Tennessee
Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant returns for night three – WBBJ TV
JACKSON, Tenn. — The Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant is coming up on the final night of the competition here in the Hub City.
Many residents have attended this pageant all week and anxiously await that crowning moment.
This pageant has been a major attraction here this week. According to the Community Economic Development Commission survey the Miss Tennessee Volunteer pageant brings in over $2 million during this time every year.
The semifinals for the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant is coming to a close. The winner will be crowned on Saturday night.

Miss Tennessee Teen Volunteer, Kristin Henning, tells us what drew her to the competition.
“I remember meeting Jada Brown, our Miss Tennessee Volunteer, last year whenever she was a judge in Miss Juneteenth Jackson and I’ve been seeing her pop up around my community. I remember how sweet she was and that’s really what made me want to join this organization,” said Henning.

Miss Tennessee Iris Teen, Katherine West, tells us they’ve had a full week but finding a consistent balance has been most beneficial throughout this entire process.
“I think being 100% authentically and truly yourself is one of the key things. You have to have kindness. You have to be kind towards others and you have to be kind towards yourself especially because this week we have hit the ground running. We have like five to six hours of sleep every single night, so we’ve had to take some time for ourselves throughout the day and be kind to our bodies,” said West.
Many contestants have expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received from the community.
“How deserving people are in this community. They’re so sweet, so kind and willing to take in anybody who is, well, a part of this competition,” said Henning.
It’s far from over as the remaining semifinalist prepare to hit the stage one last time to see who will be crowned the title of Miss Tennessee Volunteer 2025.
Win, lose, or draw, the contestants are thankful for the experience and connections they’ve had the opportunity to create.
The final night of competition, including the crowning of a new Miss Tennessee Volunteer, starts at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Carl Perkins Center.
For more Madison County news, click here.
Tennessee
Sick and tired: Counties near Chattanooga are now reporting highest flu rates in Tennessee
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn — Tennessee health officials say flu activity is rising sharply in around Chattanooga, with counties surrounding Hamilton showing some of the highest rates in the state.
Marion, Grundy, Sequatchie, Bradley, Meigs, Rhea, Bledsoe, McMinn and Polk counties are currently the only areas in Tennessee rated “very high” for influenza activity by the Tennessee Dept. of Health. Photo via the Tennessee Health Dept.
Marion, Grundy, Sequatchie, Bradley, Meigs, Rhea, Bledsoe, McMinn and Polk counties are currently the only areas in Tennessee rated “very high” for influenza activity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These counties have flu positivity rates greater than 10 percent. By comparison, the statewide average is 6.5 percent, and Hamilton County itself is at 6.9 percent.
State and federal health experts say the surge comes as influenza A(H3N2) continues to circulate widely. The CDC reports at least 11 million flu illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths nationwide so far this season. One pediatric death was reported this week in Tennessee, bringing the season total to nine nationwide.
File photo: Getty Images.
Georgia officials are also reporting higher-than-average flu activity, signaling that the region is experiencing a particularly active season. Health authorities encourage residents six months and older to get vaccinated if they have not already and to take precautions such as frequent handwashing and staying home when sick.
Flu activity is expected to remain elevated in Tennessee and across the U.S. for several more weeks, according to the CDC. Local hospitals and clinics are urging families to monitor symptoms and seek care early, especially for children, older adults, and those with chronic health conditions.
For the latest guidance on influenza vaccination and antiviral treatments, visit the Tennessee Department of Health or the CDC at cdc.gov.
Tennessee
Tennessee launches country’s first public database tracking domestic abusers
Tennessee launched the country’s first-ever public database tracking and listing convicted domestic abusers as part of a ratified law honoring a sheriff’s deputy who was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend.
The database, which officially launched on Jan. 1, includes offenders’ names, photos and dates of birth and is part of Savanna’s Law. The bill was signed into law by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in May 2025 and required the state to establish the registry in Savanna Puckett’s name.
Puckett, a 22-year-old Robertson County Sheriff’s deputy, was tragically killed by her ex-boyfriend, James Conn, at her home on Jan. 23, 2022. Conn had a lengthy history of domestic assault arrests that Puckett had no knowledge of before they began dating.
Conn shot Puckett in the torso and head before he set her home on fire. He pleaded guilty to her murder in August 2023 and was sentenced to life in prison.
Puckett’s distraught mother, Kim Dodson, was determined to save other domestic abuse victims from her daughter’s fate and began pushing state lawmakers for change.
She was a staunch advocate for the bill’s passage and said that if the registry had existed sooner, her daughter might still be alive.
“I was just horrified when I finally saw all those records because I know Savanna well enough that she would have never dated him. I honestly, honestly, honestly feel that if she had known that she could still be here,” Dodson told WSMV.
The domestic abuser registry is run through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and lists anyone in the state who has been convicted of at least two domestic violence-related charges, according to the website.
However, the offender’s registration is dependent on the accusing victim. If the victim doesn’t consent to their abuser’s name being included, then the offender can bypass the registry.
The database doesn’t include info on offenders convicted before the new year, so the current list is limited. But it was made in the mirror image of the state’s sex offender registry, which is more fleshed out with decades-worth of listings.
The sex offender registry includes a rolling queue of “wanted violators” and a “map of offenders.”
Tennessee has previously ranked among the top 10 states with the most domestic violence homicides. In 2019, it tied for fifth with South Carolina in a separate list detailing the states with the highest femicide rates, WTVF reported.
Tennessee
Cam Ward injury update: Titans QB out after shoulder injury vs. Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans pre-game analysis, prediction
Florida Times-Union Jacksonville Jaguars beat reporter Demetrius Harvey breaks down what the team needs to do to beat the Tennessee Titans in Week 18.
Tennessee Titans quarterback and former Miami star Cam Ward exited the Week 18 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a shoulder injury, sustained during a first-quarter touchdown run at EverBank Stadium on Jan. 4.
The Titans initially listed Ward as questionable to return, before declaring him out late in the first quarter. Up until the injury, the rookie quarterback had appeared in every offensive snap during the regular season for last-place Tennessee.
While rounding right end and diving for the end zone, Ward absorbed a hard hit from Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun as he also struck the ground just inside the end zone pylon. The rush gave the Titans a short-lived 7-0 lead.
Ward entered the medical tent after the injury, and Tennessee medical staff subsequently escorted him to the locker room.
The rookie from Miami had completed 24 of 38 passes for 141 yards when the Titans played Jacksonville on Nov. 30, a 25-3 Jaguars win. At Miami, Ward was a finalist for the 2024 Heisman Trophy, which ultimately went to Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, now with the Jaguars but also out due to injury.
Former Jaguars quarterback Brandon Allen entered the game in Ward’s place on the next series. The Jags drafted Allen in the sixth round (No. 201) in 2016, although he never appeared in a regular-season game for Jacksonville.
With a victory, the Jaguars would clinch the AFC South and a first-round home assignment for the playoffs. The Titans were eliminated from postseason contention weeks ago.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
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