Chas Sisk, WPLN - Nashville Public Radio

Chas Sisk

WPLN - Nashville Public Radio

Nashville, TN, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • WPLN - Nashville Public Radio
  • NPR
  • WBUR
  • The Tennessean
  • WBIR Channel 10

Past articles by Chas:

Nashville Judges Deny Request For Mass Release Of Inmates

Nashville judges have denied a request to release almost all non-violent offenders from the county’s jails. Two courts have considered the issue this week. The Nashville Public Defender’s office sought immediate release of non-violent offenders and those who haven’t yet gone to trial to protect them from the coronavirus. The motion to release inmates was … → Read More

Singer-Songwriter John Prine Dead At 73 From COVID-19 Complications

Influential singer-songwriter John Prine has died after being hospitalized with COVID-19. His publicist confirmed the news to NPR Monday night.. Prine was 73, and although age and his medical history put him at high risk for complications from COVID-19, he’d remained extremely active until a few weeks ago. Prine overcame cancer twice, was still touring … → Read More

The Tri-Star State: Unpacking Last Week's Flurry Of Business At The Tennessee Legislature

Nashville is on lockdown because of the coronavirus, but a week ago, state lawmakers were still trying to decide whether to continue this year’s legislative session. The decision to call a recess set off a flurry of last-minute debates. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been at the capitol throughout this unusual session, where lawmakers voted last … → Read More

Adrienne Battle Named Nashville Schools Superintendent

Adrienne Battle, who has led Metro Nashville Public Schools on an interim basis for about a year, has been named the district’s new superintendent. The vote came at a meeting of the school board this morning. Members decided to call off a nationwide search for a new superintendent, citing “extraordinary circumstances.” The move came a … → Read More

Tennessee State University’s Agriculture Campus Takes A Direct Hit

A prized program at Tennessee State University — the working farm along the Cumberland River in North Nashville — appears to have taken a direct hit in the tornadoes that slashed through Middle Tennessee early Tuesday. → Read More

Tornado Update: Nearly 400 Homes, 200 Businesses Destroyed In Nashville

The storm is now thought to have cut a 52-mile path of destruction through Middle Tennessee. "Our work is cut out for us," says Nashville Mayor John Cooper. → Read More

Super Tuesday: Tornadoes Disrupt Voting In Middle Tennessee

Polling locations in at least three Middle Tennessee counties were damaged, as a wave of storms swept through the region just hours before the Super Tuesday presidential primaries. That forced election officials to scramble, with Nashville consolidating some precincts into “super sites.” In one of those locations, Donelson Presbyterian Church, the line snaked out the … → Read More

Citing Constitutional Rights, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Proposes Eliminating Gun Permit Requirement

Gov. Bill Lee is backing legislation that would do away with the requirement that gun owners get a permit before carrying in public, arguing that the state should not interfere in Tennesseans’ constitutional right to bear arms. Lee announced his support for “permitless carry” legislation at a press conference Thursday morning. If approved, Tennessee would … → Read More

Competitive Democratic Ballot, Support For Trump Spur Early Voters In Tennessee

About 337,000 Tennesseans have so far cast their ballots for this year’s presidential primaries, a dip from 2016 when both parties had competitive races. But it’s a marked increase from early voting in 2012, the last cycle that featured an incumbent president. According to data from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, the early voting … → Read More

University Of Tennessee Board Wants Interim President Randy Boyd To Stay

The University of Tennessee board is recommending that interim president Randy Boyd’s position become permanent. The board’s chair, John Compton, said Wednesday he wanted to give Boyd a five-year term. The recommendation followed a discussion of Boyd’s annual review, in which dozens of administrators said his performance “exceeded expectations.” The idea was met with enthusiasm. … → Read More

Split In United Methodist Church Expected To Take Years To Unfold

United Methodist churches in Tennessee are sorting out the impact of a proposal to break up the denomination over LGBT rights. More than 1,500 United Methodist churches are located in Tennessee, with more than 300,000 members. Nashville is also home to several administrative agencies and the United Methodist Publishing House. The organization’s Council of Bishops … → Read More

Tennessee Is One Of The Lead States In Proposed Settlement With Opioid Companies

Tennessee's top lawyer and his counterparts in three other states announced Monday that they've negotiated a deal with the opioid industry worth nearly $50 → Read More

Spring Hill Union Leader Optimistic Deal Will End General Motors Strike

The head of Spring Hill's UAW chapter says he's confident the tentative agreement announced Wednesday morning with General Motors will resolve the → Read More

Blackburn Says Trump Administration's Relief Aid Is Not Enough Help For Syrian Kurds

Tenn. Sen. Marsha Blackburn says the U.S. military needs to remain in Syria to protect Kurds from an onslaught by Turkish forces. In a call with reporters → Read More

Cooper Says He’ll Keep Some Of Briley’s Key Programs And Staff

Nashville Mayor-elect John Cooper plans to announce the members of his transition team early this week, as he begins the city's unprecedented transition to → Read More

Three Women, Including First Muslim, Win At-Large Metro Council Seats

A record number of women were victorious in the runoff for at-large Metro Council. Three of the four slots on the ballot went to female candidates: → Read More

Election Night Live Blog: John Cooper Headed To Victory For Nashville Mayor

Councilman John Cooper will be Nashville's next mayor. During early voting, he came in more than 40 points ahead of incumbent Mayor David Briley, who → Read More

The Tri-Star State: How Nashville’s Mayoral Election Could Shape State Politics

Nashville's mayors have risen in prominence over recent years, not only because of the city’s skyrocketing growth but through outspoken political stances. → Read More

East Tennessee Man Put To Death By Electrocution For 1986 Double Murder

An East Tennessee man has been executed for the 1986 murder of a teenage girl and her mother. Thursday night, Stephen West became the third person in the → Read More

Tennessee Man Scheduled For Execution This Week Chooses The Electric Chair

An East Tennessee man sentenced to death has opted for electrocution over lethal injection. Stephen West is scheduled to be executed on Thursday. He would → Read More