Author: Tom Pappert

Exclusive: Transgender Covenant School Shooter’s Writings Reveal Years-Long Attack Plan Unseen by Family, Doctors Despite Warning Signs

Tom Pappert
Audrey Hale

More than three years have passed since The Tennessee Star began lawsuits against the FBI and Metro Nashville to obtain the manifestos left by the transgender school shooter Audrey Hale, who killed three 9-year-old students and three staff members at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023.

Last year, the FBI under Director Kash Patel agreed to release the killer’s handwritten journals in order to settle this federal litigation, which has since resulted in the release of about 1,830 pages of the killer’s writings.

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Knoxville Man Indicted for Allegedly Posting Threats to Kill ICE Agents on Left-Wing Bluesky Platform

Tom Pappert
ICE agents

The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against David Kerr, a 68-year-old Knoxville man accused of threatening to injure and kill agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in posts made to the left-wing social media platform Bluesky.

Kerr pleaded not guilty during his appearance before a federal court on Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, which said that Kerr was detained pending a November 2026 trial.

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Tennessee Ranks Seventh in USA for Education Freedom After Expanding School Choice to 35,000 Students

Tom Pappert
students learning

Tennessee is the seventh-ranked state in the United States for education freedom, according to the Education Freedom Report Card released on Monday by the conservative Heritage Foundation, with the high ranking driven by Tennessee’s transparency and return on investment (ROI) for state education spending.

Tennessee ranked second in the nation for ROI on education spending, with the Heritage report card noting that Tennessee spends the 44th-most, or eighth least, at just $13,027 per student. Despite the comparatively low spending commitment, Heritage noted, “Tennessee ranks 16th in its combined fourth-grade and eighth-grade math and reading average NAEP score.”

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Nissan Considers Third Shift at Tennessee Plant it Planned to Scale Back Before Trump Auto Tariffs

Tom Pappert
Nissan worker

Nissan Motor is reportedly considering a third shift for Nissan Rogue production at its Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing plant. Prior to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump, the company was planning to reduce its Tennessee production while shifting its workforce to Mexico.

Nissan Americas chairman Christian Meunier told CNBC on Monday that the company was “maxing out the production capacity” of its American plants, including in Smyrna, where the outlet reported Nissan is expected to manufacture its 2027 Nissan Rogue using internal combustion engines that act as generators for electric motors that move the vehicle. 

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Federal Judge Denies Injunction Sought by Two Illegal Aliens Suing Tennessee over State Law Criminalizing Illegal Immigration

Tom Pappert
CBP arrest

U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson on Wednesday denied the request by two illegal aliens to issue an injunction blocking HB 1704, the new Tennessee law that makes it a Class A misdemeanor for illegal aliens to remain in the Volunteer State more than 60 days after a final deportation order is issued. 

The plaintiffs, two pseudonymous individuals who purport to be illegal aliens and are identified within the filings as Lucy and Benjamin, asked Richardson to authorize a class-certification for all illegal aliens, as well as an injunction blocking Tennessee state and local law enforcement from enforcing the law while the case was decided.

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As Gov. Bill Lee Courts Paramount and Company Scouts Nashville-Area Offices, Mayor Freddie O’Connell Says Metro Has No Direct Contact

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Friday said his office has had no direct contact with Paramount Skydance Corporation, which is reportedly leaving California amid a breakdown in negotiations between Paramount and California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

TMZ reported Tuesday that Paramount officially told California officials it planned to leave, with earlier reporting that it would exit the state if a deal to complete its merger was not in place by October 1. The outlet later reported that negotiations between Paramount and Bonta had resumed.

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120 Tennessee Law Enforcement Agencies Partner with ICE to Arrest 1,300 Illegal Aliens Since January 2025

Tom Pappert
Police ICE

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Wednesday that it had partnered with 120 law enforcement agencies in Tennessee as of September 9, suggesting the Volunteer State could represent about about 5 percent of the 2,466 total 287(g) agreements signed nationwide.

Following the agency’s announcement it was “strengthening cooperation” with 120 local partners in Tennessee as part of the expansion of its 287(g) program,  The Tennessee Star reviewed the latest information regarding by ICE, revealing a total of 139 law enforcement agencies in Tennessee had entered one of the three models.

