At least 2,000 health care workers have signed a petition asking Gov. Bill Lee to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Read the full storyTennessee Doctors Ask Gov. Lee to Issue Shelter in Place Order
Tag: Tennessee
Tennessee Unemployment Claims Go Up Dramatically
Tennessee has had an unprecedented spike in new initial unemployment claims according to data the United States Department of Labor released Thursday.
Read the full storyLeft-Wing PBS to Instruct Tennessee Children During Coronavirus Outbreak
The Tennessee Department of Education has secured a partnership with the state’s PBS stations to deliver daily educational content to public school students as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to keep them out of school.
Several organizations, including the Family Research Council, have, in the past, faulted PBS’s educational materials for what they call a left-leaning bias.
TDOE spokeswoman Victoria Robinson on Thursday said she could not describe the PBS content in detail or whether state officials are making sure it has no political biases.
Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star Report: Caller and Nashville Dentist Billy Tells Leahy That This is Way Past the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ Situation for Small Businesses in Tennessee
On Wednesday’s 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 line by a caller and Nashville Dentist named Billy.
Read the full storyGov. Lee Says His ‘Expectation’ Is That Abortion Clinics Would Cancel Procedures During Pandemic
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Wednesday that it is his “hope and expectation” that abortion clinics would cancel elective procedures during the coronavirus pandemic.
Lee issued an executive order Monday that requires all hospitals and surgical outpatient facilities to cancel or postpone all “non-essential procedures” through April 13. The intent of the order is to free up personal protective equipment for health care professionals on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
His executive order asks “non-hospital health care providers,” such as abortion facilities, to deliver any personal protective equipment in their possession to the nearest Tennessee National Guard Armory.
Read the full storyTennessee Democrats Urge Gov. Lee to Issue Statewide Shelter in Place Order
Democrats in the Tennessee Senate asked Gov. Bill Lee to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order Monday to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Read the full storyBill Hagerty Files Petition with Over 2,500 Signatures from All 95 Counties
U.S. Senate Republican candidate Bill Hagerty said Monday that he had filed his nominating petition to qualify for the Republican primary ballot with the most signatures for a GOP candidate running for public office in Tennessee history.
Hagerty announced this on his campaign’s website Monday.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Second Coronavirus Death Was Brother of Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor
Tennessee’s second confirmed COVID-19 death was the brother of Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, according to a statement Flanagan posted to Instagram Sunday night.
Read the full storySenate Candidate Bill Hagerty to Host Tele-Town Hall on Economy with Larry Kudlow
Bill Hagerty, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Tennessee, announced that he will be hosting a telephone town hall Wednesday with Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump’s director for the National Economic Council.
Read the full storyMore Than 500 Tennesseans Have Coronavirus, Health Officials Say
Tennessee had more than 500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday night, according to the Tennessee Department of Health’s website.
Davidson County continued to have the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases by far at 179. But, as of Sunday night, Shelby County overtook Williamson County and ranked as having the second highest number of confirmed cases, according to TDH.
Read the full storyCoders Building Database Need Health Care Workers to Report Coronavirus Testing Sites So They Can Provide Data to Officials Battling Disease
A coalition of computer coders and medical experts is looking for volunteers — including from the Volunteer State — to help provide better information on COVID-19 coronavirus testing sites.
TechCrunch reported on the one-week-old Coders Against Covid project, which is building a database of testing sites. The team of about 15 developers includes Andrew Kemendo of KesselRun, an Air Force software developer, and Dr. Jorge A. Caballero, a clinical instructor of Anesthesia at Stanford University. The goal is to inform officials tracking the disease and to better distribute the tests where they are needed.
Read the full storyGovernor Bill Lee Orders Bars And Restaurants to Close
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued an executive action Sunday ordering the closure of bars, restaurants, and other places of public accommodation in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created both an economic and a health crisis and our response must continue to address both aspects,” Lee said in a statement. “Our goal is to keep the public, especially vulnerable populations, safe while doing everything possible to keep Tennesseans in a financially stable position.”
Read the full storyCoronavirus Cases in Tennessee Jump to Nearly 400 on Saturday
Tennessee had 371 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the Tennessee Department of Health’s website Saturday evening.
Read the full storyHealth Officials Confirm First Coronavirus Death in Tennessee
Health officials in Nashville reported Tennessee’s first coronavirus death Friday evening.
Read the full storyNumber of Confirmed Coronavirus Cases in Tennessee Surpasses 200
Tennessee had 228 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Friday evening, according to the Tennessee Department of Health’s website, although Friday’s news brought cause for some optimism, at least in Davidson County.
Davidson County continued to have the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, 101, according to the TDH website. This, even though Alex Jahangir, who chairs that county’s Metro Coronavirus Task Force, said the number was higher at a press conference Friday morning.
Read the full storyGov. Lee Says Churches Are ‘Risking People’s Lives’ By Continuing to Hold Services
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said during a Friday press conference that churches that continue to hold services are putting people’s lives at risk.
“Churches that continue to meet and gather with elderly and putting groups of people in the same setting, quite frankly, they’re risking people’s lives,” Lee said during an update on the COVID-19 outbreak in Tennessee. “There are ways to worship and there are ways to serve without congregating people, and I’m urging and challenging churches to do just that.”
Read the full storyNumber of Coronavirus Cases in Tennessee Tops 150
As of Thursday, Davidson and Williamson counties continued to tally the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, according to the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH)’s website.
Read the full storyTennessee Applies for Economic Injury Disaster Loan Assistance
Tennessee has submitted a request for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Gov. Bill Lee announced Wednesday.
The assistance allows small businesses and nonprofit organizations negatively impacted by the coronavirus to apply for loans of up to $2 million.
“For most of my life, I’ve been a small business owner and understand the unique challenges each of you face,” Lee said in a statement. “While I am pleased with our progress on targeted relief for small businesses, we know this is just a first step from our federal partners to provide liquidity to our businesses. We are in constant dialogue with our delegation members to ensure that federal aid is responsive to our concerns and needs.”
Read the full storyUnemployment Claims Skyrocket in Tennessee
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has reportedly received a dramatic increase in unemployment benefit claims.
Read the full storyThomas More Law Center Petitions U.S. Supreme Court to Review Tennessee’s Challenge to Federal Refugee Resettlement Program
In what could have far reaching implications for all states seeking to withdraw from the federal refugee resettlement program, the Thomas More Law Center, collaborating with attorney John Bursch, filed a certiorari petition Monday, in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read the full storyStudy Ranks Tennessee As Having One of Country’s Least Aggressive Responses to COVID-19
A new study ranked Tennessee as having one of the least aggressive responses in the country to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyWith No Jurors to Choose From During Health Emergency, Tennessee Court Officials Make Drastic Changes
The dangers of the Coronavirus are overtaking the right to a speedy trial in Tennessee.
Read the full storyCoronavirus: Senator Kerry Roberts Advises the Need for Official Announcements in a Timely Manner for All Tennesseans
On Tuesday’s 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. – Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed his weekly regular guest and all-star panelist Tennessee state Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield.)
Read the full storyMetro Councilman At-Large Steve Glover Urges City Officials to Think Through Decisions and Their Consequences as Music City Shuts Down
During the top of the third hour on Monday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, Metro Councilman Steve Glover gave his take on how he thought the city of Nashville may have made drastic decisions without thoroughly thinking through the consequences. He suggested that the city needs to look at the economic impact of all the things that have occurred to us over the last two to three weeks as our number one priority.
Read the full storyTennessee Tax Revenue More Than $1 Billion in February
Tennessee tax revenues in February grew 6.79 percent compared with February 2019, the Department of Finance and Administration announced.
Tax revenue for February was a little more than $1 billion, which was $64.8 million more than was collected in February 2019.
Read the full storyGovernor Bill Lee: ‘I Urge Every School District in Tennessee to Close As Soon As Practically Possible’
Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee said Monday that he wants all school districts in the state to close as soon as possible and to remain closed until the end of this month.
“As the response to COVID-19 evolves, I urge every school district in Tennessee to close as soon as practically possible, with all schools expected to close by Friday, March 20, 2020 at the latest. Schools should remain closed through March 31, 2020 to further mitigate the spread of this infectious disease and we will issue further guidance prior to March 31,” Lee said in a statement.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Herb Slatery Warns State Residents About Census Scams
Members of Tennessee Attorney General Herb Slatery’s office are warning Tennesseans not to fall for U.S. Census scams.
This, according to a press release Slatery’s office released this week.
Members of the U.S. Census Bureau are now sending out notices with detailed information on how to respond online, by phone, or by mail.
Read the full storyTennessee Officials Charge Williamson County Dentist and Wife with TennCare Fraud
State officials have charged three people, a married couple from Williamson County and a Knox County man, with TennCare fraud.
Read the full storyBill Hagerty: End Human Trafficking, Support Death Penalty for Traffickers
U.S. Republican senatorial candidate Bill Hagerty weighed in on human trafficking and said it is a serious problem that affects every county in Tennessee.
Read the full storyTennessee Senate Candidate Bill Hagerty Talks About Plans to Protect Our Constitutional Rights, Trump’s Visit, and the Death Penalty for Human Traffickers
Live from Music Row Wednesday 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 Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed former ambassador to Japan and current Tennessee Senate candidate Bill Hagerty to the show.
Read the full storyState Senator Kerry Roberts: President Trump Impressed as Tornado Response Proves Tennesseans Live Up to the Volunteer State
On Tuesday’s 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. – Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed his weekly regular guest Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield.)
