Knoxville Police and East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers are asking for help to identify a man suspected of vandalizing a Tesla Model 3.
It happened March 1st at West Town Mall. The suspect keyed the White Tesla causing substantial damage. If your information leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.
The Tennessee Valley Authority names its new president and CEO.
Don Moul will serve in the position beginning April 9th.
Moul, who has served as TVA’s executive vice president and COO since June 2021, becomes the fourth CEO of the agency, succeeding Jeff Lyash, who announced his intent to retire in January. “Don is the right choice to lead TVA forward as we work to build an energy system to power the next generation of American jobs,” Lyash said. “Don is ready to be the hand guiding TVA in a time of rapid change and growth, and he will continue to propel TVA’s nuclear leadership. In his role as COO, he has led the development of next generation nuclear technologies and has a deep knowledge and appreciation for nuclear power – the most reliable power the world’s ever known.”
This comes just days after President Donald Trump ordered a TVA board member, Michelle Moore, to be fired.
Moul was also appointed by Governor Bill Lee to serve on the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, which focuses on nuclear innovation and driving continued investment to create a nuclear energy ecosystem for the future of Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With the federal REAL ID travel requirement taking effect on May 7, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will open 19 Driver Services Centers across the state on Saturday, April 5, for REAL ID appointments only.
The special Saturday openings are being offered by appointment only and are limited to customers seeking a REAL ID. Appointments are available to customers who already have a valid Tennessee driver license or identification card and bring the required documentation. Appointments must be scheduled in advance at www.tnrealid.gov.
“This is all about being responsive to the needs of Tennesseans,” said Commissioner Jeff Long. “We know many people have work, school or family obligations during the week. That’s why we’re expanding access on a Saturday — to give customers more flexibility.”
May 7 Is a Federal Implementation Date — Not a Deadline to Get a REAL ID
The federal government will begin enforcing the REAL ID requirement on May 7, 2025, for certain types of identification. After that date, a REAL ID (or an alternative like a valid U.S. passport or military ID) will be required to:
Board commercial domestic flights
Enter secure federal facilities, such as military bases or federal buildings
Tennessee residents can continue to get a REAL ID after May 7th. There is no state-imposed deadline, and your existing Tennessee driver license or ID will remain valid for other purposes, such as driving, voting, or accessing emergency services.
“If you’re unsure whether you need a REAL ID, visit tnrealid.gov,” said Assistant Commissioner Russell Shoup. “If you don’t fly or access secure federal sites, you may not need one at all. But if you do, we want to make sure you have access to get one without stress.”
Pro Tip: Check Nearby Counties for Availability
Customers in urban or high-demand areas may consider booking appointments at Driver Services Centers in neighboring, less-populated counties where availability may be greater.
Participating Driver Services Centers
REAL ID Appointments Only – Saturday, April 5
East Tennessee:
Oak Ridge
Knoxville – Strawberry Plains
Rockwood
Bonny Oaks
Morristown
Johnson City
Middle Tennessee:
Hickory Hollow
Lebanon
Murfreesboro – Samsonite Blvd
Franklin
Columbia
Cookeville
Clarksville
West Tennessee:
East Shelby
Bartlett Express
Jackson
Oakland
Trenton
Savannah
For more information on REAL ID, required documents, and to schedule your appointment, visit www.tnrealid.gov.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With the federal REAL ID travel requirement taking effect on May 7, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will open 19 Driver Services Centers across the state on Saturday, April 5, for REAL ID appointments only.
The special Saturday openings are being offered by appointment only and are limited to customers seeking a REAL ID. Appointments are available to customers who already have a valid Tennessee driver license or identification card and bring the required documentation. Appointments must be scheduled in advance at www.tnrealid.gov.
“This is all about being responsive to the needs of Tennesseans,” said Commissioner Jeff Long. “We know many people have work, school or family obligations during the week. That’s why we’re expanding access on a Saturday — to give customers more flexibility.”
May 7 Is a Federal Implementation Date — Not a Deadline to Get a REAL ID
The federal government will begin enforcing the REAL ID requirement on May 7, 2025, for certain types of identification. After that date, a REAL ID (or an alternative like a valid U.S. passport or military ID) will be required to:
Board commercial domestic flights
Enter secure federal facilities, such as military bases or federal buildings
Tennessee residents can continue to get a REAL ID after May 7th. There is no state-imposed deadline, and your existing Tennessee driver license or ID will remain valid for other purposes, such as driving, voting, or accessing emergency services.
