Category: Tennessee

Ramsey Event Center in Franklin to Host Israel Summit

Kaitlin Housler
Ramsey Event Center

The Ramsey Event Center in Franklin will hold the 2024 Israel Summit next week after the event’s original venue, the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel, broke its contractual obligation to host the summit.

“God is doing amazing things in Tennessee, and we are even more excited about the upcoming Israel Summit,” two of the summit’s sponsors, HaYovel and The Israel Guys, announced Tuesday. “Dave Ramsey stepped in TODAY and offered his state-of-the-art event center for the Israel Summit!”

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Nashville Announces It Will Test Some Beer Sellers for Selling Without Checking ID

Matthew Giffin
Drinking alcohol

Nashville will test some of its beer sellers by having someone attempt to purchase beer without presenting identification.

The Metro Beer Permit Board announced Monday it will conduct compliance checks by having an individual over 21 years old enter establishments with off-sale beer permits and try to purchase beer without an ID, according to a Nashville government news release. The board wants to enhance compliance with state law among sellers with off-sale permits.

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University of Tennessee Silent as Anti-Israel Protesters Demonstrate Past School’s Deadline

Matthew Giffin

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) has apparently not made any statements or actions as anti-Israel protesters continued to demonstrate past the school’s given deadline of May 11.

UTK allowed the People’s School for Gaza, which is not an official student organization at the university, to demonstrate on campus for about two weeks after starting on May 1, despite UTK’s rules for using its outdoor spaces. The school went so far as to reserve the space the protesters had been using, the Student Union Cumberland Plaza, on the group’s behalf.

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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to Headline Pro-Abortion Fundraiser in Nashville

Tom Pappert
Kentucky governor Andy Beshear

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, described in the press as rising star within Democratic Party politics, is set to headline a Nashville abortion event and fundraiser in June, it was reported Monday.

A website advertising the Tennessee Freedom Circle event reveals Beshear will appear with “survivor and advocate, Hadley Duvall,” for the “Championing Reproductive Freedom” event on June 21.

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Tennessee Department of Homeland Security, Local Law Enforcement Silent About McKenzie McClure Investigation

Matthew Giffin
McKenzie McClure

The Tennessee Department of Homeland Security, a state-level law enforcement agency, conducted interviews of transgender alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure while Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) did not take action.

According to the criminal complaint against McClure, who left a voicemail of a “threatening nature” for her former school Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) in Nashville, the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security became involved in the investigation of McClure. As of now, there are no publicly available details as to how the department became involved in the case.

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Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Confirms Transgender Arrested for Alleged Cyberstalking Will Remain in Custody Leading up to June 3 Hearing

Kaitlin Housler
US Atty Mark H. Wildasin, McKenzie McClure

An executive assistant attorney with the Middle District of Tennessee U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed to The Tennessee Star that McKenzie McClure, the biological female and former Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) student arrested by federal authorities on cyberstalking charges, will remain in custody leading up to a June 3 detention hearing.

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New Tennessee Law to Revoke Driving Privileges for Minors Behind Threats of ‘Mass Violence’ Against Schools

Tom Pappert
Teen Driver

A law set to take effect before the 2024-2025 school year will require juvenile courts to revoke driver’s licenses from juvenile offenders who are convicted of threatening schools or school property.

SB 1664 by State Senator Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro) will mandate juvenile offenders who are found guilty of threatening mass violence on school property or during school activities must have their driving privileges suspended for one year.

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum Emerges as a Potential VP Pick for Trump, May Be Able to Draw Moderates

Just the News
Trump with Gov Doug Burgum

With his appeal to moderate voters, North Dakota GOP Gov. Doug Burgum is emerging as a potential vice presidential pick for presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The latest signals came Saturday evening when Trump flew the 67-year-old Burgum on his jet to a rally in Wildwood, N.J., and put him front and center on stage, where he forcefully made the case for a second Trump term.

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Arrest of Transgender Former Student Who Allegedly Threatened Nashville’s Christ Presbyterian Academy Raises Troubling Parallels to Covenant Killer

Tom Pappert
McKenzie McClure, Audrey Elizabeth Hale

The recent arrest of McKenzie McClure, the biological female and former Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) student federal authorities accused of cyberstalking following alleged threats to CPA in Nashville, shares concerning similarities with the circumstances which preceded the tragic Covenant School shootings by Audrey Elizabeth Hale last year in which the former Covenant School student killed 3 students and 3 staff members before she, in turn, was killed by Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers.

