Alcoa, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 8/27: Alcoa Police identify the cyclist killed Tuesday morning following a collision with a tractor-trailer.
Authorities say when officers arrived to the crash on East Hunt Road near the intersection of North Wright Road, they found that the semi-truck and cyclist, identified as 61-year-old Rowland Buck, were going the same direction before colliding.
When first-responders arrived on scene they immediately began CPR on Buck who was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he later died.
Buck was the pastor of St. Mark’s Global Methodist Church in Louisville, Tennessee.
ORIGINAL STORY: An investigation is underway following a fatal crash between a bicyclist and a tractor-trailer.
Alcoa Police say Tuesday morning’s crash happened just before 8:00 a.m. on East Hunt Road near the intersection of North Wright Road.
When officers arrived, they found that the semi truck and cyclist were going the same direction before colliding.
When first-responders arrived on scene, they immediately began CPR on the cyclist who was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police reported later that the cyclist had died at the hospital.
The tractor-trailer driver was uninjured in the crash.
Police said that the cyclist was taken to UT Medical Hospital in critical condition. (Courtesy: Alcoa Police Department)
Cumberland County, TN (WOKI) An investigation is underway in Cumberland County after a body is found this week along I-40.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say a Tennessee Department of Transportation supervisor found the remains Tuesday, August 26 along I-40 near mile marker 313, which prompted a response from the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
The TBI says the district attorney general’s office is also investigating.
TBI officials said a Tennessee Department of Transportation supervisor found the remains, which prompted a response from the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. (Courtesy: WVLT / WSMV)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Powell man is facing charges after police say he reportedly rammed his car into the Augusta Quarry gate to leave after it had been locked.
According to a witness statement provided in a police report, 28-year-old Christyan Thompson appeared to be ‘very drunk’ and wanted to drive his vehicle out of the lot.
That witness says he observed Thompson get into a Honda Accord with body damage and proceed to ram the gate from the inside. The witness also handed over three videos of Thompson to police, in which he admitted to ramming the gate at around 30 mph to get through.
Police charged Thompson with vandalism. The city’s quarry coordinator says the gate will cost over $20,000 to replace.
A Powell man was charged after a witness told police he rammed his car into the Augusta Quarry gate in Knoxville, breaking it. (Courtesy: JIMS)
KNOXVILLE, TN (Story courtesy of WVLT) – It’s no secret, Hardin Valley is growing quickly in Knox County. With that, comes thousands more drivers trying to get around, causing more traffic in the area.
Senior Director of Engineering Jim Snowden said change is coming to the intersection at Marietta Church Road to make it easier for drivers.
“Grid locked,” Shawn Armstrong, Hardin Valley Resident said. “It’s truly grid locked from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.”
Driving on Hardin Valley Road is frustrating for Shawn Armstrong, who has lived in the area for nearly 50 years.
Armstrong said he’s not opposed to the new homes and businesses coming to the area. But it also brings a lot of cars.
“I mean the growth is good but at the same time the infrastructure is horrible,” he said. “I mean, they haven’t done anything.”
This map from KGIS shows what the area looked like in 2020.
The images above, one from 2020 and one from 2024, show many more homes and businesses there are, and that means more traffic.
In 2003, the average number of daily cars were 7,533. Last year, there were 20,484 daily cars on Hardin Valley Road.
That’s why Knox County’s engineering department is stepping in.
Snowden said there are projects underway.
One is a roundabout for the intersection of Hardin Valley Road and Marietta Church Road.
“During peak times it’s hard to get left there,” Snowden said. “Hard to find gaps in traffic so this will allow you to make that right hand turn and go east or west much more safely.”
Snowden said the plans will go to the Knox County Commission for approval next month, with construction expected to start in the fall.
The goal is to be finished by next summer.
Another project is widening Hardin Valley Road from three lanes to five lanes in Phase One.
