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Video: Keri Pagetta
Producer/Editor: Megan Jones
LiveNation opened a new 4,500 person capacity venue in the Wedgewood Houston neighborhood today. It’s called The Truth.
The name takes inspiration from Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard. Who once said that the essence of a good country song is three chords and The Truth.
As Justin Barney (@justinbarney) reports, it’s a big room. Made to feel intimate by building up rather than out. Three stories up and only 150 feet from the front of the stage to the last seat in the house.
The ground floor is general admission and will offer a meat and three inspired sandwich.
The second floor is VIP and has a bar that has 138 different Tennessee Whiskeys. And the top floor has a Japanese listening room inspired rooftop bar. Access is granted at a higher price.
It opens tonight with a show from Maranda Lambert.
Parking will be difficult. The Truth has a capacity of over 4,000 people. There are only 3,000 parking spots in all of Wedgewood Houston.
Photos: Justin Barney / WPLN
Producer/Editor: Megan Jones
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Photos: Eric England, William DeShazer / ProPublica, Carly Butler / WNXP, WPLN
Tennessee failed to carry out the execution of Christa Pike yesterday. Media witnesses say that although prison officials gave Pike what was intended to be a lethal injection, she did not stop breathing and was at times still moving and snoring when they were eventually told to leave.
As of late Wednesday, it was unclear whether Pike was still alive.
WPLN reporter Catherine Sweeney was among those watching as an official media witness. She says under the state`s protocol, a second dose can be given if the first one isn’t fatal, but that’s very rare.
“This is an enormous dose of a sedative that should not ever need to happen twice. But it did, and then she stayed alive. I think one of the issues that we have here is the protocol doesn’t talk about what happens if you did this twice and then they’re still alive. I don’t think that is something that was planned for.”
Reporters outside later saw an ambulance leave. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Corrections was unable to provide more information.
It marks the second time this year that a planned execution has gone awry in Tennessee. In May, the execution of Tony Carruthers failed after officials struggled with IV access.
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Producer/Editor: Megan Jones
GRWM! Reporters Camellia Burris (@camellia.elaine) and Justin Barney (@justinbarney) give you a day in the life of finding, sourcing, reporting, recording and writing news stories. And they do it every day — in the community, asking the tough questions, finding the human interest. And the result of their hard work is FREE. No paywalls. Did we mention FREE?
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Video production: LaTonya Turner
Editor: Megan Jones
Back in May, Tennessee halted the execution of Tony Carruthers after trying and failing to get IV access.
The incident was described as torturous.
As Catherine Sweeney reports, this summer, dozens of doctors and nurses from across the state said that execution was “horrifyingly botched." They say medical ethics order them not to participate in executions.
Doctors argued only unethical workers would participate. And that mistakes like the ones in Carruthers’ execution are a predictable result of “working with unscrupulous actors.” They want the state to find a different way to carry out the death penalty.
A group of Republican lawmakers said the incompetent lethal injection program basically hands ammunition to death penalty opponents so they want a pause and an overhaul too.
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Photos: TDOT and AP
Producer/Editor: Megan Jones
Christa Pike is the first woman in more than 180 years to face the death penalty in Tennessee. She’s also a practicing Buddhist, which has formed much of her legal battle for how she will be put to death.
In a story from Tasha A.F. Lemley, Pike’s spiritual advisor, Rev. Mikey Noechel, is a Buddhist teacher who will be with her as she’s executed for her part in the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer.
“We`ll be walking in with this practice of loving kindness, blessing the whole room… creating this environment of care,” says Rev. Noechel.
“Christa`s dying. That`s okay… because we will all face the same fate. The way it`s done will have karmic outcomes. I`m not a fan of that.”
Rev. Noechel says society should pay more attention to the needs of marginalized people and provide them support early on, so they don’t go on to create more harm in the world.
Pike was abused as a child, emotionally and sexually. But Rev. Noechel says she owns up to what she did as a teen and hopes her death will bring solace to the family of Slemmer.
“Yes, she is responsible, but... everybody should feel responsible… When we take responsibility, it gives us the empowerment to respond.... so we never have to experience murder on this level ever again.
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Producer: LaTonya Turner
Photos: Tasha A.F. Lemley
Editor: Megan Jones
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Photo: Marianna Bacallao
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‘They’re putting kids’ lives at risk’: How abuse in a Tennessee businessman’s juvenile prisons remained under wraps
Tennessee’s highest-security youth prisons are operated by a single private company. Former staff say they felt pressure to hide abuse and other serious incidents from the state and to handle medical emergencies without calling 911.
Curious Nashville Returns!
Back by popular demand, the WPLN fan favorite series Curious Nashville is here to investigate oddities, share local history, tell stories of interesting people, and explain how local institutions operate.
You ask the questions, and we answer.
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Nashvillager Podcast: Independent football
Tennessee Democrats call on the GOP to fix state executions
Blackburn calls to ‘bring back electric chair’ after Tennessee’s second failed execution
Tennessee’s execution failures need reform, public defender says
Gov. Lee halts execution, orders third-party review following Pike’s failed lethal injection
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