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Tennessee Court of Appeals Rules That State Statute Allowing TWRA Game Wardens to Enter Private Property Without a Search Warrant Is Unconstitutional

Kaitlin Housler
TWRA Worker

The Tennessee Court of Appeals released a decision in Terry Rainwaters, et al. v. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, et al. on Thursday, holding a previous ruling that found a state statute that allows TWRA to patrol private properties without warrants or consent to be unconstitutional.

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State Senator Brent Taylor Says Memphis Will Be ‘Hollowed Out’ If Crime is Not Addressed

Kaitlin Housler
Brent Taylor

State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) warned that Memphis will be ‘hollowed out’ if its crime problem is not addressed.

Taylor, who sponsored several crime-related bills in the recently-adjourned legislative session of the General Assembly, said the response he has received from the community in Memphis for his work to crackdown on crime has been positive.

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Transgender Arrested for Alleged Cyberstalking Was Previously Charged with Domestic Assault in 2022

Matthew Giffin
McKenzie McClure

A transgender alleged cyberstalker who caused a Nashville Christian school to close for a day in March after sending a disconcerting message was previously charged with domestic assault, according to court records.

McKenzie McClure, also known as Kalvin McClure, was charged twice with domestic assault according to Williamson County public court records. The records list the “violation date” on each charge as August 21, 2022.

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TN-18 State Senate GOP Primary Challenger Chris Spencer Refuses to Answer If He’d Vote for Governor’s School Choice Bill If Elected

Kaitlin Housler
Chris Spencer

Chris Spencer, a Republican candidate challenging incumbent Tennessee State Senator Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) in the August 1 TN-18 GOP primary, refused to answer whether he’d vote for or against Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice bill during the next legislative session of the General Assembly if elected.

The governor’s school choice bill, called the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, failed to pass the General Assembly during the most recently convened session of the General Assembly.

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Former Memphis Police Officer Now Faces Federal Charges in Alleged Murder

Peter D'Abrosca
Patric Ferguson

A former Memphis Police officer who was charged in 2021 with kidnapping and murdering a man has now been charged at the federal level. 

“A federal grand jury in Memphis, Tennessee, returned an eight-count indictment today charging former Memphis Police Officer Patric J. Ferguson with federal civil rights, kidnapping and weapons offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of a victim identified as R.H.,” according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). “The indictment also charges Ferguson and a civilian, Joshua M. Rogers, with federal offenses for conspiring to cover up the fatal shooting and destroying evidence of the crimes. The indictment further charges Rogers with accessory after the fact for helping Ferguson cover up his crimes.”

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Embattled Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert Will ‘Absolutely Not’ Resign, Declares Transparency to Begin After She’s ‘Given Authority’

Tom Pappert
Wanda Halbert

Wanda Halbert, the embattled Shelby County Clerk currently facing a legal petition for her removal from office, confirmed in Tuesday remarks to a Memphis media personality that she will not resign amid court proceedings.

Halbert currently awaits a court date following a 49-page petition submitted by Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp which alleged the clerk demonstrated “willful neglect to perform” duties associated with her office.

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University of Tennessee Reserves Campus Space for Anti-Israel Protesters After Noncompliant Behavior

Matthew Giffin
Gaza protest UTK

After about one week of protests and refusal to comply with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s (UTK) rules and flouting warnings of violating state law, an anti-Israel protest group on campus has had the Student Union Cumberland Plaza designated for it by the school itself.

On Wednesday, May 1, a group of protesters called the “People’s School for Gaza,” which is not a student organization registered with UTK, began demonstrating on campus after an official event held by the school’s official chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, The Tennessee Star previously reported.

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Report: Late Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny’s Death Ruled Accidental, Caused by Drug Overdose

Kaitlin Housler
Judd Matheny

The late Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny’s April 2 death was caused by drugs present in his system, compounded by heart conditions, according to an autopsy report conducted by the Center for Forensic Medicine in Nashville.

The report, first obtained by The Tullahoma News, concluded that Matheny’s death was accidental, with the cause of death “ascribed to mixed cocaine, ethanol, mitragynine toxicity with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease as a significant contributing factor.”

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Tennessee Republican Delegation Members Vote to Advance Bill Requiring Citizenship Question on the U.S. Census

Kaitlin Housler
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

All eight Republicans representing Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with the majority of members to pass a bill requiring the U.S. Census to include a question asking if the person is a United States citizen.

The Census determines how many congressional districts and electoral college votes each state gets to help ensure American votes are equally represented in Congress.

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Metro Nashville Police Says It Did Not Interview Alleged Cyberstalker McKenzie McClure

Matthew Giffin
McKenzie McClure

The Metro Nashville Police Department told The Tennessee Star it did not interview an alleged cyberstalker now in federal custody who left a concerning message for Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) in March that caused the school to close for one day.