“If you’re unsure whether you need a REAL ID, visit tnrealid.gov,” said Assistant Commissioner Russell Shoup. “If you don’t fly or access secure federal sites, you may not need one at all. But if you do, we want to make sure you have access to get one without stress.”
Pro Tip: Check Nearby Counties for Availability
Customers in urban or high-demand areas may consider booking appointments at Driver Services Centers in neighboring, less-populated counties where availability may be greater.
Participating Driver Services Centers
REAL ID Appointments Only – Saturday, April 5
East Tennessee:
Oak Ridge
Knoxville – Strawberry Plains
Rockwood
Bonny Oaks
Morristown
Johnson City
Middle Tennessee:
Hickory Hollow
Lebanon
Murfreesboro – Samsonite Blvd
Franklin
Columbia
Cookeville
Clarksville
West Tennessee:
East Shelby
Bartlett Express
Jackson
Oakland
Trenton
Savannah
For more information on REAL ID, required documents, and to schedule your appointment, visit www.tnrealid.gov.
A Loudon County Sheriff’s Office deputy suffers minor injuries in a crash.
Officials say the deputy was hit by a driver who ran a red light at the intersection of Highway 321 and Highway 70 Friday.
After reviewing dash cam video from another LCSO deputy who was at the scene, the Tennessee Highway Patrol determined that the other driver ran the red light, which led to the crash.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is continuing their investigation.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football held its first scrimmage of 2025 on Monday night in Neyland Stadium to kick off its third week of spring practice.
The Volunteers completed some special teams work and did both live tackling and thud periods that saw ones against ones, twos versus twos and threes versus threes.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was sharp and connected multiple times with second-year receivers Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley and Chris Brazzell II.
Iamaleava is going through his third spring on campus and his second as the starter. Head coach Josh Heupel said he continues to master the offense at a high level.
“Command and control,” Heupel said. “(He has a) complete understanding. Some of that is with checks, it’s controlling your protections, understanding hot (routes), and then within the scope of that, being able to put him in different positions because you have that trust in him. This is a time of growth, for him and for everybody that we have on our roster.”
Quarterback Jake Merklinger found true freshman Travis Smith Jr. for a touchdown, and sophomore DeSean Bishop had multiple explosive runs.
“He did a great job in the offseason continuing to grow his body, and then for a young player, has handled what we’ve installed already in the early part (of spring), which is a lot,” Heupel said of Smith. “He has handled it extremely well. And so, when you understand what you are doing, now you can attack how you need to play from snap to whistle. He’s got great size, great length, competitive to the catch, and you saw that tonight.”
The Vols will review scrimmage video on Tuesday before returning to the practice field Wednesday morning.
Tickets for the Orange & White Game presented by Cherokee Resorts & Entertainment are on sale now at AllVols.com. Start time is 2 p.m. ET on April 12 in Neyland Stadium.
Opening statement…
“It was a good night of work, first scrimmage of the spring. All-in-all, I thought the operation, coaches and players on both sides of the ball, was really good. There are some thing pre-snap that we have to clean up on both sides of the ball, but other than that, pretty clean night. Really good special teams work at the beginning of the scrimmage and in the middle as well. It was a good night of work.”
On if he saw any explosive plays on offense during the scrimmage…
“Yeah, I saw some big plays down the football field tonight. Our young wide receivers, I thought they did a good job in their first opportunity in a scrimmage environment. They went and made plays, so I liked what I saw on that tonight, but during the early part of spring, too.”
On what has allowed freshman WR Travis Smith Jr. to have success as an early enrollee…
“He, like our freshman class, the midyear guys (that got here) in January, just really mature. He has handled himself extremely well, accountable in his competitive makeup and how he approaches every single day. He did a great job in the offseason continuing to grow his body, and then for a young player, has handled what we’ve installed already in the early part (of spring), which is a lot. He has handled it extremely well. And so, when you understand what you are doing, now you can attack how you need to play from snap to whistle. He’s got great size, great length, competitive to the catch, and you saw that tonight.”
