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Bill Haslam has ramped up his travel schedule now that the legislative session is over, attending ribbon-cutting events, delivering grant checks and discussing education policy over pizza. The crowds attending his events have been overwhelmingly supportive of the first-year Republican governor, but Haslam says the trips aren't meant to be a reprise of last year's campaign or a victory lap around the state. "Two years of campaigning was a long time, and I was worn out by it," Haslam told The Associated Press after handing out a ceremonial check in Winchester last week. But Haslam said he sees value in getting out and meeting people even if he doesn't need to worry yet about asking for their vote in 2014. "There is a benefit from being out talking to people," he said. "You a have lot of conversations that are very, very helpful." http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=36996811.story
$10K, $5K for leads in Gutierrez, Fryer cases (Gallatin News Examiner)
Cash rewards are available for two ongoing Sumner County criminal cases, state officials announced last week. Gov. Bill Haslam offered a $10,000 award for information that would lead to the apprehension, arrest and conviction of the person or persons who are criminally responsible in the case of Lydia Naomi Gutierrez, 27, who was killed in August 2010. Gutierrezs 8-year-old son returned home from school to find his mother's body with a plastic bag over her head suffocated and stabbed to death with multiple wounds in the neck. The child told neighbors, who reported the murder. Gallatin Police Department officers originally arrested and charged with first-degree murder Joshua Singletary, 24, of Tyree Springs Road in Hendersonville, after locating him the day of the incident at Hendersonville Medical Center where he was being treated for lacerations to his hand and leg. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110718/GALLATIN01/307180057/-10K--5K-for-leads-in-Gutierrez-Fryercases
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Kristol, Shields, State Govt. Leaders Highlight Southern Legislative Conf. (M. Flyer)
Well-known national pundits William Kristol, editoi of the Weekly Standard and Fox News Sunday panelist, and Mark Shields, columnist and panelist on the ABC/PBS show Inside Washington, are speakers at Monday mornings opening plenary session of the annual Southern Legislative Conference, which is meeting this year at The Peabody in Memphis. The conference which began over the weekend with workshop meetings and social get-togethers, including a Saturday night visit to Graceland will continue through Tuesday, with speaking appearances by Governor Bill Haslam, state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, and state House Speaker Beth Harwell, and a final banquet. The Conference is sponsored by the Southern Office of The Council of State Governments and comprises the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, George, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2011/07/18/kristol-shields-state-govt-leaders-highlightsouthern-legislative-conferencr-here
http://www.newschannel5.com/story/15102983/tbi-investigating-health-department-state-lawmakers
Lottery sets record for sales, funds to state education (City Paper)
Unfazed by a sluggish economy, the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. has set new records for its fiscal year, announcing Monday what will be an all-time high transfer of $293.5 million to education programs in the state. The mark represents an increase of $4.6 million over last years previous record. Lottery officials also report a record-breaking $1.19 billion in total sales, an impressive 4.2 percent increase over the previous year. The new total generated for education since ticket sales began in January 2004 now stands at $2.07 billion, while total sales have reached $7.8 billion. Our strategies to maximize dollars for education continue to pay off for the students and families of Tennessee, Rebecca Hargrove, president and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery Corporation, said in a release. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/lottery-sets-record-sales-fundsstate-education
Balloting to determine which park will win $175,000 from Coca-Cola (TFP/Johns)
Three Georgia parks and one from Tennessee are at the top of the list of favorite parks across the country that Coca-Cola will use to determine who gets $175,000 in grants. And one local park hopes to be the fourth from Georgia to crack the top tier. The Coca-Cola Co. has launched a website for people across the country to vote on more than 4,000 parks. The top vote-getter will receive $100,000 to restore, rebuild or enhance places within the parks. The contest awards extra votes for photos and videos uploadedAside from the Smokies, Tennessee parks appear much lower on the list. Locally, the highest ranking park is Fall Creek Falls in Pikeville, which had 42 votes for 472nd place Monday. But if the park rallied, Fall Creek Falls manager Jim Hall said the money would make an impact. That would be fantastic, he said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jul/19/balloting-determine-winner-grants-coca-cola/?local
successors to state Sen. Jamie W oodson. They'll make a final selection next week during their regularly scheduled meeting. Woodson effectively resigned July 9 from her 6th Senate District spot to become president and CEO of State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or SCORE. Under state law, the Knox County Commission will choose a temporary successor who will serve until a special election is scheduled by the governor. It's anticipated to coincide with Knoxville city elections Sept. 27 and Nov. 8. Five candidates applied for the spot before last week's deadline. One Janie Vega, a long-time legal secretary did not attend the interview process. Neither she nor the others plan to run for the seat on a permanent basis. Commissioners gave the other four candidates roughly five minutes Monday to say why they were qualified for the seat, which isn't expected to be more than a caretaker position, because the General Assembly is not in session. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jul/18/commission-interviews-senate-candidates/
to create a new black-majority seat. Two hours before I cast my first vote, Seabaugh says, they drew me out of my district. But Seabaugh fought back. He argued that Caddo Parish, where Shreveport is the main city, is about half black and half white, so it should continue to have three black-majority seats and three white-majority seats. Ultimately, the legislature agreed. Seabaughs seat was saved. In Louisiana, though, the legislatures verdict is never the final decision on redistricting. Under Section 5 of the 1965 U.S. Voting Rights Act, Louisiana is one of 16 states that must get federal permission for its new lines and any other changes it makes to voting to ensure that the changes dont reduce minorities voting power. Louisianas record in this regard was inauspicious. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=588329
U.S. Senator Bob Corker adds $2.5 million to war chest (TFP/Carroll)
If federal elections were held today, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., likely would cruise to victory based not only on the strength of his fundraising, but also since theres no Democratic challenger to be found. The former Chattanooga mayors staff told the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Monday it has $5.3 million on hand for a 2012 re-election race, so far obliterating his one registered GOP competitor, James Durkan, who raised $6,219 through March 31, records show. Aides said Corker was proud of the campaigns strong fundraising numbers including $2.5 million collected between April 1 and June 30 but chief of staff Todd Womack said the campaign is not on our radar in a significant way. We are grateful for the overwhelming generosity of citizens across Tennessee who have shown their support for Senator Corkers work to bring spending under control by putting the federal government in a fiscal straitjacket, W omack said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jul/19/us-senator-bob-corker-adds-25-million-war-chest/?local
estimates and almost double the project's baseline in 2008. In a July 13 memo to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Inspector General Gregory Friedman said the early cost estimates and schedule for demolishing the K-25 building were "significantly exceeded" because of serious technical issues. Those issues included the concerns that enriched uranium in process equipment could go "critical" (involving an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction and release of radiation); the sheer size of the mile-long facility, which was the world's largest building under one roof at the time of its construction during the World War II Manhattan Project; and hazards associated with the degraded condition of the 65-year-old structure. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jul/18/audit-slams-does-management-of-k-25-demolition/
IQT cuts more than 1,000 jobs in Canada (Nashville Business Journal)
IQT Inc., which announced plans last month to open its U.S. headquarters and bring 900 jobs to Nashville, has shut down its Canadian call centers, slashing more than 1,000 jobs in the process, according to numerous Canadian media reports. Workers in three cities Laval, Trois Rivires and Oshawa arrived on Friday to find the doors locked, and police were on-site. Workers had apparently not been paid the last two weeks and were not given final paychecks, according to the Montreal Gazette. IQT has not released any statement about the layoffs, or any potential impacts in Nashville. Besides the Canadian locations and Nashville, the company does not list any other locations in its website. The New York-based business process outsourcing firm, co-founded by David Mortman and Alex Mortman, had announced plans to occupy 60,000 square feet of space at the C.B. Ragland Building at 300 Second Ave. South. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/07/16/iqt-cuts-more-than-1000-jobs-in-canada.html
IQT's Canada layoffs trouble Nashville Mayor Karl Dean (Tennessean/Cass, W ard)