“From Pellissippi to Awarding Winning Way i.e. the new Chick-Fil-A,” Snowden said. “That’s the new monument out there because Chick-Fil-A generates a lot of traffic, people are experiencing those delays.”
The project was slated to start this summer, but Snowden said more work needed to be finalized.
“We’re having to acquire private property. We got to be very diligent and respectful of that process,” he said. “So we’re in the process of doing that now, we’re almost done, should be, should be complete with that hopefully by by the fall, we want to bid that this late this winter.”
Phase Two is will be from Award Winning Lane to Campbell Station road.
Snowden said that’s in the design process.
Armstrong said he’s relived work is coming but thinks more can be done.
“I’m glad they’re finally doing something but it’s bad out here it truly is,” he said.
Snowden said the county is working with TDOT to help drivers get into Hardin Valley. Two interchanges from Farragut will be fixed to make merging and congestion easier.
Snowden said the county is already working on plans to adapt Hardin Valley Road as the area continues to grow.
NASHVILLE, TN (WOKI/TWRA) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is investigating the vandalism of the Reelfoot Spillway. On Aug. 24, 2025, at approximately 11 p.m., a group of four males were caught on video entering the fenced compound to access the spillway.
TWRA staff were notified that a spillway gate was open and discharging at approximately 8 a.m. on Aug. 25, 2025. The Agency immediately contacted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to verify they had not opened the gate for management purposes. Upon confirmation that it should not be open, TWRA staff began the manual shutdown procedure for the spillway gate.
During initial investigations, staff found a hole had been cut in the chain link fence surrounding the compound. They also found the manual access control had been tampered with. A second gauge box had also been damaged, but entry was not made.
Surveillance video for the property revealed a group of four males entering the area through the rear gate. While inside the compound, they accessed the manual override switch for spillway gate opening operation. One spillway gate was opened to full capacity. Downstream elevation data shows the rise in water level began at 11:25 p.m.
This investigation is ongoing. Members of the public with identifying information about the individuals involved are asked to contact TWRA Region I at 731-423-6542.
Results for the City of Knoxville’s Primary Election are in, there are five seats up for re-election in November, and the following city council candidates will appear on November’s general election ballot.
Karyn Adams and Becky Jones move on in the City Council District 1 race, Nathan Honeycutt and Melody Watts move on in the City Council District 2 race, Doug Lloyd and Frank Ramey move on in the City Council District 3 race, Matthew DeBardelaben and Jeff Talman move on in the City Council District 4 race and Denzel Grant and Stan Johnson move on in the City Council District 6 race.
This is the first Knoxville City Council election to be impacted by a 2023 state law requiring the same pool of voters to be used for both primary and general elections.
Low voter turnout in the Knoxville City Council 2025 primary election was attributed to multiple factors, including general apathy toward local elections, a newly implemented voting process, and voter confusion. Only 9,515 voters out of 82,848 cast ballots on August 26, which is less than 12% voter turnout. The Knox County Administrator of Elections, Chris Davis, referred to early turnout numbers as “pathetic”.
The General Election will be November 4, 2025. Early voting for the General Election will run October 15th – October 30th.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After leading Tennessee football to its winningest three-year stretch in more than two decades, head coach Josh Heupel has received a contract extension through January 2030, Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced Tuesday.
“The revival of our football program under Josh’s leadership has made everyone in Big Orange Country proud to be a Vol,” White said. “Josh has brought Tennessee Football back to its rightful place among the nation’s elite programs, and he and his staff have fostered a positive culture within the team. Our commitment to supporting Josh and his staff remains strong and unwavering.”
Heupel’s revival of the Volunteers has seen him produce a 37-15 overall record, 11 victories over Top 25 teams, the school’s first College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six appearances and multiple double-digit win seasons. The 11 ranked wins are sixth nationally among FBS head coaches during that span and are already fifth in UT history.
“I greatly appreciate the support of Danny White, President Boyd and Chancellor Plowman,” Heupel said. “During an era of change in our sport, their leadership and commitment to helping us build a championship football program is strong.
