NashVillager

What should you keep in mind when planting trees to replace those lost to Winter Storm Fern?

It’s about to be one of the best times of the year to plant trees, and Nashville’s canopy could use some replacements after this year’s ice storm. Plus the local news for August 18, 2026 and bipartisan concerns over data centers.

Credits:
This is a production of Nashville Public Radio.
Host/producer: Nina Cardona
Editor: Tony Gonzalez

How did John Lewis keep the local Civil Rights Movement going in Nashville? 

Before he was a leader on a national scale, and after the initial victory of the Nashville’s lunch counter sit-ins, John Lewis made sure the city's desegregation activists kept the pressure on Music City. 

Plus, the local news for Aug. 17, 2026, and the return of the band Hovvdy. 

Credits:  

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio 

Host/producer: Nina Cardona 

Editor: Tony Gonzalez 

Where is the line between necessary punishment and cruelty?

Tennessee’s execution methods have been through several iterations. The next person scheduled for death would rather return to a historic method of capital punishment.

Plus, the local news roundup for Friday, Aug. 14.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio.

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: Tony Gonzalez

What is Lyft building in Nashville to support Waymo’s car fleet?

The rollout of autonomous cabs in Nashville now involves a partnership between competitors. Plus, the local news for Aug. 13, 2026, and the impact of data centers on our power bills.

Credits: 
This is a production of Nashville Public Radio.
Host/producer: Nina Cardona
Editor: Tony Gonzalez

How did a group of guardsmen from Tennessee make Nazi leaders fearful? Multiple times in World War II, a unit of the Tennessee National Guard beat out Hitler’s prized soldiers and defenses.

Plus, the local news for August 12, 2026, and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-day.

Credits:  

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio. 

Host/producer: Nina Cardona 

Editor: Tony Gonzalez 

Conservation groups often sue for better enforcement of federal environmental laws. Two Tennessee cases are at the vanguard of a push to end the practice. Plus the local news for August 11, 2026 and black lung rates back on the rise.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A remarkably well-preserved shoe helps us picture the ancient people who used to live here. Plus the local news for August 10, 2026 and school security. 

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The results of yesterday’s primary elections and a look back at the 2000 election that painted Tennessee red. Plus the local news for August 7, 2026 and remembering Martha Ingram.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Dinah Shore grew up in an immigrant home in Middle Tennessee. She ended up a fixture in homes all across the United States. Plus the local news for August 6, 2026 and the line dancing resurgence.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

We all have a general sense that tourists pay more in Music City; here’s a look at just how we tax them. Plus the local news for August 5, 2026 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-day.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Breaking down what a Nuclear Lifecycle Campus could be in Tennessee. Plus the local news for August 4, 2026 and an exception to the datacenter boom.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

As long as there have been elections, there have been efforts to limit who can vote. Plus the local news for August 3, 2026 and Shakespeare in prison

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee has had two tracks of action after Charlie Kirk’s death. One limits free speech, the other has ended in legal settlements for limiting people’s free speech. Plus the local news for July 31, 2026 and hellbenders

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee’s electric grid was built on a renewable power, but poor efficiency and increased reliance on fossil fuels are at the center of the current landscape. Plus the local news for July 30, 2026 and Curious Nashville finds out what happened to a statue that used to sit at the top of the city’s skyline.

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Middle Tennessee is now home to half of Tennessee’s law schools, but the first one decamped to Alabama decades ago. Plus the local news for July 29, 2026 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-day.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Now that license plate readers are in place over much of Tennessee, there’s a bill to limit future rollout. Plus the local news for July 28, 2026 and the MTSU tie to Supergirl.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Twice in Nashville history, allegations of financial wrongdoing reached such a fever pitch that the state took over the purse strings and the mayors were pushed out of office. Plus the local news for July 27, 2026 and how AI datasets impact musicians.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

As much housing as we’ve built in recent years, our city still doesn’t have enough places for people to live. But population trends suggest that we shouldn’t assume this growth will last forever. Plus the local news for July 24, 2026 and playing baseball by ear.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Nashville may attempt to stop a data center project by using eminent domain, Rutherford County is considering it for obtaining the land for a public safety campus, but how does the process work in Tennessee? Plus the local news for July 23, 2026 and Nashville’s booming boot business.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Normally, the identities of people who carry out an execution are kept firmly secret. That private detail has been made public. Plus the local news for July 22, 2026 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-day.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

