Latest news with #TheTennessean
USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Bonnaroo announces 2026 festival after abrupt 2025 cancellation: Here's what to know
Bonnaroo is back. After extreme flooding caused a mid-festival cancellation of the 2025 music and arts event, organizers remained mum on new dates, fueling speculation that the festival might not happen in 2026. Those rumors were quashed this week, however, when organizers behind the four-day event in Tennessee announced Bonnaroo would return next year, running from June 11-14. After asking fans of the festival to complete surveys, organizers said in a July 17 Instagram post that they had taken in the feedback and planned the future of the festival accordingly. "We appreciate your feedback on future Bonnaroo dates, and we heard you loud and clear that your strong preference is to keep Bonnaroo in June," the announcement stated. Bonnaroo Music Festival canceled due to severe weather, flooding: Refunds and info What to expect from Bonnaroo 2026 The festival may look slightly different next year, however. Here's a rundown on the changes: In an email from Bonnaroo to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, organizers said after the festival was cancelled in 2021, due to Hurricane Ida, they consulted with drainage and land management experts to improve conditions on The Farm in the event of heavy, sustained rain. "We created a multimillion-dollar, multi-year plan and have been tackling projects post-festival each year," they said in the email. "These improvements have helped, but there is still more work to do. In the 2025/2026 off-season, we'll be dedicating an additional multimillion-dollar budget and initiating improvements that prioritize the campgrounds and other areas affected by the extreme weather in 2025." Organizers added: "Some of these projects will include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways." Bonnaroo 2025 cancellation sparks controversy among fans On the heels of the 2025 cancellation, festival organizers initially revealed they would refund 75% of ticket costs to festival goers. That prompted a petition at by Kaitlyn Ziegler, calling on Live Nation — the festival's promoter — to issue 100% refunds for the cancellation instead of the 75% refunds that were promised. The festival later announced it would issue full refunds. Following Bonnaroo's announcement of its 2026 edition, fans' responses on social media were mixed. Some expressed frustration with the changes to entry times and stage locations, while others expressed gratitude toward organizers for not skipping a year.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Remembering Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas' tragic death: Notorious Nashville
Rob Bironas, architect of several of the most memorable moments in Tennessee Titans history, died in a tragic, single-car drunk driving accident on Sept. 20, 2014. He was 36 years old. According to toxicology reports obtained by The Tennessean at the time, Bironas' blood alcohol content was .218% at the time of his death, well above the legal limit of .08% that's permitted for operating a motor vehicle. Police concluded Bironas was traveling 73 mph, more than double the speed limit of 35, before losing control of his vehicle on Battery Lane, striking a tree, turning the car over and ultimately ending up in a creek bed. Advertisement The events surrounding Bironas' final night were perplexing. In the hour before his crash, Bironas displayed erratic behavior on the road by confronting two other vehicles, reportedly trying to sideswipe or chase the vehicles off the road and, according to one passenger who encountered Bironas that night, threatening to kill him and his fellow passengers. At this point, the witnesses say, Bironas was driving at speeds in excess of 100 mph in a residential area near the Wedgewood neighborhood. The first set of passengers who Bironas confronted said they had to drive away from him at upward of 110 mph to elude him. Bironas' wife discovered he wasn't at home sometime after 9:30 p.m., and called police to notify them he was missing at 11:40 p.m. Unfortunately, Bironas had already crashed by that point. His vehicle turned over at 11:01 p.m. Bironas, 36, was taken by emergency personnel to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Bironas was the Titans' kicker from 2005-13 and still ranks as the second-leading scorer in Titans/Oilers history with 1,032 points. His 24 kicks made from 50-plus yards are the most in franchise history and his 60-yard game-winning kick against the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 3, 2006, still stands as the longest made kick in franchise history. On Oct. 21, 2007, Bironas made NFL history by making eight field goals in one game, a feat that had never before been achieved and has yet to be replicated. When Bironas retired, his 85.7% career made field goal percentage was the third-best in NFL history. Melissa Sanders of Nashville takes picture of the memorial for former Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas at his funeral at the Woodlawn Roesch-Patton funeral home in Nashville on Sept. 25, 2014. Bironas, 36, died on Sept. 20 in a single-vehicle crash. Several of Bironas' Titans teammates and coaches attended his memorial service, including special teams battery mates Brett Kern and Beau Brinkley as well as Kerry Collins, Jake Locker, Michael Griffin and Jason McCourty. Advertisement Bironas was buried on Sept. 25, 2014. The Tennessean is publishing a Notorious Nashville story for each year from 2000-2024. Catch up on the series here. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Reflecting on Rob Bironas' tragic accident: Notorious Nashville
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Remembering Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas' tragic death: Notorious Nashville
