As a result of an investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Medicaid Fraud Control Division and many other agencies, a Shelbyville man has been charged with the abuse and neglect of elderly patients.
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A U.S. Senator from Tennessee spent much of the day Monday and Tuesday blasting President Joe Biden’s administration for its lack of interest in border security.
“At least 98 potential terrorists exploited Joe Biden’s open border in the last year. This is a dire national security crisis,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
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As part of a wave of new crime prevention and response strategies in Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee (R) joined Fox News to tout his new Violent Crime Intervention Fund.
“We have a crime problem in this country, there’s no doubt about it, and Tennessee hasn’t escaped that problem,” Lee told former host and former U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy on the channel’s “Sunday Night in America.”
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After a wave of violent crime in Memphis and questions about the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) turnaround time for rape kits, TBI in Jackson has officially opened the application period to hire forensic analysts.
“Combine your science smarts and passion to serve on our team in the Jackson Crime Laboratory! We’re looking for new forensic scientists to help us grow! The application window closes Wednesday!” TBI said on Twitter, attaching a link to the job application.
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Tennessee’s governor Tuesday announced that the state would give local law enforcement $100 million to fight violent crime.
“As Americans face rising crime nationwide, TN is launching the $100 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund to equip local law enforcement with tools to keep every community safe,” said Gov. Bill Lee (R) on Twitter. “I invite all TN police departments & sheriff’s offices to apply today.”
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The governor of Tennessee has announced that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TB) will hire 25 new forensic analysts in order to assist with processing Sexual Assault Kits (SAKs).
“Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally and Speaker Cameron Sexton announced a decisive step to accelerate the hiring process for 25 additional forensic lab positions at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI),” said a press release from the governor’s office. “Taking this action ahead of the regular budget process will expedite the TBI’s efforts to expand testing capacity and reduce the turnaround time for sexual assault kits (SAKs).”
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An autopsy has revealed the cause of death of a Memphis woman, who was abducted in September while jogging.
“Eliza Fletcher, 34, had a gunshot wound to the back of her head, blunt-force injuries to a leg and jaw fractures, according to an autopsy completed by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center in Memphis,” according to Fox News.
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New details have emerged about more alleged crimes committed by the suspect in Eliza Fletcher’s brutal kidnapping and murder.
Cleotha Abston has been charged separately in an aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping case stemming from September of 2021. He is also charged in that case with unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) recently announced that it is searching for interested and qualified candidates to fill 39 open positions in the department. TBI is currently looking to fill 3 TBI Police Officer positions in Davidson County as well as 36 TBI Special Agent/Criminal Investigator positions in multiple counties.
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A U.S. senator from Tennessee sat down for a wide-ranging interview with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Drug Task Force Director to expose America’s deadly fentanyl crisis that is getting worse by the day.
“Thousands of people are on the march toward our southern border as we speak. What do they want? Biden’s welcome package – free phone, free plane ticket, and free baby formula,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). “We know that among that group, drug dealers and smugglers are bringing across deadly amounts of fentanyl. I spoke with TBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Farmer to expose how this crisis is devastating our communities.”
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Tuesday hosted an event to teach citizens how to respond in the event that they encounter a mass shooter.
“TBI is partnering with other sponsors in presenting this event to offer attendees information on how to increase emergency preparedness, understand critical response, and implement actions that increase survivability,” the law enforcement agency said on its Facebook page. “A TBI special agent will be among the panelists available following the seminar to answer questions.”
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is investigating after Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies shot and injured a man who allegedly attempted to run them over with his car.
The incident occurred Monday night.
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Wednesday morning, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) addressed reports of some Tennesseans receiving duplicate Blue Alerts on their mobile devices in the overnight hours for two separate officer-involved shooting suspects.
