California State University campuses will no longer require incoming freshmen to take placement tests in English and math or enroll in noncredit remedial courses, reports the Los Angeles Times. The change, to take effect fall 2018, is part of a trend away from noncredit remedial courses, which critics say frustrate students and lead many to drop out. This is one case in which California isn’t leading the nation. Tennessee, among other states, have already taken steps to get rid of traditional remedial courses while creating other ways to support students who aren’t ready for college-level work. In 2010, as part of Tennessee’s Complete College Tennessee Act, remedial and developmental education was to be provided only by community colleges and not universities as of July 2012. Then, in 2015, community colleges eliminated traditional remediation in favor of “co-requisite remediation,” which allows students to enroll in introductory math and English classes while receiving support services, including counseling, computer lab help and special supplementary classes. By allowing students to start acquiring college credit right away, schools hope to keep them in school and boost graduation rates. Traditional remedial classes offered in the past cost the same as others but didn’t allow students to start working toward…
Read the full storyAuthor: Wendy Wilson
Nashville To Get Direct Flights To London
Nashville International Airport will offer direct flights to London on British Airways starting in May 2018, Gov. Bill Haslam announced at a press conference Tuesday morning. Haslam was joined at the press conference by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and Simon Brooks, British Airways senior vice president for North America. It will be the first time the city has offered nonstop flights to London since American Airlines scaled back its operations more than 20 years ago. Tuesday’s announcement followed years of effort on the part of community and business leaders. “This is an exciting day in Nashville, an exciting day for the state of Tennessee,” Haslam said. “It’s a day that many of us have worked long and hard to see happen.” Haslam said that when he was traveling overseas about a month ago, “no matter where we went throughout Europe, there was a great deal of excitement about this flight.” The flights will help facilitate business travel between various European cities as well as various cities in Tennessee, not just Nashville, said Haslam, who expects travel to outperform projections. “This is truly a game changer for the city, and the region and the state,” he said. Brooks of British…
Read the full storyMemphis Parents Upset About High School STEM Program
Some parents in Memphis are upset about East High School becoming a STEM school, with at least one parent saying the plan is racist. “I feel like it’s just like Jim Crow,” parent Jacquelyn Webb told WREG News Channel 3. “They legally separating our students because they want the cream of the crop.” However, Shelby County Schools spokeswoman Natalia Powers said more than half of the 90 students already accepted into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program at East High School are African-American and there are also some Hispanics. Parents attended a meeting Friday evening at the Lester Community Center to voice their concerns about students being separated, with some in the area now having to be bused to Douglass High School or Melrose High School. The only new students being enrolled at East High School this year are those accepted into the new STEM program, now being offered to ninth-graders. The program will expand to other grade levels in coming years until the entire school is STEM only. Some parents said they were caught off guard by the change and complained about just now learning about it. Powers, however, said the district has been communicating with families since…
Read the full storyWest Tennessee Site Likely to be Considered for New Toyota-Mazda Auto Plant
A site near Memphis will likely be considered for a new auto manufacturing plant to be built jointly by Toyota and Mazda. The plant will create up to 4,000 jobs, according to a news release issued by the Japanese car companies on Friday. They plan to spend $1.6 billion on the plant, with the goal of starting operations in 2021 pending government approvals. The plant will produce about 300,000 vehicles a year, and will make Toyota Corollas and crossover models that Mazda plans to introduce to the North American market. The news release did not say where the plant would be built, but real estate expects believe the Southeast is a definite possibility, according to the Commercial Appeal. A leading Tennessee industrial site is the Memphis Regional Megasite, 4,100 acres of vacant farm land off Interstate 40 in Haywood and Fayette counties between Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee. State officials bought the land a decade ago to attract a Toyota car plant, but the company decided to put its Corolla assembly line west of Tupelo in Blue Springs, Mississippi. Because the new plant will build the Corolla, chances are it will be located near the Mississippi plant to be close to parts supply companies, reports…
Read the full storyHouse Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh Announces Candidacy For Tennessee Governor
State House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) has officially thrown his hat in the ring in the race for Tennessee governor. He will face former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean in the August 2018 Democratic primary. Fitzhugh, who announced his candidacy over the weekend, had been expected to join the race. A native of rural West Tennessee, where he still makes his home, Fitzhugh has represented Lauderdale, Crockett and Haywood counties in the state legislature for more than two decades. He was first elected to the District 82 seat in 1994. Fitzhugh is a graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and the University of Tennessee College of Law. He served four years in the Air Force as a captain in the Judge’s Advocate General (JAG) Corps, and then returned to Ripley to practice law. He joined the Bank of Ripley in 1992 and today is its chairman and CEO. While Dean is considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, Fitzhugh offers a contrast with his emphasis on rural communities and his support for public schools. He has been cautious about charter schools, while Dean has been a strong supporter. “Memo to Tennessee Democrats: Craig Fitzhugh supports public schools, students and…
Read the full storyEconomist Stephen Moore Blasts Senator Lamar Alexander and ‘Turncoat’ Republicans During Nashville Visit
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Free-market economist Stephen Moore slammed U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) in a speech Saturday when talking about “turncoat” Republicans who did not support a recent Republican-led Senate effort to repeal Obamacare. He said the Tennessee senator is “leading the charge” to preserve Obamacare in some form. Last month, Alexander was one of seven Republicans to vote against a strong repeal amendment sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). “What he is doing right now behind the scenes is a betrayal,” said Moore, the senior economic contributor for FreedomWorks and a fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Moore is a frequent commentator on TV and a former Wall Street Journal editorial board member. Moore spoke at a breakfast hosted by the Tennessee Republican Assembly at Glenwood Baptist Church in Nashville. The meeting was to be held at Dairy King next door, but had to be moved because of rain damage at the restaurant. Business leader Andrew Puzder, who was at one point President Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, also spoke at the event. “This is a very dangerous moment right now,” Moore said. “If Lamar has his way, we will permanently enshrine Obamacare into the budget. We will never get rid of…
Read the full storyFormer Governor Winfield Dunn Among Tennessee Republicans Honored At Statesmen’s Dinner
Former Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn was the recipient Thursday of the Howard Baker Award at the annual Statesmen’s Dinner held by the Tennessee Republican Party. The fundraising event took place at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The keynote speaker was Vice President Mike Pence. Dunn, 90, served as governor from 1971 to 1975, and was the first Republican elected to the office in 50 years. He was born and raised in Mississippi but later moved to Memphis, where he became a dentist. After serving as governor, he moved to Nashville permanently and worked for 10 years managing government and public relations for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). He ran for governor again in 1986 but lost to Democratic Ned McWherter in the general election. Dunn’s conservative views were influenced by Barry Goldwater’s 1960 book, The Conscience of a Conservative, and concerns about the spread of communism. As governor, he was known for unifying the state’s three major regions with fair distribution of government resources, and for a lack of corruption, which had been a problem in the past. He started new departments in state government, including the Tennessee Housing Development Authority, and spent money on new initiatives. But he…
Read the full storyVice President Mike Pence Praised By His Tennessee Fans
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — President Trump may have been at the top of the ticket, but it was obvious from the enthusiasm shown for Vice President Mike Pence in Nashville on Thursday that he has his own strong fan base. People interviewed by The Tennessee Star at the Music City Center cited Pence’s conservative beliefs and Christian convictions as reasons they support the vice president. Pence was in Nashville to be the keynote speaker Thursday evening at the annual Statesmen’s Dinner held by the Tennessee Republican Party. During last year’s presidential campaign, Pence was seen as a steady presence and influence on Trump, who lacked Pence’s political experience and has a more flamboyant personality. Before serving as vice president, Pence was governor of Indiana and a congressman. But Pence is not without his colorful side. “He rides a Harley,” said Ken Nelson Jr. in offering another reason he backs the vice president. Nelson is a real estate agent who serves on the board of the Wilson County Republican Party. Gail Jones and her friend Vicki Beaty, both of whom live in Cleveland, Tennessee, had nothing but praise for Pence. “I like everything he stands for,” said Jones, an office manager for…
Read the full storyConservative Episcopal Churches Can’t Keep Property, South Carolina Supreme Court Rules
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that conservative congregations that left the Episcopal Church in 2012 cannot continue to own their properties. The ruling overturns a lower court ruling in 2015. The affected congregations previously had agreed to let the national church hold their properties in trust. Seven that did not sign such an agreement can retain ownership of their land and buildings. The Diocese of South Carolina broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2012 because of the ordination of gay priests and concerns about unorthodox interpretations of Scripture. “Splits within the Episcopal Church and other mainline denominations have caused property lawsuits to surge in recent years; in 2016, they became the top reason churches ended up in court,” reports Christianity Today. Property disputes are largely the result of disagreements between conservatives and progressives. The Diocese of South Carolina dates back to 1785 and is older than the Episcopal Church itself, according to Christianity Today. Today the diocese has about 50 churches and 20,000 members and is aligned with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Wednesday’s ruling means that 29 parishes do not get to keep about $500 million worth of historic church properties claimed by the diocese when it…
Read the full storyVice President Mike Pence Visits Nashville, Thanks Tennesseans For Supporting President Trump
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday personally thanked the Volunteer State for helping put President Trump in office. “We were counting on Tennessee last fall and Tennessee delivered,” Pence said during his keynote speech at the Tennessee Republican Party’s Statesmen’s Dinner. The annual fundraising event was held at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam gave opening remarks. In November, Trump won 61 percent of the vote in Tennessee, taking all but three counties – Davidson, Shelby and Haywood. Pence in his speech also celebrated the news that broke Thursday about West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. Pence devoted most of his speech to praising Trump’s successes in office and his plans for the coming months. He said Trump is slashing more regulations than any other president in American history, and noted the president’s efforts to roll back progressive environmental policies, such as ending the “war on coal” and withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. Pence also lauded Trump for increasing defense spending, strengthening border protection and cracking down on gangs such as MS-13. In the area of foreign policy, Pence said other countries know that…
Read the full storyWest Tennessee Company Busy Making Solar Eclipse Glasses
A West Tennessee company is busily producing special glasses to view the solar eclipse Aug. 21. American Paper Optics, located in Bartlett, a Memphis suburb, will be shipping out orders until Aug. 18, reports WSMV Channel 4. The company, whose products include 3-D glasses for DVD releases, has never seen such demand. “We’re going to hit over 40 million glasses,” company president John Jerit told WSMV. One challenge is “knock-offs from Asia that are exact copies of mine,” he said. “We noticed some of our designs showing up on Amazon sites that were not legitimate,” Jerit said. “The counterfeiters are copying our designs as well as putting our name and information on the back side.” To avoid fakes, Jerit recommends buying from the company’s site and Amazon resellers. He said his company’s glasses have silver lenses on the outside that are black on the inside. The glasses produced by American Paper Optics are on NASA’s approved list. NASA recommends using special glasses while viewing the solar eclipse. NASA-approved glasses are available from various retailers. “Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face,…
Read the full storyKnoxville Man Creates Bracelets With Bible Verse Featured On Police Department Plaque
A Knoxville man has created bracelets featuring the Bible verse written on a plaque at the Knoxville Police Department that was moved last week because of complaints from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The plaque, which was hanging above an employee entrance, was moved to the other side of the doorway where inspirational quotes from other traditions will also be displayed. City officials decided to relocate the plaque to show that Christian faith will not be promoted over other religions, which the Freedom From Religion Foundation said was unconstitutional. The Bible verse, Romans 8:31, says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, then who can be against us?” Ryan Hudson designed and ordered the rubber bracelets with the help of family and friends. He has been selling them for $1. The proceeds will go to a charity that supports the police department. “They can take down a sign, but they can’t destroy our beliefs,” Hudson said on Facebook. His original idea was to provide police officers with the bracelets, but then demand grew from others in the community. Demand was so great that ordering has now closed. But Hudson said he will post on…
Read the full storyMt. Zion, Brentwood Baptist To Host Back-To-School Event Saturday
Mt. Zion Baptist and Brentwood Baptist are teaming up to host a back-to-school event Saturday at Hadley Park in Nashville. Called “We’re Better Together,” the event is open to the public and will offer free backpacks and health screenings. Mt. Zion is a predominantly African-American church, while Brentwood Baptist is mostly white. Both are among the largest megachurches in the area. Church leaders believe that by working together, they are setting an example for how to bridge the racial divide, and say it will be one of many partnerships. “Our congregations are growing by leaps and bounds,” said Bishop Joseph Walker III, pastor of Mt. Zion, in a news release. “So is this wonderful city. It is our responsibility to grow together and support one another. ” Walker began the annual event more than 10 years ago and has seen it grow in popularity. Pastor Mike Glenn of Brentwood Baptist said he’s excited about the chance to serve alongside Walker and demonstrate their common commitment to the Christian faith. “The diversity of the church reveals the nature and character of God in a way that no one person or church can by themselves,” Glenn said. The event aims to help…
Read the full storyGannett Announces More Layoffs With Closure of Nashville Design Studio At The Tennessean
Gannett on Tuesday announced plans to shut down its Nashville Design Studio housed at The Tennessean, a closure that will affect up to 88 jobs. The design work will now be done in Des Moines, Iowa; Louisville, Kentucky; and Phoenix, Arizona. The transition is set to be complete Oct. 1. There will be some opportunities for Nashville employees to work remotely, but Gannett did not say how many employees would have that chance. The Tennessean has been planning to relocate its offices and recently selected a buyer for its property in downtown Nashville. Laura Hollingsworth, the publication’s president, told Nashville Business Journal it is too early to say how the closure of the design studio will affect moving plans, which are still in the early stages. Last year, Hollingsworth said The Tennesseean would need room for 291 employees wherever it finds a new home. The Nashville Design Studio has handled design and page editing for various Gannett publications in Tennessee and around the country. Gannett owns a number of newspapers in Tennessee in addition to The Tennesseean. They include the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, the Knoxville News Sentinel, the Jackson Sun, the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro and the Leaf Chronicle in Clarksville,…
Read the full storyFederal Judge Blocks Pro-Life Laws In Arkansas
A federal judge last week blocked four new pro-life laws from taking effect in Arkansas. U.S. District Court Judge Kristine Baker of the Eastern District of Arkansas is considered an activist judge by the group National Right to Life. Leslie Rutledge, the state’s attorney general, has said she plans to appeal Baker’s ruling, reports the Associated Press. Three of the new restrictions were set to go into effect Tuesday before being blocked late Friday night by Baker’s preliminary injunction. The laws were challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of a Little Rock abortion provider. Among the new laws is the state’s Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act. Seven states– Kansas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas–currently forbid dismemberment abortion. The procedure involves using “sharp metal clamps and scissors to crush, tear and pulverize living unborn human beings, to rip heads and legs off of tiny torsos until the defenseless child bleeds to death,” according to news editor Dave Andrusko of National Right to Life in a report for National Right to Life News Today. Another law imposes new restrictions on the disposal of the remains of aborted babies, and another…
Read the full storyAlabama GOP Senate Candidate Roy Moore Slammed by CAIR For Calling Islam a ‘False Religion’
A Muslim group has criticized former Alabama Supreme Court Justice and current U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore for calling Islam a “false religion.” Moore expressed his views on Islam in response to a question at a July 24 meeting of the North Jefferson County Republican Club. The question was about sharia law and whether it could become enacted in the U.S. “False religions like Islam, who teach that ‘you must worship this way,’ are completely opposite with what our First Amendment stands for,” Moore told the Republican group at Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ in Gardendale, according to AL.com. The Alabama chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Moore’s comments were “un-American.” The group also invited Moore to visit a mosque. Khaula Hadeed, executive director of CAIR-Alabama, released a statement in which she cited a verse from the Koran that she said called on Muslims to respond to harmful acts with kindness. “Statements that espouse Islamophobia and cast out fellow Alabamians, implying that they do not have the same rights under the law, are unAmerican,” she said. “We invite Judge Roy Moore to visit a mosque, meet with Alabamian Muslims, and learn about their Islamic faith and about the Muslim…
Read the full storyCAIR Demands Firing of Alabama McDonald’s Staff for Allegedly Putting Bacon in Chicken Sandwiches to Offend Muslims
The Alabama chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on a McDonald’s restaurant in Decatur to identify and fire the employee or employees who the group says put small pieces of bacon in chicken sandwiches ordered by a Muslim family. The restaurant denies any intentional wrongdoing. Islam prohibits Muslims from consuming pork products. CAIR-Alabama insists that what it says happened Monday was a case of intentional bigotry against Muslims and is demanding that the fast food chain provide surveillance video of the alleged incident. “Based on the evidence in this incident, as well as the unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim bigotry nationwide, we believe this was an intentional act of religious and ethnic bigotry,” Khaula Hadeed, executive director of CAIR-Alabama, said in a press release Tuesday. “McDonald’s should investigate this incident, identify and terminate the employees responsible, and take proactive steps to satisfy this American family’s concerns, starting with an apology.” Rick Walter, a McDonald’s owner operator in Decatur, issued a statement refuting CAIR’s claim. “We want to assure our customers that this was not an intentional act by our employees,” he said, according to The Decatur Daily. “We value every customer and strive to ensure all orders…
Read the full storyTennessee Businesses Step Up Efforts To Be LGBT-Friendly
Tennessee businesses and corporations are yielding to pressure from LGBT activists to promote LGBT ideology in the workplace in the name of diversity. Nissan is now offering benefits to help transgender employees transition, and even Cracker Barrel is pro-actively seeking approval and recognition from the LGBT community. Cracker Barrel had a booth at Nashville’s gay pride festival in June next to which it set up its trademark rocking chairs for festival-goers to kick back and relax. The push is well under way despite Tennessee being a red state where conservatism is influenced by Christian faith, and where voters overwhelmingly helped put President Trump in office. Trump recently announced that he would restore a ban on transgender troops in the military that had been undone by former President Obama, who not only wanted to welcome openly transgender troops but help them with the medical costs of transitioning. In the private sector, special medical benefits for transgender individuals have also become an issue. Nissan North America, based in Franklin, has added benefits to cover sex reassignments, according to the Nashville Business Journal. Covered costs include those associated with treatments, surgeries and other medical procedures. Last year, Nissan worked with the Human Rights Campaign, the…
Read the full storyTennessee Public Schools Among Worst In Nation, Report Says
Tennessee K-12 public schools ranked among the worst in the nation in a study published Monday by WalletHub.com. Tennessee schools ranked 42 overall out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. WalletHub analysts evaluated schools using 21 metrics across two key areas, quality and safety. Tennessee ranked 35 in quality and 49 in safety. For quality, analysts reviewed math and reading test scores, SAT and ACT scores, pupil-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates among low-income students, dropout rates, and other factors. The safety category included a look at disciplinary and bullying rates, as well as the number of high school students reporting they had access to illegal drugs on campus or were threatened or injured with a weapon on campus. Other factors considered in the safety category included the number of high school students reporting they had been involved in a physical fight on campus, or did not attend school because they felt unsafe on campus or going to and from school. The states with the best schools, starting at the top, were Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Vermont. Those at the very bottom, starting with the lowest, were Louisiana, New Mexico, West Virginia, District of…
Read the full storyControversial Former Pastor Rob Bell Wraps Up ‘Bible Belt Tour’ That Included Tennessee
Controversial former evangelical pastor Rob Bell recently wrapped up his “Bible Belt Tour,” which included two stops in Tennessee. Bell, whose teachings are considered heretical by conservative Christians, made appearances earlier this month in Knoxville and Memphis. “If evangelicals had a black list, Rob Bell would be on it,” wrote Megan Briggs in a review of Bell’s latest book, What Is the Bible?, for ChurchLeaders.com. Bell, 46, was once a rising star in evangelical circles as the pastor of a megachurch he founded in his native Michigan. But he eventually left the church as he began gravitating toward a far less orthodox belief system. Today Bell lives in Los Angeles and continues to promote himself as a spiritual leader, but his views are now more in line with those of Oprah Winfrey, with whom he toured the country in 2014. In his 2011 book Love Wins, Bell raised eyebrows by questioning the existence of hell and promoting a more inclusive form of Christianity. In What Is the Bible?, he concludes the Bible was inspired more by humans than by God and is not infallible. “According to Bell, Jesus came to earth to put a human face to the words of Scripture,…
Read the full storyProtest Against Enhanced ICE Enforcement In Shelby County Includes Vulgarity, Wild Claims
A small group of protesters stood outside a detention facility in West Tennessee on Saturday to voice their anger about immigration officials carrying out deportation orders. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been stepping up enforcement in Shelby County as part of an effort to carry out final orders of removal. Officials are targeting those with criminal histories and suspected gang ties. A Facebook page promoting the protest featured a photo of a button reading “Chinga la migra,” which means “F*** the border patrol.” A Memphis group called Comunidades Unidas en Una Voz (Communities United in One Voice) was involved in organizing the protest. Yuleiny Escobar, who was with the group Saturday at the detention center in Mason in Tipton County, told WMC Action News 5 that people in the immigrant community are “terrified.” “We’re here to show our loved ones inside that we are also resisting outside,” she said. On her Facebook page Monday morning, Escobar said illegal immigrants detained at the facility are being mistreated. “They are starving them and breaking them inside those walls,” Escobar wrote, though without providing any details to support her assertion. Protester Joe Murphy said Saturday, “I don’t believe in treating people the way they are being treated.…
Read the full storyTennessee Unemployment Rate Hits Record Low
Tennessee’s unemployment rate for June of 3.6 percent was the lowest in the state’s recorded history. Gov. Bill Haslam and Burns Phillips, commissioner for the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, shared the news last week. The previous low was 3.7 percent in March 2000. The state has not had an unemployment rate below 4 percent since it was 3.9 percent in February 2001. “Today more than ever, businesses have a choice of where to grow or expand, and because of the policies this administration has put in place working with the General Assembly, we’re seeing the job growth that comes when businesses choose Tennessee,” Haslam said in a news release. Phillips credited Haslam for making high quality jobs a priority, noting that seven years ago more than 10 percent of Tennesseans were out of work. The national unemployment rate for June was 4.4 percent, a slight increase from 4.3 percent in May. The national rate has seen 10-year lows in recent months. The unemployment rate has been dropping steadily over the past few years after rising sharply during the recession.
Read the full storyKnoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero Faces Backlash Over Decision To Move Bible Verse Plaque
Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero is facing criticism that she acted too hastily in deciding to move a plaque with a Bible verse at the Knoxville Police Department. Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is among those saying that Rogero should have pushed back when the Freedom From Religion Foundation began to complain and threaten legal action earlier this year. Rogero announced her decision earlier this week, confirming it was the result of a complaint from the East Tennessee chapter of the national group, which is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, and pushes for the separation of church and state. The group said the placement of the plaque was unconstitutional “religious promotion.” The plaque, which was put up in the early 1970s, had been displayed above a staff entrance not typically frequented by the public. Rogero said she was not aware of any other complaints in recent years. Rogero said the plaque would be moved to a new “Hall of Inspiration” on the other side of the door featuring quotes from various traditions. The plaque quotes Romans 8:31 and says, “If God be for us, then who can be against us?” The plaque was moved Friday morning. Aleta Ledendecker of the Freedom From Religion Foundation…
Read the full storyAlexander And Corker Both Vote For Failed Obamacare “Skinny Repeal” Amendment
Tennessee’s Republican senators both voted early Friday for a health care bill amendment that would have repealed parts of Obamacare, though less dramatically than an amendment defeated earlier this week. The latest amendment, defeated by a 51-49 Senate vote, was dubbed “skinny repeal” and was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The stronger amendment defeated Wednesday was sponsored by his fellow Kentucky Republican senator, Rand Paul. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who voted against Sen. Paul’s amendment because it didn’t have an immediate replacement plan, but who voted to advance Sen. McConnell’s “skinny repeal” said: I voted to take the next step toward what I believed was our best opportunity to repeal and replace Obamacare. The Senate’s failure to do this leaves an urgent problem that I am committed to addressing: Tennessee’s state insurance commissioner says our individual insurance market is very near collapse. Unless Congress acts, many of the 350,000 Tennesseans who buy health insurance in that market—songwriters, farmers, the self-employed—face the real prospect of having zero options to buy insurance in 2018 and 2019. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said in a statement: My strong preference was for Congress to advance legislation I supported earlier this week to repeal Obamacare…
Read the full storyWilliamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson Proposes Sales Tax Hike To Help Fund Schools
Williamson County is scrambling to fund its fast-growing school district, and County Mayor Rogers Anderson said this week that raising the sales tax is a way to help get the job done. Anderson made his pitch Wednesday in delivering his annual State of the County address during a Williamson, Inc. luncheon at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs hotel. Raising the sales tax is “an alternative to relying solely on the residential property tax,” Anderson said. The county’s recently approved 2017-2018 operating budget did not include a property tax increase. The student population in Williamson County has skyrocketed by 32 percent since the 2007-2008 school year. The 44 current school sites, several of which have portables, do not have the space to meet the projected growth in the next 10 years, Anderson said. Anderson said county officials have been considering various sources of revenue. Last year, the county commission approved an educational impact fee to also help pay for schools. One-half of the fee went into effect in March, with full implementation set for September. The fee is assessed only to new home construction and is projected to generate about $25 million annually for new school construction. However, it has met…
Read the full storyWith Some Gains, Tennessee Schools Still Struggle To Meet Goals Of Tennessee Succeeds
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Education commissioner Candice McQueen on Thursday outlined progress K-12 public schools have made toward meeting the goals of Tennessee Succeeds. McQueen spoke at the annual joint meeting of the State Board of Education and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission held in downtown Nashville. The Tennessee Succeeds plan was released by the Tennessee Department of Education in 2015 and includes goals, priorities and strategies on improving student performance. While the state has made some progress in reaching its four main goals, Tennessee still lags behind in critical areas, especially in literacy. Only 43 percent of Tennessee third graders are proficient in reading. Here is a summary of the goals and current status: Goal 1 – Tennessee will rank in the top half of all states on NAEP by 2019. Tennessee currently ranks in the top half of states for only three of six NAEP tests. NAEP stands for National Assessment of Educational Progress and is known as the Nation’s Report Card. It measures what students know and can do in various subject areas, including math, reading and science, among other subjects. Begun in 1969, NAEP assessments are given periodically. Tennessee has participated since 1992. Tennessee has been the fastest-improving…
Read the full storyDave Ramsey Breaks Ground On New Corporate Headquarters In Franklin
Dave Ramsey broke ground Thursday on new Williamson County corporate headquarters for Ramsey Solutions, his growing financial advice company. Thursday’s private ceremony was set to feature remarks from Ramsey and Gov. Bill Haslam, according to a news release. Representatives from the city of Franklin, the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, Gresham Smith and Partners, and Solomon Builders were scheduled to attend, along with Ramsey family members and more than 600 Ramsey Solutions employees. The new headquarters will be on 47 acres in the Berry Farms development in Franklin. The more than 223,000-square-foot building will include a coffee shop, bookstore and studio for “The Dave Ramsey Show,” in addition to office space for more than 1,000 people. The company estimates the new headquarters will open in August 2019. Ramsey Solutions closed on the property in 2015. The company is currently located in multiple locations in Cool Springs, occupying a total of more than 150,000 square feet. Ramsey Solutions, formerly known as the Lampo Group, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Ramsey is known for common sense financial advice delivered through books, radio shows, live events, classes, coaching and digital products. Over the years, the Tennessee native, who was born…
Read the full storyFamily Action Council of Tennessee Praises Trump’s Decision To Ban Transgenders From Military
The conservative Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) praised President Trump on Wednesday for saying that transgenders would not be allowed in the military, a reversal of a policy set in motion by former President Obama, who lifted a previous ban. David Fowler, president of FACT, said in a statement that “the military is not suited for social experimentation.” Obama had set a deadline of July 1 for fully implementing his policy, but Trump’s defense secretary had announced a six-month delay in enlisting transgender people. However, those already enlisted were allowed to transition and soldiers had started to undergo sensitivity training on welcoming soldiers of the opposite biological sex in barracks, bathrooms and showers. In a series of tweets Wednesday, Trump said that after consulting with generals and military experts, he decided that the U.S. government “will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military” so that the armed forces will not “be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.” Fowler’s full statement said: President Trump has kept a campaign promise to make military preparedness the focus of our military, and I commend him for doing…
Read the full storyBeth Harwell To Speak At First Tuesday Event Aug. 1
House Speaker Beth Harwell will speak at Republican activist Tim Skow’s First Tuesday event Aug. 1 as she gets her campaign for Tennessee governor under way. Harwell (R-Nashville) officially announced her candidacy July 15. At the event, Harwell will outline her vision for Tennessee and take questions. Topics are likely to include sanctuary cities, transportation funding, and prison costs and reforms. Harwell has already made sanctuary cities one of her areas of focus. She has started a petition to uphold the statewide ban on sanctuary cities. Last month, Metro Council came close to adopting a sanctuary city policy to make Nashville more open to illegal immigrants, but two related bills were withdrawn before a third and final vote on one of them because of public opposition and legal concerns about the proposed legislation violating state and federal laws. “I led the fight with other conservatives to put an end to it,” Harwell says in the online petition. “We succeeded, but this issue is too important to sit back and relax.” The 1st Tuesday forum is providing a chance for people to get to know the Republican gubernatorial candidates. Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd was the guest at the June meeting and Williamson…
Read the full storySen. Corker Votes To Repeal Obamacare, Sen. Alexander Votes No
Tennessee’s Republican senators in Washington, D.C., were divided Wednesday on repealing significant portions of Obamacare. Sen. Bob Corker voted for a health care bill amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act, while Sen. Lamar Alexander voted against it. Put forward by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the amendment would have given lawmakers two years to develop a replacement plan. The Senate will now debate measures that won’t alter Obamacare as much as the amendment defeated Wednesday. Radio talk show host Phil Valentine speculated on his show Wednesday that Corker, considered a moderate by some conservatives, voted for repeal because he is up for election next year and knew the vote would play well with Tennessee voters. Corker has not said whether he will seek a third term. In a statement released before Wednesday’s vote, Corker said: As I have said before, I believe the best path forward is for Congress to repeal Obamacare after a reasonable transition period. This amendment would take us back to a level playing field where, by a date certain, all sides have incentive to work together to develop a health care replacement that would generate broad support and stand the test of time. I urge my…
Read the full storyICE Steps Up Immigration Enforcement In Shelby County
Federal immigration agents are stepping up enforcement in Shelby County and facing a backlash from activists. The push by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is part of an effort to target individuals who have been issued final orders of removal. However, a statement released by ICE notes that no one who enters the country illegally is immune from immigration enforcement. Thomas Byrd, an ICE spokesman in New Orleans, issued the following statement: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently conducting a surge operation focused on the identification and arrest of family units, adults who entered the U.S. as unaccompanied alien children (UAC), and UACs who are at least 16 years old and have criminal histories and/or suspected gang ties. All of the targeted individuals have been issued a final order of removal by a federal immigration judge, and have no appeals or motions to re-open their case before the nation’s immigration courts. Attempting to unlawfully enter the United States as a family unit or UAC does not protect individuals from being subject to the immigration laws of this country. As DHS Secretary Kelly and Acting ICE Director Homan have stated repeatedly, ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of…
Read the full storyEarly Voting Starts Today for Nashville Metro Council District 33 Seat
Early voting begins today for a special election to fill a vacant seat on Nashville’s Metro Council. The District 33 seat was vacated by former councilman Sam Coleman, who was recently sworn in as a Nashville judge. Early voting continues through Aug. 10 and election day is Aug. 15. District 33 covers part of Antioch. To see a map of District 33, click here. The Metro Council has 40 members, 35 of whom are elected by district and five who elected at large. Nashville elections are nonpartisan, but the city, long a Democratic stronghold, has been on an increasingly progressive trajectory. A recent Metro Council push to make Nashville a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants was evidence of the trend. However, in part because of growing public opposition, the council members who sponsored the sanctuary city bills eventually withdrew them, revealing that progressivism in Nashville has its limits. A poll commissioned by The Tennessee Star showed that likely voters in Nashville and Davidson County were divided on the issue. In District 33, there was a statistical tie between supporters and opponents. Despite the attention on sanctuary cities in Tennessee and across the country, the five candidates in the District 33 race have made little or…
Read the full storyMastermind Of Pilot Flying J Rebate Scam And Three Others Sign Plea Agreements
Four former Pilot Flying J employees officially agreed Monday to plead guilty in the company’s diesel fuel rebate scam, reports WSMV Channel 4. John “Stick” Freeman, the mastermind of the scheme, along with John Spiewak, Vicki Borden and Katy Bibee, signed plea agreements filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. With Monday’s filings, there are now 14 sales staff members and executives who have agreed to confess and talk, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Pilot Flying J, which is headquartered in Knoxville and operates hundreds of gas stations and convenience stores in the U.S. and Canada, is owned by the family of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. The billionaire CEO is his brother Jimmy Haslam, who also owns the Cleveland Browns. Their father founded the company in 1958. Jimmy Haslam has not been charged in the scandal, although the FBI indicated in testimony and court records that he was a suspect, according to the News Sentinel. He has denied knowing about the scam. Gov. Haslam has not been involved in running the company for many years but has an ownership share in the business. He has said his holdings were placed in a blind trust when he…
Read the full storyState Senator Doug Overbey Nominated To Be U.S. Attorney In East Tennessee
President Trump has nominated state Sen. Doug Overbey (R-Maryville) to be the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Announced Friday, the nomination must be confirmed by the Senate. Overbey is a three-term state senator and chair of the state ethics committee. A senior partner and co-founder of the Robertson Overbey law firm in Knoxville, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman College in 1976 and a law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1979. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) released a statement via Facebook calling Overbey “one of the most valuable and respected members of the General Assembly for many years.” “He has shown true leadership on some of the most important issues that confront our legislature,” McNally said. “His commitment to representing his constituents and producing quality legislation is unwavering.” Tennessee’s two Republican U.S. senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, also issued statements praising Overbey. In his 38 years of practicing law, Overbey has handled a variety of legal matters, including antitrust and commercial litigation. He also has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tennessee law school. In the Tennessee General Assembly, he represents Blount and Sevier counties.
Read the full storyLouisiana Democrats Remove Thomas Jefferson And Andrew Jackson From Name Of Fundraiser
The Louisiana Democratic Party has dropped the names Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson from its annual fundraising dinner. The Jefferson-Jackson dinner will now be called the True Blue Gala, reports the Associated Press. This year’s event is set to be held Aug. 26 in New Orleans. The name change is in step with similar moves by Democratic party chapters in several other states that wanted to distance themselves from the two former presidents, both of whom owned slaves. Those states include Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri and Connecticut. State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, chairwoman of the Louisiana Democratic Party, said last fall that the dinner would be rebranded “to reflect the progress of the party and the changing times.” Party leaders decided on the new name after conducting surveys and having conversations with Democrats across the state. While they are considered founders of the Democratic Party, Jefferson and Jackson are increasingly criticized because they owned slaves. Jackson is also controversial because he signed the Indian Removal Act which led to the Trail of Tears, the forced removal of Natives Americans from their ancestral homes, primarily in Tennessee and Georgia. Jarrett Stepman, an editor for The Daily Signal, called the scrubbing of their names…
Read the full storyFormer University of Alabama Professor Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charges
A former University of Alabama music professor pleaded guilty Thursday to federal child pornography charges, reports AL.com. Nikos Pappas, 41, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals until his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been set. Pappas was placed on leave in September 2016 when the school first learned of the allegations. He was officially fired in May at the end of the academic year. He was charged with two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography. Authorities have said hundreds of images were found on a laptop at his Tuscaloosa home and a second computer at his University of Alabama office. His laptop at his home contained more than 100 videos of child pornography from January 2014 to September 2016. Some showed sex acts with very young children, according to court records. The computer at his office contained more than 150 images and at least 25 videos of child pornography from between January and September 2016. The penalty for receiving child pornography is five to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to a press release issued by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. The maximum penalty for possessing child pornography is 20 years in…
Read the full storyTennessee Gay Couples Have Equal Parental Rights, Judge Rules
Tennessee same-sex couples have the same parental rights as heterosexual couples with children born through artificial insemination, a judge ruled Friday. The judge dismissed a challenge to a new state law backed by conservatives requiring using the “natural and ordinary meaning” of words in state law. But LGBT activists consider the judge’s ruling a victory because of language in the ruling about equal parental rights, reports the Associated Press. Gov. Haslam signed the “natural meaning” bill in May despite objections from LGBT advocates and Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. Four married lesbian couples expecting children through artificial insemination sued after the law went into effect. But Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle dismissed the lawsuit, saying the plaintiffs didn’t prove their rights had been violated. There had been a lack of clarity over how the new law would be interpreted and how much impact it would really have. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery has maintained that the new law would have to be considered in light of another state law requiring gender-specific words to be interpreted as inclusive. Another bill considered by the state legislature this year required that the words “husband,” “wife,” “mother,” and “father” be interpreted based on the biological distinctions…
Read the full story72-Year-Old Nashville Man Shoots And Kills Attacker In Self-Defense
A 72-year-old Nashville man shot and fatally wounded a man in self-defense last week during an attempted robbery. A second male assailant fled with the mortally wounded suspect after the shooting. “They didn’t know who they were messing with,” Robert James Johnson told WKRN News 2 “They messed with the wrong person that day.” Johnson was ambushed after trying to do a good deed Wednesday afternoon by helping a young woman living on the streets who later was arrested for facilitating the crime. Molena Holt, 26, asked Johnson to drive her to Springfield, Tennessee, and Johnson agreed. She asked that he first stop at Madison Manor Apartments so she could pick up some clothes. Police say that after she got out and walked behind a building, the two men allegedly approached Johnson, still in his car, and demanded money at gunpoint, punching him in the neck and taking his wallet. Johnson took out a handgun from his pocket and fired, fatally wounding Randall Caradine, 46, of 12th Avenue South, according to a Metro Nashville Police Department press release. The second unidentified suspect drove the wounded Caradine to a nearby auto repair shop and told employees to call 911. He pulled Cardine from…
Read the full storySenate Health Care Legislation Stalls, Corker and Alexander Were Still Mulling Bill
The Senate health care bill appeared to stall late Monday for lack of votes needed to pass. Last week, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said he was encouraged by the direction of the bill, while Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said he had concerns about its effects on Tennesseans and was waiting to see a report from the Congressional Budget Office. The bill was to have been considered this week, but was delayed until at least next week to give Arizona Republican Senator John McCain time to recover from surgery to remove a blood clot. McCain’s presence was needed to advance the bill, which has faced growing opposition. Then news broke late Monday that the bill in its current form has been brought to a halt after more senators stepped forward to say they wouldn’t support it. That means leaders will need to revamp the bill or scrap health care legislation this year. Some senators are opposed to the bill because they say the proposed cuts to Medicaid are too steep, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says it keeps too much of Obamacare intact. Paul mounted a campaign to convince fellow Republicans that the bill is not a repeal as promised. The bill has…
Read the full storyNashville Tea Party and Vanderbilt Professor Find Fault With Mass Transit Plan
The Nashville Tea Party and a Vanderbilt University economics professor are raising concerns about the $6 billion regional mass transit plan for Middle Tennessee. Much of the plan is still tentative and designed to be phased in over 25 years. However, in her State of Metro address in April, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry committed to starting work on light rail along Gallatin Pike immediately. She also said she would have a referendum on the ballot in 2018 to raise taxes to help fund transit projects. The Gallatin Pike plan calls for putting train tracks in the middle of Gallatin Pike from Briley Parkway south to the downtown bus station. The Nashville Tea Party sees problems with that. “This will mean many years of construction noise, choking dust and major traffic disruption,” the tea party chapter said on its Facebook page last week. The regional transit plan also calls for light rail along Charlotte Pike, Nolensville Pike and Murfreesboro Pike and for light rail connecting Nashville and Clarksville. The Nashville Tea Party posted a study by Malcolm Getz, a Vanderbilt University economics professor who is critical of the regional transit plan primarily because of its heavy reliance on trains, though the plan…
Read the full storyVice President Mike Pence To Speak Aug. 3 at Tennessee GOP Dinner in Nashville
Vice President Mike Pence will be the keynote speaker for this year’s annual Tennessee GOP Statesmen’s Dinner to be held Thursday, Aug. 3. “This is an exciting time for the Tennessee Republican Party as we continue to grow and gear up for 2018’s critical elections,” said party chairman Scott Golden in a news release. “With Vice President Mike Pence as our Keynote Speaker and Governor Bill Haslam as our Dinner Chair, we expect this will be one of the largest and most successful Statesmen’s Dinners to date.” The event will be held at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville, with receptions beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner and program starting at 6:30 p.m. Attire is business professional. Individual tickets are $250 and can be ordered online at secure.anedot.com/tennessee-republican-party/tngop-statesmens-dinner. If you would like to purchase tickets to the Congressional Reception at $5,000, Keynote Photo line at $10,000 or Vice President’s Reception at $25,000, contact Ashley Harbin at [email protected] or 615-269-4260. Past Statesmen’s speakers include former South Carolina Governor and current U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (2016), former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (2015), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (2014), U.S. Senator Tim Scott (2013), former Vice President Dick Cheney (2002) and former Vice…
Read the full storySouthern Baptist Ethics And Religious Liberty Commission Speaks Out Against Military Transgender Policy
Southern Baptist leaders object to the U.S. Army’s new mandatory transgender sensitivity training, reports Baptist Press. The training follows last year’s repeal of a ban on transgender men and women serving openly in the armed forces. Former President Obama’s defense secretary set a deadline of July 1 for fully implementing the new policy across all branches of service. Current Secretary of Defense James Mattis recently announced a six-month delay in enlisting transgender people, but those currently enlisted are allowed to transition. Soldiers are being told they must accept soldiers of the opposite sex who feel they have a different gender in barracks, bathrooms and showers. Andrew Walker, director of policy studies for the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), told Baptist Press that Army leaders’ acquiescence “to the demands of transgender activists is misguided.” “Most problematically, the Army is complicit in advancing a worldview that tells fundamental distortions about what it means to be a man or a woman,” Walker said. “The Army’s actions overlook the protests of dissenting soldiers uncomfortable with the idea of sharing private spaces with members of the opposite sex, which also pose risks to religious liberty. “It is unfortunate and lamentable that a venerable…
Read the full storyOldest American World War II Veteran Visits Tennessee
A man believed to be the nation’s oldest World War II veteran arrived in Memphis on Thursday from his native Texas to great fanfare. Richard Overton, age 111, was greeted at Memphis International Airport with a water cannon salute from the Memphis Fire Department and well-wishers who wanted to shake his hand. He was then escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders to the Peabody Hotel, reports WREG News Channel 3. Overton was scheduled to serve as honorary duckmaster at the hotel Friday before being the guest of honor at a special ceremony at Overton Park. His visit is sponsored by Forever Young Senior Veterans and The Peabody, according to The Commercial Appeal. Overton, who has attracted the attention of local documentary filmmaker Genene Walker, had been expressing a desire to visit Tennessee. Overton’s grandfather was born a slave at John Overton’s Nashville-area plantation, Travellers Rest. Overton was one of the founders of Memphis. Richard Overton’s family took his name after leaving the plantation. Overton is planning to attend a family reunion in Nashville this weekend. Overton enlisted in the Army in 1940 at age 34. He served in a segregated unit in the Pacific theater for five years, earning an expert rifle marksmanship…
Read the full storyPaid Family Leave Approved for Metro Nashville Employees, Plan Promoted by Mayor Megan Barry
Metro employees now have the option of paid family leave, a benefit that has been promoted by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. The plan was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Civil Service Commission and goes into effect immediately. The benefit allows Metro workers to have around six weeks of paid time off upon the birth or adoption of a child, or to care for a seriously ill spouse, parent or children. It is available to employees who have worked for Metro government for at least six months. There previously was no paid family leave of any kind. “No parent, spouse, son or daughter should have to choose between providing care to their loved ones in their time of need or being forced to go without pay or quit their job,” said Mayor Megan Barry in a news release. “Paid family leave will help to ensure our Metro employees don’t have to make that choice while also helping Metro government recruit and retain great public servants.” Metro Council recommended a study on paid family leave last year, and Barry, a progressive Democrat, promoted it in her State of Metro address in April. Barry’s office worked with her Council on Gender Equity to research and…
Read the full storyReport: Chattanooga, Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville Among the Worst-Run Cities in Country
Tennessee’s four largest cities all ranked in the bottom third of a list compiled by the online website WalletHub.com analyzing how efficiently cities are run. Called “2017’s Best- and Worst-Run Cities,” the list, published Monday, ranked 150 of the largest cities in the nation. The study compared the quality of services residents receive against a city’s total budget. Cities were compared across six categories: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure and pollution. Nashville ranked 112 on the list in overall rankings, and Knoxville ranked 127. Almost at the bottom were Memphis, at 141, and Chattanooga, falling just below Memphis at 142. No other Tennessee cities were included. All four cities are run by Democrats: Mayor Megan Barry in Nashville, Mayor Madeline Rogero in Knoxville, Mayor Andy Berke in Chattanooga, and Mayor Jim Strickland in Memphis. However, in a breakdown of results, Knoxville got an approving nod for its three-way tie for third for having the highest quality of roads. On the negative side, Memphis had the fourth-highest violent crime rate. The highest-ranking cities, from first through fifth, were Nampa, Idaho; Provo, Utah; Boise, Idaho; Missoula, Montana, and Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky.
