Karen Weekly Announces Aubrey Leach as Director of Player Development
Courtesy / UT Athletics

Karen Weekly Announces Aubrey Leach as Director of Player Development

Posted on August 22, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Head softball coach Karen Weekly announced Wednesday the addition of Aubrey Leach to the softball staff as Tennessee’s director of player development.
 
“Aubrey is one of the most driven individuals I have ever been around,” Weekly said. “She is exceptional with goal setting and creating action plans to maximize individual performance. She also has an incredibly high softball IQ and was the classic ‘coach on the field’ as a player. Our student-athletes are very fortunate to have Aubrey as a mentor and role model. I know she will add tremendous value to our program and I am excited to have her join our staff.”
 
Leach spent the past three seasons with the program as a graduate assistant while pursuing a juris doctor. During her time as a GA, the Lady Vols won three SEC titles – two regular season and one tournament crown – with 136 wins. The program also made two trips to Super Regionals and reached the semifinals at the 2023 Women’s College World Series.
 
A standout on the diamond for UT from 2016-19, Leach finished her college career as the program’s all-time leader in runs (253) and walks (162) while ranking second in program history in career on-base percentage (.503). She was a two-time NFCA All-America selection, earning first-team honors as a junior in 2018 and third-team accolades as a senior in 2019.
 
At the conclusion of her senior season, Leach signed a professional contract with Scrap Yard Fast Pitch in 2019 before spending the past five seasons with Athletes Unlimited.
 
“I am grateful for this new opportunity to stay on with the Lady Vols softball program,” Leach said. “The last few years have been so special and rewarding. This new era of Tennessee Athletics continues to raise the bar and I am excited to see where the softball program goes next.”
 
A two-time graduate from Tennessee, Leach has played significantly with Team USA – winning two gold medals in the Pan American Games (2022, 2023). In the 2022 edition, she earned tournament MVP – hitting .679 (19-28) with 17 RBIs and 16 runs scored.

Ole Smoky Distillery Takes Title of Official Moonshine of Tennessee Athletics

Ole Smoky Distillery Takes Title of Official Moonshine of Tennessee Athletics

Posted on August 22, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Tennessee Athletics just got an official beer of the Vols, and now it also has an official moonshine!

Ole Smoky Distillery made the announcement Wednesday. Owners say the “partnership perfectly combines [their] mutual commitment to promoting local culture and values with the passion and dynamic energy of college sports.”

The deal is part of an extended partnership with University of Tennessee Athletics.

“We’re excited to welcome Ole Smoky Distillery as a partner of Tennessee Athletics,” said Vice President & General Manager of the Vol Network Steve Early. “They’re the most visited distillery in the world and they’re based right here in Big Orange Country. The Ole Smoky brand is a cultural fit for our region, as their popularity will attest, and that aligns perfectly with the passion of our fan base.”

Ole Smoky Distillery is headquartered in Gatlinburg and has been making moonshine since 2010.

DA Claims No Charging Decisions Made in Knox County Student Hit-and-Run

DA Claims No Charging Decisions Made in Knox County Student Hit-and-Run

Posted on August 22, 2024

Farragut, Tn (WOKI) The Knox County District Attorney’s office and the sheriff’s department are still considering charges in a hit and run case.

According to reports, a 16 year old student was sitting at a Farragut bus stop on Thornton Drive with her legs in the road; a driver turning onto the road, struck the student and drove away.

The crash happened on August 8. The next day, the report said, a man called to say he may have been the one to hit the student, saying he thought he had run over a blanket. The student was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The crash happened around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Thorton Drive and Hughlan Drive, KCSO said. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Oak Ridge Man Convicted in Murder Case Now Faces Death Penalty

Oak Ridge Man Convicted in Murder Case Now Faces Death Penalty

Posted on August 21, 2024

Clinton, TN (WOKI) An Oak Ridge man, found guilty of several counts in a grisly Anderson County rape and murder case, will now join 44 other men on Tennessee’s death row.

Sean Finnegan now faces the death penalty after being convicted of 11 of 13 counts Monday including first-degree murder, rape and abuse of a corpse.

The charges stem from a 2020 investigation, during which police said Finnegan and his girlfriend, Rebecca Dishman, held 36-year-old Jennifer Paxton inside their home, torturing and raping her for days before finally killing her.

