Police say Robert Cooke was arrested after he threw Carmen Locket to the ground after he passed Locket’s car on a narrow road and then turned into Locket’s street on August 15th.
After arriving at a house on Mill Run Drive, Cooke approached Locket, who is elderly and has a cast on her left foot from a previous injury, screaming at her and her daughter when he went onto the property and grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground.
He is charged with felony abuse of an elderly adult.
An injured hiker is rescued from a remote area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A flight crew with the Tennessee National Guard’s 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion responded to Snake Den Ridge Trail last night (Tues) where the man had been hiking.
He was flown to UT Medical Center in Knoxville after he was rescued and his condition has not been released.
Knoxville City Council delays vote on selling part of Chilhowee Park to Emerald Youth to build a sports and recreation facility.
After a lengthy discussion during last night’s (Tues) meeting, council members voted to delay the matter two weeks until the next meeting to offer more conversations with the public.
This comes after dozens of people gathered to voice their concerns about the deal Monday and last night many wanting transparency from the city.
Representatives of Emerald Youth were on hand last night and they initially said not to postpone the vote.
However, some city council members said they first heard of this proposal only days before the meeting. While not opposed to it, they said more clarity is needed before voting on the matter.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon is in support of the project.
City Council’s next meeting is scheduled for September 2.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee announced Wednesday afternoon that the men’s basketball program has sold its complete allotment of 14,500 season tickets for the 2025-26 campaign at the Food City Center.
This is the seventh consecutive full-capacity season in which over 13,000 fans have purchased season tickets to see the Volunteers compete, including the fourth in a row above 14,000 and the third consecutive year Tennessee has sold out.
Single-game tickets will go on sale later at AllVols.com. Fans seeking to bring a large group to Food City Center this season can begin that process HERE. Additionally, fans interested in learning more about season tickets for 2026-27 can do so by clicking HERE.
Tennessee has finished top-eight nationally in average attendance eight of the past seven full-capacity seasons, including placing top-five in each of the past seven. The program’s 20,026 average in 2024-25 ranked third in the country, its highest finish this century, and fourth in program history. Just eight teams in Division I, including Tennessee, had a mark of even 16,000-plus.
Eight of the top 18 regular season single-game attendances in America in 2024-25 came at Food City Center, including two of the top four. The 22,392 on hand for the Volunteers’ thrilling 79-76 victory over sixth-ranked Alabama on March 1 marked the second-largest figure at the venue since the 2007-08 capacity reduction.
Tennessee had eight home sellouts during the 2024-25 season, tying the program record set just one year prior in 2023-24. On two separate occasions last season, the Volunteers sold out three consecutive home matchups.
Furthermore, Tennessee had at least 20,000 fans in attendance 10 times in 2024-25, tied for its second-most ever in a campaign. It hit that mark seven times in a row, tying the school’s single-season record.
The Volunteers are coming off one of its finest campaigns in program history. Tennessee went 30-8 (12-6 SEC) and, for the second year in a row, reached the Elite Eight on the way to finishing fifth nationally in both major national polls.
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.
BALTIMORE – The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation announced Tuesday afternoon that Tennessee senior quarterback Joey Aguilar was named to the 2025 preseason watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback who is on track to graduate with their class.
The signal caller from Antioch, California, is one of 58 quarterbacks on the list, including one of 13 from the Southeastern Conference.
Aguilar will make his 25th FBS start when the Vols open the 2025 campaign in Atlanta against Syracuse on Saturday, Aug. 30. He enters the season as the FBS active career leader in total offense per game (288.5, minimum 2,500 yards) and ranks second in passing yards per game (270.4, minimum 5,000 yards).
Recently named UT’s starting quarterback by head coach Josh Heupel, Aguilar arrived on Rocky Top in the summer of 2025 after spending the previous two seasons at App State. In 25 games with the Mountaineers, he completed 511-of-850 passes (60.0 percent) for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns, both ranking fifth in App State program history.
Now in its 39th year, the Golden Arm Award continues to honor excellence both on and off the field. The award is presented by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation in partnership with A. O. Smith Corporation, whose mission aligns with the Foundation’s commitment to advancing the game of football while promoting character, leadership, and academic achievement among young athletes.
As the 2025 college football season unfolds, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list will be narrowed to semifinalists and finalists before one standout quarterback will take home the award in December. The winner will be celebrated at the annual Golden Arm Award ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Johnny Unitas’ hometown of Baltimore—an unforgettable night honoring leadership, legacy, and the best in college football.
Miles Kitselman, TE, R-Sr. Mackey Award Watch List 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 First Team All-American (Athlon, ESPN, PFF, Sporting News, Walter Camp) First Team All-SEC (Athlon, Media)
Jaxson Moi, DL, Sr. Polynesian College Player of the Year Award Watch List
Jackson Ross, P, R-Jr. Fourth Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville police arrest a convicted felon in possession of a handgun following a traffic stop.
