Month: May 2017

U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais Rips Mainstream Media At Rutherford County GOP Event

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais slammed the mainstream media Thursday in delivering his welcoming remarks at the Rutherford County GOP Reagan Day Dinner. “These folks are not even trying to be neutral and impartial anymore,” he said, describing how he believes coverage has become even more slanted since President Trump was elected. DesJarlais, who represents the 4th district which includes Rutherford County, said news stories are full of “complete and utter nonsense” and cautioned attendees to be wary of what they see and read. “The president is doing everything we elected him to do but you won’t hear about that on TV,” he said. Four announced and expected candidates for Tennessee governor spoke at Thursday’s event at the Stones River County Club in Murfreesboro. They included state Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville), Congresswoman Diana Black, and businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee. Only Boyd and Lee have officially announced that they are running. DesJarlais encouraged state and local Republicans to stick together, saying that Democrats’ only chance of putting forward a winning gubernatorial candidate is if Republicans divide among themselves. In Washington, D.C., things are going better than some Republicans realize, he said. “Border crossings are dramatically down and that’s without…

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Donald Trump Cites Fight Against Terrorism in Ramadan Greeting

Tennessee Star Staff

In another stark departure from his predecessor, President Trump used the words “terrorist” or “terrorism” three times Friday in a statement wishing Muslims a joyful Ramadan, a traditional month of fasting. “This year, the holiday begins as the world mourns the innocent victims of barbaric terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom and Egypt, acts of depravity…

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Nashville Symphony To Give Performance With Fireworks Saturday

Wendy Wilson

  If you’re still looking for something to do over Memorial Day weekend, the Nashville Symphony will give a performance with fireworks Saturday evening at the Ascend Amphitheater. The “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” will feature the symphony as well as dancers with the Nashville Ballet and Joyce Yang on piano. Vinay Parameswaran will conduct. A performance of the 1812 Overture will accompany the fireworks display. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. General admission lawn seats are $20. Reserved and and premium box seats are also available. Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-687-6400 or visiting the Schermerhorn box office at One Symphony Place downtown. To buy tickets online, click here. The Ascend Amphitheater is located at 310 First Ave. S.

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Hillary Clinton Compares Trump to Nixon – and Worse – in Wellesley Commencent Speech

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

Vanquished 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Friday used a commencement address at her alma mater to warn that President Donald Trump is a danger to the country and the world. At Wellesley College, Clinton never uttered Trump’s name, but took took several shots at the president. A short list of the people she compared…

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Republicans Eyeing Job As Tennessee Governor Respond To Timely Questions At Event Thursday

Wendy Wilson

  While announced and expected Republican candidates for Tennessee governor differed little in their comments at a Rutherford County GOP event on Thursday, they handled questions about tough and timely issues. Businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee spoke at at the annual Reagan Day Dinner, as did state Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and Congresswoman Diane Black. Boyd, who formerly served as Gov. Bill Haslam’s economic commissioner, and Lee are the only two who have officially announced their candidacies for the 2018 race. On sanctuary cities, all four in attendance said they were strongly against Tennessee cities refusing to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. There are no cities in the state that have technically refused to cooperate with ICE, though Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is seen as sympathetic toward illegal immigrants. Moreover, lax immigration enforcement nationwide under previous presidents has meant ongoing problems with criminal illegal immigrants who continue to commit crimes. “No city in Tennessee will be a sanctuary city under my watch,” said Boyd, who is regarded as an establishment Republican and who last year gave a large donation to Conexión Américas for its culinary entrepreneurship program. Renata Soto, the founder and director of the Nashville group, is…

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DHS Secretary John Kelly Pushes Back on Obama’s Comments: ‘We’re Not Hiding Behind a Wall’

Tennessee Star Staff

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly pushed back Friday against comments made by former President Barack Obama about constructing a border wall. “We’re not hiding behind a wall. We’re constructing physical barriers backed up by technology, and of course the great men and women of customs and border protection, to simply safeguard our Southern…

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Norris and Harwell No-Shows at Reagan Day Dinner Featuring Announced and Expected GOP Gubernatorial Candidates

Tennessee Star Staff

  State Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) joined State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) as no-shows at the Rutherford County GOP Reagan Day Dinner in Murfreesboro Thursday night. Rutherford County GOP Chair Donna Barrett read a letter to the capacity crowd of over 200 from Harwell informing them that she was on her way to Colorado because a family member, her sister, had been injured with a broken back. Norris had a conflict that required his presence in his home district. On Wednesday Beavers announced that she had a conflict that would prevent her from attending. Four announced or expected candidates for governor, however, did show up and were featured speakers. Randy Boyd and Bill Lee, both announced candidates, and Congresswoman Diane Black, and State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville), both potential candidates, made their respective cases. Harwell’s family emergency postponed what was rumored to be the Speaker’s announcement of her candidacy for the GOP nomination for governor. Given the serious nature of her sister’s injuries, it is not clear when Harwell will return to Tennessee and resume her potential campaign for the state’s highest elected executive position.    

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No Fireworks in Gubernatorial Primary as Diane Black, Randy Boyd, Mark Green and Bill Lee Make Their Pitches at Rutherford County GOP Reagan Day Dinner

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — Four announced and expected Republican candidates for Tennessee governor spoke at Thursday evening’s Reagan Day Dinner sponsored by the Rutherford County GOP. Participants included businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee, Congresswoman Diane Black and State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville). State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) said Wednesday she had to back out because of a scheduling conflict. At Thursday’s event, it was announced that State Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) were also unable to attend as planned. Norris, like Beavers, cited a scheduling conflict and Harwell had to go to Colorado to be with her sister, who broke her back. Boyd and Lee are the only two who have officially launched campaigns for the 2018 race. The four candidates who spoke Thursday at the Stones River Country Club in Murfreesboro answered questions about federal encroachment on states’ rights, school vouchers, sanctuary cities and Medicaid. All four gave responses that reflected few substantial differences. There were no questions about Gov. Bill Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which he recently signed into law after it passed in the state legislature, but not without fierce debate. The legislation raises the gas tax and allows municipalities to hold…

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Commentary: Why Chasing Ghosts in the Trump/Russia Affair Will Cost Democrats Dearly

Tennessee Star Staff

  By Jeffrey A. Rendall It’s a sad sign of the times that it took something like the Manchester terrorist attack the other night to temporarily drag the public’s mind away from the Democrats’ reoccurring Russia-Trump collusion fixation, but it certainly won’t be long before the focus-challenged media returns to the subject. But now that special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to specifically separate the truth from whatever the Democrats are claiming, Trump’s haters are ostensibly bracing themselves for the prospect that the investigators won’t find anything damaging on the new president. When/if Mueller finds nothing, what then? Apparently the excuses are being prepared well in advance. Eddie Scarry of the Washington Examiner reports, “[Trump critics] Brzezinski, Scarborough and Frum are just the latest voices in the media to suggest that the chase for evidence of collusion may be a waste of time. Last week, other left-leaning people in the media were drawing the same conclusion. “’It may well be difficult to identify any criminal laws violated by the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia,’ CNN commentator and writer for the New Yorker Jeffrey Toobin wrote last Friday. ‘It will be important for Mueller to investigate, for example, whether anyone associated…

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Republican Gianforte Wins Montana’s Special Congressional Election

Tina LaFleur

  The mainstream media’s fever dreams have once again been broken by the will of American voters – this time, in Big Sky Country – as Republican Greg Gianforte wins Montana’s single House seat in Thursday’s special election. Decision Desk HQ called it at 10pm mountain time: We project that Greg Gianforte has won the #MTAL special election. #MTAL https://t.co/61tksgfeKf — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) May 26, 2017 Gianforte will replace Ryan Zinke who was tapped by the Trump Administration to join the cabinet as the Secretary of the Interior. On Monday night, Gianforte made news when a reporter from The Guardian claimed that he was body slammed by Gianforte. Voters in Montana apparently were not particularly bothered by the allegation, though a local sheriff filed misdemeanor charges against the GOP candidate late Monday night. Follow real-time returns here.      

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Eight Tennessee Sites Added to National Register of Historic Places

Wendy Wilson

Eight Tennessee sites have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Three are in Shelby County. They include the Rock of Ages Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and the Memphis Federation of Musicians Local 71 Building, both in Memphis. The Charles Davis House in Collierville was also honored. The other sites include the Cleveland Commercial Historic District in Bradley County, the LaFollette Coke Ovens in Campbell County, Kern’s Bakery in Knoxville, the Science Building at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville and the William A. McMurry House in Springfield in Robertson County. The Tennessee Historical Commission made the announcement last week on its Facebook page. “As Tennessee grows, it is important to recognize the unique historic places that help define us,” said Patrick McIntyre, state historic preservation officer and executive director of the Tennessee Historical Commission. “The National Register is an honorary designation that emphasizes the importance of these special properties worth maintaining and passing along to future generations.” The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of cultural resources in the U.S. deemed worthy of preservation. The Tennessee Historical Commission oversees the program in Tennessee.

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Friday, May 26

Dana Hunsinger Gill
Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 26, Friday Matthew 6:9-13 9 … Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

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Commentary: ‘Deep State’ Leakers Undercut Country in Their Zeal to Hurt President Trump

Tennessee Star Staff

The leakers of classified intelligence information are chipping away at our democratic institutions. It’s becoming a dangerous game where those who are feeding sensitive information to the media are also creating distrust within our intelligence agencies and damaging relationships with our allies abroad. These leakers are on a mission to weaken President Trump and disrupt his…

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IKEA Coming To Nashville

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  IKEA fans in Nashville can look forward to the day when they will no longer have to trek to Memphis or Atlanta to do their shopping. The Swedish home furnishings retailer has announced that an IKEA store will open in the Nashville area by summer 2020, reports NewsChannel 5. The store will be built in Antioch, around 13 miles southeast of downtown Nashville, off Interstate 24 at Hickory Hollow Parkway, just south of Bell Road. The 341,000-square-foot store will be located on 36 acres in the Century Farms development. Construction could start in early 2019, officials announced at a press conference Thursday. Permits still need to be approved. In a news release earlier this month announcing IKEA was submitting plans to Metro Nashville government, IKEA president Lars Petersson said he was excited about the Nashville store adding to the retailer’s growing presence in the southeastern U.S. “This location would provide our already 140,000 Nashville-area customers their own store and introduce the unique IKEA shopping experience to others throughout Middle Tennessee,” Petersson said. Construction of the store is expected to create more than 500 jobs and the store would need 250 workers once it opens, the news release said. The store in Antioch…

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President Trump’s Budget Plan To Cut Food Stamps Worries Head of Memphis Non-Profit

Wendy Wilson

President Trump’s proposal to cut food stamp funding has drawn howls of protest but supporters say critics are overreacting. The cuts are part of Trump’s budget plan for the 2018 fiscal year. Titled “A New Foundation For American Greatness”, the plan was presented to Congress on Tuesday. The plan also calls for cuts to welfare programs including Medicaid as well as cuts in funding for climate change and medical research. In April, more than 1 million people in Tennessee, representing more than 500,000 households, used the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to a state government website. Tennessee has a total population of around 6.6 million. Called SNAP, the program offers benefits formerly known as food stamps and still often called that informally. The total cost of the issuance in Tennessee for April was more than $128 million. Shelby County had by far the largest number of people on food stamps with nearly 220,000 individuals receiving benefits. Trump’s proposal for reforming SNAP includes closing eligibility loopholes, targeting the neediest households for help and requiring able-bodied adults to work. The reforms would reduce costs while maintaining basic assistance for low-income families to help them get through hard times, the proposal says. Estella Mayhue-Greer,…

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Mae Beavers Will Not Attend Reagan Day Dinner Featuring Announced and Expected GOP Gubernatorial Candidates

