NashVillager

It’s been quite a year for everyone’s favorite: country star, actress, philanthropist (and just plain good person) Dolly Parton. Plus the local news for December 19, 2025 and the final installment of The Debt. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Why are there so many memorial services during the otherwise joyful holiday season?As This Is Nashville mounts an "in memoriam" episode, a look at why the holidays are a natural time to pause and reflect on the people we’ve lost.Plus the local news for December 18, 2025 and an excerpt from The Debt.

America had Civil Rights Leaders who fought hard for equality far before the to the Civil Rights Movement as we usually think of it got underway. Plus the local news for December 17, 2025 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

After more than year without a new contract, some workers at the Chattanooga VW factory are losing patience with the United Auto Workers. Plus the local news for December 16, 2025 and another installment of The Debt. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Exposure to the elements during a brutal cold snap played a role in the defeat of the Confederates in the two-day Battle of Nashville. Today, people living on the street face many of the same conditions, and federal resources to help them are in limbo. Plus the local news for December 15, 2025, and part one of The Debt. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The neighborhood that used to run things at Cheekwood is ready to kick out the stream of visitor traffic to the attraction. But the plan for moving access to a new road has opponents of its own. Plus the local news for December 12, 2025, and the chilling of free speech on Appalachian college campuses. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Incredible fog once lead to a tragic accident involving nearly 100 cars near Chattanooga. The complex system that protects against a repeat tragedy needs to be replaced. Plus, the local news for December 11, 2025 and Andi Marie Tillman. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Today, a peek behind the curtain at the sources that inform the NashVillager Podcast. Plus the local news for December 10, 2025, and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-Day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A lot of Tennesseans could use help paying for food. Plus the local news for December 9, 2025, and the evolution from CA$HK to Kyleigh. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam Kramer LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

One way out of a time of deep division is finding a common cause. Plus the local news for December 8, 2025 and the Santa train. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Finance experts say it’s going to be a tight budget year for the state of Tennessee, but that stands in contrast to the types of spending requests that have come in from state agencies. Plus the local news for Dec. 5, and and learning how one private school benefits from the state's voucher program.

Tuesday’s special election has some factors in common with James K. Polk’s rise to power. But more importantly, it could set the tone for the next round of campaigning.Plus the local news for Dec. 4, 2025, and answering a Curious Nashville question about the Grand Ole Opry.Credits:This is a production of Nashville Public Radio.Host/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Tony Gonzalez

Now that several big developments on the East Bank are moving forward, we’re getting a taste of what we’ll call the city’s soon-to-be new neighborhoods. Plus the local news for December 3, 2025 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-Day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Tony Gonzalez

The South is sometimes assumed to be a monoculture. But that’s not certainly not true … and it never has been. Plus, the local news for December 2, 2025, and a visit to a farm-turned-classroom in Clarksville. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Banks used to be very local institutions, but these days they seem to get bigger and bigger. Plus the local news for December 1, 2025 and the latest installment from Music Citizens. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

In an era when national holidays were rare, what did it take for Thanksgiving to make the cut? Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln play significant roles in the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday — but it was also writer and activist Sarah Hale who beat the drum for decades.Plus the local news for Nov. 26 and a round-up of events in What Where When-sday. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio.Host/producer: Tony GonzalezEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On this day, the Union broke the Confederate siege of Chattanooga by storming Missionary Ridge, which some describe as the “death knell” of the Confederacy.Plus the local news for Nov. 25, and a profile of Henry J. Star, the WNXP Nashville Artist of the Month for November. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Tony Gonzalez Editor: LaTonya Turner Additional support: Mack Linebaugh and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

It’s the anniversary of one of Tennessee’s deadliest disasters, and the Tennessee Guard served a very different role than its current deployment in Memphis. Plus the local news for November 24, 2025 and a feature from our series IN MY PLACE. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Blake Farmer Editor: LaTonya Turner Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The fight over access is at the heart of the lawsuits over Tennessee’s execution protocols and so much more. Plus the local news for November 21, 2025 and what’s the deal with Chicago Style Gyros in Music City? Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

It’s easy to wave off concern about sinkholes or pipeline spills as anti-business nonsense, but things can and do go wrong sometimes. Plus the local news for November 20, 2025 and Tennessee pearls. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The arm of government carrying out immigration raids today was created to respond to terrorism. Plus, the local news for November 19, 2025, and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-Day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The zig-zag boundary between Central and Eastern time zones in Tennessee is partly because of another kind of issue with time-keeping. Plus, the local news for November 18, 2025, and new Country Grammy categories. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