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A two-day undercover, multi-agency human trafficking operation resulted in the arrest of eight men accused of seeking illicit sex from minors in Sevier County, according to a press release by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
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Early Tuesday morning, the Ocoee Whitewater Center in Polk County caught fire and was destroyed, according to a Facebook post by The Cherokee National Forest. Although the building is a “complete loss,” no one was injured in the fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
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An undercover law enforcement operation between the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and other local partner agencies led to the arrest of 24 individuals.
In addition to the arrest, authorities seized a wide-ranging variety of potentially lethal narcotics, including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and prescription pills.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced 39 indictments were made in an ongoing drug investigation. The statement said undercover officers had followed a violent drug trafficking organization with ties to at least three states.
“This operation is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when agencies work together,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “These dangerous drugs and the violence fueled by those dealing them is having a devastating impact on Knoxville and other areas in East Tennessee. That’s why we have a lot more work to do and will continue to target drug traffickers in our state.”
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) charged a Bristol man, Alan Coulter, with two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder for his role in a shooting that injured a police officer with the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to the charges of Attempted First Degree Murder, Coulter faces one count of Reckless Endangerment, one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and one count of Use of a Weapon During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony.
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The Department of Justice announced last week a former Tennessee clinic owner was sentenced for opioid distribution. Mark Daniel Allen, who now lives in Venice, Florida, was sentenced to 168 months in prison and $700 in special assessments, “followed by three years of supervised released.”
According to court documents, Allen was found guilty on six counts of “unlawfully distributing controlled substances” and one count of “maintaining a drug-involved premises after a three-day trial” which started September 1, 2021. Evidence at the trial showed Allen unlawfully prescribed 15,000 opioid pills to three women “with whom he had sexual relationships,” and to a male patient who later passed away.
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A new bill proposed this week would classify weaponizing finances as domestic assault. It would be an amendment of the current Tennessee Code Annotated Title 36, Chapter 3, Part 6, relative to domestic abuse. Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) sponsored the bill.
The bill, if approved, would add to the current definition of domestic violence.
“Abuse” means inflicting, or attempting to inflict, physical injury on an adult or minor by other than accidental means; placing an adult or minor in fear of physical harm; physical restraint; malicious damage to the personal property of the abused party, including inflicting, or attempting to inflict, physical injury on any animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by an adult or minor; placing an adult or minor in fear of physical harm to any animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by the adult or minor; or controlling, regulating, monitoring, or depleting the finances, economic resources, credit, or ability to work or pursue education or job training of an adult.
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On Tuesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation marked National Human Trafficking Awareness Day by urging Tennesseans to educate themselves on how to identify human trafficking and support those who have been impacted by it.
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The Tennessee Comptroller Office released a statement last week alleging a California woman was stealing money from a Tennessee Library. The state’s comptroller’s audit determined that Shekinah Edwards stole $32,366.89 from the Elma Ross Public Library in Haywood County by issuing fraudulent checks addressed to herself. The allegations were referred to a Haywood County Grand Jury, who returned an indictment in November against Edwards of one count of theft of over $10,000.
From May 22, 2020, through July 10, 2020, the Comptroller’s office alleges, Edwards issued herself 14 checks with the forged signatures of the library officials. The fraudulent checks were discovered in July 2020, when the library director was reconciling the library’s bank account and realized the font on the checks was not the same as the checks routinely issued by the library.
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Wednesday night a Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officer killed a suspect after a brief shootout.
“Fatal police shooting under investigation on Old Hickory Blvd W in Madison. Citizens called to report this abandoned Impala in the traffic lane with doors open & the sounds of gunfire from nearby woods. Officers repeatedly ordered the gunman to emerge & surrender…” MNPD said on Twitter.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced in a press release its 19th annual Season to Remember ceremony will be held virtually this year. The ceremony, which is held to honor victims and survivors of homicide, will be streamed on the First Baptist Church’s YouTube page on December 2 at 5:30 PM.
The TBI said “Holidays can be a difficult time for families missing their loved ones, and particularly for victims and survivors of homicide. That’s why federal, state, and local public safety officials have hosted “Tennessee Season to Remember” every year since 2003 to honor and remember victims and survivors of homicide.”
