Kiera Cross, 16 Found safe in Knoxville (Courtesy: TBI)
Bristol, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Monday afternoon report that Kiera Cross has been located in Knoxville and is safe.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued an Endangered Child Alert for a missing 16-year-old girl out of Bristol.
TBI officials say Kiera Cross is 5′7″ and weighs 120 pounds. She was last seen on August 27 wearing a blue tank top, black and white shorts, and cheetah print slippers.
Kiera Cross, 16 (Courtesy: TBI)
Those with information are asked to call the Bristol Police Department at 423-989-5715 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation will halt all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways for the Labor Day holiday travel period.
Construction crews will stop all lane closure activity at noon on Friday until 6:00 a.m. on September 5th. This will provide maximum roadway capacity for motorists traveling during the Labor Day holiday.
While lane closure activity will be stopped, workers will still be on-site in many construction zones and drivers are urged to obey posted speed limits.
Drivers convicted of speeding in work zones where workers are present face a fine of $250 to $500, plus court fees and possibly increased insurance premiums.
Get the latest construction activity and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras from your desktop or mobile device at https://smartway.tn.gov/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 for statewide travel information. As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text, or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.
The Vol Network’s “Big Orange Hotline” radio show debuts for the 2023 football season Monday, Aug. 28, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT across the state of Tennessee live from the outdoor patio at Dead End BBQ restaurant on Sutherland Avenue in Knoxville.
The Vol Network’s Bob Kesling hosts the show and will be joined each week by former Vol quarterbacks Pat Ryan and Jeff Francis. Numerous special guests and former Vols will join the show again this season.
Entering its 14th season, “Big Orange Hotline” is a weekly, one-hour, prime time Tennessee football review and preview show presented and hosted since its beginning at Dead End BBQ. The show’s entertaining style focuses on insightful breakdown, fun-natured discussion and banter supplied by the two former Tennessee signal-callers. Monday’s opening show also features comments from UT head coach Josh Heupel, a player interview and a scouting report on Tennessee’s season-opening opponent, the Virginia Cavaliers.
Fans can call in and ask questions by dialing 1-800-688-8657 (VOLS) or Tweet/X questions to @VolNetwork. Fans are encouraged to check their local listings for the close to 20 Vol Network affiliates across the state that carry “Big Orange Hotline.” The show can also be heard live online at UTsports.com, on the Tennessee Athletics app and will be available on podcast.
Dead End BBQ is an award-winning, unique, American neighborhood barbecue restaurant located at 3612 Sutherland Avenue in Knoxville. It’s been featured on CBS, ESPN, SEC Network, The Foodable Network and The Cooking Channel. The eatery has been voted one of America’s top 100 barbeque restaurants.
-UT Athletics
Bob Kesling, Pat Ryan and Jeff Francis of the Vol Network / Credit: UT Athletics
“Vol Calls,“ the official statewide radio show for Tennessee Athletics kicked off its 2023-24 season Wednesday, Aug. 23, on location from the legendary Calhoun’s On the River location in downtown Knoxville. The one-hour show airs at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT across the state of Tennessee. Wednesday’s inaugural show included a special recorded interview with head football coach Josh Heupel and quarterback Joe Milton III, along with a special guest on-site.
Bob Kesling, the voice of the Tennessee Volunteers and UT’s director of broadcasting, serves as the show’s host and is joined by Vol Network veteran Brent Hubbs to answer questions and provide the latest news and information on Tennessee Athletics. The show will be held outside each week during the fall on the restaurant’s massive, covered outdoor deck. Overlooking the Tennessee River, “The Deck” at Calhoun’s provides a unique outdoor dining and show experience with big-screen televisions, ceiling fans and a roof that fully protects fans from the elements. Heupel makes his on-site debut during the Wednesday, Aug. 30, show prior to UT’s season-opener against Virginia in Nashville on Sept. 2.
