Tennessee
How East Tennessee has honored and remembered SSG Ryan Knauss since he was killed in Afghanistan
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – It has been three years since Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Knauss, a Corryton native, was one of 13 servicemembers killed in the deadly Kabul airport bombing during the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021.
Previous Coverage: 23-year-old Knoxville soldier killed in Kabul airport attack
In the three years since he was killed, East Tennessee has continued to honor and remember Knauss.
In the months after his death, a pedestrian bridge was planned to be built and named after him at Gibbs High School, his alma mater.
Work was set to begin on the project earlier this year, but Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said it was delayed.
Previous Coverage: Work on pedestrian bridge honoring Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss delayed, mayor’s office says
The bridge, when complete, will go across Tazewell Pike between Gibbs Middle and Gibbs High schools.
The nonprofit Respect and Remember Foundation, also known as R2Factor, has helped honor and remember Knauss with several community events, including raising money for the Gibbs High School JROTC, the Tennessee Fallen Heroes Hike and Ride and the Mountain Man Memorial March.
The University of Tennessee and Gibbs High School have both honored Knauss with scholarships named after him.
Rep. Tim Burchett also introduced a bill earlier this year in response to Knauss’s death that would require the secretary of state to make three reports to distribute to the necessary congressional committees.
Burchett said part of the reason he introduced the bill was because Knauss died during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying back in June that “We need to make sure our tax dollars don’t go towards terrorists who killed Americans.”
Previous Coverage: Bill in response to SSG Ryan Knauss’ death, defunding terrorists, passes House
The bill passed the House and was introduced in the Senate, where it needs to pass in order to be sent to the president to be signed into law.
Knauss was also honored on Friday with his name being inscribed on a monument in World’s Fair Park that honors service members from East Tennessee who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Also on Friday, a parking spot at Nine Line Apparel in Pigeon Forge was dedicated to Knauss. It includes a QR Code that can be scanned to learn more about Knauss’s life and his ultimate sacrifice.
Honoring and remembering Knauss has gone beyond East Tennessee, with events that have been held recently in Kentucky and North Carolina.
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Tracking the opt outs for both Tennessee and Illinois before the Music City Bowl on December 30 (5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville:
Tennessee
Linebacker Arion Carter: Carter over the last seasons had 96 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 31 career games. He had a team-high 76 tackles this season, with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while appearing in 10 games. He missed two games and was limited against Oklahoma in November while dealing with turf toe injuries. Carter had 68 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 games last season and 17 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss in eight games as a freshman in 2023.
Wide Receiver Chris Brazzell II: He a breakout senior season in his second year with the Vols, catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns. He had 19 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, after transferring from Tulane. In 15 games at Tulane he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns. Brazzell is ranked No. 7 at wide receiver on Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL Draft Big Board. He’s ranked No. 34 overall on ESPN’s list of the best available prospects in the draft.
Cornerback Jermod McCoy: Did not play this season after tearing his ACL during offseason training in January. He was a star last season with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee.
Illinois
Offensive Tackle J.C. Davis: Bret Bielema said the Illinois starting left tackle is opting out of the Music City Bowl. He was an All-Big Ten First Team pick by the league coaches this season and the No. 3 left tackle this season according to Pro Football Focus grades. He had made 49 straight starts before opting out of the bowl game.
EDGE Gabe Jacas: The Illinois outside linebacker declared for the NFL Draft on Friday night. He led the Big Ten this season with 11.0 sacks. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 43 total tackles in 12 games this season. He finishes second in Illinois program history for career sacks, with 27.0, trailing only Simeon Rice. Jacas had 74 tackles, 8.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss last season, after combining for 8.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons at Illinois.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Tennessee employers laid off more than 8,500 workers in 2025 compared to 7,320 last year, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
This is about a 19% increase in layoffs, with WARN notices impacting 8,691 Tennesseans to date. As of 2023, 5,168 Tennessee workers were laid off through WARN notices.
Counties in Middle Tennessee impacted include:
- Davidson
- Sumner
- Maury
- Rutherford
- Williamson
- Wilson
- Coffee
- DeKalb
- Bedford
- Lawrence
- Putnam
The largest layoff this year was in Maury County. Come January, 710 employees will be laid off from GM Ultium Cells’ Spring Hill facility. Research Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville Michael Kofoed tells FOX 17 News that the facility is is likely impacted by the rise on steel tariffs ruled out by the Trump administration. He adds steel tariffs raise input costs for employers which directly impacts employees’ salary or employment.
The second largest layoff impacted 658 workers at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC in Rutherford County with 615 workers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center permanently laid off. WARN notices are reports a company is required to file with the state to give workers time to find future employment.
Kofoed states that Tennessee is seeing a troubling trend, with layoffs skyrocketing since 2023.
“That is a very big and concerning number,” Kofoed said.
According to CNBC, more than 1.1 million U.S. employees were laid off this year, the highest 11-month total since 2020.
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