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Five Chattanooga Women’s March Protesters Arrested for Blocking Traffic Without Permit

January 20, 2019January 19, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

Chattanooga police arrested five Women’s March protesters after they blocked streets without a permit and would not move. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported the arrests Saturday. Marchers walked across John Ross Bridge where several police officers ordered them to move, another vehicle charged at them, and organizers chanted and cursed through megaphones before being taken into police custody. The group did not have a city permit because they did not want to pay the required cost for police to come to the event, according to an event organizer. Jean-Marie Lawrence, the march’s chairperson, told News Channel 9 that the group planning the march was unable to get funding so the march part of the event would be legal, so it was changed to a rally. The costs were about $5,000, including charges for police pay but not including barriers. Lawrence uses a wheelchair and respirator so was unable to attend due to the rain. Lawrence says the organization told participants that marching would not be authorized, but if they did march to obey traffic laws, News Channel 9 said. Those arrested were released, she told the TV station. According to the Chattanooga event’s Facebook page, “The theme for the 2019…

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JC Bowman Commentary: Beauty in Broken Places

January 18, 2019January 17, 2019 JC Bowman

As educators we must build a system that gives students the educational foundation to succeed, despite whatever dire circumstances our students may come out of personally.

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Volkswagen to Funnel $800 Million into Chattanooga Plant to Build Electric Vehicles as President Trump Pressures German Companies to Invest in America

January 15, 2019January 14, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

Volkswagen will spend $800 million to expand its Chattanooga factory to become the German company’s North American hub for manufacturing electric vehicles, and the Scenic City may want to thank President Donald Trump. VW CEO Dr. Herbert Diess made the announcement at a presentation at the Detroit Auto Show Monday, TechCrunch said. The expansion is expected to create 1,000 jobs at the Chattanooga plant. The German company is moving away from diesel following the 2015 emissions cheating scandal. VW Group plans to spend nearly $50 billion in the next five years toward the development and production of electric vehicles and digital services, TechCrunch said. VW’s news means another feather in Tennessee’s cap for a growing automotive industry. In response to VW’s announcement, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said in a statement, “This follows General Motors’ announcement yesterday that it will produce its new Cadillac XT6 crossover in Spring Hill. The Middle Tennessee location is the product of an over $2 billion investment since 2010. It is the largest GM facility in North America at 7.1 million square feet and has brought 3,400 jobs to the area. “Volkswagen and General Motors’ decisions are further proof that Tennessee workers and our business friendly climate…

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Hamilton County Board of Education Passes Costly, Controversial Plan

December 22, 2018December 22, 2018 Chris Butler

Members of the Hamilton County Board of Education want to spend nearly half a million dollars of taxpayer money on consulting work that possibly isn’t necessary, according to The Chattanooga Times Free Press. The money, the newspaper went on to say, will “assess the condition of the district’s facilities,” and develop a plan for new projects and maintenance. Board members voted six to two in favor of the plan, despite what The Time Free Press said was “heated disapproval” from District One Board Member Rhonda Thurman. The money, $337,915, will pay MGT Consulting Group “to conduct a multi-layered audit of the district’s buildings and their maintenance needs” according to the paper. Exactly $149,930, meanwhile will go “to study and predict future growth and capacity,” The Times Free Press reported. The paper quoted Thurman as saying the school district “didn’t need external consultants to inform them about the state of the schools, because it has done that work before and those funds could be better used to actually fix problems.” “The price tag on this is staggering. … We’re spending $500,000 for someone from out of town to come in and tell us what we should already know,” Thurman said, according to The Times Free…

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Tennessee Star Report Exclusive: Mark West Resigns as President of Chattanooga Tea Party to Focus More on God’s Word

December 14, 2018December 14, 2018 Julie Carr

In an exclusive interview during Thursday morning’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am– Gill and Leahy spoke to Mark West, who last night, resigned as President of the Chattanooga Tea Party after nine years. During the interview, West discussed his reasons for resigning and what he was currently focused on. West convictionally expressed his new found enjoyment in raising buffalo and his commitment and dedication to reading the word of God each day. He concluded the discussion by reciting a portion of a piece entitled, “Mission Worthy of an Old Guy’s Focus” and how this applies to the word and one’s duty to pass it on to future generations. Leahy: By the way we are joined now, on the line by our good friend, Mark West, who has served as the president of the Chattanooga Tea Party from April 15, 2009 until last night, when he resigned. And so, Mark West welcome to the Tennessee Star Report. West: Hey Michael good to talk to you and Steve good to hear from you! Gill: And in addition to his many…

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Bob Corker Says Something Stupid Again, This Time Claiming President Trump Is Hurting America

