http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/tn-news/ en-us Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:08:04 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050200/posts Gores to host Obama fundraiser Nashville | July 24, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is preparing to host a Nashville fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, say officials. A spokeswoman for Gore, has confirmed that Al and Tipper Gore have agreed to the event although a date and location have not been set, nor even whether Obama himself would attend, The Tennessean, a Nashville newspaper, reported Wednesday. Wade Munday, a spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party, said we would certainly welcome the senator with open arms should he arrive in Nashville before the October... Web India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050200/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:08:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050101/posts Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin and the city of Memphis have filed a lawsuit to learn who operates a blog harshly critical of Godwin and his department. The lawsuit asks AOL to produce all information related to the identity of an e-mail address linked to MPD Enforcer 2.0, a blog popular with police officers that has been extremely critical of police leadership at 201 Poplar. "In what could be a landmark case of privacy and the 1st Amendment," the anonymous bloggers write on the site, "Godwin has illegally used his position and the City of Memphis as a ram to... Memphis Commercial Appeal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050101/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:36:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048311/posts “The Appalachian voting bloc will be critical in the … 2008 presidential election,” former Democratic National Committee executive director Mark Siegel says. Yet his broad statement comes with its own geopolitical caveat: location. “It all depends on what part of Appalachia you are talking about,” says Siegel. “If they live in Pennsylvania and Ohio, then, yes, without a doubt they are the key voters. If they live in West Virginia, then no, because for the Democrats that is not a state that is in play.” Appalachia is not a single state but a region that has its own unique frame... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048311/posts#comment Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:23:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048315/posts Girl inspired soldiers in Kosovo while she fought brain tumor ALCOA - After battling a brain tumor and starting a support group for Army National Guard soldiers overseas, 8-year-old Hannah Lawson was able to meet soldiers whom she's inspired through her strength, resilience and bravery at the air base in Alcoa on Saturday. Hannah was surrounded by her family and friends as they awaited the arrival of Black Hawk pilot David Creech and the Southern Comfort medical helicopter unit that recently returned home to East Tennessee from their station in Kosovo. A crowd of about 100 people gathered in support... The Knoxville News Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048315/posts#comment Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:45:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047678/posts OAK RIDGE — The government’s inventory of so-called heavy water, which is used in production of nuclear weapons, is dwindling and could be gone by 2019, according to a federal audit released today. The audit report by the Department of Energy’s Inspector General said the shortage could become a national security issue if not given new priority. The inventory of high-purity heavy water, also known as deuterium oxide, is primarily managed and stored at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge. Knoxville News Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047678/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:58:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047591/posts NASHVILLE -- A federal court jury convicted former state senator John Ford of all six charges in connection with his $850,000 in consulting work for two major TennCare contractors. Ford, 66, is already serving a 5 1/2 year sentence for a separate conviction on federal bribery charges in Memphis. He faces up to 20 years in the Nashville case but sentencing will not occur for several weeks, possibly months. The middle Tennessee jury deliberated a total of eight hours -- six on Thursday -- before returning to the courtroom where it sat since the trial began on July 1. The... Memphis Commercial Appeal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047591/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:47:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047380/posts MEMPHIS, TN – Police say a Memphis store clerk shot a 17 year-old boy during a robbery. According investigators, it happened around 8:50 p.m., Monday, July 14, 2008, at the Margarita Market in the 6000 block of Knight Arnold Road. Police say the teen and three other men were shoplifting at the store when the clerk confronted them. The four suspects, ages 17, 19, 20, and 28, attacked the clerk during the confrontation, according to investigators. Police say that is when the clerk shot the 17 year-old in the leg. Police say the teen was taken to the hospital in... Eyewitness news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047380/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:03:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046944/posts In the year since Al Gore took steps to make his home more energy-efficient, the former Vice President’s home energy use surged more than 10%, according to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research… In the past year, Gore’s home burned through 213,210 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 232 average American