Latest news with #MiddleTennesseeStateUniversity
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blue Angels answer questions at MTSU
RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — It was a packed house at Middle Tennessee State University Friday morning as two members of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron answered questions from the public. Oliver Moreira — age 9 — spent roughly two months preparing for the event and made a jet suit with his mom. He said the Blue Angels are one of the reasons he hopes to have a career in the skies one day. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → 'I like them because they do a lot of tricks and tricks that make me encouraged,' Moreira said, explaining his suit. 'I can transform with it and it's really awesome and I get to impress a lot of people, and I hope one day I become a commercial pilot.' Middle Tennessee native Mychael Kisling returned to his alma mater for the event, which was just down the road from where he attended high school. 'It's great. I love being here — coming back to Murfreesboro brings back a lot of memories, especially running track in high school and then coming here to college as well,' Kisling said, who added that he now serves as an aviation electronics technician. 'It was fun here at MTSU.' Kisling, along with U.S. Marine Corps Major and C-130J Demonstration Pilot Josh Horman, answered dozens of questions from the audience. 'We're normally flying 250 knots, which is about 300-320 miles per hour when we're doing the break passes,' Horman said when asked how fast a 'Fat Albert' plane could fly. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → 'Because it's very difficult and we want to showcase the precision of the pilots,' Horman said when another audience member asked about the Blue Angels' flight formations. As the Blue Angels are expected to continue wowing people at the Great Tennessee Air Show this weekend, Moreira said that he did not want to wrap up Friday's event without sharing his advice to others. 'I have some advice for everybody that's watching,' Moreira said. 'Never give up and you can do it if you have it in your mind.' Perhaps that's a sentiment the Blue Angels would also agree with. The Blue Angels will perform at the Tennessee Air Show on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- General
- Indianapolis Star
Pet zebra wreaks 'havoc' on Tennessee interstate after escape
Dodging vehicles and narrowly missing being hit, a pet zebra ran into traffic along a busy greater Nashville interstate over the weekend, officials said. As of June 2, the zebra remained missing, a Rutherford County dispatcher told USA TODAY. The zebra broke loose on Saturday, May 31 "wreaking havoc" on Interstate 24 near Joe B. Jackson Parkway in Rutherford County, Sheriff's Office Lt. Kenneth Barrett reported. The parkway about 35 miles south of downtown Nashville in the city of Murfreesboro, a booming town home to Middle Tennessee State University, the largest undergraduate university in The Volunteer State. "Sheriff's deputies had to close the interstate because the zebra was running through traffic on both sides of the highway," Barrett said. Officials later reopened the highway after the zebra disappeared into the woods. The following day a patrol deputy snapped a photo of the zebra still on the loose. Presidential protector: Watch military dog who protected Trump, Biden reunite with handler According to the sheriff's office, the zebra escaped into a wooded area off Interstate 24 between Joe B. Jackson Parkway and the Epps Mill Road exits Saturday afternoon. The parkway is a busy throughfare with scores of businesses and other establishments lining it. According to a press release from the sheriff's office, Cpl. Zach Campbell the zebra belonged to a couple who he interviewed the night it escaped. The owners, law enforcement reported, "obtained the zebra Friday night." It escaped the following day. It was not immediately known whether the zebra was injured, how it escaped or where it escaped from. While the Library of Congress says zebras' "unpredictable nature and tendency to attack preclude them from being good candidates for domestication," it is legal to own one in Tennessee, the Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network reported. Along with llamas, camels, and giraffes, Tennessee categorizes zebras as Class III animals so they do not require special permits or paperwork to be kept as pets. USA TODAY has reached out to the sheriff's office. Anyone who spots the zebra is asked to not approach it and call the sheriff's office at 615-898-7770.
