Saturday, October 3, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1791, the Knoxville Land Lottery took place when founder James White sold 64 half-acre lots within the newly surveyed town plan along the Tennessee River. Gov. William Blount named the new frontier settlement Knoxville to honor George Washington’s Secretary of War, Henry Knox.

Did you ever visit Opryland USA before its abrupt closure in 1997? See how sentimental fans of the bygone Nashville theme park remember its enduring legacy in Tennessee culture in Et Cetera.

Sick season is here. Plenty of people are coughing and clearing their throats through every conversation, but that stubborn tickle might have nothing to do with the cold going around. Doctors point to a surprising culprit, and your go-to remedy could be making things worse. Amy breaks down that stuck-in-your-throat feeling on today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast. Is your trusty allergy pill actually helping? Which popular nasal spray should never be used for more than three days? And what if that lump in your throat isn’t really there? Tune in here!

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Winner of the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee

After more than 100 manufacturers in the Volunteer State faced off in several rounds of voting to determine the most popular Tennessee-made products … the results are in! Tennemo Rice, grown and milled by Tennemo Rice Family Farm and Mill in Dyersburg, won the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee on Wednesday.

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry handed out the title in Lebanon after nearly 80,000 votes across four rounds. The rice beat an INFINITI QX65 SUV manufactured by Nissan in Smyrna, Superconducting Magnet Systems from Cryomagnetics in Oak Ridge, and a Scare Owl from Dalen Products in Knoxville.

Tennemo is the state’s first and only family-owned rice farm and mill, and the Schultz family handles every step from planting to packaging.

The family mills Basmati, Jasmine, brown, and white rice in the small community of Finley and ships to 127 stores nationwide. The mill runs about 1,000 bushels a day, and co-owner William Schultz says it’s already too small: “We thought we built this place big enough, and we need about another 10 feet on each side.”

New Law Opens Child Care Jobs to Students

With the 2026/27 school year now underway, a new Tennessee law lets high school students work in child care centers, aiming to ease staffing shortages while offering early career preparation in education.

The law, known as Senate Bill 2525, which went into effect on July 1, covers students older than 16 and younger than 19 who may work after school or during school hours through work-based learning, if they meet certain criteria.

Backers said the measure lets students explore whether child care is a career they want to pursue while helping address a shortage of workers in the field.

The measure was one of several child care laws taking effect this summer, including one requiring teachers and assistant teachers of children four and younger to be at least 18 years of age.

FedEx Orders 2,000 Electric Trucks

Memphis-based FedEx has ordered 2,000 all-electric delivery trucks from California manufacturer Harbinger in a deal worth more than $300 million.

The trucks are due by the end of 2027 and will replace conventional vans on pickup and delivery routes across the U.S. and Canada. Hitting that deadline means Harbinger has to build roughly 111 trucks a month, a pace the 2022 startup hasn’t proven at this scale.

Harbinger estimates each truck cuts fuel costs by about $20,000 a year compared with the diesel it replaces, or $40 million a year across 2,000 vehicles. It pegs the total at $800 million over a 20-year service life.

FedEx has set a goal of carbon-neutral operations by 2040, with its entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet running on electricity. It already operates 53 Harbinger trucks ordered last November, when it helped lead the startup’s $160 million funding round.

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➤ Hawkins County: Two boys who went missing from Mooresburg were found safe in Georgia after a TBI Endangered Child Alert. Liam Calfee, 5, and Connor Calfee, 8, were traveling with their non-custodial parents, both wanted on custodial interference charges. (More)

➤ Chester County: Animal Rescue Corps hauled 24 animals out of a property in a cruelty case: 12 dogs, 10 cats and kittens, a rabbit, and a goat, many emaciated or chained in dirty pens. One dog, Jolene, remains hospitalized. (See Details)

➤ Clarksville: The City Council voted 9-3 to delay backing a loan for a $65 million arts center until February 2027. Councilwoman Stacey Streetman said the delay gives the arts authority five months to collect pledges toward its $40 million campaign. (More)

➤ Collierville: A STEM teacher at Sycamore Elementary was named Tennessee’s 2026-27 Teacher of the Year. Jenna Burke has taught there since 2017, and the state education department credited her hands-on classroom approach. (Meet Teacher)

➤ Donelson: Neighbors say BNA’s expansion has brought more noise, heavier traffic, and frequent road closures to the Nashville community. (Watch Report)

➤ Knoxville: Operation Honor Guard Day of Giving is marking 10 years of raising money for local honor guard units that give veterans their final military honors. (Watch Report)

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➤ Vanderbilt’s soccer team hosted Kentucky on Friday at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex. The Commodores are 10-0-1 and ranked No. 3, with Kentucky (6-4-1) arriving at the midpoint of SEC play. (See Score)

➤ The Nashville Predators dropped their season opener 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone Arena, with captain Roman Josi scoring Nashville’s only goal. (See Recap)

➤ No. 17 Tennessee hosts Auburn at 2:30 p.m. today on ESPN at Neyland Stadium, a week after the Vols’ 20-17 loss to No. 1 Texas, while Auburn is coming off a 21-15 home victory against Vanderbilt. (How to Watch)

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

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➤ Father Ryan students raised more than $70,000 for cancer research at the Nashville school’s Relay For Life, which drew more than 500 people. (See Photos)

➤ Johnson City is a semifinalist for the national Great American Main Street award. The city’s Main Street Director Lindsey Jones called it a nod to countless hours of hard work. (More)

➤ Opryland USA drew generations of Middle Tennessee families to Donelson, and for the kids who rode its rides, the park remains a core childhood memory decades after it closed. Every year, former Opryland workers all get together for a reunion, swapping stories about the old park. (Watch Report)

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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.

➤ Sick season is here, and doctors say relief for that stubborn throat starts with one surprising fix. (Listen Now)

➤ Nobel watchers say the International Space Station is a serious Peace Prize contender this year, alongside far more contentious earthbound names. (Hear Names)

➤ Pope Leo XIV is urging artists to join the church in a fight to protect human creativity from artificial intelligence. (Podcast Available)