Wendy Wilson

  State Sen. Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) will not attend an event tonight (Thursday) where six other announced and expected Tennessee Republican gubernatorial candidates will be speaking. The event, the Rutherford County GOP Reagan Day Dinner, will  be held at the Stones River Country Club in Murfreesboro at 7 p.m. Beavers had previously been listed as a speaker. Beavers told The Tennessee Star she has a conflict in her schedule and is unable to attend. She hasn’t formally announced an intention to run in the 2018 race but said Wednesday she is still considering it. “We’re still 18 months out,” she said. Beavers said people across the state are encouraging her to run and have offered to help her campaign. She is liked by conservative Republicans who value her fiscal and social conservatism. Those still scheduled to participate in Thursday’s debate include businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee, Congresswoman Diane Black, State Senators Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and Mark Norris (R-Collierville), and Speaker of the State House of Representatives Beth Harwell (R-Nashville). Boyd and Lee are the only ones who have officially announced an intention to run. Click here for more information about the debate.

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70 Grassroots Activists Honor Gas Tax Opponents at Knoxville Event

Laura Baigert

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Seventy grassroots activists came out to hear a debriefing Tuesday evening on the recently concluded legislative session by Knoxville Republican gas tax opponents Representatives Roger Kane and Jason Zachary at an Americans For Prosperity (AFP) West Knoxville Town Hall.  Kane and Zachary were recognized by AFP’s Deputy State Director, James Amundsen, as the only two Knoxville representatives who voted against the gas tax increase. Representatives Zachary and Kane gave opening comments to the standing room only crowd at O’Charley’s on Parkside Drive in the Turkey Creek section of Knoxville followed by a question and answer session for an event that ran more than an hour. Zachary started his comments by passing out and reviewing two handouts printed on his official letterhead, “Under Conservative Leadership, Tennessee is a Better Place To Live, Work, And Raise A Family” and “Bills Passed On Behalf Of District 14, 2017 Session.”  As he went through the six bills, HB 0055, 0056, 0057, 0362, 0368 and 0469, Zachary explained how they came about through requests by individuals, making the point that “especially at the state level, one person can make a tremendous difference.” Kane made a similar point when he said, “We actually…

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Whistleblower: DHS Allowed MS-13 Gang Members Into Country as Part of Illegal Immigrant Surge

Tennessee Star Staff

The Obama administration knowingly let in at least 16 admitted MS-13 gang members who arrived at the U.S. as illegal immigrant teenagers in 2014, a top senator said Wednesday, citing internal documents that showed the teens were shipped to juvenile homes throughout the country. Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said a…

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Commentary: RINOs Declare War On Trump’s Conservative Budget

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  by ConservativeHQ.com staff Senator John McCain, Capitol Hill’s chief Republican In Name Only, declared President Trump’s budget “dead on arrival” and his lackey in the House, Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho predicted another continuing resolution for next fiscal year. Rep. Simpson — the chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water — told Politico that “The rest of the appropriators and chairmen will probably kill me, but, I think we’re into a CR for 2018.” The Trump administration budgetary requests are unlikely to be followed said Simpson. “This is [OMB Director Mick] Mulvaney’s budget,” Simpson said. “Like I want to go home after having [voted] against Meals on Wheels and say, ‘Oh it’s a bad program, keeping seniors alive.’” This is the kind of “Republican” policy that has federal spending on autopilot while tax collections are at record highs and the federal deficit is also at a record high. Conservatives, who may not agree with every detail of the President’s budget, should take a hard look at what McCain, Simpson and other RINO opponents of the budget are actually opposing. The Trump budget includes both discretionary and mandatory savings proposals that bring Federal spending under control and…

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Students and Faculty Protesters Demand Punishment of College Republicans Group

Tennessee Star Staff

Student and faculty protesters rushed a college administration building Monday calling for the school to punish its College Republicans group. Orange Coast College faculty and students protested the school’s College Republicans chapter after the group published emails from OCC professor Jessica Alabi to Orange Coast College President Dennis Harkins. The emails revealed the professor said she…