USA Today
6 days ago
- USA Today
Pet zebra wreaks 'havoc' on Tennessee interstate after escape
Pet zebra wreaks 'havoc' on Tennessee interstate after escape Dodging vehicles and narrowly missing being hit, a pet zebra ran into traffic along a busy greater Nashville interstate over the weekend, officials said. As of June 2, the zebra remained missing, a Rutherford County dispatcher told USA TODAY. The zebra broke loose on Saturday, May 31 "wreaking havoc" on Interstate 24 near Joe B. Jackson Parkway in Rutherford County, Sheriff's Office Lt. Kenneth Barrett reported. The parkway about 35 miles south of downtown Nashville in the city of Murfreesboro, a booming town home to Middle Tennessee State University, the largest undergraduate university in The Volunteer State. "Sheriff's deputies had to close the interstate because the zebra was running through traffic on both sides of the highway," Barrett said. Officials later reopened the highway after the zebra disappeared into the woods. The following day a patrol deputy snapped a photo of the zebra still on the loose. Presidential protector: Watch military dog who protected Trump, Biden reunite with handler Where was the zebra in Murfreesboro last seen? According to the sheriff's office, the zebra escaped into a wooded area off Interstate 24 between Joe B. Jackson Parkway and the Epps Mill Road exits Saturday afternoon. The parkway is a busy throughfare with scores of businesses and other establishments lining it. According to a press release from the sheriff's office, Cpl. Zach Campbell the zebra belonged to a couple who he interviewed the night it escaped. The owners, law enforcement reported, "obtained the zebra Friday night." It escaped the following day. It was not immediately known whether the zebra was injured, how it escaped or where it escaped from. Is it legal to have a pet zebra in Tennessee? While the Library of Congress says zebras' "unpredictable nature and tendency to attack preclude them from being good candidates for domestication," it is legal to own one in Tennessee, the Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network reported. Along with llamas, camels, and giraffes, Tennessee categorizes zebras as Class III animals so they do not require special permits or paperwork to be kept as pets. USA TODAY has reached out to the sheriff's office. Anyone who spots the zebra is asked to not approach it and call the sheriff's office at 615-898-7770. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MTSU Mondays: Farm lab brings produce to market, Polk named Person of the Year
Here's the latest news from Middle Tennessee State University. Middle Tennessee State University's Small Farms laboratory will again offer student-grown produce as a full-time vendor for the 2025 Murfreesboro Saturday Market season coordinated by Main Street Murfreesboro. MTSU Small Farms, which will be among the 85 vendors at this year's market, will be joined periodically at the popular weekly event by representatives from MTSU Athletics. Running each Saturday from May till the end of October, the Saturday Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon around the historic Rutherford County Courthouse downtown. The market features a variety of specialty farm vendors (lavender, honey, and flowers), four locally raised meat producers, a trout farm, seven bakeries, 17 prepared food vendors, 26 artisans and crafters, and more, according to a Main Street Murfreesboro news release. MTSU's Small Farms is the only USDA-certified organic grower at the market, providing attendees with a variety of crops from which to choose as selections change through summer into fall. Small Farms sells a mix of vegetables and fruits, along with flower bouquets. 'Customers appreciate that everything we sell is USDA Certified Organic, grown with care, and backed by the transparency we bring to our work,' said Christopher Hall, the Small Farms manager. 'We grow a vibrant mix of seasonal crops, always with a focus on flavor, diversity, and sustainable growing practices. Our staples include tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers, okra and eggplants,' added Hall. MTSU Small Farms student employees help with production and oversee the entire process, from farm to market, to get a variety of hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. Student agriculture classes also participate along with interns and researchers, according to Hall. In addition to the food and craft vendors, Murfreesboro Main Street says local organizations such as the Friends of Linebaugh Library, Rutherford County Master Gardeners, Storm Water Management and the League of Women Voters will host booths and activities at the Saturday Market. A new program called 'Market Passport' has started this season to encourage community engagement by allowing visitors to collect stamps each week they attend and be entered into a monthly drawing for a basket full of goods from a variety of vendors at the market. 'More than just a market, this is a hub for community connection,' said Linda Weeks, Market manager. 