Read the full storyTennessee Government Relents to Pressure, Reveals County-By-County Location of State’s Seven Coronavirus Cases
The Tennessee Department of Health has backed down from its secret government stance — by a little — and released the county-by-county location of the state’s seven confirmed coronavirus cases.
The TDH and Gov. Bill Lee for two days had refused to say which counties had coronavirus COVID-19 cases. Late Tuesday evening, TDH acknowledged intense public criticism when it issued this statement:
The Tennessee Department of Health has announced updated case management protocol regarding confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a continued effort to keep communities informed while also maintaining patient privacy.
Read the full storyNashville, Memphis Report Tennessee’s Second, Third Cases of Coronavirus
Nashville Mayor John Cooper confirmed a case of coronavirus on Sunday, making it the third in Tennessee, coming the same day Shelby County announced a case.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Statewide Unemployment Rate Holds Steady for Third Consecutive Month, State Officials Say
Tennessee’s statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2020 is 3.3 percent, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development released this week.
Read the full storyAmerican Federation for Children – Tennessee Launches School Finder Website
American Federation for Children-Tennessee this week announced the launch of a website dedicated to helping parents navigate school options for their children ahead of the Education Savings Account program open enrollment period, which is expected to begin this month.
Read the full storySen. Blackburn Tours Tornado-Damaged Communities, Advances Bill to Allow Faster Repairs of Telecom Infrastructure
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has been busy checking in on the state’s response to the deadly tornadoes that hit Middle Tennessee this week.
Read the full storyDonald Trump Approves Tennessee Disaster Declaration After This Week’s Deadly Tornadoes
President Donald Trump directed aid to Tennessee Tuesday to supplement state and local recovery efforts due to wide-spread damage caused by Monday’s overnight storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding.
“The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Davidson, Putnam, and Wilson Counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” according to a White House statement.
Read the full storyDolores Gresham Says She Will Not Seek Reelection
Tennessee State Sen. Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville), who also chairs the state Senate’s Education Committee, said she will not seek reelection this year, according to a press release Gresham put out Thursday.
Read the full storyWilliamson County Coronavirus Patient Flew Home Recently From Boston, Has Child Attending Battle Ground Academy
New reports on the Williamson County man diagnosed with the coronavirus indicate he flew home from Boston, and has a son attending Battle Ground Academy.
Read the full storyTennessee Man Tests Positive for Coronavirus
A 44-year-old Williamson County man and his household contacts remain quarantined at home after he tested positive for the Coronavirus.
This is the first confirmed case of the Coronavirus in Tennessee, according to state officials.
Read the full storyAfter Deadly Tornadoes, Tennessee Officials Warn People to Avoid Scam Artists
Tennessee Attorney General Herb Slatery’s office has warned state residents about potential scams following this week’s deadly tornadoes that claimed the lives of at least 25 people.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Congressional Delegation Offers Federal Assistance After Tornadoes
Members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation told Middle Tennessee residents Tuesday they will do everything they can to help the state recover after tornadoes claimed at least 25 lives.
Read the full storyNikki Junewicz Describes East Nashville as Tornado Whips Through Downtown Leaving Extensive Damage Early Tuesday Morning
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. – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line live from East Nashville by Fox 17’s Nikki Junewicz.
Read the full storyBiden Dominates Super Tuesday States, Upsets Sanders in Minnesota
Former Vice President Joe Biden defeated Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Tuesday night in Minnesota’s Democratic primary, a shocking upset in what was a tough night for the Vermont socialist.
Read the full storyRural Superintendents in Tennessee Want to Keep Their Public School Monopolies Intact, Oppose School Vouchers
Rural school superintendents in Tennessee gave out a litany of reasons this week to explain why they oppose school vouchers.
Read the full storyTennessee Legislators Ponder New Firearms Bills
If enacted into law, a new bill moving along in the Tennessee General Assembly would require people to accept enhanced handgun carry permits and concealed handgun carry permits as valid forms of government-issued photo IDs.
Read the full storyTwo Tennessee Legislators Say They Want to Make Local Governments More Transparent
State Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) and State Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville) have put forward a bill that would make government entities provide more information to the public on upcoming government meetings.
Read the full storyTennessee Lawmakers Propose Constitutional Amendment to Support Victims of Crime
State Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon) and State Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, (R-Signal Mountain) have introduced legislation that they say would strengthen the rights of crime victims in Tennessee’s Constitution.
Read the full storyThales 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.
Read the full storyTennessee and Four Other States Want to Act on Equal Rights Amendment Matter
Tennessee has joined a motion to intervene in litigation over whether the Equal Rights Amendment can be placed into the Constitution more than 40 years after the 1979 deadline for ratifying the proposed amendment expired.
Read the full story