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Federal Prosecutors in Tennessee Join Trump DOJ in $245 Million COVID Loan Fraud Crackdown

Tom Pappert
DOJ - Operation No Doze

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee participated in a nationwide operation targeting fraud committed in Small Business Administration (SBA) programs created during the COVID-19 pandemic, and revealed on Monday that federal prosecutors had identified around $245 million in fraud. It was described as the single largest action against alleged perpetrators of SBA fraud in its history.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Operation No Doze included officials from 20 different state and federal agencies, as well as 44 different U.S. Attorneys Offices, and took place in a “summer surge” between June 12 and September 1.

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Exclusive: ICE Arrests Illegal Alien from Kenya Involved in East Tennessee Tractor-Trailer Crash

Tom Pappert
Eric Maloba

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told The Tennessee Star on Wednesday that federal immigration authorities have arrested Eric Maloba, who the agency described as an illegal alien from Kenya that was involved in a tractor-trailer crash in East Tennessee last month. 

ICE revealed that Maloba was arrested on August 28 in Hamblen County, which is located about 45 minutes northwest of Knoxville, after the tractor-trailer accident. According to federal immigration authorities, Maloba was issued a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in Texas, and reportedly was “instructing a commercial driver’s license trainee” at the time of the crash. 

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Complaint Against Dark Money Group Targeting Blackburn Referred to TN AG Following Tennessee Star Reports

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn

A state complaint against a dark money group targeting U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) was reportedly referred to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Tuesday following earlier reports about the American Exceptionalism Institute (AEI), a Virginia-based 501(c)(4) that reportedly spent or reserved $1.4 million to oppose Blackburn.

After the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance included the complaint, submitted by Blackburn campaign attorney Brandon Smith, The Tennessee Journal reported the registry officially voted to refer the matter to Skrmetti for consideration during its Tuesday meeting.

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Lincoln Memorial University Settles with Trump DOJ, Agrees to Modify Policy That Excluded Jewish Students in Tennessee

Tom Pappert
LMU

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division, on Tuesday announced that Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) agreed to a voluntary settlement after an investigation found that Jewish students faced discrimination last year.

According to a DOJ press release sent to The Tennessee Star, the Civil Rights Division investigation began after LMU-DCOM denied requests by Jewish students to reschedule classes during religious holidays during the 2025-26 school year, despite granting similar requests from “non-Jewish students who sought the same accommodations.”

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Multiple Illegal Aliens Reported Among 10 Women Busted in Statewide Tennessee Massage Business Bust

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reported on Friday that 10 women were arrested as a result of a statewide operation targeting six spa and massage businesses, with all 10 facing charges including prostitution, promotion of prostitution, and impersonating a licensed professional.

Those charged with crimes related to their alleged conduct at the businesses include Lifang Zeng, Yajing Yang, Yin He, Xiaomei Zhao, and Zenga Xie. TBI said that five additional women, Can Yan, Ronghua Zhang, Zengxiu Xie, Xillian Xie, and Yan Fu, are all being held on an immigration detainer requested by federal authorities.

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Memphis Considers Data Center Moratorium, Renewable Energy Requirements Despite Tennessee Law, TVA Rules Protecting Ratepayers

Tom Pappert
Memphis City Council

The Memphis City Council will consider three ordinances on Tuesday that would affect data centers, particularly those used for artificial intelligence (AI) products. These include a moratorium that would block all construction of new AI data centers, an ordinance that would require AI companies to use 100 percent renewable energy after 10 years, and an ordinance that would allow data centers but set standards for their construction.

The moratorium proposal, whose sponsors include Tennessee Democrat gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green, would prohibit Memphis from processing, scheduling, hearing, or approving a rezoning, planned development, special-use permit, site plan, building permit, or other approval requested by companies seeking to build data centers for one year.

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Owner of Tennessee Daycare Where Child Died Runs Network that Received COVID Relief, PPP Funds and Includes Behavioral Health Provider

Tom Pappert
Daycare

The Memphis daycare where a 6-year-old girl died last month, prompting the indictment of three employees, is actually part of a six-location daycare network that received community support grants and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The woman behind the daycare locations, Raven Marshall-Lewis, is also listed as an owner and healthcare provider for a community and behavioral health clinic in Cordova.

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) originally confirmed on August 13 that officers were called after “a six-year-old female victim had been transported to the hospital after being discovered in a vehicle,” and has since confirmed the indictments and subsequent arrests of daycare workers Amilya Hardin, Sabrina Powe, and Tametria Norry.

