Thursday, October 22, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1836, former Tennessee Gov. Sam Houston was sworn in as the first president of the Republic of Texas. He had resigned as Tennessee’s governor in 1829 after his marriage fell apart and headed west.

One Knox County fall festival is adding a Dolly Parton costume contest this year. Get the details in Et Cetera. What’s the best costume you’ve ever worn for Halloween or another occasion? Hit reply and tell us all about it.

Your milk says it expired seven days ago. Some people pour it straight down the drain, and others pour a glass without a second thought. It’s one of the oldest standoffs in the kitchen. Is the date on the label a hard deadline, or just a suggestion? Researchers at Ohio State have an answer. And milk is just the start. We break down the verdicts on that canned soup from last summer and the mystery bag in your freezer, too. So who has been right all along, the tossers or the keepers? Ayla has the full story on today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here!

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Lawsuit: Woman Diverted $8.2M in Payroll

Workforce management company nextSource filed a civil lawsuit accusing a Mt. Juliet woman of diverting more than $8.2 million to her personal bank account while working as a top payroll employee.

The suit alleges she created fake worker profiles and routed their pay to herself over an eight-year period.

So-called ghost employee schemes have turned up elsewhere, including a New Jersey case where a hospital supervisor allegedly created fake profiles for two friends and submitted bogus timecards.

The case is a civil lawsuit, and the allegations against the Mt. Juliet woman haven’t been proven in court.

Jefferson County Schools Pull Books

Jefferson County Schools removed books from its school libraries, the latest East Tennessee district to pull titles under the state’s school library law.

A 2024 state law requires schools to remove materials with nudity, sexual content, or excessive violence that’s inappropriate for students’ ages.

Districts across the state have pulled hundreds of titles since the law took effect, and a federal lawsuit is challenging removals in Rutherford County.

The list of books removed totals 34 titles, including American Gods by Neil Gaiman and Bag of Bones by Stephen King.

Little Big Town, HARDY Headline NYE Bash

Little Big Town, The Red Clay Strays, and HARDY will headline Nashville’s free New Year’s Eve Big Bash on Dec. 31 at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.

The night ends with Nashville’s red Music Note dropping from a 138-foot tower at midnight Central time.

Last year’s party drew an estimated 205,000 people despite freezing temperatures, with Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, and Bailey Zimmerman headlining.

The show will again air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

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➤ Statewide: A court dismissed a challenge to Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Program, which opponents argued violated the state constitution by funding private schools. (More)

➤ Knoxville: Police say violent crime is trending toward historic lows, with homicides down 36%, nonfatal shootings down 30%, and car burglaries down 44% from last year. (More)

➤ Cheatham County: Residents rallied against a proposal to dissolve the county’s fair association and auction the fairgrounds, though the board canceled its meeting. The issue moves to Nov. 17. (More)

➤ Roane County: An appeals court will let TVA keep building its Kingston gas plant while it appeals a federal judge’s ruling that the project violated federal law. (More)

➤ Memphis: The city council rejected a yearlong data center moratorium in a 6-6 tie on Tuesday, then voted 7-5 for a 135-day pause plus new data center rules. (More)

➤ Gatlinburg: The National Park Service closed the Gatlinburg Bypass in both directions because of an unspecified incident. (More)

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➤ The Titans cut defensive lineman Jordan Elliott, who reportedly brought a gun to the team’s facility Oct. 15. He’d signed a two-year, $8 million deal in March. (More)

➤ Vols linebacker Arion Carter is a Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist for the second straight year and a Campbell Trophy finalist, college football’s “academic Heisman.” (More)

➤ Center Mavrik Bourque could return from an upper-body injury on the Predators’ road trip to Boston and Pittsburgh after four straight full practices. Nashville is 3-2-3. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NBA | WNBA | NHL | Soccer

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➤ Journey to Patmos, the island where John wrote the Book of Revelation, and explore the real history behind three of its seven churches. Times of Fire brings ancient prophecy to life through archaeology, history, and Scripture — free to watch from RevelationMedia.

➤ Elon Musk says he’s staying in Memphis “night and day” to guide the buildout of xAI’s data centers there. (More)

➤ Businesses near PepsiCo’s South Knoxville bottling plant, like BJ Fuel, are bracing for fewer customers after the company announced it will close the plant and lay off more than 100 workers. (More)

➤ The Titans and INFINITI unveiled renderings of the INFINITI Club, a 22,000-square-foot premium lounge for up to 3,000 guests at the new Nissan Stadium opening in 2027. (See Renderings)

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➤ Farragut’s Harvest Fest returns Sunday at Village Green Shopping Center with trick-or-treating, food trucks, live entertainment, and a new Dolly Parton costume contest. (More)

➤ A good Samaritan neighbor opened his home to a family of 15 after an early-morning fire destroyed their Antioch house. Everyone escaped safely. (More)

➤ Neyland Stadium hit a scientifically verified 130.3 decibels during Saturday’s win over Alabama, topping the 125.4 fans reached when the Vols beat the Tide in 2022. (More)

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