Over the last few years, the Tennessee legislature and state courts have created stringent new rules for people with felony records who want regain their voting rights, nonprofits that run voter registration drives, and people who want to vote in a party primary they’re not already a part of.
Char Daston
Char Daston is a reporter and newscast writer for WPLN. Char got his start in public radio as an intern at WYSO public radio in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he answered questions sent in by listeners for a program called WYSO Curious. He went on to work at St. Louis Public Radio and WBEZ Chicago, where he produced the daily talk show Reset and reported for the education desk. His work has also appeared in Curious City, Chicago Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Char attended college and grad school at the University of Chicago, where he wrote his master’s thesis on the politics of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. As a journalist, he is interested in the ways big political decisions and historical events shape our everyday lives. He loves to learn about education, the arts, activism and the ways people help one another. Unable to settle on one creative project, Char enjoys writing poetry, plays and video essays in his spare time. You’ll likely find him rushing to choir rehearsal or seeking out Nashville’s best Thai and Korean food.
This Brentwood teen’s science video landed a spot in a worldwide competition
Chetan Yenigalla is a semifinalist in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, which invites teens from around the world to make two-minute videos about science.
Metro will demolish homes in a 40-year-old encampment, but won’t clear out residents
There are no plans to close an encampment near the Silliman Evans bridge. However, Metro does plan to demolish some larger dwellings in the camp.
Most Nashville seniors don’t have enough money to live on. A new program makes it easier to find help.
On Tuesday, the Metro government and group of nonprofits launched RESET, a new partnership to connect older adults with financial assistance.
After tornado devastation, TSU rebuilds its agriculture campus from scratch
Tennessee State University’s College of Agriculture suffered a direct hit during the March 2020 tornadoes. Four years later, the rebuilt facilities are finally open.
For people with disabilities, WeGo Access transit interruptions prompt protest
People with disabilities and their supporters gathered outside Nashville’s Metro Courthouse to protest flaws in the city’s accessible transit system.
Top Nashville Metro Arts staffers resign as future of arts grants remains uncertain
Three management-level staff members at Metro Arts announced their resignations at a commission meeting Thursday. One by one, the communications manager, public art manager, and finance and operations director stepped down. The commissioners barely reacted, other than thanking the staff members for their work.
Metro Arts likely won’t fund artists and cultural organizations until 2025
Metro Arts staffers need time to come up with a new grant scoring policy and to figure out how to manage the Thrive program for independent artists.
Nashvillians can now borrow art from seven local libraries
The Lending Library began in 2021 to support Nashville artists who lost work during COVID. This summer, the program doubled its collection and expanded to five more library branches.
Tennessee flights, businesses, government offices affected by international tech outage
Several airlines are unable to take off from Nashville International Airport after a ground stop order from the Federal Aviation Administration.
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