Tennessee
Ten Mile teen advocating for East Tennessee in nation’s capital
TEN MILE, Tenn. (WVLT) – In the midst of National Agriculture Week, the group 4-H has brought three students from across the country to Washington D.C. to learn more about agriculture and speak to lawmakers.
Of the three students taken on the trip, 18-year-old Mattie Smith from Ten Mile is the only one from Tennessee.
Smith, a third-generation beef cattle farmer, is advocating for her family’s 400-acre farm back home as she’s seen it struggle over the last few years with costs to run the land increasing.
“There’s got to be a change, and sadly for us, it meant cutting down our herd to half its size,” said Smith.
On the trip, Smith will get the chance to meet with other members of the 4-H council, agriculture leaders, and members of Congress.
While speaking with lawmakers in the nation’s capital, Smith hopes to convey the importance of family farms like hers in East Tennessee.
“What they’re doing is not just for the face of a farm. It’s for the heart of the family that’s running that farm,” said Smith.
Smith said she hopes the nation’s leaders in agriculture and policies will think about how important agriculture and farming is when it comes to everyday life, including things as simple as eating.
Smith will get the chance to meet with Congress and others on Tuesday, which is National Agriculture Day.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says it has been asked to investigate 18 officer-involved shootings statewide so far in 2026, including a shooting Sunday in Hickman County.
According to the TBI, the investigations involve multiple agencies across Tennessee, including police departments, sheriff’s offices, and federal law enforcement.
The most recent case listed by the agency involved the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office on May 17.
Other investigations this year have involved agencies in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Smyrna, Bristol, Memphis, and other communities.
In comparison, the TBI reported investigating 54 officer-involved shootings during 2025.
Officer-involved shootings can include incidents where officers fired their weapons during encounters with civilians.
View the full list of officer-involved shootings by year here.
The state of Tennessee says nine people have died in boating-related fatalities so far this year.
State data shows that number is higher than it was at this point last year.
Connell ran his boat about 70 miles up river from Guntersville, Ala. to fish in the shadow of Tennessee’s Nickjack Dam. Probably due to the foul weather, there were few, if any, local anglers there on the prime fishing spots. (MLF Video Screen Grab)
Richard Simms with Scenic City Fishing Charters says anytime hearing about any boat-related tragedy is difficult because boating is supposed to be a relaxing activity, not a deadly one.
A great day of fun that turns to tragedy, and that strikes an emotional chord for people that you hate to see at any time, Simms says.
Simms adds that many of these incidents may be linked to speeding, collisions with other boats, or simply operators and passengers not paying close attention on the water.
Most collisions are just the result of somebody not paying attention, they’re distracted, maybe sending a text, or maybe talking to their buddy, you know, or watching something else, Simms tells us.
Two years ago Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency engineers performed temporary repairs on the ramp. Hamilton County Park officials said they had a plan in place to perform permanent repairs but that never happened until funding came via the Bill Dance Signature Lake project. (Contributed Photo)
We asked Brian Lee with TowBoat U.S. whether anything seems different on the water this year.
Lee says lake levels are lower than normal for this time of year, and with warmer-than-usual weather, more people are getting out on the water earlier in the season.
Lake levels are still very low because of our lack of rainfall. The lake levels have not come up to summer level, Lee tells us.
Tennessee law does not require adults to wear life jackets while on the water, but boaters are required to have life jackets on board.
Lee says they should consider wearing them anyway to avoid tragedy.
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Anytime you accidentally fall into the water is a potential where you may not get back out of the water, Lee says.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Tennessee State Parks announced that Cardwell Mountain is now recognized as a state archaeological park.
The new Cardwell Mountain State Archaeological Park preserves over 5,000 years of Tennessee’s history, and is one of only three archaeological state parks in the state.
Located at the edge of Eastern Highland Rim and the Cumberland Plateau, the park contains unique geological features like limestone outcrops on its mountains, and nears the Cumberland Caverns, one of the longest cave systems in the nation.
Research at the site has documented evidence of Native American settlement for thousands of years, and one the most prominent examples of this is a 15-foot-tall monument built by Native Americans around 1,000 years ago, located in a meadow beneath the mountain.
The mountain is named for the Cardwell family, who built a homestead on the mountain and lived and farmed for 150 years. Some of the apple trees from original Cardwell orchard still stand on the property.
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The park is not yet open to the public while protective measures are established to allow visitors to explore without disturbing the site.
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