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Tennessee Democrat, Shelby County Commissioner Maintains Innocence After Arrest on Felony Tax Charges

Tom Pappert
Will Richardson

The vice chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party, who was recently sworn in as a member of the Shelby County Commission, is claiming his innocence after being arrested for felony tax charges earlier this week. 

Officially named the First Vice Chair for the Shelby County Democrats last year, Shelby County Commissioner Will Richardson (District 8) joined the commission earlier this month after winning his election in August. Despite his rise in Democratic politics, Richardson was reportedly indicted on August 25, then arrested after a warrant was issued Tuesday, reportedly for felony sales tax fraud charges related to his Fat Charlie’s Speakeasy restaurant and bar. 

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Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit by Colombian-Born Journalist Detained in Tennessee After Missing Multiple ICE Meetings

Tom Pappert
Estefany Rodriguez Flores

U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson on Wednesday dismissed the federal habeas corpus lawsuit brought by Estefany Rodriguez Flores, the Colombian journalist who was briefly detained by immigration authorities earlier this year in Nashville.

At the time the lawsuit was filed, Rodriguez Flores was in federal custody after missing two meetings with ICE, first because of Winter Storm Fern, then because her attorney was unable to confirm the appointment date during a visit to ICE’s office in Nashville.

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Ukrainian Lawyer Sentenced for Role in Conti Hacking Network Behind Ransomware Attacks on Tennessee Businesses, Law Enforcement

Tom Pappert
Sentenced for Cybercrime

The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday announced that a four year sentence was issued to Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, a Ukrainian lawyer who pleaded guilty to participating in the Russia-based Conti ransomware group, which has been blamed for attacks against more than 1,000 victims globally, including Tennessee businesses and law enforcement agency. 

The original indictment against Lytvynenko states that “Conti conspirators” claimed credit for attacks on a Middle Tennessee sheriff’s department, another Middle Tennessee government entity, and gaining access to systems of another local law enforcement agency in Tennessee, while the plea agreement states that Lytvynenko admitted his email address connected him to stolen material from eight American victims and four from other countries. 

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Plaintiff in Lawsuit Claiming Harassment by Memphis Safe Task Force is Co-Founder of Pro-Illegal Alien Vecindarios 901 Network

Tom Pappert
Arrest

Two of the four plaintiffs suing the Trump administration and Tennessee Highway Patrol over the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), claiming illegal retaliation and unconstitutional enforcement of Tennessee’s Halo Law, are affiliated with Vecindarios 901, the pro-illegal alien activist group that describes itself as a “grassroots rapid response network” based in Memphis. They are represented by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). 

The first plaintiff listed in the original complaint is Hunter Demster, who has been repeatedly described or identified as the co-founder of Vecindarios 901. A profile in Memphis Magazine said that Demster “uses videos shot on a phone and social media to document law enforcement.”

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Illegal Bug Eggs from Tanzania Seized by CBP in Memphis in Second Bust Involving Praying Mantis Materials Since 2021

Tom Pappert
mantis eggs

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday reported seizing a shipment from Tanzania containing “mantis egg masses.” The CBP Office of Field Operations in Memphis made the discovery, and it is the second seizure involving praying mantis parts in the Tennessee city since 2021.

In a social media post, the CBP Office of Field Operations confirmed that agriculture specialists in Tennessee were brought in to investigate the illicit shipment, in which bug eggs had apparently been disguised within a photo frame.

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Axios Claims Glenn Jacobs Viewed as Likely Successor to Marsha Blackburn in U.S. Senate After Flock Cameras Fight

Tom Pappert
Glenn Jacobs

Former Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs is reportedly viewed as the most likely candidate available to U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for selection to finish her term in the Senate if Tennessee voters make her the state’s next governor in November, according to Axios, which noted that President Donald Trump recently praised the former professional wrestler. 

Should Blackburn win her campaign to become Tennessee’s next governor, Tennessee Code Annotated 2-16-101(a) states that her successor would be elected at the next regular November election. Tennessee’s governor is charged with appointing a temporary successor to fill the seat until the election occurs, landing Blackburn in the rare position of selecting the person to succeed her.

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One of Three Illegal Aliens Arrested in Tennessee Identity Theft Probe Booked into Knox County Jail as U.S. Marshals Inmate

Tom Pappert
Magdalena Gomez-Garcia

The name of one of the three alleged fraudsters, identified last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a suspect in an identity theft probe, appears on a list of inmates at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, suggesting the crimes may have occurred in East Tennessee.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) first told Border Hawk last week that Magdalena Gomez-Garcia, Elias Gomez-Garcia, and Eulalia Ordonez-Carmelo were arrested on August 4, with the outlet reporting ICE described all three suspects as illegal aliens from Guatemala who were already subject to final orders of removal.

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TN Democrat Governor Nominee’s Pledge to End ICE Cooperation Earns Endorsement from PAC Affiliated with $735,000 Nashville Grant Recipient

Tom Pappert
Jerri Green

Jerri Green, the Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee, last month received the endorsement of a political action committee (PAC) associated with one of the pro-illegal alien nonprofits which received grants totaling nearly $1.5 million from Metro Nashville. 

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (TIRRC) Votes political action committee (PAC) on August 11 endorsed Green, the Memphis City Council member and Georgetown University School of Law graduate who secured the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nominee last month. 

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Tennessee Appellate Court Data Compromised in Cyberattack Affecting Court Systems Nationwide

Tom Pappert
cyber attack

The Tennessee Appellate Court Clerk’s Office confirmed last week that it was impacted by a “cybersecurity incident” disclosed by Thomson Reuters, the parent company of West Publishing, which owns the C-Track case management system used by appellate courts in the Volunteer State.

In an article published to the Reuters website, Thomson Reuters acknowledged “an unauthorized third party obtained” access to certain files in its C-Track case management platform in 11 states, including Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Wyoming, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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ICE Facility Headed to Nashville Described as ‘National Coordination Center’ for 287(g) Law Enforcement Partners in New Federal Document

Tom Pappert
ICE office

A new draft document released last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers more information about the federal government’s plans for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) National Coordination Center being built in Nashville, revealing the facility could support nationwide audits of local law enforcement agencies participating in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program.

In a Request for Information (RFI) released publicly on September 1, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) asked public contractors to submit details about how they could perform compliance assessments of local law enforcement agencies who participate in the 287(g) program, which allows local authorities to perform certain federal immigration enforcement tasks. 

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Memphis Safe Task Force Made About 28 Arrests Each Day in August, U.S. Marshals Reveal

Tom Pappert
Memphis Safe Task Force

The Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) averaged about 28 arrests per day throughout August, according to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), which said more than 850 alleged criminals were taken off the streets by task force members.

A USMS press release sent Monday said task force members made 853 arrests last month, averaging about 27.5 per day. As a result of the arrests, the MSTF also seized 118 illegal firearms, or about 3.8 per day.

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Illegal Alien Charged with Vehicular Homicide by Intoxication After Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Tennessee Entered U.S. Under Biden in 2023

Tom Pappert
Alfonso Vasquez-Morales

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has revealed that the unlicensed driver arrested in July, and charged with Vehicular Homicide by intoxication for his alleged role in a fatal motorcycle accident, entered the United States illegally under President Joe Biden. 

In a Wednesday press release, ICE said that Alfonso Vasquez-Morales is a Mexican national who illegally crossed the border into the United States sometime in 2023. The agency said Vasquez-Morales “entered the United States without authorization through Arizona and has resided in the country illegally for approximately three years.”

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Holtzman Vogel Adds Another Tennessee AG Veteran as Kevin Kreutz Joins Brandon Smith

Tom Pappert
Kevin Kreutz

Kevin Kreutz, who recently left his position as Deputy Attorney General of Tennessee, will be the latest attorney to pass from that office to Holtzman Vogel, the company announced on Tuesday. 

Prior to leaving his position for the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, Kreutz was the lead counsel in a major challenge to Tennessee’s pharmacy benefit manger (PBM) laws, the counsel of record for Tennessee in a legal action that resulted in $25.6 million in restitution and $25.6 million in penalties against a precious metals company, and participated in Tennessee’s lawsuit over the Biden administration’s attempt to shield certain patient records from Medicaid fraud investigations. 

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DHS Confirms Arrest of Previously Deported Illegal Alien Who Sought Beer Permit for Memphis Nightclub Raided by ICE

Tom Pappert
ICE arrests in Memphis Bar

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday told The Tennessee Star that Marco Sabillon-Urbina, who was among the more than 120 arrests made on Sunday at the Memphis nightclub El Corralón, is a previously deported illegal alien who previously pleaded guilty to using a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.

The confirmation from DHS came one day after the Memphis Permits Office told The Star that El Corralón, which also uses the name Marisqueria El Corral, had obtained neither a beer permit nor a dance permit from the City of Memphis. 

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Marsha Blackburn Holds 21-Point Lead over Democrat Jerri Green in Race to Become Tennessee’s Next Governor

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn

Polling released Thursday morning shows U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) holds a 21-point lead over the Democrats’ nominee, Jerri Brown, in the race to become Tennessee’s next governor. 

Beacon Center of Tennessee’s analysis of its poll, conducted by Targoz Market Research from August 15 through August 26, found that 55 percent of likely voters prefer Blackburn, while just 34 percent would vote for Green. 

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Records Show Memphis Nightclub Where ICE Arrested over 120 Illegal Aliens Received Two PPP Loans in Apparent Contradiction of SBA Policy

Tom Pappert

The Memphis nightclub where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made more than 120 arrests on Sunday previously received two Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an online database containing more than 11 million PPP loan records.

Though U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and pro-illegal alien activists in Memphis have described the establishment as a nightclub named El Corralón, the building where Operation Corral Light was conducted indicates it has been named Marisqueria El Corral since at least 2019. 

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Federal Judge Upholds Tennessee Law Banning ‘Restorative Justice’ Bail Practices Once Used in Memphis

Tom Pappert

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Tuesday announced that U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker last week upheld the Tennessee law prohibiting courts from considering a defendant’s ability to pay when setting their bond.

Among other complaints, the litigation alleged that the law was unconstitutionally vague. Tennessee still allows its judges and magistrates to consider a defendant’s employment history, overall financial circumstances, and other statutory factors, but specifically prohibits considering a defendant’s “ability to pay” when setting a bond amount.

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EXCLUSIVE: ICE Confirms over 120 Illegal Aliens Arrested During ‘Operation Corral Light’ at Memphis Nightclub

Tom Pappert
ICE officers

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) The Tennessee Star on Tuesday that more than 120 illegal aliens were arrested on August 30 at the Memphis nightclub, El Corralón, during a multi-agency operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE).

DHS told The Star that Operation Corral Light resulted in arrests of illegal aliens with prior criminal history, including arrests or convictions for “larceny, drug possession, domestic violence, driving while intoxicated, assault, child endangerment, and prostitution.”

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Tennessee Prepares to Execute Only Woman on Death Row, First in More than 200 Years

Tom Pappert
Christa Pike

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) on Monday announced it would take applications from news outlets seeking to serve as witnesses for the execution of Christa Pike, who is scheduled to be executed on September 30.

Pike was convicted in March 1996 of premeditated murder and conspiracy to kill Colleen Slemmer. Both students at the Knoxville Job Corps Center in January 1995, the killer lured her victim to a steam plant, where court documents state Pike beat Slemmer, repeatedly pelted her with loose asphalt, and cut her with a box cutter, in an attack that lasted between 30 minutes and one hour.

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Activists Claim over 100 Detained During Weekend ICE Raid in Memphis

Tom Pappert
Memphis ICE

Activists with Vecindarios 901 claim that more than 100 people were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an enforcement operation in Memphis on Saturday, while a spokesperson for the federal agency only told The Tennessee Star that a “multi-agency targeted enforcement operation” was ongoing in the area.

According to a social media post by Vecindarios 901, the enforcement operation took place at the Memphis bar El Corralón. Authorities at the scene reportedly included ICE, the Memphis Police Department, and members of the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), according to the activists.

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Nashville Airport Authority to Vote on Airport Name Change to Honor Dolly Parton After Gov. Bill Lee, Parton Estate Confirm Interest

Tom Pappert
Dolly Parton

Governor Bill Lee and the Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) have confirmed that plans to rename the BNA Nashville International Airport to honor Dolly Parton are underway after the iconic singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist died last week at age 80. 

The governor confirmed in a Friday press release that his office and the MNAA were working together on the proposal to rename the airport, and that Parton’s team was “touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation.”

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Nashville Charter School Removes LGBT Books Months After Clearing Christian Teacher Disciplined for Refusing to Read One

Tom Pappert
Eric Rivera

A public charter school in Nashville has removed LGBT children’s books from its library months after clearing the record of a Christian teacher who was disciplined for refusing to read from literature that “promotes same-sex marriage.”

