Kentucky
Kentucky realtor shares brand growth through social media amidst potential US TikTok ban
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – It started as a fun way to pass time with her family during the COVID-19 pandemic, but more than 100,000 followers and close to 4 million likes on TikTok later, Whitney Pannell said it’s become another way to grow her business.
“I want to be ahead of the curve. I want to be a trendsetter,” Pannell said.
Known as ‘Momma Pannell’ on TikTok, Whitney first started out on Facebook in 2007, then continued to grow her following, and Real Estate business, over on Instagram. TikTok became another social media site to build her brand, and a larger clientele.
“People that follow me on TikTok will call me and want to list their house with me or want me to help them buy. I hardly have to interview anymore because people already know my personality through my social media.”
Like most creators, Pannell has been following the TikTok news out of Washington, D.C., for the past couple of weeks.
President Joe Biden signed a bill that would ban the video-sharing app from being downloaded in the U.S. unless the site owner, a Chinese company ByteDance, sells TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer within the year.
“If TikTok went away, I would be fine. I would use other platforms.”
ByteDance is already suing the federal government, but there could be a lengthy battle ahead.
One, an influencer like Pannell said she’s prepared for.
“I don’t put all of my eggs in the TikTok basket. Or the Instagram basket. You have to really diversify on all your platforms. That’s why it is really a time-consuming job.”
Pannell’s son Parker has also built a career through social media. He’s now an actor, YouTuber and content creator with millions of followers, and he’s now living and working in Los Angeles.
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Kentucky
Former Kentucky guard Kerr Kriisa arrested by FBI in multi-million dollar fraud scheme
Kriisa, who recently completed his final college season at Cincinnati, was expected to suit up for La Familia in The Basketball Tournament before beginning his professional career. However, those plans have been halted following his arrest, with reports stating the case dates back to his time at West Virginia during the 2023–24 season.
Authorities are reportedly extraditing Kriisa back to West Virginia, where he is scheduled to appear in court next week.
The 6-foot-3 guard spent one season at Kentucky during the 2024–25 campaign, appearing in nine games before suffering a foot injury that ended his season prematurely. He averaged 4.4 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game for the Wildcats, highlighted by a strong outing against Gonzaga in which he scored eight points and added four assists.
Prior to his time in Lexington, Kriisa played a key role at West Virginia, where he averaged 11.0 points and 4.7 assists per game while starting all 23 appearances. He also had multiple standout scoring performances, including a 25-point game at Kansas State and a 23-point outing against BYU.
Kriisa began his college career at Arizona, where he established himself as one of the Pac-12’s top playmakers, leading the conference in assists in back-to-back seasons and recording multiple triple-doubles.
No additional details regarding the charges have been released at this time.
Kentucky
What’s on the grill? Kentucky Wildcats share 4th of July plans
How are the Kentucky Wildcats celebrating America’s 250th birthday? They’re home for the 4th of July with their friends and family — and it sounds like there will be plenty of time spent out on the water, maybe with a cold beverage or two, for those old enough to partake.
KSR caught up with a couple of sharpshooters to wrap up the team’s third week of summer workouts, both thrilled to head home for the long weekend and get those grills fired up.
Milan Momcilovic is back in Wisconsin, enjoying some well-deserved time off, hitting the lake in his hometown before heading back to Lexington for the start of week four.
“Yeah, I’m going back home, going on Pewaukee Lake, so that’ll be fun,” he said. “We get 3 days, so I’ll be back Sunday.”
What’s on the menu?
“Burgers, brats, Wisconsin cheese — maybe a drink or two,” the newest Wildcat joked.
As for Trent Noah, he’s in Harlan doing the same thing, getting his swimming trunks on to stay cool in this insane heat.
“I’m hoping to get back home and maybe hit the lake a little bit,” he told KSR. “The 4th of July is always fun, can’t go wrong. It’s been so hot, so you’ve got to find some body of water.”
A favorite childhood tradition? Fireworks with the family, something he’s surprised worked out so well over the years with his cousins letting the light show rip right in the middle of the yard every Independence Day.
No emergency room visits, only fun and quality time with his loved ones.
“Family fireworks for sure, the cousins shooting them off in the yard,” he said. “Probably wasn’t the safest thing looking back on it [laughs], but we all made it through. That was fun, everybody all together.”
What’s the Noah family cooking up on America’s birthday? He’s proud to say mom is the superstar when it comes to day-to-day meals, but his dad is the grillmaster when it’s time to light some charcoal. He’ll handle the traditional meats while she’ll nail the other dishes.
“My mom is normally the cook — she normally cooks everything, except the grill. My dad kind of breaks it out every now and then, normally the traditional burgers and hot dogs. My dad has the upper hand on the grill, but my mom, she’s got everything else.”
Happy 4th of July, Big Blue Nation! If you want to be like your favorite Wildcats, it sounds like you had better get to the lake and eat a cheeseburger today before lighting off some fireworks after dark.
Stay safe and go Cats.
Kentucky
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