VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Defenseman P.K. Subban scored two goals on a pair of strange plays to help the Nashville Predators defeat the Vancouver Canucks 7-1 Wednesday night. Subban’s first goal was a fluttering shot from the faceoff circle that opened the scoring in the first period. His second was a slap shot from center ice…
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The University of Tennessee at Martin Student Government Association president, Jordan Long, signed the controversial concealed carry resolution passed by the Student Senate last Thursday. Reaction by some in the student body was swift, as many staged a sit-in at the Student Government Association (SGA) offices on campus, WBBJ-TV reported: Although it received a majority of “yes” votes from SGA senators, students who voted in the referendum on Tuesday did not show the same support. More than 1,400 students voiced their opinion in the referendum. In the referendum vote, 89 percent agreed that students feel safe on campus, 54 percent disagreed students with a Tennessee concealed carry permit should be allowed to carry a concealed firearm on campus, and 58 percent disagreed they would feel safer if students were allowed to carry a concealed firearm on campus. On Dec. 7, the resolution was passed 17-10. Now, the resolution will go to UT Martin Chancellor Keith Carver for approval. SGA president Jordan Long told WBBJ-TV, “The hundreds of emails that I have gotten, I’ve almost responded to all of them – some for, some against – in a respectful manner, even when the ones that I’ve gotten aren’t at all. It is a constitutional right of…
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A panel consisting of Williamson County officials and business leaders held an open forum meeting Monday, when, within a discussion of the strong growth and expensive ‘to-do’ list of the county, the specter of a sales tax increase was once again raised, a proposal Williamson County Republican Chair Debbie Deaver calls “a Band-Aid.” The panel meeting – dubbed ‘FrankTalks’ – is a regular occurring program. The Williamson Herald reported Monday’s meeting was paneled by Franklin Mayor Ken Moore; Lisa Wurth, Benchmark Realty and former president of the Williamson County Association of Realtors; Ellie Westman Chin of the Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Richard Herrington, Franklin Synergy president and chairman of Williamson Inc. Matt Largen, president and CEO of Williamson Inc., also participated The current local contribution to the state sales tax in Williamson county is 2.25 percent. While lauding the growth of the county with the addition of several medium and large businesses and the people who follow, the panelists seem to support a half-percent increase – which represents a hefty 22 percent hike, resulting is a new tax rate of 2.75 percent. Lisa Wurth said property taxes are only paid by property owners, “but we have a lot of apartment dwellers,” the…
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The Professional Educators of Tennessee issued a statement on Wednesday in support of two Knoxville area principals who have been placed on leave. On Tuesday, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported that L&N Stem Academy announced earlier in the day that a principal and assistant principal have been placed on leave. Superintendent Bob Thomas sent an email to parents announcing the change, saying that Becky Ashe and vice principal Tim Childers are on leave. Laura Boring will be taking over administrative duties for the period of the leave. No reason was offered for this action. In a statement, Professional Educators of Tennessee Executive Director JC Bowman said: As we understand it, an incident occurred that was properly reported to the authorities by Mr. Tim Childers, Vice Principal and Ms. Becky Ashe, Principal, both highly regarded educators at L&N STEM Academy. They did not instigate or cause this incident, the specifics of which are currently under investigation. Mr. Childers and Ms. Ashe, based on the information we have received, discharged their professional responsibilities in accordance with state law. This should be of no surprise to anyone. L&N STEM Academy is one of the highest performing schools in the state. U.S. News and World Report ranked…
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by State Senator Dr. Mark Green Last November, Americans all across the country went to the polls to cast their ballots for the most unconventional of choices – someone who’s never held office before – to be President of the United States. Rejecting the political elites of both parties, Americans spoke loudly for change – change from a Washington that has become a swamp, filled with career politicians, unaccountable bureaucrats, and some 10,000 lobbyists. Politicians have made promises to reform our tax code for the last thirty years, yet the last major changes to the tax code took place in 1986, when Ronald Reagan was president. It’s no surprise since the status quo preserves the power of the elites. The more onerous the tax code, the more clients are dependent on their high-powered lobbyists. Bureaucrats have more power than ever before with their unchecked rule-making authority, and career politicians are happy because the campaign contributions keep coming from special interests seeking carve-outs. It’s fitting that today we are on the eve of a major tax reform victory thanks to another outsider beholden to no one in the swamp, President Donald Trump. Every bill has good and bad components. The Senate’s tax reform…
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The FBI official removed from Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation repeatedly mocked Donald Trump, referring to him as a “douche,” and expressed concern over what would happen to the U.S. if he was elected, according to copies of text messages the agent sent. The Justice Department turned over 375 messages between counterintelligence investigator Peter Strzrok and…
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State Senate hopeful former State Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) is calling for an legislative investigation into the spending and grant process into the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD). “Over the past several years, it has become increasingly clear that ECD is being used as a “piggy bank” for sweetheart deals for the politically connected,” Carr said in a statement sent The Tennessee Star. “It is time to have a thorough audit by the Comptroller and a detailed investigation by the legislature to determine exactly how our tax dollars have been spent and the results that are being generated.” The statement continues: In its 12th annual Tennessee Pork Report released this week, the Beacon Center revealed that state and local government officials have wasted more than $400 million of taxpayer money this past year. Many of the worst examples of wasteful government spending in Tennessee are directly tied to ECD. “Sadly, each year of Beacon Center revelations about wasted tax dollars only seem to produce “hold my beer” responses from government officials who annually seek to show that they can produce even more egregious examples in the next year,” Carr pointed out. The Beacon Center Pork Report highlights a…
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President Trump said Wednesday he knew Republican Roy Moore would lose the Alabama Senate race, after Democrat Doug Jones’ stunning victory dealt the president one of the biggest defeats of his first year in office. It was the president’s second loss in the Alabama Senate race this year, after he backed losing Republican Luther Strange in…
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Reality TV star turned political operative Omarosa Manigault is to leave the White House, officials said, the latest departure as Donald Trump’s administration turns one year old. The fiery former star of Trump’s show “The Apprentice” will leave early next year, press secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday.
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Within an editorial that appeared on Townhall.com, gubernatorial candidate Diane Black wrote about her co-sponsorship of the Congressional Accountability and Hush Fund Elimination Act, a proposal that would overhaul how sexual harassment complaints are handled in Congress, as well as explicitly prohibit taxpayer funds from being used to pay settlements. But before discussing the legislative matter at hand, she opened up about her own shocking experiences as a newly-elected state representative doing the people’s work here in Tennessee. “I remember my first year in the Tennessee House of Representatives. It was 1998, and having spent my career as a nurse and an educator, I had a lot to learn about the legislative process. I immediately figured out that the state House had a ‘good ol’ boy’ culture – and learned about the inappropriate actions of some of my male colleagues,” she begins, continuing: One member always seemed to manage to get on the elevator with me, and proceed to back up until I was against the wall and he was pressed against me. I learned fairly quickly to cross my arms with my elbows out so they dug into his back. Another member rarely called me by name and addressed me…
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Retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) was at it again on Wednesday, as Mediaite reported: Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who thought Moore was unfit for the Senate even before the sexual assault allegations surfaced, told reporters that he was “proud” of Alabama: “I know we’re supposed to cheer for our side of the aisle, if you will,” Corker said, “but I’m really, really happy with what happened for all of us in our nation, for people serving in the Senate, to not have to deal with what we were likely going to have to deal with should the outcome have been the other way.” You can watch the video of Corker’s comments here. Corker’s latest comments are not likely to improve his standing with Tennessee Republicans. A recent poll published by the Chattanooga Times Free Press showed that the retiring senator is not very popular with Tennesseans overall, and that Democrats like Corker more than Republicans do: Approval ratings for the president are starkly divided by party lines with 81 percent of Republicans approving and 86 percent of Democrats disapproving. Support for Haslam is more mixed, with approval from 43 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans. Corker, R-Tenn., who…
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VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing December 14, Thursday John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Romans 1:24-25 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
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