KPD says officers stopped a car early Sunday morning in the area of East Hill Avenue and Historic Preservation Drive for an equipment violation.
Officers report witnessing the driver attempting to hide something on the passenger side of the vehicle. Further investigation by officers, including a positive K-9 alert to the presence of narcotics, lead to the discovery of a Taurus handgun and a small amount of marijuana.
The driver, a 21-year-old man who was convicted previously of aggravated robbery from an incident in 2023, was taken into custody for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Knoxville police seize handgun and marijuana from convicted felon during a traffic stop. (Courtesy: KPD)
A fixture in many homes for several years delivering the news as presumably the most trusted journalist in Knoxville, WBIR anchor emeritus Bill Williams has died.
He died at his home in Knoxville yesterday (Monday) afternoon at the age of 91. He settled into to his new home here in East Tennessee in 1977. He was the consummate professional, storyteller and a man of great faith. He suffered many personal losses in life, losing two sons and his wife. He battled serious illnesses but he never lost faith in God and was always a faithful Christian.
He used that faith in all aspects of his life including his professional career which spanned decades. He created Monday’s Child* which featured special needs children who needed a forever home. Bill met with each child for 30 years, even after his retirement. During that time, close to 1,500 kids were profiled, with more than a thousand of them finding a family. (*courtesy of WBIR)
While reporting on the poverty in the mountains of Appalachia, he inspired the Mission of Hope.
He loved fishing and the outdoors but most of all he loved his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.
The Principal at Friendsville Elementary School in Blount County has been suspended.
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into Stan Painter on Friday based on allegations regarding claimed actions at the school during the 2023-2024 school year.
Painter was immediately suspended pending further investigation. Jennifer Moore, a longtime educator of more than 30 years, will serve as interim principal at Friendsville Elementary beginning today (Tuesday).
School Officials say the district intends to fully cooperate with BCSO and the Department of Children’s Services as they work to determine the validity of the allegations.
KNOXVILLE, TN ( Story courtesy of WVLT) – Emerald Youth is proposing to buy a piece of Chilhowee Park to build a sports and recreation facility.
It’s a big dollar deal currently being discussed that some in East Knoxville said they had no idea about.
A vote to approve the plan is set to happen Tuesday evening at the Knoxville City Council meeting, but there’s a push to delay this.
Dozens gathered on Monday to voice their concerns and frustrations not with Emerald Youth, but with the City of Knoxville.
The plan is for Emerald Youth to put more than $20 million into the area to help with child youth development.
“People are concerned for the last 50 years that there’s been a fence around this property, and now there’s a potential sale of this property that will continue to exclude people who have lived in this community for their entire lives,” said Evelyn Gill.
Gill organized Monday’s meeting with the biggest concern being transparency from the city.
“Delay this vote so that citizens can make sure that then their voice is heard,” Gill continued. “This park represents a huge section of this community that is vital to growth and development of this community.”
Some people also felt that doing this takes away from what they think would be better ideas for Chilhowee Park. They want to see things like greenspaces, historic signage to honor the park’s legacy and other amenities.
“There’s an outrage for this sale in Chilhowee Park,” Vivian Shipe, a neighbor, said. “Let’s develop the park to bring people into the area so that people can enjoy the park and at the same time it helps to grow East Knoxville.”
WVLT News reached out to the City of Knoxville, and a spokesperson provided the following statement:
This administration, in partnership with Sixth District Representative Gwen McKenzie, has prioritized East Knoxville during our second term. This work has been primarily focused along the Magnolia Avenue Corridor, the Burlington Business District and Chilhowee Park. Mayor Indya Kincannon has said on multiple occasions that it is “East Knoxville’s time.” Just like other areas of your city (South Waterfront, North Central and Cumberland to name a few), our efforts east involve a mix of strategic planning, new public infrastructure, and public-private partnerships.
City of Knoxville spokesperson
It is on Knoxville City Council’s agenda to vote on this today (Tuesday). Many in attendance Monday night said they plan to be at the Knoxville City-County Building for it.
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) UPDATE 8/18: The body of a boater missing since Sunday afternoon on Douglas Lake has been recovered.
TWRA officials say 44-year-old Yoser G. Rojas Valverde of Sevierville went missing around 4:30 p.m. in the Indian Creek area of the Lake. They say he reportedly fell from an inner tube after jumping onto it from a pontoon boat and struggled to stay above the surface.
TWRA says crews found Valverde‘s body around 11:00 a.m. Monday using a remote operated vehicle, adding that divers recovered his body around 11:30 a.m.
According to TWRA, this marks the 17th boating-related fatality on Tennessee waters in 2025.
An investigation into the incident by TWRA and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office remains ongoing.
ORIGINAL STORY: The search is set to continue Monday for a missing boater on Douglas Lake.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says emergency crews responded to a reported drowning Sunday afternoon.
A TWRA representative says the missing boater reportedly fell from an inner tube after jumping onto it from a pontoon boat.
TWRA says crews suspended search efforts Sunday night but intend to start again Monday morning.
