Tennessee
Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary celebrates 30 years of wild retirement for animals in its care
As Nashville grows and changes at a breakneck pace, a parcel of land just an hour outside the city is growing increasingly wild — and has been for the past 30 years.
The Elephant Sanctuary, in Hohenwald, celebrated its 30th anniversary on March 3, marking three decades of adopting former circus and show elephants and allowing them to retire in peaceful wilderness.
Started in 1995 with just one rescued elephant named Tarra who roamed 110 acres of land, the sanctuary has grown into the nation’s largest natural habitat refuge for elephants at 3,060 acres, including an educational center for the public. Wide open fields and native foliage provide a backdrop for 12 retired African and Asian elephants to live out their golden years under the loving care of their handlers.
Janice Zeitlin, CEO of the sanctuary since 2013, expressed excitement for the future of the sanctuary and said reaching the anniversary is “overwhelming.”
“We’re sharing this world with some really beautiful and wonderful creatures,” she said. “And we need to take care of them. We need to be respectful and keep them safe.”
The habitat has seen its fair share of heartwarming stories — from a documentary-inspiring friendship between two elephants as well as the refuge serving as partial inspiration for the book “Leaving Time” by best-selling author Jodi Picoult — and hardships, like the decade-long legal fight over ownership of the sanctuary’s first elephant and the accidental death of an elephant trainer in 2006.
The gentle giants that call the sanctuary home — of which there have been 34 in total — come from a wide range of circumstances. One from the Louisville Zoo, a number from a private owner in Chicago, two from the Knoxville Zoo and even one from the cast of the 1988 “Big Top Pee-wee” movie.
“In many of these situations, the zoos and owners are making decisions because their elephants are getting older, and they really want them to have socialization opportunities that they might not have gotten previously,” Zeitlin said. “Elephants really need social opportunities. They’re very social creatures.”
One favorite resident of the facility, Shirley, born in 1948 in Sumatra, made a tremendous impact on her handlers. The Asian elephant, a former circus performer, survived an insane sequence of events, including being kidnapped by forces belonging to Cuba’s Prime Minister Fidel Castro, a shipwreck off of Nova Scotia, a truck wreck, being attacked by another elephant and living for 20 years as the only elephant at a small zoo in Louisiana, before retiring to the sanctuary.
She died in 2021 at 72 years old, making her the second-oldest elephant in North America.
“Shirley was just really special,” Zeitlin said with emotion. “She was so intelligent and entirely her own animal. Shirley kind of epitomized what this sanctuary is all about: giving a home to and helping these big animals have a safe place where they’re taken care of through their lifetime, through all those phases of life.”
Looking to the future, Zeitlin said the refuge is excited to be developing its international partnerships and advocating for elephants everywhere.
“We give out grants once a year for protecting elephants and trying to create better welfare for them, both in human care and in the wild. … We have a group in Vietnam that helps elephants retire from giving rides to tourists, and another group that’s tracking elephants through India and trying to keep pathways open from human conflict,” she said. “We just want to create a better world for elephants wherever they are.”
Tennessee
Franklin police ticket 13-year-old after e-bike crash, and a new Tennessee law brings more changes July 1
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Franklin police cited a 13-year-old following a crash involving a motorized bike, and a new Tennessee law taking effect July 1 will bring additional restrictions for young riders.
On April 21, Franklin officers responded to a fender bender at the Interstate 65 off-ramp at the Goose Creek Bypass involving a 13-year-old on a motorized bike and a vehicle. Both the teen and the adult driver were waiting for officers when they arrived. The woman behind the wheel was visibly shaken and told officers the bike came out of nowhere while she was attempting to turn right on red.
The bike turned out to be more powerful than a standard e-bicycle. Under the law, it is not considered a bicycle at all — it is classified as a motor scooter, which falls under different laws than Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes.
“Downside is kids are about to get a bunch of tickets. He can’t ride that e-bike because it’s not just an e-bike — too much voltage, it’s a motor scooter,” Officer Spry with the Franklin Traffic Unit said.
“He can’t be on a sidewalk, he has to be in a bike lane, and it can’t be more than 28 miles an hour,” Spry said.
The driver of the car was cited for failure to exercise due care. The 13-year-old was cited for several violations, including not having a driver’s license, insurance, or registration. Franklin police say the citations issued to the teen are all appropriate under current law. Officers told the teen’s parent the citations would need to be answered in juvenile court. The family promised to trade the bike in for something safer.
Spry made clear this is not an isolated case.
“You’re not the only one that I’ve written this ticket to,” Spry said.
“This is probably one of the greatest opportunities for us to provide safety and save a life that we’ll ever see,” Franklin Alderman Greg Caesar said.
Starting July 1, only those 16 years and older will be legally allowed to ride Class 3 e-bikes, which can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour. The new law changes the age of those allowed to operate Class 3 e-bikes and does not affect the motor scooter classification that applied in this case.
Franklin city leaders are debating changes to local e-bike laws. Alderman Greg Caesar described it as a nuanced problem but said educating parents should start now.
“It needs to be considered, as some of these e-bikes and riders can do real and significant damage,” Caesar said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Students help relaunch donation drive for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don’t have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
– Lelan Statom
The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 2, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 2 drawing
15-26-43-48-60, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 2 drawing
Morning: 0-0-1, Wild: 3
Midday: 9-7-5, Wild: 4
Evening: 7-6-1, Wild: 0
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 2 drawing
Morning: 8-9-1-2, Wild: 9
Midday: 2-9-3-3, Wild: 2
Evening: 6-6-1-6, Wild: 7
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from June 2 drawing
02-03-05-36-38
Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 2 drawing
16-33-41-50-52, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Tennessee Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Tennessee Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket, a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of social security number to P.O. Box 290636, Nashville, TN 37229. Prize claims less than $600 do not require a claim form. Please include contact information on prizes claimed by mail in the event we need to contact you.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID and proof of social security number to any of these locations:
Nashville Headquarters & Claim Center: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-254-4946 in the (615) and (629) area, 901-466-4946 in the (901) area, 865-512-4946 in the (865) area, 423-939-7529 in the (423) area or 1-877-786-7529 (all other areas in Tennessee). Outside Tennessee, dial 615-254-4946. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, (865) 251-1900. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421, (423) 308-3610. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133, (901) 322-8520. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://tnlottery.com/.
When are the Tennessee Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3, 4: Daily at 9:28 a.m. (Morning) and 12:28 p.m. CT (Midday), except for Sunday. Evening game daily, seven days a week, at 6:28 p.m. CT.
- Daily Tennessee Jackpot: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Tennessee Cash: 10:34 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Powerball Double Play: 10:30 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Tennessean editor. You can send feedback using this form.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WCYB) — The Washington County, Tennessee Isaiah 117 House hosted a fundraiser event Tuesday to help support area children who are entering the foster care system.
The event took at Boones Creek Christian Church where organizers hope to raise around $20,000 to go towards funds for the house and raise awareness for the organization.
The organization which began in the Tri-Cities now has more than 60 houses in 13 states.
The group helps care for children who are entering foster care while they are waiting on their foster placement.
“We feel like we have an obligation to continue to do this for the generations to come, for the children who haven’t been born yet,” Washington County Isaiah 1:17 House Support Coordinator Katie Wilt said. “We know they are going to need us. We wish they didn’t but we know that they are, so part of this luncheon is to fundraise to make sure that we are able to sustain the care and the hope for the children of the future.”
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To view the Isaiah 117 website, click here.
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