SUMMARY: Nashville Public Radio (WPLN) received numerous prestigious awards in 2024, highlighting its outstanding local journalism. Their investigative partnership with ProPublica earned recognition from the Education Writers Association for in-depth reporting on Tennessee’s student threat laws. The National Association of Black Journalists honored a story about an 11-year-old wrongfully arrested and also nominated WPLN’s “Making Noise” podcast. WPLN won Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for feature and documentary reporting. In the Public Media Journalists Association, they secured two first-place honors. Their “Supermajority” podcast was a finalist for the Peabody Award and won multiple journalism accolades for exceptional political coverage.

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SUMMARY: Fans at Knoxville’s Covenant Health Park celebrated the Fourth of July with the Tennessee Smokies baseball game, enjoying classic American traditions like hot dogs, fireworks, and baseball. The event marked the first Independence Day celebration at the new stadium, drawing families, first-time visitors, and community members. Army recruiters joined with booths to engage with attendees beyond their uniforms, emphasizing unity and patriotism. As the sun set, fans savored food and drinks while eagerly awaiting the fireworks show downtown. The festive atmosphere highlighted a shared sense of celebration, community, and American pride at the ballpark.

The Smokies’ signature colors weren’t the only reason for red, white and blue at tonight’s game.

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SUMMARY: New data from Metro Police reveals a 32% drop in gunshot victims in Nashville this year, with 148 shootings compared to 220 last year. The largest decline is among ages 18-24, followed by teens 13-17. Despite encouraging statistics, some remain skeptical due to ongoing nightly reports of gun violence. Historically, Nashville has seen deadly incidents during events like the 4th of July. Violence deeply affects community members like Verna Wyatt, whose activism stems from personal loss. Additionally, robberies decreased 23% and aggravated assaults 6%. Police emphasize these improvements result from their relentless, dangerous efforts on the front lines.

New data from Metro police shows the number of gunshot victims is dropping.

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