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Illegal Alien, Convicted of 2012 Sex Crime in Robertson County and Deported, Arrested Again at Arizona Border

Chris Alto
Tennessee Star

  Robertson County convicted sexual predator Jose Pineda Torres, an illegal alien, was again arrested yesterday for violating U.S. immigration laws. In 2012, Torres was convicted for attempted aggravated sexual battery and subsequently deported. On May 24, 2017, he was arrested in the Tuscon Sector by Border Patrol as he again crossed the border illegally. Since Torres had previously been deported, his illegal re-entry is a felony.  He was turned over to ICE for detention. When an illegal alien is apprehended by Border Patrol, all available law enforcement databases are checked and any criminal conviction information is logged into the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) database regardless of whether the crime was committed in the U.S. Between fiscal years 2015 and 2016, under the Obama administration’s immigration enforcement policies, criminal aliens apprehended at the border had convictions categorized in the database as follows: Assault, battery, domestic violence                                        2,758 Burglary, robberty, larceny, theft, fraud                                2,311 Driving under the influence                    …

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Wants Gov. Haslam To Veto Gun Bill

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is asking Gov. Bill Haslam to veto a bill that would require cities and counties to enhance security at public venues or allow permit holders to carry handguns. The legislation would apply to parks, zoos, buses, auditoriums, museums, fairs and more. Places like Bridgestone Arena and Nissan Stadium that already have heavy security and ban handguns are not included in the legislation. Schools, libraries and law enforcement offices are also exempted. Passed earlier this month by the state legislature after much debate, the bill also provides lawful gun owners with a private cause of action to challenge local gun control policies that run counter to state law. Haslam is expected to sign the bill because it passed overwhelmingly in both the House and the Senate. But opponents are still working to persuade him otherwise. The Safe Tennessee Project and Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America are also opposed to the legislation. However, the National Rifle Association and the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) back the measure. The groups represent individuals who want their gun rights enforced and a limit on gun-free zones where citizens may be targeted by criminals who don’t abide by the rules. “The portion of the law which gives…

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Debbie Wasserman Schultz Interfered With Criminal Probe of Her IT Staffer, Promising ‘Consequences’ for Capitol Police

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz threatened the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police with “consequences” for holding equipment that she says belongs to her in order to build a criminal case against a Pakistani staffer suspected of massive cybersecurity breaches involving funneling sensitive congressional data offsite. The Florida lawmaker used her position on the committee that sets…

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San Francisco Creates Legal Office To Defend Illegal Immigrants From Deportation

Tennessee Star Staff

The San Francisco public defender’s office launched a new unit Tuesday dedicated to representing illegal immigrants faced with deportation and focused on providing local tax money for cases heard in the city’s federal immigration courts. The special immigration division, one of only three such programs in the country, consists of three deputy public defenders and a…

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Nashville Predators Await Outcome of Game 7 to Know Stanley Cup Finals Opponent After Senators Tie Series With Penguins

Tennessee Star Staff

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators staved off elimination and set the stage for a dramatic finish in the Eastern Conference Final with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday night. The series is now tied 3-3 with Game 7 — and a chance to play the Nashville Predators in…

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Nick Clooney Helps Tennesseans Promote Constitution at 917 Society Benefit

Wendy Wilson

FRANKLIN, Tennessee — Most all Tennessee schoolchildren know at least a little about the U.S. Constitution, but members and supporters of the 917 Society say there’s more to be done to help students understand its background and importance. The Nashville area nonpartisan group held a benefit Tuesday evening at the Franklin Theatre to raise money for a project to put the Constitution in the hands of eighth-graders and to complete an educational documentary on the founding document narrated by Nick Clooney, a Kentucky journalist, author and former anchorman. Clooney, father of actor George Clooney and brother of the late singer Rosemary Clooney, attended the event Tuesday with his wife, Nina, to whom he has been married since 1959. In 2004, Clooney made an unsuccessful run in Kentucky for a congressional seat as a Democrat. He is widely respected for his media work and has received an Emmy for commentary and another for historical narration. Attendees at Tuesday’s event were treated to a video featuring Clooney, a skit and a panel discussion. In the video, Clooney said the Founding Fathers “in a brilliant fashion” were able to produce the Constitution through patience and negotiation. “It’s my dictionary of democracy and I have it…

