Tennessee
Tennessee senator with Iranian roots calls for diplomacy following U.S.-Israel attack on Iran
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A Tennessee state senator who is half-Iranian is calling on the Trump administration to pursue diplomacy and involve Congress following Saturday’s U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran.
State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Memphis Democrat who serves as Senate Minority Leader, said the strikes have stirred complicated emotions within the Persian-American community.
“My father came to Memphis to go to the University of Memphis in 1977 from Iran. It’s always been a country that I’ve heard beautiful things about, but I’ve certainly not been able to experience it because of the regime that’s in place,” Akbari said.
Akbari said Iranians have long been waiting for an end to the authoritarian dictatorship in the country, but the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has left questions about how Iran will stabilize in the aftermath of the attacks.

“There’s hope but there’s also fear. There’s excitement but there’s also this deep sense of anxiety. What will this look like? We’ve seen in other Middle Eastern countries when regimes are removed and there’s this terrible period of instability,” she said.
Akbari said she hopes she will one day be able to visit the country her father was born in.
“That’s literally the other half of my heritage, and I think for all Iranian Americans, for Iranians who have left Iran and come to America, they hope for a free Iran,” she said.
Akbari urged the administration to proceed deliberately and avoid casualties among both American troops and Iranian civilians.
“There is a key difference between the Iranian governmental regime and the people of Iran,” she said. “Keeping their humanity in mind, making sure there’s proper aid, and also trying to mitigate any sort of civilian loss of life.”
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Tennessee
School closures for Monday in Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky after severe storms
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Several school districts across Middle Tennessee are adjusting their schedules for Monday, March 16, due to severe weather conditions after Sunday night’s storms.
School Closures
DeKalb County Schools
Van Buren County Schools
White County Schools
Delayed Start Times
Clay County School District — Opening 2 hours late
Fentress County Schools — 2 hour delay
Grundy County Schools — 2 hour delay
Pickett County Schools — 2 hour delay
Macon County Schools — 1 hour delay
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Get the full up-to-date school closures list here.
Tennessee
Traveling for spring break? Avoid high gas prices in these Tennessee cities, counties
Drivers feel the strain as gas prices surge
Drivers across the country react to rising gas prices as costs climb and frustration grows in cities like Los Angeles.
Tennessee school districts are out for spring break, meaning families are shuttling kids to camp, booking it to that beloved vacation spot or maybe the kids are providing an extra set of hands around the office.
Whatever spring break looks like for your family, it likely involves a car — and filling it up at the gas pump.
However, gas prices are still on the rise across the U.S. and in Tennessee.
Back on March 5, The Tennessean reported that the state’s average fuel price was $2.84, according to the American Automobile Association.
Ten days later, the average now sits at $3.33 per gallon.
Here’s how much fuel costs have risen statewide amid spring break travel.
More: How much have Tennessee gas prices risen amid war in Iran?
National average continues to climb
On March 12, AAA reported the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped nearly 35 cents since the week prior.
Today, consumers are paying $3.70 per gallon, the national average as of March 15, according to AAA Fuel Prices.
Though springtime price hikes for fuel are common, AAA says this jump is bigger than normal.
Gasoline demand typically increases this time of year as warmer weather brings more drivers out on the road, but crude oil prices play a major role in what drivers pay at the pump, according to an AAA release.
While prices have exceeded $100 per barrel in recent days, the U.S. has announced it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over a four-month period to help offset the rising costs, the release said.
“The move is part of a broader effort by the International Energy Agency to release a total of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest emergency release in its history,” AAA officials said in the release.
Tennessee gas prices creep toward national average
As of March 15, the average fuel price in Tennessee for a regular gallon of gas is $3.33, according to AAA.
That’s nearly $1 more than it was a month ago, when the state average fuel price was $2.52.
Clay County tops the leader board with the most expensive gas at $3.54 per gallon, narrowly beating out the price for a gallon of regular gas in Williamson County at $3.52.
The cheapest gas comes from Perry County pumps at $3.16 per gallon.
10 Middle Tennessee counties vary in fuel costs, ranging between $3.24 and $3.52 per gallon:
- Cheatham County: $3.33
- Davidson County: $3.31
- Dickson County: $3.32
- Maury County: $3.28
- Montgomery County: $3.24
- Robertson County: $3.36
- Rutherford County: $3.32
- Sumner County: $3.31
- Williamson County: $3.52
- Wilson County: $3.30
Ten cities recorded average fuel costs ranging between less than 20 cents across the state:
- Chattanooga: $3.29
- Clarksville-Hopkinsville: $3.24
- Cleveland: $3.30
- Jackson: $3.38
- Johnson City: $3.30
- Kingsport-Bristol: $3.27
- Knoxville: $3.28
- Memphis: $3.40
- Morristown: $3.28
- Nashville: $3.33
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.
Tennessee
NES prepares for strong storms in Middle Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Nashville Electric Service reports it is preparing for the potential of widespread outages during Sunday’s storms across its service area.
NES said it’s monitoring the forecasts for Middle Tennessee and has crews prepared to respond to outages caused by the incoming storms.
“Predicted wind gusts as high as 75 mph can bring down vegetation, like trees or branches located near power lines,” NES said. “When vegetation gets entangled in NES electrical equipment, those power lines often snap and fall to the ground.”
NES said it has 380 lineworkers prepared to respond to any power outages caused by the incoming storms.
“Since January, crews have assessed and trimmed over 2,800 miles of additional lines to address overhanging and storm-damaged trees that pose risk of outages. Outages involving downed lines and broken poles take more time to restore,” NES said.
First Alert Weather Day: Severe storms Sunday night
The utility company is urging customers to report outages by texting “OUT” to 637797 (mobile phone must be tied to account), calling 615-234-0000, logging into My Account on www.NESPower.com or reporting it directly on the outage map at www.nespower.com/outages.
“Most importantly, if you see a downed power line, assume it’s live, stay away (at least 35 feet) and call 9-1-1 immediately,” NES said.
The utility company has shared the following tips for customers during severe weather:
- Charge all mobile devices well in advance of a potential outage.
- Have one or more backup portable batteries in case your mobile devices run out of charge.
- Access a reliable weather app or website to ensure you have the latest details for approaching weather.
- Prepare a home emergency kit that contains non-perishable food, bottled water, backup batteries for essential equipment and a flashlight.
- Construct an emergency preparedness plan with family members and know the safest place to be in your home if conditions become dangerous.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
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