Read the full storyTennessee Businessman William F. Hagerty Confirmed As Ambassador To Japan
William F. Hagerty was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday to be President Trump’s ambassador to Japan. Senators voted 86-12 to to approve Hagerty’s nomination, the Associated Press reports. Hagerty is a founder and the managing director of the private-equity firm Hagerty Peterson and Company, which has corporate offices in Nashville and the Chicago area. From 2011-2014, the Tennessee native served as Gov. Bill Haslam’s economic development commissioner. He served as Mitt Romney’s national finance chair in 2008, and earlier in his career, served under former President George H.W. Bush as a White House fellow, reporting to the vice president on matters related to international trade, commerce, treasury, defense and telecommunications. A supporter of Jeb Bush early in the 2016 presidential election cycle, he switched to Trump after he secured the nomination. Hagerty was then instrumental in Trump’s campaign and later became director of presidential appointments for Trump’s transition team. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Hagerty’s nomination last month after he assured Democrats that he had no role in the screening of Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser. Flynn is a key figure in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.…
Read the full storyBill Lee Announces Tractor Tour, Policy Initiatives In Campaign For Tennessee Governor
Bill Lee has been busy traveling around Tennessee to campaign for governor and he has no plans to stop. Only now he plans to get around on a tractor. The Williamson County businessman, who is in the race for the Republican nomination, is winding down his statewide tour in his campaign RV. In a news release Thursday, he announced that the next phase of his campaign will involve a statewide tractor tour starting in August. “A tractor might not be the fastest way to get around, but I will take as much time as I need to bring attention to our rural communities,” said Lee, a cattleman and chairman of Lee Company, a large family-owned construction, facilities and home services company. Lee also announced four major policy initiatives for his campaign: Promote the dignity of work and economic independence. (a) invest early in vocational, technical and agricultural education to increase the number of high school graduates ready to work, (b) strengthen work requirements for social programs to lead Tennesseans out of dependency and (c) reform state licensing laws to eliminate unnecessary government regulations that create a barrier to work for our citizens. Support innovation and technology to improve economic,…
Read the full storyMemphis Teens Learn About Stock Market And Financial Literacy
For a group of teens in Memphis, summer isn’t just a time to kick back and relax – it’s a time to get serious about financial literacy. Sixteen teens are participating in a three-week boot camp, held at the University of Memphis, to learn about the stock market and how to manage their finances in the future. The Shelby County Trustee’s Office, Bank on Memphis, SouthernSun Asset Management and Channing Capital are sponsoring the camp, reports WREG News Channel 3. Young WallStreet Traders, an Atlanta-based nonprofit, is leading the camp. The focus is on minorities who are underrepresented in the financial industry, founder and CEO Erika Blair told WREG. Students in the Memphis program had to apply and be interviewed to be accepted. “To me, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said 15-year-old Imsety Ayetoro, who got hooked on stocks after coming across them on the internet a few months ago. It’s the second year for the boot camp to be held in Memphis and the first time all enrollment fees are covered by scholarships. After leaving Memphis, camp organizers will move on to help teens in the New York and New Jersey area.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Police Help People Beat the Heat With Free Ice Cream Treats
Tuesday was a scorching hot day, but some Nashvillians got a chance to cool off thanks to police officers handing out free ice cream. Donations from Thrivent Financial enabled officers to travel around the North Precinct to give away frozen treats. They were joined on their mission by representatives from Thrivent. The ice cream team covered ground from Joelton to North Nashville in what was called Operation Pol-ice Cream, according to WKRN News 2. Officers went door to door in search of kids and adults and found many takers for their offer. “This is a way to get to know an officer and remember that we’re here to serve,” Commander Terrence Graces told WKRN. Greg Bancroft, community engagement leader with Thrivent, said Thrivent had approached the Metro Nashville Police Department some time ago to see if there was anything they could do to help the force. The department suggested something for kids, such as an ice cream social. “I said, oh, we can help with that,” Bancroft recalled.
Read the full storyDevelopment Proposal For Nashville’s Historic Fort Negley Park Includes Plans For Welfare Housing
The proposal accepted by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry to redevelop Fort Negley Park calls for affordable housing subsidized by government programs including tax credits and Section 8 vouchers. The plan by Cloud Hill Partnership has already drawn fierce opposition because of concerns about historic preservation. Located south of downtown, the land is home to a fort built during the Union occupation of Nashville during the Civil War and also includes Greer Stadium, where the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team played until moving to a new stadium north of downtown in 2015. City officials have not yet entered into a formal agreement with Cloud Hill and negotiations for the public-private partnership are stalled pending a protest by a competing developer whose bid was turned down. In addition to affordable and workforce housing, Cloud Hill’s plan includes green space, creative spaces for artists, offices, and shops and restaurants. It also calls for preserving the fort and honoring and protecting history. The residential component includes plans for 294 apartments. They would include 87 studio, 68 one-bedroom, 119 two-bedroom and 20 three-bedroom apartments. At least 80 of the 294 apartments would be reserved as affordable units for those earning less than 50 percent of the…
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