From a political fight (that compared Nashville to Sodom) to an untimely death and unusual grave, the story behind Tennessee’s physical seat of government has more twists than you might expect. Plus the local news for July 21, 2026 and reclaiming the American flag.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee officials have made some attempt to lure a major motion picture studio to relocate here. That raises questions about what a move might actually bring. Plus the local news for July 20, 2026 and IMAX.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Two Middle Tennessee remnants of the Civil War are a reminder of something that’s true in any era: how laws aren’t always carried out in the way that advocates intended. Plus the local news for July 17, 2026 and early voting begins in the primary elections.

This date was a deadly one in Tennessee eleven years ago, with some parallels to another shooting in 2025. Plus the local news for July 16, 2026 and the importance of DJs to Nashville R&B.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

There once was a time when an American could swear allegiance to another nation and still become president. Plus the local news for July 15, 2026 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-day.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On one end of the state, a historic landmark celebrating the important legacy of Alex Haley and the family story he told in Roots. On the other end, a school district’s decisions that made Haley’s book the poster child for the book banning debates. Plus the local news for July 14, 2026 and the contracting of access to TennCare.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN a...

As the debate over datacenter regulation rages in local government meetings, a large firm has hired some heavy-hitters to clear the way for more facilities. Plus the local news for July 13, 2026 and musician Tray Wellington

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

When science and religion went head-to-head in a small-town Tennessee courtroom, the entire nation watched. Plus the local news for July 10, 2026 and hamburger influencing.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee now requires county sheriffs to coordinate with federal immigration agencies. Metro’s sheriff says he’s the one exception. Plus the local news for July 9, 2026 and a Curious Nashville investigation of a microscopic typo.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Hosting this year's World's Cup seems to have driven a new level of American interest in soccer. Major League Soccer teams like Nashville's are poised to take advantage when their season resumes. Plus the local news for July 8, 2026 and this week's edition of What Where Whens-day.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

When there’s a miscarriage of justice, fixing the problem is a hard task. Plus the local news for July 7, 2026 and bats role as a signal species.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

After the legislative session and around the start of July comes the next phase in the annual cycle of lawmaking: court cases seeking to stop or alter new laws. Plus the local news for July 6, 2026 and echoes between the new Nashville Congressional districts and an old North Nashville wound

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

250 years of American independence doesn’t exactly mean 250 years of 4th of July celebrations. A look at how Nashville has marked the day through the years. Plus the local news for July 2, 2026 and Tennessee communities find their own ways to celebrate the nation’s milestone.  

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The establishment of the Smithsonian Institution raised some unusual Constitutional questions on the watch of one Tennessee president, and the matter was resolved under another. Plus the local news for July 1, 2026 and this week's edition of What Where Whens-day.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee was slow to adopt a 9-1-1 system, but soon became the leader of the pack in bringing new technology on board. Plus the local news for June 30, 2026 and Tennessee’s changing hemp laws.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The Great Replacement conspiracy theory fueled the Holocaust. Its reemerging in Middle Tennessee. Plus the local news for June 29, 2026 and Health Q on caregiving.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The roots of our community are more tangled than the history that’s traditionally been told. Plus the local news for June 26, 2026 and how The Hermitage talks about slavery.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Dry conditions could harm Tennessee’s farmers, or precipitation could turn things around. Plus the local news for June 25, 2026 and expanding access to the arts.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

What started as an air force base is now Tennessee’s third-largest airport, but you probably will never fly in or out of it. Plus the local news for June 24, 2026 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-Day

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee scientists are among the researchers studying glaciers and microbes in one of the world’s most remote locations, but this state also has construction and adventuring links to the Southernmost continent. Plus the local news for June 23, 2026 and Health Q on early onset cancer.

Credits: 

This is a production of Nashville Public Radio

Host/producer: Nina Cardona

Editor: LaTonya Turner

Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP