Tennessee News Roundup: State Executes Anthony Darrell Hines, Jury Clears CSX in Waverly Flood Case and More
Here’s a roundup of recent Tennessee news: the state executed Anthony “Darrell” Hines by lethal injection for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jackson Jenkins; Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, awaits a state Supreme Court ruling after a three-day hearing on her execution; a jury found CSX Transportation not at fault in the deadly 2021 Waverly flood; dangerous heat with heat-index values above 110 degrees gripped the Tennessee Valley; and Nashville SC beat Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-1.
Tennessee executes Anthony Darrell Hines for 1985 murder
The state of Tennessee executed Anthony “Darrell” Hines by lethal injection Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jackson Jenkins in Nashville. (Nashville Banner, WKRN, WZTV, Courthouse News, PBS NewsHour, Aug. 13-14, 2026) The execution came after the Tennessee Supreme Court declined to halt it and after his attorneys filed a new challenge hours beforehand. Tennessee was one of three states — along with Oklahoma and Alabama — to carry out executions on the same day, the first time in 16 years that three states did so on one day.
Christa Pike awaits Tennessee Supreme Court decision on execution
Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, is awaiting a decision from the Tennessee Supreme Court on whether her execution can proceed, after the court heard three days of testimony in Nashville. (WATE, WZTV, WKRN, Davis Vanguard, Aug. 13-15, 2026) Pike is challenging the state’s lethal injection protocol as unconstitutional, and she is Tennessee’s next scheduled execution.
Jury finds CSX not at fault in deadly 2021 Waverly flood
A jury found CSX Transportation not at fault in the deadly 2021 Waverly flash flood, ruling Aug. 13, 2026 after a five-day trial in which families sued the railroad over the flooding that killed 20 people in the Humphreys County town. (WZTV, Aug. 13, 2026)
Dangerous heat grips the Tennessee Valley
Dangerous heat gripped the Tennessee Valley and Middle Tennessee over the weekend, with forecasters warning Nashville’s heat index could top 110 degrees Sunday. (WDEF, WSMV, WATE, Aug. 15-16, 2026) Heat advisories were in effect, and some Wilson County Tennessee State Fair events were postponed because of the extreme heat. Forecasters warned of heat-related illness risk.
Nashville SC routs Inter Miami 4-1 as Messi misses third straight penalty
Nashville SC beat Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-1 on Saturday night, with Hany Mukhtar scoring twice in the second half as Nashville strengthened its hold on first place in the MLS standings. (ESPN, Associated Press via ABC News, The New York Times, Miami Herald, Aug. 15-16, 2026) Messi missed his third consecutive penalty kick, and the loss was a blow to Inter Miami’s Supporters’ Shield hopes.
For more on the Volunteer State, see the Tennessee guide.
Sources
Nashville Banner; WKRN; WZTV; Courthouse News; PBS NewsHour; WATE; Davis Vanguard; WDEF; WSMV; ESPN; Associated Press; The New York Times; Miami Herald.