The jury reconvened Wednesday, recommending the death penalty for Finnegan. The judge approved the sentence.

Sean Finnegan, 56 (Courtesy: Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)
KPD: Two Arrested after Robbing a Red Roof Inn in North Knoxville

KPD: Two Arrested after Robbing a Red Roof Inn in North Knoxville

Posted on August 21, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Two suspects are in custody following a robbery in North Knoxville.

Knoxville Police Department officials say 26-year-old Mackenzie Weaver and 29-year-old Matthew Bryson robbed a victim Monday morning at the Red Roof Inn on Central Avenue.

Police say Bryson also assaulted the victim.

They were arrested on Chapman Highway a few hours later.

According to Knoxville Police, Matthew Bryson, 29, and Mackenzie Weaver, 26, robbed the inn early Monday morning.
SEC Reveals 2024-25 Men’s Basketball Schedule
Courtesy / UT Athletics

SEC Reveals 2024-25 Men’s Basketball Schedule

Posted on August 21, 2024

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Men’s BasketballAugust 20, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Southeastern Conference announced Tuesday afternoon the league schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 men’s basketball season.

The Volunteers, coming off arguably the best season in program history, will play 18 conference games between Jan. 4 and March 8, with both the opener and the finale on their home court at Food City Center. Fewer than 150 season tickets remain and can be purchased HERE.

“The SEC is the nation’s premier basketball conference. It is a deep league the features talented and experienced players, as well as high-level coaches,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “All 18 games will provide a challenge, which we fully embrace. We look forward to hearing our fans cheer us on at Food City Center as we host some of the very best teams in the country throughout conference play.”

Tennessee, the reigning outright SEC regular season champion, begins league play Jan. 4 at home against Arkansas. The team then heads to Gainesville, Fla., to play its first road contest of the calendar year Jan. 7/8 at Florida.

The Volunteers next visit Austin, Texas, where they play Jan. 11 for their first SEC matchup with new conference member Texas. The two sides met in the NCAA Tournament last year, with Tennessee notching a 62-58 victory to reach a second straight Sweet 16.

Barnes, now in his 10th year on Rocky Top, and the Volunteers then return home for a Jan. 14/15 contest against Georgia before traveling down I-40 to face Vanderbilt in a Jan. 18 affair in Nashville, Tenn.

Tennessee next welcomes Mississippi State to Knoxville for a Jan. 21 game, then makes the trip to Auburn, Ala., where it plays Jan. 25 at Auburn. The Volunteers close the month with a home contest Jan. 28 versus Kentucky.

In the second of three straight SEC home games—its lone stretch with even two in a row—Tennessee has a Feb. 1 outing against Florida. It closes the homestand Jan. 4/5 versus Missouri.

The Volunteers face the SEC’s other new member, Oklahoma, Feb. 8 in Norman, Okla. They follow that with a Feb. 11/12 visit to Lexington, Ky., for a second clash with Kentucky in under two weeks.

Up next for Barnes’ team is a Feb. 15 meeting with Vanderbilt at Food City Center, followed by a midweek bye.

Tennessee then has its third and final back-to-back road swing, first playing Feb. 22 against Texas A&M in Bryan-College Station, Texas, and then Feb. 24/25 versus LSU in Baton Rouge, La.

To begin the final month of the regular season, the Volunteers play March 1 against Alabama. Their SEC road finale is slated for March 4/5 at Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.

Tennessee concludes the 2024-25 regular season March 8 versus South Carolina at Food City Center. The program will recognize its six-man senior class prior to tipoff.

The Volunteers return two of their top five scorers, senior guards Jordan Gainey and Zakai Zeigler, from a 2023-24 team that went 27-9 (14-4 SEC) and earned the second Elite Eight berth in program history.

Tennessee also brings back senior guard Jahmai Mashack, who appeared in all 36 contests last year, along with sophomores Cameron Carr (guard), J.P. Estrella (forward) and Cade Phillips (forward). The team also brings in five newcomers, including a quartet of experienced transfers and one top-75 freshman.

