Jared Austin
Multimedia Journalist
Knoxville
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Jared joined the WVLT News team in October of 2021.
Before moving down south, Jared spent all of his life in the Midwest. He grew up in the Chicago suburb of Aurora, Illinois. He's a fan of the Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks and Bears, but roots for the Minnesota Twins in baseball.
Jared went to school at the University of Missouri-Columbia where he got a Bachelor's of Journalism in 2019.
His first job out of school took him to Lincoln, Nebraska: the home of the University of Nebraska. Jared covered several topics up there including capitol coverage, casino gaming and severe weather coverage.
Jared wanted to get to a warmer climate and set his sights on East Tennessee. He is very excited to be so close to the Smoky Mountains and several great places to hike. In his spare time, he enjoys checking out all of trails and going to they gym in his spare time.
If you ever have any story ideas, please send them to jared.smith@gray.tv!
Education
Updated: Sep. 23, 2022 at 11:26 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Neyland Stadium will again be coated with the orange and white checkerboard as the stadium plans to #CheckerNeyland once again.
Updated: Sep. 22, 2022 at 12:01 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Items the non-profit specifically asked for include pet toys, beds and treats to help make their time at the shelter comfortable.
Updated: Sep. 21, 2022 at 12:09 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Gatlingburg SkyLift Park started offering its Smoky Mountain Sunrise this September where people have the chance to watch the sunrise over the Smokies on top of Crockett Mountain.
Updated: Sep. 20, 2022 at 9:08 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Every 11 seconds nationwide, an older person goes to the emergency room for a fall related injury.
Updated: Sep. 19, 2022 at 11:36 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
A new plant based restaurant called Vid’l opened its doors Monday in the Old City.
Updated: Sep. 15, 2022 at 12:05 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
An East Tennessee is raising money for the Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation to help provide resources to families with child who have cancer. Tillery Phillips and her parents will raise money through online donations and hot dog and lemonade stand.
Updated: Sep. 12, 2022 at 4:40 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Pat Summitt Foundation hosted a Pickleball Tournament at the Pavilion of Pickleball to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.
Updated: Sep. 12, 2022 at 11:42 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
82-year-old Gary Burchfield was hit by a truck mirror while going to get his mail.
Updated: Sep. 10, 2022 at 11:53 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Four people were honored Saturday night including Top Gun actor Glen Powell and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for their work revolved around veterans.
Updated: Sep. 8, 2022 at 7:16 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
In the 2021 annual report, DCS was short about 400 of the case workers the state budgeted for
Updated: Sep. 5, 2022 at 2:27 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Morristown Police along with the Smokey Mountain Fugitive Task Force are looking for Walter Mendez who is suspected of driving his car through a Morristown home killing an 18-month old child.
Updated: Sep. 4, 2022 at 9:37 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Smoky Mountain Air Show will take place on Sept. 10-11 which will likely bring a boost to both Knoxville and Blount County’s economy.
Updated: Sep. 3, 2022 at 8:04 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
MEDIC Regional Blood Center in Knoxville is at a critical phase of blood donations.
Updated: Aug. 30, 2022 at 10:47 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Just weeks after a car crashed through the Fountain City location, Sweet P’s is open for catering. The goal was always to open in some capacity quickly after the crash.
Updated: Aug. 29, 2022 at 6:01 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Tanasi Golf Club opened Monday morning after a clubhouse fire at the facility Saturday evening. Officials have not determined a cause for the fire, but said it started in the kitchen area.
Updated: Aug. 28, 2022 at 4:43 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
A Cookeville family decided to use some of the debris from the Cookeville tornado to remember the storm that changed their lives forever. It was a storm Sheila Chaffin and her family heard in the dark of night without any warning.
Updated: Aug. 27, 2022 at 9:23 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Sevier County Volunteer Fire Department gifted veteran fireman Jim Carr with a new helmet after losing his in the wildfires this spring.
Updated: Aug. 26, 2022 at 6:14 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The state of Tennessee is short 500-750 teachers statewide and about 50 teachers short in Knox County, according to the executive director of the Professional Educators of Tennessee JC Bowman.
Updated: Aug. 23, 2022 at 11:27 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Tennessee parents have started preparing for TCAP testing next spring after lawmakers created a law that impacts those in third grade.
Updated: Aug. 22, 2022 at 10:07 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin and Paige Hill
East Tennessee authorities are warning people to stay aware of counterfeit money making its way through the area.
Updated: Aug. 22, 2022 at 7:34 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Hatmaker's Bar and Grill lost the license after a shooting outside the bar killed two and injured three.
Updated: Aug. 21, 2022 at 9:39 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Helping Mamas Knoxville plans to expand to help rural parts of East Tennessee after they got a new van. The organization collects diapers, clothes and personal hygiene products for newborns all the way to children around 12 years old.
Updated: Aug. 20, 2022 at 7:01 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
With less than two weeks until the Vol Football home opener, UT ticketing offered tips and advice on the new all-digital ticketing plan.
