Knoxville News SentinelView CommentsThe American Civil Liberties Union is urging Gov. Bill Lee to veto , saying it would chill free speech by threatening people with "overly harsh criminal penalties" and mark "a giant leap in the wrong direction" on criminal justice reform.For two months, a group of protesters has spent day and night occupying a space outside the Tennessee state Capitol in Nashville. Demonstrators camping at War Memorial Plaza have reclaimed it as "the People's Plaza" and demanded an audience with Lee to discuss defunding law enforcement and Lee hasn't met with the...…Knoxville News SentinelView CommentsThe American Civil Liberties Union is urging Gov. Bill Lee to veto , saying it would chill free speech by threatening people with "overly harsh criminal penalties" and mark "a giant leap in the wrong direction" on criminal justice reform.For two months, a group of protesters has spent day and night occupying a space outside the Tennessee state Capitol in Nashville. Demonstrators camping at War Memorial Plaza have reclaimed it as "the People's Plaza" and demanded an audience with Lee to discuss defunding law enforcement and Lee hasn't met with the...WW…

Nashville TennesseanAs protesters continued their two-month, round-the-clock demonstration just outside Capitol doors, the Tennessee legislature on Wednesday approved a bill that will make it easier for state troopers to file charges against the group.The legislation was promised by House leadership in early June when demonstrations against police brutality — and later against Gov. Bill Lee and the General Assembly — began increasing in Nashville.The bill — which will cost as much as $1.3 million per year between state and local government — was a source...…Nashville TennesseanAs protesters continued their two-month, round-the-clock demonstration just outside Capitol doors, the Tennessee legislature on Wednesday approved a bill that will make it easier for state troopers to file charges against the group.The legislation was promised by House leadership in early June when demonstrations against police brutality — and later against Gov. Bill Lee and the General Assembly — began increasing in Nashville.The bill — which will cost as much as $1.3 million per year between state and local government — was a source...WW…

Nashville TennesseanView CommentsConstruction is underway on an $800 million Facebook data center northeast of Nashville that will take up to three years to build and cover nearly 1 million square feet. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced that the center will create 100 high-paying jobs and be supported by two new solar energy projects in south and west Tennessee.This will be the 13th Facebook data center in the U.S. and 17th worldwide. It is going up in a Gallatin industrial park next to Beretta USA's firearms plant, a Gap...…Nashville TennesseanView CommentsConstruction is underway on an $800 million Facebook data center northeast of Nashville that will take up to three years to build and cover nearly 1 million square feet. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced that the center will create 100 high-paying jobs and be supported by two new solar energy projects in south and west Tennessee.This will be the 13th Facebook data center in the U.S. and 17th worldwide. It is going up in a Gallatin industrial park next to Beretta USA's firearms plant, a Gap...WW…

Nashville TennesseanApproximately 100 sixth-grade students at Winfree-Bryant Middle School in Lebanon have been shifted to distance learning for the next 14 days because of a positive COVID-19 test.The number of students represents about half the sixth-grade class at Winfree-Bryant, according to Lebanon Special School District Director Scott Benson said.The shift was prompted by a student who tested positive for the virus, Benson said.The district has contacted students and staff who need to be informed, according to the district. The other half of the sixth-grade class at Winfree-Bryant is...…Nashville TennesseanApproximately 100 sixth-grade students at Winfree-Bryant Middle School in Lebanon have been shifted to distance learning for the next 14 days because of a positive COVID-19 test.The number of students represents about half the sixth-grade class at Winfree-Bryant, according to Lebanon Special School District Director Scott Benson said.The shift was prompted by a student who tested positive for the virus, Benson said.The district has contacted students and staff who need to be informed, according to the district. The other half of the sixth-grade class at Winfree-Bryant is...WW…

Nashville TennesseanView CommentsA Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper is being investigated after a video appears to show him ripping the mask off a civilian at the Capitol. A video posted by Andrew Golden shows him filming a traffic stop by troopers at the Capitol Monday evening. On the video, Trooper Harvey Briggs warned Golden not to impede on the traffic stop.The video shows Golden on the sidewalk distanced from the troopers. He estimates he was 10 to 15 feet away.Briggs, who wasn't involved in the traffic stop, crossed the parking lot to chastise Golden for using...…Nashville TennesseanView CommentsA Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper is being investigated after a video appears to show him ripping the mask off a civilian at the Capitol. A video posted by Andrew Golden shows him filming a traffic stop by troopers at the Capitol Monday evening. On the video, Trooper Harvey Briggs warned Golden not to impede on the traffic stop.The video shows Golden on the sidewalk distanced from the troopers. He estimates he was 10 to 15 feet away.Briggs, who wasn't involved in the traffic stop, crossed the parking lot to chastise Golden for using...WW…

Nashville TennesseanView CommentsU.S. Rep. Jim Cooper will stay on the job after winning his first primary challenge in a decade to represent the Nashville-based 5th Congressional District. The veteran of Congress and member of the Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats — a moderate wing of the party — fended off a challenge from progressive attorney Keeda Haynes and Joshua Rawlings, a former Republican small businessperson. The Associated Press called the Democratic race for Cooper at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday. As of 2 a.m. Friday, Cooper held a 57% to...…Nashville TennesseanView CommentsU.S. Rep. Jim Cooper will stay on the job after winning his first primary challenge in a decade to represent the Nashville-based 5th Congressional District. The veteran of Congress and member of the Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats — a moderate wing of the party — fended off a challenge from progressive attorney Keeda Haynes and Joshua Rawlings, a former Republican small businessperson. The Associated Press called the Democratic race for Cooper at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday. As of 2 a.m. Friday, Cooper held a 57% to...WW…

Nashville TennesseanView CommentsFear of COVID-19 will , the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. Absentee ballots filed for Thursday's primary will remain valid, according to the court.The high court's decision reverses a Nashville judge's injunction that allowed any voter concerned about COVID-19 to vote by mail. But the full lawsuit remains unresolved.  Concerned voters filed lawsuits in Davidson County Chancery Court earlier this year asking for an expansion of the existing policy as cases of the novel coronavirus began to sweep through...…Nashville TennesseanView CommentsFear of COVID-19 will , the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. Absentee ballots filed for Thursday's primary will remain valid, according to the court.The high court's decision reverses a Nashville judge's injunction that allowed any voter concerned about COVID-19 to vote by mail. But the full lawsuit remains unresolved.  Concerned voters filed lawsuits in Davidson County Chancery Court earlier this year asking for an expansion of the existing policy as cases of the novel coronavirus began to sweep through...WW…

Nashville TennesseanA day after a top official in Gov. Bill Lee's administration said Tennessee plans to withhold the number of COVID-19 cases in schools from the public, a spokesperson said the information will not even be collected by the state.  When Lee  on Tuesday, state Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said Tennessee had no plans to provide the public with data on the number of coronavirus cases and deaths at schools as many return to in-person classes.Instead, Piercey said such data sharing would be left up to individual...…Nashville TennesseanA day after a top official in Gov. Bill Lee's administration said Tennessee plans to withhold the number of COVID-19 cases in schools from the public, a spokesperson said the information will not even be collected by the state.  When Lee  on Tuesday, state Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said Tennessee had no plans to provide the public with data on the number of coronavirus cases and deaths at schools as many return to in-person classes.Instead, Piercey said such data sharing would be left up to individual...WW…

Nashville TennesseanView CommentsA day after a top official in Gov. Bill Lee's administration said Tennessee plans to withhold the number of COVID-19 cases in schools from the public, a spokesperson said the information will not even be collected by the state.  When Lee  on Tuesday, state Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said Tennessee had no plans to provide the public with data on the number of coronavirus cases and deaths at schools as many return to in-person classes.Instead, Piercey said such data sharing would be left up to...…Nashville TennesseanView CommentsA day after a top official in Gov. Bill Lee's administration said Tennessee plans to withhold the number of COVID-19 cases in schools from the public, a spokesperson said the information will not even be collected by the state.  When Lee  on Tuesday, state Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said Tennessee had no plans to provide the public with data on the number of coronavirus cases and deaths at schools as many return to in-person classes.Instead, Piercey said such data sharing would be left up to...WW…

Nashville TennesseanA search is underway in rural Hickman County by local, state and federal law enforcement for evidence in the case ofMetro Nashville Police cold case homicide detectives, urban search and rescue officers and FBI agents are searching for information that could lead them to Tabitha Tuders on a rugged piece of property near the 1000 block of Back Piney Road in Bon Aqua.Hickman County is about 60 miles southwest of Nashville, and during the last census, just under 25,000 people lived there.According to Metro police, Tuders is thought to...…Nashville TennesseanA search is underway in rural Hickman County by local, state and federal law enforcement for evidence in the case ofMetro Nashville Police cold case homicide detectives, urban search and rescue officers and FBI agents are searching for information that could lead them to Tabitha Tuders on a rugged piece of property near the 1000 block of Back Piney Road in Bon Aqua.Hickman County is about 60 miles southwest of Nashville, and during the last census, just under 25,000 people lived there.According to Metro police, Tuders is thought to...WW…