NashVillager

The legislative session is about to start. Some of the measures lawmakers submit will be thoroughly debated and voted into law. Some won’t really cross the starting line. Plus, the local news for January 8, 2026, and Tash Tea. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Nashville’s central core has been through ups and downs that should inform the way the city’s newest neighborhood is designed. Plus, the local news for January 7th 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, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Last month’s announcement of an investment in Tennessee zinc operations is big for the state and big for the nation. Plus the local news for January 6, 2026 and the complex music history of Muscle Shoals. 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 the aftermath of World War I, a Nashville man with unbelievable self-confidence sparked a diplomatic incident that reads like fiction. Plus the local news for January 5, 2025 and where to find low cost health careA statement containing an error has been removed from the audio of this episode. The description of Lea's motivation for donating land incorrectly conflated his actions with those of a friend and business partner.Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Megan JonesAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A newly filed bill in Tennessee’s General Assembly cites lots of scripture and asks lawmakers to take an explicitly pro-Israel stance. Plus the local news for December 31, 2025 and the trade war comes for Tennessee soybeans. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Alexis MarshallAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Why aren’t there more dinosaur bones in Tennessee? There are some Cretaceous Period remains in the Volunteer State, but it was the Ice Age that left much richer deposits here.Plus, the local news for Dec. 30, 2025 and red tape that could save lives.Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio.Host/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Tony Gonzalez

Every President and First Lady does something to make the nation’s executive mansion their home. For the Polks, it was almost puritan customs, a key bit of redecoration, and an undercurrent of slavery. Plus the local news for December 29, 2025 and a big year for Nashville transit. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

For the holiday episodes, we’re doing a look back at our colleague’s best work. This one by WPLN’s Catherine Sweeney features criminal justice reporter Paige Pfleger’s story on how a blind spot in Tennessee’s probation system leaves domestic violence victims in danger. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Catherine Sweeney Editor: LaTonya Turner Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

During this holiday week, the NashVillager Podcast takes a moment to share some of the best local reporting of the year — as chosen by WPLN staffers. Today, reporter Rose Gilbert highlights her colleague Mary Mancini’s story about a local elephant sanctuary. This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Rose Gilbert Editor: LaTonya Turner Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Tony Gonzalez, Megan Jones and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Remember when we used to burn CDs?A lot of music made it around the world without being properly published in those early days of file sharing. So the “Lostwave community” steps in to hunt down the origins of unidentified music. In this case, music that was made in Boston and heard in Seattle required the help of a data geek in the Middle East to figure out that the originator lives right here among us in Nashville. This is a production of Nashville Public Radio. Host/producer: Blake Farmer Editor: Tony Gonzalez

How are Tennessee Christians using the Bible to form beliefs about immigration?

How can a WPLN music story transport you somewhere new?During this holiday week, the NashVillager Podcast takes a moment to share some of the best local reporting of the year — as chosen by WPLN staffers. Today, music reporter Justin Barney shows how his colleague Jewly Hight goes far beyond typical artists interviews to capture the local music scene.

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