“We took over a program in 2021 during a turbulent time. We quickly built a resilient, player-driven culture and have enjoyed great success on and off the field, but there is still much left to do. I am excited about the future of Tennessee Football, and I can’t wait to run through the T once again with Vol Nation proudly supporting us.”
Heupel’s .712 winning percentage is the second-highest by a Vol coach in the last five decades. His 37 wins are the third-most through the first four full seasons by a UT coach, trailing only Bill Battle (39 from 1970-73) and Phillip Fulmer (38 from 1993-96). Heupel took over a program that was 3-7 prior to his arrival and rebuilt its culture during a period of NCAA sanctions.
Heupel’s Vols have thrived against rivals and SEC competition. Tennessee defeated Alabama and Florida in the same season twice from 2022-24. Meanwhile, the Vols have won 16 SEC contests since the start of 2022, which is the program’s best three-year stretch run since claiming 18 from 2002-04. That total is third-best among SEC coaches during that span.
Tennessee has finished ahead of where it was projected to finish in the SEC media poll three out of the four previous years under Heupel, including the 2024 campaign that saw the Vols tie for second in the final SEC regular season standings with a 10-2 overall mark and a 6-2 SEC slate. That record propelled UT into its first College Football Playoff and a No. 8 Coaches poll final ranking. Tennessee was projected to finish seventh in the SEC media poll in July 2024.
In the process, Heupel became the third coach in school history with multiple 10-win regular seasons, joining Fulmer (five times in 17 years) and Gen. Robert Neyland (five times in 21 years). Prior to Heupel’s arrival, Tennessee had not produced a 10-win regular season since 2003, and they have done it twice under his watch.
Player development has been on full display in the Heupel era. Three standouts have earned SEC Player of the Year laurels – Velus Jones Jr. (2021 Special Teams), Hendon Hooker (2022 Offensive) and Dylan Sampson (2024 Offensive). Seventeen Vols have been selected in the NFL Draft under his watch, which is the highest four-year span of picks for UT since 2005-08.
Tennessee’s on-field success has correlated in the classroom as the Vols have shattered the program record for GPA in four consecutive fall semesters under Heupel. The Vols produced semester records for GPA in the fall of 2024 (3.18) and the spring of 2025 (3.25).
Tennessee produced 60 SEC Academic Honor Roll recipients in the fall of 2024, one year after celebrating a program record 63 in 2023. A total of 193 UT players have garnered SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades in four previous seasons under Heupel.
Heupel emphasized the holistic development of the student-athlete and enhanced the team’s player development staff with the establishment of eVOLve. The group focuses on year-round programming geared toward preparing the Vols for personal, academic and leadership success, as well as community engagement efforts.
Heupel begins his fifth season at the helm on Rocky Top when Tennessee takes on Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game at noon ET Saturday in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
PHILADELPHIA – Highly-touted Tennessee offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. was named to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award watch list, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club on Tuesday.
The award is presented annually to the most outstanding freshman player in college football. Named after Shaun Alexander since 2018, this award recognizes the exceptional performance and impact made by these players on their respective teams throughout the season. The Shaun Alexander Award is all about championing future legends and evaluates players based on Talent, Character, Ambassador and Legend.
Selected as a True Freshman Preseason All-American by On3, Sanders Jr. enters his debut season on Rocky Top as a projected starter on the Vols’ offensive line after transforming his body since he arrived on campus in January. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native, has impressed coaches and teammates alike during spring ball and preseason camp.
A consensus five-star prospect, Sanders Jr. possesses a rare combination of explosiveness, size and nimble movement that should allow him to make an immediate impact on the field this year.
Sanders Jr. was rated as the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in the 2025 signing class by ESPN and Rivals while also being considered a top-11 ranked player in the nation regardless of position by all major recruiting services.
The full watch list for this year’s award can be seen HERE.
