Tennessee

East Tennessee saw 118 crashes overnight during Friday snow, TDOT says

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

East Tennessee saw 118 crashes overnight during Friday snow, TDOT says

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The East Tennessee region saw 118 crashes from midnight Friday into Saturday morning, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Mark Nagi.

Ice and snow bought to the area by an early year winter storm caused many of those crashes. The storm created conditions that Nagi said are still dangerous for drivers.

Previous Coverage: THP, TDOT warns of possibility of treacherous conditions after winter storm hits East Tennessee

“People just need to understand that for the next few days, they’re certainly going to see patches of snow and ice on a lot of our roads,” Nagi said Saturday morning.

He said his department pretreated state roads, but cold temperatures could create problems for the next few days.

“Yeah, our crews pretreated roadways all day Thursday, and they have been on the job since the early morning hours yesterday,“ Nagi said. ”The challenges you run into is that there’s going to be a lot of refreezing, more than likely on our interstates and state routes.”

Previous Coverage: TDOT snowplow overturns on snowy TN highway

With that in mind, Nagi said, staying off the roads isn’t just about keeping drivers safe; Nagi said crews need the space too.

“It’s extremely dangerous work that our crews do each and every day, and especially during a winter weather event. Over in Smith County, there was a semi that hit one of our trucks,” Nagi said, adding that no one was hurt. “That’s why if folks can stay at home, please do. But if you do have to be on the roads, please give our crews the extra room that they need to to do their jobs.”

The Tennessee Highway Patrol gave their own stats Saturday morning. According to THP, the agency received 850 phone calls Friday and Saturday. Responses broke down like this from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday:

Calls: 382
Crashes with injuries: 12
Crashes with no injuries: 51
Motor assist: 140
Abandoned vehicles: 21
Obstruction in roadway: 3
Disabled vehicle: 1

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Tennessee

Tennessee releases availability update on star Nate Ament following injury

Published

4 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee releases availability update on star Nate Ament following injury

Tennessee star Nate Ament will miss a game against South Carolina on Tuesday, the program announced on Monday night. Ament was injured during a weekend contest against Alabama.

Ament was injured when he was rolled up on while going for a loose ball. His leg twisted awkwardly underneath him, and Ament immediately went to the locker room.

He would return briefly in the second half. Nate Ament even made a basket, but then he appeared to tweak his injury shortly after and returned to the bench. He did not re-enter the contest.

Tennessee issued a short statement on his availability against South Carolina. The program released the statement on Twitter.

“Nate Ament will not play tomorrow night at South Carolina,” Tennessee wrote. “Ament is out due to a right leg injury sustained Saturday against Alabama. The timetable for his return is to be determined and he will continue to be evaluated.”

A 6-foot-10, 207-pound freshman, Ament has been one of Tennessee’s best players all season. He is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game. He’s also the team’s leading rebounder, securing 6.4 rebounds per game.

Nate Ament signs NIL deal with Reebok

On3’s Nick Schultz recently published a list of some of the top brands to sign college basketball freshmen to NIL deals. Ament was one of the top signees.

In addition to Arkansas star Darius Acuff, Ament signed with Reebok this year. Ament was the crown jewel of Tennessee’s recruiting class. He signed with the brand in October 2024 while he was the No. 4 overall player from the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

Nate Ament sits second on the Tennessee roster with 17.4 points per game, and his 6.4 rebounds on average leads the Vols. Additionally, his $1.3 million On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 14 in college basketball and No. 56 in the On3 NIL 100.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.

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Tennessee

Volunteers needed for community-wide cleanup day with Hands On Nashville

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Volunteers needed for community-wide cleanup day with Hands On Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Thursday, Hands On and NewsChannel 5 staff will come together for a community-wide cleanup day.

The event, sponsored by NewsChannel 5 will take place from 9:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 5 as we assist in winter storm cleanup.

If you’d like to help volunteer, you can sign up here.

Rhori, Carrie, Lelan and Brittany will all be helping assist residents removing and sorting debris.

Important details for those wishing to volunteer:

This may require lifting and carrying objects that weigh 20+ pounds.
Closed-toe shoes and long pants required. Heavy soles and steel toes preferred. Gloves and safety goggles will be provided, or you may bring your own.
Current tetanus vaccination recommended. Chainsaws, utility crews, and heavy equipment will be active in the area.
Volunteers under the age of 18 are prohibited from participating.
Eat before you arrive and bring a water bottle, if needed.

Nashville’s Jefferson Street Sound Museum named stop on U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The Jefferson Street Sound Museum is a great little gem in North Nashville. The founder and curator turned his home into a museum to keep the legacy of historic Jefferson street alive. Now, it’s been named a stop on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. Aaron Cantrell takes us inside.

– Lelan Statom

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Tennessee

Vanderbilt women’s basketball beats Lady Vols for second-ever win in Knoxville

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vanderbilt women’s basketball beats Lady Vols for second-ever win in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE ― Vanderbilt women’s basketball won at Tennessee for only the second time in program history, beating the Lady Vols 87-77 at Food City Center on March 1.

The Commodores (27-3, 13-3) are the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins March 4 in Greenville, South Carolina.

The regular-season finale featured multiple runs by both teams. Tennessee went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter and took a six-point lead into halftime. Vanderbilt went on an 8-0 run to end the third quarter, then went a 10-0 run in the fourth to put the game away.

The Commodores, who shot 53% from the field, were led by Mikayla Blakes, who finished with 34 points. Aubrey Galvan had 24 points, four rebounds and five assists, and Sacha Washington had 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

“The season has been really special, to be able to end it here at Tennessee with a win and secure I think the No. 2 seed in the SEC tournament,” coach Shea Ralph said. “So the double bye, it feels really cool. I’m happy for the team, but we are literally just getting started.”

Tennessee (16-12, 8-8) outrebounded Vanderbilt 32-29. The Commodores shot 17-for-20 on layups and had 27 fast-break points. Tennessee was 10-for-24 on layups.

Vanderbilt’s SEC Tournament seed

The SEC Tournament will be held at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Vanderbilt will start play on March 6 and holds a bye into the quarterfinals, where it will play the No. 7 or No. 10 seed at approximately 5 p.m. CT.

Mikayla Blakes stats

Blakes put up another 30-point performance, her third straight and eighth in her past nine games. She added six rebounds and four assists, but also had six turnovers.

She made six 3-pointers, which ties her season high.

“She had 34 but her biggest buckets were when we had to happen,” Ralph said. “Her biggest moments in this game were when we had to happen. That kid shows up every time.”

Third straight rivalry win

Vanderbilt now has three straight wins over the Lady Vols, beating them last season in Nashville and once in the SEC Tournament.

“I think Tennessee is a great team,” Ralph said. “They will be for as long as women’s basketball exists. Playing here in front of this crowd is tough. It’s tough. So I was really proud of our team for being able to figure it out the second half and win, especially here at Tennessee.”

The Commodores have their most SEC wins in program history.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

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