McKenzie McClure, a self-identified “trans man” also known as Kalvin McClure or Kalvin Mikoledes, was arrested on suspicion of cyberstalking by federal agents on April 29 for the message she left for CPA and her social media activity where she made several concerning posts about CPA and threatened Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and his wife Maria Lee. McClure is still in federal custody.

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Tennessee AG Skrmetti Leads Coalition of States in Pushing Back on New Department of Energy Rule Targeting Household Refrigerators, Freezers

Kaitlin Housler
Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 17 state attorneys general in a comment letter opposing the Department of Energy’s direct final rule regulating consumer refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.

The DOE’s rule, scheduled to be implemented on May 16, imposes new energy conservation standards for these consumer items.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Declares His Transportation Referendum ‘Very Progressive’

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell described his “Choose How You Move” transportation referendum as “very progressive” in a Wednesday interview, highlighting the endeavor as one of the most progressive acts of his administration.

O’Connell was asked by The Guardian, which describes itself as “the world’s leading liberal voice,” to what level he views himself “as a progressive leader in a state that is not politically progressive” following the 2022 redistricting process that split Nashville between multiple congressional districts.

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Tennessee GOP Chairman Confident in Security Measures Taken for Republican National Convention in Milwaukee

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said he is confident in the security measures being taken for attendees of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee will host the Republican National Convention from July 15-18, during which tens of thousands of delegates, guests, and press members will gather to officially nominate Donald Trump for president and his yet-to-be-announced running mate for vice president.

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Federal Court Case in Ohio Could Reverse SCOTUS Precedent That Expanded Commerce Clause

Kaitlin Housler
Brewing

Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, said he believes an Ohio court case, Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury, may succeed in rolling back federal overreach regarding Congress’ power to regulate interstate commerce under the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

The Buckeye Institute, an Ohio think tank, filed Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury in January on behalf of John Ream of Licking County, Ohio.

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Nashville’s Legally Dubious $3.1 Billion Transportation Plan Sparks Debate over Future Tax Burden

Kaitlin Housler
Freddie O'Connell

Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said not only does Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s $3.1 billion transit referendum, which is expected to be presented to Davidson County voters on the November ballot, appear illegal under the 2017 IMPROVE Act, but its implementation would inevitably raise property taxes for residents.

O’Connell unveiled his transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last month.

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Legal Battle Brews over Nashville Mayor’s $3.1 Billion Transportation Plan

Kaitlin Housler
Freddie O'Connell

Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, continues to scrutinize the legality of the Nashville mayor’s $3.1 billion transit referendum expected to be presented in front of Davidson County voters on the November ballot.

Mayor Freddie O’Connell unveiled his $3.1 billion transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last month. The plan would be funded through a half-cent increase in the city’s sales tax to construct miles of new sidewalks, bus stops, transit centers, parking facilities, and upgraded traffic signals.

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Days After Threatening Governor Bill Lee and His Wife, Former Christ Presbyterian Academy Student Who Now Identifies as Male Arrested on Cyberstalking Charge

Matthew Giffin
McKenzie McClure on CPA Campus

A former student of Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) in Nashville was arrested on suspicion of cyberstalking days after possibly making a public threat toward Governor Bill Lee and his wife Maria Lee.

McKenzie McClure, also known as Kalvin McClure, was arrested by federal agents after they observed troubling social media activity and McClure left a concerning voicemail to CPA on March 24, 2024, that caused two schools to shut down the following day.

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Memphis Man Released on Bail Hunts Down, Shoots Witness from Trial

Kaitlin Housler
Tavious Wilson

A Memphis man out on bond for his alleged involvement in a shooting earlier this year is behind bars once again after being accused of hunting down and shooting a witness who testified at trial for the earlier shooting case.

On Monday, ABC24 News reported that it had obtained an affidavit from Shelby County court records showing that officers with the Memphis Police Department (MPD) responded to an aggravated assault on May 2 in the area of James Road and Raleigh-Millington Road.

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Pope Francis Appoints Tennessee Native as Bishop of Knoxville

Peter D'Abrosca
James Mark Beckman

Pope Francis has appointed a priest who is a native of Tennessee to become the next Bishop of Knoxville.

“Pope Francis has appointed Reverend James Mark Beckman, as Bishop of Knoxville,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “Bishop-elect Beckman is a priest of the Diocese of Nashville, and currently serves as pastor of Saint Henry parish in Nashville, Tennessee. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.”

