Saturday, September 19, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1887, Cora “Lovie” Austin, an American jazz and blues pianist, songwriter, and bandleader for The Blues Serenaders, was born in Chattanooga.

Northwest Tennessee brought home five statewide tourism awards at an annual ceremony recognizing the region for its exceptional service, strong leadership, and its lasting impact on Tennessee’s hospitality and tourism industry. Learn which destinations, individuals, and events earned awards in Top Stories.

The Pentagon just released more UFO files, and this batch digs into a secret military program most people have never heard of. Why was the government commissioning studies on wormholes? What happened to the three engineers who got sick after an encounter nobody can explain? And after six releases in five months, are we any closer to knowing what’s actually going on? Amy walks through the full timeline of the release program and breaks down what’s real, what we know, and what’s still a mystery on The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, AutoCamp, has turned more than one million guests into happy campers—and now hundreds of those guests have become investors as the outdoor hospitality brand sets its sights on expanding from eight locations to more than 100.

Lee Outlines Priorities as Term Nears End

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee visited Knoxville this week to discuss his administration’s remaining priorities before leaving office in January, saying there is still significant work to complete in his final months.

Lee defended the state’s use of public-private partnerships to build toll lanes, describing the approach as a way to address congestion without raising taxes on Tennessee drivers.

The governor also praised a multi-agency task force he credited with reducing crime in Memphis, calling the coordinated effort a model for public safety statewide.

Lee said his administration continues pursuing a U.S. Department of Energy nuclear campus award and potential corporate relocations, including Paramount, to strengthen the state’s economy.

Unemployment Matches Lowest Level of Year

Tennessee’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.4% in August, matching the state’s lowest level of 2026, according to data released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The seasonally adjusted rate was unchanged from July and down one-tenth of a point from a year earlier. It remains well below the national rate of 4.1%.

Employers added 1,800 nonfarm jobs between July and August, with the largest gains in leisure and hospitality, government, and construction. Over the past year, the state added 16,400 jobs, led by healthcare and social assistance.

County-level unemployment figures for August are scheduled for release Sept. 24.

Northwest TN Receives 5 Tourism Honors

Northwest Tennessee received five statewide honors at the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association’s 2026 Stars of the Industry Awards during the Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism.

The annual awards recognize individuals, events, destinations, and organizations that demonstrate exceptional service, strong leadership and a lasting impact on Tennessee’s hospitality and tourism industry. The 2026 awards recognized Union City’s Rhythm on the Rails, Tammy Ursery of Discovery Park of America, Obion County’s Discover Reelfoot, Stacie Overman of Lavender Kisses Farms in Hollow Rock, and Discovery Park of America itself in Union City.

The honors covered events, tourism employees, destination marketing, agritourism leadership, and tourism properties, highlighting a range of organizations and individuals across the region.

Three of the five honorees had also received recognition earlier in 2026 through Northwest Tennessee’s Cornerstone Tourism Awards, including Rhythm on the Rails, Discover Reelfoot, and Overman.

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Inc: In Less Than 30 Days, This Brand Raised $1.2M From Its Own Guests

That’s Inc’s headline from July when outdoor hospitality market leader AutoCamp opened its doors to retail investors for the first time. The moral? Those who know the brand best sprung to action.

Less than 30 days. That’s how long it took for more than 350 AutoCamp customers to move from visitors to shareholders, investing $1.2M+ into the company’s future. A closer look at the company’s success is all you need to see why.

By merging iconic outdoor destinations like Yosemite, Zion, Cape Cod and Joshua Tree with boutique-hotel comfort, AutoCamp has transformed $732B in hospitality markets.

Now, after surpassing their initial $1.2M target, AutoCamp has extended the opportunity for those who missed out. And with 1M+ happy campers so far, there’s a big pool of potential investors.

AutoCamp already operates in eight locations nationwide today. Claim your early-stage stake in AutoCamp as they work to expand to 100+.