On the sense of urgency for freshman receivers Travis Smith Jr. and Radarious Jackson…
“That’s just the landscape of college football. As your roster turns over, your young guys have to be ready to learn it, earn it and go take a job. Once they prove that, then it’s our job to put them in a place where they can go have success. Those young guys have approached it the right way. We’re a long way away from where we need to be, but if they continue to chop wood every single day, we have a chance.”
On how QB Nico Iamaleava has improved since the end of the 2024 season…
“Command and control. (He has a) complete understanding. Some of that is with checks, it’s controlling your protections, understanding hot (routes), and then within the scope of that, being able to put him in different positions because you have that trust in him. This is a time of growth, for him and for everybody that we have on our roster.”
On the running backs’ performance in the scrimmage…
“I thought (DeSean Bishop) and (Peyton Lewis) did a really nice job today in the run game, but also in pass protection. I thought the young guys that are new to our football team went out and executed extremely well, popped some runs. But I liked the way they finished them, getting pad under pad and going plus-two.”
On how he feels the offensive line is coming together so far this spring…
“At this point, we don’t have just a first five. We are playing guys in multiple positions, seeing their ability to handle it, but also seeing their growth and execution within that. There is great competition every single day, and we are going to keep that going as we go through the spring.”
On what he wants to see from the tight end room this spring with the absence of Miles Kitselman…
“Miles is a great leader. He has handled himself that way even since he has been injured, and we need that from him. He has a lot of experience, maturity and great leadership traits. The other guys at that position are getting a ton of work. They were doing that before. Miles, we kind of had him in the limited role; when I say that, just because of the amount of football that he has played. It will be important that all those young guys continue to come along. (Ethan Davis) has done a really nice job. He is continuing to grow – I think I said that a couple of days ago with you guys – outside of the game, and that’s parlayed itself into how he is playing, play-in and play-out, day-in and day-out with us on the field. The young guys have to continue to take steps forward.”
On how he assessed the center position during the scrimmage…
“Tonight, I thought the guys did a really good job. There weren’t a bunch of issues as far as communication. We worked silent count tonight, had crowd noise. I thought they handled it all-in-all really well. There are a lot of young guys that are extremely talented that just have to continue to grow within the scope of what we’re doing. I thought they performed well tonight. They’ve done that the first five or six days, but we still have a lot of growth left.”
On Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley embracing their roles…
“Those guys have been really mature in the way that they’ve approached everything that we’re doing inside of our program. Year one to year two, we’ve talked about that with quarterbacks in the past, but it’s true for everybody. They have great understanding. They understand how to take care of their bodies. They’ve competed extremely hard every day in practice. They’re consistent in what we’re getting from them. Those are two young guys that have maturity—that are going to have to take a leadership role inside of that wide receiver room as well. Not just in how they play, but bringing that entire group along.”
On what the team needs to take from tonight’s scrimmage moving into the next segment of spring ball…
“The first thing is that the coaches are off the field, so you have to take ownership of it. The first thing is learning how hard you have to play from snap to whistle, then being able to reset from play to play. As we go watch the tape from tonight as a staff and tomorrow with our guys, there are going to be a lot of things that we are going to have to get better at. Playing smart football within the scope of our schemes. I wanted to see that tonight and from the sidelines, I liked what I saw. We will see a lot more when we watch the tape.”
On assessing the defensive line…
“The guys that have played a lot of football have continued to grow as players. Some young guys that got some reps last year but maybe were not getting the bulk of them, are going to have to step up. I like the length and athleticism of that group. We have young guys that are going to have to continually grow here throughout spring ball. Some guys that aren’t practicing right now, that when we get to training camp, it can’t be day one for them. They have to do a great job being a pro and growing within the scope of what we’re doing schematically.”
On what he liked about the defense in the scrimmage…
“I thought all-in-all that they played extremely hard, ran to the football and were physical at the point of contact. Had some guys that made competitive plays. That’s a starting point.”
On how we would assess quarterbacks Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre tonight…
“I thought both of them handled the mechanics of the operations pretty well throughout the course of the game. There are some things they have to get better at too, making sure all 11 are on the same page, and that we’re operating the right way. For night one inside of the scrimmage atmosphere, doing it on a silent count and crowd noise, they handled themselves pretty well.”
ennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced that Tennessee Athletics and head women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell have agreed to a one-year contract extension. The extension keeps Caldwell under contract through March 31, 2030.
