East Tennessee

A Davidson County Chancery Court judge has ordered Tennessee officials to preserve all evidence related to the botched execution attempt on Christa Pike, including logbooks, surveillance footage, equipment and medical records. Pike, 50, survived two lethal doses of pentobarbital during her September 30 execution attempt and remains hospitalized in Nashville. Her attorneys say she has regained consciousness, begun speaking, and suffered severe damage to her arms, while still handcuffed and shackled to her hospital bed.

At a Wednesday hearing, Pike's attorney Luke Ihnen said prison officials had restricted her access to legal counsel. Judge I'Ashea Myles declined to immediately rule on removing the shackles but ordered the state to respond promptly to legal access requests. Assistant Attorney General William Ayers said no execution order is currently pending but would not say whether capital punishment proceedings will resume.

Gov. Bill Lee halted all executions after the incident and ordered a third-party review; prison chief Frank Strada has since resigned. Pike's attorneys, who argue the failed lethal injection amounted to cruel and unusual punishment, have renewed calls for clemency and say any second attempt would raise unprecedented legal questions.

Communities across Tennessee celebrated Dolly Parton's legacy on Sept. 25, 2026, after Gov. Bill Lee proclaimed the date "Dolly Parton 9 to 5 Day," referencing her hit song. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell framed the day around Parton's kindness and generosity rather than her fame, with the city organizing kindness pledges, book giveaways, and Dolly-themed library cards tied to her Imagination Library, which distributes free books to children worldwide.

In Johnson City, East Tennessee State University hosted an open mic night celebrating Parton's creative spirit and encouraging students to make their own positive impact. Sevierville, her hometown, declared its own Dolly Parton Day, recognizing both her career and her support for the community, including the "My People Fund," which aided families after the 2016 Sevier County wildfires. The Dollywood Foundation also designated the date "Give Like Dolly Day," urging support for Imagination Library programs and encouraging broader charitable giving inspired by Parton's example.

U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has named Clermont County, Ohio Commissioner David Painter to chair the agency's Local Government Advisory Committee, a 22-member body being revitalized after largely sitting dormant since early 2025. Its first meeting under Painter, set for Sept. 25, will focus on artificial intelligence and data centers — specifically how local governments should site and regulate this fast-growing infrastructure. Painter, a member since 2023 with a 40-year background in environmental project management, is the only Ohioan on the committee; two Indiana officials also serve.

In an interview, Painter said the committee will examine issues including water use and closed-loop cooling systems, noise complaints from residents near facilities, and coal combustion residuals. He emphasized that siting decisions should remain with local townships, villages, and school districts through negotiated development agreements, and stressed planning for waste disposal and environmental impact from a project's outset rather than after the fact.

A Republican state lawmaker is pushing back against Gov. Bill Lee's support for bringing a massive U.S. Department of Energy nuclear facility to East Tennessee, arguing the risks of nuclear waste storage outweigh any economic benefits. Rep. Ed Butler of Rickman sent Lee a letter citing "extreme concern" from constituents in House District 41 and surrounding Cumberland Plateau counties reportedly being eyed as storage sites.

The DOE is proposing a $50 billion Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus covering fuel production, uranium enrichment, reactor construction, fuel recycling, and waste storage, part of the Trump administration's push to expand nuclear energy. Tennessee is one of five states under consideration, with the Oak Ridge area seen as a likely site. Lee has called the project an "incredible opportunity" and says Tennessee has a strong chance of being selected. Butler's opposition follows similar concerns from Democratic Sen. Heidi Campbell, who has pressed the administration to disclose site details so lawmakers can review them before any agreement is finalized.