Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1904, two passenger trains collided head-on in Jefferson County after one train failed to take a sidetrack to allow the other to pass, killing 64 people.

An elderly couple in Cocke County whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Helene can finally move back in, thanks to volunteers. “I fixed my first biscuits just a few minutes ago. I’m excited to get back in,” said Frances Ford. Learn more in Et Cetera.

Did you know that the team that makes The Tennessee Flyover also produces a national publication, The Flyover? Click here to sign up for free and stay up to date with the latest national headlines—without the bias of legacy media outlets.

From flipping fries at White Castle to winning backing from NVIDIA and Amazon, today’s sponsor, Miso Robotics, is proving that kitchen automation isn’t just the future—it’s a trillion-dollar opportunity you can invest in today.

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.

$19M Awarded to Support Homeless Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded five grants totaling over $19 million to organizations in Tennessee to help military veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

“No one who served our nation in uniform should go without shelter,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “These grants will provide crucial support and services to help thousands of veterans on their journey back to self-sufficiency.”

Organizations receiving grants included Volunteers of America Mid-States, Inc., Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Memphis, and Tennessee Homeless Solutions. Operation Stand Down Tennessee was awarded two separate grants.

According to the VA, 570 veterans in Tennessee experienced homelessness in January 2024, a decrease of 24.9 percent from the year before.

Deadliest Roads in Tennessee Named

A new report identifies Tennessee’s deadliest roadways, highlighting 10-mile stretches with the highest number of fatal crashes between 2019 and 2023.

“The deadliest road stretch in Tennessee is on I-24, running from near the Nashville International Airport toward Central Nashville. This segment recorded 35 fatal crashes over the five-year study period,” the report said.

The third-ranking segment is on I-240, which runs alongside Memphis International Airport and continues toward East Memphis.

I-240 came in third, running alongside Memphis International Airport and continuing toward East Memphis. See the full list.

Fall Fun Arrives in Tennessee

As fall arrives, here’s a list of the best fall fun to be had in Central Tennessee, featuring Cheekwood Harvest’s pumpkin patch and Oktober Fest at Von Elrod’s, both in Nashville.

Further north in Springfield, Honeysuckle Hill Farm offers a giant slide, bungee trampolines, a pumpkin patch, and attractions open after dark, including a corn maze.

The Hidden Bee Animal Rescue, located in Columbia, will have hayrides, an obstacle course, a pumpkin slingshot, a maze, pumpkin painting, and animal meet-and-greets.

In addition, Tennessee Tourism released a list of new fall attractions, including Zoo Knoxville’s Smoky Night Lights, a 360-degree immersive music and light show celebrating the Smoky Mountains that debuts in November.

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From a Caltech Garage to a $1 Trillion Market

In 2016, some innovative Caltech robotics students set out to transform fast food. That first garage-built prototype became the foundation of Miso Robotics.

Since then, Miso’s robots have worked 200K+ hours in live kitchens for brands like White Castle, frying 4M+ baskets of fries, chicken, and more. That traction convinced NVIDIA, Uber AI, and Amazon to help refine Miso’s AI and robots. As restaurants grapple with 144% employee turnover rates and $20/hour minimum wages, that’s a major edge.

No wonder Miso’s first fully commercial robot, Flippy Fry Station, sold out of initial units in one week.

Now, Miso is leveraging its new manufacturing partnership to scale U.S.-based production nationwide across a $4b annual revenue opportunity.

And you can get up to 8% bonus stock and share in Miso’s growth as an early-stage investor.

➤ Cheatham County: A proposed $250 million resort along the Harpeth River in Kingston Springs is facing community pushback, with residents voicing concerns over stormwater management, river health, and increased traffic. (More)

➤ Sumner County: Several students have been arrested for property damage and vandalism after junior-senior war pranks went too far, leaving three vehicles spraypainted and egged. (Details)

➤ Wilson County: The Boys & Girls Club of Rutherford County is establishing an affiliate club in Wilson County to serve more youth, with several sites under consideration for the new club. (More)

➤ Memphis: Employees of 360 Logistics, who picked up packages from a warehouse in Southeast Memphis and delivered them in their personal vehicles, say they are owed money for the work. “We used our own gas money. We have bills,” one said. (See Video)

➤ Athens: A restraining order has been filed against Liberty Property Services, requiring the business to cover “offensive” graffiti that mentioned the mayor and city attorney. (See Photos)

➤ Walker County: The Walker County Animal Shelter is closed through Oct. 6 after a stray animal tested positive for parvovirus. (More)

➤ Tennessee football’s three permanent SEC opponents were announced this week: Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. The Vols will play each school every year for the next four years. (More)

➤ Vanderbilt football’s permanent opponents were also announced: the Commodores will play Mississippi State, Auburn, and Tennessee each year. (More)

➤ Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis and defensive back Chris Bracy were both given conference honors for their performances against Arkansas last Saturday. Lewis threw for three touchdowns, while Bracy forced a game-winning fumble. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NHL | MLB | Soccer | WNBA

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➤ Tennessee’s attorney general has opened a civil investigation into Deloitte—an accounting firm and one of the state’s largest contractors—to determine whether its diversity and hiring policies violate federal civil rights law. (More)

➤ Commercial Bancgroup, headquartered in Harrogate, aims to raise up to $103.7 million in an IPO. (Details)

➤ Israel Weapon Industries U.S., Inc., plans to relocate its headquarters from Pennsylvania to Anderson County, investing $15.7 million and creating 72 new jobs. (More)

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“One of the Largest Industries Ever”

That’s what NVIDIA’s CEO said about robotics. And the numbers back it up. In Q4 2024, the sector raised nearly as much capital as in all of 2023.

So it’s a big deal that NVIDIA, Uber AI and Amazon helped Miso Robotics perfect Flippy, its new fully commercial kitchen robot. No wonder initial units sold out in one week.

Miso already has 200K+ hours for brands like White Castle under its belt. With the $1T fast-food industry facing 144% employee turnover rates, Flippy provides 24/7 labor and can boost profits by up to 3X.

Now, Miso’s leveraging its new manufacturing partnership to scale US-based production nationwide across a $4b annual revenue opportunity.

Share in Miso’s growth as an early-stage shareholder today and get up to 8% bonus stock while supplies last.

This is a paid advertisement for Miso Robotics’ Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.misorobotics.com

➤ After Memphis’s Central High School’s band was told they couldn’t play at an away game at Brighton on Friday, they made their own music with kazoos as drummers played on metal benches. (See Video)

➤ A 4-year-old golfer sank a hole in one on the 108-yard fifth hole at the Beverly Park Junior Golf Course in Knoxville, and his dad captured the moment in a video that went viral on social media. (See Video)

➤ A couple in Cocke County finally has a new home after Hurricane Helene destroyed their previous one, thanks to lots of help from volunteers. (See Video)