Thursday, September 11, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 2008, the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial was dedicated—a project designed by Julie Beckman, now a faculty member in the University of Tennessee’s School of Architecture.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will soon purchase 7,500 acres of wetlands along the Hatchie River, creating a new Wildlife Management Area with a large swath of huntable land. See details in the story below.

Today's sponsor is Roundhouse Provisions. If you’ve ever wondered why the Baby Boomer generation seemed healthier and more energetic in their 30s than people today, Roundhouse Provisions uncovers the surprising 1974 decision that may have secretly reshaped America’s metabolism.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

TN Man Pleads Guilty to Power Grid Attack Plot

A Tennessee man pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting a neo-Nazi-inspired attack on Nashville’s power grid using a drone armed with explosives, according to the Justice Department.

Skyler Philippi, 24, was arrested last November after undercover FBI agents intercepted his plans, which included scouting substations in Nashville and Louisville.

He met with undercover agents at a Nashville hotel to conduct a Nordic ritual and pagan prayer before the attack was planned to take place.

Prosecutors said Philippi, who faces a possible life sentence, hoped to "shock the system," promoting chaos and civil unrest through the attack.

Cracker Barrel Keeping Classic Cluttered Walls

Cracker Barrel says its antique-filled, country-store look isn’t going anywhere after customer backlash forced the Tennessee-based chain to halt a rebranding push.

The company announced Tuesday that remodels are suspended, keeping the trademark rocking chairs, peg games, and cluttered Americana walls intact. The decision follows criticism over earlier efforts to modernize the chain’s image.

Executives framed the move as a recommitment to the brand’s roots, calling the decor “here to stay.”

9/11 Responder Shares Lessons in TN

Former NYPD detective Tony Mottola, who dug through rubble at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, now visits Tennessee schools each year to share his story.

Mottola, who grew up in a tough Staten Island neighborhood before serving in the Air Force and police, tells students about the lives lost and the personal toll of that day.

Now a criminal justice professor in Middle Tennessee, he says the talks help him honor victims while also working through his own grief.

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Why Boomers Were Fitter in Their 30s Than We Are Now

Take a look at any photo from people in the 1970s…

Compare it to today and you'll see the difference is staggering.

People looked healthier, slimmer, and more energetic.

And it wasn't all because of better gyms or diets back then.

It's likely because of something that happened in 1974 that changed everything…

A single decision that quietly rewired how Americans eat... and completely transformed our metabolism.

Click here to see why Boomers were fitter in their 30s than we are today

➤ Statewide: The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is set to acquire 7,500 acres of wetlands along the Hatchie River by November, creating a new Wildlife Management Area. (See Details)

➤ Chattanooga: The mayor’s office will close the Department of Equity and Community Engagement and the Office of New Americans to comply with state restrictions on DEI programs. (More)

➤ Shelby County: Mayor Lee Harris and Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. clashed at a heated commission meeting over Harris’ bid to revive the long-dormant ethics board. (More)

➤ Nashville: The National Transportation Safety Board reported an August flight landed 52 feet short of a Nashville International Airport runway after heavy rain reduced visibility, causing minor damage but no injuries. (More)

➤ Bedford County: Tennessee agriculture officials confirmed Eastern Equine Encephalitis in a local horse, as well as West Nile Virus in a Sumner County horse, prompting a statewide Horse Alert. (More)

➤ Hamilton County: The Tennessee Historical Commission will soon review nominations to add three local properties to the National Register of Historic Places. (See Properties)

➤ The Tennessee Lady Vols reached No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time after a seven-game unbeaten start, recording six wins, one draw, and zero goals allowed. (More)

➤ Highly-regarded Tennessee pitcher Anson Seibert underwent an elbow procedure that will keep him out of practices for the Vols until 2026. He’s expected to recover by the beginning of the season. (More)

➤ Nashville’s Geodis Park hosted MexTour, Mexico's annual series of friendlies in the U.S., on Tuesday, where South Korea rallied from an early deficit to draw Mexico’s national soccer team 2-2. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA

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➤ The Tennessee Titans’ $2.1 billion enclosed Nissan Stadium is halfway complete, with roof installation set for November and an opening planned for February 2027. (More)

➤ Chattanooga Airport announced Allegiant Air and United Airlines will assume Spirit Airlines routes to Fort Lauderdale and Newark after Spirit ends service Oct. 4 amid bankruptcy. (More)

➤ Auto parts maker Tenneco will cut nearly 350 jobs statewide, including 82 in Spring Hill, but has failed to provide the state with the legally required 60-day mass layoff notice. (More)

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What is the secret to staying relatively healthy at age 85?

Consider the advice of the legendary Chuck Norris—now 85 years old and reportedly more energetic than ever.

He found a key to healthy aging by doing the opposite of what most people are told.

He’s now sharing the method in a 15-minute video that reveals the three “Internal Enemies” that can damage our health with age—and simple ways to fight them using everyday foods and herbs you may already have at home.

Click here to watch Chuck Norris reveal his secret to feeling young each and every day.

➤ HGTV ranked Nashville's Cheekwood Estate & Gardens as Tennessee’s most beautiful garden, praising its woodland sculpture trail and Japanese tea garden. (More)

➤ A Chattanooga woman reunited with her rescuer a month after record flash flooding trapped her in her SUV on I-24 and left parts of the city underwater. (See Photos)

➤ The Nashville Fair awarded the top prize for Giant Pumpkin to a 1,598-pound entry, while a 218-pound contender earned the Giant Watermelon title. (See Photos)