According to the First Liberty Institute, a national group which defends religious freedom, administrators at Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) Nashville, “have eliminated books that could violate Tennessee law regarding parental consent.”

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ICE Says Illegal Alien Soccer Coach Who Drugged, Raped Nashville Kids Kept Fake Immigration Files on Same Device as Abuse Videos

Tom Pappert
Camilo Campos-Hurtado

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday revealed details of the investigation which led to the conviction of Camilo Campos-Hurtado, an illegal alien from Mexico who recorded his sexual assaults on Nashville children who he drugged, after gaining access to youth through a soccer program. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison last month.

In its press release, ICE appeared to reveal for the first time that investigators learned that Campos-Hurtado was in the country illegally after Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigators “recovered electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material and numerous counterfeit immigration and identification documents.”

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Tennessee House Leaders Confirm Discussion of Plans to Honor Dolly Parton amid ‘9-to-5 Day’, Airport Name Change Proposals

Tom Pappert
Nashville International Airport

Leaders in the Tennessee State House confirmed on Thursday that they have begun discussions of how to honor the legacy of Dolly Parton, the country music legend who died on Tuesday at age 80. 

Tennessee Deputy House Speaker Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) told WKRN that his colleagues “began to have those discussions” about how to honor Parton the previous night, questioning, “How do you honor someone that is so worthy and beyond anything of a statue, a bust?”

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Nashville Man Charged with Attempted Murder, Leaving Victim Paralyzed, Just Released After Eight-Year Sentence for Armed Robbery

Tom Pappert
Devonte Sherley

Devonte Sherley, a convicted felon now charged with attempted murder after a gunshot left a Nashville man paralyzed, was previously out on bond for felony gun and drug charges when he was implicated in a 2019 fatal robbery. That case did not conclude until last year, and Tennessee records show his resulting eight-year sentence ended just six weeks before the latest shooting.

Sherley, 29, is currently in Davidson County Jail, with Fox 17 reporting that Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) detectives said he was suspected of entering his sister’s apartment and shooting a man in the neck and knee on August 19.

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Obama-Appointed Judge Schedules Hearing to Determine If Kilmar Abrego Garcia Can Be Deported to Liberia

Tom Pappert
KAG

Following the recent decision by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on Tuesday, a hearing was scheduled in the second lawsuit brought by Kilmar Abrego Garcia against the Trump administration after the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals denied part of the Trump administration’s appeal of two of Xinis’ orders.

While the appellate court said it would consider whether to reverse the Obama-appointed judge’s decision blocking ICE from arresting Abrego Garcia, it rejected the Trump administration’s argument that Xinis had already constructively denied its appeal of the judge’s order barring Abrego Garcia’s deportation to Liberia.

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Exclusive: ‘Worst of the Worst’ Arrested by ICE on Tuesday Includes Illegal Alien from Mexico Busted in Lebanon, Tennessee

Tom Pappert
Richard Hugh Hoppin, Jose Gabriel Mis-Catzim, Margarito Rosales-Altamira, Yovani Moreno-Gachuz, Alejandro Bravo-Adasme

A list of the “Worst of the Worst” criminal illegal aliens detained on Tuesday across the United States, provided to The Tennessee Star by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), includes a citizen of Mexico who was arrested in Lebanon, Tennessee. 

Among the five criminal illegal aliens included in the “Worst of the Worst” list for Tuesday is Margarito Rosales-Altamira, who DHS described as “a criminal illegal alien from Mexico” with prior convictions “for opium or derivatives and cocaine sale” in Lebanon. 

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ACLU Demands Records from Tennessee Schools ‘Foolishly’ Displaying Ten Commandments Under New State Law

Tom Pappert
Reading time in class

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday announced it sent public records request letters to Tennessee school districts that “foolishly” display the Ten Commandments under a new law that allows them to be displayed, informing the districts that a team of nonprofits is “launching an investigation.”

According to an ACLU press release, letters were sent to records custodians at Blount County School District, Rutherford County Schools, Washington County Schools, White County Schools, and Wilson County Schools, and specifically seek “emails and other communications, as well as all board documents, regarding the display of the Ten Commandments.”

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Bud Light Parent Company Anheuser-Busch Sues Tennessee for $1.9 Million Tax Refund Years After Dylan Mulvaney Controversy

Tom Pappert
Bud Light

Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide Inc., the global alcohol giant that owns Budweiser and Bud Light, filed a new lawsuit against Tennessee, seeking a refund of nearly $2 million in taxes paid in 2022 and 2023.

