Loudon County, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is asking for information after the victim in a 2019 cold case out of Loudon County is identified.
TBI officials announcing Monday that scientists at Othram, a forensics lab in Texas that specializes in identifying cold case victims, conducted DNA matching of individuals related to a man whose remains were found by a Tennessee Department of Transportation crew in August of 2019 while mowing along I-75 in Philadelphia.
TBI says scientists identified the man as John Arthur Troutman who was originally from Herndon, Pennsylvania. Troutman’s family members told investigators they had not seen their older brother since the 1980s.
Those with information are now being asked to come forward by calling the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office at 865-986-4823 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
On August 20, 2019, the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of human remains found in a wooded area by a Tennessee Department of Transportation crew mowing along Interstate 75 in Philadelphia. (Courtesy: TBI)
Oliver Springs, TN (WOKI) Oliver Springs Road at Old Batley Road in Anderson County is currently closed as multiple agencies respond to a crash involving a tractor-trailer.
Officials with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office say the Tennessee Highway Patrol has also responded to the scene where a tractor-trailer crashed and is reportedly hanging from a small bridge.
There is no word on how long the road will remain closed or the condition of the driver.
Oliver Springs Fire and Rescue along with Police are working a truck that ran off Oliver Springs Highway. (Courtesy: OSPD / Chief Laxton)
Dollywood’s parent company is cited following an investigation after an employee was injured working on a ride.
The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration says an employee was helping adjust a belt on the Smoky Mountain River Rampage lift on March 10th and as he tried to hand a tool to another worker, his jacket got caught in a coupling and entangled his arm.
The employee had to be flown to a nearby hospital and the incident prompted TOSHA to visit the park. TOSHA’s investigation resulted in two “serious” citations and a fine against Herschend Family Entertainment, Dollywood’s parent company.
According to the citations, the ride had pulleys that were not guarded as required and shaft couplings were “not constructed as to present no hazard from bolts, nuts, setscrews, or revolving surfaces.” “It was determined that this task commonly requires technicians to work within a foot of an unguarded rotating shaft and that there is room to guard it without interfering with the ride,” TOSHA said in its referral. As a result, Dollywood was fined $3,200 for each citation, a total of $6,400.
UPDATE: Knoxville, TN (KPD / WOKI) – UPDATE: The victim of the fatal crash that happened early Saturday morning on Northshore Drive has been identified as Jessica Rainwater, 28 of Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Dodge Durango driver, identified as 43-year-old Beth Cardwell of Knoxville, exhibited signs of intoxication at the scene. Following further investigation, Cardwell was taken into custody on charges that include vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, driving under the influence and driving while license suspended.
Original Story: A motorcycle passenger was killed following a collision on Northshore Drive early Saturday morning.
At around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, 2025, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to the area of S. Northshore Drive and Wilda Place to investigate a two-vehicle crash.
The investigation revealed that a Dodge Durango and motorcycle had collided while traveling south on Northshore Drive. The motorcycle passenger, an adult woman, died at the scene. The motorcycle driver was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.
The circumstances that led to the crash remain under investigation. KPD crash reconstruction personnel are leading the investigation.
21-year-old Kevin Zaragoza, of Knoxville, was taken into custody on multiple charges, including vehicular homicide, following a fatal early-morning crash on Western Avenue.
At just after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 20, 2025, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a two-car crash at the intersection of Western Avenue and Keith Avenue.
The investigation at the scene revealed that a speeding silver Ford Mustang had crashed into a white Nissan Altima. The passenger in the Altima, a 78-year-old woman, died at the scene. The Nissan driver, a 58-year-old man, was transported to the hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
The Mustang driver, identified as Zaragoza, exhibited signs of intoxication, while witnesses also reported that Zaragoza was driving at high speeds prior to the crash.
Zaragoza was treated for injuries sustained in the crash at an area hospital and has since been booked into the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility on charges that include vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular assault and driving under the influence.
The crash is being investigated by KPD crash reconstruction personnel.
CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN (TWRA / WOKI) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has released the identity of the victim involved in a fatal boating incident that occurred on Norris Lake near Springs Dock on the afternoon of Saturday, July 19.
Christopher Scott Mount, 58, of Coal Grove, Ohio, died after falling overboard and being struck by the vessel he was on. Campbell County 911 received a call shortly before 4 p.m. reporting that a male had entered the water and had not resurfaced.
TWRA wildlife officers responded to the scene and located the vessel involved. Preliminary investigation indicates that as the boat was preparing to leave a cove, Mount—who was not wearing a life jacket—moved to the rear of the vessel, climbed onto the swim platform, and entered the water, where he made contact with the propeller.
Following an extensive search, the victim’s body was located using a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV), and divers with the Knox County Rescue Squad recovered him around 8 p.m.
Mount’s body was transported to the Knoxville Regional Forensic Center for autopsy. The incident remains under investigation.
This marks the 14th fatal boating incident in Tennessee this year. TWRA urges all boaters to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times, never allow anyone on the swim platform or in the water while the engine is running or the vessel is in motion, and to exercise caution whenever swimmers are near a boat.