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Sources: Democratic Aide Suspected of Major Security Breach on Capitol Hill Now Under Government Protection in Pakistan

Tennessee Star Staff

A criminal suspect in an investigation into a major security breach on the House of Representatives computer network has abruptly left the country and gone to Pakistan, where her family has significant assets and VIP-level protection, a relative and others told The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group. Hina Alvi, her husband Imran Awan, and his…

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House IT Aides Fear Suspects in Hill Breach Are Blackmailing Members With Their Own Data

Tennessee Star Staff

Congressional technology aides are baffled that data-theft allegations against four former House IT workers — who were banned from the congressional network — have largely been ignored, and they fear the integrity of sensitive high-level information. Imran Awan and three relatives were colleagues until police banned them from computer networks at the House of Representatives after…

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Attorney General Sessions Readies Crackdown on ‘Sanctuary’ Jurisdictions

Tennessee Star Staff

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday released a memo explaining how the federal government will target “sanctuary” jurisdictions, narrowly defining what constitutes non-cooperation. The language appears designed to align with a last month. U.S. District Judge William Orrick ruled that an signed by President Donald Trump in January was overly broad and could not take effect,…

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New Bill in Congress Will Turn Back Obama-Era Policies and Begin Real Reform of Immigration

Chris Alto

  ICE director Sarah Saldana, sworn in during the Obama administration, submitted written testimony during an April 2016 Congressional hearing documenting that from fiscal year 2013 to 2015, over 86,000 illegal criminal aliens who had been arrested and convicted for committing a crime, were released back into the United States instead of being deported. On May 18, 2017, U.S. House members Raul Labrador, Vice-chairman of the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee and Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced H.R.2431, the “Michael Davis, Jr. and Danny Oliver in Honor of State and Local Law Enforcement Act” (Davis-Oliver Act) intended to make significant inroads in turning back the effect of Obama-era immigration policies that undermined the public safety in many communities. The Davis-Oliver Act is named after two California law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty by an illegal alien gang member who had already been deported multiple times. Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s opening statement before taking up the Davis-Oliver Act, referred to the effect of “the Obama Administration’s neglect to enforce our immigration laws:” Under the guise of ‘prosecutorial discretion’ and so-called ‘enforcement priorities’, removable aliens were essentially free to roam our country unless they had been convicted of…

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Parents In Kentucky School District Upset With School Officials Over Student Violence

Wendy Wilson

Parents in Bardstown, Kentucky are complaining that the Nelson County School Board is not doing enough to address violent student behavior. More than 100 parents and faculty members turned out for a school board meeting May 16 to voice concerns, according to WDRB Louisville 41 News. On May 15, police were called to Old Kentucky Home Middle School after a student slammed a female teacher up against lockers. It was the latest in a string of incidents across the district. Past incidents include fights on campus and trays thrown during lunch Teachers don’t have the support they need to handle disruptions, said parent Angela Williams. Former teachers who spoke at the school board meeting echoed Williams’ complaint. “I have been threatened,” former substitute teacher John Peterson told the board. “One kid told me ‘If I had a car, I would run over your a**.’ ” “We need new leadership, people,” Peterson said.  “You need to wake up!” Superintendent Anthony Orr acknowledged the problems and said administrators are working on solutions but said “none of those things work like a magic wand.” Parent Matt Reynolds has started a petition to ask the school board not to renew Orr’s contract, according to the Nelson County…

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Bowling Green Woman Reunited With Missing Dog Found In California

