Thursday, August 20, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1942, singer and composer Isaac Hayes was born in Covington. Hayes would go on to create the Grammy and Oscar-winning score for the film Shaft.

A cold one is coming to campus: UT Chattanooga debuts Mocs Gold Lager, its first official university beer, this Thursday. Do you think universities should put their name on a beer, or should campus and alcohol stay separate? Hit reply and let us know.

Have you ever done a home remodel and regretted it? Well, you aren’t alone. 74% of homeowners who renovated in the last five years wish they’d done something differently, and the most regretted upgrades aren’t what you’d expect. Some of the most popular design trends in America made the list. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla counts down the 10 renovations homeowners regret most and shares the simple tricks that could save you from making the same mistakes. Tune in here!

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Teacher Minimum Salary Hits $50K This Year

Tennessee’s minimum teacher salary rose to $50,000 this school year, a $15,000 jump from the old $35,000 floor.

The increase caps Gov. Bill Lee’s 2023 Teacher Paycheck Protection Act, which phased the minimum up from $35,000 in 2019 to $44,500, then $47,000, and now $50,000, a 42% rise over eight years.

Some East Tennessee districts already exceed the floor, with Campbell County starting first-year teachers at $51,750 and Anderson County at $51,000.

Campbell County shed roughly 13 teaching positions, mostly through attrition, to balance its budget against declining enrollment and tighter state funding.

Hospital Drug Mix-Up Leaves Patients Harmed

A medication error at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville has harmed at least four patients, with one family saying a 72-year-old woman was left paralyzed from the chest down.

The family says she went in for a routine knee replacement and received potassium chloride instead of the intended anesthetic, bupivacaine, during spinal anesthesia.

Hospital president Dr. Shubhada Jagasia apologized to the families, said the cause was identified and corrective safeguards were put in place, and reported the incident to state regulators the same day.

Local reporting indicates the syringes were filled at the pharmacy with potassium, which can be lethal, instead of the anesthetic. The hospital declined to release clinical details, citing privacy, and an investigation continues.

New Recess Law Collides With Triple-Digit Heat

Tennessee’s new recess law is straining some districts as students return to class during a stretch of dangerous, triple-digit heat indexes.

The law, which took effect July 1, requires elementary students to get at least 40 minutes of daily physical activity, up from the previous 130 minutes per week, and bars schools from withholding it as punishment.

With heat advisories common in the first weeks of school, districts like Wilson and Cheatham counties have moved recess indoors, leaving teachers to supervise crowds in gyms, hallways, and cafeterias.

One educator group says the crunch has renewed talk of pushing back the start of the school year and adding air conditioning to older buildings and buses.

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➤ Statewide: A Trump administration proposal to scrap the 25-year-old Roadless Rule could open thousands of acres of the Cherokee National Forest to logging and road construction. (More)

➤ Townsend: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is asking the public to help track invasive Joro spiders, now spotted in and around Cades Cove as they spread north. (See Details)

➤ Knoxville: The City Council gave first approval to an ordinance capping residents at four dogs and four cats and extending limits to pet monkeys. A second reading comes in two weeks. (More)

➤ Memphis: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital named Charles W.M. Roberts as its new president and CEO, taking the helm at what he called a pivotal moment for the institution. (More)

➤ Knox County: The school district opened an internal investigation after two students left Farragut Primary without permission. Both are safe, and the school has been in contact with their families. (More)

➤ Hickman County: Families are devastated after someone bulldozed the 19th-century Neely Cemetery, clearing about 22 grave markers and discarding headstones in the woods. The sheriff’s office says it’s actively investigating. (More)

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➤ The Lady Vols basketball team will wear Axle Logistics jersey patches this season as part of a five-year, $15 million deal. It’s the program’s first jersey sponsorship since the NCAA approved corporate patches. (More)

➤ The Nashville Predators unveiled their 2026-27 theme night schedule, headlined by a season-long celebration of legendary goaltender Pekka Rinne’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Rinne’s official induction night is on Nov. 3, his birthday. (More)

➤ The Tennessee Titans signed former UFL cornerback Corey Mayfield Jr. this week, their fifth defensive back addition since training camp opened. The moves come as cornerback Nazeeh Johnson faces a six-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Titans also launched a personalized brick program for the new Nissan Stadium, letting fans engrave their name in the West Plaza. Packages start at $150, with net proceeds going to the Titans Foundation. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Tennis | WNBA | Little League World Series | Soccer

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➤ TVA, Kairos Power, and Google announced a partnership to supply clean energy in Tennessee and Alabama through an advanced nuclear reactor by 2030. (More)

➤ A group opposing racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway unveiled renderings for a 25-acre redevelopment with a large park and affordable housing, part of a petition drive to put racing’s future on the ballot. (More)

➤ A petition to allow retail liquor stores in Lenoir City nears its Thursday deadline, needing 209 verified signatures to reach the November ballot. The organizer has gathered 175 so far. (More)

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➤ Chattanooga is joining the world’s most prestigious trail-running series, adding a race to its lineup on the circuit. (See Details)

➤ Knoxville Area Rescue Mission announced the opening date for its annual KARM Christmas store, with the first location on Clinton Highway. (More)

➤ UT Chattanooga will debut Mocs Gold Lager, its first official campus beer, on Thursday at the Mocs Football Fan Fest, with sales at campus venues and select retailers. (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:

➤ Remodeling triggers regret in 74% of homeowners, with these 10 “upgrades” causing the most trouble. (Hear Details)

➤ American forces are reportedly running a secret nightly operation to move millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. (Hear Episode)

➤ Russia has placed RFK Jr.’s son on its most wanted list over accusations that he fought for Ukraine. (Listen Now)