Tennessee
Tennessee nonprofit faces financial uncertainty due to federal grant cut

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Museums, historic sites, colleges, and nonprofits across the country are facing financial uncertainty as a result of significant cuts to federal grants.
Among those hit is Humanities Tennessee, a nonprofit that has been serving the state for over 50 years, making the humanities accessible to Tennesseans through a range of cultural and educational programs.
The cuts come as part of the White House’s broader initiative to slash federal spending and reduce the national deficit.
For Humanities Tennessee, this means losing millions of dollars annually, including a critical $1.2 million grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Tim Henderson, Executive Director of Humanities Tennessee, explained how integral this funding has been to the nonprofit’s operations.
“We’ve been around for 51 years now, serving the state of Tennessee with public humanities programs all over the state, communities in really every corner. We work in every district of the state and all the grand divisions,” Henderson said.
One of the nonprofit’s signature programs is the Southern Festival of Books, one of the state’s largest literary events.
In addition to this annual festival, Humanities Tennessee supports a variety of educational programs, such as high school writing workshops and a daily online literary publication distributed in newspapers throughout the state. However, without federal funding, these vital programs are now at risk.
Henderson stressed the importance of the NEH grant, stating that it covers roughly half of the nonprofit’s operating costs.
“It’s roughly half of what it costs us to do what we do, but it’s still a really important half. It’s a really important part of what makes these programs happen,” he said.
The NEH grant has been a consistent source of funding for Humanities Tennessee under both Democratic and Republican administrations, as well as throughout various congressional sessions. This marks the first time the nonprofit has not received this essential grant.
In response to the cuts, Humanities Tennessee is ramping up private fundraising efforts to help offset the financial loss.
However, Henderson stresses that these grants represent more than just financial support; they signify the federal government’s recognition of the cultural value of humanities programs.
“This is how we own our stories,” Henderson said. “If it’s not a huge financial investment, at least it’s a statement of the value of our culture to ourselves.”
As the organization faces an uncertain future, the staff remains hopeful that they can continue their work and keep the cultural programs alive, despite the loss of vital funding.
In the meantime, they are urging the community to support their efforts and help ensure that the humanities continue to thrive across Tennessee.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Kelsey.Gibbs@Newschannel5.com.
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A mother’s love. Nathalie Porter epitomizes the deep love mothers have for their children. And she bravely speaks out to confront stereotypes and bring awareness in the face of tragedy. I appreciated Amanda Roberts’ compassionate reporting of a heartbreaking situation.
-Carrie Sharp

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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