households for a month… After the Tennessee Center for Policy Research exposed Gore’s massive home energy use [in February 2007], the former Vice President scurried to make his home more energy-efficient. Despite adding solar panels, installing a geothermal system, replacing existing light bulbs with more efficient models, and... Hot Air http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046944/posts#comment Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:46:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046802/posts DETROIT (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers union has called a strike against a Johnson Controls Inc factory in Columbia, Tennessee, that will supply seats and consoles for the upcoming Chevrolet Traverse crossover vehicle from General Motors Corp. UAW Local 1853 President Mike O'Rourke, who also represents workers at GM's Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant, said Johnson Controls' management had refused to recognize the union even though 170 of 172 workers at the plant had signed cards seeking UAW representation. Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046802/posts#comment Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:44:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046571/posts Nearly everyone carries a cell phone and it’s hard to find one without that camera feature.  It’s convenient when you want to take that impromptu photo, but a Tri-Cities area man ended up behind bars after snapping a shot of a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop. The cell phone photographer says the arrest was intimidation, but the deputy says he feared for his life. “Here’s a guy who takes me out of the car and arrests me in front of my kids.  For what?  To take a picture of a police officer?” said Scott Conover. A Johnson... WJHL http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046571/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:18:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046253/posts LAKE CITY - Spc. Jason Dean Hovater was much more than a soldier stationed in an outpost in Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. "He was a brother and a son and a husband,'' said Hovater's sister, Jessica Davis of Norris. "Most of all, he was a man of God. He was a light to other people around him." Hovater, a Clinton resident, was one of nine soldiers killed last weekend in the deadliest assault in Afghanistan against the U.S. military in three years. Some 200 militants with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars attacked the outpost but were beaten back... The Knoxville News Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046253/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:37:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045964/posts German carmaker Volkswagen (VW) has chosen to locate its new US car plant in Tennessee, a move that could pump $1bn (£498m) into the local economy. VW opted for a site in the city of Chattanooga in preference to possible locations in Alabama and Michigan. The euro's rise against the dollar has made it costly to make cars in Europe and export them to the US, leading VW to explore manufacturing again there. The move is good news for a US car industry shedding thousands of jobs. New car Earlier on Tuesday, GM said it planned to make further cutbacks... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045964/posts#comment Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:10:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045606/posts Horror in Knoxville update: Trial stalled for one year By Michelle Malkin • July 14, 2008 02:56 PM It must be maddening for the families of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. I know you haven’t forgotten the young couple brutally murdered in a racially-charged case in Knoxville, TN. I haven’t, either. The latest? Justice delayed in the trial of suspect George Thomas: MichelleMalkin.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045606/posts#comment Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:36:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045187/posts It didn't take long for Sunday night's Congressional debate to turn to race. In a televised debate on WREG-TV Channel 3, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen and challengers Nikki Tinker and Joe Towns Jr. began by telling viewers why each should be elected to represent Tennessee's Ninth Congressional District. But minutes into the debate, the conversation turned to race, a theme that has been a near-constant in this campaign. Some believe the incumbent Cohen isn't qualified to represent the majority black district because he's white; Tinker and Towns are black. For others, what matters is merit, not pigment. "I have never... Memphis Commercial Appeal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045187/posts#comment Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:37:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044602/posts We welcome Senator Alexander to the blog, and applaud his action to improve our energy situation. - Jon Henke Americans are feeling the pain at the pump. Hundreds of my constituents have written me with their stories of how record-high fuel costs are affecting their family budgets. One Tennessean who wrote to me is a diabetic who is having trouble paying for her insulin shots due to rising gas prices. She says: "Gas for work or insulin to live. That is the decision I have had to make several times daily." It's time for Congress to take action. Forty-four Senate... The Next Right http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044602/posts#comment Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:08:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044402/posts Could an annoying plant hold the key to reducing our dependence on foreign oil? A Cleveland, Tennessee man who knows how to make ethanol out of kudzu may soon bring his refining process to market. This time next year, the gas you fill-up with in Chattanooga may be cheaper than other parts of the country. Tom Monahan with Agro*Gas says Chattanooga will be number one and then it will spread out from there. In the basement of a Cleveland, Tennessee home, Doug Mizell's experiment in energy appears to be taking off. He's found a way to turn kudzu into fuel.... WDEF http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044402/posts#comment Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:39:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044330/posts To get to the Old Allen police station.... Atlantic Monthy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044330/posts#comment Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:37:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043041/posts Tenn. won't reinstate Ophelia Ford's expired funeral permit Nashville Tennessean http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043041/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 19:26:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043029/posts NASHVILLE -- Then-state senator John Ford filed state-required financial interest disclosure forms yearly for 2001 through 2004 without listing any consulting work or income -- and then sought to amend them in 2005 after media reports began surfacing about his consulting income and a formal ethics complaint had been lodged against him, according to testimony today in his federal court trial here. Earlier testimony has indicated that the consulting firm in which Ford was a 40 percent partner received about $1.2 million from a TennCare dental services provider during that time. But under questioning by prosecutors, Senate Chief Clerk Russell... Memphis Commercial Appeal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043029/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 19:08:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042611/posts Although a new state law is making it harder to sell illegally obtained scrap metal, a cell phone tower at Tracy City that was pulled down apparently to get copper indicates how far thieves will go to get what recently has become a "precious" material. The incident occurred late Friday or early Saturday when guy wires were cut to get a DTC Wireless tower to fall in an apparent effort to get copper wiring, according to Ricky Gibbs, DTC cellular and marketing manager. The tower is owned by Wireless Properties and is leased by DTC Wireless. Gibbs summed up his... The Tullahoma News and Guardian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042611/posts#comment Tue, 8 Jul 2008 22:01:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042565/posts Days of Silence Bethany Stotts, July 08, 2008 Same-sex marriage isn’t the only pro-gay policy making waves in California. Now school districts with bullying problems are forming alliances with organizations such as the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), often at the behest of the American Civil Liberties Union. Upper Lake Union Elementary School District (ULUESD) recently decided to adopt comprehensive “sensitivity” policies following an ACLU lawsuit over the alleged assault of a 14-year-old student last Fall. The ACLU recently issued a press release celebrating the out-of-court settlement with the California school district. “We’re... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042565/posts#comment Tue, 8 Jul 2008 20:43:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042439/posts Right now, our country is dealing with issues – issues like illegal immigration, healthcare reform, the War on Terror – that will shape our politics for the rest of this century. Like many Americans, I’ve grown to feel that the politicians of this country are simply not accomplishing anything on these fronts. As low as the President’s approval rating has gotten, the approval rating for Congress is even lower. So, as a concerned and informed citizen, I’ve decided to run for Congress and help put things on the right track. That’s what living in a democracy is all about. Frontpage Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042439/posts#comment Tue, 8 Jul 2008 16:20:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042090/posts Could Felons' Votes Give Tennessee to Obama? myfoxmemphis.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042090/posts#comment Mon, 7 Jul 2008 23:18:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041981/posts MEMPHIS — Steve Cohen may be the unlikeliest freshman in Congress. He supports gun rights and capital punishment, as any successful congressman would in this conservative corner of Tennessee. But he's also for gay marriage and medical marijuana. He tried to restrict the president's conduct of the war in Iraq. He sponsored a congressional resolution to apologize for slavery. He's a white man representing a district that's mostly black. Not only all that, he's a Jew. Therein lies a remarkably ugly tale of raw racial politics that everyone here expects to get uglier with the approach of the Aug. 5... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041981/posts#comment Mon, 7 Jul 2008 18:52:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041274/posts Feds not yet ready to call probe finished - The long-running undercover FBI investigation known as Tennessee Waltz resulted in trials that took up much of the last few years. While the last convicted official recently began serving time, others already have been released or finished their probation. Former state senator John Ford, who has the longest sentence, is not expected to be released until 2013. Spawned from a 2002 low-level scandal in the Shelby County Juvenile Court Clerk's office, the case snowballed into a statewide public corruption probe that eventually led to criminal charges filed against a dozen elected... Memphis Commercial Appeal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041274/posts#comment Sun, 6 Jul 2008 00:05:29 GMT