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Blended Sentencing Law Passed by Tennessee General Assembly Awaits Governor Lee’s Signature

Peter D'Abrosca
Inmate

A law ensuring that Tennessee’s worst juvenile offenders do not walk free upon becoming adults is awaiting the signature of Gov. Bill Lee (R).

HB 043o, passed at the end of the most recent legislative session, “allows a juvenile court to impose a blended sentence on a child 16 years of age or older for a juvenile offense that would be a Class A, B, or C felony if committed by an adult.”

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Funding Sources Behind Tennessee Student Groups Linked to Pro-Palestine, Anti-Israel Causes Under Scrutiny

Matthew Giffin
Pro-Palestine protest

As anti-Israel protests on college campuses across the country dominate the headlines, higher education institutions in Tennessee have also harbored a presence of student activism on behalf of the Palestinian side of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Two student organizations with chapters at some Tennessee colleges—Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)—are among many activist groups across the country that receive abundant funding and harbor ties to left-leaning groups.

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49-Page Complaint Demands Removal of Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert After Alleged Incompetence, Bad Administration

Tom Pappert
Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert

A 49-page complaint was filed against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert on Monday, demanding she be suspended then removed from office over alleged incompetence and bad management decisions that cost the county hundreds of thousands.

The complaint was filed by Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp in the Shelby County Circuit Court and makes the case that Halbert should be removed due to alleged “willful neglect to perform a duty” assigned to her office.

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DOJ Confirms Person Who Sent ‘Disconcerting’ Message to Christian School Arrested for Alleged Cyberstalking

Matthew Giffin
Christ Presbyterian Academy

An individual who sent a message causing a Nashville private Christian school to close back in March was arrested for alleged cyberstalking, according to court documents. The person also appears to identify as a member of the LGBTQ community.

On March 24, days before the anniversary of the Covenant School shooting, Christ Presbyterian Academy received a message containing “disconcerting language towards the safety of our campus,” school officials said in an email to parents at the time, WSMV reported. CPA and neighboring Currey Ingram Academy in Brentwood closed the next day due to safety concerns. 

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Tennessee Eagle Forum Honors State Sen. Kerry Roberts for Fixing 2022 Law that Granted Professional Licenses to Illegal Immigrants

Tom Pappert
Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts

The Tennessee Eagle Forum on Monday announced State Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) was awarded the Tennessee Eagle Forum Award for 2024 due to his successful legislation that “effectively repealed” a 2022 law which enabled some illegal immigrants to receive state-issued commercial and professional licenses.

Roberts’ legislation, according to a Tennessee Eagle Forum press release, removed key language from Public Chapter No. 11, the 2022 legislation that allowed illegal immigrants to obtain professional or commercial licenses if they are “either a United States citizen or authorized under federal law to work in the United States as verified by the SAVE program.”

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Anti-Israel Activists Behind Columbia University Protests Trained in Cuba for Years

ADN America
Cuba-trained activists at Columbia #ShutItDown4Palestine

Some of the anti-Israel protests taking place at U.S. college campuses, including the recent demonstrations at Columbia University, have been supported by organizations that traveled to communist Cuba to receive resistance training, an ADN investigation has uncovered.

ADN’s investigation coincides with a recent Sunday report published by the New York Post that revealed a radical NYC based organization known as The People’s Forum familiarized anti-Israel activists with Black Lives Matter protest techniques just hours before they stormed Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, and that the group was incited by Manolo De Los Santos – a radical activist organizer with deep ties to communist Cuba.

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Anti-Israel Demonstrations at University of Tennessee Continue Into Sixth Day

Matthew Giffin
People’s School for Gaza

Anti-Israel demonstrations at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) continued into their sixth consecutive day on Monday, May 6. A non-student organization calling itself the People’s School for Gaza held demonstrations at multiple locations on UTK’s campus.

The group announced a meeting at 9 a.m. ET in an initial Instagram post and moved across campus throughout the day. By 1:50 p.m. ET, demonstrators had moved to the lawn of the Student Union, according to a post later in the day.

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Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Busts Five for Jail Smuggling Operation

Peter D'Abrosca
Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said in a statement that it has arrested five people for their involvement in a drug smuggling operation into the Hamilton County Jail. 

“This operation, uncovered through a comprehensive investigation revealed a conspiracy responsible for smuggling illegal contraband into the jail,” HCSO said. “The items seized included 12 wrapped bundles of suspected blue Fentanyl, 6 Suboxone strips, 35 strips of Toon Paper (papers laced with THC), some blue powder suspected to be Fentanyl, and approximately 20 blue Fentanyl pills.”

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