From Nixon’s clean slate from Ford to the way that Trump recently cleared the records of Tennessee political figures, a look at pardons. Plus, the local news for November 17, 2025, and a blind spot in Tennessee’s probation system. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Sometimes assistance can be given in a way that hurts more than it helps. Plus the local news for November 14, 2025 and a tent revival in Scott County. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tunnel-building technology has come a long way in recent years, but creating a tunnel under a bustling city is still a difficult task. Plus, the local news for November 13, 2025, and newfound writings from Virginia Woolf. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Job growth in the Midstate has long focused on factories in rural areas, but we might be seeing a shifting trend begin. Plus, the local news for November 12, 2025, and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

For Veterans’ Day, the story of a monument to everyone who fought in the bloody Battle of Franklin, both Union and Confederate. Plus, the local news for November 11th, 2025, and small town v. cryptocurrency mine Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A hijacked passenger jet and the threat to crash it into a Tennessee nuclear facility are what prompted the first-ever passenger screenings in American airports. Plus, the local news for November 10, 2025, and the end of participatory budgeting in Nashville. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Last year’s soybean market was a disappointment. This year’s began with damaged fields and is ending with high tariffs in a major market. Plus, the local news for November 7, 2025, and Vanderbilt’s community pushes back against the White House. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

You probably have some sense of what’s protected by the federal Bill of Rights, but did you know the Tennessee constitution gets more granular about what rights you have as a resident of this state? Plus, the local news for November 6, 2025, and next steps after the fallout from a Charlie Kirk reaction. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The song “The Last Train to Clarksville” by The Monkees became an unlikely and somewhat accidental anti-war anthem in the 1960s thanks to a little quirk in geography. Plus, the local news for November 5, 2025, and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Every society has had to confront the problem of hunger. In this moment, it’s down to the grassroots to help the people in most need. Plus, the local news for November 4, 2025, and Blood Root. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee officials have said they won’t tap into reserves to fill in the food stamp funding gap. So what are those reserves for? Plus, the local news for November 3, 2025 and looking out for beavers. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Tony GonzalezAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Miriam Kramer, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A true Halloween story about an inadvertent trick that literally fell from the sky. Plus the local news for October 31, 2025 and the return of WPLN’s Curious Nashville. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio.Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Tony Gonzalez

A true story that sounds like something out of a horror flick is a reminder of why the Midstate’s topography is especially vulnerable to contaminated air. Plus, the local news for October 30, 2025, and Snooper. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

When the government stops operations for a historically long stretch, the most vulnerable people are the ones who pay the price. Plus, the local news for October 29, 2025, and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-Day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The way our state and local governments work together in a natural disaster has its roots in national defense. Plus, the local news for October 28, 2025, and snakes on This is Nashville. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee has several stories of offbeat thefts of art (or “art,” depending on your point of view). Plus, the local news for October 27, 2025, and investigative collaboration. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

There once was a time when tens of thousands of Tennessee kids under the age of 13 worked dangerous jobs in places like mines and fabric mills. That’s not legal anymore, but there are efforts to chip away at the laws protecting young workers. Plus, the local news for October 24, 2025, and 2LiveBre. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Play areas have come a long way from the days of monkey bars and scorchingly hot metal slides. That’s by design. Plus, the local news for October 23, 2025, and a Dragula suite. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On the anniversary of the world’s first parachute jump, a look at the paratroopers-turned-air-assault soldiers. Plus, the local news for October 22, 2025, and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

As Shelby County sues the governor for potentially overstepping his role, a look at the state laws that are cited in the court case. Plus, the local news for October 21, 2025, and the race to save an endangered Tennessee fish. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The income tax that wasn’t a traditional income tax is gone, but why hasn’t Tennessee eliminated the grocery tax? Plus the local news for October 20, 2025 and kids in solitary confinement. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

It looks like school vouchers could be a dominant topic at the state capitol for a third straight year. Plus the local news for October 17, 2025 and leaf peeping. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The new campaign of a disgraced former sheriff will require the Tennessee GOP to make an interesting decision. Plus the local news for October 16, 2025 and a new look at one town’s last public lynching. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Another round of No Kings demonstrations are scheduled for this weekend. Plus the local news for October 15, 2025 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Mack LinebaughAdditional support: Tony Gonzalez, Miriam Kramer, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Abolition never really caught on in a serious way in Middle Tennessee, but that doesn’t mean people weren’t aware that the institution of slavery was dying all over the rest of the world. Plus the local news for October 14, 2025 and pawpaw soda Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

What do we know about the site of Friday morning’s explosion? After the deadly explosion at a factory near Bucksnort, a look at the work done by Accurate Energy Solutions. Plus the local news for October 13, 2025 and invasive carp in our waterways.Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A great American hero died in Middle Tennessee, possibly at his own hand, more than 200 years ago. We’ve still got to get better at preventing suicides here. Plus, the local news for October 10, 2025, and a unique Sewanee tradition. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Nashville isn’t a city that has had a huge fire shape it, but there is still a lot to remember on this Firefighters Memorial Day. Plus, the local news for October 9, 2025 and a look at Eviction Right to Counsel. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP