Author: Wendy Wilson

Developer Files Ethics Complaint Against Metro Nashville Officials Regarding Fort Negley Development Plans

Wendy Wilson

  A Nashville developer has filed an ethics complaint against Metro officials for allegedly ignoring his request for more information about the process used to choose a developer for Fort Negley Park. In May, Mayor Megan Barry chose the Cloud Hill Partnership as the developer for the historic site, which includes Greer Stadium, although there is still no formal agreement. Bert Mathews, whose real estate firm created the Cloud Hill team, held a fundraiser for Barry when she was running for mayor. Devinder Singh Sandhu, who lost out to Cloud Hill in the bidding process, previously wrote a letter to city procurement officials protesting the process, saying it “was not equitable to all submitters and information required to make a proper presentation was not complete” and that there was a “lack of transparency.” In his ethics complaint Monday, Sandhu noted that he has “requested answers to questions, documents, requests for meetings and clarification.” The Procurement Appeals Board was set to consider Sandhu’s case Wednesday, but he sent the board a letter late Tuesday saying he had decided to dismiss his appeal. “We are forced to take this action because you, the Metro Procurement Office and Metro Finance Department established the August 30, 2017 hearing date…

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Mayor Megan Barry Slams ‘Nashville Statement’ Backed By Many Evangelicals Who Support Traditional Marriage

Wendy Wilson

  Nashville Mayor Megan Barry on Tuesday criticized the Nashville Statement written and signed by evangelical Christians to show support for traditional marriage and maintain that homosexuality and transgenderism are sinful. The document was approved Friday at a meeting in Nashville of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). The meeting was hosted by the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commision (ERLC) during its annual conference. Barry, a progressive Democrat, tweeted that the statement and its name reflect poorly on Nashville because the declaration “does not represent the inclusive values of the city.” The @CBMWorg's so-called "Nashville Statement" is poorly named and does not represent the inclusive values of the city & people of Nashville — Megan Barry for Congress (TN-7) (@MeganCBarry) August 29, 2017 In 2015, when she was a Metro councilwoman and a mayoral candidate, Barry officiated the first same-sex wedding in Nashville just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the 14th Amendment extends the right to marry to same-sex couples. Denny Burk, president of CBMW, wrote on the organization’s website that naming the statement for the city of Nashville follows historical practice. He said: There is a long Christian tradition of naming doctrinal…

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Williamson County Republican Party Starts Meetup Group

Wendy Wilson

The Williamson County Republican Party has started a Meetup group to keep local voters informed and provide a way for people to get to know each other. Meetup.com is a popular online social networking website that facilitates offline group meetings. The point is to bring together people with shared interests. Meetup groups are geared around a wide variety of topics and activities, including hiking, reading and dining out. Some focus on politics or religion. Debbie Deaver, chairman of the Williamson County Republican Party, said she started the Meetup group to offer “a fun way for people to connect with their like-minded neighbors.” “We want our members to be able to share an appetizer with someone, have an adult conversation and not be concerned about being politically correct or worried that they will be culled from the group if they don’t agree with all the talking points,” she said. “You can expect polite, but lively banter at our events.” In addition to social outings, there will also be educational events. Educational events might include a conversation with an author, a town hall with an elected official or a lecture by a visiting professor, Deaver said. The group will hold a Mix &…

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Conservative Presbyterian Seminary in St. Louis to Hold Conference Featuring Leftist Teachings on Race

Wendy Wilson

  A conservative Presbyterian seminary in St. Louis will host a conference on leadership and race this weekend organized mostly by African Americans who are asking white attendees to recognize that their participation “means hearing, repenting and listening more than you speak.” Whites are also being asked to devote one seminar hour to “intensive training in anti-racism,” according to guidance for whites on the conference website. The website features a letter from Joel Littlepage, a white North Carolina pastor, to his “white brothers and sisters” in which he explains, “For whites, our position as majority-culture citizens of America grants us privilege and safety that people of color are not afforded. It is good and wise that we have time together, as white people, to have honest discussion and explore the ways that we can expose our own biases and be effective in the fight for racial justice.” The conference will be held at Covenant Seminary, which is affiliated with the conservative Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and which recently started offering courses in Nashville. PCA churches in the Nashville area include Christ Presbyterian in Nashville, Covenant Presbyterian in Green Hills and Christ Community in Franklin. Called LDR Weekend, the fairly new annual gathering is “designed…

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Vanderbilt University Criticized for Lack of Openness to Conservative Viewpoints

Wendy Wilson

  Vanderbilt University was criticized in a recent report that analyzed the extent to which conservative views are welcomed on university campuses. The Heterodox Academy (HxA) in June released its second Guide to Colleges, which ranks the top 150 U.S. universities based on their acceptance of viewpoint diversity. The HxA is a group of scholars that advocates for “a more intellectually diverse and heterodox academy.” The HxA gave Vanderbilt a score of 43 on a 100 point scale. The higher the score, the more likely you are to find intellectual diversity and dissent, according to the study. The study draws from publicly available sources of information. Vanderbilt earned praise for endorsing the Chicago Principles on free expression this spring when updating the faculty manual, reports Vanderbilt Hustler, the student newspaper. But the school took a big hit because it is considered an “unsafe zone” for conservative students by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) guide to Choosing the Right College 2014-2015. That came as a result of a 2011 policy that required campus religious organization to not only accept members regardless of their beliefs, but also to open up leadership positions to those members, limiting the groups’ ability to consistently uphold their values. Vanderbilt also lost points because of…

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U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Blasts Trump for ‘Dangerous’ Pardon of Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Wendy Wilson

  U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) blasted President Trump over the weekend for Trump’s pardon of former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, calling Trump’s action “dangerous” and saying the president has “once against abused his authority and divided our nation.” Earlier this month, the Democratic congressman, whose district includes Memphis, said he would introduce articles of impeachment against Trump because of his comments following violent confrontations in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical leftists. Trump pardoned Arpaio on Friday, praising the 85-year-old in a White House statement for his “admirable service.” Arpaio was recently convicted of misdemeanor contempt for defying a judge’s order stop traffic patrols that were said to unfairly target immigrants. As sheriff, Arpaio was known for his fight against illegal immigration. He lost re-election last year. Here is Cohen’s full statement released Saturday: President Trump’s pardoning of Joe Arpaio isn’t just bad, it’s dangerous. The President continues to show a callous disregard for the independence of our federal judiciary. Even worse, he did so in defense of a man who had been criminally convicted of failing to follow a court order in connection with a lawsuit involving racial profiling.  This was not only a terrible decision, but if reports are accurate…

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Tennessee Firearms Association To Hold Annual Event Sept. 30

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  This year’s annual event held by the Tennessee Firearms Association Legislative Action Committee will be Saturday, Sept. 30. The event will take place at the Smiley Hollow Farm just north of Nashville in the Goodlettsville area. It’s a casual event with casual attire and will feature a meal, speakers and an auction. Speakers will be announced later. Sponsors include Lee Beaman and Beaman Automotive Group, Bill Goodman’s Gun & Knife Show, Beretta USA and State Farm agent Marty Luffman. Doors will open at 9 a.m., with the meal being served around 11 a.m. The event will run until 2 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person. Tickets are now limited but a small number are still available. For more information and to order tickets, visit tfalac.org/2017-annual-dinner. If there are guns or items that you would like to consider donating to the event for auction, contact John Harris.      

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Mae Beavers Tells The Beacon Center She Will Drain the Swamp: ‘We May Need An Inspector General in Every Department in Tennessee’

Wendy Wilson

State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) told the Beacon Center of Tennessee on Friday she supports President Trump’s efforts to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C., and intends to do the same thing in Nashville if elected governor. “We may need an inspector general in every department in Tennessee. I’m talking about draining the swamp, and if there’s anybody worthy of being rehired, we’ll rehire them, but I think we’ve got a lot of problems that need to be solved,” Beavers said. “I know what I want to do day one, and I have the record to prove I will do those things,” she noted. “I’m the most conservative [candidate] in the race. I have the track record. I have the voting record to back up everything that I’m saying,” Beavers added. Voted “most bashful” in high school, Beavers never imagined herself entering politics. But then one day her husband, frustrated with local politics, came home from work and announced, “I am so fed up. We’ve got to get involved. One of us has to run for office and I don’t have time.” Beavers was going to school at night, so her husband managed to find enough time to knock…

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State Sen. Mark Green, Rep. Judd Matheny and Tennessee Eagle Forum’s Bobbie Patray Honored for Efforts to Fight Terrorism

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The Center for Security Policy gave awards Friday to state Sen. Mark Green, (R-Clarksville), state Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) and Bobbie Patray of the Tennessee Eagle Forum for their efforts to counter terrorism. Christopher Holton, vice president for outreach for the Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank, was at Legislative Plaza to present the awards. Holton called the three “exemplary individuals” and cited their work on state legislation approved this past spring that protects people who report suspicious activity from civil and criminal liability if they act in good faith. Green sponsored the legislation in the Senate and Matheny was the sponsor in the House. Holton said such legislation is needed to encourage people to report suspicious activity and behavior. He mentioned the reluctance of neighbors of the San Bernardino terrorists to report suspicious activity they witnessed. They did not contact authorities because they were afraid of being called racist. “We don’t want that to happen anywhere,” Holton said. Matheny told The Tennessee Star that it is a “much-needed law,” and Green said he was grateful that the Center for Security Policy recognized their efforts. They both received a Defender of Freedom Award. Patray, the longtime president of the Tennessee Eagle…

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State Rep. Judd Matheny Rips Tennessee U.S. Sen. Bob Corker for Harsh Criticism of President Trump

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) on Friday said U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) was out of line in his recent harsh criticism of President Trump. As a leading U.S. senator, Corker should know better than to undermine the president at a time when the country is facing tough challenges at home and abroad, Matheny said. “You don’t speak like that about the president. You just don’t. He ought to be ashamed,” Matheny told The Tennessee Star at Legislative Plaza, where Matheny was receiving an award from the Center for Security Policy for his efforts to fight terrorism. Corker told reporters in Chattanooga last week that “radical changes” are needed at the White House. He questioned Trump’s competence and his understanding of what has made the U.S. a great nation. Trump fired back on Friday with a tweet saying, “Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in ’18. Tennessee not happy!” Trump has been bombarded with criticism from the mainstream media, the left and establishment Republicans like Corker in the wake of his comments blaming both sides for the recent violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical…

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President Trump Blasts Tennessee U.S. Sen. Bob Corker in Tweet

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

President Trump took to Twitter Friday morning to lash back at U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) for Corker’s recent sharp criticisms of the president. Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in '18. Tennessee not happy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2017 Last week in Chattanooga, Corker told reporters that “radical changes” are needed at the White House and that “the president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.” Corker said Trump “has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that.” Corker’s comments came as Trump was getting criticized by the mainstream media, the left and some Republicans for blaming both sides for the recent violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical leftists. Critics said Trump’s comments indirectly showed support for white supremacists. In Chattanooga, Corker said, “I think that sometimes he gets in a situation where he doubles-down to try and make a wrong a right.…

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Alabama Manufacturer Meeting Demand for Confederate Flags

Wendy Wilson

  A company near downtown Huntsville, Alabama, that makes flags is getting flooded with orders for the Confederate flag. Alabama Flag & Banner may be the the only flag manufacturer in the U.S. still making the rebel flag, reports AL.com. The company began manufacturing the Confederate flag after many retailers pulled it from their shelves in 2015 because of a shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people were killed by a white supremacist who was featured in personal photos holding a Confederate flag. America’s major flag manufacturers have stopped producing the rebel flag, leaving Alabama Flag & Banner to fill the void for retailers and people still interested in obtaining American-made Confederate flags. Demand is up after the recent racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the renewed debate over the place for statues and memorials commemorating the role of Southern leaders during the Civil War. “We are shipping them as fast as we can make them and in the order in which they are received,” says a message on the company’s website. Belinda Kennedy is the longtime owner of Alabama Flag & Banner. She told AL.com that people have different reasons for buying the Confederate flag but…

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Knoxville Preparing for Protests Saturday, Bans Firearms

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  The city of Knoxville is bracing for demonstrations Saturday afternoon featuring a rally in support of a Confederate monument and counterprotesters, but a prohibition on firearms is raising concerns among some gun rights advocates. Because of the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, two weeks ago, Knoxville city officials are taking precautions to try to prevent protests from turning violent. “Our officers will be there to maintain order and ensure that everybody is free to speak their piece,” said Mayor Madeline Rogero in a news release Wednesday. “These are volatile times, and I strongly urge everyone to refrain from antagonism. We can have these discussions as a community without resorting to angry rhetoric or violence.” No guns, other weapons or masks will be allowed for people entering designated demonstration areas. People planning to enter those areas will be screened with a metal detector. Signs and flags will not be allowed into the demonstration zones if they are attached to a pole or stick or any object that could be used as a weapon. Water bottles, drink containers, coolers, beverages and food are also banned. Water will be provided on site. The city is citing TCA 39-17-1359 in state law to support…

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Center for Security Policy to Honor State Sen. Mark Green, Rep. Judd Matheny and Tennessee Eagle Forum’s Bobbie Patray

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  The Center for Security Policy will honor three Tennesseans on Friday for their efforts to protect their fellow Tennesseans from terrorism. The Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank will recognize State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville), State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) and Bobbie Patray, president of the Tennessee Eagle Forum. The group will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. Friday in Room 16 at Legislative Plaza in downtown Nashville, where the awards will be presented. The awards for Green and Matheny are for sponsoring legislation to counter terrorism. The award for Patray is for her leadership role in promoting legislative initiatives to counter terrorism, as well as her efforts to “preserve the integrity of Tennessee’s education system and to protect the constitutional rights of Tennessee’s citizens,” according to a press release from the group. Patray told The Tennessee Star on Wednesday that she is “very honored and humbled by this recognition and especially to share the day with Sen. Mark Green and Rep. Judd Matheny.” “We have worked together on a number of important issues,” she said. “I am very grateful to the Center for Security Policy for this recognition.” For Patray, the award comes as she has marks her 30th anniversary…

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State Rep. Judd Matheny Calls on Gov. Bill Haslam to Use Influence to Stop Players with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns from Dishonoring National Anthem

Wendy Wilson

  State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) on Tuesday called on Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to do what he can to stop NFL players from taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem. Haslam’s brother, Jimmy, is owner of the Cleveland Browns in addition to being CEO of the Pilot Flying J chain of gas stations and convenience stores. Matheny, who is running for Congress in the Sixth Congressional District, posted the following on Facebook Tuesday morning along with a photo of Cleveland Browns players taking a knee at a game Monday evening. A dozen players were reported to have taken a knee. Governor Haslam, your family owns the Cleveland Browns. Would you please use your influence to put an immediate stop to the behavior displayed in the NFL last night. These individuals who disrespected our flag and anthem should be returned to normal jobs and help build our community. Their actions only set poor examples for our youth to follow-all this in a time when we need national cohesion worse than ever. Would the citizens of Tennessee, Ohio and the rest of the country please DEMAND this behavior stop. We cannot let public figures continue to get away with…

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Gubernatorial Candidate Mae Beavers Says Tennessee GOP ‘Losing Its Way in Nashville’

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  MT. JULIET, Tennessee — In traveling across the state to campaign for governor, Mae Beavers has encountered “an increasing anxiety” about Republicans not governing based on conservative principles, she told reporters Wednesday. Despite the dominance of Tennessee Republicans in the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature, the GOP is “losing its way in Nashville,” Beavers said. Beavers was at Mt. Juliet City Hall Wednesday afternoon to announce that she will not serve the remainder of her term as state senator so that she can give full attention to her gubernatorial campaign. Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) used the opportunity to also talk about the “discontent” and “skepticism” in the state about Republicans campaigning as conservatives but then going against conservative principles once in office. “Many citizens feel they’re strangers in their own state, that their values, their way of life, their history and heritage and home are under assault,” said Beavers, a strong supporter of President Trump who has said in the past that she hopes to pull off an underdog win just like he did. “But I can tell you that there’s also a mighty wind of cheerful determination to hold the line on taxes and regulations,…

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BREAKING: Tennessee State Senator Mae Beavers to Resign Legislative Seat to Focus on Campaign for Governor

Wendy Wilson

  MT. JULIET, Tennessee — State Senator Mae Beavers announced Wednesday that she will resign her seat in the state legislature to focus on her campaign for governor of Tennessee. Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) said that she will deliver her letter of resignation to Gov. Bill Haslam and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally on Wednesday, August 30. The resignation will be effective Friday, September 1 at noon. Beavers made her announcement at Mt. Juliet City Hall Wednesday afternoon. In a press release, which was given earlier in the day exclusively to The Tennessee Star, Beavers said she has “mixed emotions” about resigning but said she believed it to be the best decision for her and for her constituents. By resigning now, a special election can be held later this year to ensure that Beavers’ 17th District has a “fully focused representative in place the day that session begins,” the press release said. “I have always taken my duties in the state legislature extremely seriously, and I have concluded that it is simply not possible for anyone to run a statewide grassroots campaign while effectively serving during legislative session,” Beavers said in the release. Beavers is known for her tenacious socially and fiscally…

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Senator Lamar Alexander Joins Calls to Remove Bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from Tennessee Capitol

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has joined demands to remove a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, reports WKRN News 2. The Tennessee Republican spoke to reporters Tuesday about the issue when he was in Nashville for an event. Alexander said the Civil War can be remembered at museums, birthplaces and battlefields, but that “a place of honor” should be for Tennesseans “who inspire all of us,” such as Roots author Alex Haley, Senator Howard Baker or World War I hero Sgt. Alvin York. The bust of Forrest was installed at the Capitol in the late 1970s. In 1980, when Alexander was Tennessee governor, he was against removing the bust. Acknowledging that he has changed his mind, Alexander said Tuesday that when he was governor he “thought it was more important to appoint the first African-American Supreme Court justice in Tennessee, which I did. More important to pass the Martin Luther King holiday, which I did. More important to (appoint) the first black chancellor in the state, which I did.” Bill Haslam, the current Tennessee Republican governor, as well as activists, have called for the removal of the controversial bust. A Tennessee native, Forrest was a slave…

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Louisville Black Lives Matter Organizer Asks White People To Give Up Homes

Wendy Wilson

  An organizer for the Louisville chapter of Black Lives Matter has published an expletive-laced list of “10 requests” for white people, which includes asking white people who can afford to downsize to give up their homes. “White people, if you can afford to downsize, give up the home you own to a black or brown family. Preferably a family from generational poverty,” reads one suggestion from Chanelle Helm, co-founder and core organizer of the Louisville group. Another reads: “If you are a developer or realty owner of multi-family housing, build a sustainable complex in a black or brown blighted neighborhood and let black and brown people live in it for free.” Helm’s list was published Aug. 16 by LEO Weekly, an alternative newsweekly in Louisville, Kentucky. She also asks white people without descendants to will their property “to a black or brown family. Preferably one that lives in generational poverty.” In addition, she asks, “White people, if you’re inheriting property you intend to sell upon acceptance, give it to a black or brown family. You’re bound to make that money in some other white privileged way.” Helm also addresses the workplace and asks white people to “get a racist fired…You…

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917 Society Offering Free Resources to Eighth-Grade Teachers to Help Educate Students About Constitution

Wendy Wilson

  Constitution Week is coming up soon, and the 917 Society is prepared to get the word out about why it is so important. The group is making available a free program and pocket constitutions to all Tennessee eighth-grade social studies teachers to mark Constitution Day Sept. 17 and Constitution Week, which falls around that date. The U.S. Constitution is an area of focus in the eighth-grade curriculum. The program consists of a short documentary film narrated by Nick Clooney and a variety of other free resources, including The Tennessee Star Constitution Series. Joni Bryan, founder of the 917 Society, has worked on the Constitution project for nearly three years. The project is funded with private donations. The group does not receive state or federal funds. “We want every year for all eighth-grade students to receive their Constitution as a rite of passage into citizenship,” Bryan said. This September 17 marks the 230th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The 917 Society’s mission is to reach 4.5 million students nationally, with Tennessee being the first state covered. The goal is to reach almost 90,000 Tennessee eighth-graders annually, including public, private and homeschooled students. Bryan said the group will…

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Craft Hayes Named New Finance Chairman for Davidson County Republican Party

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  The Davidson County Republican Party has appointed a new finance chairman. Craft Hayes, who was tapped for the position, received “resounding support” from the executive committee, according to a news release posted Aug. 15 on the county party’s Facebook page. The executive committee includes Melissa Smithson, who became chairman in June and has been working hard to boost the county party’s profile. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with Melissa and her team to further conservative principles and candidates in Davidson County,” Craft said. “Nashville is a vibrant, growing city that will benefit from investment in business-minded, fiscally sound policies and leaders that will preserve our home as one of the best places to live and work in the nation.” Hayes, who will chair the finance committee for the 2017-2018 election cycle, leads the Nashville team of employer advisers for Bernard Health, where he helps employers get health plans for their organizations. He has an MBA from Tennessee Tech and is a member and former president of the Phoenix Club of Nashville, a nonprofit organization of young men that seeks to benefit disadvantaged youth in Middle Tennessee and to help members become community and business leaders.    

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Split on Trump’s Afghanistan Decision Along Partisan Lines

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Republican Sen. Bob Corker and Republican Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Scott DesJarlais and Chuck Fleischmann released statements in support of President Trump’s decision to keep troops in Afghanistan. Trump announced his decision Monday evening in a televised address. His decision is likely to disappoint some conservatives because he campaigned on pulling out of Afghanistan. “My original instinct was to pull out — and, historically, I like following my instincts,” Trump said in his address. “But all my life I’ve heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office.” Trump said that, as happened with the withdrawal from Iraq in 2011,  “a hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill.” Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the following in a statement: I had the opportunity to talk with Secretary Tillerson in advance of this evening’s address, and while I look forward to receiving additional details, I support the direction President Trump laid out tonight for the U.S. role in Afghanistan. While there are certainly substantial questions about whether Afghanistan has the capacity over time to provide stable governance to its people, this more focused…

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NASA Scientist Scott Bolton Describes the Science and the Mystery of Eclipses

Wendy Wilson

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — A total solar eclipse is often attributed to various things. Coincidence. Magic. Divine intervention. The rare event is so grand that even scientists are moved to use words beyond the realm of science. Scott Bolton of NASA used all the words above when talking to reporters Monday at First Tennessee Park. The city of Nashville hosted a sold-out eclipse viewing party at the ballpark, home to the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team. Nashville was the largest U.S. city in the path of totality, along which the moon for a few minutes completely blocked the sun. Bolton is the principal investigator for NASA’s Juno Mission, a program designed to learn more about the planet Jupiter. He was at the ballpark to speak to those in the crowd about the dramatic, once-in-a-lifetime event that would unfold before their eyes. While a solar eclipse is in some ways mystifying, it’s also something that can be predicted with surprising accuracy. “We know the moon’s orbit and we know the earth’s orbit very well,” Bolton said. “We measure these things over many years.” In the past, people were limited by hand calculations. But computer technology enables us today to make accurate calculations far into…

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Nashville Was the Place to Be for Many Eclipse Watchers Monday

Wendy Wilson

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — In preparing for Monday’s total solar eclipse, Mark Holloran read that from where he lives in Franklin, he could see 99.8 percent totality. That wasn’t good enough, he and his wife decided. “We drove in to get the last .2 percent,” he said at First Tennessee Park, home of the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team where an eclipse viewing party was held to watch as the moon completely covered the sun. Nashville was the largest U.S. city in the path of totality. Holloran was monitoring the progress of the eclipse using an app on his cell phone as he and his wife stood in line to buy eclipse t-shirts as the eclipse was just beginning. Jenny Holcomb stocked up on t-shirts for herself, her husband and her 14-year-old son, who were at the ballpark with her. The family lives in the Nashville area in Donelson. “It’s exciting,” she said of the chance to see the eclipse at an event so close to home. The 8,000 people at the ballpark came from 35 states and 10 countries. There also were more journalists than the Sounds stadium normally attracts, including a news crew from TRT World, a new…

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Total Solar Eclipse A Hit At Nashville Ballpark

Wendy Wilson

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The total solar eclipse on Monday amazed a sold-out crowd at First Tennessee Park north of downtown. The park is home to the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team. It was one of many venues where people from near and far came to watch the solar eclipse in Nashville, the largest U.S. city in the path of totality, when the moon completely blocks the sun. “Nashville knows how to throw a party, and we’re doing that here,” Mayor Megan Barry told reporters by the third-base dugout before the eclipse. She was joined by Booster the Hot Chicken, the Nashville Sounds mascot. Though a chicken, Booster was a ham in front of the cameras, posing playfully and wearing what appeared to be gigantic eclipse glasses. Barry said that the 8,000 people at the ballpark came from 35 states and 10 countries. More than one million visitors were in town for the eclipse, she said. Adam Nuse, general manager for the Sounds, said players were happy to be in Nashville for the eclipse and not on the road. The Sounds were set to play a home game later Monday against the Iowa Cubs. “It’s an incredible opportunity,” said Sounds…

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Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Opens New Investigation Into Abuse Claims At Brentwood Academy

Wendy Wilson

  The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services has opened a new investigation into alleged rape and sexual abuse committed against a male student by other male students at Brentwood Academy. DCS spokesman Rob Johnson told The Tennessee Star the new investigation was opened based on new information the department received late Wednesday. The department had investigated the case in April 2015, but Johnson could not provide more information because of confidentiality reasons. The victim’s mother filed a $30 million lawsuit against the elite private Christian school in Williamson County on Aug. 4 in Williamson County Circuit Court. The mother is identified as Jane Doe and her son, the victim, is identified as John Doe. The defendants are Brentwood Academy and several administrators and faculty members. According to the suit, John Doe was a sixth-grader at Brentwood Academy during the 2014-2015 school year when he was abused by four eighth-grade boys, who were 14 and 15 years old. On four separate dates in January and February 2015, “harassment, sexual assault, and rape were perpetrated in the locker room without adult supervision upon Plaintiff John Doe when he would only be in his shirt and underwear,” the suit says. The suit alleges, among…

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Mitt Romney Demands That President Trump Apologize For Charlottesville Comments

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Mitt Romney on Friday called for President Trump to apologize for his Charlottesville “both sides” comments and to put all the blame on white supremacists and none on the radical leftists who also acted violently. Earlier this week, Trump explicitly condemned white supremacist groups by name, but said both sides were to blame for the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend. He also said there were innocents on both sides. A man identified as a white supremacist drove his car into a crowd, killing a woman and injuring around 20 others. White supremacists and radical leftists threw punches, bottles and rocks at each other. They also used sticks and chemical sprays. As The Daily Caller News Foundation reported, the white supremacists were attending a legally permitted “Unite the Right” rally at Emancipation Park to protest the City of Charlottesville’s decision to remove the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The radical leftists had no legal permit, and were gathered on the street immediately in front of Emancipation Park. Romney was the Republican nominee who lost to former President Obama in the 2012 presidential election. On Tuesday, Romney was critical of Trump on Twitter. He elaborated in a…

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Bob Corker Stands By Statements Criticizing Trump Over Charlottesville

Wendy Wilson

  COLUMBIA, Tennessee — U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Friday defended his remarks Thursday criticizing President Trump for his comments about the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend between white supremacists and leftist radicals. Corker was in Columbia on Friday to speak at a joint luncheon of the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs at the Memorial Building downtown. On Thursday in Chattanooga, Corker questioned Trump’s competence and said, “He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that.” Trump’s critics in the mainstream media and on the left, as well as some establishment Republicans, have maintained that Trump indirectly supported white supremacy by blaming both sides for the violence and saying there were innocent people on both sides. Asked by The Tennessee Star after Friday’s luncheon what he thought Trump should have said instead, Corker said he didn’t want to get into analyzing it further. “I’m trying to steer away from that,” Corker said. “What I said yesterday I think speaks for itself. Hopefully this, myself and maybe a few others speaking out, will have an effect. But I just want good…

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Country Music Artist Charlie Daniels Defends President Trump

Wendy Wilson

  Country music artist Charlie Daniels defended President Trump and slammed political correctness in an interview Wednesday on Newsmax TV. Daniels said Trump was right to condemn both sides in the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday between white supremacists and leftist radicals. “There’s no doubt about it. I mean there’s animosity on both sides, from what I saw on TV. I saw two sides fighting each other,” Daniels told host Rita Cosby. “I condemn both sides.” Daniels was also critical of the push to take down statues of historical figures. “That’s what ISIS is doing,” Daniels said. “There were pieces of history over there they didn’t like, they’re taking them down…Where does it stop?” Daniels called Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee “one of the most honorable people in our history.” If people don’t like the statutes, they just shouldn’t look at them, he said, drawing an analogy by saying he walks by movie posters he doesn’t like. “These statues are not preaching,” Daniels said. “They’re not shouting out some kind of crazy epitaphs or something. They’re just sitting there. So just turn around and don’t look at them.” Daniels said the media is “very, very prejudiced against…

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Bob Corker Criticizes President Trump – Again – In Chattanooga Thursday

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) sharply criticized President Trump on Thursday at a Rotary Club luncheon in Chattanooga and said “radical changes” are needed at the White House. Corker questioned Trump’s competence. “He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that,” Corker told reporters after the luncheon, according to WRCB Channel 3. Corker’s latest criticism of Trump comes after a long string of other attacks he has made on the president that do not sit well with Republican primary voters in Tennessee.  Tennessee’s junior senator is up for re-election in 2018. Local reaction from Tennessee conservatives to Corker’s comments was harshly critical of the former mayor of Chattanooga, as these comments on the Nashville Tea Party Facebook page demonstrated.   “Ready to put my name on recall petition! Trump has done more for this country in six months than Corker has in his entire senatorial career. And to speak on ‘character’, Corker wouldn’t have a clue what the word means,” Carole posted. “No Bob, it is the Senate who needs a Radical Change and that includes getting you and…

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Democrat U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis Calls for Impeaching Trump over Charlottesville Comments

Wendy Wilson

  U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) said Thursday that he will introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump because of Trump’s comments following violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday. “Instead of unequivocally condemning hateful actions by neo-Nazis, white nationalists and Klansmen following a national tragedy, the President said ‘there were very fine people on both sides.’ There are no good Nazis. There are no good Klansmen,” said Cohen, who is Jewish, in a statement. A progressive leftist whose congressional district includes Memphis, Cohen is a ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. The clashes in Charlottesville were between white supremacist demonstrators and leftist radical counterprotesters. A woman was killed and around 20 injured when a man identified as a white supremacist drove his vehicle into a crowd. There also was fighting in which both white supremacists and counterprotesters were “swinging sticks, punching and spraying chemicals,” according to the Washington Post. Bottles and rocks were also thrown back. There were injuries on both sides. On Saturday, Trump condemned the “egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides.” At a press conference Tuesday, Trump said he waited until Monday to condemn specific groups because he…

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Gov. Bill Haslam Calls for Removal of Bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Capitol

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is advocating for the removal of a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Capitol in Nashville. “My position on this issue has not changed – I do not believe Nathan Bedford Forrest should be one of the individuals we honor at the Capitol. The General Assembly has established a process for addressing these matters and I strongly encourage the Capitol Commission and the Historical Commission to act,” Haslam said in a statement issued Monday. A Tennessee native, Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Also a slave trader, Forrest was known for his brutality. According to some accounts, he became a Christian later in life and distanced himself from the KKK, which he helped start. Activists in many states are calling for the removal of Confederate monuments after violent clashes between white supremacists and leftist radicals on Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dozens of protesters gathered at the Capitol Monday to demand that the bust come down, according to Nashville Public Radio. The bust was installed in the 1970s and ever since there have been calls periodically to remove it, the last time being after the Charleston church shooting in…

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U.S. Rep. David Kustoff Denounces White Supremacy At West Tennessee Event Wednesday

Wendy Wilson

  U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-8) on Wednesday denounced white supremacy during a visit to Jackson as a small group of protesters stood outside. Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce event at the Jackson Country Club, Kustoff, who is Jewish, said: We know that our nation has had a rough several days after the events in Charlottesville this past weekend. Make no mistake – White Supremacists, the KKK, neo-Nazis and all groups that preach hate, prejudice, racism and bigotry have no place in our country and must be explicitly condemned. As a United States Attorney, I prosecuted federal hate crimes. I strongly encourage the Department of Justice to follow through on the investigation from last weekend’s events. Outside, several protesters with Indivisible Jackson held signs reading, “Racism, White Supremacy Are Not Acceptable,” “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA” and “Kustoff, Call White Supremacists By Name.” In an interview in March With Jewish Insider, Kustoff expressed support for President Trump, citing measures related to national security and immigration and saying, “Everything he’s done, he promised. He’s following through on his commitment from the campaign.” Kustoff said he would give the president an “A.” When he joined Congress earlier this year, Kustoff became the…

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No Road Closures Planned For Monday’s Eclipse, Nashville Authorities Say

Wendy Wilson

No eclipse-related road closures are planned for Monday, according to a Metro Nashville Police Department press release issued this week. Authorities are cautioning people to be aware of moving traffic and not get distracted by viewing the eclipse. “Nashville has a number of places to safely watch and enjoy next Monday’s total solar eclipse. Interstates and the travel lanes of busy city streets ARE NOT among them,” the press release said. “Citizens are strongly cautioned against walking into streets or stopping on an interstate to view the eclipse.” Nashvillians and visitors are encouraged to plan where they intend to watch the eclipse and head there early. Among the local places for eclipse viewing are: Adventure Science Center, 800 Fort Negley Boulevard Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, 3777 Nolensville Pike First Tennessee Park, 19 Jr Gilliam Way Centennial Park, 2500 West End Avenue Radnor Lake, 1160 Otter Creek Road Edwin & Percy Warner Parks, located off Highway 100 Cedar Hill Park, 860 Old Hickory Boulevard in Madison Beaman Park, 5911 Old Hickory Boulevard Shelby Bottoms, 1900 Davidson Street Shelby Park, Shelby Avenue at S. 20th Street Peeler Park, off Neelys Bend Road in Madison Bells Bend Outdoor Center, 4187 Old Hickory Boulevard Bicentennial…

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Carol Swain: Americans Must Reject Identity Politics And Multiculturalism

Wendy Wilson

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — Americans need to turn away from identity politics and multiculturalism and embrace an American identity, conservative writer and speaker Carol Swain said Tuesday at a Rutherford County GOP luncheon. That’s the only way our country can move beyond the conflicts we’re experiencing, said Swain, echoing a message she has given in interviews on Fox News in the aftermath of violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday between white supremacists and radical leftist counterprotesters. On Fox, Swain defended President Trump for blaming both sides. Swain said Tuesday that the ranks of those attracted to “white identity and white consciousness” is growing, but that it’s illogical to maintain that blacks, Hispanics and Asians can promote an identity for themselves rooted in race, but that whites can’t. The solution, she believes, is to support and promote an American identity to cultivate a unifying bond. Tickets for Tuesday’s luncheon at the DoubleTree Hotel sold out. With 85 people attending, it was the largest quarterly luncheon gathering the Rutherford County GOP has hosted. Tuesday also marked Swain’s last official day as a law and political science professor at Vanderbilt University. But Swain has no plans to retire from writing and traveling to…

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Russell Moore’s Latest Column On Race ‘Classic, Liberal Propaganda,’ Says Shane Kastler

Wendy Wilson

  A pastor and writer in Louisiana is taking Russell Moore to task for his latest opinion piece in the Washington Post titled “White supremacy angers Jesus, but does it anger his church?” The piece was written in response to the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday between white supremacists and radical leftist counterprotesters. In a blog post, Shane Kastler writes, “His latest article is classic, liberal propaganda, Russell Moore-style. He takes a minuscule segment of the white population, implies that they represent a much larger segment than they do. And then skewers, ‘the church’ for being racist. And just in case you doubt him, he takes the words of Jesus out of their scriptural context, twists them for his political ends, and uses them to justify his argument.” Kastler is pastor of Heritage Baptist, an independent Baptist church in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He is known in Tennessee for his biography of Nathan Bedford Forrest which chronicles how Forrest became a Christian later in life. Moore is president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. He has been criticized by conservatives for his progressive views on race and immigration, his denunciations of President Trump…

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Sanctuary Cities, Ft. Negley To Be Discussed Saturday At Southeast Nashville Conservatives’ Breakfast

Wendy Wilson

Two hot topics in Nashville will be discussed Saturday at the Southeast Nashville Conservatives’ Breakfast. Sanctuary cities and the proposed redevelopment plan for Ft. Negley will be addressed by guest speakers. Metro Councilman Robert Swope will speak on the council’s recent push to make Nashville more welcoming to illegal immigrants. Proposed sanctuary city ordinances received strong support from council members but faced opposition from citizens. In addition, Metro’s law director raised concerns about the legality of a provision that would have required the sheriff to get a criminal judicial warrant to detain inmates believed to be in the U.S. illegally, instead of simply following procedures established by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Other measures would have further restricted Metro employees from cooperating with immigration authorities. At the end of June, the councils’ lead sponsors of the ordinances withdrew their two bills but vowed to accomplish their goals in other ways. On Saturday, Swope, who represents District 4 and who opposed the legislation, promises to give a behind-the-scenes look at what took place and what to expect as sanctuary city proponents continue their fight. Chris Cotton, a board member of the Friends of Ft. Negley, will speak about Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s controversial…

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Nashville Metro Council Candidates Tim Herndon And Antoinette Lee To Compete In Runoff Election

Wendy Wilson

  Tim Herndon and Antoinette Lee were the top vote-getters in Tuesday’s nonpartisan special election to fill the District 33 Metro Council seat. But since neither received more than 50 percent of votes cast, they will face each other in a runoff election. The runoff will be held Sept. 19, reports AntiochTenn.com. Metro Council is the legislative body of the consolidated city-government of Nashville and Davidson County created in 1963. District 33 covers part of Antioch. The council has 40 members of which 35 are elected by district and five are elected at-large, or county-wide. Members are elected to four-year terms and in 1994 were limited to two terms. There are 11,267 voters in District 33 and there were 1,083 votes cast for the special election. Early voting was held July 26 through Aug. 10. Here are the unofficial results released Tuesday evening by the Davidson County Election Commission: Antoinette Lee                         415 votes                     39.04 percent Tim Herndon                           402 votes                …

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World War II Veteran Goes Skydiving In Tennessee For His 95th Birthday

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  A World War II veteran celebrated his 95th birthday Saturday with a tandem skydive in Whiteville, a small town about 60 miles east of Memphis. Roy Angin lives in Hernando, Mississippi, at the Wesley Meadows Retirement Community. He attended the U.S. Army Airborne School in 1940 and served overseas as a paratrooper in the war, said Alex Coker, a skydiver instructor and DeSoto County Sheriff’s deputy, reports WREG News Channel 3. Angin and Coker flew to 14,500 feet above Tennessee for the tandem skydive. The skydive was arranged through West Tennessee Skydiving. Angin hadn’t jumped in more than 60 years, according to Karen Hill, program director at the retirement community. But Angin told her it was on his bucket list and that if former President George H.W. Bush could do it, so could he. In 2014, Bush, also a WWII veteran, celebrated his 90th birthday by skydiving. Bush also went skydiving when he turned 75, 80 and 85. Angin is already thinking about jumping again on his 100th birthday. He is currently the star of the retirement community’s Facebook page. He is pictured in the center’s profile photo wearing a t-shirt reading, “Skydiving@95.” There are also several posts featuring news coverage…

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Nashville Metro Council Candidate Antoinette Lee Supported By Tennessee Education Association

Wendy Wilson

  Nashville Metro Council candidate Antoinette Lee publicly thanked the Tennessee Education Association teachers union Sunday for creating a mailer for her campaign. “I want to thank the political arm of TEA (the teachers’ Union) for doing my mailer,” she wrote on her Facebook campaign page. “I think they did a good job. Unions are the backbone that made our county great and supported our workers.” Lee works as a field organizer for the TEA, making it no surprise that she has the union’s strong support. The TEA is the state affiliate of the National Education Association. Lee is one of five candidates in Tuesday’s special election to fill the District 33 seat, left vacant when Councilman Sam Coleman was sworn in as a Nashville judge to replace former Judge Casey Moreland, who resigned amid a corruption scandal. District 33 covers part of Antioch. Early voting was held July 26 through Aug. 10. Lee also has the endorsement of the AFL-CIO’s Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The National Education Association teachers union has long been controversial among conservatives because of its advocacy for liberal politics. The union endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in the last election cycle as the primary season got under way…

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Nashville Hillsboro High School Student Arrested On Gun Charges

Wendy Wilson

A Hillsboro High School senior was arrested Friday morning on gun charges after allegedly pointing a pistol at two other students from his car as school dismissed Wednesday. Monday was the first day of the new school year for students in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Hillsboro High is located in Green Hills. The two victims told school resource officers about the incident Thursday afternoon, according to a news release from the Metro Nashville Police Department. Friday morning, an officer waited in the school parking lot for the 17-year-old to arrive. As the student got out of his car, the officer took him into custody. A loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol was found during a search of the student’s car concealed under the dashboard. The 17-year-old was taken to juvenile detention. He was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful gun possession.

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Latinos For Tennessee Holds Health Fair At Memphis Middle School

Wendy Wilson

Latinos For Tennessee recently held a health fair at a middle school in Memphis to help kick off the new school year. “The fair had a great turnout,” said group spokeswoman Josie Ortega. The Aug. 5 event at Kingsbury Middle featured health screenings for families and free food and school supplies. The pro-family conservative political action group partnered with the school and the Memphis Health Center in hosting the event. Raul Lopez, executive director of Latinos For Tennessee, wrote an opinion piece for the Commercial Appeal Aug. 2 in which he noted that 38 percent of Latino children are overweight or obese, compared with 28 percent of white children, and that being Hispanic increases the risk factor for developing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Memphis, along with Nashville and Chattanooga, has a fast-growing Hispanic population. Lopez wrote: For some, the answer is bigger government. A few years ago, then-New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg grabbed headlines by going after the sugary drink industry — a move panned by many and eventually ruled unconstitutional by an appeals court. But what if there was a better way than relying on government to regulate what and how much we can eat? As it turns out, there is…

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Franklin’s GracePointe Church Now Sharing Space With Unity of Nashville After Membership Plummets Because of LGBT Inclusion

Wendy Wilson

  An evangelical church in Franklin that broke with biblical teachings and embraced LGBT ideology has had to find a new home because of declining membership. GracePointe Church has left its building on Franklin Road in the heart of Williamson County and headed straight north to share space with Unity of Nashville in its building in Nashville, also on Franklin Road. On its Facebook page, Unity of Nashville describes its mission as “a positive, practical, progressive approach to Christianity based on the teachings of Jesus and the power of prayer. Unity honors the universal truths in all religions and respects each individual’s right to choose a spiritual path.” GracePointe has changed so utterly over the years that its identity today sounds not that different than Unity’s. Traditional Christians would consider the teachings at both churches to be heretical. In his sermon July 30 during the congregation’s last service at its Franklin building, Pastor Stan Mitchell discussed how GracePointe has found a “clearer vision” and a “new and refined construction of our faith.” Mitchell’s comments reflected that while he has retained some conservative-sounding phraseology, he has completely cast aside orthodox doctrine. “We have achieved a degree, a measure of new construction, ongoing for…

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Tennessee Officials Find Building Violations At Home For the Aged In Memphis

Wendy Wilson

Tennessee state officials have suspended new admissions of residents to a small neighborhood group home for the aged in Memphis because of violations of building standards. Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner announced the decision in a news release Wednesday. A special monitor has been appointed to review operations at the 11-bed Cummings Foster Group Home. The violations were found during a life safety survey on July 12 and the investigation was completed Aug. 4, when the suspension went into effect. The news release noted that the health commissioner “may suspend admissions to a home for the aged when conditions are determined to be, or are likely to be, detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of the residents.” An order is in effect until conditions “have been and continue to remain corrected.” The home must post the order at a public entrance. The home has the right to a hearing before the Board for Licensing Health Care Facilities or an administrative judge.

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Family Action Council of Tennessee To Hold Biblical Worldview Seminar

Wendy Wilson

Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) will hold a half-day seminar this fall on cultivating a biblical worldview. The “Restoring the Vision” seminar on Saturday morning, November 11 at the Nashville School of Law will address such questions as, “What is the point of being a Christian? What are we are ‘saved’ for? Is Christianity about more than piety in this life and heaven later?” David Fowler, president of FACT, said on the group’s website that he wrestled with these questions when he reached a crisis point in his life in his 30s. At the time, he was going through the everyday motions of practicing law, thinking about Christianity in mostly an insular way as something that compels us simply to live a moral life and hope for God’s blessings while waiting to go to heaven. The answers he discovered to his questions changed the direction of his life. During the seminar, Fowler will share passages from throughout the Bible that will drive home his points in a comprehensive way. “But these foundational biblical truths aren’t ‘new’ or ‘newly discovered.’ They provided a vision for Christendom that transformed cultures and birthed Western Civilization, a vision that has largely faded within…

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Nashville Metro Council Candidate Jack Byrd To Stand Trial For Extortion

Wendy Wilson

  A candidate for Nashville’s Metro Council will go on trial for extortion in October. Jack Byrd III is one of five candidates running for the District 33 seat left vacant when Councilman Sam Coleman was sworn in as a Nashville judge to replace former Judge Casey Moreland, who resigned amid a corruption scandal. District 33 covers part of Antioch. Early voting for the special election was set for July 26-Aug. 10, with election day being Aug. 15. Byrd, 28, is a former reserve officer for the Lynnville Police Department in Giles County and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. In May, he was indicted in Giles County on two felony extortion charges for allegedly threatening a Lynnville alderman and the mayor because he was upset that city officials had disbanded the reserve program. In a motion to dismiss, Byrd’s attorney said that then-Alderman Wil Sands launched a “personal vendetta” against Byrd after Byrd provided security in police uniform at the June 2016 gay pride festival in Nashville. Sands was unhappy when he came across photos on Facebook of Byrd working at the festival and made “insulting comments” and began harassing Byrd, the motion says. The motion also alleges that Sands was known…

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Fans in Nashville Say Goodbye To Country Music Legend Glen Campbell

Wendy Wilson

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Fans stopped by a memorial Wednesday at the Country Music Hall of Fame to say goodbye to country artist Glen Campbell, who died Tuesday at age 81. A table with flowers and a condolence book for people to sign was set up in the rotunda near Campbell’s Hall of Fame plaque. “We used to listen to him in the 70s,” said Ellis Sharadin, who was there with his wife, Rosemarie. The couple is on vacation from Yorktown, Virginia. Sharadin named the 1975 smash hit “Rhinestone Cowboy” as one of his favorite Campbell songs. Paige Lashlee of Tullahoma, Tennessee, said she grew up listening to Campbell’s music and watching his variety show. Campbell was a gifted guitarist, which many took for granted because he was known mostly known for his voice, she said. Her husband, Frank, said Campbell “had a style, and of course girls loved him.” Joni Bertram, visiting Nashville from Vermont, also said she grew up listening to Campbell. “Mostly because we had to,” chimed in her younger brother, Mark Green, who lives in Massachusetts. Their mom was a huge country music fan and exposed her children to her favorite tunes. Even though they had little…

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Neighbors File Lawsuit To Stop Homeless Village On Church Property in South Nashville

Wendy Wilson

Neighbors have filed a lawsuit to stop plans for a village for the homeless on the property of Glencliff United Methodist Church in South Nashville, reports NewsChannel 5. The “micro home village” would include 22 tiny homes about 220 square feet each. The Metro Board of Zoning Appeals approved a building permit in May, saying places of worship are protected by federal and state laws from zoning rules. But neighbors insist that because the project will be run by Open Table Nashville, a separate nonprofit group, zoning rules should apply. “Neighbors didn’t really have any notice this was happening,” Jessica Van Dyke, who lives near the church, told NewsChannel 5. “It was forced on us and we were told after the fact.” The lawsuit was filed against the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals, Glencliff United Methodist Church, the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church and Bishop Bill McAlilly. Attorney Andrew Preston issued a statement on behalf of the church, conference and bishop stating that the “lack of housing is a very serious issue in Nashville and the church has decided to answer the biblical call to love our neighbor by providing safe and supportive shelter to some of our city’s most…

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Tennessee Educator Survey Reveals Teacher Frustration With Testing, Flood of New Initiatives

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Tennessee teachers surveyed this past spring reported frustration with statewide standardized exams, while administrators surveyed showed more confidence in them. A majority of teachers disagreed with the statement, “Overall, information received from statewide standardized exams is worth the investment of time and effort.” Sixty-five percent disagreed, while only 35 percent agreed. For administrators, it was nearly the reverse. Thirty-eight percent disagreed, while 62 percent agreed with the statement. More than 38,000 educators completed the extensive annual Tennessee Educator Survey created by the Tennessee Department of Education and Vanderbilt University’s Tennessee Education Research Alliance. That number represents 56 percent of the state’s teachers and 60 percent of administrators. Other findings included teachers’ frustration with what they view as insufficient instructional and planning time. A big drain on their time, according to survey results, is a program called Response to Intervention (RTI²) designed to help struggling students. According to a summary of the findings, teachers are burdened with administering screenings, using progress monitoring tools and meeting with other teachers and administrators, as well as fitting intervention periods into their schedules. Teachers, especially those new to the classroom, also expressed concerns about the amount of time needed to address student behavior. The survey results also raised…

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Memorial Service To Be Held Thursday For Crossville Police Dog Killed In Line Of Duty

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Police in Crossville in East Tennessee are planning a memorial service this week for a police dog killed in the line of duty Aug. 2. The dog, named Cain, was allegedly stabbed multiple times in the chest by a man who had fled police and was hiding in the woods. Injured, Cain returned to his handler and was rushed to a veterinary medical center but died from his wounds. “It is with saddened hearts that the City of Crossville Police Department announces the final End of Watch Call for a true hero and a three year law enforcement veteran,” said a police department press release posted on Facebook. “K9 Cain, your watch is over.” Police will host a memorial visitation Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Crossville Police Department. A memorial service will be held at the Duer Soccer Complex on Thursday morning, but only first responders and the media are invited to attend because of concerns about the weather. There will be a funeral procession before the service for which the public is invited to line the streets. The procession will start at 11 a.m. and will travel on Main Street from Central Baptist Church to…

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