Captain Chris Bryant has been promoted to assistant chief deputy by Sheriff Tom Spangler. Chief Bryant will continue to oversee the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy.
“Chief Bryant has been an exceptional leader in our community, showcasing unwavering dedication, integrity and a commitment to excellence throughout his career,” said Spangler. “His extensive experience and passion for training will continue to be instrumental in shaping the next generation of law enforcement professionals.”
Winston Law announces inaugural Frank Winston Fellows
The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law has selected the inaugural Frank Winston Public Interest and Business Law Fellows. This is Winston Law’s signature scholarship program and is designed to attract exceptional students committed to serving the public good in the areas of public interest law and business law.
Made possible through a transformational gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, the Frank Winston Fellows program honors the legacy of Frank Winston (‘52).
The program includes two distinct tracks: Frank Winston Public Interest Law Fellows and Frank Winston Business Law Fellows. Fellows receive full tuition and fees, a generous annual stipend, summer internship funding, faculty mentorship, research opportunities, personalized career advising, and access to a variety of academic professional development programming.
“The Winston Fellows program is modeled after other notable, longstanding scholarship programs such as Emory’s Robert W. Woodruff Scholars and Fellows Program and NYU’s Root-Tilden-Kern Scholars Program,” said college Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr.
“The outstanding students selected for these fellowships will enrich the Winston Law community, as well as the profession, through their embodiment of the attributes and values of the program’s namesake, Frank Winston.”
Selection for the Winston Fellows program is highly competitive. For the 2025-26 academic year, selection committees comprised of faculty, alumni and current Winston Law students reviewed applications and interviewed finalists. The inaugural cohort includes fellows from the Winston Law classes of 2027 and 2028, as well as the incoming class of 2029.
Meet the Frank Winston Fellows
3L Fellows – Public Interest Law
Zack Hodgson
Zack Hodgson
Hometown: Provo, Utah
Education: Brigham Young University, Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
Area of Interest: Constitutional Law and Public Service
Lacey Hunter
Lacey Hunter
Hometown: Sevierville, Tennessee
Education: Maryville College, Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science
Area of Interest: Criminal Law and Public Service
Stef Urdaneta
Stef Urdaneta
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Education: Florida International University, Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and International Relations
Area of Interest: Public Defense and Pro Bono Service
Frank Winston Business Law Fellows
3L Fellows – Business Law
Paul Arrowood
Paul Arrowood
Hometown: Johnson City, Tennessee
Education: East Tennessee State University, Bachelor’s Degree in Economics
Area of Interest: Real Estate and Corporate Law
Sydney Kirk
Sydney Kirk
Hometown: Bristol, Tennessee
Education: University of Tennessee, Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education; Master’s Degree in Teacher Education
Area of Interest: Business Law
Dimend Little
Dimend Little
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Education: Middle Tennessee State University, Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations
Area of Interest: Tax Policy and Community Development
Scottie O’Bryan
Scottie O’Bryan
Hometown: Buffalo, New York
Education: Virginia Commonwealth University, Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
Area of Interest: Transactional Law
2L Fellows – Frank Winston Public Interest Law Fellows
Connor Catlett
Connor Catlett
Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee
Education: University of Arizona, Bachelor’s Degree in English
Area of Interest: Educational Equity and Justice Reform
Ninivet Ossa
Ninivet Ossa
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Education: Belmont University, Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies
Area of Interest: Immigration and Client Advocacy
Finn Vickrey
Finn Vickrey
Hometown: Boone, North Carolina
Education: Sewanee, Bachelor’s Degree in Environment & Sustainability and English
Area of Interest: Environmental Regulatory Law
2L Fellows – Frank Winston Business Law Fellows
Elisha Beason
Elisha Beason
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Education: University of Alabama, Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Area of Interest: Commercial and Residential Real Estate Law
Saiid Lewis
Saiid Lewis
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Education: Nashville State Community College, Associate’s Degree in Business; Middle Tennessee State University, Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce
Area of Interest: Corporate Litigation and Transactional Law
Shelby Maier
Shelby Maier
Hometown: San Diego, California
Education: Furman University, Bachelor’s Degree in Physics
Area of Interest: Intellectual Property Law
1L Fellows – Frank Winston Public Interest Law Fellows
Angelina Harris
Angelina Harris
Hometown: Union, Kentucky
Education: United States Air Force Academy, Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies
Area of Interest: Military and National Security Law
Amelia Hart
Amelia Hart
Hometown: Paris, Tennessee
Education: East Tennessee State University, Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy
Area of Interest: Children’s Rights Advocacy
1L Fellows – Frank Winston Business Law Fellows
Christina Lam
Christina Lam
Hometown: Auburn, Alabama
Education: Auburn University, Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration
Area of Interest: Business Law and Community Economic Development
Micah Owens
Micah Owens
Hometown: Cookeville, Tennessee
Education: University of Tennessee, Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering
Area of Interest: Business Law
Christian Pontaoe
Christian Pontaoe
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Education: Vanderbilt University, Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and Economics
Area of Interest: Finance and Mergers and Acquisitions
Charlie Sullivan
Charlie Sullivan
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland and Charlottesville, Virginia
Education: University of Virginia, Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Bioethics
Area of Interest: Business and Regulatory Law
Say a prayer for Derek Dooley
There’s a reason the state of Georgia has two Democratic senators. And it’s about to happen again.
Tomorrow, June 16, 2026, is the runoff between Republicans U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, 58, and former Tennessee football coach and attorney Derek Dooley, 57. The winner will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, 39, in November.
Derek Dooley
On Sunday, June 14, President Trump endorsed Collins – a major setback for Dooley. Dooley says there is little difference on the issues between himself and Collins. “It’s about electability.” Dooley has the support of Gov. Brian Kemp and other mainstream Republicans.
Donald Trump is the reason Georgia has two Democratic senators. He often endorses primary candidates who lack appeal in general elections.
Georgia has backed the Republican candidate in 10 of 15 presidential elections since Barry Goldwater carried the state in 1964. Outliers were independent George Wallace in 1968, Bill Clinton in 1992, Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980, and Joe Biden in 2020. Sixty years; 15 presidential elections; 10 carried by Republicans.
Yet the state has two Democratic senators.
Raphael Gamaliel Warnock won a special election in 2020 over Republican Kelly Loeffler, who had served one year after being appointed by Gov. Kemp; Warnock won reelection in 2022 over Trump-backed Herschel Walker.
Thomas “Jon” Ossoff, the Senate’s youngest member, won in 2020 over one-term Sen. David Perdue.
So, check your favorite news show tomorrow evening. See if Coach Dooley can pull it out. Dooley wasn’t great on football, but he’s right about this. He is the better candidate to go against Ossoff. Too bad he’s about to be “trumped.”
As a total aside, President Trump has taken care of his folks. Since taking office in 2025, Trump has appointed Loeffler to head the Small Business Administration (SBA), Perdue as ambassador to China, and Herschel Walker as ambassador to the Bahamas. Former Rep. Doug Collins, who finished third to Loeffler and Warnock in 2020, is now the U. S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
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