'We're especially excited to welcome several young, startup farmers this year who are building the future of local agriculture.' The 2025 season is the third year of the MTSU Small Farms' involvement in the market, and the second year of being a full-time vendor. MTSU's School of Agriculture manages all of the farm laboratories. View a full list of Murfreesboro Saturday Market vendors at In what has been an amazing year for MTSU alumnus Reggie Polk, the owner of Polk and Associates Construction Inc. was named Tennessee Small Business Administration Person of the Year this spring. As part of 2025 National Small Business Week, Polk received the state award in early May while attending the Small Business Association banquet in Washington, D.C., where it was announced Greg and Shelley McArthur of NTL Industries Inc. earned the nationwide distinction. The NFL Tennessee Titans selected the four-member Tennessee Builders Alliance — Polk and Associates, Turner Construction, ICF Builders and AECOM Hunt — along with trade partners to construct the new $2 billion stadium. Polk said the D.C. trip was 'such an amazing experience,' from meeting the new U.S. Small Business Administration team, networking, panel discussions and he and his wife Tanora Polk, also an MTSU alumnus, visiting various monuments, especially the World War I monument. Polk (Class of 2003), a former MTSU football player who co-founded the Brentwood-based business with his wife, credits 'the dedication and hard work and passion' of his 33-member Polk and Associates team, which has offices in Brentwood and Odon, Indiana, and with a footprint that includes Florida and Georgia. 'That is what makes us great. We make it a point to invest in our people.' MTSU Mondays content is provided by submissions from MTSU News and Media Relations. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Farm lab brings produce to market, Polk named Person of the Year
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MTSU Mondays: Concrete workshop empowers girls; Center joins Opry for Army's 250th
Here's the latest news from Middle Tennessee State University: Middle Tennessee State University's Concrete Industry Management program recently hosted more than 320 area middle and high school girls at the second annual Ladies in Concrete Workshop to expose them to a variety of potential careers in a field that has traditionally been dominated by men. Following last year's successful inaugural event at the School of Concrete and Construction Management Building, this year's event drew even more girls and young women to campus to get an up close view of different parts of the concrete industry through hands-on workshops demonstrating common things seen on a jobsite. The event provided eight workstations — heavy equipment, hand tools, mix design, pre-casting, finishing, masonry, 3D printing and welding — for the girls to have immersive experiences with professional equipment, all hosted by 17 different alumni and local industry partners. CIM Patron Board President Natalie Martin, a CIM program alum, created and organized the event for the purpose of letting young girls know that there is a much-needed place for women within this industry working with the most used building material in the world. 'I want to give middle and high school girls experience in this industry from a young age, so when they get to college, they're more on an equal playing field,' Martin explained, her emphasis based on her own experience as a nontraditional student, having graduated from the CIM program at 38 years old in 2016. Hannah Neal, a rising CIM junior from Murfreesboro, was a part of the group of female students and alumni that acted as tour guides for the day, sharing with the group their job titles and experiences within the concrete business and their unique degree. Paired with students from Central Magnet High School in Murfreesboro, Neal detailed just how grateful she was for being a part of this experience, and how she wished for an opportunity like this when she was much younger. 'We have so many amazing women and men who have decided to spend their time away from their companies to show these hands-on experiences for these young girls, and that is something I'm so thankful to be involved with since I'm still learning, too,' she said. Alongside a nearly 100-student increase from last year, the event hosted even more schools, bumping the total up to 12 combined middle and high schools from the Midstate. The CIM program aims to increase these numbers even more next year. Rising Smyrna High School senior Zoie Tubbs was one of the many participants who had the opportunity to participate in the event alongside her peers, finding the day to not only be enjoyable, but also expanded her horizons on what she perhaps would want to pursue after graduation. 'I think this is a really good opportunity for us as girls to learn about the concrete industry, and to actually feel invited to this career. Being here maybe changed my mind for what I want to do,' she said. Middle Tennessee State University's Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center on May 20 helped the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville celebrate the Army's 250th birthday. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, who serves as MTSU's senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives, was the Opry's guest announcer at the annual Salute the Troops show. Huber, along with Army Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, helped welcome country music stars and Opry members Craig Morgan, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sal Gonzalez and more, along with the 100th Army Band. Huber used his time on the Opry stage to talk about the work by the Daniels Center, saying the facility not only serves MTSU's more than 1,000 military-connected students, but any veteran seeking assistance — regardless of their affiliation with the university. Morgan, an MTSU alumnus, also serves as a warrant officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. Just before his performance, Morgan thanked 'my friend' Huber, then sitting with the sold-out crowd, and asked him to stand so the audience could applaud his service to veterans and active-duty troops. The Army is celebrating its birthday with several events across the nation, all leading up to its 250th on June 14. MTSU Mondays content is provided by submissions from MTSU News and Media Relations. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Concrete workshop empowers girls; Center joins Opry for Army's 250th
