An Athens father is facing multiple charges including reckless homicide after his young daughter was left in a hot car in Hamilton County for hours Monday and died.
Authorities say the father, Timothy Blackdeer, said he had taken his other children to their babysitter that morning and didn’t realize the baby had been left in the car until his wife called that afternoon asking where the daughter was.
The baby was pronounced dead a the hospital and had a body temperature of 105 degrees at the time
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The University of Tennessee is “preserving” Neyland Stadium’s name through a partnership with Pilot Flying J.
University of Tennessee Athletics making the announcement Tuesday morning, billing the change as a “preservation partnership.”
“This will always be Neyland Stadium. Is now, always has been, always will be,” said UT Athletics Director Danny White in a video posted Tuesday on “X,” formerly Twitter. “Pilot can be a huge part of preserving that and then help us reinvest in our fan experience to make sure that it stays Neyland Stadium for decades to come.”
White added that the extra funding from the partnership will be going right back into the stadium, promising changes centered on improving the fan experience.
“Through this partnership, we will preserve the legacy of Neyland while also investing in its future to create exceptional experiences for generations to come,” Pilot CEO Adam Wright said. “We look forward to seeing you out here as we cheer on the Vols in Neyland.”
The sponsorship deal inked between Pilot and University of Tennessee Athletics is slated to be in force for at least the next 20 years.
While the deal will not change the names of Neyland Stadium and Shields-Watkins Field, the stadium as a whole will be known as Neyland Stadium. Home of the Vols. Proudly preserved by Pilot.
The historic home of the Vols is now Neyland Stadium Preserved by Pilot. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) As students across East Tennessee head back to class, parents and teachers are getting the chance to weigh-in on what their kids are being taught, focusing specifically on English Language Arts (ELA).
This comes in the form of a survey that anyone can access. Topics on the survey could directly impact what’s being taught in the classroom and what makes its way onto the TCAP test.
“This is going to be the key because you’re going to be looking at the standards that you set, the curriculum that gets adopted, and ultimately what the test will measure,” said Executive Director & CEO of Professional Educators of Tennessee JC Bowman.
The State Board of Education is required to review and assess the curriculum every eight years; soliciting stakeholder feedback through an online survey is part of that process.
The survey will go toward decision-making for the curriculum that could be implemented for the 2029-2030 school year.
If you’d like to take part in the state’s survey you can do so by clicking here.
The survey will remain open until September 8.
The Tennessee State Board of Education released a survey for families to weigh in on how ELA standards for students moving forward. (Courtesy: WSMV)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Despite recent protest, another high rise is coming to downtown Knoxville.
The Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission approved the development last week. It’s going to be on the corner of West Hill Avenue and Locust Street, extending down toward the river.
The high rise will be 18 stories with 270 apartments on top of a parking garage.
Neighbors in the area had protested the proposal for the past few months, claiming it would block their views and is against downtown design guidelines.
Blount County, TN (WOKI) Authorities cited one person involved in a fatal motorcycle accident that bogged down the morning commute Monday.
Authorities say they responded to Alcoa Highway near Hillside Drive about 7:20 Monday morning and found 44-year-old Russell Swanson Jr. lying next to his motorcycle. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
Investigators say Swanson was riding his motorcycle north when he tried to merge, hitting the back, left side of another merging car. The driver of that car was not injured but was cited for failure to yield, city representatives said.
The Alcoa Police Department is investigating the crash, asking anyone with information to call (865) 981-4111.
The northbound direction of Alcoa Highway was shut down in Blount County.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The FBI and Knoxville authorities are investigating a bank robbery that happened on Monday, August 12.
Authorities say the robbery happened at the Truist Bank at 4931 Kingston Pike, in the Homberg area, Monday afternoon around 1:15.
Investigators say the armed suspect handed a bank teller a note demanding cash and was last seen running from the building with an undisclosed amount of money.
Late Monday evening, KPD reported the suspect had been identified, located, and detained and that charges are pending.
The teller reportedly gave the man the money, and he left on foot. (Courtesy: KPD)
Lenoir City, TN (WOKI) An armed and dangerous man has been taken into custody and a school lockdown lifted Monday morning in Loudon County.
Officials with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office say Caiden Hall was arrested in Lenoir City following a search for him near the area of Highland Park Drive.
As a precaution, nearby Highland Park Elementary was briefly placed on lockdown; that lockdown has since been lifted.
Neither Hall’s age nor further information about the circumstances surrounding the incident have been released.
Carter County, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: The man at the center of a TBI Silver Alert early Monday morning out of Carter County has been found safe.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say 86-year-old Arthur Bruce was located in Arkansas and is safe.
A Silver Alert was issued after Bruce was last seen Sunday in Johnson City. Officials say he has a medical condition that may have hindered him from getting back home safely.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued a Silver Alert for a missing Carter County man.
TBI says 86-year-old Arthur Bruce went missing from Johnson City and was last seen Sunday, August 11.
Bruce is 5’3″, weighs 140 pounds, has gray hair and brown eyes. There is no known clothing description at this time. Bruce has a U.S. Navy tattoo on his arm.
Officials say Bruce may be driving a 2024 silver gray Ford Ranger with Tennessee temporary tag QH9YN1V8 and that he has a medical condition that may keep him from getting back home safely.
(Courtesy: TBI)
If you see Arthur Bruce or know where he may be, please call the Carter County Sheriff’s Office at 423-542-1845 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Clinton, TN (WOKI) Jury selection begins Monday, August 12 in the death penalty case involving an Anderson County man.
Sean Finnegan is accused of murder, rape and exploitation of a child.
Investigators say Finnegan and his girlfriend Rebecca Dishman lured Jennifer Paxton into their home in August of 2020 with the promise of giving her a place to stay, and they paid her $100 to have sexual relations with them.
Once Paxton entered the home, officials say she was held against her will, tortured, strangled and left to die.
The couple was formally indicted for murder by an Anderson County Grand Jury in June of 2021.
Sean Finnegan, 56 (Courtesy: Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)
Athens, TN (WOKI) An Athens man is facing multiple charges after explosive devices and dozens of guns are found in his home.
Officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office say three explosive devices, more than 40 guns and more than 500 grams of meth were seized Wednesday from Daniel Buis’ home in the 200 block of Kenneth Street in Athens and from a storage unit tied to him.
Deputies also found more than $40,000 in cash.
Buis was arrested and charged with the following:
Possession of methamphetamine for resale
Unlawful possession of a firearm
Possession of an improvised explosive device
Possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony
Maintaining a drug dwelling for use or keep of a controlled substance
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Multiple agencies assisted in the investigation, including: the 10th Judicial Drug Task Force, Athens Police Department, McMinn County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Sweetwater Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Additionally, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was called to the scene to assist with the explosives.
More than 500 grams of meth and $40,000 were also found, sheriff’s office said. (Courtesy: MCSO)