The ‘HOT 37’ watch list for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award will be narrowed down to 14 semifinalists in November before finalists are selected in early December. The winner will be announced in late December, and the award will be presented in March of 2026, at the Maxwell Football Club Awards ceremony.
Lance Heard, OL, Jr. Third Team All-SEC (Coaches) Fourth Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Joshua Josephs, DL, Sr. Senior Bowl Top 300 List Second Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Miles Kitselman, TE, R-Sr. Mackey Award Watch List Senior Bowl Top 300 List Third Team All-SEC (Coaches) Fourth Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Jermod McCoy, DB, Jr. Bednarik Award Watch List Nagurski Trophy Watch List Jim Thorpe Award Watch List Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List ESPN Top 100 Players List (No. 31) Senior Bowl Top 300 List First Team All-American (AP, Athlon, ESPN, PFF, Sporting News, Walter Camp) First Team All-SEC (Athlon, Coaches, Media)
Wendell Moe Jr., OL, R-Jr. On3 Preseason All-Transfer Portal Team
Jaxson Moi, DL, Sr. Polynesian College Player of the Year Award Watch List
Jackson Ross, P, R-Jr. Fourth Team All-SEC (Athlon)
David Sanders Jr., OL, Fr. Shaun Alexader Freshman Player of the Year Award Watch List On3 True Freshman Preseason All-American
Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) The Gatlinburg Police Department is asking for help finding a 15-year-old who has been missing since the beginning of August.
GPD officials say 15-year-old Jefferson Reyes Vasquez Cruz has black hair and brown eyes. He is approximately 5’6″ tall and weighs about 120 pounds.
Gatlinburg police are asking anyone who has seen the teen or has any information to call the department at 865-436-5181 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Jefferson Reyes Vasquez Cruz (Courtesy: Gatlinburg Police Department)
PIGEON FORGE, TN – (Monday, Aug. 25, 2025) — Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana has once again been nominated for the USA Today 10Best Award for Best Theme Park Halloween Event.
The Harvest Festival—which features the wildly popular Great Pumpkin LumiNights—has been a perennial favorite for the award. The USA Today contest, which now is live, runs through Monday, Sept. 22 at 11:59 a.m. Winners will be announced on Oct. 1.
Dollywood’s Harvest Festival (now-Oct. 27) provides fabulous fall family fun, with Great Pumpkin LumiNights serving as a great glowing end to the evening. Dollywood stays open until 9 p.m. every night during the festival, allowing families more time to enjoy 12,000 carved pumpkins throughout the park.
A page with a link to the voting page can be found at http://www.dollywood.com/vote. Anyone is eligible to vote and may do so once per day, per device. Nominees for all categories are chosen by a panel of relevant experts, which includes a combination of editors from USA Today, editors from 10Best.com, relevant expert contributors and more.
Dollywood’s 40th anniversary season continues with the Harvest Festival, an event which celebrates the beauty of fall with thousands of carved pumpkins, spirited performances from talented singers and the fun of Great Pumpkin LumiNights. Great Pumpkin LumiNights, which has been named the best theme park harvest event in the world, features elaborate displays that are fun for every member of the family. Creative culinary items, accomplished artisans and fall fun in the Smokies make this a picture-perfect time to enjoy Dollywood.
Several headline artists visit the park during the festival including Triumphant Quartet (Sept. 15-19), Keith Anderson (Sept. 20-21), The Grascals (Sept. 22-24), Lee Roy Parnell (Sept. 28), Sidewalk Prophets (Sept. 29- Oct. 3), Rhonda Vincent & The Rage (Oct. 5-7; Oct. 13-14), Emily Ann Roberts (Oct. 8-12) and Dailey & Vincent (Oct. 15-19).
For more information about Dollywood’s Harvest Festival, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
Dolly Parton with the 40th Anniversary art package as part of Dollywood’s 40th Anniversary in 2025. Photo taken in Nashville, TN, at CTK Enterprises, on 9/20/24.
(Courtesy: Curtis Hilbun / Dollywood)