Rob Bironas, architect of several of the most memorable moments in Tennessee Titans history, died in a tragic, single-car drunk driving accident on Sept. 20, 2014. He was 36 years old. According to toxicology reports obtained by The Tennessean at the time, Bironas' blood alcohol content was .218% at the time of his death, well above the legal limit of .08% that's permitted for operating a motor vehicle. Police concluded Bironas was traveling 73 mph, more than double the speed limit of 35, before losing control of his vehicle on Battery Lane, striking a tree, turning the car over and ultimately ending up in a creek bed. The events surrounding Bironas' final night were perplexing. In the hour before his crash, Bironas displayed erratic behavior on the road by confronting two other vehicles, reportedly trying to sideswipe or chase the vehicles off the road and, according to one passenger who encountered Bironas that night, threatening to kill him and his fellow passengers. At this point, the witnesses say, Bironas was driving at speeds in excess of 100 mph in a residential area near the Wedgewood neighborhood. The first set of passengers who Bironas confronted said they had to drive away from him at upward of 110 mph to elude him. Bironas' wife discovered he wasn't at home sometime after 9:30 p.m., and called police to notify them he was missing at 11:40 p.m. Unfortunately, Bironas had already crashed by that point. His vehicle turned over at 11:01 p.m. Bironas, 36, was taken by emergency personnel to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Bironas was the Titans' kicker from 2005-13 and still ranks as the second-leading scorer in Titans/Oilers history with 1,032 points. His 24 kicks made from 50-plus yards are the most in franchise history and his 60-yard game-winning kick against the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 3, 2006, still stands as the longest made kick in franchise history. On Oct. 21, 2007, Bironas made NFL history by making eight field goals in one game, a feat that had never before been achieved and has yet to be replicated. When Bironas retired, his 85.7% career made field goal percentage was the third-best in NFL history. Several of Bironas' Titans teammates and coaches attended his memorial service, including special teams battery mates Brett Kern and Beau Brinkley as well as Kerry Collins, Jake Locker, Michael Griffin and Jason McCourty. Bironas was buried on Sept. 25, 2014. The Tennessean is publishing a Notorious Nashville story for each year from 2000-2024. Catch up on the series here. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Reflecting on Rob Bironas' tragic accident: Notorious Nashville
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Revisiting the most notorious Nashville stories of the past 25 years
We remember the dirt, the tea, the stunning details of stories that became permanently fixed in time. In our current century, Nashville has been shaped by huge stories that got under our skin, went viral, blew up. Are there water coolers anymore? We used to gather around them in the office (are there offices?) and share the sometimes-salacious details. We remember when Taylor Swift took on Scooter Braun, when Megan Barry endured public shame, when Steve McNair was murdered. It is not a stretch to say people will be talking about the time Morgan Wallen threw a chair off a building for years to come. If you've been paying attention at all in Tennessee, you may easily recognize the stories: There was a wayward judge, a plane crash, some drunken exploits and a sex scandal or two. These weren't necessarily the most important stories of the year, but they were captivating. They made you ask questions. Wait, what happened? How on earth? Did you see the latest? We couldn't look away from the unforgettable. We had to know the deets. No Nashvillian will forget the Christmas Day bombing, the Tennessee Waltz (which wasn't a song) or the Tennessee Three (not Johnny Cash's band). These sordid stories are as good as old calendars. We remember what we were doing when they happened. There were missing persons, environmental disasters and a band got canceled before "canceled" became the word we would use to describe what happened to them. The staff at The Tennessean went into the archives to pull out the biggest headlines from the past 25 years, and the most Notorious Nashville stories from each year will be unveiled this summer one at a time. The memories of these stories may stir embarrassment, anger, tears or gasps. They will always make for interesting dinner-party conversation. 2000: Janet March ruled dead, focus turns to husband 2001: Fatal Greyhound bus crash near Manchester led to national shutdown 2002: Peyton Manning defamation lawsuit challenged former Vol's image 2003: Country music cancels The Chicks, still 'Not Ready to Make Nice' 2004: Fallon Tallent trial for 2 officer deaths shook Wilson County 2005: Major political scandal led to ethics reform in Tennessee 2006: Killing by preacher's wife pushes small town into national spotlight 2007: The murder case that shocked Knoxville, incited white supremacists 2008: Toxic sludge swallowed a TN town. Years of illness, lawsuits followed 2009: Why ex-Titans QB Steve McNair's death was so shocking 2010: Why Lane Kiffin's Tennessee departure rocked Knoxville 2011: Why Holly Bobo's case changed a TN county forever 2012: Scott DesJarlais: Scandal couldn't sink notoriously troubled candidate 2013: How the 2013 Vanderbilt rape case stunned the city This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Revisit Nashville's most notorious stories of the past 25 years
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Tennessee State Hockey team on ice for now according to report
Tennessee State University's historic men's hockey program will delay its debut according to a published report. Originally set to make history as the first ice hockey team at a public Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the 2025–26 season, the program will now reportedly aim for a 2026–27 launch. As reported by The Tennessean, the delay stems from a mix of financial and logistical challenges, including the lack of a home rink, limited fundraising, and broader uncertainty around the university's financial health. A source familiar with the situation confirmed the postponement, though no official announcement has been made. The men's hockey team was first unveiled at Bridgestone Arena in 2023 ahead of the NHL Draft, marking a groundbreaking step for HBCUs and the sport's diversification. However, the excitement has been tempered by concerns that have built over the past two years. Tennessee State has faced significant internal turmoil, including leadership turnover, declining enrollment, and budget deficits. Interim President Dwayne Tucker, who took office in December, warned earlier this year that the school would run out of funding without immediate intervention. In response, Tucker developed a five-year financial plan and negotiated with state officials for $96 million in funding, which was approved in June. That money, redirected from infrastructure reserves, is expected to stabilize the university's operations. It remains unclear if any of those funds will support athletics or the delayed hockey program. Despite the setbacks, supporters hope the program can regroup and make its long-awaited debut in 2026–27, keeping alive the vision of expanding hockey into new and more diverse communities. Reporting credit: The Tennessean The post Tennessee State Hockey team on ice for now according to report appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