December 13, 2018December 12, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Like a dog that can’t leave a chewed-up bone alone, or a monkey with bananas, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) can’t leave President Donald Trump be as he prepares to step down from Congress. Corker has referred to the Trump administration as a “banana republic” more than once. Now, he has taken his grievances with the Commander-in-Chief onto “CBS This Morning.” Host John Dickerson sat down with Corker in Chattanooga for an interview that aired Wednesday. Dickerson said, “Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee has had a series of clashes with President Trump, most recently on the administration’s muted response to Saudi Arabia’s killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is now preparing to step down.” Dickerson added he wanted to talk with Corker “about how Washington works – or doesn’t – and what worries him about the issues no one seems interested in addressing.” Corker said that things are happening in communities like Chattanooga. With a smirk on his face, Corker said, “I don’t think he (Trump) … I don’t think he knows that there are people all across this country, um, that live in communities like this one just wanting…

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Chattanooga Mismanaged Millions of Taxpayer Dollars, Report Says

December 3, 2018December 2, 2018 Chris Butler

Chattanooga city officials mismanaged more than $2 million of taxpayer money, according to a new report from that city’s News Channel 9. This, from an audit that was done of eight city projects, the station reported. “According to the audit, seven of the eight projects they sampled had planning deficiencies at some level,” the station said. “For example, the city bought handheld machines to issue traffic tickets. Records show they were not used for two years because of a lack of budget to carry out the project. They were outdated and the city had to buy new devices, costing taxpayers.” The city auditor, the station said, found more tax dollar waste at recreation centers. “The city bought software that allows people to book classes and more. The audit shows only eight of the 17 locations can use it,” News Channel 9 reported. “These purchases are costing taxpayers over $1 million in partial waste. The city’s auditor says it’s partial waste because the systems are being used to some extent.” The station reported on another program that wasted $1.1 million in taxpayer money — that program is at the city courthouse. “According to the audit, the city spent $1.1 million to…

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Tennessee Star Report Exclusive – Marsha Blackburn Says Phil Bredesen’s ‘Very First Vote Would Be for Chuck Schumer’

November 6, 2018November 6, 2018 Julie Carr

On Monday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the team chatted with Tennessee’s own, Congresswoman, Marsha Blackburn about her current campaign, her values as a public servant, and what it’s like to be beside President Trump at these large enthusiastic rallys. Gill: Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn who is running for the US Senate until the final day. And we were down in, she’s everywhere, we were down in Franklin on Saturday you know, just kind of tooling around their with our granddaughter Remy, and low and behold there’s Marsha Blackburn working the crowd there. Marsha it’s good to have you with us! Blackburn: It is good to be with you! And yes it was so wonderful to be in Franklin on Saturday. It was the Franklin family fun day. And I’ll tell you what, my grandsons’ had a great time and I know your little granddaughter had a good time also. Gill: It was a big day down there but an even bigger day in Chattanooga. Now you’ve been to these Trump rally’s two years ago in 2016, you’ve…

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Crowds Line Up Nearly a Mile to See President Trump in Chattanooga

November 5, 2018November 5, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

President Donald Trump tweeted a photo of “massive” crowds from Chattanooga’s McKenzie Arena where he was to speak tonight to support Senate candidate U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). Trump visited nearby Macon, North Georgia earlier in the afternoon. The president is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Central from the arena at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Multiple media outlets reported the possibility of Vice President Mike Pence traveling with the president. On my way to Macon, Georgia where the crowds are massive, for a 4pmE #MAGARally. Will be in Chattanooga, Tennessee tonight, seen below, for a 7pmE rally. Something’s happening! Everyone needs to get out and VOTE! pic.twitter.com/xBXepwpug9 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2018 On my way to Macon, Georgia where the crowds are massive, for a 4pmE #MAGARally. Will be in Chattanooga, Tennessee tonight, seen below, for a 7pmE rally. Something’s happening! Everyone needs to get out and VOTE! The Tennessee Star is on the scene and took this video of the gathering crowds from inside the arena WTVC reported the line of Trump supporters in Chattanooga stretched nearly a mile. Reporter Taylor Stewart tweeted, “TRUMP IN CHATT: The line of supporters…

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President Donald Trump to Visit Chattanooga This Sunday Nov. 4, Speaking at McKenzie Arena

October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

As previously rumored, President Donald Trump will visit Chattanooga Sunday just ahead of Election Day, with the administration focusing on the closely connected Southeast Tennessee-North Georgia region. The White House says President Trump will speak at McKenzie Arena Sunday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. Eastern, WDEF says. You must go to this website to register for a ticket; there is a maximum of two per transaction. The tickets are free, but they are first-come, first-serve. Previous rumors had the president visiting the Scenic City on Monday, Nov. 5. “We are pleased to announce the final stretch of our national midterm campaign tour with MAGA rallies scheduled in key congressional districts and states including Florida, Missouri, West Virginia, Indiana, Montana, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ohio,” said Michael Glassner, chief operating officer for Donald J. Trump for President Inc. “It will be a sprint to the finish of the midterms for President Trump who is campaigning hard for GOP House and Senate campaigns across the map. We can’t go back to the days of high taxes and low expectations. Voters must choose the right future on Election Day and support President Trump’s successful America First agenda with the continued support of GOP majorities in…

