Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1950, the Atomic Energy Commission displayed two of the 40,000 mice being used in atomic tests at Oak Ridge in an attempt to discover the side effects of radiation exposure. See a photo of the mice taken on that day here.

Former Titans star Kevin Dyson plans to open Music City Academy in Nashville by 2027, a sports-focused high school designed to connect students to careers in and around athletics beyond going pro. Learn more in the story below.

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High Bills Baffle Residents After Outages

Some Nashville Electric Service customers say their latest power bills spiked by hundreds of dollars after January's ice storm, even though many were without electricity for days.

One resident who lost nearly a week of service said his bill matched or exceeded last year's usage and included late fees and a disconnection warning, despite NES saying shutoffs would be paused through June.

Dozens of similar complaints have surfaced on social media, in addition to ongoing calls for accountability for the utility's failures during the ice storm.

NES has not responded to questions, though colder temperatures and reheating homes after outages may be driving higher usage.

ICE Facility Claim Creates Confusion

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed it purchased a detention facility in Lebanon, but Wilson County leaders say they have no knowledge of the project.

In a statement, ICE said the site would meet federal detention standards and could bring more than 7,000 jobs and $829 million in economic impact.

Local and state officials, including area lawmakers, said they have not been briefed and questioned whether the announcement could be confused with a project in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

ICE has not yet clarified the exact address of the prospective detention facility.

Titans Legend Plans Nashville School

Former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson is working to open Music City Academy, a Nashville school focused on sports-related careers beyond the playing field.

Dyson, known as the player behind the Music City Miracle touchdown in 2000, said the school would connect students to opportunities in areas like sports marketing, medicine, business, and entertainment.

A longtime educator, he and co-founder Bobbe Hill have submitted a letter of intent to the state and are awaiting approval.

If approved, Dyson hopes to launch with a ninth-grade class in August 2027 and expand from there. See the prospective school's website here.

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➤ Statewide: The state House passed a bill allowing schools to display the Ten Commandments, leaving decisions on size and placement to local school boards. (More)

➤ Nashville: The historic Acme Feed and Seed on Lower Broadway may close after its property tax bill jumped from $129,000 to $600,000 in a year. (More)

➤ Lebanon: The Neddy Jacobs cabin is being removed from the town square to make way for a new downtown park, but will be relocated to serve as an educational tool. (More)

➤ Memphis: The YMCA launched a six-week challenge with St. Jude, encouraging participants to log 105 miles and donate $105 to support childhood cancer research. (More)

➤ Polk County: Most health violations have been fixed at Benton Elementary, but the superintendent called repairs "band-aids" on the nearly century-old building. (More)

➤ Jackson: The city is inviting regional artists to apply by March 6 for a new sidewalk mural near the Carnegie Center for Arts and History and two temporary alleyway murals downtown. (More)

➤ Women’s Basketball AP Poll: Vanderbilt held steady at No. 5 in this week’s rankings, while Tennessee moved up one spot to No. 21. (See Full Poll)

➤ Tennessee hired former Virginia Tech assistant coach Derek Jones as its next cornerbacks coach. Jones worked under Tennessee’s current defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, at Duke through the 2010s. (More)

➤ Former Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello opened up about his departure for the San Francisco Giants in a recent interview: “It’s kind of hard to do something for yourself and your teammates get left behind.” Vitello left Tennessee to become the Giants’ manager, marking his first job in Major League Baseball. (See Video)

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➤ Tennessee cotton farmers are facing a second straight year of low profits as drought and reduced yields push some growers to abandon the crop altogether. (More)

➤ A mother and daughter who graduated together from East Tennessee State University have opened Twisted Roots Healthcare, a direct primary care clinic in Boones Creek. (More)

➤ Tennessee's average gas price dropped three cents to $2.52 last week despite the national average rising two cents to $2.92 per gallon. (More)

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➤ The Jackson Symphony is recording a version of Brahms' Lullaby that will play at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital to celebrate each newborn's arrival. (More)

➤ An Ocoee farm celebrated a rare Valentine's Day surprise after a cow gave birth to triplet heifers, an event with odds as slim as 1 in 840,000. (See Triplet Cows)

➤ Tickets are now on sale for the Nashville Zoo's annual Eggstravaganzoo on April 4, featuring egg hunts and meet-and-greets with the Easter Bunny. (See Details)

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