Is a microtext typo on some Tennessee drivers licenses simply a mistake? Or was it something more mysterious? Curious Nashville`s Justin Barney dug into the question posed by Sam Barocas. Sam had three theories:
1. It’s a typo. There are dozens of lines of microprint script on the license. Maybe the person putting it together didn’t have an editor. It’s possible.
2. It’s intentional. IDs have become complex documents that have numerous security measures. Maybe the typo is one of them. But then, how would someone catch that? Is a bartender on Broadway pulling out a microscope to catch an underage tourist trying to slip into Tootsies? And wouldn’t the typo be transferred over to copies or scans?
3. It’s something fun. Maybe the person who designed it was bored — hunched over a desk, typing “The Volunteer State” over and over and decided they would include a little easter egg. A signature. Perhaps in hopes that, 15 years later, some bored kid would throw it under a microscope, see their work, track them down, and lets them know that their work has been noticed. Sam hoped for this one.
So where to turn? Curious Nashville.
A spokesperson for the Department of Safety and Homeland Security suggested that it was a security feature. “I don’t think they are going to talk to you,” said Jason Pack, director of communications for the Department of Safety & Homeland Security.
Justin breaks it down for you — maybe you have a "volundeer" drivers license?
Tap link in bio for the full story and follow along for more from Justin Barney.
Tennessee`s history is messy. It`s filled with complex characters, struggles, innovations, and surprises.
It`s a place that played a key role in women winning the right to vote. Where civil rights leaders were trained. And it`s home to important military history.
To understand our state, we can connect the dots between the past and present. That`s the mission of our series "The Backstory." Find more at wpln.org/backstory
This project is funded by the state of Tennessee and administered by the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial.
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Notable quotables for the week for stories that include Memphis Safe Task Force, a Nashville data center, gas prices, bringing the banjo to hip-hop music, and last but not least, the broad appeal of Nashville burger reviews.
There were two killings by federal law enforcement officers in Memphis in recent weeks — one involving the National Guard and one involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Both were participating in the Memphis Safe Task Force.
Nashville’s Metro council inched closer to regulating data centers — which would include banning large, sprawling developments. The council also took the first steps toward seizing the land slated for a data center near the Nashville Zoo.
Gov.Bill Lee confirmed he will not be creating a death penalty moratorium after the failed execution of Tony Carruthers in May.
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“There`s nothing I can`t do with this instrument," says musician Tray Wellington.
Jewly Hight reports that banjo virtuoso Tray Wellington demonstrated limitless belief from the moment he first stepped into the contemporary bluegrass spotlight more than five years ago.
From Wellington’s debut album “Black Banjo" onward, his expansive musicianship conveyed important truths about genre: that string band music and jazz are, and have always been, Black musical traditions and areas of innovation.
Previously he hinted at his interest in hip-hop. Now he’s gone all in on his new album “Heart on the Table.” It may not be the world’s first attempt to combine rapping and banjo, but his fluency in both traditions makes it a groundbreaking and standard-setting project. It could only come from the imagination of an artist who’s studied the hip-hop canon and dedicated himself just as seriously to absorbing its mechanics as he has bluegrass.
Wellington has a show at the Eastside Bowl tonight (Thursday July 9) and his album drops on Friday.
Tap link in bio for the full story and follow along for more from Senior Music Writer Jewly Hight.
It’s no secret that Tennessee is a dangerous place for people who walk around our city.
We have seen years of high pedestrian fatality rates and various initiatives trying to tackle hazardous roadways. This summer, WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports that a new national report shows the issue has only gotten worse.
In the report, Memphis was identified as the deadliest city in the country for pedestrians. While further down the list, Nashville’s fatality rate is getting worse. There have been 16 people killed already while walking in 2026.
Many incidents have been hit-and-runs, which can be difficult for police to solve.
For the full story, tap the link in bio.
Photos: Tony Gonzalez
Metro Nashville Police Department / YouTube
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The Hermitage, the presidential home of Andrew Jackson, is revitalizing the “In Their Footsteps” tour.
It highlights the lives of people who were enslaved by Jackson and his family. The updated tour seeks to place more emphasis on the lives of people who were enslaved, portray Jackson’s brutality more honestly.
But as WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports, for some historians and descendants, the approach is disappointing. They point to the lack of involvement from historians of color, as well as tour proceeds going back into The Hermitage, rather than benefitting descendants.
Tune in on July 8 to This is Nashville to hear more about this. You can stream from our site at 12pm noon or catch the program later.
Tap link in bio for the full story and follow along for more from Metro Reporter Cynthia Abrams.
Photos: Cynthia Abrams
Best way to treat poison ivy? Know what it looks like and avoid it like the plague.
But “leaves of three, let it be” doesn’t quite capture just how variable the look can be. As a teenager, This Is Nashville host Blake Farmer spent his summers landscaping and learned the hard way just how important it is to know what you’re touching (or spraying on yourself thanks to a string trimmer).
So on a recent Sunday stroll through Tennessee’s Savage Gulf, Blake made it a game. Can he spot 10 different poison ivy looks?
Would you know poison ivy if it hit you in the face?
Update: No one involved with this video developed a rash…yet.
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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