Unemployed Man in Franklin, TN ‘Donated’ Nearly $16,000 to ActBlue Through More than 2,600 Individual Contributions

ActBlue

According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, Gerald McAteer, an unemployed man in Franklin, Tennessee, made 2,629 individual contributions to Democrat PAC ActBlue, totaling $15,928.24, since the beginning of 2024.

At the time of this writing, McAteer, over the past 588 days, has contributed to ActBlue an average of 4.47 times per day for an average of just over $6 per donation, or a little more than $27 per day.

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Ramsey Event Center in Franklin to Host Israel Summit

Ramsey Event Center

The Ramsey Event Center in Franklin will hold the 2024 Israel Summit next week after the event’s original venue, the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel, broke its contractual obligation to host the summit.

“God is doing amazing things in Tennessee, and we are even more excited about the upcoming Israel Summit,” two of the summit’s sponsors, HaYovel and The Israel Guys, announced Tuesday. “Dave Ramsey stepped in TODAY and offered his state-of-the-art event center for the Israel Summit!”

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Illegal Alien, Alleged Child Rapist Charged with Federal Crimes

Camilo Hurtado Campos

A former Franklin youth soccer coach has been indicted on child sex crimes and immigration crimes, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“The indictment, returned yesterday by a federal grand jury, charges Camilo Campos-Hurtado, 63, with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, one count of using or possessing fraudulent immigration documents, and one count of possessing an identification document or authentication feature which was stolen or produced without lawful authority,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee said in a March 21 press release. 

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Tennessee Agrees to $8.8 Million More in FastTrack Incentive Grants

Schneider Electric building

Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development has handed out more than $8.8 million in incentives since it last posted FastTrack incentives for February.

Those include $3.4 million to Schneider Electric in Mount Juliet and Smyrna, $2.5 million to Shoals Technologies Group in Portland, $1.6 million to Nokian Tyres in Dayton and $1.3 million to an unnamed project.

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Carol Swain Reflects on ‘Be the People’ Conference, Reveals Jill Biden’s ‘Discreet’ Meeting Next Door

Jill Biden

Dr. Carol M. Swain said First Lady Jill Biden held a “discreet” meeting at the Richland Country Club at the same time Swain’s nonprofit organization Be the People’s American Dream Conference was taking place on Friday evening in Nashville.

Biden initially traveled to Franklin for a “political event” reportedly occurring at the home of country music star Brad Paisley, however, also held an unannounced event at the Richland Country Club on Friday, according to Swain.

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Nearly 600 Illegal Aliens May Be Transported to Middle Tennessee, DHS Notice Says

Illegal Border crossers

A notice from last September by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that a total of 573 “noncitizens” from Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico intended on traveling to Franklin, Nashville, Davidson County, and Murfreesboro following their release from DHS custody.

The notice, dated as the week ending September 16, 2023, is titled “Intended Destination of Noncitizens Processed at the Southwest Border.”

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Sen. Ted Cruz, Radio Host Clay Travis to Stump for Andy Ogles in Franklin as Part of PAC Bus Tour

As Election Day nears, a Political Action Committee (PAC) is hosting a bus tour that will stop in Franklin, Tennessee, to rally for former Maury County mayor and U.S. congressional candidate Andy Ogles, bringing with it some notable names in the world of politics.

“Truth and Courage PAC #TakeBackAmericaBusTour is hitting the road to educate and equip conservatives all across the country,” according to a media advisory from that group. “Join us to hear directly from national and local leaders who are taking the charge to save our great nation. Midterm elections are around the corner and so is the TAKE BACK AMERICA Bus Tour, bringing the red wave to you! The opportunity to win back America is now.”

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Community Outrage over ‘Franklin Pride’ and Mayor of Franklin’s Woke Proclamation

FRANKLIN, Tennessee – Gabrielle Hanson, who is a Franklin alderman-at-large, told The Tennessee Star that her office and the offices of her peers are being flooded with outraged complaints about the June 4 “Franklin Pride” event and Mayor Ken Moore’s woke proclamation that was read at the event that included drag queens and children.

“Our phones and emails have been blowing up,” Hanson said.

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Thales Academy Moves to Expand to Middle and High School Levels in Franklin, Tennessee

aerial view of Thales Academy

Thales Academy, offering schools with a high quality private education at affordable rates, is planning to expand from its elementary school in Franklin, Tennessee, to two new buildings for the middle and high school levels.

Robert Luddy, the founder and chairman of Thales Academy, told The Star News Network the expansion in Franklin is “off to a really good start because we have one campus open.”

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Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin Region Surpasses Two Million Residents in Census Update

The metropolitan area that stretches between Nashville, Murfreesboro and Franklin added more than 17,000 residents to cross the threshold of 2 million residents, according to data the U.S. Census Bureau released this week.

The information included more detailed data from its annual population estimates, recording changes in headcount from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021.

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Two Separate Georgia Murder Suspects Arrested in Tennessee This Week

Two suspects in separate murders in Georgia were arrested in Tennessee Monday, according to reports. 

“The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 29-year-old Alyssa Danielle Wild of East Dublin, Georgia was pulled over in Franklin,” according to WTVC. “Wild is charged with murder in the death of 38-year-old Charles Stephen Holmberg of Cuthbert, Georgia. Holmberg was found shot dead Saturday in a vehicle parked at a motel in Dublin.”

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Thales Academy to Host Open House in Franklin Next Week

Officials at the Thales Academy in Franklin have scheduled an open house next week to allow prospective parents to tour the campus, visit classrooms, meet teachers, acquaint themselves with the school’s curriculum, or to ask questions. Franklin Academy officials have scheduled the open house for 6 p.m. Thursday, August 5 at their campus, located at 3835 Carothers Parkway in Franklin. Franklin Academy is an independent and private school.

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CEO Fired for Criticizing Male Teen in Prom Dress Tells The Tennessee Star He Approached Teens over Obscene Language, Behavior – Not Dress

A telehealth company fired their CEO for criticizing a male teen in a prom dress on video – but he says the teens asked for his opinion. Previous VisuWell CEO Sam Johnson explained to The Tennessee Star the whole context of the viral interaction, posted originally on the popular social media platform, TikTok, by the dress-wearing teen’s boyfriend, Jacob Geittmann. According to Johnson, he’d approached the group teens initially because they were yelling, being “obnoxious” and “vulgar” in a public area where children and some of his family were present – not because the male teen, Dalton Stevens, was wearing a dress.

In an interview with The Star, Johnson explained that he’d politely requested that the teens, as a group, could “tone it down.” According to Johnson, there were around five chaperones present that didn’t corral the group of just over one dozen teenaged prom-goers.

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Citizens Groups Hold Rallies in Franklin, Knoxville to Declare ‘We Will Not Comply’ With Mask Mandates

Grassroots movements combating Tennessee’s never-ending mask mandates are gaining steam.

Tennessee Stands held a “Mask Free Tennessee Rally” Saturday on the Public Square in Franklin. A similar rally was held Sunday in Knoxville by No Mandates Tennessee.

Tennessee Stands organizers on Saturday evening posted on their Facebook page, “So thankful to all of the patriots that showed up today for the Mask Free Tennessee Rally today in Franklin! Our voices are louder together. We will not give in to the mob. We will not relinquish our liberty. We. Will. Not. Comply.”

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Thales Academy to Host Parent Interest Meeting Tuesday Night

Thales Academy, a college preparatory network of independent Pre-K-12 schools, will be hosting a parent interest meeting Tuesday night regarding its new campus in Franklin, Tennessee.

The informational meeting is scheduled for June 9 at 6:30 p.m. at The Gate Community Church, the address of which is: 3835 Carothers Parkway, Franklin, TN 37067. Thales Academy is a secular school and is not affiliated with The Gate Church.

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Thales Academy of Franklin Now Offering Substantial Tuition Discounts to Help Families Get Through the Coronavirus Shutdown

Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– host Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by new all-star panelist and Thales Academy of Franklin Principal Rachael Bradley.

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Thales Academy-Franklin: Principal Rachael Bradley Joins Leahy to Talk About Affordable Private Education Coming to Tennessee in July 2020

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– host Leahy was joined by new all-star panelist and Thales Academy of Franklin’s principal Rachael Bradley.

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Thales Academy-Franklin: Principal Rachael Bradley Talks About Direct Instruction and the Next Parent Informational Meeting March 10th

Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcasting live from Music Row on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by all-star panelist and the new Thales Academy in Franklin Principal, Rachel Bradley.

During the second hour, Bradley described the methodology of direct instruction which will be used at the new Thales Academy in Franklin as a teacher-led and carefully scripted environment that prevents misinformation from floating around the classroom. She described the flow of teaching as quick-moving where every minute of the school day is learning.

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Parents Attend Thales Academy-Franklin Informational Meeting, Learn About the School’s High Quality, Affordable Education Option

  FRANKLIN, Tennessee – A crowd of about 50 parents,  grandparents, and Tennessee Star Report All-Star panelists came out to hear first hand the announcement from Thales Academy founder Bob Luddy on Tuesday night that Thales Academy-Franklin will open its doors beginning in July of 2020, and will offer Middle Tennessee parents an affordable and high-quality education option for their children. Luddy broke the news that the campus will be located at the Gate Church on Carothers Parkway, the location of the evening’s meeting. Thales Academy has purchased the building and is beginning renovations to convert the church building to an effective home for its K-3 campus. Thales Academy-Franklin will be the first school in Tennessee added to Thales Academy’s successful roster of eight current campuses in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. Founder Bob Luddy emphasized their methodology of direct instruction (DI) Tuesday night and expressed the passion in their mission of teaching to master and creating connections for their students. When discussing what separates Thales from traditional models of schooling and how parents should see their children’s progress he stated, “You really don’t have to have any test scores or grades. If you can’t tell the difference than we’re…

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Thales Academy-Franklin Administrator Rachael Bradley to Speak on Direct Instruction with Parents Tuesday Night at Gate Community Church

Live from Nashville, Tennessee Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– Leahy was joined on the line by all-star panelist and Thales Academy administrator Rachel Bradley.

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