Friday, December 19, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1921, Ella Harper, also known as the "Camel Girl," died in Nashville after a career as a sideshow performer. Her nickname was derived from an orthopedic condition that allowed her to bend her knees backward and walk on all fours. See a photo here.

Nashville's New Year's Eve show will ring in 2026 with a star-studded CBS special featuring performances from artists like Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, and Keith Urban. See the full lineup in the story below.

As you finish your holiday shopping, today's sponsor, Brad's Deals, offers a free, personalized newsletter with last-chance sales and handpicked deals from brands you already love.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Tennessee Troops Getting 3.8% Raise

Tennessee service members will see a 3.8% pay raise under the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, alongside backing for major military projects statewide.

The bill authorizes $1,776 bonus checks for active-duty troops, as well as upgrades at Fort Campbell, new facilities for the National Guard, and $544 million for Oak Ridge’s nuclear work.

It also boosts research and development partnerships with schools like Vanderbilt to sharpen U.S. military tech.

Sens. Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn say the investments bolster both national security and Tennessee’s role in it.

Couple Survives Fire by Jumping from Window

A Knoxville couple survived, despite suffering serious injuries, after leaping from their third-floor apartment to escape a fire Sunday at the Collective at Sutherland complex.

Darren and Melissa Brewster had seconds to react before thick smoke and flames cut off every exit, forcing the couple to jump.

Both survived but were hospitalized with severe injuries; their dog, Dixie, tragically died in the fire.

Officials say the blaze began as a grease fire and rapidly spread due to high winds, displacing at least 15 residents.

Nashville Rings In 2026 with Big Bash

CBS will broadcast New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash on Dec. 31, headlined by Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, and Bailey Zimmerman.

The five-hour special features performances across Music City from stars like Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Dwight Yoakam, and CeCe Winans, with a midnight note drop and fireworks in the Central time zone.

A free public watch party at Luke Combs’ Category 10 bar includes a set from Yoakam and appearances by Cody Alan and Caylee Hammack.

The event will stream live on Paramount+ and air nationwide.

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➤ Nashville: Nashville International Airport officials urge holiday travelers to monitor traffic conditions and arrive early for Christmas travel following two major traffic jams in recent months. (More)

➤ Rhea County: A local Vietnam War veteran who flew more than 300 combat missions and survived being shot down was selected as Tennessee’s 2026 representative for the national Purple Heart Patriot Project. (See Photos)

➤ Smyrna: The Great Tennessee Air Show was named the U.S. Navy Blue Angels’ Top Civilian Air Show of 2025 for its exceptional execution, community engagement, and organization. (More)

➤ Lenoir City: State auditors accused Lenoir City Schools employees of skipping parts of a paid Philadelphia conference for personal sightseeing, including one who used a school credit card for tourism-related transportation. (More)

➤ Hickman County: The ministry Wings of the Wind is celebrating helping more than 1,100 Ukrainian war orphans by delivering winter supplies like blankets and generators during repeated aid trips. (See Photos)

➤ Knoxville: Zoo Knoxville welcomed Mokolo, a 10-year-old giraffe from Pennsylvania, to its Grasslands Africa habitat on Thursday as part of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan to support genetic diversity. (See Mokolo)

➤ Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White called for college athletics to embrace a collective bargaining model, claiming it will yield a “much healthier environment” moving forward. (More)

➤ Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward says he wants to meet with all head coaching candidates as the team begins its offseason search following an unsuccessful 2025 season. (More)

➤ No. 13 Vanderbilt beat Memphis 77-70 in overtime to extend its unbeaten start to 11 games behind Duke Miles’ 22 points, including seven in the extra period. (More)

➤ Memphis football plays NC State today in the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. CT. (More)

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➤ A new community-sourced app tracks real-time wait times at Midstate In-N-Out Burger locations after hours-long lines marked recent openings in Lebanon, Antioch, and Murfreesboro. (More)

➤ Morgan County's first-ever liquor store has opened following a 2024 vote allowing alcohol sales, with local leaders saying the new business will keep tax revenue in town. (See Video)

➤ Tennessee Hills in Bristol is hosting its first-ever Christmas market featuring over 25 local vendors selling handmade gifts, with festivities continuing through the Saturday. (See Details)

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➤ Nashville comedian John Crist donated nearly every bicycle from an Academy Sports store to the annual Last Minute Toy Store, which provides toys, books, games, and sports equipment to families during the holidays. (More)

➤ Hundreds of Christmas cards from across the U.S. have poured in for a nonverbal quadriplegic man from Lenoir City thanks to a Facebook post by his sister, giving him a joyful way to “travel the world” from home. (More)

➤ Young Georgia fan Nolan McGill refused to sing Tennessee’s Rocky Top during Rivermont Elementary’s Christmas performance, standing silently onstage as his mother shared the video. (See Nolan)

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➤ Specialists at the Pacific Brain Health Center were left in complete awe after they discovered that… Sleeping in this position makes you 3x more likely to develop memory loss. They were shocked to see that something so common can cause IRREVERSIBLE damage to the brain. Don't go to sleep until you see this shocking leaked video.