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Eleven men were arrested in Chattanooga this week for seeking illicit sex from minors, and one woman was charged with promoting prostitution.
The arrests were made during a two-day undercover Human Trafficking Operation run by Chattanooga Police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation requested a $59 million budget increase in its budget hearing this week with Gov. Bill Lee and advisers.
The request includes $24.9 million for a career path initiative that will assist with recruitment and retention of staff, an issue many government agencies cited in hearings this week.
TBI’s proposal also included requests for $11.7 million for one-time training and equipment and $10.2 million to hire forensic services positions, including $5.65 million in recurring expenses and $4.5 million in one-time expenses.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) met Monday morning to discuss the dangers of drug addiction and counterfeit medication. Director David Rausch said in the meeting, “let me be clear, if you’re buying pills on the street, in our state, you’re gambling.” Rausch gave a presentation showing examples of drugs like oxycodone, and compared them to the fake pills that people have been dying from. Most fake prescription pills contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. In 2017, fentanyl had attributed to 59 percent of drug overdose deaths. In 2019, Tennessee lost over two thousand people to drug overdoses, and of those over a thousand were fentanyl related.
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Commissioner Marie Williams said, “Our state doesn’t just have a counterfeit pill problem, or an opioid problem, or a methamphetamine problem, we have an addiction problem. Just like every other state in this country.”
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Members of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) this week released the agency’s 2020 Crime in Tennessee publication, which reported that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the state’s crime numbers. The publication details the volume and nature of crime, as reported by Tennessee’s law enforcement agencies, according to a TBI press release.
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The State of Tennessee is partnering with multiple organizations to help combat human trafficking, Governor Bill Lee announced on Thursday.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s project, ItHasToStop.com, this form of modern-day slavery is one of the fastest growing crimes throughout the state and country as a whole. Further, cases of human trafficking have been reported in every county in Tennessee.
“I’m excited to invest in and partner with these remarkable organizations that are at the forefront of this important fight. Human trafficking has no place in our state, and I’m proud to support our law enforcement and non-profit partners,” Governor Lee said.
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U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week said “Tennesseans are facing a stark new reality: when our border isn’t secure, every town becomes a border town and every state a border state.” Blackburn said this in an emailed statement that her staff distributed to the media.
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A man wanted in the mass shooting five people, three of them fatally, in Memphis on March 26 took his own life after being located by police in Nashville Thursday.
“Authorities on scene say the U.S. Marshals tracked a wanted fugitive out of Memphis to the [La Quinta] motel,” according to WKRN.
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Parents must report children in their charge missing within 24 hours, according to legislation being considered by the General Assembly. The newly-proposed bill, “Evelyn Boswell’s Law,” was compelled by the local murder case of Evelyn Boswell. The 15-month-old girl was never reported missing by her mother.
The case gained national attention in mid-February last year, days after Boswell’s grandfather first reported her missing, which led to a massive search for Boswell. The last confirmed sighting of Boswell had been in December, nearly two months earlier. In early March, just weeks after reporting her missing, Boswell’s grandfather discovered her remains on a family property in Blountville, Tennessee.
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Two students at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) have been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from the school over a period of several years.
“Mohamed Osman and Mohamed Gure were presidents of MTSU’s Somali Students Association, according to investigators,” WKRN said. “During their time in office, the Comptroller’s Office said they submitted at least 85 false invoices to MTSU, many of which were for non-existent vendors, to obtain reimbursements totaling $82,200 in student activity fee funds.”
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into an officer-involved shooting Wednesday of a suspect who allegedly rammed several police cars in north Nashville.
The TBI on Wednesday tweeted, “HAPPENING NOW: TBI Agents are investigating a reported officer-involved shooting in Nashville, at a location in the 2200 block of Brick Church Pike.”
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Rep. London Lamar (D-Memphis) filed a bill for the upcoming legislative session beginning Tuesday that calls for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to investigate Tennesseans suspected of participating in seditious or treasonous acts at the federal Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on January 6, and clarifies that such acts committed by state elected officials constitutes their removal from office.
The proposed legislation was filed Friday, after Lamar took to her state representative Facebook page the day prior in a post titled “The Line Has Been Drawn” which accused President Trump and his supporters of engaging in acts of sedition and treason to promote white supremacy.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has received more than 450 tips of cyber crimes against children this year, TBI Director David Rausch said.
The bureau received 122 tips of cyber crimes against children in March, which was three times the number of tips received in January.
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Tennessee authorities announced Tuesday that they are investigating a Memorial Day shooting that resulted in the death of a Washington County man.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report around 11:40 p.m. of a male subject threatening to harm himself and a relative at home. Deputies arrived at the scene and encountered Gary Dorton on the front porch, armed with a large knife.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has opened investigations into five different officer-involved shootings in the last nine days, including the shooting of an off-duty Metro Nashville officer.
According to a statement from the Metro Nashville Police Department, Officer Darrell Osment was “inexplicably” shot in the back “without warning or provocation” while walking his dog Thursday night. Osment said he was in plain clothes when he encountered a man he did not know on the street.
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To illustrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volume and nature of crime in the state, this week the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released select preliminary crime data trends for the first three months of 2020.
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Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have obtained an indictment for a former police chief accused of misconduct and sexual impropriety. This week the Monroe County Grand Jury returned an indictment against former Tellico Plains police chief James Russell Parks, Jr., according to a TBI press release. Officials charged Parks with one count of official misconduct and book him into the Monroe County Jail on a $6,000 bond, the press release went on to say. “On February 14th, at the request of 10th District Attorney General Steve Crump, TBI Agents began investigating missing funds from the Tellico Plains Police Department’s drug enforcement fund, which totaled approximately $840. During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that James Russell Parks, Jr., the department’s police chief, was responsible for the missing funds,” the press release said. “The investigation further determined Parks, 44, was involved in a sexual relationship with an informant paid out of the department’s drug enforcement fund. Parks resigned from the department when the allegation surfaced.” TBI spokesman Josh DeVine told The Tennessee Star Friday he could divulge no further information about the case. As The Star has reported, this is not the first time authorities have accused Tennessee law enforcement…
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Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have obtained indictments for a former Decatur police officer accused of misconduct on duty, according a TBI press release this week. TBI agents began to investigate an alleged incident in December involving Eobard Thawne while he served as a Decatur police officer. TBI agents did so at the request of Ninth District Attorney General Russell Johnson, according to the TBI. “Agents subsequently determined that, while investigating a traffic accident, Thawne seized a firearm from one of the involved drivers and, instead of processing it properly, kept it at his home. Thawne resigned from the department in January,” the TBI press release said. On Monday, the Meigs County Grand Jury returned indictments, charging Thawne, 28, with one count of official misconduct and one count of theft, according to the press release. “On Saturday evening, officers from the Athens Police Department attempted to arrest Thawne at his home on Eastanallee Avenue, during which he barricaded himself,” according to the TBI press release. “After several hours of unsuccessful attempts to communicate with Thawne, Decatur SWAT officers subsequently gained entry into the home and arrested him, later charging him with additional offenses and booking him into the McMinn County…
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Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero has promoted Deputy Chief Eve Thomas to become Knoxville’s first-ever female police chief, WBIR reported. Thomas was sworn in Thursday and succeeds Chief David Rausch as he becomes director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Monday, June 25. Rausch is taking over the TBI after his predecessor, Acting Director Jason Locke, announced his retirement, WATE reported. Locke came under investigation and had lawmakers calling for his resignation after his wife accused him of having an affair with a high-ranking state worker at taxpayers’ expense. Rausch left the KPD in a good position for her, Thomas told WBIR. “The reason I know I am prepared is because of the great team we have. And Chief Rausch has left me in a great spot.” Thomas began her career at KPD in 1993, where her duties included Field Training Officer, Recruitment Coordinator, and working in the accreditation unit, among others. In February, she was named one of KPD’s four deputy chiefs and division commander of the Criminal Investigations Division, making her the second woman to obtain the rank. She told WBIR she wants to grow community relationships Rausch built and continue his focus on fighting drugs. …
