two assists. Senior libero Ashllyn King had six digs and two assists, while senior libero Abby Ekeler recorded five digs, three aces and an assist. Sophomore defensive specialist Sydney Jaynes rounded things out with four digs and a pair of aces.
The Chanticleers took the opening frame thanks to a 6-0 run that gave them an early 11-6 advantage. The Lady Vols would fight back to even things up at 24-24, but Coastal Carolina closed out the set to gain the early momentum. Tennessee hit .186 in the period with seven attacking errors.
The Big Orange evened things up in the second stanza, holding CCU to .156 hitting. The Lady Vols jumped out to the early advantage, but the Chanticleers pulled within two at 18-16. From there, UT finished the set on a 7-2 swing. Tennessee had four aces and 10 kills in the frame.
The Lady Vols dominated the third set, cruising to an 25-18 win. The Big Orange once again found success at the service line, dropping in five aces in the period to keep the momentum on its side. UT sealed the deal in the fourth frame, never trailing or being tied with Coastal Carolina en route to the victory.
Up next, the Lady Vols and Chanticleers face off again Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
Game Recap: Football | September 14, 2024 | Eric Trainer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Dylan Sampson ran for four first-half touchdowns, as No. 7/9 Tennessee exploded for 37 first-quarter points en route to a record-setting 71-0 shutout of Kent State in front of a sellout crowd of 101,915 on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols (3-0) surpassed their previous scoring standard in a quarter (35), which was set in an opening period at home vs. Arkansas on Nov. 11, 2000. They proceeded to produce a modern era (1937-present) scoring best in a half as well, rolling up 65 points in the opening 30 minutes to topple the previous pinnacle of 52 in the first half vs. UT Martin on Oct. 22, 2022. Their final point total also was a modern-day best, replacing the old mark from a 70-3 win over the University of Louisiana Monroe on Sept. 23, 2000, and it stands as the most generated by the squad from Rocky Top since 1929.
Additionally, Saturday night’s scoring onslaught vs. the Golden Flashes (0-3) made it the first time since 1913 and only the second time in program annals that the Big Orange tallied 50 points in each of its first three games. UT put 69 and 51 on the scoreboard in its first two outings this season vs. Chattanooga and NC State, while the 1913 squad featured a 58-0 win over Carson-Newman, a 95-0 whitewashing of Athens and a 75-0 shutout of Maryville.
Individually, Sampson rushed for 66 yards and three scores in the first 15 minutes and finished with 101 yards and four TDs on 13 attempts. He became the first Vol in the modern era with four rushing touchdowns in a half and tied the modern-day school single-game record with that total. DeSean Bishop joined Sampson with a 100-yard day of his own, carding his first effort above the century mark as a Vol with 120 yards and a career-high two touchdowns on only seven carries.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava finished 10-of-16 passing for 173 yards and a long touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell II in the first quarter. The signal-caller helped the Vols to a 541 to 23 differential in total yardage in the first half, including a 21-3 advantage in first downs. Tennessee finished with a 740 to 112 edge, with the Vols’ offensive production setting a program record and tying as the 10th best in SEC history. Its 456 yards rushing ranks as the fourth highest in the school record book.
Defensively, Tennessee limited the Golden Flashes to an opponent’s lowest total yardage of the Josh Heupel era with that 112 mark. The previous low of 143 came last Saturday night vs. NC State. UT also extended its streak of not allowing an offensive touchdown to 16 straight quarters.
After forcing Kent State to a three-and-out on the game’s first possession, the Vols needed only seven plays and a minute and 25 seconds to seize the lead. Sampson burst off left tackle and raced into the north end zone from 22 yards out to cap a warp-speed 73-yard drive. Max Gilbert’s PAT staked the Vols to a 7-0 advantage with 11:33 remaining in the opening stanza.
On the next drive for the Golden Flashes, a bad snap from center on third and 10 from the KSU 25 resulted in a safety, making it 9-0 Vols with 10:35 remaining. UT then accepted the ensuing kick and navigated 48 yards in seven plays, with Sampson plunging in from the one. Gilbert’s PAT boosted the lead to 16-0 with 8:11 still on the clock in the first frame.
Tennessee struck three times more in the first period, getting a 51-yard touchdown pass from Iamaleava to Brazzell at the 5:56 mark, a 53-yard TD run from Bishop with 3:35 left and Sampson’s third scoring run of the day, once again from a yard out. Gilbert booted all three PATs to send the Vols into the second frame with an eye-popping 37-0 lead.
Bishop continued the Big Orange scoring parade in the second quarter, carrying 47 yards for his second score with 13:06 remaining, and then Sampson added his fourth via a 14-yard scamper at the 7:49 mark. Reserve quarterback Gaston Moore came on in relief of Iamaleava and carded his first two career TD tosses, connecting with tight end Miles Kitselman for a 15-yard strike with 3:06 left before the half and then firing an 18-yard dart to wide receiver Mike Matthews with 19 seconds remaining. Gilbert was good on all four PATs, sending UT into the locker room with a 65-0 lead.
With the foot off the gas and reserves manning all the positions, the Vols scored just twice in the second half. Max Gilbert kicked field goals of 36 and 21 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, to close out the scoring.
UP NEXT Tennessee begins Southeastern Conference play next Saturday night, as it travels to Norman to take on No. 15/13 Oklahoma (3-0) in Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the contest will be televised by ABC.