Wendy Wilson

Tammy Crews’ dog went missing two and a half years ago from her home in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but Crews never gave up hope of finding her. Her hopes were realized last week when she got a call from an animal shelter in California saying her dog, a Maltese named Trixie, had been found. Trixie, now about 13 years old, had a microchip that could be used to trace her back to her owner if anyone brought her to a vet or animal shelter, according to the Bowling Green Daily News. Little Trixie had been found wandering in a Wal-Mart parking lock in Turlock, California, more than 2,200 miles from Bowling Green. Malnourished and with matted hair, she was taken to Turlock Animal Services. Using the microchip, employee Glena Jackson was able to contact Crews’ vet. Jackson later drove more than two hours to Sacramento to put Trixie on a plane bound for Nashville, where the Crews family picked her up Saturday night. After Trixie slipped through her doggie door in January 2015 and disappeared, Crews posted flyers offering a reward and knocked on neighbors’ neighbors. She thinks a group of workers nearby that day may have stolen Trixie, a friendly…

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College Campuses Warn Of Islamophobia, Discouraging Critical Examination Of Islam

Wendy Wilson

The University of the South in Sewanee held a panel discussion on Islamophobia last month at which objections to Islam were dismissed as prejudice. The event was hosted by the Muslim Student Association and was called “Understanding Islamophobia in America.” College campuses around the country have heightened their criticism of Islamophobia – depicted as an irrational fear of Islam and its followers – even as Islamists have increased their attacks on innocents around the world, including in the West. The latest attack came Monday, when at least 22 people were killed in a bombing at a concert in Manchester, England. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. The attention on Islamophobia has made critical examination of Islam a difficult and risky prospect for college students and faculty. One of two Muslim guest speakers at the Sewanee event on April 14 was Sabina Mohyuddin, a Tennessee native and Vanderbilt graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering. Mohyuddin serves as board secretary for the American Muslim Advisory Council, a Tennessee advocacy group. Mohyuddin said at the event that Islamophobia “developed as a consequence of uninformed prejudice and reactions to acts of terrorism,” according to an article in The Sewanee Purple, the student…

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Nick Clooney to Appear in Franklin Tonight at Premiere of Constitution Documentary He Narrates

Tennessee Star Staff

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–Television host and former news anchor Nick Clooney and his wife Nina will be part of the “Old Hollywood” themed film premiere at the Franklin Theatre at 6:30 pm tonight of a documentary on the Constitution he narrates. Attendees are invited to “walk the red carpet with Nick and Nina Clooney” at the event organized by the 917 Society to promote its new film aimed at high school students. In an exclusive interview on Monday with The Tennessee Star, Clooney, father of movie star George Clooney, explained why at 83 years of age he agreed to narrate the film. “If this doesn’t ring a bell with the kids, then we have to find another way to do it, because the young people, right now, have no idea what the Constitution is, what it means, what it stands for,” Clooney said of the documentary he narrates. “We used to, of course, have to learn the preamble in school. We had to learn to do that, and we had to recite it every year in our Civics class. We had to know what that meant to us, and how we were just floundering as a nation after the Revolutionary War with the…

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Nashville Lawyers Help Illegal Criminal Aliens Remain in Tennessee Communities

Chris Alto

  “Fighting for immigrant rights” is what Nashville attorney Elliott Ozment does.  He is one of the lawyers suing Metro Nashville, Davidson County and Sheriff Daron Hall, on behalf of the Saudi visa overstayer and the “hundred and likely thousands of immigrants” subject to ICE detainer requests. Ozment helps  illegal aliens who have committed crimes remain in Tennessee communities. Ozment Law’s website says: At Ozment Law, we have helped hundreds of legal and undocumented immigrants in Nashville and the surrounding areas obtain the necessary documentation to be able to work and live in the U.S. without fear of deportation. “Undocumented immigrant” is a term that purposely obscures the fact that U.S. immigration laws have been violated and suggests that legal immigration status is merely a matter of completing some paperwork. Activist liberal groups like the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) also use “undocumented immigrant” even though U.S. law and the U.S. Supreme Court refer to foreign nationals who enter the country without authorization as “illegal aliens.” A May 3, 2017, blog post on the Ozment Law website asks the question, “Do I have to leave the country after being convicted of a crime?” followed by…

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