City was to pay firm to create jobsMayor Karl Deans office demanded answers Monday from a company that 6
abruptly laid off hundreds of Canadian workers last week, just as it was preparing to move its headquarters to downtown Nashville and open a call center. Matt Wiltshire, Deans economic development chief, noted that agreements to pay IQT Inc. up to $1.61 million for creating 900 jobs here have not been executed, though the Metro Council agreed to the deal soon after Dean announced it last month. In order to move forward towards finalizing these documents, we will need further clarity on the situation, W iltshire wrote to Alex Mortman, one of IQTs co-chief executive officers. In particular, we will require a complete accounting of the developments that precipitated the closing of your facilities in Canada. Mortman again declined to comment when reached Monday. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110719/BUSINESS01/307190024/IQT-s-Canada-layoffs-trouble-Dean? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
Metro ECD head to IQT: 'We will require a complete accounting' (N. Post/Duncan)
Last week's news about IQTs closing call centers in Canada came as quite a shock to the workers at those facilities. Apparently, a number of Metro officials who found out about the move via the media rather than from IQT itself were similarly shocked. On Monday, Metro ECD director Matt Wiltshire penned a letter to IQT CEO Alex Mortman saying among other things, We prefer to be notified about this sort of substantive development before reading about it in the press. Wiltshire went on to remind IQT that nothing about their deal with Nashville is finalized. As you know, the agreements between IQT and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County have not been executed, Wiltshire's letter reads. In order to move forward towards finalizing these documents, we will need further clarity on the situation. In particular, we will require a complete accounting of the developments that precipitated the closing of your facilities in Canada. http://nashvillepost.com/news/2011/7/18/metro_ecd_head_to_iqt_we_will_require_a_complete_accounting
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Board threatens delay over unpaid city funds The Memphis school board, saying it is tired of being held hostage by the City Council over money, will meet in emergency session today to discuss delaying the start of school until the money starts to flow. School board members said Monday that they have given the council every opportunity to pay and can no longer accept its -- or Mayor A C Wharton's -- assurances that anything will be different in the coming year. Aug. 8 is the scheduled first day of school. The board says the council owes the schools $151.3 million: what the city still owes for 2008-09, shortfalls on two subsequent school years and $78 million for the coming year. "I am sick and tired of playing games with the mayor and City Council," board member Kenneth Whalum said Monday. "They don't have any intention of paying. If they had, they would have paid." Whalum suggested "we throw a 100-yard pass and force them to catch it. I suggest we not open school until we get everything we need, every duck lined up in a row. ... Every day these children are at home with their parents" will put pressure on the City Council. One by one, board members who almost never agree with Whalum signaled their support, including board member Tomeka Hart, whose clashes with Whalum are frequent. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jul/19/mcs-to-consider-late-start-of-schools/
a letter today giving the system three million dollars," Cash said. "As of five o'clock, the end of the business day, we had not received any letter." It was just another indication of a city that wasn't willing to pay their legally obligated share of money to a school system, according to the superintendent, and he was tired of it. Superintendent Cash produced records that went back four years. Of a total of three hundred nineteen million dollars budgeted by the Memphis City Council to schools, the schools only received a little more than fifty two percent of that money. "I know, I know, times are tough," he said. "But we're the ones that are making the cuts. " Superintendent Cash said over the last four fiscal years, the system has had to eliminate more than fourteen hundred jobs. "We have had to cut close to two hundred million dollars from our budget," he said. The problem is, according to Cash and others, is the legal battle over school consolidation. http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-memphis-schools-delay-open,0,1285727.story?track=rss
