Frank Ragnow, All-SEC First Teamer and Potential NFL Draft First Rounder, Lost for the Year Due to Injury

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema announced on Monday that first-team All-SEC offensive lineman Frank Ragnow will miss the rest of the season. He suffered a high ankle sprain in Saturday’s 52-20 loss to Auburn. Ragnow had started 33 consecutive games including that game with 18 coming at center and 15 coming at right guard. The 6-foot-5,…

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Rock-and-Roll Legend Fats Domino Dead at 89

Fats Domino, whose rollicking rhythm and blues piano helped give birth to rock ‘n’ roll, has died in his lifelong home of New Orleans, the coroner said Wednesday. He was 89. Domino, who had made few public appearances over the past decade, died Tuesday morning of natural causes, said Gerry Cvitanovich, Jefferson Parish Coroner. “He was…

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Oklahoma City Votes Unanimously To Rename Three Schools Named After Confederates At Cost of $40,000

An Oklahoma school board voted unanimously Monday to rename three Confederate schools, an action which will cost the district $40,000. The Oklahoma City, Okla. school board voted 7-0 to rename schools named after Gens. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Isaac Stand Watie, reported Fox25 News. “As the district begins the input process to determine…

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Glencliff Neighbors Continue Protest of Homeless Village at South Nashville Church

Neighbors in the Glencliff community in South Nashville continue to protest the construction of tiny houses for the homeless at a nearby church as the project moves forward. Earlier this month, ground was broken for the Village at Glencliff, which will include 22 micro homes on the property of Glencliff United Methodist Church. “This was the wrong place for it,” William Durkin, vice president of the Glencliff Neighborhood Association, told WKRN News 2. “They took over a fading church in an economically struggling neighborhood.” Neighbors have dug up police reports related to Open Table Nashville, the interfaith nonprofit founded in 2010 that is behind the development of the Village at Glencliff. The reports show that a registered sex offender was housed by Open Table Nashville close to two schools, Durkin said. They also showed that an individual helped by Open Table Nashville stole checks from the nonprofit. Open Table Nashville released a statement to WKRN saying, “When people receiving our services do not respect the boundaries we set, we work together and involve others when needed to ensure the safety and health of everyone involved.” On the nonprofit’s website, co-founder Lindsey Krinks describes the group’s mission. “For us, an open table signifies fellowship,…

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Kentucky Sheriff Relies on Faith in God in Fighting County’s Drug Epidemic

Bobby Jack Woods doesn’t have an easy job as sheriff of a Kentucky county plagued by drug abuse. What gets him through is his faith in God, reports Kentucky Today, a news outlet of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. A 37-year veteran Kentucky lawman, Woods serves Boyd County at the northeastern edge of the state. Boyd County ranks among the top five in Kentucky in overdose deaths. Statewide, 1,404 people died from overdoses in 2016, a new high. The state has seen rising abuse of heroin and fentanyl, an opioid pain medication. Opioid and heroin addictions are also a growing problem across the nation. “Being a sheriff in Kentucky is a test of faith, and I mean that sincerely,” he said. “You see so much heartache. There are times when you wonder why God lets people suffer or why God let’s people do some of the things they do.” But Woods, a member of a Baptist church in Ashland, said he is grateful that he can also lean on his faith in his grueling line of work. Woods said young people aren’t the only ones getting caught up in drug abuse. A couple in their 70s were recently found dead of overdoses in an…

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House Intelligence Committee to Investigate Obama-Backed Uranium One Deal

A trio of Republican representatives announced Tuesday that congressional committees would open a probe into Russia’s acquisition of U.S. uranium reserves, including the Justice Department’s mysterious handling of bribery and money-laundering allegations. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) told reporters that it is important to find out what the FBI knew and whether that information…

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JC Bowman Commentary: Mandates Must Include Funding

US Capitol

State mandates must include funding, and if districts use their own resources then they should be free to create their own program, modify the RTI2 program or discontinue it all together. The question legislators must answer: Does the RTI2 program work? If the answer is yes the program is working, then the state should indeed fully fund it. If the answer is no, then that message will also be sent by the Tennessee General Assembly.

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Kenny Rogers Receives Star on the Music City Walk of Fame

NASHVILLE, TN  – Grammy winner and music icon Kenny Rogers was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame on October 24. The induction ceremony took place one day in advance of the all-star “All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration” taking place at Bridgestone Arena. He will receive the 80th star on the Music City Walk of Fame. Inductees are recognized for their significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song or other industry collaboration. Introducing Kenny Rogers was long-time touring partners, the Oak Ridge Boys.  In 1979, Kenny Rogers became the first person to sell out arenas in his Full House Tour.   The Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall reminded the crowd, “No other country tour in history had played 90 cities in a row, to 18,000+ people.”  Touring with Kenny Rogers, “We didn’t see an empty seat for ten years.” Not only that, Kenny Rogers brought the Oak Ridge Boys along for a Christmas tour.  “This year, [because of Kenny Rogers], we are embarking on our 29th Christmas tour,” stated Bonsall. When the Oak Ridge Boys were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Kenny Rogers graciously…

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Fundraising Support For Tim Burchett Comes With Elements of Controversy

Recent campaign fund raising events and reports reveal that support for Tim Burchett, candidate for the 2nd U.S. Congressional District being vacated by Congressman John “Jimmy” Duncan, is coming from sources involved in various levels of controversy. Burchett, term-limited as Knox County Mayor, announced on August 5, 2017, his intention to run for Congress after months of speculation about which office he would run for, largely induced by his own leading comments. Since the announcement, several fund raising events have been held for Burchett and the first FEC filing of the Burchett For Congress campaign was submitted October 15, 2017. For the period July 1 to September 30, 2017, Burchett For Congress has cash on hand of $113,676 after receiving contributions of $140,801 and having expenditures of $27,125 for the period. Contributions came from 212 individuals and two PACs, Red State PAC at $500 and former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey’s PAC, RAAMPAC at $1,000. Ramsey, who introduced Burchett at a fundraiser held on September 28, 2017, the two having served together in the both the Tennessee House and Senate, repeatedly made references to “my friend, Tim.” Under Ramsey’s leadership, Republicans gained majorities in the House and Senate with Ramsey ending…

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America First Federation Calls on Mitch McConnell to Remove Bob Corker As Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman on National Security Grounds

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — On Tuesday, the America First Federation (AFF) called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to remove Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on national security grounds. For good measure, Corker should resign entirely from the United States Senate, the conservative grassroots organization based in Tennessee says. “Senator Corker has decided to become the champion of his own myopic agenda, rather than the national security interests of the United States,” Mark Skoda, founder and chairman of AFF told The Tennessee Star. “Senator Corker’s erratic comments attacking President Trump are giving aid and comfort to our enemies around the world, and Majority Leader McConnell must act now to remove that national security threat from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee immediately,” Skoda said. “The people of Tennessee have rejected his rhetoric. I personally have continued to call into his offices to express my disgust but have been unable to get through to the Capital. Either Bob Corker is extremely popular and receiving congratulatory calls on his obstruction, or he is getting an earful from Tennessee voters who overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016. I suspect that latter rather than the former!” Skoda added “In light…

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