Category Archives: Local News Reel 3

Knox County is About to Enter a Hiring Freeze

Knox County is About to Enter a Hiring Freeze

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knox County government is soon to enter a hiring freeze. That news coming Thursday from CFO and Co-Chief of Staff Chris Caldwell who says the move is aimed at saving money and keeping the county from dipping into its “rainy day fund.” “We discussed this during our budget process and decided it…MORE

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn Introduces Bill to End Taxpayer Funding for NPR and PBS

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn Introduces Bill to End Taxpayer Funding for NPR and PBS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the Free Americans from Ideological Reporting (FAIR) Act to stop federal taxpayer dollars from being sent to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) after years of left-wing politically biased reporting under the guise of public broadcasting. Senator Blackburn has long pushed to ensure taxpayers are not…MORE

Event to Honor Great Smoky Mountain Veterans in Townsend

Event to Honor Great Smoky Mountain Veterans in Townsend

Townsend, TN (WOKI / WVLT) Veterans buried in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be honored this weekend at a special event in Townsend. The Veterans Heritage Site Foundation is hosting the event scheduled for Saturday, June 14 at 11:00 a.m. at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. In addition to honoring the more…MORE

Knoxville City Council Approves First Reading of Proposed Sales Tax Increase

Knoxville City Council Approves First Reading of Proposed Sales Tax Increase

Knoxville, TN (WOKI/ WVLT) Knoxville City Council approves the first reading of the proposed sales tax increase. During last (Tuesday) night’s meeting, city council voted 7-1 (with one abstention) in favor of putting Mayor Indya Kincannon’s proposed half-percent sales tax increase to the Local Option Sales Tax referendum on the ballot this November. This would…MORE

CDC Reports Case of West Nile Virus in Knox County

CDC Reports Case of West Nile Virus in Knox County

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting three human cases of West Nile Virus in Tennessee, including one in Knox County. So far in 2025, the CDC is reporting 10 cases across the U.S.; nearly a third of those are in Tennessee, which also has the most cases of…MORE

TDOT Prepares for 2025 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Bonnaro Facebook page

TDOT Prepares for 2025 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival

NASHVILLE, TN – Once again, Manchester, Tennessee, will host the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, one of the most popular live music events in the country. Since 2002, the event has featured a diverse assortment of performers on a 700-acre Middle Tennessee farm that becomes the temporary home for thousands from across the country.…MORE

Missing Zebra is Found Safe in Middle Tennessee
WVLT

Missing Zebra is Found Safe in Middle Tennessee

Ed the Zebra has officially been captured and is safe and healthy. Ed was found yesterday ( Sunday) morning, the owners say a team from Texas, Tango 82, was able to capture him within an hour after finding him in a pasture near the Buchanan Estates subdivision near Interstate 24. Deputies with the Rutherford County…MORE

Four Facing Charges after Hefty Knoxville Drug Bust, Police Say

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Four people are facing charges after a hefty drug bust by the Knoxville Police Department. Knoxville Police Department officials say the arrests happened Wednesday following the execution of search warrants at homes on Cedar Avenue and Bishop Street. KPD says the search warrants were obtained as part of ongoing drug distribution investigations…MORE

Downtown Knoxville Installing Cameras with Goal to Cut Down on Car Noise

Downtown Knoxville Installing Cameras with Goal to Cut Down on Car Noise

(Story courtesy of WVLT News) Knoxville, TN (WVLT) The City of Knoxville is adding noise cameras to the downtown area with the goal to stop noisy cars on Gay Street. “It’s annoying, it’s distracting, especially when you’re waking up and when you’re putting kids to bed,” Blaine Owens, a Knoxville resident, said. Carter Hall, Knoxville’s deputy director…MORE