Monday, July 28, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1869, a railway disaster at Budds Creek in southern Montgomery County killed five people, including the train’s engineer.

Today’s edition features a Knoxville medical examiner credited with reviving a patient who had been pronounced dead. Read the details of the miraculous recovery below.

Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Tennessee Universities Scrutinized Over DEI Practices

Tennessee’s top universities—Vanderbilt, Belmont, and UT Knoxville—are under scrutiny after undercover videos suggested they continued diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs under new names despite efforts to end them.

The footage prompted Sen. Marsha Blackburn to demand compliance with an executive order from President Trump banning such initiatives at federally funded institutions.

All three schools have launched reviews and systemwide audits in attempts to stay in good standing with federal regulations.

District Rejects Sick Notes to Curb Absenteeism

Lawrence County Schools will no longer accept doctor’s notes to excuse student absences, aiming to instill workplace-like expectations and address chronic absenteeism.

Under the new policy, most illnesses won’t qualify for excused absences, with exceptions limited to major events like family deaths and verified chronic conditions.

Students who miss over 10 percent of school days automatically fail their classes, regardless of academic performance.

Critics argue the move risks student health and could worsen the spread of illness, while supporters see the move as a step forward in keeping kids in school.

Examiner Revives Person Mistaken for Dead

Knox County medicolegal death investigator Kenzie Sellers saved a person’s life Friday after discovering the person was still alive during a routine death call.

Called to a Knoxville home, Sellers noticed subtle signs of life during her external exam and administered multiple doses of Narcan with help from police.

The patient regained a pulse and was stabilized by the time emergency services arrived.

Officials praised Sellers, noting that death investigators aren’t trained in lifesaving measures, making her quick thinking extraordinary.

Dear Flyover Reader,

There’s never been a more important time to support The Tennessee Flyover.

We’ve got a big announcement coming in a week, and I think you’re going to love it.

In fact, this is the last time we’ll ask for your direct support for a while.

Why?

I can’t say yet, but I can tell you that we could use a boost heading into the announcement. The Flyover family of email publications has grown from a scrappy startup to a new force in the news media landscape, and that’s all because of your support. Now, we’re ready to take things to the next level.

If you’d like to give directly to the news source that’s truly unbiased—that’s for you instead of against you, as the mainstream media typically is, this is your last chance for quite a while.

I can’t wait for you to find out about our plans for the future (look for a special message from our Founder next Monday), and I would very much appreciate your donation today.

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➤ Statewide: Tennessee will hold a special election to fill the 7th Congressional District seat vacated by Rep. Mark Green, with the primary set for Oct. 7 and the general election on Dec. 2. (See Details)

➤ Also Statewide: A new Tennessee law requires TennCare to cover genetic testing and treatment for Kleefstra syndrome—a rare developmental disorder affecting fewer than 1,000 people nationwide. (More)

➤ Memphis: Officials asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to review their legal battle with the Memphis Police Association over a second lieutenant rank that could trigger widespread demotions if upheld. (More)

➤ Nashville: Country singer Conner Smith will return to the Grand Ole Opry stage on Wednesday for his first public performance since being charged with a misdemeanor in connection with a fatal driving accident. (More)

➤ Hendersonville: Fifty officers gathered for a five-day motorcycle rodeo, testing their precision across four courses while fundraising to support law enforcement. (See Rodeo)

➤ Williamson County: A raw sewage leak from the aging Limestone Wastewater Treatment Plant has contaminated Cartwright Creek, prompting health warnings just ahead of the school year. (More)

➤ The Tennessee Titans signed former Vols receiver Ramel Keyton after 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks fractured his collarbone in camp on Saturday. (More)

➤ Three Nashville Predators prospects will compete for USA Team White at the World Junior Summer Showcase, running today through Aug. 2 in Minneapolis. (More)

➤ Twenty-four teams competed on Saturday in the 27th Annual Knoxville Interscholastic League Girls Jamboree at West High, showcasing local soccer talent and sportsmanship through matches and individual skills competitions. (More)

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➤ Convenience store chain Weigel’s opened its first Auto Spa in Powell, offering high-tech car washes and launching a giveaway that includes free gas for a year. (More)

➤ Antioch residents are rallying against a proposed logistics warehouse, arguing the development will increase traffic and endanger local wetlands. (More)

➤ Elon Musk’s xAI is helping Memphis-Shelby County Schools address aging infrastructure with donated HVAC repairs and facility upgrades near its Memphis data center. (More)

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Dear Flyover Reader,

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Our advertisers help us keep the lights on, but we wouldn’t exist without donations from our readers.

If you think The Tennessee Flyover has kept you informed without subjecting you to propaganda (like the mainstream media does), would you help us by donating today?

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➤ Tennessee Belle, a 2-year-old filly owned by Randy and Jenny Boyd of Knoxville, placed second Saturday in her debut at New York’s historic Saratoga Race Course. (See Tennessee Belle)

➤ The Memphis Smart STEM Academy is now enrolling children aged 2 to 5 in affordable early childhood programs focused on science, technology, engineering, and math. (See Ribbon Cutting)

➤ Volunteers collected trash by land and boat at Seven Islands State Birding Park, helping protect one of the world’s most biodiverse river systems. (More)

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