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Media Reports Conflict on Trump Visit to Chattanooga Before Midterms

October 26, 2018October 26, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

There are conflicting reports on whether President Donald Trump plans to visit Chattanooga just before Election Day. Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence is visiting North Georgia on Nov. 1. News Channel 9 reported Thursday that the president would visit Chattanooga on Nov. 5, citing a statement by U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03). Later in the evening, the TV station said Fleischmann backed off his statement. In its update, News Channel 9 said, “A new statement from Congressman Fleischmann’s office is walking back his previous confirmation of Trump’s visit. In it, Communications Director Kasey Lovett says that they would welcome such a visit, ‘but I am not aware of any plans in the near future.’” WRCB reported a possible visit but said details had not been confirmed. The Chattanoogan also reported the president’s visit. It has also been announced Pence will visit Dalton, Georgia, just outside Chattanooga. He will visit the Dalton Convention Center at 11:30 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 1, the Times Free Press said. Pence plans to rally support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp. Polls shows Kemp in a close race with Democrat Stacey Abrams. This will be Pence’s second trip to Dalton in three years. During the run up…

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New Chattanooga Tax Credits Could Invite Crony Capitalism

October 2, 2018October 1, 2018 Chris Butler

Hamilton County officials are handing out federal tax credits to investors and other developers so they’ll spruce up blighted areas, but some people worry politicians will only give these credits out to friends and political donors. Government bestowing preferential treatment upon certain businesses — but not others — is called crony capitalism. In this case, county officials decide who gets what for what are known as Opportunity Zone tax credits. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, these Opportunity Zone tax credits allow investors to avoid capital gains taxes if they invest their capital gains in zones designated as distressed or blighted. Exactly 743 low-income census tracts qualified statewide. Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger selected 17 census tracts for his area, which Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam approved, according to the paper. Davidson County got 18 Opportunity Zones. Shelby County got 32. No one in Coppinger’s office returned The Tennessee Star’s requests for comment this week, but the Times Free Press said he had a tight deadline to select winners. Helen Burns Sharp of the Chattanooga-based Accountability for Taxpayer Money said the potential for cronyism is “as clear as can be.” “This enterprise zone designation, yes, when you start looking…

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Tennessee Officials Gave Volkswagen Huge Subsidies, Report Says

September 4, 2018September 4, 2018 Chris Butler

Tennessee Capital building

The state of Tennessee has thus far given Volkswagen $818.8 million in corporate subsidies, going back several years. Nissan, meanwhile, got $536.7 million. DowDuPont received $486.7 million in subsidies. These are among the latest updates from Good Jobs First, a Washington, D.C.-based policy resource center that monitors corporate subsidies nationwide. The group runs a national database of state, local and federal economic development incentive awards. For Tennessee, the organization also called out Electrolux, Wacker Chemie, HCA Holdings, Hankook Tire, Dell Technologies, TRT Holdings, and Eastman Chemical for taking state subsidies ranging from $120 million to $232 million. Tennessee was one of several states getting the fine-tooth comb treatment. “In this round, we added records from 61 state and local programs from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Utah,” Good Jobs First said in a press release. The Good Jobs First update included seven new megadeals. “Some are for well-known deals such as the $900 million award for Toyota- Mazda in Alabama, but others cover less well-known deals such as the $618 million from Michigan to Bedrock Detroit for an urban redevelopment project in the city ($256.3 million of that will…

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Chattanooga Public School Students Take Bible Classes

August 19, 2018August 18, 2018 Chris Butler

Bible

You may not think such a thing legal in this day and age, but the Hamilton County Public School System offers a Bible History Class. This is courtesy of a Chattanooga-based nonprofit that has put up millions of dollars of its own money to fund it. The group, Bible in the Schools, has donated cash for several years, and their money funds teachers and materials for the class, said Hamilton County School Systems spokesman Tim Hensley, in an emailed statement to The Tennessee Star. A representative from Bible in the Schools was unavailable to talk Thursday. The group has already donated $1.3 million to fund the course for the school year, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. According to the paper, enrollment data from 23 participating schools show 4,068 students in grades six through 12 completed the courses during the 2017-18 academic year, a record enrollment. The $1.3 million was the largest philanthropic gift the school system received for the year. With the money the school system hired 20 qualified and certified Bible History teachers, Superintendent Bryan Johnson told the paper. The class is an elective. Bible in the Schools has made this course possible for nearly 10 decades,…

