The state of Tennessee executed Oscar Franklin Smith Thursday morning. It was the first lethal injection since 2019, and comes on the heels of a third-party investigation into the state’s protocol that found failures in testing the drugs used during executions.
Tennessee executes Oscar Smith, ending pause on lethal injections
NashVillager Podcast: People caught by foreign policy changes
Who in Tennessee is caught in the crossfire when our nation switches up how it deals with other countries? Plus, the local news for May 22, 2025.
Fire at historic Black church in Memphis was intentionally set, investigators say
Investigators in Tennessee say a fire that severely damaged a historic Black church that served as the headquarters for a 1968 sanitation workers’ strike which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis was intentionally set.
The long-term impact of violent loss: Reflecting on the crimes and execution of Oscar Smith
Casey Smith was just under 3 years old when he lost his mom Judith Robirds Smith and two half brothers, Chad and Jason Burnett. His father, Oscar Franklin Smith, is scheduled to be executed Thursday morning for the 1989 murders. It would be Tennessee’s first execution by lethal injection since 2019.
Judge orders Trump administration to release frozen grants, including $14M for Nashville
One of Nashville’s lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s funding cuts has notched a win. A federal judge issued a permanent injunction, instructing the government to release federal grants — including $14 million for Nashville in infrastructure grants.
Listen: A Tennessee researcher helped author the last, now-threatened National Climate Assessment
Earth is nearing critical thresholds with record heat. But scientific data on how warming will impact the people, environment and economy in the U.S. may become harder to access.
NashVillager Podcast: Tennessee’s bridge list
How safe are Tennessee’s bridges? Plus, the local news for May 21, 2025.
More tornadoes and fewer meteorologists make for a dangerous mix that’s worrying US officials
The U.S. is on track to have its second-busiest tornado year ever, and some former weather service veterans worry that overworked meteorologists and violent weather are a dangerous combination.
Nashville’s city parks continue to inch their way up a national ranking
After years of unflattering scores on a national ranking of park systems ranking among the nation’s worst park systems, Nashville is slowly moving its way up the list.
First US utility seeks permit for a small nuclear reactor as TVA advances plan for Oak Ridge
The nation’s largest public power company, the Tennessee Valley Authority, announced Tuesday it submitted a construction permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a small, modular nuclear reactor.
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