Metro narcotics agents have arrested a Jackson man after firefighters responded to a reported fire in a motel room on Sunday and transported the man to a local hospital with facial burns, according to a news release. Christopher Stanly Fondren, 35, of East College Street, is charged with initiation of methamphetamine manufacture, possession of drug paraphernalia and vandalism. He was transported to the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex where he will be held pending arraignment in Madison County General Sessions Court. The Jackson Fire Department was called Sunday to room 103 of the Old Hickory Inn located at 1849 U.S. 45 Bypass. When firefighters arrived, they found a small fire in the room and put it out, the release said. They spoke to Fondren, the occupant of the room, who said he was cooking a "Hot Pocket" in the microwave when it blew up. Fondren received minor facial burns and was taken by ambulance to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, where he was treated and later released. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110719/NEWS01/107190307/Fire-motel-room-leads-meth-charges
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Times Editorial: Angling for more gun carry (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)
State Rep. Gerald McCormick says the new Republican Caucus Firearms Issues Task Force he has established will study state gun laws and identify if any changes may need to be made. After the vast loosening of guncarry rights in Tennessee and most other states in recent years, McCormicks remark can only be taken as doublespeak for another round of gun laws like the guns-in-bars and guns-in-parks laws that the Legislature has already passed or worse. It is noteworthy that McCormick decided to create the task force a group of seven conspicuously pro-gun legislators only after the Tennessee Firearms Association, a more-guns-the-better group, criticized the Legislature for failing to pass guns-on-campus and guns-in-trunks laws in this years legislative session. Both were vigorously opposed by more clear-thinking citizens than our legislators, to be sure. College presidents, faculty and their local and campus police, along with many students, rose in sharp opposition to allowing university employees with gun-carry permits to carry guns on campus. They reasonably feared that official tolerance of looser gun-carry rights on campus would invite more violence rather than thwart it. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jul/19/angling-more-gun-carry/?opiniontimes
a Class E felony. Penalties for promoting prostitution are increased from a Class E to a Class D felony when a minor is involved. Additionally, the new law specifies that if it is determined that a person charged with prostitution is under age 18, they are immune from prosecution for prostitution and shall be released to a parent or guardian after receiving information regarding resources available to put them on the right track. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/07/18/opinion/02butt.txt
Editorial: Public must be involved on designer drug issue (Daily News Journal)
We agree 100 percent with state Rep. Mike Sparks' recent radio comments and discussion with a Daily News Journal reporter on so-called "designer drugs." As the Legislature struggles to keep up with laws banning a range of designer drugs, manufacturers stay one step ahead, altering formulas slightly to circumvent the law. "Law enforcement and the Legislature can't get rid of the problem by themselves," Sparks told a DNJ reporter last week. "It's going to take parents sitting down and talking to their kids to solve these issues." And, as the Republican Sparks of Smyrna reluctantly quoted Democrat Hillary Clinton, it's also going to "take a village" to do something about this issue. The community must send a clear message to local merchants that these products are not going to be tolerated on store shelves. Marketed under a variety of names, such as White Rabbit and Vampire Blood, which were produced in Murfreesboro, synthetic cannabinoids, labeled as incense, have commonly been found in small convenience stores. http://www.dnj.com/article/20110719/OPINION02/107190302/Editorial-Public-must-involved-designer-drug-issue
Editorial: Bi-partisan effort needed for tougher coal ash rules (News-Sentinel)
The House Energy and Commerce Committee last week voted to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste, and no vote was more disappointing that the one cast by US. Rep. Marsha Blackburn. Blackburn, a Republican from Brentwood, Tenn., vote conflicts with the interests of her constituents. Perhaps, being from Middle Tennessee, she hasn't seen the destruction caused by the December 2008 Kingston coal ash spill. Perhaps, because the Tennessee Valley Authority's revenues come from ratepayers and not the federal budget, she believes no one cares about the $1 billion or more price tag for the cleanup of the 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash that spilled out of a collapsed holding pond at TVA's Kingston Fossil Plant. Blackburn doesn't represent Roane County, but being a Tennessean and a TVA ratepayer should have made her keenly aware of the dangers of unsafe coal ash storage. In response to the Kingston catastrophe, the EPA has offered a choice between two rules one that would allow states to continue treating ash like municipal garbage (as Tennessee does) and another one that treats ash as hazardous waste. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jul/18/editorial-bi-partisan-effort-needed-for-tougher/
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