Friday, August 21, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 2017, a total solar eclipse swept across Tennessee, with Nashville being the largest U.S. city in the path of totality. Crowds gathered statewide as midday briefly darkened into an eerie twilight.

The Memphis Chess Club hosts the 80th annual Tennessee Open and State Chess Championship over Labor Day weekend. What’s your game of choice: chess, checkers, or something else? Hit reply and tell us what you’d bring to the table.

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Two Student Cyclists Killed, Seven Hurt

Two Milligan University students were killed, and seven others injured Wednesday when a vehicle struck the school’s cycling team during a training ride in Carter County.

The university identified the two who died as sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, part of a group of 11 riders on Highway 19E near Simerly Creek Road.

Prosecutors charged the driver, 69-year-old John Benfield of North Carolina, with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle.

Four of the injured were in critical condition at Johnson City Medical Center, and the district attorney said the investigation is ongoing, with additional charges possible.

Four Hospitalized After State Fair Ride Incident

Nine people were hurt Wednesday night when the Wave Swinger ride malfunctioned at the Wilson County-Tennessee State Fair in Lebanon.

The ride’s operator, Reithoffer Shows, said the swing ride stopped, and as it came down, several riders came into contact with the fence surrounding it.

The Wilson County Emergency Management Agency said nine people were evaluated, primarily for leg injuries, with five treated at the fair’s on-site medical facility and four taken to hospitals for further evaluation.

All the injuries were described as minor and non-life-threatening, and two of the four had since been released. A state inspector examined the ride and, at last report, found no mechanical abnormality.

Mayor Fights Feds to Rescue Bald Eagle

Athens Mayor Larry Eaton is challenging a federal order to euthanize Phoenix, a rescued female bald eagle the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service directed be put down within seven days.

Phoenix arrived at Owl Ridge Raptor Center in April with a fractured radius and ulna in her left wing and had surgery at the University of Tennessee, but her treating veterinarian says a drooping wing means she can’t return to the wild.

That veterinarian concluded Phoenix has adapted well to captivity and is a good candidate for placement, and the center says it has secured a permanent home for her.

After Eaton pressed officials to reconsider, the service responded that it is not recommending euthanasia at this time and will explore other options for the eagle’s care. Learn more about bald eagles in Tennessee here.

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➤ Memphis: City leaders are discussing a transition plan as National Guard lodging contracts tied to the Memphis Safe Task Force are set to end in October. (More)

➤ Blount County: Crews recovered the body of missing kayaker Rick Kitts on Tellico Lake, ending a weeklong search after his empty kayak was found drifting below Chilhowee Dam. (More)

➤ Shelby County: State Rep. Joe Towns Jr., newly elected criminal court clerk, says a controversial post on his Facebook page was not his and that his account was hacked. (More)

➤ Collierville: A newly released memo details the fallout between the town administrator and Fire Chief John Selberg, whom the administrator says is on leave for insubordination. (More)

➤ Bradley County: Residents are pushing back on a possible rezoning of undeveloped property, worried it could clear the way for a data center. (More)

➤ Murfreesboro: Central Magnet School was ranked the No. 1 high school in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report, up from No. 3 last year. (More)

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➤ Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate missed practice with stiffness, while backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky returned after leaving Monday’s session with a bicep injury to his throwing arm. (More)

➤ Tennessee and Alabama will both wear their home football jerseys when they meet Oct. 17 in Knoxville, reviving a tradition dormant since 1970. The two-year agreement also covers next season’s game in Tuscaloosa. (More)

➤ Five Tennessee football players were named to the 2026 preseason coaches All-SEC team, including running back DeSean Bishop, offensive lineman Wendell Moe Jr., and linebacker Arion Carter. (More)

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➤ Ferrovial was selected to deliver Tennessee’s I-24 Choice Lanes near Nashville, a project the state calls the largest private investment in its history. (More)

➤ Hendersonville filed suit against Eagle View, LLC and its developer, alleging the company failed to complete required public infrastructure at the New Shackle Island Road development. (More)

➤ A $2.5 million expansion is adding a 1,500-square-foot event space, The Reserve, to the Radius rooftop lounge on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. (More)

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➤ Miranda Lambert will open Nashville’s new 4,400-capacity venue, The Truth, in Wedgewood-Houston on Oct. 1, performing with a 12-piece string section. (More)

➤ The Memphis Chess Club hosts the 80th annual Tennessee Open and State Chess Championship over Labor Day weekend, drawing up to 150 players downtown. (More)

➤ The Country Music Hall of Fame will honor Grammy-winning songwriter Pat McLaughlin, a longtime John Prine collaborator, at a Poets and Prophets event this fall. (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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Two fishermen were found off the coast of Mexico after a shipwreck left them clinging to a large cooler for five days. (Hear Details)

➤ Is intermittent fasting overhyped, or does it really work? (Hear Episode)

➤ In sorority basements across the country, hidden teams are digging up dirt that can tank a recruit’s chances. (Full Story)