Author: Wendy Wilson

Nashville Metro Council Rejects Measure To Reduce Lifetime Health Benefits For Council Members

Wendy Wilson

  A Metro Council committee rejected a measure last week to reduce Metro’s generous subsidy offered as part of lifetime health benefits to council members. Councilman Bob Mendes recommended to the Budget and Finance Committee that the subsidy be reduced from 75 percent to 25 percent of premium costs, bringing it in line with the subsidy for other Metro employees. Taxpayers pick up the costs that are not subsidized. The Metro Council perk is offered to council members who serve two terms. Previous attempts to reduce or end the benefit plan have been unsuccessful. Mendes wanted to defer consideration of his measure until August to have more time to collect financial data, but the committee voted 10-2 on July 5 to defer it indefinitely, effectively killing the proposal. “This is probably one of the most inconsiderate pieces of legislation that’s been brought before this body,” said Tanaka Vercher, vice chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. Councilwoman Jacobia Dowell said many council members like her don’t use the Metro plan because it’s cheaper to go with insurance plans offered by employers. But the lifetime Metro plan is needed for those who may be struggling financially but still want to serve…

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Nashville Plans Solar Eclipse Viewing Party August 21 At First Tennessee Park

Wendy Wilson

  A solar eclipse viewing party will be held Monday, Aug. 21 at First Tennessee Park north of downtown Nashville, according to a press release from Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. First Tennessee Park is home to the Nashville Sounds, and the minor league baseball team is working with the city of Nashville and the Adventure Center Center to host the party. This will be the first time since 1918 that a total solar eclipse will sweep across the U.S. Nashville is the largest city in its path. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth and the moon fully or partially blocks the sun. The viewing party will include science demonstrations and music from the Nashville Symphony. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. and Barry will welcome the crowd at 11:00 a.m. Everyone attending will receive special solar glasses for safe viewing of the eclipse. Seating is first-come, first-served, excluding club level and group areas. The eclipse will begin at 11:58 a.m., with totality beginning at 1:27 p.m. and lasting for nearly two minutes. After the viewing party, the ballpark will be cleared at 2 p.m. and will re-open at 3 p.m. for the Nashville Sounds…

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Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee Celebrates Granting 1,500 Wishes

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  When 5-year-old Fallon returned home to the Nashville area Friday from a Make-A-Wish trip to Walt Disney World, it was also a big day for the Middle Tennessee chapter of the national nonprofit that helps bring joy to children with critical illnesses. Fallon’s trip marked the 1,500 wish granted by Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee. Representatives from Nashville International Airport and Southwest Airlines hosted a welcome home party for Fallon and her family, according to a Make-A-Wish press release. “What a great way to celebrate our 1,500th wish – welcoming home Fallon and her family,” said Beth Torres, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee. “It would not be possible to grant 1,500 wishes without the community support of partners like Nashville International Airport and Southwest Airlines.” The welcome home party featured music from the Lonesome Dogs, balloons from Party Animals and treats from Homestyle Bakery. Fallon has spent the last year recovering from a stem cell transplant to treat severe aplastic anemia. But she had a week-long trip to Florida theme parks to look forward to one day. Fallon’s wish was one of more than 130 the Middle Tennessee chapter plans to grant this year. Wishes are made possible through generous contributions…

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Former Democratic State Senator Joe Haynes Pleads Not Guilty To Sexual Battery

Wendy Wilson

  Former Democratic State Senator Joe Haynes pleaded not guilty Monday to one count of felony sexual battery, WKRN News 2 reports. Haynes, an 80-year-old Nashville area attorney, was arrested in May for an incident in July 2016. The alleged female victim told Metro police she had hired Haynes to help her with the estate of her recently deceased mother. She told police that Haynes grabbed her buttocks and tried to French kiss her. “I’m not guilty of the charge,” Haynes told WKRN after his arraignment Monday. “I have great faith in the judicial system and I look forward to being vindicated.” Haynes’ wife, Barbara, a retired Davidson County General Sessions and Circuit Court judge, was by her husband’s side Monday. Monday’s arraignment took place in a Cheatham County courtroom because all Davidson County judges recused themselves from the case, as well as District Attorney Glenn Funk. Cheatham County Judge David Wolfe, who heard Monday’s arraignment, will preside over the entire case. The prosecutor is District Attorney Stephen Crump of the 10th judicial district in East Tennessee. Jim Weatherly, Haynes’ defense attorney, told WKRN that he hopes the trial will still take place in Nashville. A trial date has not been set yet.…

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Samford University Won’t Seek Formal Recognition Of LGBT Group But Still Plans To Work With Group

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Samford University has decided not to seek formal recognition of a campus LGBT group as originally planned this past spring, but still plans to work toward the group’s goals. The group Samford Together was given provisional recognition at the Southern Baptist school in spring 2016 and was approved by the student senate in fall 2016. A faculty senate narrowly approved the group earlier this year, and then a majority of the full faculty voted for approval in April. A final decision was up to the board of trustees. The school intended to ask trustees this fall to grant recognition of the group, but now that won’t happen, Samford president Andrew Westmoreland said in a press release Friday. The Alabama Baptist Convention and its mission board had strongly criticized the push for formal recognition of the group, saying the school was in danger of compromising biblical teachings on sexuality. The state convention threatened to withhold its annual financial allocation to the school if Samford trustees did not vote to deny permanent recognition of Samford Together and revoke its provisional status. Westmoreland said Samford has voluntarily declined to accept its annual budget allocation from the state convention effective January 2018. This is the third time…

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State Rep. Bryan Terry and State Rep. Dawn White Host Rutherford County GOP ‘Empowering Women’ Event

Wendy Wilson

  MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — In high school, Mae Beavers was voted “most bashful” by her classmates. She never envisioned becoming active in politics and those who knew her couldn’t have imagined it, either, Beavers related Monday at the fourth annual “Empowering Women” event sponsored by the Rutherford County GOP. The hosts of Monday’s event were State Representatives Dawn White and Bryan Terry, both Murfreesboro Republicans. The longtime conservative state legislator, who is now a gubernatorial candidate, shared her story to encourage other women to get involved in politics, echoing the theme of the evening. “We’ve got some leadership issues in this state,” said State Senator Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) in her brief presentation. Monday’s event, held at the SportsCom, featured several speakers who spoke about various ways women can make a difference. “Not everybody can run for office, but what you can do is get behind people who need you,” said keynote speaker Rebecca Ann Burke, Tennessee Republican Party state executive committee woman for Senate District 23. Known for her enthusiastic efforts to help other conservatives get elected, Burke recently campaigned for Karen Handel in her Georgia congressional race. “They’re saying Karen Handel’s race was won in the last two weeks by…

