Tennessee abounds with reportedly supernatural spots to get your thrills during spooky season.
One Curious Nashville listener recently asked: “What is the most haunted place in Nashville?”
That prompted an investigation by reporter Justin Barney (@justinbarney) highlighting sites like Second Avenue and Two Rivers Mansion. Then WPLN’s daily show This Is Nashville widened the scope of our search, finding haunted prisons, an abandoned colony, and places associated with the famed Bell Witch.
You can hear more about all these supernatural sites and more in the This Is Nashville podcast feed.
Producers: Alexis Marshall, Justin Barney, This Is Nashville
Photos: Mary Vaughan, Tennessee State Library and Archives
Editor: Tony Gonzalez
In the final week of early voting, the GOP candidate for Tennessee’s new 9th Congressional District has become embroiled in a sexting scandal.
State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, acknowledged sending unsolicited nude photos of himself to multiple women as recently as 2021. But, as WPLN’s Marianna Bacallao (@ba.marianna) reports, he won’t say how many times it happened or with how many people.
“It really doesn’t matter whether it was one or 21, one was too many,” Taylor said. “I’m willing to be held accountable.”
Taylor, 58, has characterized the extramarital sexting as a “youthful indiscretion,” despite being in his 50s at the time.
“My wife and I have worked through that together, and we have moved on. And the frustrating part is that now she has to relive all this again,” Taylor said. “Tennesseans are not interested in the pain that is occurring in my family; they’re more interested in the pain that occurs in their family.”
Taylor is running to flip Memphis’ former district red after Republicans redrew the map to favor their party. His opponent, state Rep. Justin. J Pearson, D-Memphis, has condemned Taylor’s behavior.
Photo: Marianna Bacallao
Producer: Marianna Bacallao
Editor: Megan Jones
About a third of older adults are taking five or more medications a day. The more you take, the higher the risk of the meds interacting poorly with one another.
Sometimes five, six, even 10 medications are what’s needed for your health. But DeLon Canterbury, CEO of North Carolina-based GeriatRx, says it’s a good idea to bring a list to your doctor. Your health provider may not be aware of everything you’re taking, he said.
“Do not assume that someone is checking all of these things in the background. There isn’t this magical unicorn pharmacist just making sure everything is safe. Yes, even at the local pharmacy,” Canterbury said. “So make sure, if you notice something is off, that you advocate for yourself.”
The QTip: If you’re taking medications and supplements, keep your own up-to-date list and have it with you.
Video producer: Katherine Ruppelt and Emily Siner
Editor: Megan Jones
Illustration: studioria
If you’ve always dreamed of owning an acclaimed Tennessee whiskey company, now might be the time to snag a deal.
Editor Daniel Potter (@hellodanpo) reports that Uncle Nearest (@unclenearest), which has been in receivership as the company navigates huge debts, unpaid taxes, and federal investigations, is looking for a buyer.
The court-appointed attorney in charge has to make regular updates, and the one out this month is not stellar. The company remains insolvent, and it’s not the best time to be in the whiskey business.
Still, not all hope is lost. The report says “three potential purchasers remain in ongoing discussions,” and the attorney “feels that he is close to executing an asset purchase agreement.” If that doesn’t happen, he’s “concerned about the continued deterioration of the brand’s value.”
In other words, it’d help if a sale happened soon.
Photos: Daniel Potter / WPLN and Adam Hunger / AP
Producer/Editor: Megan Jones
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn received strong pushback after she posted an AI video of herself imitating Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX performance ahead of early voting in Tennessee.
WPLN’s Marianna Bacallaso (@ba.marianna) reports Lamar’s actual halftime show itself drew pushback from conservatives at the time.
Right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson called Lamar a “talentless mumbling pagan satanic cultist.” The late conservative activist Charlie Kirk said, “This music is not my style,” while some asked for subtitles to understand the show.
Cultural consultant Cecilia Olusola Tribble said Blackburn’s use of the song is itself an attempt to erase Black artists from the culture they created.
“Colonization is dependent on erasure,” Tribble said. “To erase the voice and the people who are responsible for the very fabric of the culture that her team was trying to copy in this ad.”
Tap link in bio for our ongoing election coverage.
Video Producer: Marianna Bacallao
Editor: Megan Jones
Video: Williamson Scene, 2025 Apple Music Halftime Show, Fox 13 Memphis
Democratic voters have reported problems with Nashville’s voting machines. When they select the Democratic candidate for governor, Jerri Green, the machine will sometimes select Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn instead.
Marianna Bacallao (@ba.marianna) reports the problem stems from the voting machine’s sensitivity. Since the Republican option is first, selecting the Democratic option too close to the boundary on the screen can make the machine choose the wrong candidate.
To help ensure the machine picks the right option, Davidson County Election Commissioner John Richardson said polling sites are bringing back plastic straws.
Any ballot error can be corrected before it goes through the scanner. After it enters the scanner, it has been tallied and cannot be changed.
Early voting runs through Oct. 29. Election Day is Nov. 3
Tap link in bio for the full story and follow our election coverage for a voters guide and more.
Photo: George Walker IV / AP, Marianna Bacallao
Producer/Editor: Megan Jones
Notable quotables for the week focus on elections, elections, elections! And how candidates are dealing with issues from AI-generated ads to their stance on the environment.
Tap link in bio to get access to our free full stories and our election coverage.
Producer: Catherine Sweeney
Editor: Megan Jones
Tennessee State University (@tennstateu) plays most of its home games at Nissan Stadium, and the move has generated some confusion – and pushback – about how much this costs the school.
It’s been nearly thirty years since TSU held regular football games on campus at Hale Stadium, also known as “the Hole.” Many alumni want games returned to campus, but TSU’s athletic director says the current arrangement is the most financially beneficial. The TSU and Titans agreement changed in 2023 and TSU pays no rent to use Nissan Stadium.
Aside from monetary concerns, WPLN’s Camellia Burris (@camellia.elaine) reports that some alumni, like Henderson Majors, cite nostalgia and the sense of community offered on the North Nashville campus as the main reasons to bring games back to Hale.
“You got music playing in the background from Jefferson Street. It`s just an atmosphere that can`t be duplicated. That is a treasure within itself.”
Tap link in bio for the full story.
Video Producer: LaTonya Turner
Editor: Megan Jones
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