Thursday, June 4, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1990, country stars filled the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville for the Music City News Country Awards, a fan-voted ceremony hosted by Jimmy Dean and Barbara Mandrell. Watch the video from the event here.

Most Tennesseans know the state sits on top of caves, but one of them hides something you would not expect: the largest underground lake in America, complete with boat rides and rare crystal formations. We take you 140 feet down in Et Cetera. Have you been there? How was it? Reply to this email to tell us.

Social Security’s full retirement age just climbed again, and if you’re thinking about retiring this year, the timing could permanently cost you. What’s actually driving the change? On today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla shares how much your retirement could be cut by depending on timing, plus exclusive tips on how to squeeze the biggest possible check out of your benefits. Tune in here!

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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.

Lawmakers Push Ban on State Property Tax

Tennessee Republicans are pushing a constitutional amendment to permanently ban a statewide property tax, a move that would affect every property owner in the Volunteer State.

Gov. Bill Lee is leading the campaign for the amendment, which would go before voters on the November 2026 ballot alongside two other constitutional questions related to criminal justice.

Tennessee currently has no state property tax, relying instead on local governments and counties to levy property taxes. Supporters say a constitutional ban would lock in that advantage and prevent future legislatures from ever imposing one.

Opponents warn it could limit the state’s fiscal flexibility during economic downturns, though Republican supermajorities make passage of the amendment in the legislature virtually certain. Voters would have the final say in November.

Ogles Deletes Post, Blames Staffer

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., deleted a post from his official account that read, “Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month,” then blamed it on a staff error after criticism online.

The post tied to Tennessee’s designation of June as “Nuclear Family Month,” a resolution Gov. Bill Lee signed April 9 as a counterpoint to Pride Month.

Ogles, who represents Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, said a staffer sent the post and that it did not reflect his intended messaging.

The episode drew national attention and reignited debate over Tennessee’s two June designations as both observances begin this week.

Sazerac Enters Tennessee Whiskey

Sazerac, the spirits giant behind Buffalo Trace bourbon, has launched its first Tennessee whiskey, entering a category long guarded by Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel.

The new release, called AJ Bond Tennessee Whiskey, is produced at Sazerac’s La Vergne distillery in Rutherford County under master distillers Allisa Henley and the late John Lunn, with an initial Tennessee-only release priced at $39.99 for a 750ml bottle.

Tennessee whiskey is legally distinct from bourbon: it must be filtered through charcoal before aging, a step known as the Lincoln County Process. Sazerac’s entry signals growing industry appetite for the category.

Broader U.S. distribution is planned for late 2026, but Tennesseans get first crack, a nod to the state’s whiskey identity even as an outside player enters the game.

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➤ Nashville: Metro Council voted Tuesday to reject the FY2027 budget for the Central Business Improvement District, leaving downtown safety and cleanup programming in limbo after a debate over the district’s approach to crime and homelessness. (More)

➤ Memphis: Three interstate shootings in three days have left drivers on edge on Memphis-area highways, where Gov. Bill Lee deployed about 300 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers in 2025 to fight violent crime. (More)

➤ Clarksville: A 3-year-old boy who set off an Amber Alert was found safe in his own home, hidden in the attic, after an eight-hour search involving drones and search dogs. (More)

➤ Chattanooga: The city kicked off public comment on its proposed FY2027 budget, which includes a 3% cost-of-living raise for all city employees, including first responders. Officials called it a balanced budget. (More)

➤ Memphis: Community leaders and advocates held a town hall on Tuesday to discuss Tennessee’s redrawn congressional districts and push voter registration following redistricting changes made after a Supreme Court ruling. (More)

➤ Franklin: Police are warning that a new state law takes effect July 1, restricting Class 3 e-bikes, which reach 28 mph, to riders 16 and older, up from the current minimum of 14. (See Details)

➤ The Nashville Predators hired Chris MacFarland away from the Colorado Avalanche to become their new president of hockey operations and general manager. (More)

➤ Tennessee deputy athletics director Brady Hart was named to Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under Forty class, the first Vols athletics staffer to earn the honor since the award launched in 2000. (More)

➤ Tennessee football landed four players on ESPN’s top 100 newcomers list for 2026, led by defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam at No. 20 and freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon at No. 22. (More)

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➤ Brentwood-based Tractor Supply Co. is sponsoring the Tractor Supply Spotlight Stage at CMA Fest’s Fan Fair X, running Thursday through Sunday in Nashville, with country star Cody Johnson mentoring emerging artists through the retailer’s Life Out Here program. (More)

➤ Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell defended a $735,000 line item for an immigrant-serving nonprofit in his proposed $3.8 billion FY2027 budget as Metro Council fields public comment ahead of final budget votes. (More)

➤ The Boring Company is preparing to begin construction on the second tunnel of Nashville’s Music City Loop, the 19-mile underground transportation system that will eventually link downtown to Nashville International Airport. (More)

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➤ Chattanooga’s calendar fills up this weekend with the Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers’ Farm Olympics and the Top Tomato Festival, a Bloody Mary sampling event at the Chattanooga Market. (More)

➤ Nashville SC teamed up with the Nashville Public Library to launch a special-edition city soccer club library card tied to the city’s summer reading program. (More)

➤ About 50 miles from Knoxville sits the Lost Sea, America’s largest underground lake, hidden inside Craighead Caverns near Sweetwater, where Confederate soldiers once mined the walls for saltpeter to make gunpowder. (Explore)

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