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Vietnam Veteran: ‘Marsha’ Has Always Fought For Our Veterans

August 9, 2018August 8, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Marsha Blackburn

A Chattanooga veteran of the Vietnam War said, “No one has fought harder for our active duty military and our veterans than Marsha Blackburn. We need to elect her to the Senate because the issues with the VA are far from solved.” Terry Thomas wrote a column for the Times Free Press supporting Republican Marsha Blackburn in her U.S. Senate campaign against Democrat Phil Bredesen. “I served in combat on the rivers in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy, and now I serve my fellow veterans as the quartermaster of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1289 here in Chattanooga. We have about 400 members, all of whom have served our country faithfully over the past several decades. “Too often, our members find themselves unable to receive the care they need — the same care they have earned and were promised. Your heart will break hearing about what our veterans have to go through to get care from a dysfunctional Veterans Administration. President Trump is working to make the necessary changes that the Obama administration put off for too long, but he cannot do it alone. He needs senators and congressmen who are willing to work with him to get the job…

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Conservative Chattanooga Editorial Page Endorses Bill Lee in Republican Gubernatorial Primary

July 14, 2018July 14, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

The conservative Free Press editorial page of The Chattanooga Times Free Press endorsed Bill Lee in the Republican gubernatorial race on Friday, the first day of early voting. Clint Cooper, the Free Press page editor, said Tennessee Republicans have an “embarrassment of riches” in their primary, with four of six candidates being both competitive and conservative with “diverse backgrounds and unique strengths.” Cooper cites Lee’s background as a business owner and farmer and having an outsider’s perspective on politics. “We also appreciate that he has chosen not to be involved in what seems like daily negative campaign exchanges between perceived front-runners Randy Boyd, a Knoxville businessman whose ideas we also very much admire, and U.S. Rep. Diane Black,” Cooper said. He continued, “Although recent independent polls on the campaign have been few, the man who terms himself the ‘conservative outsider’ appears to have momentum in the race. We hope that will allow voters who originally considered Boyd or Black to take a look at the seventh-generation Tennessean.” Lee announced the endorsement in a press release on Friday. The Chattanooga Times Free Press publishes the liberal Times and conservative Free Press editorial pages, a tribute to the city’s journalism heritage when…

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Judge Orders Pilot Flying J Prosecutors to ‘Make a List and Put the Guiltiest on Top’ As Sentencing Phase Begins

February 27, 2018February 27, 2018 Admin

U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier issued an order to federal prosecutors Tuesday to “make a list of convicted Pilot Flying J fraudsters and put the guiltiest at the top,” Knoxville News Sentinel reported, as 17 former executives and staffers begin the sentencing phase of their trials after being found guilty in their roles in a massive rebate scam aimed at fleecing truckers who participated in the ill-fated program. The order comes after a jury in the U.S. District Court in Chattanooga found former Pilot Flying J President Mark Hazelwood and ex-staffer Heather Jones guilty of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Former vice president Scott “Scooter” Wombold was acquitted of participating substantially in the scheme, but for a single count of fraud. Account representative Karen Mann was found not guilty the charges filed against her. Meanwhile, 14 other former executives and staffers plead guilty for their roles in the scam since the April 2013 raid of the Pilot Flying J headquarters in Knoxville. Knox news reports: Each of those 17, including Hazelwood, now must face Collier for sentencing hearings. The law requires that Collier assess each co-conspirator’s individual bad behavior and personal history. Collier also must decide each co-conspirator’s…

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Mark West Commentary: Chattanooga: A Polluted City

August 14, 2017August 13, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

by Mark West I remember first moving to Chattanooga when I was 18. Excited to move south, I was eager to complete my college education and then launch out into the real world. Having grown up in Madrid, Spain, I was accustomed to pollution, given Madrid’s awful track record in the 1960’s and ’70’s. But despite this, one of the first things I noticed as I settled into my new home city in Tennessee was its own pollution. It was just a decade earlier when Chattanooga had been declared to have the worst air pollution in America, and there was no avoiding the dirt, filth and smog. But nearly forty years later, one of Chattanooga’s claim to fame is the way in which it acknowledged its worst standing in America. As the #1 polluted city, Chattanooga put a plan in place to tackle the scourge for which it had become known. Government officials, agencies, businesses, and civic leaders all came together to lead in confronting the literal cloud that hung over them. Today Chattanooga is known for its vibrant and rejuvenated downtown and is now regularly acknowledged for the beautiful city it has become. But in spite of…

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Commentary: A Rally Cry for School Improvement

May 31, 2017May 30, 2017 JC Bowman

Tennessee Star

All children in Tennessee deserve an exceptional education. School improvement is only possible when accompanied within a framework of collaboration and support.

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