By Blake Farmer

As combat operations cool down Iraq, they’ve heated back up in Afghanistan. That’s resulted in a string of remembrance ceremonies at Fort Campbell this summer, where 46 soldiers have died since March. Eleven other Tennessee servicemen have also died in Afghanistan during the surge this year. The state’s congressional delegation backed the decision to add more troops. With the renewed attention, some elected officials are still confused on the ultimate mission. As WPLN’s Blake Farmer reports, others are beginning to lose hope.

By Kevin Bouldin

In 1917, H. L. Mencken, the writer, infamously declared that the South was about as artistically, intellectually, and culturally sterile as the Sahara Desert. Two years later, in 1919, Hazel King was born. And for the past ninety-one years, she has been a living rebuttal to Mencken’s claim. WPLN’s Kevin Bouldin introduces us to King as part of our occasional storytelling series Upon First Meeting.

By Blake Farmer

More than 21,000 evacuees fled Hurricane Katrina and landed in Tennessee five years ago this weekend. A year after the storm, more than 14,000 were still around. WPLN’s Blake Farmer talked with some of those who decided to make Tennessee their permanent home. They stayed for love, out of fear and because they had no place else to go.

By Jacqueline Fellows

In the midst of middle Tennessee’s hottest summer since 2007, the Tennessee Valley Authority sent out a list of tips that claimed to keep energy costs down. WPLN’s Jacqueline Fellows checked in with one Nashville family to see how it all adds up.

By Blake Farmer

Many of the opponents to a proposed mosque near Ground Zero have made the case that an Islamic Center is fine, ‘just not here.’ In Tennessee, many are saying ‘not here, either.’ Two Islamic centers are going up around Nashville – one in Murfreesboro and another in Antioch. Just like in New York, the proposals have divided the community over religious freedom. WPLN’s Blake Farmer has the story.

By Blake Farmer

In a debate over whether musicians and record labels should get paid when their songs are on the radio, one start-up label is alone in opposing the new fees. Savannah Records of Nashville says the additional revenue isn’t worth the potential loss of radio exposure. WPLN’s Blake Farmer reports.

By Kim Green

Kids who have siblings with chronic illnesses or disabilities often find themselves caught outside the bubble of the family’s world, their lives constantly interrupted by medical emergencies that trump regular-kid cares like birthday parties and soccer games. But as WPLN’s Kim Green found out, learning at an early age to put another person’s needs first often leaves these siblings better adjusted in the long run.

By Daniel Potter

For elected officials, decisions over how to spend taxpayer money are especially perilous in the current economic climate.

Three Republicans are grappling to secure their party’s nomination for governor in Thursday’s primary. And when WPLN’s Daniel Potter asked each of them, ‘What’s the toughest call you’ve had to make in public office?’, all three answers tied back to managing through the dour economy.

By Jacqueline Fellows

Tennessee Democrats were caught off guard when Murfreesboro Congressman Bart Gordon announced his retirement from Congress. Now, after 25 years of democratic control, the seat could turn Republican. The fight to keep Gordon’s seat in the “D” column is between two political newcomers. Both are Iraq war veterans accustomed to tough fights on the battlefield. But back home in Tennessee’s 6th Congressional district, WPLN’s Jacqueline Fellows reports they’re struggling for votes, money, and name recognition.

By Nina Cardona

As the three major candidates battle it out in the GOP primary for Tennessee’s 6th district, the biggest issue at play may be what kind of experience and approach conservative voters look for in a Congressman. WPLN’s Nina Cardona reports.