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: Feb. 6, 2023 at 11:37 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Two Tennessee lawmakers introduced legislation to make the day after the Super Bowl a state holiday replacing Columbus Day.
Updated: Feb. 2, 2023 at 11:14 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
UT Football and men’s basketball home games have brought amazing play to the playing surface which, in turn, brings good home crowds.
Updated: Jan. 27, 2023 at 12:01 PM EST
|By Jared Austin
No. 4 Tennessee will play #10 Texas at 6 pm Saturday night.
Updated: Jan. 24, 2023 at 10:55 PM EST
|By Jared Austin
Knoxville Animal Welfare Alliance brought this forward to city leaders, and the ban was approved by the Knoxville City Council meeting.
Updated: Jan. 24, 2023 at 8:53 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
MyFlight Tours is the first helicopter tour business in Knoxville.
Updated: Jan. 18, 2023 at 11:50 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Cats don’t always show their hurting, according to Young-Williams Animal Center.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2023 at 11:49 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Teens considered some of the most distracted drivers, according to national pediatric studies.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2023 at 8:31 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Tub doors, grab bars and checking smoke detectors can help keep you safe at home.
Updated: Jan. 10, 2023 at 12:05 PM EST
|By Jared Austin
Avoid fad diets, eat 3 meals a day, expert says
Updated: Jan. 5, 2023 at 8:50 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Patience, positive reinforcement key factors in training a new pet
Updated: Dec. 22, 2022 at 8:34 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Cold weather is expected for most of east Tennessee this weekend and officials at Young-Williams said our pets can get as cold as we do. Laura Hunter with Young-Williams said the best thing to do is keep animals inside this weekend.
Updated: Dec. 20, 2022 at 10:08 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Online orders still an option, but going into stores is likely the safer option to get gifts on time.
Updated: Dec. 13, 2022 at 8:48 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
As winter approaches in east Tennessee many people will start to use their heat meaning their bills will likely rise, but Knoxville Utilities Board said there are a handful of things people can do to save some money.
Updated: Dec. 12, 2022 at 8:30 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Although holiday shopping can get a little expensive at times, experts said there are options for people to still get quality gifts for affordable prices.
Updated: Dec. 8, 2022 at 11:58 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
One of Second Harvest Food Banks’s biggest donations days happened Thursday during its Double Your Donation day.
Updated: Dec. 6, 2022 at 8:49 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Two Bikes, a non-profit located in the Old City, has asked people to donate bikes so they can restore them and give them to children in need.
Updated: Dec. 5, 2022 at 11:36 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
The Tennessee Volunteers will take on ACC Champion Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl and costs have already reached thousands of dollars for tickets and some flights.
Updated: Dec. 2, 2022 at 8:05 PM EST
|By Jared Austin
The 49th annual WIVK Christmas parade is back in Knoxville Friday, bringing traffic delays with it.
Updated: Nov. 22, 2022 at 8:39 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
An East Tennessee man helped create a non-profit to send food and supplies to his home country of Ukraine as the war wages on with Russia.
Updated: Nov. 14, 2022 at 11:56 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
Around 3 in 4 U.S. adults do not get enough exercise during the week, according to the CDC.
Updated: Nov. 11, 2022 at 9:04 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
The Disney On Ice Let’s Celebrate Tour returns to Knoxville this weekend, where people will get to see their favorite Disney character hit the ice at the Knoxville Coliseum.
Updated: Nov. 10, 2022 at 10:56 AM EST
|By Jared Austin
An East Tennessee group said family members and new technology are ways to help older relatives avoid being scammed out of money and personal information.
Updated: Nov. 4, 2022 at 12:21 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Greek Fest returns to Knoxville Friday as vendors will bring food, souvenirs and dancing back to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church.
Updated: Nov. 2, 2022 at 11:00 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
People from across East Tennessee and the country will wait until 11 pm Wednesday to see if there will be a winner of the $1.2 billion Powerball.
Updated: Oct. 26, 2022 at 8:24 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Young-Williams offered several pieces of advice to pet owners days ahead of Halloween which include remove low hanging lights from their area and taking sugary foods out of their reach.
Updated: Oct. 20, 2022 at 9:13 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Trey White went home to battle his non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in October of 2017.
Updated: Oct. 19, 2022 at 9:49 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Subaru to donate $100 for every pet adoption
Updated: Oct. 18, 2022 at 12:08 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
U.S. Cellular said using technology and other devices can help keep the kids safe.
Updated: Oct. 14, 2022 at 10:43 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
As both Tennessee and Alabama fans prepare for their game Saturday, many are already buying cigars as a way to celebrate. It’s tradition for the winner of the game to have their players and fanbase celebrate by smoking cigars.
Updated: Oct. 14, 2022 at 9:57 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The Third Saturday in October is back with an energy-filled environment as No. 6 Tennessee takes on No. 3 Alabama.
Updated: Oct. 13, 2022 at 11:42 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The mashup of tennis and ping pong game called Pickleball has become America’s most growing sport, according to Forbes.
Updated: Oct. 7, 2022 at 12:59 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Boo! at the Zoo is back at Zoo Knoxville with three weekends of fun with everything starting Friday. Other dates for Boo! at the Zoo include Oct. 13-16, and Oct. 20-23, from 5:30 until 8:00 p.m. each evening.
Updated: Oct. 6, 2022 at 1:47 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Horse Haven of Tennessee will bring back its Fall Harvest Fest and Craft Fair this Saturday to raise money for its animal rescue. The event will consist of a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, games and other entertainment along with guests being able to see all of their horses.
Updated: Oct. 5, 2022 at 11:57 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Young-Williams Animal Center officials asked for volunteers to help walk their animals, especially during National Walk Your Dog week.
Updated: Oct. 4, 2022 at 2:13 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Hundreds of pets received blessings from clergy members at the Episcopal School of Knoxville Tuesday morning.
Updated: Sep. 29, 2022 at 10:40 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
The e-bike store, Wicked Hubz, opened its doors offering unique styles of electric bikes and boards.
Updated: Sep. 28, 2022 at 4:15 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
All adult animals can be adopted on a donation basis through Oct. 8.
Updated: Sep. 27, 2022 at 8:29 AM EDT
|By Jared Austin
Hallow Mountain has returned to Anakeesta to get people in the fall and Halloween spirit.
Updated: Sep. 26, 2022 at 1:40 PM EDT
|By Jared Austin
A Knoxville man has set the bar even higher for himself as he plans to do 2.5 million pushups in 2022. His original goal was just to hit 2 million, but he surpassed that in early September.
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.
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