Tennessee
Friend or foe, either way East Tennessee plant specialists say they have to go
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – After having a number of customers asking if they carried them, a Knoxville greenhouse says they’re not carrying Bradford pears and people need to look at alternatives.
”We don’t sell them, we don’t bring them in at all,” said Kelsey McCarter the trees and shrubs manager at Stanley’s Greenhouse.
The warning came because the trees, also known as Callery pears are invasive to East Tennessee.
”They’ve become incredibly invasive in our area, and across the country even,” said McCarter.
The Callery, or Bradford pear, was brought to the country in the early 1900s. They became increasingly more popular in 80s and 90s as people opted for them in their yards and neighborhoods because of their pretty bloom and fast growth.
”Plants are not furniture, you know they show over decades the true properties of the plant,” said Michelle Campanis, the education programs coordinator at UT Arboretum.
WVLT News reached out to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to find out if the state is looking into banning the tree. They said it’s not an option at this time, but the department is looking into ways to manage the invasive species.
”It has become invasive because once it reverts back to the parent tree the calorie pear which has very long thorns, spreads easily and that’s what you see popping up all over the road sides, vacant lots,” said Campanis.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency created a team whose job is to travel to management areas and remove the trees, the only efforts known across the state to attempt to eradicate the tree.
”It has become an invasive plant, every year that I’m in Oak Ridge I’m seeing more and more of them and its becoming a plant that’s crowding out our native plants that birds and insects need for food,” said Campanis.
Back at Stanley’s Greenhouse, work is now being done to educate and inform people of what should be planted instead.
”When the service berry tree is in bloom its full of white flowers I mean from a distance you may not even be able to tell it from a Bradford pear tree,” said McCarter.
While expensive, the recommendation of how to handle the Bradford pear is to simply have the trees removed.
”Having them removed unfortunately I know its a costly thing to do,” said McCarter.
Copyright 2024 WVLT. All rights reserved.
Tennessee
Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.
During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.
From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.
Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.
“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.
The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.
“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.
For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.
“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.
What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
– Carrie Sharp
Tennessee baseball will look to salvage the final game of the SEC series against Ole Miss.
The Vols (25-14, 7-10 SEC) play Game against the No. 23 Rebels (29-11, 10-7) on April 19 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Ole Miss has been on a roll. The 8-1 win on April 18 against the Vols moved the Rebels to eight straight wins. It got an ace-level start from Cade Townsend and a grand slam from Tristan Bissetta to secure Game 2.
Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA) will start for the Rebels. Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound for Tennessee.
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss live updates
What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss on today?
- TV channel: SEC Network+
- Live stream: ESPN app
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss game times
- Game 3: April 19 (1 p.m. ET)
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss probable pitchers
- Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA)
- Ole Miss: RHP Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tennessee Volunteers baseball team dropped game two to Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon, 8-1. The Rebels clinch the series, the first time Ole Miss has won a series in Knoxville since 2016.
A bright spot for the Vols was Tegan Kuhns who threw 5.2 innings not allowing a run, striking out 10 batters on five hits.
Cam Appenzeller picked up his first loss of the season coming in out of the bullpen for Kuhns. The SEC Freshman of the Week did not have a great outing. Appenzeller went 2.1 innings giving up six earned runs.
Tennessee escaped a shutout as Trent Grindlinger hit a solo home run in the ninth inning. Grindlinger’s home run was one of Tennessee’s two hits on the night.
The Volunteers look to avoid the series sweep as theY round out the series with Ole Miss on Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on the SEC Network+.
Copyright 2026 WVLT. All rights reserved.
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