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The acting director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is on paid leave and under investigation for an alleged affair at taxpayer expense, and some legislative leaders have called for his resignation, various media outlets reported. Acting Director Jason Locke will be off the job starting Wednesday, June 20, WKRN reported. Senior staff will oversee operations of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation until next Monday, June 25, when Knoxville Police Department Chief David Rausch takes over the agency. Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday named Rausch as the new director of the TBI, WKRN reported. Rausch visited the bureau Tuesday. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Beth Harwell called for Locke to resign, The Tennessean reported. “The allegations against Jason are extremely troubling,” McNally said in a statement, according to The Tennessean. “If I were advising him, I would counsel him to resign for the good of his family and the bureau.” Harwell commended Gov. Bill Haslam for “immediately launching an investigation,” The Tennessean said. There appears to be slight confusion on how the affair came to light. Most reports say Locke’s wife Kim emailed Haslam last week to report the affair. NewsChannel 5 reported that information, but in the same story,…
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Twenty-two men, half of whom are now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have been indicted in an undercover human trafficking sting in Brentwood. The operation was carried out by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the Brentwood Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the office of 21st District Attorney General Kim Helper. A Williamson County grand jury on Monday returned mostly felony indictments against the 22 men, who were attempting to buy illicit sex from minors. “Unfortunately, the results of this joint operation demonstrate the need for continued vigilance for signs of human trafficking in our communities,” Helper said in a news release issued by the TBI Thursday. “The fact that so many men were willing to engage in sexual activity with who they believed to be a 14- and 16-year-old is shocking. Our office will continue to vigorously pursue and prosecute individuals involved in any form of human trafficking.” As part of the sting in early October, two female TBI agents posed as individuals offering sex on Backpage.com. They identified themselves as 14 and 16 years old in text or phone conversations that followed. Men who traveled to meet with them for sex despite the ages…
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Metro Nashville school nurses have not received formal training on how to spot potential cases of female genital mutilation despite state lawmakers drawing attention to FGM with legislation in 2012. The 2012 law requires health care providers to report injuries related to FGM, a brutal practice in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia that has been brought into the West through immigration. In the U.S., Tennessee is ranked 18th in state rankings for potential risk for women and girls, according to the Population Reference Bureau. The Tennessee Star has found that state and local agencies have not established clear guidelines and procedures for building awareness and documenting FGM cases to comply with the spirit and intent of the 2012 reporting law, which was passed to support state legislation in 1996 making FGM performed on a minor a felony. School nurses in Metro Nashville Public Schools are required to take an annual training course on reporting child abuse but it makes no mention of FGM. The Metro Nashville school district has refugee and immigrant students from Somalia and other parts of the world where FGM is practiced. “The annual course does not cover FGM specifically,” said Brian Todd, a spokesman for…
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Elizabeth Thomas will soon be on her way home back to Middle Tennessee, authorities said at a press conference Thursday afternoon at Tennessee Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Nashville. The 15-year-old Maury County girl was found Thursday morning in a remote area in Northern California along with her former high school teacher Tad Cummins. Cummins, 50, was arrested and will face charges of aggravated kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor. The TBI received a tip late Wednesday night that led to authorities in California finding the pair at a rural cabin in Cecilville in Siskiyou County. Thomas is “healthy and unharmed,” said Brent Cooper, the district attorney for the 22nd judicial district, which covers Maury County. “Our main concern is how she is emotionally and mentally,” Cooper said, adding that there are agencies available to help her when she is ready. Authorities said Thomas would travel back to Tennessee on TBI aircraft, but would not disclose any further details about her return out of respect for her privacy. Thomas and Cummins had been staying at the cabin for about a week and a half with limited or no cell phone service and where snow was on the…
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