Tennessee
Should Tennessee invest in passenger rail to places like Atlanta and Chicago?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The ever-increasing congestion on our roads is something that concerns us all.
But could we find a solution to all that traffic with passenger rail from Nashville to other cities?
For decades, Nashville has been out of the equation when it comes to passenger rail service beyond the city, to destinations like Memphis, Chattanooga and Atlanta.
But now a new study state lawmakers commissioned says the Tennessee Department of Transportation should determine the cost to start passenger rail service like Amtrak on several different routes — the highest priority being from Nashville to Chattanooga and then Atlanta.
WeGo Star riders say in the years and decades to come it would be nice to potentially take a train like this to other destinations than just work.
“It would be great to get on the Amtrak system. I’ve seen the plan. It connects us to just one direction. It would be awesome to see it connect in more directions,” said WeGo Star rider Willis Kelley.
In response to the study, TDOT said:
“We are currently evaluating all of the recommendations and remain committed to taking a holistic and multimodal approach to the mobility needs of our citizens and communities. We are certainly interested in all mobility options including passenger rail linking major cities in and through Tennessee and their economic benefits. As with all transportation projects of this magnitude, cost and feasibility are considerable components that still need to be fully evaluated and understood. It will also require participation from several stakeholders such as Amtrak, FRA, bordering states, and coordination efforts between our railroad partners as passenger rail would likely operate on the same lines that handle freight traffic. Over the next several months we will be engaging these interested parties as we incorporate the findings into our updated Statewide Rail Plan.”
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Tennessee
Karen Weekly on errors, lost challenge in Tennessee softball’s Game 1 loss to Nebraska in super regional

The NCAA super regional in Knoxville started and ended with Jordy Bahl.
The Nebraska pitcher hit a single off Tennessee softball ace Karlyn Pickens on her first pitch of the game. Seven innings and a couple of costly Tennessee errors later, Bahl ended Nebraska’s 5-2 win on May 23 with a strikeout.
The No. 7 seed Lady Vols (43-15) are down one game in the best-of-three series at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Going in, Tennessee was 8-0 in Game 1 of the super regionals at home. It has never advanced to the Women’s College World Series after dropping the first game of super regionals.
“Well, this is super regionals, and these are tough games,” Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said. “We did some uncharacteristic things . . . But that’s postseason, some weird things are going to happen. It’s a marathon, that’s what I told these guys in our postgame. We’ve lost games on Friday night in SEC play, and we’ve come back and won the series. We just need to rely on that experience and come out here tomorrow, flush tonight.”
The Lady Vols will face Nebraska (43-13) in Game 2 of the super regional on Saturday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN).
What Karen Weekly said about lost challenge in fourth inning
Tennessee could have gotten out of the fourth inning multiple times before Nebraska built a four-run lead.
The Lady Vols had two outs in the fourth when Pickens threw a wild pitch. Bella Bacon attempted to steal second base, but catcher Sophia Nugent had a perfect throw to Laura Mealer. The throw comfortably beat Bacon and led Mealer right into the tag, but the umpire called Bacon safe.
Weekly challenged the call, and replays appeared to show Bacon sliding into Mealer’s glove. But the call on the field was upheld, and the inning continued.
“I mean, I’m thinking it’s a good challenge, because the throw beat her,” Weekly said. “So you’re thinking, OK, how do we not have an out there? And I’ll have to see the replay. I mean, they went to review. We don’t have all the camera angles that we have during the regular season. That’s unfortunate. But if we miss the tag, we miss the tag.”
Tennessee doomed by errors in second postseason game
The Lady Vols started the postseason with a loss in the SEC tournament due to two costly errors, and they had two critical errors in the Game 1 loss to Nebraska.
Those happened during the at-bat immediately after the challenge. Bahl hit a fly ball to shallow left field, and Mealer camped out under it, waving everyone off. But outfielder Saviya Morgan came running in and didn’t hear anyone call her off. Mealer backed off at the last second and Morgan missed the catch.
“(It’s) just one of those things where, they both made a mistake,” Weekly said. “Saviya came in and was calling a ball that wasn’t hers, and Laura, at that point in time, just needed to hold her ground and make the catch and not defer to Saviya.”
The ball bounced off Morgan’s foot to Pickens, who threw it home to try to keep another run from scoring. But her throw was off, and Nebraska scored twice and took a 5-1 lead. Weekly pulled Pickens, who had seven strikeouts.
“If we get out of that inning before that pop-up, we had a chance to put a tag on a runner at second base, the inning’s over right there,” Weekly said. “I think if we can kind of keep that at 3-1, we close it to 3-2 — Karlyn’s going to get in there and battle for you. I have a ton of faith in Karlyn. A ton of faith in Karlyn.”
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
Tennessee
Country music singer arrested in Tennessee

