Tennessee

Knoxville Man Breaks Kids' Expensive Fishing Rod, Video Sparks Outrage

Published

2 years ago

July 8, 2024

Press Room

Knoxville Man Breaks Kids' Expensive Fishing Rod, Video Sparks Outrage

A man yelled at two kids and broke their expensive fishing rod in Tennessee. (Photo Credit: TikTok/ @fishn_shi)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

A man yelled at two kids and broke their expensive fishing rod
The incident took place in Knoxville, Tennessee
The video of the incident has gone viral, sparking outrage

A man was caught on camera yelling at two children and snapping their expensive fishing rod while they were fishing at what he claimed to be his private lake. The incident reportedly took place in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The video, initially shared by TikToker @fishn_shi, shows the man, allegedly intoxicated, aggressively approaching the kids before breaking their fishing rod without warning. He then threatens to toss their phones into the lake and demands they leave immediately.

“You are fishing in a private lake. Get the hell out of here. We are going to prosecute you, and you are going to pay all kinds of money because you are being a d—,” he yells at one child, then walks towards the other, shouting at him to leave.

The footage has since gone viral on social media, sparking outrage and condemnation.

“I understand if they’re trespassing and you’re a homeowner. I completely get it. But they’re just fishing for gods sake. They’re not causing damage or being loud. I just don’t understand why folks can’t be human beings anymore,” one person wrote on X.

Another commented, “There is absolutely no reason a grown man should be treating kids this way.”

A third person wrote, “Right like okay it’s a private lake sure just go down there and say hey you kids can’t fish here can you go somewhere else.”

Another user wrote, “Even if you want them to stop fishing, a simple “hey guys, sorry but this is a private lake, we’re not allowed to fish here” would’ve sufficed.”

Some social media users identified the man in the video as Matt Webster, Chairperson of the Haiti Outreach Program TN, although this has not been officially confirmed.

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Tennessee

Tennessee lawmakers discuss priorities for upcoming session

Published

10 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee lawmakers discuss priorities for upcoming session

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Tennessee lawmakers are preparing to discuss hundreds of bills as the state legislature convenes, with mental health funding emerging as a priority for two lawmakers.

State Rep. Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville, and state Sen. Becky Massey, R-Knox County, said mental health care funding will be a focus of upcoming legislative conversations.

“It’s been a big topic,” McKenzie said.

“That’s going to be very top of my mind as far as working and advocating for that,” Massey said.

Massey, who chairs the Transportation Committee, said the state needs more money for road expansion. She expressed concerns about insufficient funding for billion of dollars worth of road projects.

“People are paying less to drive on our roads and the cost of building roads are going up. So your gas tax is going down, the cost of building roads is going up,” Massey said.

McKenzie stressed the need for more public education funding following the first year of families using state dollars for private school through the voucher program.

“In Knox County, our numbers are up. Actually, in Memphis, their numbers are up, so I think some of the changes we’ve made in regard to public education and putting a few more dollars in, I think we can continue that process,” McKenzie said.

State House Speaker Cameron Sexton has said he wants to at least double the voucher program to offer it to 40,000 to 50,000 families. Both Massey and McKenzie expressed skepticism about the expansion.

“This isn’t about those kids in failing schools, this is about their friends, the rich or almost rich, that are just wanting a check from the government,” McKenzie said.

Massey cited revenue concerns about the expansion.

“I’m not getting the vibes that there is going to be enough revenue to do that because we’ve got other funding needs also,” Massey said.

Massey added the state could expand the program this year, but perhaps to 5,000 more families.

The General Assembly will reconvene next Tuesday.

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Tennessee

Deputies perform ‘life-saving measures’ after 5-year-old falls into swimming pool in Tennessee

Published

22 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Deputies perform ‘life-saving measures’ after 5-year-old falls into swimming pool in Tennessee

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Tennessee sheriff’s office is asking the community to pray for a family whose 5-year-old was hospitalized after falling into a swimming pool.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and family members were “administering life-saving measures” Thursday afternoon after pulling the child out of the water.

The child was then transferred to a hospital, where they are still being treated.

“The child was subsequently transported to the hospital, where they are currently receiving medical care‚” said a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further details will be released at this time.”

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Tennessee

Why first quarter was ‘crucial’ in Mississippi State’s loss to Tennessee

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Why first quarter was ‘crucial’ in Mississippi State’s loss to Tennessee

Sam Purcell felt good about the game plan for Mississippi State women’s basketball’s matchup with Tennessee.

But the Bulldogs gave up 26 points in the first quarter and trailed by seven points. It was a deficit they never recovered from in a 90-80 loss to the Lady Vols at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 8.

“You look at that that first quarter, I thought it was crucial. We had a great scout, a great game plan, but we didn’t talk on ball screens,” Purcell said. “Their largest quarter was that first quarter, and we’re going to watch back and go, dang it, we need to be more vocal. And you got to give them credit – top to bottom, they’re probably as good as anybody in the country with athleticism. So you can’t let those athletic kids turn the corner for wide open layups, and we did.”

Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Francis led the Bulldogs with 22 points each, but MSU didn’t have enough defense to pull off the upset.

Had Mississippi State been able to slow down Tennessee’s drivers in the first quarter, it may have been a different result. But once the Bulldogs started slowing that down, the Lady Vols were “phenomenal hitting some big-time shots,” Purcell said.

Tennessee only had the edge in points in the paint, 42-40, but it also went 10-for-27 on 3-pointers, which was an area Mississippi State couldn’t match. The Bulldogs shot 2-for-13 from deep.

MSU also couldn’t stop Tennessee freshman point guard Mia Pauldo, who scored a game-high 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Bulldogs sent her to the foul line time and time again, and she went 8-for-9 on free throws.

“I thought (Pauldo) was poised, she was clutch,” Purcell said. “Obviously, that’s what you need in games like this that are gonna come down the to the wire. You need players to step up, and I thought she was the X factor for them.”

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