Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital Receives $40M Gift

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt received a $40 million gift from entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader Tom Golisano. The hospital joined the Golisano Children’s Alliance, and will rename its heart program the Golisano Pediatric Heart Institute.

The gift is part of $225 million that Golisano committed Thursday to six hospitals, expanding the alliance to 21 pediatric hospitals nationwide.

The Nashville hospital will lead a pediatric heart consortium across alliance hospitals, sharing research, clinical training, and data. Vanderbilt’s Pediatric Heart Institute has one of the country’s largest pediatric heart transplant programs. Its team provides care for more than 20,000 children annually through 10 satellite clinics across Tennessee. Each year, the pediatric team performs more than 500 cardiac surgeries, and in 2026 it performed 19 heart transplants.

Golisano, the Paychex founder, said he wants families to get high-quality care close to home. His alliance investments now total $753 million, with a goal of 40 hospitals.

Weekend Rain Provides Brief Cooldown

Scattered showers and storms brought Tennessee a short-lived cooldown Saturday, but forecasters across the state expect heat to return Sunday and linger through most of the coming week.

In East Tennessee, Saturday highs held in the low to mid 80s after afternoon storms, and Chattanooga dipped below 90 for the first time since Aug. 3. Northeast Tennessee saw storms as well.

West Tennessee got less relief. Memphis forecasters expect upper-90s highs Sunday through Wednesday, and Jackson could be on pace for its hottest September on record.

Statewide, highs near or above 90 are forecast Monday through Wednesday, with heat persisting and scattered rain chances returning Thursday and Friday.

Donor Coordinator Recalls Lifesaving 9/11 Transport

A Nashville organ donation coordinator who arranged a military flight carrying a liver to a dying Houston infant on Sept. 11, 2001, met the now-grown recipient in person for the first time last week.

Kareena, then 6 months old, needed a transplant when her match was found in Nashville that morning. Nationwide flight groundings after the attacks left her survival chances shrinking by the hour.

Jill Grandas, now CEO of Tennessee Donor Services, worked with the FAA and Tennessee National Guard to load the liver onto a C-130, which took off before noon.

Grandas said that for a few hours, hers was the only plane over American soil that day besides military defense aircraft. The transplant succeeded, and Kareena, now 25, is a law student who calls Grandas every Sept. 11. The two met in person for the first time on Sept. 3.

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➤ Memphis: About 350 volunteers packed more than 185,000 meals for the Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis, marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. (More)

➤ Nolensville: Authorities arrested two teenagers suspected in Middle Tennessee gun store burglaries after a high-speed pursuit, an airborne crash, and a manhunt early Wednesday morning. (See Details)

➤ Jackson: The Dream Center of Jackson opened a new gym on Oil Well Road, giving children in the community a dedicated indoor space to play and take part in programs. (Watch Report)

➤ Johnson City: East Tennessee State University received a $15 million gift from the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation; trustees renamed its largest college the Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences. (More)

➤ Humboldt: Strawberry on Main, a vendor mall of booths selling furniture, clothing, and vintage items, marked nearly one year in operation with a ribbon cutting and community shopping event. (More)

➤ Arlington: The Tennessee State Veterans Home will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 1, marking completion of a 126-bed skilled nursing facility serving veterans in West Tennessee. (More)

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➤ DeSean Bishop rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns as No. 18 Tennessee rolled over Georgia Tech 45-24 in Atlanta. (More)

➤ Memphis led Boise State 20-17 at halftime before the Broncos’ defense clamped down for a 38-20 win over the Tigers. (More)

➤ Vanderbilt beat Delaware 35-26 to start 2-0 for the fifth season in a row, a stretch the program hadn’t matched since the 1930s. (More)

➤ The Tennessee Titans kick off their 2026 season today against the New York Jets at 1 p.m. The game marks the first time the Titans have been favored before a game since the 2024 season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | US Open | MLB | Soccer | FIBA Basketball

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➤ Country music singer and songwriter Jeannie Seely’s Cumberland River home, known as Pennsyltucky, is reopening as a retreat for songwriters and musicians one year after the Grand Ole Opry star’s death. (See Photos)

➤ Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville is hosting the Cheekwood Harvest Sept. 19 through Nov. 1, featuring more than 100,000 pumpkins, a new colorful Marigold River display, live music, and a full lineup of events across the 55-acre estate. (See Details)

➤ Eagleville firefighters freed a 100-pound African spurred tortoise named Berty from a culvert Wednesday after her family called 911, returning the missing pet home uninjured. (See Tortoise)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ America’s colleges receive a brutal free speech report card. (Hear More)

➤ While other retailers chase AI, one legendary retailer chooses models, cameras, and catalogs over tech shortcuts. (Listen Now)

➤ This tiny workout creates a surprisingly mighty molecular response. (Podcast Available)

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