Chef Ericka Fizer on defying the odds

The annual State of the Child Report released by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth shows fewer kids are living in poverty.The report also indicates academic improvement post-pandemic, particularly in TCAP Math scores. However, mental health remains a concern, as does the integration of technology in everyday life. On today's show, we speak with representatives from Tennessee state government and also focus on School Choice legislation impacting public school funding. This is a roundabout edition of This Is Nashville. Join the conversation by calling 615-760-2000 or pop into chat on our YouTube livestream.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests Camellia Burris, WPLN Education Reporter Kylie Graves, Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth Director of Data, Policy, & Communications Chelsea Crawford, TennesseeCAN Executive Director Maryam Abolfazli, Rise and Shine Tennessee Founder

As of this month, nearly 400,000 immigrants have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.And ICE continues to carry out public raids and individual seizures across the country. As their tactics become more aggressive, we look at the rights of the detained, of witnesses and of property and business owners. We also take a closer look at the immigration legislation beginning to be debated in the Tennessee General Assembly. Call 615-760-2000 during the show — or pop into the chat on our YouTube stream — to ask questions and share your insights.Guests Judith Clerjeune, Advocacy Director, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Luis Pedraza, Music City Migrawatch Emily Stotts, Legal Director, Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors

We just lived through the same crisis — an ice storm that froze Nashville in place for the better part of a week and caused the worst power outage the city has ever seen. While we all experienced it, everyone’s experience was different, even from one neighbor to the next. Some lost power for two weeks. Others had lights and heat the whole time. Some had trees split their home in two. Others just had to clean up a few sticks. Some had frozen pipes that left them homeless. Others were already unhoused and “remarkably unbothered” by the cold.The ice storm of 2026 will become a core memory for many of us. For others, the outages and related damage is the least of our problems. Reactions have ranged from anger to empathy and resignation to activation. Today, we’re doing a bit of an autopsy on the emotional anatomy of a collective crisis. We’ll look at how we should process all that these last two weeks brought up, and we’re taking your calls later in the hour.GuestsKate Martin, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, The EstuaryAshley Hampton, Director, Healing In The MarginsAnita Richardson, native Nashvillian and new participant in the NES solar programRev. Dr. Kate Fields, Associate Chaplain for Community Life and Justice Ministry, St. Augustine's Episcopal Church

Chef Ericka Fizer made it her life’s work to take care of others even as she endured her own hardships — starting with feeding her siblings when she was growing up. Her mother was frequently absent, battling addiction. Fizer overcame her own challenges but never saw herself as a victim of her circumstances. Then on Easter Sunday 2024, her restaurant was the site of a mass shooting. In trying to stop the violence, she was wounded and became a survivor. Part of her recovery has included telling her own story. She talks to “This Is Nashville” about resilience, breaking cycles and the art of failing.

The streets are lined with trunks and limbs awaiting pickup. The power is back on for most — though not all. And the ice and snow is largely gone.But the response is going to be discussed and debated for a long time to come and we start in this episode with our roundabout panel: columnist Bruce Barry of the Tennessee Lookout, WPLN’s Metro Reporter Cynthia Abrams and attorney Rita Roberts-Turner, former chief of staff for a former Nashville mayor.Plus, we take your questions and comments at 615-760-2000 or pop into chat on our YouTube stream!Guests Cynthia Abrams, Metro Reporter, WPLN Bruce Barry, columnist, Tennessee Lookout Rita Roberts-Turner, attorney, Klein, Solomon Mills; former chief of staff for a former Nashville mayor

It’s the 10-year anniversary of Curious Nashville and we’re revisiting some of the weirdest and most surprising questions you’ve asked. This means we're going underground to a fallout shelter, to the top of a skyscraper, and in between we’ll visit beehives, talk about dump trucks, and revisit some infamous pranksters. In this ep, you get to go behind the scenes of the reporting with WPLN Metro Reporter Cynthia Abrams and host Tony Gonzalez.Curious Nashville is powered by listener questions — and what you ask often leads to wonderful stories, fascinating characters and even more curiosity about the community around us. Have a curious question? Hit us up at wpln.org/curious-nashville

We grapple with our precious and destructive trees.Winter storm Fern may have been misnamed because it was actually hardwoods and hackberries wreaking so much havoc. The local canopy will never be the same. And for those of us who lived through this storm, we may never again see limbs near power lines as non-threatening.Today, we talk about protecting our trees and our power grid, plus we take your pressing questions about storm insurance claims.Guests Kevin Walters, Spokesperson, Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Chris Leonard, Board Chair, Tree Conservation Corps Daniel Pittman, Local Claims Adjuster, Goodman-Gable-Gould/Adjusters International

This city isn’t known as an ice skating mecca. Far from it.There were only a couple of places to even lace up and glide until a few years ago. But this is where Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton decided to relocate as he wrapped up his skating career. As the 2026 Winter Olympic Games approach, we thought it best to talk to someone with firsthand experience about what it's like to skate under those lights with the whole world watching. Scott Hamilton is a 1984 Sarajevo Winter Games Olympic Gold Medalist. He joins us to talk about his Nashville story, his unlikely skating career and his turn to philanthropy and faith. 

Life is starting to get back to normal for some, but not nearly for all.Power restoration is still slow-going in some communities. One in five homes in Nashville is still in the dark and cold. And in some parts of town, work has hardly begun. This hour, we’re going to get an update about the arrival of the National Guard, hear about schools running out of snow days, and learn the warning signs about carbon monoxide poisoning. Plus we’ll visit Brown’s Diner where they’re emptying the freezer before it goes bad — and we remember the ice storm of 1994. It’s another recovery show.After the live show ends, tune into the latest Mayor's News Conference.Guests:  Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D), Tennessee House Representative, District 59 Camellia Burris, WPLN Education Reporter John Isbell, Sumner County Mayor Rose Gilbert, WPLN General Assignment Reporter Nadine Moore, Birria Babe Owner Justin Barney, WPLN Music Reporter

Multiple days without power is taking its toll on both our spirits and on Middle Tennessee's infrastructure.Water main breaks and power loss to pumping stations is causing more water outages as Nashville thaws and nearly 100,000 people are still in the dark with no heat. Many residents are at a loss for what to do next.In this episode, we air Metro Nashville's daily press conference live from Mayor Freddie O'Connell's office, a live interview with Metro Water Services deputy director Brent Freeman, a few hotel dispatches and a check-in on our tiniest (and cutest) residents.Guests Dale Grimes, mayor of Oak Hill Leesa LeClaire, President and CEO, Greater Nashville Hospitality Association Brent Freeman, deputy director & Sonia Harvat, Public Information Officer, Metro Water Services Cynthia Abrams, WPLN Metro Reporter