🏢 Yet another local office cut by DOGE

🏥 Nashville General Hospital CEO Stripped of Powers

The Nashville Hospital Authority Board has stripped Nashville General Hospital CEO Dr. Joseph Webb of his powers just days before he planned to leave. They’ve appointed Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Veronica Elders as acting decision-maker until they can appoint an interim CEO. [NewsChannel 5]

• Why Nashville General Hospital is in distress [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🧑‍🚀 Could Our Astronaut Finally Be Coming Home?

A SpaceX capsule is scheduled to depart for the International Space Station today, where it intends to pick up Middle TN-born astronaut Butch Wilmore and his fellow traveler Suni Williams after nine months stranded in space. Here’s our conversation with both astronauts — live from the ISS! — in celebration of their hopeful return. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏢 DOGE Cuts Local IRS Lease

The Department of Government Efficiency has targeted an IRS lease in Cool Springs in its latest round of terminations. It’s among the highest-valued leases the agency has identified to cut. [🔒 Nashville Business Journal]

💉 Making Nashville Healthier

Our new public health director, Dr. Sanmi Areola, hopes to make Nashville healthier by addressing public skepticism on vaccines, improving health disparities, and organizing community events to help adults and children, like a community baby shower this Saturday at the Lentz Public Health Center. [The Tennessean]

Cheekwood is one of my favorite places to go in Nashville. The 55-acre Belle Meade historic estate includes numerous gardens, art trails, children’s areas, and a historic mansion. I’ve gone on dates here, taken my grandparents and out-of-town family, and now I bring my daughter. There’s something for everyone at Cheekwood. Here’s my guide to getting the most out of your visit.

🌷 The Gardens

Cheekwood is home to 13 distinct gardens and numerous garden displays. Meandering trails guide visitors through the various areas, and you can either grab a map to plan your trip and make sure you hit every garden, or wander aimlessly, which is what I do with my kid leading the way. My favorites are Howe Garden, which feels like a little fantasy village; the Bradford Robertson Color Garden right by the welcome center, an explosion of color and perfect for photo ops; and the Sigourney Cheek Literary Garden.

🏛️ The House

Cheekwood was built between 1929 and 1932 by architect Bryant Fleming, inspired by country estates in Britain, and was home to Leslie Cheek, Sr. and Mabel Wood in their later years. Leslie died shortly after it was finished, and Mabel lived there until 1944, when she deeded it to their daughter, Huldah. Huldah turned the estate into a center for art and nature, and opened it to the public on May 31, 1960.

Visiting the mansion costs extra, but it’s worth doing at least once. The inside is decadent and sprawling, with beautiful rooms, furniture, architectural details, and art. I confess I’ve only been inside a few times, preferring to roam the gardens instead.

🧒 For Kids

I have literally spent all day, from open to close, with my kid at Cheekwood. There is so much to see and explore. Head down the paved trail across the road from the welcome center to find a storybook trail of “The Little Engine That Could” before coming to a truly enchanted toy train area. Kids can zip and zoom beneath tracks and inside a little house to follow the children’s trains. Beside it is a wooden toy train play structure.