Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report-host Leahy welcomed the new GOP nominee for mayor of Rutherford County, Tennessee, Joe Carr, in-studio to talk about the growth of Rutherford County and creating a cohesive working relationship with mayors within the county.
Read MoreTag: Rutherford County
Commentary: Joe Carr Is the Right Choice to Be Rutherford County’s Next Mayor
After several repeated attempts to serve his country and state it appears Joe Carr has found a place where the voters will appreciate his service.
Former State Representative Joe Carr was victorious in the Rutherford County Republican Mayoral Primary. Carr won with 38% in a field of three other candidates. County Commissioner Rhonda Allen came in second with a respectable 34% of the vote, Mayor Bill Ketron came in a disappointing third place with less than 25%. Aaron Coffey finished a distant fourth with 3%.
Read MoreMurfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland Discusses City Government Structures and Colorado-Based Notes Live’s Planned New Amphitheater
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s Mayor, Shane McFarland to the newsmaker line to learn about his background and discuss the new Notes Live amphitheater that will be built.
Read MoreJoe Carr Wins Rutherford County Mayor GOP Primary
Former Tennessee State Representative Joe Carr is the Republican nominee for mayor of Rutherford County.
In the May 3 primary, Carr received 6862 votes, while Rhonda Allen came in second, receiving 6239 votes.
Read MoreRutherford, Washington Counties Set to Hold Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection Service This Saturday
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) mobile household hazardous waste collection service will be in Rutherford and Washington counties this Saturday, April 2nd, according to the department.
Read MoreNew Poll Gives Joe Carr Comfortable Lead in Race for Rutherford County Mayor
A new poll reveals strong support for former Tennessee State Representative Joe Carr’s campaign for Rutherford County mayor. The Oregon-based Triton Polling and Research released the poll this week. The company polled 455 likely Rutherford County voters between January 19 through January 21 of this year, according to a press release.
Read MoreHillsdale College’s Assistant Vice Provost Kathleen O’Toole Discusses Barney Charter School Initiative Coming to Three Counties in Tennessee
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Hillsdale College’s Assistant Vice Provost, Dr. Kathleen O’Toole, to the newsmaker line to explain the implementation of Barney Charter Schools making their way to three Tennessee counties.
Read MoreControversial Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport Announces Retirement
Rutherford County Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport announced this week she would not seek reelection in 2022. This follows backlash she received from a ProRepublica article on her court practices published in October 2021, and new legislation recently filed for consideration of her removal.
Read MoreRutherford County Drops Emissions Testing, Increases Registration Fee
Tennesseans in Rutherford County will notice a few changes this year when renewing their vehicle tags, according to a press release by Rutherford County Clerk Lisa Duke Crowell.
Read MoreTennessee Approves of New Vanderbilt Hospital in Rutherford County
Vanderbilt Health announced Thursday that Rutherford county officials have approved plans for new hospital. The medical center will hold 42 beds, and be located at the intersection of Veterans Parkway and state route 840 in Murfreesboro.
“We are pleased with the outcome and want to thank members of the Health Services and Development Agency for the approval to build this new hospital. Our goal continues to be to serve the needs of the many citizens of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County who choose Vanderbilt for their care, and we can now do that with Vanderbilt Rutherford Hospital,” C. Wright Pinson, MBA, MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center said in a statement.
Read MoreRutherford County School Board Members Reject Proposed Charter School
Members of the Rutherford County School (RCS) Board recently turned down an application for a new charter school. Officials with the Nashville-based ReThink Forward first sought to open a school in the Smyrna-La Vergne area in February, according to The Murfreesboro Post.
Read MoreNoble Education Initiative’s Sherry Hage and Richard Page Discuss New Rutherford Collegiate Prep
Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Sherry Hage and Richard Page of Noble Education Initiative to discuss their new charter school Rutherford Collegiate Prep and local school board passivity.
Read MoreMTSU Removes Rutherford Juvenile Court Judge from Adjunct Staff Amidst County Lawsuit
Juvenile Judge Donna Scott Davenport will no longer hold her position as adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) following a recent lawsuit. The suit claims that Davenport sent nearly 1,500 students to jail, regardless of the crime.
Individuals born after October 1997 who were jailed at the Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center may file a claim to collect a portion of an $11 million settlement connected to the class action lawsuit.
Read MoreRutherford County Parents Fume, Say Local School System is Mishandling COVID-19
A group of parents said Monday they are seething after Rutherford County Director of Schools Bill C. Spurlock decided his month to unilaterally remove and then quarantine non-symptomatic and non-COVID-19 positive students from schools. The parents said Spurlock did this without consulting with members of the Rutherford County School (RCS) Board. RCS Board members had previously approved a procedure that would have prevented COVID-19-free or symptom-free students and staff from quarantine, parents said.
Read MoreNashville Area’s Population Approaches Two Million People
The Nashville metropolitan area was the 20th-fastest growing statistical area in the country since 2010, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
With a growth rate of 20.9% from 2010 to 2020, the Nashville area now is the 36th-largest metropolitan area in the country with nearly 2 million residents. The census numbers showed the metro Nashville population increased by 343,319 people to 1,989,519.
Tennessee’s population grew by 8.9% between 2010 and 2020; lower than the 11.5% and 16.7% increases during the previous two census counts. Four of the past six census counts have shown double-digit increases in Tennessee’s population growth.
Read MoreJoe Carr Traces Source of Allegations Against Him, Calls Them ‘A Big Nothingburger’
Former State Rep. Joe Carr, currently running for Rutherford County mayor, disclosed certain people accused him of harassment while he worked at a state agency, but he described the allegations as “a big nothingburger.” Carr addressed these allegations in a nearly 1,200 word post on Facebook Tuesday.
Read MoreRutherford County Mayoral Candidate Joe Carr, ‘We Are More Than Middle Tennessee’s Trash Can’
Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Rutherford County Mayoral candidate Joe Carr to the
newsmakers line to announce his candidacy and why he’s running.
Tennessee Rep. Mike Sparks Discusses the Opportunity Scholarships Program Bill and Irresponsible Spending
Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee State Rep. Mike Sparks to the studio to discuss his new bill and the challenges in fighting the unnecessary spending on schools in response to county growth.
Read MoreTennessee Man Arrested After Feared Copycat Vehicle Attack
Police in Rutherford County arrested a man Sunday afternoon when they feared he was about to perpetrate a copycat attack similar to the Christmas day bombing in downtown Nashville.
“Sheriff’s deputies in Rutherford and Wilson Counties are investigating a box truck parked at a store playing audio similar to the Christmas explosion in Nashville. The driver was stopped by deputies and detained. Residents evacuated. Investigation active,” the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) said on Twitter.
Read MoreRutherford County Schools Tell Parents Not to Monitor Their Child’s Virtual Classrooms
Parents of students who attend Rutherford County Schools (RCS) must agree not to monitor their child’s online classroom sessions.
Officials at all county schools are asking parents to sign forms agreeing not to watch these virtual classes.
Read MoreJoe Carr Endorses Dr. Manny Sethi for Senate, Hosts Candidate, Sen. Rand Paul at Cookout
Joe Carr, a conservative leader in Rutherford County, on Thursday endorsed Dr. Manny Sethi in his U.S. Senate race and said he will host the physician as well as U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) at a cookout on July 18.
Read MoreRutherford County and Somerville Women Charged with TennCare Fraud
Tennessee officials have arrested women from Rutherford County and Somerville and charged them with TennCare fraud.
Read MoreKelsey Ketron Pleads Not Guilty in Rutherford County
Kelsey Ketron pleaded not guilty in Rutherford Monday to multiple charges related to fraud and her father’s business known as Universal International Insurance.
Read MoreKelsey Ketron Indicted on Fraud Charges
Kelsey Ketron’s legal problems have reportedly worsened, as a grand jury, this week indicted her on charges of fraud, perjury, and money laundering.
Read MoreDetails of Tennessee Opioid Crisis ‘Will Turn Your Stomach,’ Rutherford County Official Says
Rutherford County officials are scheduled to hold a town hall forum on opioid abuse and mental health issues at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Smyrna’s Parkway Baptist Church.
Rutherford County Commissioner Craig Harris, one of the scheduled panelists, told The Tennessee Star Monday that the problem has hit his county particularly hard, as it ranks No. 4 statewide for overdoses.
Read MoreRutherford County Schools Spend Money on New Track, but Not to Fix Damaged Restrooms
Some parents and officials in Rutherford County are upset that the school district spent $200,000 to renovate La Vergne High School’s track rather than fix the restrooms, which are in a state of disrepair.
Read MoreMiddle Tennessee State University Official Allegedly Stole Nearly $40,000
Authorities have arrested and indicted a former Middle Tennessee State University international recruiter charged with stealing nearly $40,000 from the school.
Read MoreRutherford County GOP Target of Apparent Bomb Scare
The Rutherford County Republican Party headquarters received a package Friday morning that party officials said was apparently a bomb, according to a Tennessee Republican Party press release. Officials contacted authorities and then evacuated the building on East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro Police Spokesman Larry Flowers said in a…
Read MoreRutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron Talks Trash at Community Forum
MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — Although it’s hypothetical at this point, Rutherford County residents could have to pay a new monthly fee to handle the county’s growing trash problem, County Mayor Bill Ketron said last week. This could start a trend that reverberates across all of Middle Tennessee, said county residents who…
Read MoreProposed New School in Rutherford County Near Potentially Hazardous Waste Site
Members of the Rutherford County School Board are interested in building a school on farmland in the Walter Hill residential community, even though it’s near a landfill with a history of potential hazards. Multiple neighborhoods, businesses and churches surround the property, near the existing Walter Hill Elementary School, said Rutherford…
Read MoreMetro Nashville Public School Board Member Will Pinkston Reportedly Calls People ‘Nitwits’
Metro Nashville Public School board member Will Pinkston reportedly thinks that people who complain to him about the latest goings-on at the school system are “nitwits.” This, according to the Nashville-based NewsChannel 5, which publicized a series of tweets Pinkston recently released. “An email sent to Metro School Board members…
Read MoreRutherford County Officials Formally Oppose School Vouchers
Rutherford County officials have joined their counterparts at five other Tennessee school systems to formally oppose school vouchers. Board members with the Rutherford County School System just unanimously passed a resolution to that effect, school system spokesman James Evans told The Tennessee Star Tuesday. Murfreesboro City School System board members,…
Read MoreTaxes Reportedly Might Go Up in Rutherford County
Attention Rutherford County residents. The powers-that-be are out to raise your taxes, according to The Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. State Rep. Charlie Baum, R-Murfreesboro, reportedly told the paper that the county’s 19-year-old development tax rate of $1,500 per home should increase for inflation to help fund school construction. “The County Powers Relief…
Read MoreRutherford County Mayoral Candidates Ketron and Jones Differ on Gas Tax As Early Voting Begins
State Senator Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), who is running to replace the retiring Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess, exchanged volleys with rival and former County Commissioner Tina Jones over the gas tax and the Nashville transit plan this week, just as early voting in the May 1 primary election began. Ketron…
Read MoreRutherford County Mayoral Candidate Tina Jones Blasts $9 Billion Transit Plan, Calling It ‘A Wasteful Boondoggle of Epic Proportions’
Republican business owner and Rutherford County Mayoral hopeful Tina Jones made news Thursday with her strong statement against neighboring Davidson County’s $9 billion transit plan, “Let’s Go Nashville.” “The transit scheme initiated by Mayor Megan Barry, before she was forced from office, is a wasteful boondoggle of epic proportions and…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: The Role of a School Board
Local school boards reflect the needs and aspirations of the communities as well as the interests and concerns of professional and nonprofessional employees. We believe non-partisan control is what is best for our communities. This is best ensured when educational policy is made by representatives vested in the community they live, and whose undivided attention and interests are devoted strictly to education of the children in that district. What we stress in a nutshell: Public education is a federal concern, a state responsibility, and a local operation.
Read MoreState Senator Bill Ketron Announces Bid for Rutherford County Mayor
State Senator Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) is running Rutherford County Mayor, the Daily News Journal reports. It will be the fourth run for the office since his first bid in the 1990s. Via the DNJ: A Republican from Murfreesboro, Ketron ran for the office (once called county executive) in 1990, 1994…
Read MoreFormer Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold To Be Sentenced May 4
Former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold will be sentenced in May, three months earlier than previously scheduled, WKRN News 2 reports. Arnold, who will now be sentenced May 4, wanted his sentence date moved up, according to a previous WKRN report. Arnold was convicted in federal court of scheming…
Read MoreTrump-Hating Teacher Fired in Rutherford County
A substitute teacher in Rutherford County is no longer allowed to work in the district because of inflammatory comments he made on social media about President Trump. He joins a growing list of educators across the country in trouble for engaging in or allowing inappropriate commentary about the recent election.…
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