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

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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Franklin Lands Mitsubishi Motors Headquarters With 200 Jobs Moving Here Beginning in August

  Mitsubishi is saying “buh bye” to California’s high taxes and moving its headquarters to Franklin, multiple media outlets report. Mitsubishi was one of two final Japanese car manufacturers to have its headquarters in California, CNET said. Honda will be the lone Japanese holdout. Moving to Franklin will allow the company to be closer to its Alliance partner Nissan, which moved there around 13 years ago. Nashville Business Journal added that other Middle Tennessee automotive brand names include Bridgestone, General Motors, Hankook and suppliers and other related companies. The move will include about 200 jobs and an $18.25 million investment in corporate jobs including legal, finance, IT, sales and dealer operations. Mitsubishi is negotiating a long-term office lease plus a lease for interim use. A move to a temporary space will start in August and be done by the end of the year, Nashville Business Journal said. Automotive News said Mitsubishi cited Franklin’s high-tech community, cost savings, business-friendly work environment and, again, proximity to Nissan. Mitsubishi’s decision is yet another loss for Southern California, referred to in 2000 as “Motown West” for the concentration of automotive brands that based their U.S. operations there. Since then, the brands under Ford’s former…

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Rep. Mark Green to Attend Memorial Day Events in Franklin, Decaturville

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) said in a press release that he has made it a priority throughout his time in Congress to honor the fallen and support Gold Star spouses and families and to honor veterans in general. His first bill in Congress was a bipartisan piece of legislation called the Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act to continue pay to Gold Star families during government shutdowns. Recently, Green introduced a second bill called the Protecting Gold Star Children Act. This bill would return Gold Star children to a tax rate derived from the parent’s tax bracket, instead of being taxed at a rate from trust fund tax brackets. Many children will go from a 37 percent rate to a 15 percent tax rate. Also, on Memorial Day on Monday, Rep. Mark Green will be attending and speaking at the Williamson County Memorial Day Service at the Veterans Park in Franklin at 10 a.m. CST. He will also be attending and speaking at a Decatur County Memorial Day event in Decaturville at 2:30 CST. “We should never forget the men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom,” Green said. “Many Americans will gather around monuments on Memorial Day, paying their…

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Elks, VFW to Place 500 American Flags on Service Members’ Graves at Williamson Memorial Garden

  For the eighth year in a row, two organizations will place 500 American flags on the graves of service men and women at Williamson Memorial Garden. The Nashville-Franklin Lodge No. 72 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) in conjunction with the Veterans’ of Foreign Wars Franklin Post No. 4892 will place the flags on the graves at 5 p.m. on Friday, the BPOE said in a press release. Williamson Memorial Garden is located at 3009 Columbia Ave., Franklin, TN, 37064. These two groups, because of their love and support of those who have served, want to ensure that the meaning of Memorial Day is not forgotten, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks said. Memorial Day is the day we set aside to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of the United States of America. Memorial Day is one of three days set aside each year to honor the military; the other two are Military Appreciation Day and Veterans’ Day. Since 1897, the Nashville-Franklin Lodge No. 72 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has remembered the children and veterans of Nashville and the surrounding area. Richard Gardiner, Associate Professor…

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Franklin Facility Accused of Massive TennCare Fraud

Tennessee officials said in a press release this week that members of a Franklin-based facility committed fraud to get $6 million in TennCare benefits to which it was not entitled. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee this week made public a suit filed by Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III against ProHealth Rural Health Services, Inc., and its President and Chief Executive Officer Ray White (pictured above).  By filing the suit, the state intervened in a case initially filed by a whistle blower, according to a press release from Slatery’s office. “As a designated Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike, ProHealth provides healthcare to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. That status entitled ProHealth to receive Prospective Payment Service (PPS) payments, a guaranteed minimum amount of money per Medicaid patient visit,” the press release said. “As detailed in the complaint, the State alleges White knowingly submitted invoices to the State of Tennessee which falsely inflated the number of Medicaid patient visits to ProHealth from 2012-2017. That caused TennCare to pay ProHealth more than $6,000,000 to which it was not entitled.” The press release quoted Slatery as saying members of his office will not permit leniency…

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New PAC to Honor Legacy of Late State Rep. Charles Sargent of Williamson County

State Rep Charles Sargent

The late State Rep. Charles Sargent’s legacy will be kept alive through the creation of a political action committee. The Franklin Republican died of cancer last November at the age of 73. The former House Finance, Ways and Means Committee chairman had announced that fall he would not seek re-election after two decades of service. Now, the Sargent Legacy Fund has been formed by his friends to continue his service to the community and the legislature, the Williamson Herald reports. The Sargent Legacy Fund held a kickoff breakfast last Saturday at Columbia State Community College’s Franklin campus – inside the Charles M. Sargent Building. According to the Herald: The PAC reflects Sargent’s prior focus on three things: limited government, excellent education and fiscal conservatism. The Sargent Legacy Fund was “created to support local candidates who embody Charles Sargent’s character and share his political philosophy of lower taxes, limited government and support for education.” Founders of the PAC include Erin Westrich, Sargent’s previous campaign manager and lifelong family friend; friends Helen and (attorney) Jeff Moseley; Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson; and Sargent’s wife, Nancy. Anderson will serve as treasurer of the PAC. Two Williamson County Republicans shared their thoughts about Sargent with…

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