FULL 2024-25 SEC SCHEDULE
Jan. 4 – ARKANSAS
Jan. 7/8 – at Florida
Jan. 11 – at Texas
Jan. 14/15 – GEORGIA
Jan. 18 – at Vanderbilt
Jan. 21 – MISSISSIPPI STATE
Jan. 25 – at Auburn
Jan. 28 – KENTUCKY
Feb. 1 – FLORIDA
Feb. 4/5 – MISSOURI
Feb. 8 – at Oklahoma
Feb. 11/12 – at Kentucky
Feb. 15 – VANDERBILT
Feb. 22 – at Texas A&M
Feb. 25/26 – at LSU
March 1 – ALABAMA
March 4/5 – at Ole Miss
March 8 – SOUTH CAROLINA

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.

Former Knox County Lieutenant Facing Charges after DUI Arrest, Report Says

Former Knox County Lieutenant Facing Charges after DUI Arrest, Report Says

Posted on August 21, 2024

Vonore, TN (WOKI) A former KCSO lieutenant is charged with DUI following a traffic stop in Monroe County.

Officials say Charles Seth Miller quit his job at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility on August 16th, the same day he was arrested in Vonore.

A state trooper says he found 22 empty or partially empty cans of alcoholic beverages inside Miller’s car during a traffic stop on Highway 441.

According to an arrest warrant, Miller also reportedly had a handgun in the car at the time of the arrest, and the trooper struggled to extricate him from the vehicle.

Miller is facing charges of driving under the influence, implied consent, possessing a handgun while under the influence, resisting arrest and open container offenses.

Charles Seth Miller was stopped on U.S. Highway 441 in Vonore by the Tennessee Highway Patrol for erratic driving, the warrants said. (Frankly Media)
Bill Baxter, Longtime Knoxville Business Leader, Dies at 71

Bill Baxter, Longtime Knoxville Business Leader, Dies at 71

Posted on August 21, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A longtime business leader in Knoxville has passed away.

Bill Baxter, the CEO of Holston Gas, passed away on Sunday; he was 71.

The Wort Hotel, a historic hotel in Jackson, Wyoming which Baxter owned, made the announcement on Sunday.

Baxter was also chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority board and economic development commissioner for the state of Tennessee.

TVA officials said on Tuesday they were saddened to hear of Baxter’s passing.

Baxter was a graduate of Central High School in Knoxville.

Baxter was the CEO of Holston Gas and chairman of the TVA board. (Courtesy: TVA)
Two-Month-Old Missing Out of Blount County Found Safe, TBI Says

Two-Month-Old Missing Out of Blount County Found Safe, TBI Says

Posted on August 20, 2024

Blount County, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: A Blount County infant at the center of a TBI Endangered Child Alert has been found.

Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say two-month-old Chremson Blair was located Tuesday morning and is safe.

The baby was reported missing Monday, having last been seen on August 9.

In their alert, TBI officials had said he may be with a non-custodial family member.

ORIGINAL STORY: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued an Endangered Child Alert for an infant from Blount County.

TBI says two-month-old Chremson Blair was last seen on August 9; he was reported missing on Monday, August 19.

Officials say Blair may be with a non-custodial family member.

Blair is described as being 22 inches tall and 15 pounds with red hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue and white “onesie.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Blount County Sheriff’s Office at 865-983-3620 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

(Courtesy: TBI)
Victim Identified, Woman Charged after Deadly Hit-and-Run Crash on North Broadway in Knoxville

Victim Identified, Woman Charged after Deadly Hit-and-Run Crash on North Broadway in Knoxville

Posted on August 20, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville Police have charged a woman in connection to a fatal hit-and-run crash Monday night on North Broadway.

KPD says officers were called to the crash near Buchanan Avenue just before 9:00 p.m. for a woman who had been hit by a car that left the scene.

Police say 75-year-old Ollie Jenkins of Knoxville was taken to UT Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Witnesses provided police with a description of the involved vehicle and a license plate number.

Officers found 45-year-old Heather Johns still inside the vehicle in the 700 block of Chickamauga Avenue.

She is charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication, among other charges.

The incident marks the latest of several hit and runs in East Tennessee, with two more happening in the Knoxville or Knox County area.

Witnesses told police what the car looked like and gave them a license plate number. (Frankly Media)

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