Tennessee Airports Affected by Ground Stop

Travelers at McGhee Tyson Airport spent Friday evening deciding whether to wait, book a hotel, or try again Saturday after the FAA halted departures nationwide for about five hours.

The nation’s top homeland security officials explained that the ground stop was due to overloaded, outdated systems at regional air traffic control centers, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there’s no sign of a cyberattack.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed Congress for not approving more money for new technology and said he couldn’t guarantee it won’t happen again. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, said the stop “will warrant a thorough and complete investigation.”

Closer to home, the Vols returned to their Knoxville facility before flying out late Friday for Saturday’s game at Texas A&M. In Nashville, six of BNA’s 10 rental car companies sold out as stranded travelers hunted for another way home.

Sagefield Breaks Ground in Thompson’s Station

Simon Property Group broke ground Thursday on Sagefield, a 16-building shopping center where I-65 meets I-840 in Thompson’s Station in Williamson County.

The 100-acre project is set to open in late 2028, with about 60% of the land kept as green space. Sagefield will feature a mix of retail, chef-driven and farm-to-table restaurants, wellness, entertainment, hospitality, and community gathering spaces. Simon is also paying to widen Lewisburg Pike from two lanes to four between I-840 and Critz Lane.

Traffic has been neighbors’ biggest worry since the plan surfaced, and one resident said earlier this year that it “has gotten out of control.” A neighbor at Thursday’s groundbreaking also raised concerns about traffic and infrastructure.

Simon, which also owns Opry Mills and the Mall at Green Hills, says the project will bring millions in economic development, including more than $40 million in road, water, and sewer work. The center is expected to bring 700 jobs and generate $880 million a year in wages, sales tax, and local property tax. Shops and restaurants will be named later, with officials adding that a hotel, spa, and social club will also be on the property.

100,000 Native Trees up for Grabs

Tennesseans can now reserve up to 10 native trees apiece for pickup March 19-20, 2027, when the Tennessee Environmental Council hands out about 100,000 seedlings across all 95 counties.

Choices include American beautyberry, American elderberry, American plum, Eastern redbud, flowering dogwood, red maple, pawpaw, shadblow serviceberry, shortleaf pine, and white oak. All are native to Tennessee and all will be bare-root seedlings 1 to 3 feet tall depending on the species. Orders are due online by March 1, and the council asks for a donation of $3.99 to $9.99 per tree.

Last spring was the first time every county hosted a pickup site. The trees come through the Tennessee Division of Forestry and local nurseries, and scholarships help people who can’t afford the donation.

The council started Tree Day in 2007 and more than 100,000 Tennesseans have planted over 1 million native trees across the state. Those trees help improve air quality, filter stormwater, support wildlife habitat, and strengthen Tennessee’s tree canopy for generations to come.

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➤ Franklin: Finance Buzz ranked Franklin the second most unaffordable U.S. city for 2027, behind only Scottsdale, Arizona. The median home price there is $900,000, and average rent tops $2,100 a month. (See Ranking)

➤ Oak Ridge: About 450 fish turned up dead at A.K. Bissell Park. After investigating, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency believes rainfall may have contributed. (See Findings)

➤ Memphis: Condé Nast Traveler named Memphis one of 27 cities worldwide to visit in 2027, one of just two in the U.S. along with San Diego. The magazine cited new museums, live music venues, and Michelin-recognized restaurants. (Learn More)

➤ Hamilton County: Hamilton County Schools earned the state’s top student-growth rating in every subject, including reading and math, for the 2025-26 school year. Thirteen more schools met or exceeded state expectations than the year before. (More)

➤ Knoxville: Plans for a Moxy by Marriott hotel in the Old City drew mixed reactions from neighbors. Some welcomed the development, while others worried about parking. (See Details)

➤ Shelby County: Deputies, SWAT, and federal agents searched three Memphis-area smoke shops on Nov. 10, seizing 1.5 pounds of marijuana, 1,950 kratom pills, and a Glock handgun. The 25-year-old owner wasn’t present and faces an arrest warrant. (See Details)

➤ East Tennessee: More people are getting affordable therapy through the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee’s growing Treatment Access Bank program. (More)

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➤ No. 8 Tennessee beat Texas A&M 22-7 behind Cooper Ranvier’s career-high five field goals and a DaSaahn Brame touchdown catch. The Volunteers held the Aggies to a season-low 179 yards. (More)

➤ Vanderbilt lost 21-6 to No. 3 Alabama, managing a season-low 235 yards. The Commodores led 3-0 before Alabama scored its first touchdown in the closing seconds of the first half. (More)

➤ The Tennessee Titans host the Jacksonville Jaguars today at 1 p.m. Titans quarterback Cam Ward enters the game hot, coming off one of the best performances of his career last week. (More)

➤ Tennessee running back Daune Morris sat out yesterday’s game at Texas A&M after being injured in a car accident this week. The sophomore sustained non-life-threatening injuries, including a broken leg, during a car accident Friday morning. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ Morgan Wallen will bring his Last Time I Checked Tour to the new Nissan Stadium for two nights, Aug. 27-28, 2027, with Hardy, Brooks & Dunn, Cole Swindell, and Stella Lefty. Tickets go on sale Nov. 20. (See Lineup)

➤ Green Hill football players are rallying around a 16-year-old teammate fighting Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. They gave Alex Caskey a game ball and trophy and got a recliner donated to elevate his leg. (See Details)

➤ Hohenwald’s Elephant Sanctuary, the largest in North America, has taken in 37 elephants on roughly 3,000 acres since 1995. Eleven live there today. The grounds are closed to the public, but a downtown museum welcomes curious visitors. (More)

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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. 

➤ A wiring upgrade mishap brought America’s air traffic system to a standstill and triggered thousands of cancellations. (Hear More)

➤ A $180 million Van Gogh auction was thrown into uncertainty when the painting’s dark World War II history resurfaced. (Listen Now)

➤ Forget cooking Thanksgiving dinner! These 13 restaurants offered holiday feasts with everything from prime rib to unlimited seafood. (Podcast Available)

If you could select only one free native Tennessee tree, which would you pick?

1. American beautyberry
2. American elderberry
3. Eastern redbud
4. Flowering dogwood
5. Red maple
6. Pawpaw
7. Shadblow serviceberry
8. Shortleaf pine
9. White oak
10. American plum

Previous Results:

What landmark should be included in Monopoly: Chattanooga Edition?

1. All of the above: 55%
2. Lookout Mountain: 16%
3. Ruby Falls: 11%
4. No opinion: 7%
5. Tennessee Aquarium: 4%
6. UT Chattanooga: 3%
7. Other: 3%
8. Walnut Street Bridge: 1%

What is Tennessee’s state mineral?

Show me the answer

If you’re a fan of our Trivia section, you’ll love our new book, The Flyover Book of Trivia 2027, an illustrated collection of 100 of our favorite questions and answers. (Buy It Now)