Calhoun’s On the River returns as the home of “Vol Calls” for the 12th straight season. Famous for its award-winning ribs, BBQ and other delicious Southern dishes, Calhoun’s is one of Tennessee’s most popular restaurant destinations. The restaurant will give away special prizes each week during football season through its Instagram channel—@calhounstn—including “Best Seats in the House” for the show, game tickets, hospitality passes and a collection of special signature sauces.
“Vol Calls” is the exclusive statewide radio show for Tennessee Athletics featuring the head coaches of the Vols and Lady Vols. The show can be heard on 50-plus radio stations across the state of Tennessee on the Vol Radio Network and all over the world through UTsports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and SiriusXM.
-UT Athletics
Bob Kesling and Josh Heupel / Credit: UT Athletics
A photo of the items seized during a traffic stop on I-75 on August 20. Items shown include a handgun, a bag of fentanyl pills, money, and drug paraphernalia. (Courtesy: Loudon County Sheriff’s Office)
Loudon, TN (WOKI) A traffic stop late Sunday night, August 20, on I-75 in Loudon County results in a big drug bust for the sheriff’s office.
Officials with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office report four people were arrested after deputies found over 2 lbs. of pressed fentanyl pills and approximately $8,000 in cash during a probable cause search of the suspects’ vehicle following a traffic stop on the highway.
LCSO says the pills have a street value of $275,000. They say Richard Allen Jr., Jayden Jennings, Krista McDaniel, and Seneca Gentry were arrested and are facing drug charges.
Loudon County Drug Trafficking Suspects, left to right: Richard Allen Jr., Seneca Gentry, Jayden Jennings, Krista McDaniel (Courtesy: LCSO)
Additionally, when McDaniel entered the Loudon County Detention Center, LCSO said she “introduced approximately 80 pressed fentanyl pills and 1 oz of fentanyl powder.” Along with drug charges, McDaniel faces charges of assault, introduction of contraband into a penal facility, identity theft, and tampering with evidence.
The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees on Friday approved Tennessee Athletics’ request to increase the budget for phase 1 of the historic Neyland Stadium renovation project by $49 million to $337 million.
The project aligns with Tennessee Athletics’ stated goals of modernizing the fan and visitor experience through enhanced amenities and diversified seating options, improving fan safety and security and aligning stadium features and aesthetics with campus architectural standards.
Last fall, guests at Neyland Stadium observed a totally new state-of-the-art videoboard in the stadium’s north upper deck, enhanced video components in the existing south videoboard and the introduction of two new premium amenities in the lower-west club and upper-north social deck.
Future updates feature necessary upgrades to the south side and perimeter of the stadium, including the widening of concourses, construction of expanded gates and entryways and additional restrooms and concessions areas. The delivery of this component will dramatically improve fan comfort and safety, reduce wait times and allow for more food and beverage offerings.
(Courtesy: Tennessee Valley Authority Facebook Page)
Chattanooga, TN (WOKI) Electricity will soon cost more in East Tennessee.
Tennessee Valley Authority’s directors approved a 4.5% electricity rate increase Thursday in addition to $15 billion in investments for building additional electricity generation capacity and upgrading its power grid.
TVA officials say the agency expects demand to increase by 30% over the next 10 years and are working to add 3,800 megawatts to the system.
The rate increase amounts to an average of $3.50 a month on a typical monthly residential energy bill. Prior to this increase, TVA’s base power rates had remained flat for four years.
For the complete news release from TVA and to learn more, click here.
(Courtesy: Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones’ Facebook page)
Madisonville, TN (WOKI) A local fentanyl distribution network is disrupted after a late night drug bust in Monroe County.
Officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office say Andrew Wayne Pierce was arrested late Wednesday night following a traffic stop on Highway 411 in the Gudger area; they say Pierce is a “key individual” in the local trafficking of fentanyl.
Andrew Wayne Pierce (Courtesy: Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones’ Facebook page)
MCSO reports a search of Pierce’s vehicle revealed “a staggering haul of 196 pressed fentanyl pills,” commonly known as ‘fen balls’ along with cash and other contraband.
Pierce was taken into custody without any incident and transported to the Monroe County Jail.