➤ Antioch: A deadly crash and a second collision involving at least 10 vehicles closed part of Interstate 24 in the area of southeast Nashville on Friday morning. (More Details)

➤ Jackson: The Jackson-Madison Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held a Bells Across America event marking Constitution Week, closing a series of local observances organizers hope will resonate. (Watch Report)

➤ Clarksville: Rossview High School student Rondal Kim Ballard urged the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board on Tuesday to allow vape detectors in bathrooms, saying vaping disrupts students’ learning environment. (More)

➤ Memphis: Compass Community Schools credits its North Star project and expanded teacher training with major literacy gains, projecting 90% of Memphis students will read at grade level. (More)

➤ Lebanon: Police released body camera footage showing an officer’s response to a small aircraft’s emergency landing near Byars Dowdy Elementary School, which occurred shortly after the plane departed Lebanon Municipal Airport. (Watch Video)

➤ Tusculum: Former Vice President Mike Pence addressed Tusculum University’s Constitution Day Patriotic Luncheon, discussing the U.S. Constitution’s continued relevance as the school marked its 232nd anniversary. (More)

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➤ Vanderbilt hosts NC State today in Nashville, where freshman Jared Curtis makes his first start in a marquee game. (Preview)

➤ Bristol hosts the Bass Pro Shops Night Race tonight, with Denny Hamlin holding a nine-point Chase lead over Kyle Larson, who ended a year-plus winless drought last week at Gateway. (Preview)

➤ Nashville SC goalkeeper Brian Schwake earned his first U.S. men’s national team call-up, the club’s first since Walker Zimmerman. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | MLB | WNBA | Golf | Soccer

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➤ Gold’s next big opportunity may be hiding in smaller mining companies. Golden Portfolio’s Garrett Goggin has identified three junior miners he believes could become attractive acquisition targets as major gold producers look to replenish reserves. Get his top three picks, ongoing research, bonus recommendations, and more with Golden Portfolio IV.

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Hotels Ditch Blackout Curtains for Beautiful Canyons

Guests are trading early-morning housekeeping wakeups for breathtaking views. And industry giants clearly think it’s no fad.

Marriott just launched the “Outdoor Collection,” opening properties in destinations like Jackson Hole. Hyatt partnered with a brand specializing in off-grid, safari-style tents.

Meanwhile, Hilton Hotels formed a first-of-its-kind partnership with outdoor-lodging leader AutoCamp. That makes AutoCamp the only outdoor lodging bookable for 200M+ Honors members at Hilton.com. And their boutique approach doesn’t compromise comfort for beauty.

They’ve been building toward this moment since 2013. 1M+ happy campers across 9 locations. An exclusive Airstream partnership no competitor can replicate. Now, AutoCamp’s inviting everyday people like you to invest for the first time.

The giants are validating the category. Claim your piece as an AutoCamp investor as they work to expand to 100+ locations.

This is a paid advertisement for AutoCamp Regulation Crowdfunding offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.autocamp.com. Forward looking statements were included here that the Company believes to be accurate given the current information. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors which if changed may affect the outcome(s). Past performance is not indicative of future results.

➤ Country band Lonestar performed Thursday at the Warren County A&L Fair in McMinnville, filling the Grandstands as the community turned out in large numbers. (See Photos)

➤ Fall foliage season brings larger crowds to the Great Smoky Mountains. In preparation for increased visitation numbers the national park is sharing tips on how to stay safe while hiking on busy trails. (More)

➤ Scientists have temporarily fitted some of East Tennessee’s endangered bats with small antennas, tracking their movements to learn where conservation efforts should be targeted most effectively. (See Details)

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➤ Dry Eyes? Here are 5 reasons drops aren’t working. Are you wasting your money on eye drops? Here are 5 reasons drops won’t work for dry eyes and why you should be doing THIS instead. PS – If you really care about your eye health…⇒ Read this short article before you spend another penny on eye drops… (You are probably being misled).

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.

➤ Newly released Pentagon UFO files reveal a secret military program studying warp drives and unexplained injuries. (Listen Now)

➤ The lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial is disputing fellow jurors’ accounts of what happened behind closed doors. (Hear Details)

➤ Top tech executives are reportedly joining Trump’s state dinner for China’s leader, and AI is on the table. (Podcast Available)