“From our first meeting with Kim, it was clear that she is a groundbreaking innovator destined to lead the future of women’s basketball,” said White. “In just one season, we experienced firsthand how her winning formula can revolutionize the game with her dynamic, high-octane offense and relentless defense. The promising future of Lady Vols basketball is in great hands under Kim’s leadership, setting the stage for a remarkable journey ahead!”
Caldwell guided the Lady Vols to 24 wins and an appearance in the Sweet 16 in her first season at the helm on Rocky Top. The 24 wins ranked second among first-year Lady Vol head coaches behind only Holly Warlick (27 in 2012-13).
“I am grateful for Danny’s continued trust and belief in me after a foundational first season here at Tennessee,” Caldwell said. “I am very proud of our players and staff for the effort they put in and for what we accomplished together. I look forward to getting back to work, finding ways we can improve our program and continuing to take the steps necessary to compete for championships.”
In her first season at Tennessee and at the Power 4 level, Caldwell guided the Lady Vols to as high as No. 11 in the national rankings en route to a 24-10 record, and she extended the program’s record-setting run to 43-straight NCAA Tournaments. UT, a No. 5 seed in the tourney, advanced to its 37th all-time NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to No. 1 seed and fifth-ranked Texas.
Her squad earned four victories over ranked opponents in 2024-25, including a home triumph over No. 5 UConn that was witnessed by a crowd of 16,215 that ranked as the best for a women’s game at Food City Center since the 2011-12 campaign. That total helped the Lady Vols average 10,647 in attendance per game, ranking No. 5 nationally and standing as the best season mark since leading the nation at 11,038 in 2013-14.
Caldwell’s first squad on Rocky Top showcased the up-tempo, high-intensity system that has enabled her to compile a 241-41 (.855) record in nine seasons as a head coach. The Lady Vols finished second nationally in three-pointers made per game (10.1) and were third in scoring offense (86.6) and offensive rebounds per game (16.9). They also finished fifth in bench points per game (29.8) and ninth in turnovers forced per contest (22.18).
Tennessee set SEC and school records for three-pointers made (343) and attempted (1,054) in a season. It also set NCAA, SEC and UT records for threes made in a game, hitting 30 vs. North Carolina Central on Dec. 14, and the Big Orange set SEC and program bests for treys attempted in that contest with 63. Additionally, the Lady Vols scored 139 points vs. N.C. Central, notching a program best with that total and tying for the fifth-most in NCAA Division I history.
With a new coaching staff in place for only six months, Tennessee pulled in a five-player signing class that is ranked No. 1 or No. 2 by most recruiting services. Caldwell and her staff landed a group that is rated No. 1 by 247Sports and No. 2 by ESPN as well as several other organizations.
It marks the first time the Lady Vols have been ranked in the top 10 by any organization since 2019 (No. 9/ ESPN), in the top five since 2018 (No. 4/ESPN) and in the top two since 2017 (No. 1/ESPN). Additionally, this marks UT’s first group with four ESPN top-50 rated signees since landing four in 2018 and its first class with five high school players inking paperwork since the program reeled in six scholarship players (all in the top 35) back in 2008.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Two men are in custody following an alleged early morning car burglary in downtown Knoxville.
Knoxville Police Department officials say officers went to the parking garage on State Street around 3:30 a.m. Monday morning after receiving a report of a vehicle burglary.
KPD says security footage caught two men checking door handles and eventually rummaging through an unlocked car.
Officers quickly found and arrested the suspects, a 28-year-old man and a 32-year-old man; they are facing theft charges in connection to roughly $1,500 worth of items being stolen from the victim’s car.
Johnson City, TN (WOKI) A woman is facing a murder charge following a grand jury indictment in the death last fall of a Morristown native and Jefferson County High School graduate.
According to court documents, 26-year-old Halie Ann Rex was riding a bicycle when she was struck by a vehicle in Johnson City on October 12; she later died on October 17.
On March 3 of this year, a grand jury indicted Mialandra Yeneek Bizzell for vehicular homicide in Rex’s death. Court documents accuse her of “recklessly” driving “while under the influence of an intoxicant” and leaving the scene of the accident.
Her bond was set at $25,000.