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Louisiana Governor Vetoes Bill To Curb Protests Against Controversial College Speakers

Wendy Wilson

  Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has vetoed a bipartisan bill that sought to protect controversial speakers on college campuses. The bill, which passed overwhelmingly in the state legislature, was a response to protests by college students across the country against speakers they viewed as offensive, many of them conservatives. Some protests have turned violent, such as one at Middlebury College in Vermont. The legislation would have asked colleges to establish disciplinary measures to punish hecklers and violent protesters, reports WORLD magazine. The Democratic governor said June 27 that the legislation was “unnecessary and overly burdensome” and would “only frustrate the goals it purports to achieve,” according to The Times-Picayune. But free speech advocates said his veto was shortsighted because it ignores the “hecklers veto.” The bill passed by the legislature was “significantly watered-down” compared to an earlier version that called for stiffer penalties for disrupting speakers, according to the The Times-Picayune. The bill was sponsored by House Republican Caucus Chairman Lance Harris of Alexandria, who said he modeled his proposal after an Arizona law that passed last year. Republicans in several other states have proposed similar measures.  

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Pro-Abortion Group Files Lawsuit Challenging Louisiana Law

Wendy Wilson
FETUS ON Health

A pro-abortion group has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Louisiana laws that require abortion centers to obtain a state license and meet health and safety regulations, reports WORLD magazine. The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit June 27 in federal court in Baton Rouge on behalf of Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport and three anonymous abortionists who say the Louisiana laws violate last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. The ruling determined that an undue burden on abortion access was created by a Texas law that required abortion centers to meet ambulatory surgical center standards and mandated that abortionists have hospital admitting privileges The state suspended Hope Medical Group’s license for numerous health and safety violations in 2010. Benjamin Clapper, executive director of the Louisiana Right to Life Federation, told WORLD the Louisiana law is “common sense” and that if the lawsuit is successful, it would create an “abortion-on-demand policy in our pro-life state.” “If the abortion facility succeeds in this suit, the consequences would be disastrous,” Clapper said. “Abortion facilities would have no guidelines in Louisiana, giving them license to maximize both their profit margin and do whatever necessary to increase the number of abortions they…

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Opposition Grows Against Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Plans To Redevelop Fort Negley Park

Wendy Wilson

  Opposition is growing against Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s plans to open Fort Negley Park to private development. Part of Fort Negley Park was home to Greer Stadium from the late 1970s until 2015, when the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team moved to a new stadium just north of downtown. Barry has accepted a proposal from a development team called Cloud Hill Partnership, but Metro has not yet formally entered into an agreement. Plans for the Metro-owned property call for including affordable housing for workers, shops and restaurants, green space and creative spaces for artists. Under the proposed deal, Metro would retain ownership, with the development team investing private funds and sharing revenue. Critics include African-American groups, Councilman John Cooper, a national nonprofit devoted to protecting cultural landscapes and many native Nashvillians. “They shouldn’t even be considering this,” Nashville native Doug Jones told The Tennessee Star Friday. “That is sacred ground out there.” Jones, a local attorney, is a past president of the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society. He told The Star that Ft. Negley Park is a site of national importance and that “this is not just some local thing that the mayor can do in a back room…

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Aziz Sayyed Practiced Knife Skills For Beheadings And Planned To Bomb Buildings In Huntsville, Prosecutors Say

Wendy Wilson

A Huntsville, Alabama man arrested on a terrorism charge last month told people he wanted to practice beheadings and was learning how to make an explosive device to bomb public buildings, a prosecutor said in court this week. Aziz Sayyed, 22, downloaded ISIS beheading videos in February and in April obtained plywood that he allegedly used to practice knife skills for beheadings, said Madison County Assistant District Attorney Jay Town at a bond hearing Wednesday. According to WHNT News 19, Town also said Sayyed made statements he watched videos to learn how to make an explosive similar to the one used in the May 22 attack at the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in England, which killed 22 people and injured more than 200. The prosecution alleges in court filings that Sayyed admitted he wanted to plant explosives in Madison County public buildings and had specific plans to bomb a law enforcement center in Huntsville. Authorities said materials to make bombs were found in his apartment after his arrest. Investigators said after his arrest that Sayyed is a U.S. citizen born in North Carolina. His arrest came after a tip from a citizen. A Madison County judge is still considering whether…

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Metro Nashville Public Schools Promotes ‘Faux Psychology’ Of Social-Emotional Learning

Wendy Wilson

Metro Nashville Public Schools recently held its annual Social Emotional Learning Conference to promote practices that well-known education scholar Chester Finn has called “faux psychology.” The seventh annual conference, co-sponsored by the behavioral health team at Alignment Nashville, was held June 29 and 30 at Cane Ridge High School. More than 800 educators, experts and community members were expected to attend. According to the Alignment Nashville website, social-emotional learning (or SEL) has “core competencies” which “include self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision-making and relationship skills.” In a May press release, the school district said it is gaining a national reputation for its commitment to social-emotional learning. The district has a partnership with CASEL, a Chicago-based nonprofit devoted to helping schools implement social-emotional learning. Writing in Education Week on June 19, Finn equated social-emotional learning with the self-esteem fad that originated in California in the 1980s. Finn is president emeritus of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a former assistant U.S. secretary of education. In his piece, he wrote: Today, few people talk explicitly about self-esteem or other kooky curricular enthusiasms of the past, but the worldview and faux psychology that impelled them have never gone away. Of late, they’ve reappeared—and gained remarkable traction—under the banner of…

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New Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba Intends To Make Jackson, Mississippi ‘The Most Radical City On The Planet’

Wendy Wilson

The new mayor of Jackson, Mississippi who has promised to make Jackson “the most radical city on the planet” was sworn into office on Monday. Chokwe Antar Lumumba’s victory is being lauded by progressives who are trying to remake the South in their image. While President Trump won big in the South, progressives are posing challenges to conservatives, especially in urban areas. Lumumba has described a radical as someone who works to change troubling circumstances and has cited Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus Christ as examples. One of the places where he made his vow was at the left-wing People’s Summit in Chicago last month, according to The Clarion-Ledger. The summit promoted “social, racial and economic justice” and was sponsored by National Nurses United and other progressive groups. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was the keynote speaker. The causes addressed included voting rights, free higher education, “climate justice,” and ending deportations of illegal immigrants. Lumumba, who says he is sometimes mistaken for a Muslim but is a Christian, received 55 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, trouncing the incumbent mayor. He won 93 percent of the vote in the general election. Lumumba’s Detroit-born father was elected mayor of Jackson in 2013 but died after less…

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Lee Greenwood To Perform At Franklin Theatre Saturday

Wendy Wilson

  Country music artist Lee Greenwood will perform at the Franklin Theatre on Saturday and tickets are still available. Greenwood has performed before at the theatre for charity events, but Saturday’s event will be a regular concert. “He’s an iconic singer and has a big audience in the area,” Dan Hays, executive director of the theatre, told The Tennessee Star. Greenwood is best known for penning the hit song “God Bless the USA,” which was named CMA Song of the Year in 1985 and has been voted the most recognizable patriotic song in America. He has released more than 30 albums, including I Want to be in Your World, released in 2011. Greenwood wrote three of the seven songs and plays saxophone on the original track, “Here Comes Love, There Goes My Heart.” Hays said Wednesday there are about 40 to 50 tickets left for each of Saturday’s performances at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $48, $53 and $63. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

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July Fourth Fireworks Canceled in North Carolina Town Because of Threats of Gang Violence

Wendy Wilson

  Threats of gang violence led to the cancellation of Fourth of July fireworks in Hamlet, North Carolina. Hamlet City Manager Jonathan Blanton said officials did not rush into their decision, calling it “very devastating,” WSOC-TV Channel 9 reports. People normally crowd the streets of downtown Hamlet, 80 miles southeast of Charlotte, for the annual Independence Day celebration. Investigators said the threats were about gang-retaliation for the murder last week of Tierrell Martin outside a Hamlet convenience store. The threats were not directed at police or spectators, but officials wanted to be as safe as possible. Some were angered by the decision and lashed out at officials on the city’s Facebook page, calling the decision cowardly and insisting that the event should have gone ahead with enhanced security. Some critics contrasted the city’s decision with the bravery and determination of those who fought for America’s freedom, the reason for the Fourth of July holiday. Martin, 20, was fatally shot around 12:15 a.m. last Wednesday in the parking lot of a Circle B convenience store in an area that is “rife with shootings and robberies” believed to be gang-related, according to the Richmond County Daily Journal. Martin had a criminal past and had spent time…

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Nashville Plans Biggest Fireworks in Nation for Fourth of July

Wendy Wilson

  Nashville’s celebration for Tuesday, called Let Freedom Sing!, will feature fireworks billed as the country’s biggest display. The event will take place downtown and will include concerts. The fireworks can be viewed for free around Riverfront Park and at Ascend Amphitheater, Fox 17 reports. The Nashville Symphony will accompany the fireworks at Ascend Amphitheater. Various musical acts will perform on stage at Fifth and Broadway starting around 4 p.m. The lineup includes the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, R&B artist Jonny P and folk rock duo The Sisterhood, among others. Country artist Chris Young will be the final performer starting at 8:10 p.m. Video screens will be set up on Broadway between Third and Fourth Avenue and at the Walk of Fame Park, with audio wafting through various downtown areas. People at Ascend Amphitheater will be able to watch the Broadway stage concerts on screens, while those on Broadway and at Walk of Fame Park can watch the symphony performance on screens. Nashville’s fireworks show will be the country’s largest for the third year in a row and will involve more than 35,000 pounds of explosives and 150 miles of wire. Nashville has gone all out to have a more extravagant display…

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North Carolina Pastor Mark Harris Considers Another Run For Congress

Wendy Wilson

A North Carolina pastor is resigning from his job to consider a second run for a congressional seat, saying pastors need to get more involved in politics. Mark Harris resigned June 11 from First Baptist Church in Charlotte, where he has been pastor for 12 years and where 700-800 people on average attend Sunday morning worship, reports Baptist Press. Harris is a past president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Harris told Baptist Press he senses a calling to politics and that there is “a distinct need” for pastors “not just to take a position on the sideline” of American public life, “but to get engaged.” He also said his church needs a senior pastor who won’t be distracted by a campaign. Harris may stay on at the church through December and hasn’t yet made any formal announcement about joining the 2018 Republican primary race for the state’s 9th U.S. congressional district. He ran last year for the seat but lost in the primary to incumbent Robert Pittenger. The race was close, with Harris losing by only 133 votes. He finished third in in the 2014 primary for one of North Carolina’s U.S. Senate seats. “There continues to be…

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Davidson County Republican Party To Host Social Event July 20

Wendy Wilson

The Davidson County Republican Party will host a social event July 20 at Clyde’s on Church in downtown Nashville. The announcement on Facebook of the “Eat, Drink and Be Republican!” event describes it as “our first of many social meetups.” The invitation says the social hour will be a chance to “meet other like-minded Republicans who are passionate about the party and share your thoughts and visions.” Melissa Smithson, the new chair party chair, has only been in her role for a month but already has become involved in the community and given the chapter a boost. She was active in the campaign to stop the now withdrawn “sanctuary city” bills being considered by Metro Council and was present at a large gathering of concerned citizens at John A’s restaurant who were organizing to defeat the proposed legislation. Smithson has also taken steps to promote the conservative group Latinos For Tennessee, which has been working to have a greater impact. The event at Clyde’s on Church on Thursday, July 20 will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The restaurant is located at 1700 Church Street.

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Rep. Marsha Blackburn Calls Trump’s Tweets ‘Inappropriate’

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Rep. Marsha Blackburn on Friday criticized President Trump’s tweets last week making fun of MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. “This week’s inappropriate and pointless tweets from the President are a stark example of just what has gone wrong in our political discourse today,” Blackburn wrote in a column published on her website. “Robust yet civil debate over policy disagreements have taken a back seat to thin-skin and knee-jerk reactions to hyper-partisan comments and, unfortunately, unfounded character attacks.” In one of Trump’s two tweets Thursday about the Morning Joe hosts, the president referred to Scarborough as “Psycho Joe” and Brzezinski as “low I.Q. Crazy Mika.” In another, he claimed Brzezinski “was bleeding badly from a face-lift” when she visited Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort, around New Year’s Eve. The talk show hosts have routinely attacked Trump in harsh and demeaning ways, and some Trump supporters were glad to see the president hit back. But others, including Blackburn, thought it was in poor taste. The Republican representative for Tennessee’s 7th congressional district wrote: On the day Rep. Steve Scalise and others were shot, seemingly for nothing other than being Republican, not only were we reminded of the consequences of a collapse in civil discourse, but many,…

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Conexion Americas Community Event in Nashville Focused on Progressive Activism And Food From Randy Boyd Funded Kitchen Incubator

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Michael Gilbert has worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years, but he’s only had his own business for about a year. The South Carolina native turned to Conexión Américas for help in getting his food truck off the ground. He is a member of the nonprofit’s culinary entrepreneurship program that offers people like him training in marketing and other skills they will need. Most importantly, it offers them use of a commercial kitchen. Gilbert said he values the chance to interact with other chefs in the program. “It’s a good learning experience,” he said Friday as he served breakfast fare from his City Kitchen food truck parked outside Casa Azafrán, where Conexión Américas held an Independence Day celebration. While Gilbert is an American citizen, the help he has received has come from an organization that promotes relief programs for illegal immigrants and provides services for them, as well as for legal immigrants. Conexión Américas co-founder Renata Soto is chair of National Council of La Raza, a national organization that has protested counterterrorism measures on grounds they violate immigrants’ rights. Conexión Américas’ progressive stances have created a problem for Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd, who last year donated $250,000 to help…

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Trump Nominates Belmont Law Professor To Be U.S. Attorney For Middle Tennessee

Wendy Wilson

  President Trump has nominated a Belmont University law professor to serve as U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Donald Cochran, who teaches criminal law and trial advocacy, previously taught at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, according to a White House press release. From 1998 to 2002, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Alabama. In that role, he prosecuted white collar crimes, public corruption and violent crimes. His cases included that of the final defendant charged with the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The bombing of the African-American church by white supremacists played a role in the civil rights movement. Cochran began his career as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office in Birmingham, where he prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults and other violent crimes. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Law School, Cochran was an Army Ranger and Special Forces officer for nine years before studying law.  

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Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk To Launch Controversial Restorative Justice Program

Wendy Wilson

  Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk is planning to start a restorative justice pilot program using practices that are lauded by some but criticized by others who say they downplay wrongdoing. The program would start in juvenile courts but could be expanded to the adult system if it’s successful, reports WKRN News 2. In restorative justice programs, offenders meet with their victims as a way of taking accountability and to show remorse, and to help victims heal. In Davidson County, cases would be sent to a diversion program run by a nonprofit, which has yet to be found. Teens charged with vehicle thefts, home burglaries and nonviolent crime would be eligible to participate if the victim agrees. “What has to happen is the offender has to accept responsibility,” Funk told WKRN. “They have to admit to what they did, they have to meet with the victim, they find out what they need to do to make the victim whole, and then they have to take concrete steps to try to make the victim whole.” Restorative justice programs have been around for decades, but have become more popular in recent years in criminal justice systems and in public schools. Nashville Mayor Megan…

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Knox County Sheriff’s Office Now Part of 287(g) Program to Strengthen Immigration Enforcement

Wendy Wilson

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has formally entered into an agreement with federal immigration officials that will allow deputies to perform some of the duties of immigration officers after undergoing training. The agreement is part of the 287(g) program, which is strongly opposed by activist groups such as the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC). Knox County is the only agency in Tennessee currently participating in the program, which was authorized by a 1996 federal statute. President Trump supports the program and has revived it after it was scaled back under former President Obama. The number of participating agencies has been growing. Currently, 45 law enforcement agencies in 18 states are involved. Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones signed the Knox County agreement June 13 and an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signed June 15. The agreement is good through June 2019. Acting on a request from ICE, Jones had asked for, and received, letters of recommendation from Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker and Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. After completing their training, deputies in Knox County chosen for the program will have the delegated authority to interrogate suspected illegal immigrants detained by law enforcement, collect evidence and process paperwork. They…

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Councilman Bob Mendes Blames People Outside Nashville For Foiling ‘Sanctuary City’ Bills, Vows To Find Other Ways To Accomplish Goals

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Metro Councilman Bob Mendes is blaming opposition from people outside Davidson County for thwarting two “sanctuary city” bills, saying the proposed legislation had broad support among Nashvillians. “Inside the county, the support has been overwhelming for these bills,” he said at a press conference Wednesday, where he announced he will withdraw the bills because of growing opposition and a legal opinion issued Monday by Metro’s lead attorney that presented obstacles. Mendes said the bills had become “a political football” among candidates for office, specifically mentioning the Republican primary for next year’s gubernatorial election. All of the announced and anticipated candidates spoke out against the bills. The opposition became so fierce, with many state legislators opposed and also a budding grassroots movement, that Mendes’ claim of broad support within Davidson County is likely debatable. Mendes and other supporters vowed Wednesday to find non-legislative ways to achieve the same ends. “Our goals are unchanged,” he said. Those goals are at odds with the direction many in the country and across Tennessee want to take with the challenges posed by illegal immigration, leaving Mendes and his like-minded colleagues isolated in Nashville’s liberal enclaves. President Trump, whose tough talk helped…

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Tennessee State Library And Archives To Host Presentation On Korean War Photos

Wendy Wilson

The Tennessee State Library and Archives will host a free presentation July 22 on a collection of photographs from the Korean War. The event will feature the photos of David Franklin Brock, who left his home in Van Buren County in 1952 for combat engineer training and then a stint in the 2nd Infantry Division in the area of the Iron Triangle and the 28th parallel in Korea. His photos document his time in Korea and his visits home. Darla Brock, the library’s manuscripts archivist and Brock’s daughter, will present her father’s photos and discuss the history of the war. “The David Franklin Brock photo collection allows us to see history from Mr. Brock’s unique viewpoint,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett in a press release. “These photographs of the Korean War era will serve as a valuable resource for generations of Tennesseans.” People interested in attending are encouraged to register as soon as possible because of limited seating. The presentation will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the library auditorium. The building is at 403 Seventh Ave. North in downtown Nashville, directly west of the Capitol, and has free parking. To reserve seats, visit tslabrockcollection.eventbrite.com. The Brock collection…

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Arkansas Man Arrested For Destroying Ten Commandments Monument At State Capitol

Wendy Wilson

An Arkansas man has been arrested for plowing a vehicle into the Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the State Capitol in Little Rock less than a day after it was installed. Michael Reed of Van Buren is accused of destroying the moment around 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to Fox 16 News. He posted a video on his Facebook page depicting the incident and featuring only one word: “Freedom.” The 32-year-old was arrested in 2014 for driving into a Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma Capitol. Reed told authorities that Satan made him crash his car into the statue, and that he was bipolar and had been off his medication. He was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. The Arkansas monument was installed on Tuesday, having gone through a final stage of approval last month. The approval by the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission was largely a formality because the Arkansas General Assembly had passed legislation in 2015 allowing for the privately-funded monument. The display has been a source of controversy and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas has threatened to sue. Earlier this year, state lawmakers blocked a proposal for a Baphomet statue pushed by the Satanic Temple as a response…

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Two Former Lauderdale County School System Employees Charged With Theft For Collecting Pay After Employment Ended

Wendy Wilson

Two former employees of the Lauderdale County Department of Education continued to be compensated after their employment with the school system ended, a report from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has found. Both have been indicted on theft charges. The school system is in Ripley in West Tennessee. “It’s important that government entities follow a clear process whenever there is a separation of employment,” said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson in a news release Monday. “All timesheets should also be reviewed to ensure they support payroll.” Educational assistant Devyln Green ended her employment in May 2014, but auditors found that she continued to receive direct deposits to her personal bank account until December 2016, according to the news release. As a result, she received salary overpayments totaling $33,511. The school system also paid the employer portion of her Social Security and Medicare totaling $2,564 and contributed $1,770 to the state’s retirement system on her behalf. Bus driver Milton Waller ended his employment with Lauderdale County in October 2016, but continued to receive direct deposits totaling $4,459 through mid-February. The school system also paid the employer portion of Waller’s Social Security and Medicare totaling $341. The director of schools first disclosed the payments…

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Latinos For Tennessee Finds New Venue For Event Tonight After Being Turned Away Elsewhere

Wendy Wilson

  Latinos For Tennessee has found a new venue for their quarterly networking event tonight after another restaurant suddenly canceled on them Monday. Those involved or friendly with the conservative political advocacy group sometimes face harassment for their views. Executive director Raul Lopez told The Tennessee Star he thinks the group’s recent opposition to the Metro Council’s proposed “sanctuary city” ordinance has made critics even more upset. But Lopez said his group will keep forging ahead despite the pressure. “They can’t stop us,” he said. The group was set to meet tonight at Salsa Puerto Rican and Latin Cuisine, a restaurant on the edge of downtown Nashville. The event was scheduled weeks in advance, but the restaurant notified Lopez on Monday that they’d have to cancel because they were overbooked. Lopez called it “a major coincidence.” The Tennessee Star was unable to reach anyone at the restaurant for comment. Lopez said the group has met there in the past without any problems. In recent days, Latinos For Tennessee had decided to address the proposed ordinance at tonight’s meeting and invited speakers to talk about it. Some backed out because of hostility they faced for affiliating with the group, Lopez said. Councilman Robert…

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BREAKING: Sponsors of Nashville’s ‘Sanctuary City’ Ordinance To Pull July 6 Vote On Bill

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Sponsors of Metro Council’s proposed “sanctuary city” ordinance are saying they will not ask their fellow council members to vote on the bill July 6 as originally scheduled. In an email to their colleagues obtained by The Tennessee Star, council members Bob Mendes and Colby Sledge said they are working on plans to hold a press conference Wednesday with other advocates of the bill to discuss the matter. The Tuesday afternoon email followed a public statement in the morning by Mayor Megan Barry asking the council to reconsider the ordinance. Barry raised concerns resulting from the release Monday of a written opinion from Metro’s law director, who said the council can’t legally keep the sheriff from cooperating with federal immigration officials. She also said the Metro Nashville Police Department has concerns about the proposed ordinance. Metro Council passed the bill on a second reading last week, but opposition to the ordinance has grown fast in recent days, with nine state senators now joining 63 House members in opposition, with more expected. A grassroots movement is also mobilizing to stop the bill. In their email, Mendes and Sledge said they need more time to review the law director’s legal opinion. It was unclear…

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Professional Educators of Tennessee To Hold Event Friday in Mufreesboro

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Professional Educators of Tennessee (ProEd) will host an event Friday at Middle Tennessee State University offering classes and the latest news on where the state is headed in K-12 public education. Leader U is for educators, public school parents, business and community leaders, and the media. ProEd is a nonpartisan teacher association headquartered in Nashville. The keynote speaker will be Tedx Talk Speaker Ryan Jackson, the executive lead principal of the Mt. Pleasant Arts Innovation Zone in Maury County, the nation’s first K-12 STEAM campus. He will discuss the importance of creating a sense of student belonging in the classroom based on research conducted during his years teaching for Metro Nashville Public Schools. Teacher leaders and presenters from across the state will lead professional development classes on topics related to poverty, trauma, special needs and more. Classes are tailored to meet the needs of teachers and administrators at all levels, and multiple classes are available for up to six TASL credits. College students and new teachers can also benefit from the networking opportunity and classes on financial literacy, advice for new teachers, technology and project-based learning. In addition, the following ProEd award recipients will be recognized: Michael Ridenour Advocate of…

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BREAKING: Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Asks Metro Council To Reconsider ‘Sanctuary City’ Ordinance

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry released a statement Tuesday morning asking the Metro Council to reconsider an ordinance that would restrict local cooperation with federal immigration officials. The ordinance passed on a second reading last week and is up for a final vote July 6. Barry was acting in response to a formal legal opinion issued Monday by Metro Law Director Jon Cooper stating that the ordinance could not be applied to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. Barry said: It is clear from this legal opinion that BL2017-739 does not apply to Sheriff Daron Hall, who has said he will continue to honor detainer requests from the federal government. Additionally, the Metro Nashville Police Department has concerns that the ordinance would prohibit them from recommending U visa applications for immigrants who are victims of crime and willing to help put dangerous criminals in jail. Losing that law enforcement tool could jeopardize public safety and would run counter to the intentions of the sponsors to make Nashville a more welcoming city for New Americans. The Metro Council should give serious consideration to these factors and reconsider whether this legislation is appropriate or necessary at this time. In his legal opinion, Cooper said that…

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FACT’S David Fowler: Supreme Court Trampled States’ Rights In Ruling Creating Birth Certificate Rights For Same-Sex Couples

Wendy Wilson
U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Arkansas must put the names of same-sex couples on children’s birth certificates, a decision David Fowler, president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee, said reflects the high court “again eroding the rights of the states.” Justice Neil Gorsuch dissented in an opinion joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. The decision reversed an Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that upheld a state law defining the other spouse as the woman’s husband and presumed father. Alabama’s highest court had said “it does not violate equal protection to acknowledge basic biological truths.” The plaintiffs in the case before the U.S. Supreme Court were two married lesbian couples who had children through anonymous sperm donation. One woman in each couple gave birth and wanted her partner to be listed as her spouse, but the state would only issue certificates with the birth mother’s name. The presumption of motherhood for lesbian partners is “irrational, illogical and impossible,” Fowler told The Tennessee Star. Fowler said that when the high court moved to “deconstruct marriage” in a 2015 ruling that struck down state bans on same-sex marriage, it “started the process of deconstructing the family as a whole.” Birth…

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Two Tennessee Families Split Reward Money In Georgia Convicts Case

Wendy Wilson

Two Tennessee families are splitting $20,000 in reward money for help in catching two Georgia convicts accused of killing two guards and escaping from a prison bus, reports the Associated Press. The names of the recipients are being withheld at their request, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Each household has been given $10,000. A total of $130,000 had been offered for information leading to the arrests of Ricky Dubose and Donnie Rowe. It wasn’t clear if or when other funds might be distributed. The men, who escaped June 13, held a Shelbyville couple at gunpoint in their home and stole their vehicle on June 15. The husband alerted police and a chase ensued with the fugitives firing at officers before they crashed the vehicle. Dubose and Rowe ended up on foot at the home of Patrick Hale in Rutherford County later that same day. In an unusual turn of events, the men surrendered to Hale and were taken into custody when deputies arrived. Hale had loaded his weapons when he heard the men were in the area, but did not have to take out a gun, he said at a press conference June 16. A Georgia prosecutor has said he…

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Latinos For Tennessee Opposes Nashville’s Proposed ‘Sanctuary City’ Ordinance

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Latinos For Tennessee is opposing the “sanctuary city” ordinance being considered by Metro Council that would restrict cooperation with federal immigration officials in Nashville and Davidson County. The ordinance passed a second reading last week and will be considered for a final vote July 6. Tommy Vallejos, chairman of the conservative group, issued the following statement in a news release: Nashville’s decision to create a sanctuary city is an affront to the rule of law and puts the well-being of the entire state at risk by blatantly ignoring federal immigration law. True compassion for our community means upholding the rule of law—one of the central pillars of any free, fair and secure society. The Davidson County Sheriff opposes this proposal, and we agree that tying the hands of local law enforcement is not only legally questionable, but it’s dangerous. Just last week in Virginia, Darwin Martinez Torres was arrested for brutally killing a 17-year-old girl. Torres is an illegal immigrant who should not have been in this country at all—he had already been held on local charges that made him removable from the United States. Nashville’s Metro Council still has time to prevent this ordinance from being enacted by rejecting the…

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WWII Reenactors Relive The Past At Amqui Station

Wendy Wilson

MADISON, Tennessee–Reenactors and others relived the 1940s on Saturday at Amqui Station in Madison. Men wearing military uniforms and women dressed in period clothing pitched tents and brought out vehicles to help educate the public about World War II days. It was the third annual “World War II Remembrance Day and Living History Encampment” at the former train station, which today is a museum and visitor center but during WWII was where local men who fought in the war departed and returned home. Cate Hamilton, the recently retired director of the station and a volunteer at Saturday’s event, got the idea for the annual tradition from a similar event in Linden, Tennessee, which this year will be held Sept. 22 and 23. “It’s huge now,” she said. “They use all their downtown.” Though more modest in size, the event in Madison on Saturday was not lacking in colorful characters. Enthused reenactors spoke of how the country pulled together during WWII, with everyone doing their part. There also was at least one WWII veteran on the grounds who could relate firsthand experiences from the war. Al Hulstrunk, 92, served as an Army glider pilot in Europe. Glider pilots in WWII were responsible for transporting…

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Middle Tennessee Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America Looking to Make Impact

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  A Middle Tennessee chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is trying to gain a foothold in local politics. The group had its first meeting and created a Facebook page in April 2016. Early posts showed enthusiastic support for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in his quest to become the Democratic nominee in last year’s presidential election. More recent posts have announced the inaugural gathering of the chapter’s legislative working group and a regular monthly meeting with a focus on “discussing healthcare, labor, LGBTQ rights, feminism, anti-racism work, and much more through a socialist lens.” The group supports universal healthcare and minimum wage laws, and has backed causes promoted by Black Lives Matter and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC). The group’s Facebook page, featuring a portrait and quote by Marxist revolutionary Angela Davis, has only around 400 followers. But its affiliation is with the largest socialist organization in the U.S. which has several other chapters in Tennessee. The DSA was formed in 1982 as a result of the merger of two organizations. The DSA’s other Tennessee chapters and organizing committees are in Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga. There are campus chapters at Sewanee: University of the South and the University…

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Councilman Robert Swope Speaks Out Against ‘Sanctuary City’ Ordinance

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Councilman Robert Swope told WTN 99.7 FM talk show host Dan Mandis this week that the proposed “sanctuary city” ordinance would create a new class of citizens that would conflict with existing laws. The measure, which would restrict local cooperation with federal immigration officials, was passed on a second reading Tuesday and is up for a final vote next month. Swope has been against the measure from the start, being the only Metro Council member to vote against it on the first reading June 6. Seven other council members joined him this week in voting against it, but 25 voted for it. “If you are breaking the law, then you need to be punished, not be put into a separate class of citizens that says, OK, well, you can break the law but nobody else can,” Swope said in his interview Wednesday with Mandis. Swope spoke of the dangers involved in obstructing the sheriff’s ability to detain criminal illegal immigrants for deportation. Opposition to the ordinance is not about “rounding up” Davidson County’s estimated 33,000 illegal immigrants and “throwing them back across any single single border,” Swope said. In a recent week, 19 illegal immigrants were detained for deportation by the Metro Nashville…

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Brentwood Baptist To Hold Training Saturday On Combating Human Trafficking

Wendy Wilson
Trafficking

Brentwood Baptist Church will hold a training this weekend on fighting human trafficking that is open to the public. The church has been working with other local churches to build awareness about human trafficking in local communities and around the world. Saturday’s training will feature leaders from Alliance for Freedom, Restoration and Juctice, Inc., Nashville Baptist Association and Brentwood Baptist’s Missions Ministry. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has said that human trafficking is the second-fasting growing criminal industry after drug trafficking, according to a press release issued by Brentwood Baptist. “While Tennessee has been ranked as the toughest state in the nation regarding state statues that protect children from commercial sex exploitation crimes, TBI acknowledges that there is a need to develop more resources to aid victims and their families,” the press release said. President Trump has called human trafficking an epidemic that is not getting enough attention. In February, he signed an executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations and international trafficking. “These groups are drivers of crime, corruption, violence, and misery,” the executive order says. “In particular, the trafficking by cartels of controlled substances has triggered a resurgence in deadly drug abuse and a corresponding rise in violent crime related to…

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Police Investigate Prank Among Somalis At Memphis Mosque Where Someone Pulls Gun On An Imam

Wendy Wilson

Police are investigating a prank among Somalis at a mosque near the University of Memphis, reports WREG News Channel 3. Overnight Sunday, someone pointed a gun at the head of a religious leader in an incident that was captured on Facebook Live. The man with the gun seems to be joking, but the imam, who appears to be the one recording the video, is dismayed and takes it seriously, admonishing the man. But then he continues with the broadcast. No one was injured, but the Islamic Association of Greater Memphis said they’re “deeply disturbed” by what took place and are calling it a prank involving an “internet famed pseudo-scholar.” The association said the imam did not have permission to speak at the mosque and that the incident happened after hours when the mosque was closed. “We are ashamed that he would abuse our place of worship for his quest for fame and by the gun incident that happened by a member of the group that was with him,” the association said, according to WREG. “Gun violence is a serious issue in our country and brandishing a weapon even in jest is a serious matter.” The imam was Abdurahman Haji, 52, who is leader of a…

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Metro Nashville School Board Supports Metro Council’s Proposed ‘Sanctuary City’ Policy

Wendy Wilson

  The Metro Nashville school board is supporting Metro government’s proposed “sanctuary city” policy despite a growing chorus of opposition. The board sent a letter to the Metro Council this week encouraging passage of the ordinance, which was approved on a second reading Tuesday and will be up for a final vote next month. The ordinance would restrict local cooperation with federal immigration officials. “We celebrate the diversity in our schools and want them to be safe places for our students and families,” school board chair Anna Shepherd told The Tennessee Star Thursday. “Most of them are fleeing drug wars and/or civil wars and want better for their families just as our ancestors did.” Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, whose left-wing, open borders,  pro-illegal immigrant political philosophy is in line with the ordinance, has worked closely with the Metro Nashville school board since she was elected in 2015. When the search for a new director of schools stalled in 2016, Barry asserted a leadership role in the search process that ended in the appointment of  Shawn Joseph to that position in May 2016. In the letter to Metro Council sent on behalf of the board, Shepherd voiced concerns about illegal immigrant…

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Nashville Gay Pride Festival Undermines Traditional Beliefs But Draws Broad Support

Wendy Wilson

Organizers of the Nashville Pride Festival are cheering a resolution passed by the Metro Council recognizing June as “Nashville Pride Month.” The annual gay pride event will be held Saturday and Sunday at Public Square Park. The Metro Council resolution, as well as the event’s corporate sponsors, reflect the degree to which what once was a fringe movement has become mainstream, even here in the South where there are still many churches, a number of which continue to uphold traditional beliefs about marriage and sexuality. The resolution says that “the city of Nashville is honored to welcome members of the LGBT community and their allies to celebrate a very special and important event honoring the diversity, inclusion, and history of the pride and gay rights movement.” The resolution also says that the “celebration and movement continues to grow and celebrates inclusion as a necessary ingredient to making Nashville and the United States truly diverse. Nashville Pride has grown immensely and is now one of the largest public weekend festivals in Middle Tennessee, reminding us to embrace what makes each individual unique and to use those qualities to change the world for the better.” More than 20,000 people attended the festival year. This year,…

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Tennessee Conservative Activist Rebecca Ann Burke Helped GOP’s Karen Handel Win Georgia Race With Door-to-Door Canvassing

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Rebecca Ann Burke goes where she’s needed to help get Republicans elected. After looking at polls showing Republican Karen Handel might lose to Democrat Jon Ossoff in the race for the 6th district congressional seat in Georgia, Burke packed her bags and headed for the Peach State to volunteer. Having worked on the Trump campaign, Burke knew polls can’t always be trusted. But she didn’t want to take any chances. For nearly two weeks, the Franklin woman worked the phones, went door to door, put out signs and attended rallies. She was still in Georgia Tuesday night when Handel, a businesswoman and lifelong conservative, was declared the winner of the hard-fought race. “We just had a ball,” Burke told The Tennessee Star Wednesday morning. “My throat is sore from screaming last night.” Handel’s victory in the special election was a huge setback for Democrats, who spent more than $30 million to back Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker and former Capitol Hill aide. It was their fourth consecutive loss in special elections, the other three being in Kansas, Montana and South Carolina. The defeats spell trouble for Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections. “They learned they cannot buy an election,” Burke said of…

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Davidson County Republican Party Opposes Proposed City Ordinance To Restrict Cooperation With Immigration Officials

Wendy Wilson

The Davidson County Republican Party is urging people to call their city council representative to voice opposition to proposed legislation limiting Nashville’s cooperation with federal immigration officials. On its Facebook page Wednesday, the party chapter posted the roll call from Tuesday’s vote advancing the legislation. The Metro Council voted 25-8 to move the ordinance forward to a third and final reading July 6. There were four abstentions and two council members did not vote. The bill passed a first reading June 6. Many believe the ordinance will lead to Nashville effectively operating as a sanctuary city, though drafters of the legislation say it won’t violate the law. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry routinely rails against immigration enforcement and last week wrote a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) criticizing the way agents were carrying out final orders of removal issued by an immigration court. Most were for individuals with criminal convictions. The proposed city ordinance “ties the hands of our law enforcement” and will lead to “losing millions in federal funding,” said the Davidson County Republican Party’s Facebook post. President Trump has vowed to crack down down on sanctuary cities harboring illegal immigrants. The city ordinance would also set the stage for conflicts…

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Rep. Diane Black Condemns Proposed City Ordinance That Would Restrict Nashville’s Cooperation With Immigration Officials

Wendy Wilson

Rep. Diane Black, who is considering running for Tennessee governor, issued a press release Tuesday strongly condemning action taken by the Metro Council to push forward a bill that would limit Nashville’s cooperation with federal immigration officials. Critics believe the bill would lead to Nashville effectively becoming a sanctuary city, putting federal funding in jeopardy and also also creating clashes with the state. The press release issued by Black, a Republican, said the legislation would “obstruct immigration law, putting illegal aliens first and the safety and security of Tennessee families last.” Black gave the following statement: First and foremost, as a mother and a grandmother, I implore the Council members to start holding illegal immigrants accountable for crime and acts of violence.  Sanctuary city policies to help and support criminal illegal immigrants pose a direct threat to our citizens and undermine the rule of law.  In Congress, I’m working with my colleagues to pass the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act to cut off funding for any municipality that helps illegal immigrants hide from the law.  It’s time for Mayor Barry to stop borrowing liberal policies from California and New York and start putting the safety and security of Tennessee families…

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Group Pushes For Removal Of Confederate Statues In Memphis

Wendy Wilson

A group using the hashtag #TakeEmDown901 is organizing to push for the removal of Confederate statues in Memphis, part of a trend across the South. More than 250 people attended a rally Tuesday evening at Bruce Elementary School on Bellevue Boulevard to learn more about the group’s efforts. “These statues were built as tools of oppression during the Civil Rights movement and reconstruction,” said organizer Tami Sawyer, according to WMC Action News 5. Sawyer said the statues must go to make Memphis more attractive to millennials. One activist at the meeting said, “If you don’t take down these statues, then we will.” However, the Sons of Confederate Veterans is protesting the efforts. The group released a statement saying: Those who tear down historic monuments are no better than Nazis or ISIS. They are historical terrorists. The TearDownMemphis or TakeEmDown group bears the same characteristics. Our historical monuments, especially including the two largest Confederate monuments, are a tribute to those honored city residents of our nation’s past.  They certainly do not signify white supremacy or anything of the sort.  Both Jefferson Davis and N. B. Forrest are veterans of the United States military and of the Confederate States. The Sons of Confederate Veterans…

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Williamson County Deputy Shoots Suspected Car Thief On I-65 Overpass After Man Brandishes Weapon

Wendy Wilson

A man was shot and killed by a Williamson County sheriff’s deputy Tuesday morning after he brandished a weapon during a pursuit, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The man was identified Tuesday afternoon as David Bryan Creson, 40, of Franklin. Creson had an extensive criminal record, reports WKRN News 2. The incident began around 9:30 a.m., when Franklin police officers began pursuing a vehicle reported stolen, according to a TBI press release. They stopped their pursuit after a while and around 10:40 a.m., deputies with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office spotted the vehicle near Lewisburg Pike. The two deputies started a pursuit that continued over the I-65 overpass at Peytonsville Road. Creson came to a stop on the overpass, got out of the vehicle, and pointed a weapon at the two deputies. One of the deputies fired, striking Creson, who died at the scene. One of the deputies suffered a leg injury during the incident, according to the press release, but no further information was provided. TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting at the request of Williamson County District Attorney Kim Helper. “As a reminder, the TBI acts as ‘fact-finders’ in its cases. The…

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Davidson County Republican Party Names New Chair After Previous Leader Deemed Ineligible

Wendy Wilson

  Melissa Smithson has been tapped to chair the Davidson County Republican Party after former chairman Tres Whittum was found ineligible, reports the Nashville Post. Whittum, who is an analyst for state Sen. Bo Watson (R-Hixson), was elected to lead the party in February even though there were concerns about his eligibility. He couldn’t provide evidence that he voted in the past three Republican primaries, a requirement for officers. In May, the executive committee of the Tennessee Republican Party dismissed him from the role. Elected vice chair in February, Smithson was formally named chair on June 1. She is a longtime Republican activist and was county co-chair for the Trump campaign. Smithson once ran for Metro Council and has brought experience in PR and marketing to Republican causes, according to Green Hills News. She was involved with Save Our Fairgrounds and Stop AMP. Smithson issued the following statement upon being named chair: After working on several campaigns over the last 4 years, including the Trump campaign as co-chairman of our County, and being involved with our Davidson County Republican Party and serving on the board, I was honored on Thursday night to be elected as Chairman. As you know, I love…

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‘Make Music Nashville’ Celebration To Be Held Wednesday Across City

Wendy Wilson

Nashville will join a worldwide celebration Wednesday as musicians take to the streets and different venues around town to give performances, offer free music lessons and hand out free instruments. This is the fourth annual “Make Music Nashville” day, an event timed to the summer solstice and related to a tradition begun in France in 1982 and now held in more than 750 cities in 120 countries. Wednesday will be the longest day of the year. Wednesday’s celebration in Nashville is set to be bigger than past ones. More than 128 artists and more than 36 venues are participating. Many genres will be featured, from bluegrass to a cappella to indie rock. There will be a 250-person “kazoo jam” at the airport and a songwriting “street studio” downtown. Kids at the Nashville Zoo will be given harmonicas, and guitar lessons will be offered at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Several upright pianos, decorated by students in the after-school program at Tusculum Elementary, have been placed in different spots downtown for passerby to play. The pianos are part of a two-month installation. Besides group music lessons, there will be instrument play-alongs and group sings throughout the day. “If our programs encourage…

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Georgia Officials Considering Reward Money In Case Of Georgia Fugitives Who Surrendered To Rutherford County Homeowner

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Rutherford County homeowner Patrick Hale, who is credited with stopping two escaped Georgia convicts Thursday, clarified on Friday that the men surrendered on his driveway without him having to pull out a weapon, an unusual outcome that Hale attributes to divine intervention. Earlier media reports said that Hale, who lives in Christiana, held the men at gunpoint until police arrived. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia had announced reward money for information that would lead to the arrests of Donnie Rowe and Ricky Dubose. However, Sheriff Howard Sills later said no reward money would be issued because he heard the men had surrendered to law enforcement. But after learning more about how Thursday’s events unfolded, Sills issued a press release Saturday saying officials are considering how the money might be awarded. “We are presently looking into the facts,” Sills wrote. “I am confident from what I know at this time that there will be payments made.” At a press conference Friday, Hale, 35, recounted what happened Thursday evening at his home. Hale said he received two calls from two friends around 6:40 p.m. warning him about fugitives in the area. He loaded every weapon in his house. Then he saw the two…

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Shelby County Deputies Arrest Four Men For Stealing Construction Equipment, Immigration Officials Notified

Wendy Wilson

Four men have been charged with theft after Shelby County deputies raided a home last week and discovered stolen construction equipment valuing around $1 million in the backyard, reports WREG News Channel 3. Oscar Celallos, Jose Lopez, Victor Gonzalez and Iserel Dela Cruz were all charged with theft of property, and Cruz was also charged with aggravated assault. Three of the men are from Guatemala and one is from Mexico. Their immigration status was unknown but immigration officials were notified. A judge denied bond for all four men. There was enough construction equipment to fill five tractor trailer trucks, according to officials. The men are alleged to have stolen around $745,000 in roofing shingles, $88,000 in rolled roofing, $12,000 in roofing nails, $14,000 in aluminum drip rails and rolled trim, and $13,000 in stolen lawn equipment. Deputies also seized 10 cars. Officials believe the men have been stealing items for a long time and then selling them. Contractor Sam Hearn told WMC Action News 5 that he’s glad the men got caught. “They’re stealing stuff from us and it’s holding us up on building these houses,” said Hearn, whose crew works in a new Arlington subdivision. Hearn alerted deputies after realizing that shingles and…

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Hill Center Brentwood Promotes Hytch Ridesharing App

Wendy Wilson

The Hytch ridesharing app is now being touted by Hill Center Brentwood. Launched last year, the free app helps people make arrangements to carpool. “We can use an asset we all now have – our smartphones – to fix a problem that’s been escalating for decades – too many cars on our road network,” said Hytch LLC co-founder and CEO Mark Cleveland in a press release last year. “Hytch built the tool everyone can use on their smartphones that brings old-fashioned carpooling into the digital age for commuters.” Hill Center Brentwood is a new mixed-use development at the corner of Franklin Road and Maryland Way that includes offices, shops and restaurants. Developer H.G. Hill Realty Company is supporting a six-month Hytch pilot program by offering participating employees transportation reimbursement incentives of up to $50 per month. There also are two dedicated parking spots in the center’s parking garage for Hytch drivers. “Adding this commuting program fits well with out desire to encourage alternative transportation options for employees,” said Jimmy Granbery, chairman and CEO of the H.G. Hill Realty Company, in a press release last week. The Hytch app helps users locate, meet and reward other drivers going in the same direction.…

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