Gavin Adcock, the 26-year-old country singer, was arrested Wednesday in Tennessee for reckless driving and violation of open container laws.
The Tennessean, citing the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, reports the Georgia native posted a $1,000 bond and was released around 4:34 a.m. on May 22.
Adcock, known for songs like “Deep End” and “Ain’t No Cure,” was coming off performing back-to-back nights at Nashville’s The Pinnacle and is still planning to continue his “Need To” tour in Grant, Oklahoma, on Saturday.
No further details were available about the circumstances that led Adcock to be arrested, or when he’ll be back in court to address the charges.
It isn’t Adocock’s first run in with the law. He posted on X in 2023 that he’d previously been arrested for driving with a suspended license.
“I sat in there for ten hours and made friends with my cellmates,” he posted.
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
Tennessee
Cucumber recall: Tennessee among states impacted by salmonella outbreak that has left 26 people sick

Listeria outbreak sickens at least 10 across US
At least 10 people in the U.S. have been sickened in a listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat food products, with a producer voluntarily recalling several products.
Scripps News
- Cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales are being recalled due to a salmonella outbreak.
- The outbreak has affected over 20 people across 15 states, including Tennessee.
- According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, no deaths have been reported.
Cucumbers are being recalled nationwide after a salmonella outbreak sickened 26 people and hospitalized nine across 15 states, including Tennessee. On May 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that the outbreak has been linked to cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales.
As part of a follow-up inspection in April 2025, FDA investigators collected an environmental sample from Bedner Growers that tested positive for salmonella and matched recent clinical samples from ill people, reported USA TODAY.
In Tennessee, the outbreak has sickened between 1-2 people, according to the FDA. No deaths have been reported so far.
Here’s what else to know.
What cucumbers are recalled?
Bedner Growers is voluntarily recalling cucumbers sold at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market between April 29 and May 14, 2025. Cucumbers may have been sold “individually or in smaller packages,” wrote the FDA, and with or without a label that may not bear the same brand, product name or best by date.
The product was also sold to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors throughout spring. The agency did not identify specifically where the cucumbers were sold. According to the FDA, the products were labeled as either being “supers,” “selects,” or “plains” for distributors, restaurants and retailers who purchased the cucumbers.
“Do not sell or serve whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29, 2025 to May 19, 2025,” the FDA wrote.
What to do if you think you may have recalled cucumbers
According to the FDA, if you have cucumbers at home and can’t tell where they are from, throw them away. When eating out over the next week, consumers should ask if cucumbers were from Bedner Growers or Fresh Start Produce Sales Inc.
The FDA also advises thoroughly cleaning any surfaces or utensils that may have come into contact with cucumbers using hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.
Businesses should not sell or serve cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29 and May 19, 2025. They are also urged to sanitize all potentially contaminated areas and notify customers if they may have purchased the affected cucumbers.
What states are affected by the salmonella outbreak? See complete list
As of May 20, the salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers has sickened 26 people in the following 15 states:
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
Symptoms of salmonella infection
According to the FDA, illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections, the FDA says. Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you think you may have symptoms of a salmonella infection.
Contributing: USA TODAY
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
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