Updated: Aug. 19, 2022 at 5:36 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The town of Mascot has gone to local, state and federal leaders for help after they experienced several sink holes and a mining collapse.
Updated: Aug. 17, 2022 at 11:02 AM EDT
|By Camruinn Morgan-Rumsey and Jared Austin
Rural Metro Fire crews responded to an apartment fire in West Knoxville, officials said Tuesday afternoon.
Updated: Aug. 15, 2022 at 10:40 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Student housing in Knoxville has become part of the housing crisis after transfer students were provided the option to stay at the Holiday Inn off of Papermill Dr.
Updated: Aug. 14, 2022 at 10:26 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Blount County deputy Lydia Sharp has returned home to Sweetwater after her most recent visit to Vanderbilt Medical Center.
Updated: Aug. 13, 2022 at 6:55 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Dog Daze Festival in Farragut has brought dozens of dogs and their owners to the city to compete in a dock diving competition while also exploring some of the local organizations.
Updated: Aug. 12, 2022 at 5:38 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking has continued to expand its reach to help human trafficking clients. It’s part of the reason why the group said it’s seeing more male and youth clients.
Updated: Aug. 9, 2022 at 10:41 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Construction started this week on the new downtown stadium where the Knoxville Smokies will play in the future. This is something construction crews have waited months for as they began their demolition phase of the project.
Updated: Aug. 8, 2022 at 11:15 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers and Sevierville Police Department officials are looking for a man who is said to have stolen a short-barreled shotgun.
Updated: Aug. 8, 2022 at 10:32 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Morristown neighbors off of Woodcrest Dr. want more answers from police after they were awoken by a drive-by shooting early Sunday morning.
Updated: Aug. 8, 2022 at 8:21 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Aug 26, 2021 is a date Ryan Knauss’ parents will always remember. He and 12 other service members were killed in the Kabul bombing on that day.
Updated: Aug. 6, 2022 at 8:13 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The International Friendship Bell sits at Bissell Park in Oak Ridge as a sign of peace specifically for those affected by the two atomic bombs during World War II.
Updated: Aug. 2, 2022 at 6:34 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Veterans said it took three years to get the monument outside the Veterans Memorial.
Updated: Aug. 2, 2022 at 5:39 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Tennessee National Guard has returned home after leaving last Thursday to rescue those impacted by the Kentucky flooding.
Updated: Aug. 1, 2022 at 12:24 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Townsend community prepared for the upcoming school year with a day of prayer for the students, teachers and staff of all Blount Co. schools.
Updated: Jul. 30, 2022 at 11:04 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Veterans Heritage brought veterans together from across East Tennessee to honor them with a fun vintage baseball event. The event was hosted at the historic Ramsey House.
Updated: Jul. 29, 2022 at 6:06 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
A Mascot family has looked for answers for months after a sinkhole was formed on their property. Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said it was formed back on Feb. 22.
Updated: Jul. 25, 2022 at 11:35 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Mayor Jacobs has proposed most Board of Zoning appeals will go to the courts.
Updated: Jul. 25, 2022 at 11:26 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Charges for both suspects range from distribution of meth to murder
Updated: Jul. 24, 2022 at 10:18 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Barry Linson from Knoxville has worked to break his own record of one million push-ups last year by doubling it this year, all while he raises money for the Special Olympics Knoxville.
Updated: Jul. 23, 2022 at 4:03 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Salvation Army of Sevierville collected school supply donations Saturday at a Walmart location for its Fill the Bus initiative. The goal for the organization was to fill an entire bus with school supplies for those in need.
Updated: Jul. 22, 2022 at 6:11 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Spyre Sports has worked to take advantage of the inaugural year of NIL for college athletes. Their co-founder, Hunter Baddour, said this is crucial to do because they don’t want to fall behind other universities and states.
Updated: Jul. 18, 2022 at 11:33 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Retired teachers in Tennessee can go back to the classrooms while keeping their retirement benefits at the Gov. Bill Lee signed off on the law. The legislation was created to help fill teacher vacancies across the state.
Updated: Jul. 17, 2022 at 6:05 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
A Knoxville family received a new playset for them to build in their yard to allow their daughter to play outside. Victoria Acosta’s mother, Andrea Rocha, said as she undergoes treatment she isn’t able to go to playgrounds because they fear she could get sick.
Updated: Jul. 10, 2022 at 7:12 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Knoxville Police Department decided not to do extra patrols at nearby quarries, but officials wanted to remind people to stay vigilant with their possessions while visiting them.
Updated: Jul. 9, 2022 at 7:15 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Roger Estes, 77, was hit by a truck and killed during a Fourth of July event.
Updated: Jul. 4, 2022 at 6:38 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Hundreds of families from out of state visited Pigeon Forge attractions for the Fourth of July, which meant more money for local businesses.
Updated: Jul. 4, 2022 at 1:00 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Former employees of Goldrush Stables said they asked the owner to fire David Allen Whaley back in May after they caught him on video whipping a horse several times in less than a minute.
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