DOJ’s Shadowy ‘Community Relations Service’ May Be Behind Covenant Killer Manifesto Coverup, Sources Say

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Metropolitan Nashville Police Department have refused to release the manifesto and related documents of the Covenant School killer, citing spurious reasons for their denials. 

But is a shadowy Department of Justice unit billing itself as “America’s peacemaker” behind the information freeze? Some say the disclosure dance has all the markings of the Community Relations Service. 

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Tennessee State House Republican Leaders React to Arrests of Casada and Former Aide

Tennessee State House of Representatives Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland), and House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) all reacted to the news that former Speaker of the Tennessee House Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren were indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and arrested early Tuesday morning by the FBI by issuing public statements.

Sexton said on Tuesday that Tennessee will not “tolerate public corruption, defrauding our state, or bribery at any level.”

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Former State Representative Charles Sargent Has Died

Former Tennessee State Rep. Charles Sargent (R-Franklin) has passed away, according to the office of State Rep. Brandon Ogles, the Republican who replaced him. Diane Giddens, spokeswoman for Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, also confirmed Sargent’s death Tuesday. As The Tennessee Star reported last fall, Sargent announced he would not seek re-election in 2018, after two decades of service. According to The Tennessean, Sargent announced last year he had skin cancer. Tributes begin pouring in as soon as word spread about Sargent’s passing. In an emailed statement, Republican U.S. Senator-elect Marsha Blackburn said Sargent and his wife Nancy were “such faithful public servants, committed to the growth and development of Williamson County and creating a stellar quality of life for those who, like them, chose to make it their home,” Blackburn said. “We worked together for decades through political endeavors to achieve this goal. His positive impact on our county and state will be felt for decades to come. I will miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with Nancy, their family and his friends.” Meanwhile, on his Facebook page, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, said Sargent “ had a brilliant mind.” “The state of TN will miss him,” Faison…

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Education Commissioner McQueen Convenes Testing Assessment Task Force

McQueen

The role of state tests should always be to supplement other feedback loops that teachers, parents, and districts use to get a more complete picture of a student’s development, including classroom performance, report cards, portfolios, performances, and other ways students show their development. State tests are not meant to be the sole driver of instructional decisions. The information from an assessment should provide educators, parents, and students with a better perspective on how the students are succeeding academically compared to their peers across Tennessee.

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East Tennessee Businessman Greg Fodness Announces Run For State House District 11

Owner of two small businesses in East Tennessee, Greg Fodness has announced his run as State Representative for House District 11, a seat held by fellow Cosby resident Jeremy Faison since 2011. In his press release Monday, Fodness was not at all disparaging to the incumbent, but offered that he’s running because “The 11th District is my home and I know it deserves better,” adding: I truly care for the people of this District and want them to have the best representation available to them. The Fodness press release focused on his conservative values instilled in him at an early age, as the son of a farmer and World War II veteran, the foundations of which shape his political views. “My parents made sure that I learned the value of hard work and integrity in your words and actions. They taught me that combining the ethic of working not only hard, but smart, yields its own rewards,” Fodness was quoted in the release. While a Chrysler mechanic at the age of 20 and with a passion for business, Fodness bought and sold muscle cars in his spare time to make ends meet such that he “had to learn at an…

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