Residents in six East Tennessee counties affected by Hurricane Helene will be able to vote absentee or in person, but some of the polling places may be different, according to Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett.
Early voting begins next week for the Nov. 5 election.
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U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has set up pop-up offices across eight counties in East Tennessee this week to assist victims of flash flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.
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Tennessee State Representative and House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) said Starlink units being delivered and installed in areas of East Tennessee decimated by flash flooding from Hurricane Helene have been a “lifeline” for residents who remain without a connection to the outside world.
On Monday, Faison began collaborating with Tennessee political commentator Robby Starbuck, who has purchased and donated more than 20 Starlink units, to connect those in East Tennessee stranded in rural areas left without power.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) twice denied to The Tennessee Star that it is confiscating hurricane relief supplies in Tennessee, North Carolina, or any area recovering from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene.
The denials come despite Elon Musk, the owner of Space X, reporting that one of his company’s engineers said supplies were confiscated by the federal agency in Asheville, North Carolina, where the world’s richest man is supplying volunteers with Starlink devices to restore Internet connectivity to the rural communities.
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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) described the scene in areas impacted by flash flooding from Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee as “truly catastrophic” after two days of traveling to the area to meet with residents and survey the storm damage.
One week ago, flash flooding from Hurricane Helene devastated areas of East Tennessee, which has since left 11 dead, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
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Founder of the Tennessee Firearms Association and Second Amendment expert John Harris is bringing attention to Tennessee’s law prohibiting the use of deadly force to protect real or personal property.
Harris’ criticism of the statute, Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 39-11-611; 39-11-614, comes as residents in East Tennessee impacted by devastating flash flooding from Hurricane Helene are being warned of an increased possibility that looters may trespass on properties in areas affected by the weather looking for valuable property or essential supplies.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) has been on the ground meeting with East Tennessee residents impacted by Hurricane Helene and working to gather and distribute supplies to those in need in the aftermath of the storm.
Harshbarger, whose district stretches from the far northeastern point of the state down to the Gatlinburg area, and her staff have deployed to multiple counties impacted by the hurricane since flood waters devastated areas to assess each community’s needs and help distribute supplies.
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Recovering journalist and Nashville-area public policy expert Clint Brewer said the response from Tennesseans to help residents of East Tennessee who Hurricane Helene impacted is a testament to the Volunteer spirit.
On September 26 and September 27, flash flooding from Hurricane Helene devastated buildings and roads in East Tennessee, which has since left eight dead, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
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Tennessee political commentator and documentary filmmaker Robby Starbuck is using his platform and personal funds to help victims of Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee by gathering essential supplies and purchasing and installing Starlink units in rural areas left without power.
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office is warning Tennesseans impacted by Hurricane Helene to be wary of scammers and knowledgeable of price gouging in the aftermath of the storm.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) announced Monday that he is suspending all campaign fundraising activities and instead urging his supporters to direct their monetary donations to relief efforts benefiting those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
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Tennessee leaders from the state and federal level surveyed storm damage and met with local officials in areas of East Tennessee devastated by Tropical Storm Helene this weekend.
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Kay Carr White, an early organizer of the 2009 Tea Party Movement in east Tennessee, passed away earlier this week at the age of 75 in Johnson City, Tennessee.
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U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) was appointed to serve as a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee this week.
The Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, a subdivision of the House Appropriations Committee, funds America’s military and national defense.
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Malibu Boats officials recently announced the company will invest $75 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Lenoir City.
The company’s expansion project will mark its second plant located outside of its headquarters in Loudon. The new plant will be located at an existing facility in the Roane Regional Business and Technology Park.
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In its annual Pork Report published earlier this week, the Beacon Center of Tennessee highlighted three areas of waste, fraud, and abuse of Tennessee taxpayer money in East Tennessee. The report specifically identified the issues of the city of Knoxville’s lawsuit against Netflix and Hulu, synthetic turf athletic fields in Johnson City, and pickleball courts in Bristol.
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Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Senior Attorney Cam Norris of Consovoy McCarthy Park Cam Norris and East Tennessean to the newsmaker line to discuss clerking for Justice Clarence Thomas and the Tennessee Supreme Court candidate process.
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Twenty nationally acclaimed artists are coming to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) to paint “en plein air,” an outdoor painting practice and style, throughout various park sceneries.
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Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed State Representative Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee’s First Congressional District in studio to talk about her background and owning a small successful pharmacy business.
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Unemployment claims in Tennessee and nationwide continue to skyrocket because of the Chinese COVID-19 shutdown of businesses.
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This week The Boston Globe traveled to East Tennessee to find out how state residents felt about a possible impeachment of U.S. Republican President Donald Trump.
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Candidate for U.S. Senate, Dr. Manny Sethi, met with grassroots conservatives in Knoxville, sharing his campaign message, interacting one-on-one and taking questions from attendees.
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The Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed the first 2019 case of measles in East Tennessee. The department said is investigating after the State Public Health Laboratory confirmed a positive test for the illness in a resident of East Tennessee. While the investigation is currently centered in East Tennessee, all Tennesseans should be aware of measles and its symptoms, the Health Department said. These symptoms may include fever, runny nose, body aches, watery eyes and white spots in the mouth. The illness is typically accompanied by a red, spotty rash that begins on the face and spreads over the body. Nearly one in three measles patients will develop ear infections, diarrhea or pneumonia. Measles can be fatal in about one to two out of every 1,000 cases. “Our efforts are focused on preventing the spread of illness to others,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Tim Jones. The measles virus is highly contagious and can stay airborne or live on surfaces for up to two hours. People recently infected with measles may not have any symptoms of illness, but can transmit the virus for about five days before the typical measles rash appears. “Most people in Tennessee are vaccinated against measles and…
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Wednesday during a speech at the Columbus Police Academy a new Department of Justice (DOJ) pilot program, Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, and named eastern Tennessee as one of the 12 districts selected to participate in the program. According to the DOJ website, the program will “utilize data to help combat the devastating opioid crisis that is ravaging families and communities across America.” As part of the program, the DOJ will fund twelve Assistant U.S. Attorneys whose focus will be to investigate and prosecute health care fraud related to prescription opioids. The opioid epidemic has received much attention in the state, following a Tennessee Department of Health report that 1,451 people lost their lives to drug overdose in 2015 alone. Since then, House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) created an opioid task force to address the state’s epidemic. While well received, the formation of the task force was not without controversy, because none of the Representatives named to it are from Northeast Tennessee – the area hardest hit by the crisis with more than double the number of admissions for opioid treatment as compared to any other region in the state. More recently, the Tennessee…
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