Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Residents at Knoxville’s Lovell Crossing Apartments, still dealing with the fallout from an August 7 damaging tornado, face another setback as their leases are terminated.
A letter sent to residents living in several buildings at the complex states that Lovell Crossing had no choice but to terminate leases due to the extent of the damage caused by the tornado.
Residents were told that they must vacate their apartments by no later than September 5 though a schedule for move-outs puts some out of their units as early as Thursday, August 24.
The complex is refunding removed residents for rent paid from August 7 forward.
Allegiant expects processing times to take longer than normal (Courtesy: Allegiant Air)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Allegiant is out with a warning Wednesday, August 23 for customers traveling from McGhee Tyson airport in the next 24 hours.
Airline officials are urging customers to arrive at McGhee Tyson three hours prior to their scheduled departure times due to issues with a recent system update.
If you are traveling in the next 24 hours and are not able to check your flight information or access your boarding passes, Allegiant claims they will have a team member available for assistance at the ticket counter at the airport. The airline adds they will also waive all fees associated with printing boarding passes at the airport.
Additional information for Allegiant passengers including travel alerts can be found here.
Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White on Wednesday announced a multi-year naming-rights agreement with longtime Tennessee Athletics corporate champion Food City that rebrands UT’s on-campus arena as Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
The agreement with Food City was negotiated by Tennessee Athletics’ multimedia rights partner, Food City’s overall commitment to Tennessee Athletics will allow the University to invest in excess of $20 million over the next 10 years and will aid new and needed renovations of the arena and upgrades to the facility’s interior and exterior. These improvements will significantly enhance the fan experience while attending any Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center event on the UT campus.
Among the planned additions to the venue will include new club amenities, updates to the Ray Mears Room and a state-of-the-art center-hung video board. The exterior façade of the facility will be modernized and the look will be more in line with Tennessee’s other athletics venues.
Complete details of the enhancements to the venue will be announced at a later date. Fans interested in learning more about how they can participate in the My All Campaign are encouraged to click HERE or call the Tennessee Fund at (865) 974-1218.
“We are thrilled to partner with Food City on this transformative naming rights opportunity, the first of its kind for Tennessee Athletics,” said White. “Food City is a neighborhood partner who knows our state and region extremely well and has been a key partner for Tennessee Athletics for nearly 30 years. Food City is a valued member of our community and bleeds orange, and we look forward to taking this partnership to another level. I want to thank the Smith family, as well as the Food City team for this long-term partnership.”
Food City’s longstanding commitment to supporting Tennessee Athletics and the department’s mission of leading the way in college sports dates to 1997. The privately held family-owned company is headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia and currently operates 152 retail locations throughout Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama.
“Food City is proud to be a long-time supporter and the official supermarket of the University of Tennessee Athletics. We’re excited to take our partnership to the next level with the naming of the Food City Center, which will serve as a hub for UT Athletics, as well as other key events within the Knoxville community,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.
Opened in the Fall of 1987, Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center is home to Tennessee’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball programs. The arena is named for the late B. Ray Thompson and former UT President Dr. Edward J. Boling.
“I’ve long said that Thompson-Boling Arena gives us an elite homecourt advantage, and Food City clearly recognizes that,” men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes said. “This is an extraordinary commitment by a wonderful partner that will not just elevate Tennessee gamedays, but it’s an investment that will also enhance the student-athlete experience across all our sports. We appreciate Food City for stepping up and supporting Tennessee Athletics in a way that is truly transformational.”
The venue has undergone multiple phases of renovations throughout its 36-year history, most notably an overhaul in 2007 that included the addition of two levels of premium suites and one level of premium loge seating spanning the arena’s north end.
“Tennessee Athletics is fortunate to have an amazing relationship with a community-oriented company like Food City,” women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper said. “They have a legacy of support for our student-athletes, coaches and programs, and their latest commitment illustrates an incredible investment toward competitive excellence by the Vols and Lady Vols. Pairing Thompson-Boling Arena, our teams and the best fan base in the country with Food City is a winning combination.”
In addition to delivering an incredible homecourt advantage for the Vols and Lady Vols, the facility hosts dozens of highly attended events annually, including concerts featuring world-famous recording artists, professional wrestling showcases, monster truck and professional bull-riding competitions, conferences and more.
For basketball specifically, Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center stands as one of the country’s biggest and brightest stages for college hoops. Tennessee owns a combined basketball home record of 947-196 (.829)—where the court is named in honor of legendary eight-time national champion head coach Pat Summitt—with the Lady Vols boasting a 508-56 (.901) mark and the Vols going 439-140 (.758).
“Thompson-Boling Arena has been a special place to play, and home to the best fan base in college sports,” volleyball head coach Eve Rackham Watt said. “We are really excited about this new partnership with Food City and believe it will continue to push Tennessee volleyball forward. All of us are excited to get in the arena this fall and start competing.”
