KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Back in March, a young angler caught an alligator on Norris Lake.

Previous Coverage: Alligator caught on Norris Lake in Union County

In the days that followed, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Matt Cameron said it was likely brought into the state illegally.

“Someone brought it from another state and turned it loose in Norris Lake,” Cameron said.

Previous Coverage: An alligator was caught on Norris Lake— what do Tennessee wildlife officers have to say?

Cameron also said it’s illegal to own or bring an alligator into Tennessee, calling it an invasive species. He said Tennessee isn’t a good place for alligators to be.

“East Tennessee is not a good alligator habitat,” Cameron said. “They like swampy areas, warmer climates. Here in Tennessee, the winters get extremely cold and they don’t prefer deep-water lakes.”

After the alligator was caught, it was taken to Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue in Anderson County.

Little Ponderosa said on social media that after hundreds of calls, the zoo’s assistant manager, Abby, spoke to Jungle Adventures in Christmas, Florida.

Despite being nearly 700 miles away, Abby drove the alligator, now known as “Tennessee,” all the way to Florida to give him a new home.

“He will now spend his days lounging in the sun, with lots of other alligators his same size/age,” the zoo said.

Copyright 2024 WVLT. All rights reserved.

COLUMBIA, Tenn. — A Tennessee community college professor who was swept away by an ocean wave during a study-abroad trip in Brazil has died, his school said Monday.

Clifford Gordon, associate professor of art, was walking with three students along an oceanside road in Paraty, Brazil, when they stopped to take pictures and a wave struck them, according to Columbia State Community College. The three students were not seriously injured, but Gordon was swept away and Brazilian authorities searched for him, the school said.

Columbia State received confirmation on Monday morning that Gordon’s body was found and positively identified.

“We were heartbroken to hear of this tragic accident,” Janet F. Smith, Columbia State’s president, said in a statement on the school’s website. “We are thankful that no students were seriously injured. Our college family mourns the loss of Clifford, who was a talented artist and greatly loved by his students.”

The school said the study abroad program in Brazil included 12 students from four community colleges across Tennessee.

The students were scheduled to board flights Monday and arrive back in Tennessee on Tuesday, Rick Locker, a spokesperson for the College System of Tennessee, said. They will be offered counseling.

Two of the students who were with Gordon when he was swept away are from Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, while the other attends Walters State Community College in Morristown.

Gordon started working for Columbia State in 2008 as an adjunct professor and then moved to a full-time position in 2013. He also was known for works of collage and painting, which were on display at various exhibitions in the state.

Gordon had traveled to Brazil during many summers, even teaching himself to speak Portuguese, the school said. He had a Bachelor of Science degree in art from Tennessee State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in studio art from the Memphis College of Art.

Paraty is located about 150 miles (241 kilometers) west of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Tennessee athletics are sitting on the Rocky Top, indeed.

The Vols have accomplished major history this season, becoming the first SEC school to win the regular season championship in men’s basketball, baseball and softball in the same season. The Lady Vols are the No. 3 seed and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals this weekend in softball, while the baseball team is the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament, which kicks off Tuesday in Hoover, Alabama.

REQUIRED READING: Why it’s special for Tennessee softball seniors to lead Lady Vols back to NCAA super regional

Tennessee clinched the men’s basketball regular season championship on March 6 with a road victory over South Carolina, its first outright regular season championship since the 2006-07 season. On May 3, Tennessee softball defeated Kentucky in Knoxville to clinch its second straight SEC regular season title. The Vols went on to lose in the quarterfinals.

Following a sweep of South Carolina over the weekend, Tennessee baseball clinched a share of the SEC regular-season championship with Kentucky. It was the second time in three years the Vols won at least a share of the conference championship. They are the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and are currently projected as a No. 2 national seed in the NCAA Tournament by D1Baseball, entering last weekend.

Here’s a look at how each team performed this season:

Tennessee men’s basketball

Tennessee men’s basketball advanced to the Elite Eight in 2023-24, losing to eventual runner-up Purdue. The Vols have qualified for the NCAA Tournament for four straight seasons under coach Rick Barnes.

• Final record: 27-9, 14-4 SEC
• Season finish: Lost to Purdue in Elite Eight
• SEC regular season titles: 11

Tennessee softball

The Lady Vols won their second straight conference regular season championship and the third in program history, all led by coach Karen Weekly. Tennessee swept through the Knoxville Regional to advance to its 13th Super Regional.

• Record: 43-10, 19-5 SEC
• SEC regular season titles: Three
• WCWS ranking: No. 3 overall seed
• Next up: No. 14 seed Alabama in Knoxville Super Regional

Tennessee baseball

Tennessee baseball swept South Carolina, while rival Kentucky dropped its finale to Vanderbilt for the two schools to finish with a share of the regular season championship. The Vols ― led by coach Tony Vitello ― earned the No. 1 seed after taking two of three regular-season games against the Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky, earlier this season.

• Record: 46-10, 22-8 SEC
• SEC regular season titles: Five
• Next up: Winner of the No. 8-No. 9 matchup in SEC Tournament