It was a Thursday night in 2019, and Ralph Ward had a busy day at work. He had a corporate job with T-Mobile and had also picked up a gig delivering packages for Amazon.
Metro Nashville Police fatally shoot man in Hermitage
Details are scant so far in the first fatal shooting by Nashville police in 2023. Last year, three people were fatally shot by Nashville police — two in November and one in January.
A family in Nashville wanted to keep trying after three miscarriages. Then Roe fell.
Earlier this year, right before Roe v. Wade was overturned, WPLN profiled two sisters who became pregnant at young ages. One had an abortion, one didn’t — and their lives took different paths.
Problems at Tennessee DCS prompt advocates to call for reforms, with less emphasis on facilities
As Tennessee legislators eye reforms at the Department of Children’s Services, advocates are asking them to focus on family and community-based support, instead of expanding facilities.
There’s been a steep rise in Nashville police using force — but it follows new requirements for officer reporting
Many large cities track the number of times police officers lay hands on civilians, but until this year Nashville did not. The change in reporting requirements has caused a balloon in use-of-force numbers.
Police shootings, executions on hold and guns in cars: WPLN’s top criminal justice stories
Tennessee’s criminal justice system has topped several lists this year — largely for lagging behind the rest of the country in reforms. WPLN’s Paige Pfleger picked three stories that defined the beat this year.
Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services is failing the state’s most vulnerable kids, a new audit warns
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has found that the Department of Children’s Services is struggling to provide for the state’s most vulnerable kids. The new audit is just the latest evidence of increased scrutiny of the Department’s performance.
More guns have been stolen from cars in Nashville this year than any year on record
The number of guns stolen from cars in Nashville this year has officially surpassed last year’s total. And with dozens of guns stolen per week, the total will only continue to climb.
The board tasked with overseeing Rutherford County’s Juvenile Detention Center sets its sights on reform in the new year
The new oversight board tasked with reforming Rutherford County’s juvenile detention center met for the third time Monday. So far, the board has been trying to better understand the inner workings of the detention center.
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