Filed in Davidson County Chancery Court on Friday, the company’s lawsuit seeks more than $1.8 million, plus interest, after Anheuser-Busch sent a refund request to the Tennessee Department of Revenue in August 2025. It names Tennessee Commissioner of Revenue David Gerregano as the defendant.

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Clay Travis Now Offering $20,000 Reward for Information on Death of Nashville Teen Killed Outside High School Football Game

Tom Pappert

Conservative media commentator, radio host, and media founder Clay Travis on Monday announced a $20,000 reward for information about the death of Cameron Frierson, the 16-year-old Hunters Lane High School student who was fatally shot at a North Nashville football game that Travis attended.

Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) confirmed the shooting on Saturday, announcing that Frierson was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment. Police said witnesses reported seeing the fatal shots fired from a white sedan with tinted windows.

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California AG Cancels Meeting with Paramount as Entertainment Giant Eyes Relocation to Tennessee

Tom Pappert
Paramount

California Attorney General Rob Banta on Monday canceled a publicly announced meeting planned between his office and the Paramount Skydance Corporation, reportedly accusing the entertainment giant of “playing games.”

Banta leads California in a 12-state lawsuit seeking to block Paramount’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery., but on Monday was planning to hold settlement talks with the company. The lawsuit was notably filed despite an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice determining the merger could move forward. 

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ICE Says New Call Center in Nashville Will Support Local, State Police Who Sign Agreements to Perform Immigration Enforcement

Tom Pappert

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) verified that it plans to open a Public Safety Coordination Center in Nashville after a federal database appeared to confirm the plan was underway.

In a Friday statement, ICE confirmed that the call center will field calls to support local and state law enforcement agencies that have entered into 287(g) agreements with the federal government.

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Nashville Democrat Claims He Was ‘Blindsided’ by New ICE Call Center as City-Funded Pro-Illegal Alien Nonprofit Cries ‘Terror’

Tom Pappert
Jeff Gregg

At least one Democrat on the Metro Nashville Council claimed local politicians were caught off guard by the decision to build a call center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Nashville, while a spokesperson for Mayor Freddie O’Connell said his office has yet to learn what will happen inside the building. State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) said the call center will house “ICE and its mercenaries of terror.”

“The Mayor’s Office is still in the process of getting a consistent depiction of what is planned,” said a spokesperson for O’Connell, according to WSMV 4. Metro Councilmember Jeff Gregg told the outlet that he and his colleagues “were blindsided by the announcement.”

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Tennessee Sheriffs, Police Chiefs Develop New Safeguards for License Plate Readers amid Flock Camera Concerns

Tom Pappert
Flock Camera

The Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association (TSA) and Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP) announced on Thursday that they are working on a framework for “responsible use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR/LPR) technology” amid opposition to the ALPR cameras sold by Flock Safety.

According to a press release from TSA and TACP, the associations are considering model safeguards that would require law enforcement to have a legitimate, documented need to access ALPR cameras, and to treat the images retrieved as “an investigative lead, not evidence of guilt, with human verification required before enforcement action.”

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ICE Confirms New Call Center Headed for Nashville After Federal Website Briefly Lists Small Town as Destination

Tom Pappert
ICE Call Center

A federal database confirmed this week that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will open a new call center in Nashville, Tennessee, after launching a process to accept proposals from the public last year.

The confirmation came despite the confusion that came after The Tennessee Lookout reported last Friday that a federal database indicated the call center would actually be established in Adams, Tennessee, despite ICE recruiting personnel in Nashville. According to the outlet, the database was updated by Friday to show the call center would be established in Nashville.

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Affidavit Claims Man Who Allegedly Struck 11 Milligan University Bicyclists, Killing Two, Never Attempted to Brake

Tom Pappert
John Benfield

An affidavit of complaint filed by a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) trooper on Wednesday claims the driver of the vehicle that struck 11 members of the Milligan University cycling team, killing two, did not attempt to engage his brakes prior to the crash. It also alleged that law enforcement detected the odor of marijuana at the scene. 

Milligan University acknowledged the accident on Wednesday, confirming sophomore students Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers were fatally struck by the vehicle, while other members of the university’s cycling program were receiving treatment at Johnson City Medical Center for serious injuries they sustained. 

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