This article is from Tennessee Lookout As Tennessee’s communities increasingly bleed into wildlife areas, the state’s Division of Forestry is pushing for a pilot program to shore up wildfire defenses. The “Wildland Urban Interface” — the line where nature and human development collide — has increased by about 2 million acres in Tennessee, State Forester Heather […]
TBI Proposes Testing Sewage from High Schools for Drugs
This article is from Tennessee Lookout The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is proposing a $3 million pilot project to test sewage from Knoxville-area high schools, college dorms and other locations for illicit drugs, Director David Rausch said Tuesday. If the budget for the project is approved, testing will initially begin on wastewater from 12 public high […]
Extent of Helene Devastation in Northeast Tennessee Comes into Clearer Focus
This article is from Tennessee Lookout Death toll rises to eight; 46 people unaccounted for, and officials say it will take months – and hundreds of millions of dollars – before roads and bridges are rebuilt The extent of the damage wrought in northeast Tennessee by the inland force of Hurricane Helene came into clearer […]
New Law will Allow Developers to Hire Own Inspectors
This article is from Tennessee Lookout A new law initiated by Gov. Bill Lee will allow developers to hire their own inspectors to check for environmental, safety and building violations on construction sites — bypassing city codes departments and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Lee, who made the measure a key policy priority this year, said it […]
Tennessee to Offer Free Diapers through Medicaid, CoverKids
This article is from Tennessee Lookout Low-income Tennessee parents will soon have access to monthly supplies of free diapers under a new program approved last week by federal regulators. Beginning in August, the state will cover the cost of 100 diapers per month for children under two who are enrolled in TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, and […]
Gardenhire Comes Down Hard on Constitutional Bail Bill
This article is from Tennessee Lookout Senate Judiciary Chairman Todd Gardenhire blasted a constitutional amendment to the state’s bail law Tuesday, saying it will pack county jails and put local governments in a financial bind. Senators passed the measure 6-3 but not before the Chattanooga Republican dropped the hammer. The resolution would amend the Constitution by […]
Advice for politicians? Pick a Lane
This opinion is from Tennessee Lookout On Thursday, Tennessee Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson announced she will run again for her Knoxville state House seat. Democrats and Republicans alike went wild, because she’s also running for U.S. Senate. Her announcement last week came amid debate over a proposed bill by Sen. Richard Briggs, a Knoxville Republican, that would prohibit […]
Measure Requiring More DCS Transparency Advances
This article is from Tennessee Lookout After more than a year of intense scrutiny over the mistreatment of kids in the care of the Department of Children’s Services, a proposal to require the agency to be more transparent is receiving bipartisan support. A bill by Democrats Sen. Jeff Yarbro, of Nashville and Rep. Dwayne Thompson of Shelby County […]
TBI Reports Continued Delays in Rape Kit Testing
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout More than year after the murder of a Memphis kindergarten teacher brought renewed public attention to the state’s lengthy delays in testing sexual assault evidence, average turnaround times for lab work still surpass five months, according to a report released last week by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The testing delays […]
Department of Children’s Services In Legal Battle to Keep Records Out of Public Eye
This story is from Tennessee/Lookout When a child dies from abuse or neglect in Tennessee, how much information should the Department of Children’s Service release to the public about its past history with the child — and how quickly should the agency disclose it? The Tennessee Court of Appeals will now consider those questions in […]
Tourism Dollars Flow from Tennessee Whiskey Trail
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout Bill Lee stands beside an old boxcar parked off to one side of a lot at The Chattanooga Choo Choo – quite a fitting place for an old railroad car to spend its days. But it’s not sitting empty. As Lee pulls the massive iron door open, its contents are revealed: Wooden […]
Former TWRA Biologist: Agency Manipulated Data on Deer Disease
Lawsuit Filed Against Agency by Former Employee Alleging Officials Misled Public and Changed Protocols to Avoid Admitting Mistakes This article is from Tennessee/Lookout A state biologist claims he was confronted in his home by law enforcement officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency on the same day he sent his boss’s superiors evidence that the state […]
Governor’s Special Session Ends in House Scrum
Speaker Sexton, Rep. Pearson Give Different Accounts of Incident This article is from Tennessee/Lookout A special session of the General Assembly designed to improve public safety in the wake of the Covenant School mass shooting wrapped up with violence and anger. The House and Senate agreed to spend $110 million on an array of safety measures. But […]
Governor Promises to Make Special Session Call, Sponsor Bills Amid GOP Opposition
Lee Working with Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers This article is from Tennessee/Lookout Still facing challenges from Republican leaders, Gov. Bill Lee confirmed he will make an official call for a special session and sponsor several bills, including one he floated this spring dealing with extreme risk orders of protection. Yet just four months after a mass […]
Comptroller: Ex-Director of Tennessee Police Chief Group Spent $60K on Booze, Meals
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout The former executive director of the publicly-funded Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police oversaw spending of more than $63,000 on food, alcohol, meals, gift cards and gas over a four-year period — credit card expenses questioned by the Tennessee Comptroller in a report that has been turned over to the Davidson […]
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