USA Basketball announced Saturday the women’s 2025 USA 3×3 Nations League Team set to compete at the 2025 FIBA 3×3 Nations League Americas Conference July 21-27 in Punta Arenas, Chile, and University of Tennessee rising senior Zee Spearman is a member of that squad.
The 6-foot-4 forward from Dacula (duh-CUE-luh), Ga., joins four other current NCAA Division I athletes, including Taylor Bigby (TCU), Joyce Edwards (South Carolina), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU) and Rachel Ullstrom (Richmond). Serena Sundell, who recently graduated from Kansas State, will round out the roster.
In May, Bigby, Edwards, Fulwiley, Spearman and Ullstrom participated in 2025 USA Basketball 3X Nationals in Mesa, Arizona, with Spearman and Fulwiley winning the women’s tournament with Team Chaos.
Each member of this year’s women’s squad will be donning the red, white and blue for the first time in FIBA 3×3 competition. Edwards, who is coming off a recent gold medal at the 2025 Women’s AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile, also has won gold at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup and 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup. Bigby, Fulwiley, Spearman, Sundell and Ullstrom will make their USA Basketball competitive debuts.
Julia Ford will serve as head coach after participating as a coach at the 2025 USA Basketball 3×3 development camp in Phoenix in April.
The 2025 FIBA 3×3 Nations League Americas Conference will feature six three-game tournaments over seven days. The competition will run in a ‘stops’ format, with multiple stops held over the course of the weeklong event. Teams will accumulate points based on their performance at each stop. Team members can substitute as needed for each day’s four-person entry.
The FIBA 3×3 Nations League will be a qualification route to the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup 2025. Conference winners will qualify for the event, set for Sept. 17-21 in Xiong An, China. China’s men and women will receive automatic qualification along with the reigning champions (Germany men and USA women). The rest of the teams will come from the winners of each conference and the next teams in the FIBA 3×3 Nations League 2025 final standings.
3×3 is played on a half court with a 10-minute clock and a 12-second shot clock. The first team to 21 points, or the team in the lead at the end of regulation, is the winner.
In 2024-25, Spearman arrived at Tennessee after playing two seasons at the University of Miami. She appeared in all 34 games, starting 23 of them, and helped UT fashion a 24-10 record, advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 and wind up at No. 15 in the AP Top 25 after beginning the year unranked.
Her junior campaign saw her finish as the Lady Vols’ leading rebounder (6.0 rpg.) and third-leading scorer (11.7 ppg.). She also had the team’s highest field goal percentage (51.5) among regulars and finished second in blocked shots (23).
Additionally, Spearman tied for second on the team with 23 double-figure scoring efforts and was fourth with 10 games of 15+ points. She scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting vs. Samford, carding the No. 2 all-time total in a Lady Vol debut.
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee program and its players, follow Lady Vol basketball on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee had three players named to the 2025 Preseason All-SEC teams by the media, which were announced on Friday following the conclusion of SEC Media Days in Atlanta.
Junior cornerback Jermod McCoy was a first-team selection while fellow defensive standouts Arion Carter and Boo Carter were tabbed as third team picks at linebacker and defensive back, respectively.
McCoy enters the year widely regarded as one of the nation’s top corners after a breakout sophomore season for the Volunteers that earned him first team All-SEC recognition as well as second team All-America honors from the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated. The Texas native and Thorpe Award semifinalist finished third on the team with 44 total tackles and led the team with 13 passes defended, which ranked fourth in the conference. He also tied for the team lead with four interceptions in 2024, two of which occurred in the end zone and prevented touchdowns.
Arion Carter returns for his junior season after starting all 13 games at linebacker in 2024 and leading UT with 68 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss. The in-state product also had six pass breakups and an interception to go along with three quarterback hurries as a sophomore to help lead the Big Orange to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.
An SEC All-Freshman team selection last year, Boo Carter showcased his impressive instincts and athleticism throughout the 2024 season while emerging as the Vols’ starter at STAR in the second half of the year. The Tennessee native played in all 13 games and made five starts while also demonstrating his impressive playmaking ability as a punt returner, leading the league in punt return average (16.5). Carter finished sixth on the team with 38 total tackles and added three tackles for loss, one sack, three quarterback hurries and recorded one interception during his debut season on Rocky Top.
The complete Preseason All-SEC teams and preseason poll can be seen HERE.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Over 100,000-square-feet in size and 13 stories tall, a historic downtown Knoxville office building has hit the market.
The newly-available building is at 607 Market Street. Co-Listing Agent Taylor Thompson says the offering “is a rare opportunity to own and reimagine a prominent piece of downtown Knoxville.”
Built in 1965, the University of Tennessee, downtown, the Tennessee River and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are among the views from this 13-story building.
According to a press release, the property does not currently have an asking price.
“With the momentum behind downtown’s growth, 607 Market St. and 413 Clinch Ave. are perfectly positioned for someone to create something impactful in the heart of the city,” said Thompson.
This newly-available building is at 607 Market Street and is 13 stories tall. (Courtesy: TDOT)