The first event set to take place in the newly named Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center is the Tennessee volleyball program’s season-opener against Texas State in the Tennessee Classic on Friday, Aug. 25.
MEDIC is teaming up with Eddie Check again this year to offer free PSA testing to men over 40 on September 7th and 8th.
All donors will receive a special edition t-shirt and coupons for Texas Roadhouse, Salsarita’s, Papa John’s, Smoothie King, Petro’s, and Dunkin.
Appointments are always encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Appointments can be made by calling 865-524-3074 or visiting medicblood.org.
MEDIC is the primary blood product provider for 26 hospitals in 23 counties including Blount Memorial, Covenant Health System, East TN Children’s Hospital, Tennova Healthcare, and UT Medical Center.
As a reminder, the blood, platelets, and plasma products on the shelves now are what would be used in a trauma event, and it takes at least three days for donated blood to be processed and ready for distribution. Demand remains high while donations have been low this summer.
An investigation is underway following a fatal crash in Roane County.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says two people were killed in yesterday’s crash on Harriman Highway.
THP says 75 year-old Mary King was driving on the east side of the highway when she crossed the center line and hit another vehicle head-on. The driver of that vehicle 51 year-old Steve Goodell as well as King died in the crash.
Ben Kredich, 24 (Courtesy: WVLT / University of Tennessee)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The University of Tennessee community is in mourning as the victim in Monday’s fatal pedestrian-involved crash on Kingston Pike is identified.
In a statement, UT officials say 24 year-old Ben Kredich, son of Tennessee Director of Swimming & Diving Matt Kredich, was struck and killed by an “impaired motorist” Monday while walking near the UT campus. Though Kredich had autism, he was a University of Tennessee graduate, lived independently, played piano at local assisted living centers, and was known as the Piano Man.
UT Swimming & Diving also released a statement memorializing Kredich.
UT Statement on Passing of Ben Kredich (Courtesy: Twitter / University of Tennessee)
Speaking with our news partner, WVLT, Ben Kredich’s mother Kim said there will be a celebration of life [for her son] in the next week or so. The details are still being ironed out, but it will be open to the public.
The driver in the crash, 44 year-old Shannon Walker of Maryville, is facing several charges including vehicular homicide and DUI.
Crossville, TN (WOKI) Two suspects are arrested Tuesday morning in connection to a road rage shooting in Crossville.
Crossville Police Department officials say the incident happened in the area of East 1st Street when CPD and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the call of a gunshot going off near Stone Elementary School.
Arriving officers reportedly found two suspects with a gun detained in the school’s parking lot by the Stone Elementary school resource officer.
Officials say no one was hurt in the exchange, and nothing occurred on school grounds though both Stone Elementary and Stone Memorial High School did go into lockdown during the event.
McGhee Tyson Airport is getting ready to expand and they are looking for input on what should be added or changed.
So far this year, McGhee Tyson Airport has served more than 1.5 million passengers.
Caitlin Darras with McGhee Tyson tells our news partner WVLT this is why the airport decided to let passengers take a survey so management will know what passengers like or would like to change.
They noticed a need for more parking and gates were a common reoccurrence.
“So, this construction project and the planning right now is going to take us well into the future so we’re doing the parking garage expansion project that will be the first project right now and then we’re looking forward to a gate expansion so adding 6,12, 30 gates in the future,” said Darras.
Darras says this expansion is needed as Knoxville continues to grow and more people choose to fly in and out of McGhee Tyson.
She said this could mean welcoming even more airlines in the future as well.
Darras says airplanes are almost 90% full and parking garages are at capacity during some peak times.
Knoxville Police are investigating a fatal pedestrian-involved crash on Kingston Pike which has resulted in charges against the driver involved.
It happened yesterday afternoon near Thimbleberry Way, just west of Concord. Based on preliminary investigation, it is believed that a car, driven by 44 year-old Shannon Walker, was going east on Kingston Pike and ran off the road and hit a man who was walking on the sidewalk who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Walker is charged with vehicular homicide and DUI among other charges. Various narcotics were found in his car, including suspected heroin.
Madisonville, TN (WOKI) A two-hour manhunt Monday morning in Madisonville results in the apprehension of a known fugitive.
Madisonville Police Department officials report Dillon Honeycutt, a known fugitive with multiple active arrest warrants, was taken into custody Monday afternoon after fleeing from a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Detective who spotted him in a neighborhood near downtown Madisonville.
Officials say Madisonville Primary School was put on a soft lockdown during the manhunt for Honeycutt “out of an abundance of caution.” Honeycutt was eventually found hiding in the backseat of a car.
He was arrested and is being held, without bond, at the Monroe County Justice Center.
